Melbourne (PTI): India and China are all set to transform the geopolitical landscape and emerge as new global players of tourism industry, a new study has said. The study conducted by University of New South Wales (UNSW) says that the US, though likely to remain an important influence, will have less relative power.

New internet technologies will act as agents for greater consumer power and threats of terrorism will be more decentralised, the report said. Changing consumer tastes and environmental concerns will drive global tourism in 2020, according to researchers from University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australian School of Business (ASB) and other universities.

The group led by Professor Larry Dwyer of UNSW, revealed a series of mega-trends in consumer sentiment and values, political and economic factors and IT growth which, it said will drive the future of global tourism.

According to it, by 2020 global citizens can expect to live in an economically liberalised and privatised world characterised by more democracy, better macroeconomic policies, higher trade and investment, and changing consumer tastes fuelling a booming specialised tourism services industry for retired and single people.

"Tourism stakeholders have the opportunity to strategically fashion the future to their needs, and in doing so, plan economically sound tourism initiatives that promote cultural and environmental sustainability," Dwyer said.