Pathway choice and post-Covid tourism: Inclusive growth or business as usual?

Until the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic struck, international tourism was seen as a driver of economic development, government revenue, employment and livelihoods for many countries in the Global South. This commentary considers the choice of pathway facing policymakers for the post-Covid tourism recovery (further risks notwithstanding of newer variants such Omicron and vaccine shortfalls causing a globally uneven recovery of tourism). The paper specifically focusses on tourism-led inclusive growth and examines this timely opportunity for reflection on the tourism sector and how more benefits may be retained by local host communities. Given pre-Covid trends to increasing concentration of the tourism industry, larger-scale resort developments and the continuing role played by tourism multinational corporations, it is unclear whether or not policymakers will rush to open borders with tourism still seen as getting back to ‘business as usual’ with benefits continuing to accrue to multinational tourism hotel groups, tour operators and airlines, rather than to local communities and smaller businesses.