Tourism: New directions and alternative tourism


Book Description

This collection of key articles from the most influential journals and books in the field examines what social scientists mean by the term tourism, and what it means to be a tourist. Carefully selected and introduced by the editor, this material charts the sociological changes that have occurred in tourism, and the change from the upper-class grand tours of the late nineteenth-century to the mass tourism of the present day. The collection also assesses the economic impacts of tourism on local economies, environmental considerations, and whether the growth of tourism is sustainable in a post-September 11th world. "Tourism: Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences" is an accessible and comprehensive resource designed for academics and scholars researching in tourism, globalization, and human geography.




Cultural Tourism and Sustainable Local Development


Book Description

With the exponential rise in leisure mobility, tourism has increasingly become of great economic significance. Cultural heritage, such as museums, churches, historical landscapes, urban parks, and exhibitions attract many visitors and countries, regions and cities which house such historic-cultural amenities have seen increasingly large waves of tourists. While an avalanche of tourists has a positive impact on the local economy, such modern mass tourism also brings about negative externalities such as congestion, decline in quality of life, low access to cultural amenities and loss of local identity; to the extent that the sustainability conditions of a locality might be endangered. This tourism dilemma is particularly pronounced in cities with a rich cultural past, such as Venice, Naples and Amsterdam. Bringing together an interdisciplinary team of leading scholars from North America and Europe, this book examines the interface of local cultural resources and modern mass tourism from a sustainability perspective. It puts forward innovative methodologies and best case practice for future cultural conservation policies.




New Directions in Rural Tourism


Book Description

Although there has been an increasing interest in rural tourism in terms of research, training and teaching in recent years, its conceptualization and the relationships between concept and strategy are still poorly represented and not well understood. The need for such a critical understanding is particularly crucial as rural areas experience rapid change, and as tourism is viewed as a key element of development and regeneration. This volume provides an interdisciplinary approach to new directions in rural tourism, drawing on the latest conceptual thinking and evolving strategic roles. It brings together case study exemplification from the UK, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Spain, Slovenia, Poland, New Zealand and the Caribbean. It debates such key issues as sustainability and niche marketing. The book thus provides accessible material drawn from a range of environmental and cultural contexts and focuses attention on the nature and interrelationships between local and global issues in rural tourism and development.




Tourism: The nature and structure of tourism


Book Description

This collection of key articles from the most influential journals and books in the field examines what social scientists mean by the term tourism, and what it means to be a tourist. Carefully selected and introduced by the editor, this material charts the sociological changes that have occurred in tourism, and the change from the upper-class grand tours of the late nineteenth-century to the mass tourism of the present day. The collection also assesses the economic impacts of tourism on local economies, environmental considerations, and whether the growth of tourism is sustainable in a post-September 11th world. "Tourism: Critical Concepts in the Social Sciences" is an accessible and comprehensive resource designed for academics and scholars researching in tourism, globalization, and human geography.




New Directions in South African Tourism Geographies


Book Description

This book provides an overview of innovative and new directions being chartered in South African tourism geographies. Within the context of global change the volume explores different facets and different geographies of tourism. Key themes under scrutiny include the sharing economy, the changing accommodation service sector, touring poverty, tourism and innovation, tourism and climate change, threats to sustainability, inclusive tourism and a number of studies which challenge the present-mindedness of much tourism geographical scholarship. The 18 chapters range across urban and rural landscapes in South Africa with sectoral studies which include adventure tourism, coastal tourism, cruise tourism, nature-based tourism, sports tourism and wine tourism. Finally, the volume raises a number of policy and planning issues in the global South in particular relating to sustainability, local economic development and poverty reduction. Outlining the impact of tourism expansion in South Africa and suggesting future research directions, this stimulating book is a valuable resource for geographers as well as researchers and students in the field of tourism studies.




