Tourism supply in a growth-based economy

Increasing in complexity, tourism supply incorporates an ever-expanding range of actors in the public, private and voluntary spheres promoting tourism as an instrument of development. Enabled by the dominant neoliberal growth-based economy, the highly competitive tourism supply chain is driving the growth of tourism in a direction which is at odds with environmental crises. This is evident as the industry continues to develop mass and customised innovative experiences to more remote regions of the world facilitated by innovations in information communication technology (ICT). The chapter begins by examining growth, capitalism and globalisation in tourism supply. This then sets the stage to examine a range of policies, plans, and operations in the industry from international to national tourism organisations to selected sectors including transportation, accommodation, ICT and tourism intermediaries illustrating their continued reliance on growth. While efforts are underway to put sustainability at the forefront of tourism supply, it is important to recognise the underlying neoliberal philosophy that guides many of the actors in tourism, and the nature of the capitalistic environment in which tourism thrives.