Sanctions in global politics and international relations

Sanctions have become one of the defining instruments of twenty-first-century geopolitics, yet their implications for tourism have remained underexplored until recently. This chapter positions sanctions as a distinct and enduring form of crisis that differs fundamentally from natural hazards, pandemics, or terrorism. Unlike sudden disruptions with identifiable recovery trajectories, sanctions are externally imposed, politically charged, and often indefinite, reshaping the infrastructures of global tourism in profound ways. The chapter clarifies what counts as a sanction and examines the historical evolution of sanctions from early trade exclusions to the highly financialized, compliance-driven regimes of the contemporary era, showing how they have shifted from occasional tools to routine features of international governance. Attention is also given to the multiple scales at which sanctions operate – multilateral, regional, unilateral, and non-state – and to the uneven consequences these generate for destinations, businesses, and communities. By situating sanctions within tourism research, the chapter argues that they function not as peripheral disruptions but as systemic blockages that redefine mobility, investment, and destination imaginaries. This framing challenges conventional notions of resilience and highlights the urgent need to reconceptualize tourism in a sanctioned world.