ABSTRACT

This chapter is focused on the analysis of methodologies to assess the economic importance of tourism (including immaterial and nonmarket tourism resources) and to evaluate its economic impacts (both positive and negative) on regional economic structures, specialization patterns, and long-term processes of economic growth. This discussion considers the evolving character of tourism destinations throughout their life cycles, the fragmented and decentralized character of the value chain of tourism supply in each destination, and the different territorial characteristics constraining the possibilities for tourism and economic development. For these purposes, theoretical and conceptual developments related to evolutionary economic geography, recently applied to tourism studies, are used. Finally, opportunities for improving tourism performance based on innovative practices and systematic interrelations with other economic activities within the context of contemporary creative economies are discussed, exploring the potential role of tourism to be a central element for regional innovation strategies by reinforcing the relations and spillovers with related sectors. The importance of cities and urban tourism in this context (along with new, related problems) is also analyzed.