Power and tourism policy relations in transition

The paper develops and applies a relational approach to the study of power, policymaking, and related debates associated with tourism development. This approach focuses on dialectical relations between actors and structures, seeking to break down the unhelpful dualism between agency and structure. Actor interactions, power configurations, and network relations in connection with tourism-related policymaking and debates are considered for an island in former East Germany. These relations are examined over a 10-year period during the country’s post-socialist transition to capitalism and representative democracy. The study contributes to an understanding of the use of a relational approach in policy research, and also of transitional paths in such contexts.