1: The Evolving Nature of Competition and Sustainability a: Destination Competitiveness: Its Nature and Its Evolution b: Components of the Competitive Universe c: The Dimensions of Tourism Competitiveness d: Economic Competitiveness e: Political Competitiveness f: The Renaissance of the City-State g: Socio-Cultural Competitiveness h: Technological Competitiveness j: Environmental Competitiveness k: Some General observations on how the Competitive Environment is evolving l: The Evolution of Travel Experience Demanded m: Demographics are Redefining the Foundations of Competitiveness n: Crisis and Renewal are Being Forced Upon Destinations as a Strategy forCompetitiveness Part I: The Competitive Tourism Destination 1.1: The Competitive Destination 1.2: Competitiveness: Theoretical and Managerial Dimensions 1.3: What is This Thing Called Competitiveness? 1.4: A Framework for Understanding Competition 1.5: Competitiveness in the Service Sector 1.6: The Nature of Comparative and Competitive Advantage in Tourism 1.7: Linking Destination Competitiveness to Performance 1.8: Tourism Markets 1.9: Target Market Strategy 1.10: Destination Performance 1.11: Summarizing the Steps to Destination Success 1.12: The Philosophy of Sustainable Competitiveness for Tourism Destination Development 1.13: Charting the Destination's Sustainable Course: Crafting a Vision and Establishing Goals 1.14: Tourism Planning in the Context of Overall Social and Economic Development 1.15: Allocating Resources: Tourism's Share Part II: The Sustainable Tourism Destination 2.1: The Birth and Evolution of Sustainable Tourism 2.2: Sustainable Tourism: a Comprehensive Examination 2.3: The Parallel Emergence of Ecotourism 2.4: WTO and Ecotourism 2.5: Some Concluding Observations 2.6: Managing Tourism from an ST Perspective 2.7: Ecological Sustainability 2.8: Economic Sustainability 2.9: Socio-Cultural Sustainability 2.10: Political Sustainability 2.11: Achieving Sustainable Tourism 2.12: Creating and Managing a Sustainable/Ecotourism Destination 2.13: In Conclusion Part II: A Model of Destination Competitiveness 3.1: The Origins of a Conceptual Model 3.2: An Overview of the Model 3.3: The Global (Macro) Environment 3.4: The Competitive (Micro) Environment 3.5: Core Resources and Attractors 3.6: Supporting Factors and Resources 3.7: Destination Policy, Planning and Development 3.8: Destination Management 3.9: Qualifying and Amplifying Determinants Part IV: The Macro Environment: Global Forces Shaping World Tourism 4.1: Global Forces: An Onion Skin Taxonomy 4.2: The Outer Layer 4.3: The Intermediate Layer 4.4: The Inner Layer 4.5: The Interdependence of Global Forces 4.6: Analyzing and Understanding Global Forces 4.7: Global Forces and Tourism Demand 4.8: Global Forces and Tourism Supply 4.9: Assessing the Impact of Global Forces on Destination Performance 4.10: Global Forces and Destination Policy 4.11: Global Forces and Destination Management 4.12: Global Forces and Destination Organization Part V: The Competitive (Micro) Environment: The Destination and the Tourism System 5.1: Suppliers 5.2: Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises 5.3: Marketing Intermediaries and Facilitators: the Industry's Lubricants 5.4: Customers: The Ultimate Driving Force 5.5: Related and Supporting Industries 5.6: Destination Management Organisations 5.7: Publics: Stakeholders and Watchdogs 5.8: The Destination: Internal Environment and Modus Operandi 5.9: Other Competing Destinations 5.10: The Tourism System: Integrative Impacts Part VI: Core Resources and Attractors: The Essence of Destination Appeal 6.1: Destination Physiography and Climate: the Natural Edge 6.2: Destination Culture: the Lure of Human Distinctiveness 6.3: The Elements of Culture 6.4: What is Culture? 