New approaches to tourism study demonstrate a notable ‘critical turn’ – a shift in thought that emphasises interpretative and critical modes of tourism inquiry. The chapters in this volume reflect this emerging critical school of tourism studies and represent a coordinated effort of tourism scholars whose work engages innovative research methodologies. Since such work has been dispersed across a variety of tourism-related and other research fields, this book responds to a pressing need to consolidate recent advances in a single text. Adopting a broad definition of ‘criticality’, the contributors seek to find ‘fresh’ ways of theorising tourism by locating the phenomenon in its wider political, economic, cultural and social contexts. The collection addresses the power relations underpinning the production of academic knowledge; presents a range of qualitative data collection methods which confront the field’s dominant (post)positivist approaches; foregrounds the emotional dynamics of research relations and explores the personal, the political and the situated nature of research journeys. The book has been divided into two parts, with the essays in the first part establishing a context-specific framework for engaging philosophical and theoretical debates in contemporary tourism enquiry. The second set of essays then present, discuss and critique specific methodologies, research techniques, methods of interpretation and writing strategies, all of which are in some sense illustrative of ‘critical’ tourism research. Contributors range from postgraduate students to established academics and are drawn from both the geopolitical margins and the ‘powerbases’ of the tourism academy. Their various relationships with the English-speaking academy thus range from relative ‘outsider’ to well-positioned ‘insider’ and as a result, their essays are reflective of a range of locations within the complexly spun web of academic power relations and social divisions.

In today’s increasingly complex tourism environment, decision-making requires a rounded, well-informed view of the whole. Critical distance should be encouraged, consultation and intellectual rigour should be the norm amongst managers and there needs to be a radical shift in our approach to educating future tourism and hospitality managers and researchers. This second edition intends to move the debate forward by exploring how critical tourism inquiry can make a difference in the world, linking tourism education driven by the values of empowerment, partnership and ethics to policy and practice. This volume is designed to enable its reader to think through vital concepts and theories relating to tourism and hospitality management, stimulate critical thinking and use multidisciplinary perspectives. The book is organized around three key ways of producing social change in and through tourism: critical thinking, critical education and critical action. Part one focuses on the importance of critical thinking in tourism research and deals with two key topics of our academic endeavours (i) tourism epistemology and theoretical and conceptual developments; (ii) research entanglements, knowledge production and reflexivity. Part two considers ‘the university as a site for activism’ by mapping out the moral, academic and practical role of educators in developing ethical and responsible graduates and explores the student experience. The final part attempts to provide new understandings of the ways in which social justice and social transformation can be achieved in and through tourism. This timely and thought provoking book which collectively questions tourism’s current and future role in societal development is essential reading for students, researchers and academics interested in Tourism & Hospitality.

This volume is designed to enable its reader to think through vital concepts and theories relating to tourism and hospitality management, stimulate critical thinking and use multidisciplinary perspectives. The book is organized around three key ways of producing social change in and through tourism: critical thinking, critical education and critical action.

This work aims to critically explore how tourism economic development can move closer to a sustainable ideal from a firm economic analytic anchor. It includes a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives and includes cutting edge research from international scholars.

This book walks students through the selection and application of research methods within Tourism. Experienced authors introduce the relevant language and theory of key methodologies and then develop them using strategic literature review and the inclusion of international examples which relate directly to tourism. Each concept sets the historical and philosophical context of a method alongside the practical application of the technique and provides: • authoritative and reliable data • informative cross-referencing • detailed discussion of theories and their critics • suggestions for further reading The book is a vital resource for all students of tourism, leisure and management.

This text introduces tourism students to concepts drawn from critical theory, cultural studies and the social sciences. It does so with a light and readable touch, highlighting the ideas that underlie contemporary critical tourism studies in a practical and engaging way. Specifically, the authors examine how post-structuralist thought has led to a re-imagining of power relationships and the ways in which they are central to the production and consumption of tourism experiences. Eleven clear, relevant chapters provide an accessible introduction to tourism defining, explaining and developing the key issues and methods in this exciting field. These topics include: • Regulating Tourism • Commodifying Tourism • Embodying Tourism • Performing Tourism • Tourism and the Everyday • Tourism and the Other • Tourism and the Environment • Tourism and the Past • Tourism Mobilities • Researching Tourism A strong teaching text, this will be well received by lecturers seeking an authoritative, multi-disciplinary book on contemporary tourism and by students who want a practical, grounded introduction which understands their learning and research needs.

It often seems that there is more confusion than consensus regarding tourism theory. Does tourism have theories it can truly own, or does it just borrow from other academic disciplines? It can be difficult to understand the theories and conceptual frameworks available, and how to apply these ideas to a research endeavour. This book reviews theoretical perspectives on tourism from planning and management, through marketing and host communities to the tourism consumers themselves. Covering issues such as tour guiding, rural tourism development and destination image, it provides a complete guide to the industry. Including pedagogical features throughout, this book is an accessible approach to a controversial subject.