The roles of government are very important for tourism. They set the policy of their country towards tourism. To regulate the different components of the tourist industry is one of their tasks. Travel is made easier when there are no visa requirements and when the entry formalities are simple. Visa is a travel document that gives permission for a foreigner to enter, or in some cases to leave another country. It is important for tourist promotion to relax the kind of regulation that is usually called "red tape". National policy can also discourage tourism. Any country cannot provide accommodations and catering services or is able to restrict the length of time a traveler can stay in that country. To restrict entry some countries have set visa and entrance requirements. Governments perform the research and analysis that result in statistics on the tourist industry. Research involves travel statistics, tourist expenditures, the purpose of the trip or the tourist's reactions to his holiday. Deeper research makes it possible to find out why tourists visited a particular resort and what their reactions were.
The research is followed by the actual planning and development that include improvement of the infrastructure, financial arrangements, and construction of the superstructure. The tendency at the present time is in favor of careful research and planning instead of unrestricted growth and expansion.
