The metamorphosis of travel and tourism

How much mass tourism can squeeze on an island?

In the short span of a generation, travel and tourism has gone through a sweeping evolution with everything becoming easier, faster with fewer intermediaries. Wheels on our baggage, paperless travel, booking a room on your smartphone while walking in the lobby of that hotel, bringing your own lunch aboard, etc. a multitude of seemingly small changes that together have created a new dynamic causing a metamorphosis in the industry.

The flow of tourism no longer originates exclusively from developed countries as emerging countries, historically only exotic destinations, became significant generating markets in the last decade. The emergence of low cost carriers and online travel services have sent traditional travel agents the way of video stores. Tourism is now a two-way street anyone can use, mostly, without the middleman. There is still good business to be had for the middleman with groups, MICE and highly specialized experiences, but in a different role of coordination rather than information and booking. Destinations and operators, once dependent upon travel agents in generating markets to bring them customers, are now reaching customers directly and taking bookings without intermediaries.