The "golden age" of mass tourism - of unlimited growth and disregard for the environment, of standardised, rigidly packaged products and services - is over.

...There is a paradigm shift occurring?in the tourism industry the world over...

A new tourism is emerging, sustainable, environmentally and socially responsible, and characterised by flexibility and choice. A new type of tourist is driving it: more educated, experienced, independent, conservation-minded, respectful of cultures, and insistent on value for money.

Information technology is opening up an astonishing array of travel and vacation options for this new tourist. To remain competitive, tourism destinations and industry players alike must adapt. For many, the challenge is to "reinvent" tourism. Market intelligence, innovation, and orchestrating customer experiences have become the new imperatives.