Legislative Perceptions of Sustainable Tourism: The Case of the North Carolina General Assembly

Abstract

The tourism industry is the second largest contributor to North Carolina's economy. The traditional thrust behind many national and state tourism policies has focused on the industry's employment potential and opportunities for economic growth. However, consumer demand is shifting toward a more sustainable approach to tourism that balances economic growth with environmental and social-cultural enhancement and equity. Given the growing pressure placed on legislators to address tourism development, and specifically sustainable tourism, there is a clear need to better understand legislators' perceptions of tourism and enhance communication between legislators and tourism practitioners.

By identifying the perceptions of elected leaders at the state level; destination marketers, advocates of sustainability, and consumers will have a better understanding of how to effectively communicate with, and lobby their local legislators. This study replicates and extends a previous study. Using a multi-method approach data were collected through a web-based survey, mail survey, and face-to-face interception; this study seeks to measure and analyze North Carolina legislators' knowledge of and attitudes towards the tourism industry and sustainable development within the industry.