Professor of Trade, Tourism, and Economic Development, College of Business, School of Hospitality Leadership, East Carolina University; Research Scholar, Center for Sustainable Tourism, East Carolina University
Charter Member, International Academy for the Study of Tourism
Fellow, Center of Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development, University of South Carolina
TEN IMPORTANT WORLD TOURISM ISSUES FOR 2017
Importance of maintaining a destination's sustainability regarding social, cultural, natural and built resources
Concerns for safety and security remains an important issue for the travel and tourism industry
Impact on the travel and tourism industry resulting from the global economic perspective
Responding to increased interest in potential long-term consequences of climate change impacts on tourism
Necessity for increased local/regional/national leadership in tourism policy and strategic planning
Educating users about optimizing the application of new technologies in the tourism industry
Resolving barriers to travel: visas, passports, airline services, fees, and delays
Understanding the transformative effect that travel and tourism has on global socio-economic progress
Effect on travel and tourism from natural/human-induced disasters, health issues, and political disruptions
Changes in tourism demand resulting from increased travel by emerging nations
"A guest never forgets the host who had treated him kindly." -Homer, The Odyssey, 9th Century B.C.-
Sources of information: university discussions, conferences and seminars, tourism documents, Internet, survey information, industry data, books, articles, and publications, utilization of a modified Delphi approach to gather certain research information, and comments from interested colleagues, students, and others. See also Chapter 12 "Future World Tourism Policy Issues" in Tourism Policy and Planning (second edition-2013, Edgell and Swanson); "The Essence of Understanding Issues that Portent the Future of Global Tourism" (David L. Edgell in Volume 11 Number 2, 2013 of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism); and, Chapter 10 ""Future World Issues that will Impact on Managing Sustainable Tourism", Managing Sustainable Tourism: A Legacy for the Future (second edition-2016 Edgell).