"The global significance of tourism as an economic, environmental, and social force has never been greater. Modern methods of transportation enable growing numbers of people to travel to almost any area of the world; in the developed world, travel is now regarded as a right, rather than a privilege. Almost 400 million international tourist trips are taken each year and it is estimated that by the year 2000, tourism will be the largest industry in the world. Yet tourism as an industry has only recently begun to receive the study it needs and deserves." "The purpose of this book is to present guidelines for optimal planning, development, and marketing of tourism, particularly at regional and community levels. Based on proven marketing principles, Marketing Tourism Destinations defines tourism and its "product" and examines the nature of tourist businesses, with an emphasis on planning for tourism development. Comprehensive, readable chapters discuss such topics as:" "Regional goal and strategy formulation" "The strategic marketing planning framework" "Environment and resource analysis" "Target marketing and regional positioning strategy" "Regional marketing mix strategy" "and more, with cases and examples applicable to different parts of the world." "In the rush to exploit tourism's enormous economic potential, the complexities of tourism development are often underestimated. There are many considerations, from environmental and resource requirements to tourism's social and cultural ramifications, that may be overlooked to the detriment of a region. From its thorough introduction, through each extensively referenced section to the final summary chapter with its valuable recommendations for regional tourism organizations, Marketing Tourism Destinations is an important step forward in the literature of tourism marketing and planning."--Jacket.