Vulnerability analysis and sustainability in tourism: Lessons from Phuket

The global tourism sector is estimated to be the largest industry in the world with a growth rate of 25 per cent in the past decade (WTO 2005). The movement of people, and hence the forgeign currency, as a result of tourism between countries is significant. In 2004 for example, international tourism recipts represented approximately 6 per cent of global exports, with its financial contribution growing to US $622 billion (WTO 2005), and more than 760 million international arrivals were recorded. The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) predicted that this number could double by 2020 (WTO 2005).