In order to engage tourism’s possibilities and responsibilities in the creation of more sustainable futures, collaboration is vital. Collaboration does not imply a division of labour, which is often the essence of cooperation, but rests on the hypothesis that the sum of the work is more than its individual parts. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals highlights collaboration and partnerships as central tenets for resilient action. Collaboration leverages the sustainable development of tourism between diverse groups of agencies, organisations, businesses and people with many different values and agendas.

Collaboration for Sustainable Tourism Development explores the role of collaboration in tourism to sustain livelihoods, create profitable partnerships, and protect cultures and the environment. Based on robust research, it critically examines how collaboration enables (or impedes) sustainable tourism development, and suggests a role for collaboration where there is currently none. With contributions from leading international scholars it charts a course for unpredictable futures and suggests advances in sustainable tourism development education.

Essential reading for undergraduate and post-graduate students engaged in international tourism and hospitality as well as academic researchers, planners, managers and developers of tourist destinations. Complementing online tutorials are available for select chapters as part of the BEST EN Lecture Series, see http://www.innotour.com/bestenModules.