Velvet Nelson - An Introduction to the Geography of Tourism

Preface

When I undertook this project I first wondered if I would have enough material to fill a textbook. However, once I started working on it, I quickly realized that this concern was misplaced. Instead, I began to wonder how I was going to fit all of the material I wanted to cover into one textbook. The possibilities for subjects to be discussed in this book are endless. Making choices about what to include was made even more difficult by the fact that every day I would read about some new product, destination, issue, or trend in tourism.

My goal for this textbook was to provide a broad overview of tourism from a geographic perspective. I wanted it to help students in geography use the foundation that theyve been building to learn about a new topic and to help students in tourism look at their topic from a new perspective. I drew from the ever-growing literature on tourism in general, and tourism geography specifically, and covered a wide range of subjects and approaches. But there is much more that could be done. For example, in chapter 3, I introduce a number of tourism products. For the most part, these are products that are useful in framing the discussions in subsequent chapters, such as the economic, social, and environmental issues associated with tourism. But these are only a small sampling. New products, designed for various purposes, needs, and/or special interests, are emerging all the time, including things like medical/dental tourism, roots tourism, dark tourism, slow tourism, slum tourism, creative tourism, tourism for peace, even space tourism. Each new product has its own implications, many of which still remain to be seen.

Tourism is clearly a dynamic industry, and the geography of tourism is an exciting field of study. This book is just a place to start. I encourage students to use this introduction as an opportunity to decide what part of the topic interests them most and learn more about it. For additional secondary research, begin by checking out the sources listed at the end of each chapter. However, in my opinion, a more in-depth knowledge of tourism geography requires primary research. For this, I recommend the participant observation methodologyget out there and experience it yourself!

There are, of course, many people who have made invaluable contributions to this project. I must first thank Susan McEachern, editorial director at Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, for her interest in publishing a book such as this, and her support throughout the entire process, as well as Dave Kaplan for suggesting the project in the first place. Thanks to Tom Nelson for all of the time he put in serving as my sounding board and proofreader, and also to Carolyn Nelson, Matt Stewart, Ava Fujimoto-Strait, and the spring 2012 GEO 3352 class for reading chapter drafts and providing feedback. Thanks also to Gang Gong for producing some of the maps used in the case studies. In addition, I am grateful to all of the family and friends who not only shared with me the travel photos and stories that appear in this book but also patiently answered my seemingly random questions, such as Give me an example of a place that youve always wanted to go based on a movie. (Most common answer: That place in Thailand from The Beach. ) I appreciate all those who played alongalthough I did have to promise confidentiality to the source whose answer was The redwood forests in California because of the Ewok scene in Return of the Jedi . Thanks also go to Rebecca Torres for introducing me to the geography of tourism, to Brian Cooper for agreeing with me that travel is an essential part of my job, and to Barret Bailey for providing me with support and encouragement.

Abbreviations

Part I

The Geography of Tourism

While the study of tourism has at times been dismissed as the study of fun, tourism has an undeniable social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental impact on the world today. In fact, tourism has never been more important. The value of the tourism industry continues to increase. In 2011, international tourism receipts reached US$1,030 billion. At the same time, more people are participating in tourism than ever before. In 2012, international tourism arrivals were projected to exceed one billion for the first time. This perhaps surprisingly complex global phenomenon is naturally a topic of geographic inquiry, and geography has much to contribute to our understanding of tourism.

This section establishes the framework for our examination of the geography of tourism. Chapter 1 introduces the relationship between geography and tourism and outlines the thematic approach that will be used throughout the text. Chapter 2 lays the foundation for our discussion with the basic terminology of tourism and key concepts from the perspective of both the demand side of tourism and the supply side. Chapter 3 explores the concept of tourism products and introduces several products that will be referenced in the remaining sections.