Tourism and political economy

This study uses a political economy perspective to reaffirm the importance of trust and power between residents and the government in a tourism development context. It argues that citizens' trust in government institutions and the power conferred to them by the government to influence tourism development are central to any political economic system and therefore, important preconditions for a democratic and sustainable form of development. We discuss these concepts using the theoretical perspectives of Michael Foucault. We argue that an over focus on power may be dangerous to the political economic system of tourism and planning theories as it may mean that everything is interpreted within a reductionist framework of power. Trust is useful in reducing conflicts and promoting effective collaboration and partnerships in planning and development. For these reasons, we urge researchers to pay equal attention to the vocabularies of trust and power to understand the relationship between the government and residents in the context of tourism development.