6.5: Major Dimensions of Cultural Attractiveness 6.6: Forms of Culture 6.7: Culture and Consumption 6.8: Activities: The Nike 'JUST DO IT' Mentality of Travellers 6.9: Special Events: in Search of the Stroke of Genius That Creates Destination Uniqueness 6.10: From Local Insight & Entrepreneurship 6.11: Entertainment - the Show Must Go On! 6.12: Developing and Managing 'Entertainment Tourism' 6.13: Tourism Superstructure: 'If you build it, they will come!' 6.14: Market Ties: the Ties that Bind 6.15: Personal Ties 6.16: Organizational/Professional Ties Part VII: Supporting Factors and Resources: Elements Which Enhance Destination Appeal 7.1: Infrastructure: Providing a Foundation for Successful Tourism 7.2: Accessibility: Addressing the Curse or Blessing of Location 7.3: Facilitating Resources: Human, Knowledge, and Financial Capital 7.4: Hospitality: Resident Attitudes Towards Tourists and Tourism 7.5: Enterprise: the Generation of Human Energy 7.6: Political Will: is Tourism Part of the Political Landscape? Part VIII: Destination Policy, Planning and Development 8.1: The Nature of Tourism Policy, Planning, and Development 8.2: Distinguishing Between 'Destination Policy Planning and Development' (DPPD) andDestination Management (DM) 8.3: Tourism Policy: a Definition 8.4: Why is Tourism Policy Important? 8.5: Areas Addressed by Tourism Policy 8.6: Types and Levels of 'Tourism Destinations' 8.7: Tourism Policy: Context, Structure, Content, and Process 8.8: The Context of Tourism Policy 8.9: The Components of Tourism Policy 8.10: Destination Positioning/Branding 8.11: Destination Development 8.12: Destination Audit 8.13: Relating Policy to Strategy and the Development Process 8.14: Supply Development Strategies 8.15: Demand Development (Marketing) Strategies 8.16: Organizational and Development Policy Part IX: Destination Management: The Key to Maintaining a Sustainable Competitive Advantage 9.1: The Process of Destination Management 9.2: Marketing (Promotion?) 9.3: Identification of Strategic Markets for the Destination 9.4: Measuring Destination Awareness and Image 9.5: The Monitoring of Destination Awareness and Image 9.6: Assessing Destination Brand Effectiveness 9.7: Developing Logos, Themes, and Advertising Support 9.8: Managing the Quality of Visitor Service and the Visitor Experience 9.9: Management Implications of Adapting a Quality of Experience Framework 9.10: Managing Information/Research (I/R) 9.11: Managing Inward I/R Flows 9.12: Managing Outward I/R Flows 9.13: Human Resource Development 9.14: Visitor Services and Visitor Management 9.15: Services and the Experience Economy 9.16: Systems for Visitor Management 9.17: Stewardship - Taking Care of the Tourism Resource Base 9.18: Mechanisms to Deal with Crises 9.19: Organizational Systems 9.20: Destination Stakeholders 9.21: Crisis Management Scenarios Part X: Qualifying and Amplifying Determinants: Parameters Which Define Destination Potential 10.1: Destination Location: Blessing or Curse? 10.2: Destination Safety: Security of Threat? 10.3: Destination Cost Levels: Reality or Perception? 10.4: Destination Interdependencies: Synergy or Substitute? 10.5: Destination Image: Perceptions of People and Place 10.6: Carrying Capacity: Hard and Soft Constraints to Growth Part XI: The Destination Audit: Putting the Model to Work 11.1: The Philosophy of the Audit Concept 11.2: The Nature of a Destination Audit 11.3: Preparing for a Destination Audit 11.4: Implementing the Audit 11.5: Destination Diagnostics

"An important and welcome contribution to the literature of tourism studies. Highly recommended". S A Schulman, Choice "This book is an articulate and valuable contribution to the tourism literature... It is likely to become a standard reference for many years to come." Geoffrey Wall, Tourism Recreation Research"

"An important and welcome contribution to the literature of tourism studies." S A Schulman, Choice,41(10), 2004 "Ritchie and Crouch have been working on elements of destination marketing for well over 10 years... I, for one, am glad that they have stopped to gather their work into this concise yet comprehensive publication. The Preface is one of the most interesting that I have read. There is a sense of being spoken to, not 'written at". Sue Beeton, Tourism Management, 26, 2005 "This book is an articulate and valuable contribution to the tourism literature and students, consultants and practitioners, especially those employed by destination marketing and management organizations, will all benefit from ensuring that they have ready access to this book. It is likely to become a standard reference for many years to come." Geoffrey Wall, Tourism Recreation Research, 30(1), 2005 "This book will undoubtedly have significant influence on destination management for a number of years". C. Michael Hall, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2005