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258 government
subordinate divisions, a decision about which
foreign airlines should be allowed to operate into
its territory would be made at the national level of
government. The level of foreign ownership in
general would be a national decision, since no subnational
division of the government would have the
authority to determine that policy.
However, in those same countries the nature of
the requirements for a motor vehicle operating
licence issued to a foreign tourist would likely be
determined by the state or provincial level of
government. In further example, a policy decision
to permit the construction of a large hotel on a
particular piece of land in a given city may involve
primarily local government bodies. The land would
require proper zoning classification by local
authorities, and construction permits would be
issued by local or provincial governments. Hence,
the appropriate level of government to become
involved in a tourism issue will depend on a
number of factors, and in some cases several levels
of government may become involved. In countries
where there are no local or provincial governments,
all issues of tourism policy would likely be
handled by the national government. Such political
systems are usually described as unitary governments.
There are numerous tourism-based issues which
may require direct action by government�s) either
in a facilitative sense or in a regulatory role. To
illustrate the close connections existing between
tourism as a human activity and government,
which is also a human activity, for example, one
could think of international travel policies and
regulations, including air transport policies and
international agreements; customs and immigration
policies; currency restrictions and foreign
exchange values; travel restriction on citizens
because of safety concerns or lack of diplomatic
protection; environmental issues arising from tourism
development �see environment); land use
policies; infrastructural pressures or demands from
tourism development �see infrastructure);
crime prevention and law enforcement needs
resulting from tourism; taxation policies including
taxes or levies unique to tourism; the development
of historic sites or major cultural attractions
which facilitate tourism; and the preservation of
local, regional and national identities and culture
where the volume of tourism is high relative to the
local population and society. All of these are issues
which can be drastically affected by government
actions.
Government policies on such issues can stimulate
or retard the development of both national and
international tourism. As national governments
join and support international organisations
pertinent to tourism, the free movement of persons
among countries is facilitated. Likewise, such
movement can be restricted, as illustrated in the
prohibition by some countries of travel by its
citizens to specific nations. Strict immigration and
customs enforcement or tight currency controls can
make certain international tourism difficult. Even
government intervention in major labour disputes
affecting domestic tourism or international
travel can have a significant impact on the tourism
industry across national boundaries.
The quality and volume of tourism activity in
any society is greatly dependent not only upon
government tourism policies or the lack of policies,
but also upon that government's relations with
tourist generating nations and its own citizens'
tourism proclivities. The above examples illustrate
the range of issues on which governments may act
to affect the industry. Since in most polities
government is responsible for the overall maintenance
of order, what it does in all sectors of
society will affect tourism as well.
See also: code of ethics; demand, air travel;
democratisation; environmental legislation;
globalisation; ideology; imperialism; mass tourism;
political development; postmodernism; regulatory
agency
Further reading
Easton, D. �1965) A Framework for Political Analysis,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. �Applies
systems theory and analysis to the study of
politics and government.)
Madrigal, R. �1995) `Residents' perceptions and
the role of government', Annals of Tourism Research
22�1): 86±102. �Empirical research on what
residents think governments, role should be in
tourism development.)
Matthews, H. �1978) International Tourism:A Social