POLITICAL-SCIENCE AND TOURISM

Political Science addresses the theory and practice of politics. It describes and analyzes political behavior and political systems. It has evolved from a normative and descriptive discipline into one which utilizes more behavioristic approaches to the study of political phenomena. Political scientists have engaged in a constant effort to apply their discipline to the study of tourism since the early 1970s. This article reviews those contributions and addresses the appropriateness of examining political dimensions of tourism behavior from the perspective of the political scientist. The paper calls for greater integration of the study of tourism politics with the other skills required in the training of tourism practitioners. © 1991.