The following summarizes key findings of the PAGE study on conditions and trends in tourism and recreation, as well as the quality and availability of data. The travel and tourism industry is the fastest growing sector of the global economy.
Coastal tourism is a major portion of the gross domestic product in many small island nations.
Impacts of tourism on the environment are generally local and extremely diverse. Impacts depend upon the local environment, size and growth rate of the tourism sector, and nature of the tourism facilities involved. The tourist trade has degraded some areas, but global evidence is insufficient to judge the aggregate capacity of coastal areas to support tourism. As coastal areas are degraded, however, the types of tourism supported can become more limited. Information status and needs Not all countries report tourism statistics, and typically, only national data on tourism are available, rather than data specific to the coastal zone.