Why the Economic Geography of Tourism Really Matters to Destinations

"Spatial, economic and social processes shape tourism development - and tourism, in turn, reshapes economic spaces.” This week, Gary chats with Joao Romao, Associate Professor at Yasuda Women’s University in Japan, about his new book, Economic Geography of Tourism. An economist, tourism policy advisor and former journalist and travel documentary maker, Joao places contemporary tourism in the context of shifting global economic, technological, societal, environmental and political challenges. In alignment with us here at High-Yield Tourism, his book advocates for “tourism strategies that are economically viable, and effectively sustainable, inclusive and resilient.” We take a journey from Japan to South East Asia, South America and Europe to discuss the evolving socio-economic and ecological issues confronting destinations. We debate whether sustainable or regenerative tourism practices can be achieved within market-regulated economies. And, we contrast the positive benefits of technological advancements for destinations with the increasing concentration of travel data among a few tech giants. We finish by breaking down a key tenet of the book, "There is a lot of transformation and gentrification of cities as a result of tourism," and the spatial issues this is creating for tourism planners and policymakers on all continents.