Abstract
Tropical and subtropical islands have become an important tourist destination. The islands are concentrated in eight areas of the world. Evaluating the natural tourist potential of these areas, it seems that the most attractive are the islands of Mid and West Indian Ocean and the Polynesia. Yet, these locations are less popular then the theoretically less naturally attractive Caribbean, Mediterranean and East Atlantic islands.
This leads to the conclusion that nature is not the most important decisive factor in choosing tourist destinations, and “tourist paradises” are formed on islands regardless of their natural attributes. Tourists are mainly attracted by the “myth” of a tropical island, and the most important criterion is the distance from home and travel time.