ABSTRACT
Tourism 1 is inseparable from its spatial dimension. But the inscription of tourism in space has deeply evolved over time. The future represents a major challenge for the actors - public and private - involved in the activity. This chapter establishes that the geography of contemporary tourism is the result of complex and interdependent global and local dynamics. The constant reshaping of the local is simultaneous with the globalization processes of this and related industries (Salazar 2005). Obviously competition among alternative destinations is a relevant element, as is the secular decrease of the transport costs. 2 But the issue is not restricted to mere variations of elements in given markets. In the industry of tourism, technological changes and innovation have resulted in a new organization of the industry and markets, changes in interactions and interdependence between the different actors, the emergence of new institutional frameworks and rules, and ultimately changed territorial dynamics.
