Analysing megatrends to better shape the future of tourism

The future of tourism will be impacted by large-scale social, economic, political, environmental and technological changes, bringing new and often unseen challenges, threats and opportunities. These “megatrends” are slow to form, but once they have taken root, exercise a profound and lasting influence on human activities, processes and perceptions, including for tourism. Four megatrends are likely to have significant impacts and relevance for tourism: i) evolving visitor demand ii) sustainable tourism growth iii) enabling technologies and iv) travel mobility. Exploring the multidimensional implications of these megatrends to 2040 is important to inform policy and shape the future of tourism. This Tourism Paper develops a range of plausible scenarios and potential policy responses for the megatrends mentioned above, it then examines how policy makers can better prepare for megatrends, and presents a set of guiding principles for effective strategic foresight in tourism.