What do you think a tourism destination needs to be successful? You are probably thinking about hotels, tours and attractions. But have you ever thought about who coordinates these various disparate parts of the tourism industry? Who looks after an import and infrastructure like roads, airports and train stations? Who is responsible for attracting investment and who ensures that the destination is not damaged by an influx of tourists? Governments at all levels, national state and at the regional and local level all have a considerable influence over nearly every aspect of how the tourism sector develops and functions? So why is government so important? For the tourism sector? Well, it can play many roles. Various laws and regulations are introduced by governments that affect visitors and tourism operations. These include immigration and customs regulations, especially policies on passports and visas. Legislation to deregulate and privatise markets and to create competition has had a big impact on tourism in the last 30 years. For instance, governments in many countries have deregulated the airline sector and in Australia we now have many more airlines servicing both inbound and outbound visitor markets. Additionally, local government zoning regulations directly affect tourism development and it is often at the local level where we see governments having considerable influence on how tourism develops. A related role is that of planner. Government agencies play a key role in the preparation, coordination and implementation of tourism policies and plans. Additionally, governments play quite a unique coordination role for the tourism sector. This is in part due to the fact that there are so many organisations and stakeholders who have an interest in tourism and that many of the businesses in tourism are classified as micro or small enterprises. Governments are also tourism entrepreneurs. Government agencies are often directly involved in the operation of tourism businesses. In many parts of the world, the government owns and manages transport infrastructure such as terminals, roads and railways. Some countries still have state run airlines and many governments are responsible for managing protected areas and cultural attractions such as sports facilities, parks, museums, art galleries, zoos and monuments. In most countries, government agencies act as catalysts for tourism development by sponsoring research and providing funding and financial incentives for tourism development and marketing. Governments may also stimulate development through the construction of tourism facilities or infrastructure and by hosting major events. For instance, governments will actively attract major events to a destination and use these to leverage other benefits for the economy and host community. Certainly, governments have been very active in stimulating tourism through tourism marketing programs. Interestingly, it is actually governments that fund most of the tourism marketing campaigns that we see. Governments at all levels are involved in marketing tourism. For example, in Australia, we have tourism Australia who promotes brand Australia in key overseas markets with the aim of attracting international visitors to Australia. At the state level in Queensland, we have tourism events Queensland who are a division of government responsible for marketing, destination and experience development to build Queensland's tourism and events industry. And even at the local and regional level of government, marketing and promoting local tourism products and experiences is important. Many local areas will have websites, visit information centres and a local tourism association tasked with attracting visitors. In addition to these many roles, governments are also responsible for protecting the interests of their citizens and the various businesses and other organisations that operate within their jurisdiction. Governments must also act to protect the environment, society, culture and heritage resources. These roles highlight why governments are critical stakeholders in tourism development. They are active in both the supply side, by for instance providing infrastructure for tourism and the demand side by encouraging visitation through marketing. Ultimately, governments are focused on maximising the contribution of tourism to the economy while protecting the interests of residents and the environment. This role is likely to become even more critical in the future as destinations compete to attract visitors.