Lessons learned: Globalization, change, and resilience in tourism communities

Tourism activity is emblematic of the challenge in understanding social and economic change because it is often both an agent of and contributor to social change and victim of larger change process. This is demonstrated through the chapters in this book. A summary of the resilience lessons learned include: the continuing challenge on defining and conceptualizing resilience (which is something the concept shares in common with its sister concept, sustainability); the importance of slow change process, which is too easily overlooked and underestimated; the extraordinary ability of human community systems to self-organize and adapt in times of need; the strategic role of innovation as a key resilience characteristic, which separates it from many sustainability approaches; the important role that tourism plays as an innovative process and product, thereby enhancing community resilience, especially in economic terms; the potential of tourism to reduce social and cultural resilience, and be an agent of political repression. Tourism is neither good nor bad. It is along with many other phenomenon, part of an ever-changing global context that needs to be understood and appreciated to create a successful resilience-based approach to life.