 The running-down of the British military presence in Gibraltar in the 1980s and 1990s forced the territory's Government to carry out a major shift in its economic orientation, with a greater emphasis on encouraging tourism and establishing self-sufficiency.By this time, however, tourist growth had stalled with hotel bed occupancy in the territory at under 30% in 1993.Tourism became an important issue in the elections of 16 May 1996.