COVID-19 and the Tourism Industry


Book Description

This book offers international perspectives on the economic, social, geopolitical, and environmental implications of COVID-19 on tourism, an unprecedented situation for this sector. It considers the challenge of making the tourism industry more resilient to such crises and the future sustainability of tourism. Contributions explore the changing dimensions of tourism marketing post-COVID-19; the rising challenges in tourism education and ways to handle the crisis; the impact of the pandemic on tourism governance; and the emerging ethical issues of stakeholders’ responsibility. The book will be useful for researchers, students, and practitioners in the fields of tourism, geography, and crisis management disciplines.




Tourism Enterprises and the Sustainability Agenda across Europe


Book Description

With the emphasis on small enterprises, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of what is happening across Europe in terms of sustainable development objectives and sustainability in the context of tourism supply. Each contribution in this edited collection addresses specific aspects of tourism enterprise activity within the overall context of policy and practice aimed at improving environmental performance. A series of broader issues are examined such as EU environmental policy and initiatives as they relate to tourism, social issues such as equity and employment, and transport, followed by detailed examples of specific case studies. Well-informed and based on current research this book is informative and invaluable to any one studying tourism and hospitality today, particularly those involved directly or indirectly in the fields of policy, planning and development.




Raj Rhapsodies: Tourism, Heritage and the Seduction of History


Book Description

Heritage is a prized cultural commodity in the marketing of tourism destinations. Particular aspects of heritage are often more actively promoted, with others played down. The representation of heritage in tourism as static and timeless, derived since time immemorial from a distant past, is seductive. In Asia, a major part of the tourism market lies in the sale and consumption of highly orientalized images and versions of culture and history. In India’s marketing discourse, the state of Rajasthan symbolizes the nation in its heritage-laden, traditional and most authentic form. These images draw heavily on the British period in India - the Raj. In one sense, this vision of Rajasthan is ennobling, highlighting moments of cultural pride. In another sense, it demeans, by omitting and obscuring salient features of contemporary life. This fascinating book explores the cultural politics of tourism through interdisciplinary perspectives. Carol E. Henderson and Maxine Weisgrau demonstrate that tourism heritage privileges elite histories that recapitulate colonial relationships, compelling non-elites to collude in these narratives of subordination even as they advance their own alternative visions of history.




Cases on Tour Guide Practices for Alternative Tourism


Book Description

Tour guides, a highly responsible group of professionals who are in direct communication with tourists traveling around the world, have a great impact on the proper promotion of the culture of countries, global peace, and tolerance. Additionally, they are also effective in the preservation of world natural heritage. Thus, the educational status of tour guides, as well as the characteristics and ethical values that they should possess, need to be examined on an international scale. In today’s world, where tourism demand is directed towards all types of tourism, practices in special interest tourism should be customized in order to ensure the highest level of service quality and cultural appreciation. Cases on Tour Guide Practices for Alternative Tourism provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of the occupational issues that surround tour guides and their applications within international tourism. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as cultural education, specialized learning, and international business, this book is ideally designed for tour guides, travel agencies, tour managers, tour developers, heritage sites, museums, academicians, researchers, students, industry experts, and hospitality professionals.




The Challenge of Tourism Carrying Capacity Assessment


Book Description

Planning and management for tourism growth is becoming essential in the context of sustainable development. Particularly so since many tourist destinations are facing severe pressures from tourist flows and activities. Such pressures are evidenced in terms of dysfunctions (congestion, environmental degradation, etc) which ultimately affect the attraction and competitiveness of tourism destinations. The development of tourism should be considered in accordance with sustainability principles. In this context respecting the capacity of the local system to sustain growth becomes a key challenge. This book examines the use of various tools to define, measure and evaluate tourism carrying capacity (TCC) - a tool aiming to impose limits for entering certain tourist destinations or using certain activities. Drawing on case studies from France, Spain, Italy, Greece, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, Germany and Finland, it presents practical experiences of implementing TCC in various tourist destinations (i.e. historic towns, coastal zones, islands, etc). It draws conclusions regarding the measurement and implementation of TCC assessment and provides further guidelines towards a comprehensive methodological framework for assessing tourism sustainability in the future.