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This paper provides the backdrop to the other seven articles in this WHATT 2018 theme issue dedicated to Guyana. This paper looks back and ahead at the development of tourism in Guyana. The purpose of this paper is to enable the reader to have a clear understanding of the provenance of the industry over the past 50 years and how that evolution informs the possible direction and future of the industry up to the year 2025 and beyond.

As would be expected of any study that examines the antecedence of a phenomenon, there is reliance to a significant degree upon historical material and interviews. The former comprises studies done by tourism consultants and researchers in Guyana, as well as publications from government agencies and sources. Further, especially in the quest for information relating to contemporary policies and developments, the interview method has been used.

This paper establishes that the evolution of tourism in Guyana is a movement from obscurity and insignificance to prominence and vibrancy. From being off the tourism map for many decades, Guyana is now enhancing its profile in the Caribbean region and carving a “green niche” for itself in the nature and adventure travel market.

This paper provides special value to persons working in the development of tourism, in either the public or private sector.

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights to the relevant past discussions, theories and projects; and sustainable tourism development in the Niagara region.

Each of the key four sections of this paper zooms in to specific areas. Outcomes from elite discussions involving 47 experts are followed by a concise literature review on sustainable tourism. The paper then analyses the concept of economic sustainability and reviews the outcomes from a blueprint for sustainable tourism development.

This paper discusses the economic pillar of sustainable tourism by outlining the negative and positive economic effects of the worldwide travel and tourism industry. In addition to reviewing the relative competitiveness of the world's travel destinations; with a focus on Canada's performance, it outlines strategies for Niagara region to enhance its competitiveness to support sustainable tourism.

In the recent years not much research has been carried out on the topic of sustainable tourism specific to the Niagara region. Therefore, this paper should be useful to a range of tourism stakeholders in Niagara region as well as readers involved in regional tourism development in other parts of the world. The versatility of the four authors – an administrator who chaired the Niagara Gateway Project, an academic researcher who has focused on sustainable tourism for a long period, a partner of a leading consulting firm and an applied researcher with significant international experience, makes the paper interesting.

The paper aims to explore the foremost training and human resource development challenges from the perspective of the Ministry of Economic Development funded Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (the institute).

The first of two theme issue articles on industry training and human resource challenges, the paper is based on discussions with senior management and staff representing the Institute at its main campus in Colombo. The second article features responses from community leaders and from one of the Institute's provincial centres in Anuradhapura.

The Institute has identified the need to commercialize its country-wide operations so as to minimize the amount of Government subsidy and ensure that its courses are aligned as closely as possible with the needs of Industry. Second, senior management spoke about the challenge of attracting Sri Lankans to engage in tourism and thereafter equipping them with the personal and professional skills needed to provide the level of service expected by international tourism visitors.

The paper highlights the need for innovative thinking and action in response to practical challenges and business development pressures.

The study draws on the views of senior industry practitioners who are actively engaged in responding to the challenges arising from Sri Lanka's ambitious plans for tourism development.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the tourism sector in the Amazon regions of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname and then discuss the manner in which tourism activity assists the protection of the Amazon rainforests. The paper also describes the manner in which the first World Hospitality and Tourism Themes Roundtable on Tourism in the Amazon is organized in 2009.

Teams of researchers from the Ministries of Tourism, the private sector and academia in the Member Countries of Treaty for Amazon Cooperation collaborated to address, in ten‐page papers, the question “Does sustainable tourism offer solutions for the protection of the Amazon rainforest?”

The paper provides valuable information on the current state of tourism policy and practice in the Amazon Member Countries. It also articulates the challenges that attend the development of sustainable tourism as a mechanism for the protection of the Amazon.

Tourism policy officials and managers, should benefit from the discussions of the prospects and challenges that attend the practice of sustainable tourism in the Amazon region. They will also find interesting guidelines and recommendations for action based upon the many destinations and tourism regions under examination.

The issue of sustainable tourism and the rainforest is very topical and this paper will be of immense value to scholars, researchers and tourism practitioners.

This paper aims to present practical answers to the strategic question: “How might post-war Sri Lanka develop inbound tourism?” It attempts to capture the essence of contributions by 12 experts on aspects on tourism of Sri Lanka, for the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) issue on Sri Lanka in 2013.

Having analyzed the key findings and recommendations made in eight preceding papers on the same theme issue, the author integrates innovative suggestions in order to provide a succinct response to the strategic question.

While providing an overview of the key trends and challenges of tourism in post-war Sri Lanka, this paper proposes innovative solutions to those challenges. At the end of the paper 11 final concluding suggestions which have incorporated 71 suggestions from other sections of this paper are made to all policy makers and stakeholders of tourism industry of Sri Lanka. Based on relevant discussions, conclusions, suggested innovative solutions and assumptions, the paper provides a helicopter view of the potential for future tourism development in Sri Lanka up to the year 2026.

This paper provides fresh perspectives on many relevant issues by analyzing inputs, viewpoints, comments, and suggestions from subject experts. These inputs make this paper valuable to the readers. Industry professionals, consultants, researchers, academics and students with interests in tourism in Sri Lanka or similar tourism destinations around the world would benefit from this paper.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a relevant backdrop for the Worldwide Hospitality snd Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue on tourism challenges and solution in the Niagara region, and to present the key points discussed during the 2007 WHATT roundtable discussion in the Niagara region, Canada.

The approach of this paper is more a narrative one. It also draws data from a series of web sites to analyse the past and present performance of tourism.

This paper provides a historic perspective of the Niagara region and presented in the context of tourism in the world, Americas, Canada, and Ontario. Then it travels back to explain the origins of WHATT and its scholarly journey over the years. In capturing the essence of the 2007 WHATT roundtable discussion in Niagara, the paper provides a strong foundation for the other nine articles, which follow in this WHATT theme issue.

In a world of theories, this paper provides fresh perspectives on many relevant ideas by using original expert views. Readers who are interested in the Niagara region would benefit from this paper.

The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management of Ryerson University, Toronto hosted the 2002 World‐wide Hospitality and Tourism Trends (WHATT) Roundtable discussion of Canada. The discussion focused mainly on the practical challenges and the role of educational institutions in sustainable tourism development in Canada. In addition to two joint chairs and the leading discussant, seven industry practitioners and seven academics from the hospitality and tourism sector discussed the definitions of “sustainable tourism development” and debated the key development issues in Canadian tourism and related research needs. The meeting agreed that there was a lack of applied research on Canadian tourism. The meeting therefore identified a few achievable action points and this article ends by reporting on nine related outcomes within a year after the first WHATT roundtable in Canada.

This paper aims to present answers to the strategic question: “How should Niagara region respond to the key challenges it faces and find solutions to preserve and develop its tourism industry?” It aims to capture the essence of conclusions of nine papers contributed by 22 Canadian tourism experts to the Worldwide Hospitality And Tourism Themes (WHATT) issue on tourism in the Niagara region, Canada.

The approach of this paper is to integrate all solutions suggested in these nine papers and to seek a succinct response to the strategic question.

While providing a helicopter view of the key challenges of the tourism and hospitality sector in Niagara region, Canada, this paper proposes implementable solutions to those challenges. Using the 2007 WHATT roundtable discussion as the foundation, this paper addresses the some of the most significant issues affecting the Niagara region related to sustainable tourism development, destination marketing, hospitality industry, wine and culinary tourism, special events, gaming industry, crisis management and binational tourism. In conclusion, ten key suggestions are made for the Niagara region or any other tourism destination in the world, which envisions healthy and sustainable growth.

This paper provides fresh perspectives on many relevant issues by analysing inputs, viewpoints, comments, and suggestions of many regional experts. Readers with interests in the Niagara region or other key tourism destinations around the world would benefit from this paper.

This paper aims to analyze the current state of tourism in Sri Lanka and make practical suggestions for the future.

The paper is written in the context of a strategic question: “how might post-war Sri Lanka develop inbound tourism?” An analytical approach is taken to discuss potential growth of tourism in Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2016.

26 years of war affected tourism in Sri Lanka negatively and a dramatic turnaround came when the war ended in 2009. In 2012 most tourist generating countries indicated significant growth. In 2012 Sri Lanka passed two milestones in its tourism history by emerging as a “Million Tourist Destination” and a “Billion Dollar Export Income Earner”. However, from 1,005,605 tourists in 2012, the number who utilized tourist services and facilities is established as 725,000. Sri Lanka is now aiming to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016. The paper debates that this target is not realistic.

To further develop tourism, Sri Lanka must develop a practical plan with realistic targets. In conclusion, the authors suggest a ten-point plan.

This paper aims to learn from the present and plan for the future. A former Marketing Director of the national tourism authority of Sri Lanka joined hands with an international hospitality and tourism educator to co-write this paper to advocate for a practical approach in forecasting realistic targets for tourism growth in Sri Lanka.

This paper aims to analyse the current state of tourism in Sri Lanka and make practical suggestions for a shared vision.

The paper is written in the context of a strategic question: “how might post-war Sri Lanka develop inbound tourism?” An analytical approach is taken to discuss the practicality of the tourist arrival target of 2.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka by 2016.

Achieving the 2.5 million tourist arrival target in 2016 is not realistic and should be revised to a more manageable two million target. Macro level changes since the end of the war in 2009 should be taken into consideration in preparing a new master plan. Assuming that continuous peace will be there for a long time, is simply not sufficient. Rebuilding the social economic foundation of the society has to be faster and must be the top agenda point for Sri Lanka. This is an essential ingredient for long lasting peace and a healthy and sustainably developed tourism industry in the future.

Addressing six key challenges and incorporating six key strategies identified in this paper should be helpful in developing a new master plan. Debating with and getting inputs from all major stakeholders of the tourism industry is recommended to ensure sustainable tourism development.

This paper provides thought-provoking practical tips from three well-experienced leaders of tourism industry, hotel industry and hospitality education.