ABSTRACT
This chapter considers advantages and disadvantages of collaboration and partnerships. It presents a case study of a partnership between a number of tourism industry representatives, government officers and a non-government organization. C. Clements et al. suggested that it is vital partnerships are developed in tourism to ensure that a high quality of product is delivered, and because tourism experiences rely on all aspects of the community. Collaboration and partnerships have been advocated in tourism because of the perceived benefits they can bring. One of the major benefits is that collaboration can avoid the adversarial conflicts between different interest groups. Partnerships can promote learning about the work, skills and potential of the other partners, and also develop the group interaction and negotiating skills that help to make partnerships successful. The power of some partnerships may be too great, leading to the creation of cartels. Some collaborative arrangements may outlive their usefulness, with their bureaucracies seeking to extend their lives unreasonably.
