Politics and sustainable tourism: The case of Cyprus

• Sustainable tourism implementation in complex political contexts is problematic.
• Strong influence of politics on sustainable tourism development and implementation.
• External axes of power shape the political milieu of tourism.
• Interface between the political system and social environment is influential.
• Sustainability discourse requires a sophisticated approach regarding ‘power’.

Cyprus' volatile political environment lends an interesting case for enhancing knowledge on the politics of tourism. The importance of tourism for the island's economy makes the study of the political influences on the new-found goal of sustainable tourism development imperative. This paper investigates the political factors influencing sustainable tourism implementation in Cyprus. Analysis is informed by Lukes' conceptualisation of power relations. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, the findings suggest that sustainable tourism implementation continues to be problematic, given Cyprus' complex political context, which is highly susceptible to external axes of power. The strong influence of the socio-cultural environment on the politics driving sustainable tourism inhibits its effective implementation. This paper proposes a theoretical framework and a methodology for studying the politics of sustainable tourism development.