The political economy of tourism: Job polarization, equity and resistance

Tasmania is experiencing a surge in visitor numbers and spend. The tourism industry promises to generate revenues and jobs. Such reliance on tourism as a means of economic growth and employment creates risks. Further, resentment seems prevalent within sections of society. Concerns with housing affordability, hotel developments and new tourism infrastructure are widely expressed. Concurrently, policy-makers and industry groups emphasize increasing educational attainment as the panacea to Tasmania’s economic and social inequalities. Using data from the Tourism Satellite Account and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, this paper confirms that while the tourism industry is growing its economic contribution in the state, it is dominated by occupations that require low levels of educational attainment. There is a mismatch between educational requirements and educational attainment within the workforce; indicating over qualification of employees in the industry. While highly skilled jobs are created, most are low skilled and precarious. This paper attempts to reveal the political economy of tourism in Tasmania by addressing three issues. The first is the emergence of job polarization in the industry. The second examines the distribution of benefits of tourism to the community. The third links the first two issues to the resistance and dissatisfaction in the community.