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Although this is a survey of research techniques, it has become increasingly apparent, as the study has progressed, that our investigation of research methods for use in tourism and travel studies, without prior consideration of the nature and scopes of tourism and travel themselves, would he inadequate. At the outset it would be imperative to distinguish three interrelated terms. These are recreation, tourism, and travel.

Formal decision analysis is restricted to situations in which alternative choices are available, and often this is not a feature of investment project studies involving touristic facilities. That is, more often than not, a study is made to determine the “feasibility” of a particular proposed project, with primary emphasis on economic considerations; and the decision is merely to go ahead with the project or not. On the other hand in some circumstances there may be alternative choices available, such as several architectural arrangements, alternative locations, etc., and these need to be evaluated on economic criteria. But often the major considerations are essentially non‐economic and no systematic procedures are employed for introducing these factors into the analysis.

For a developing country striving to increase its ‘buying power’ in the community of nations, the establishment of a tourism industry is an important tactic for the generation of foreign exchange earnings, and the implementation of such a tactic frequently involves a high level of direction from the central government. When such governmental involvement extends to include the direct investment of public funds in touristic facilities, then the central authority is faced with the problem of determining the most appropriate program for allocating the capital investments. The present study constitutes an investigation of this decision problem.

The impact of tourism on local economies has long been a concern of individual communities and of governmental agencies interested in promoting this source of local income. The magnitudes are often large and, with fluctuations, continue to increase. The development of recreational opportunities and tourist facilities is often viewed as a means of redressing disparities in regional incomes and employment, and as a major factor in national balance of payments. Indeed, some nations seem to practice a new mercantile policy of maximizing receipts from foreign tourists and minimizing the expenditures of its own nationals abroad (Barucci, 1976).

The references listed here should serve both as a guide to the free and inexpensive sources of tourism and travel research information and an ‘eye‐opener’ to the wealth of available data that is yours for the asking. In selecting sources of information, efforts have been made to (1) emphasize prime data, (2) list sources which can be used to locate more detailed data, and (3) keep the list brief enough to be actually read and used rather than kept in the bookshelf. Effective utilization can save hours of time and provide useful information that might otherwise be missed. Below, you will find sources in eight categories given within the constraints stated above.

The growth of tourism in our society is not a recent phenomenon that came about with the inception of the travel agent. The fact is, that tourism can be traced as far back as to at least Ancient Greece, when, in 776 B.C. visitors from Europe and the Middle East gathered at Mt. Olympus to take part in the very first Olympic Games (Young). Since that time tourism has developed into what today is an industry of major social and economie significance, and its effects range from local to international scales.

This article concentrates on the application of econometrics in the development of international tourism marketing strategies. In particular it examines how empirical results can be related to a market choice matrix in identifying the most attractive countries for allocating marketing resources and limited promotional funds.

One of the fastest growing sectors of the United States economy is the service industry, and tourism is almost the largest segment of this business. Tourists spent $17.3 billion in Texas during 1987, which is a 6.9 percent share of the United States travel and tourism market. In 1987, the Texas state legislature created the new state Department of Commerce (DOC). According to the chairman of DOC, two of the major thrusts of its strategy are business development and tourism. The agency is financed with .5 percent of the state hotel tax revenue, which is approximately $6 million per year. This amount finances a toll‐free number for potential visitors to call requesting Texas travel information and an unprecedented national advertising campaign, including television commercials.

Le tourisme peut être considéré comme un domaine relevant traditionnellement de l'économie, tandis que le domaine de la culture prend une orientation plus sociale. Cependant, même si cette différence entre les deux domaines est réelle, l'importance des liens fondamentaux qui existent entre le tourisme et la culture n'est pas négligeable, et les caractéristiques socio‐culturelles d'une région peuvent être un des aspects les plus importants de l'attrait de cette région. A l'inverse, le succès enregistré par une région au point de vue touristique peut aussi avoir des effets profonds, négatifs ou positifs, sur la vie culturelle de cette région. La présente étude a donc pour objectif d'explorer la nature et la force de principaux liens qui peuvent exister entre les phénomènes du tourisme et de la culture.