Abstract

Tourism has had a profound and irreversible effect on many destination areas. As the demand for new destinations increases, there is an unrelenting pressure for development in order to satisfy the growth of this complex, pervasive industry. This article presents the results of research undertaken into business attitudes towards sustainable tourism development by the British Federation of Tour Operators and Association of Independent Tour Operators members. The price-cutting competition of undifferentiated mass market operators continues to be a threat to sustainable destination development. Furthermore, the 1992 EC Directive on Package Travel is preventing operators from using local suppliers, which is a fundamental principle of sustainability