Forces Impacting The Future of Tourism

•         Economic/ Political

•         A decline in the mega-nation, rise of the city state

•         Socio-environmental awareness

•         Technology

•         Demographic shifts

•         Change from  a service to an experience economy

•         Diversity within a homogeneous world

•         Evolution of leisure time and competition for leisure time

Economic

Continued moderate-to-good rates of global economic growth

Above average economic performance of the Asian tiger economies

Emerging importance of new tiger economies (i.e. China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia)

Widening gap between rich-poor countries

Spreading of harmonization of currencies.

Technology

Information technology development

Transport technology advances

Political

Removal of barriers to international travel

Transport and other forms of deregulation

Demographic

Aging population and contracting workforces in industrialized countries

Erosion of the traditional western household

Globalization and Localization

Growing power of internl economic and market forces

Conflict in developing countries b/w identity, modernity

Increasing demand from different ethnic and religious groups

Socio-Environmental Awareness

Boosting public awareness of socio-cultural and environmental issues

Having greater media reports on major global problems (e.g. reducing water supplies)

Living and Working Environments

Growing urban congestion

“Service” to “Experience” Economy

Focus switching to delivering unique experiences

Marketing

Use of electronic technology to identify and communicate with market segments and niches