FROM SHAREHOLDERS TO STAKEHOLDERS - CRITICAL ISSUES FOR TOURISM MARKETERS

Tony Blair's recent declaration that the British Labour Party will nur ture a 'stakeholder society' in the United Kingdom if it comes to powe r has important implications for those with a professional interest in ethics and public relations, The following analysis looks at the pote ntial for stakeholder management to be implemented by business organiz ations and draws on the recent debate surrounding the ideology and pra ctical implications of a stakeholder society, The discussion also draw s on empirical evidence concerning tourism planning, thus providing a perspective on the potential for a stakeholder approach to help 'maint ain the balance' between tourism activity and social and environmental concerns. The role of public relations within the proposed moral soci ety is examined critically in relation to the practical implications o f stakeholder approaches to marketing management, One of the key moral issues of today's society, gender equality, is explored in relation t o the concept of the stakeholder society. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd