Political Hinderances Against Sustainable Tourism: The Case of Turkey and the Netherlands Relations

Political sustainability is the least dealt topic in sustainable tourism studies. The need for an indepth analysis of the political aspect of sustainable tourism is evident in times of fierce challenges against status quo. In this respect, the aim of this paper is to draw attention to the restraint posed by the internal and international policy on the sustainable tourism. To achieve this end, implications of the deeds by Turkey and the Netherlands on tourism sector is analyzed. In this context, first of all development of the political relations between Turkey and the Netherlands in the course of time is dealt and the impact of both parliamentary elections and election declarations of the political parties on this course is defined. Afterwards, economic relations and tourism trade between the parties are analyzed, and the negative impact of the Netherlands’ attitude exploiting Xenophobia and Islamofobia during the elections on the sustainability of Turkish tourism is dealt with. It is concluded that political sustainability is as much important as economic, social and environmental sustainability for the sustainable development of tourism