An Introduction to the Geography of Tourism

Book excerpt: Tourism is an astonishingly complex phenomenon that is becoming an ever-greater part of life in today’s global world. This clear and engaging text introduces undergraduate students to this vast and diverse subject through the lens of geography, the only field with the breadth to consider all of the aspects, activities, and perspectives that constitute tourism. Indeed, geography and tourism have always been interconnected, and Velvet Nelson reinforces the relationship between them by using both human and physical geography to interpret all facets of tourism—economic, social, and environmental. She shows how geography provides the tools and concepts to consider both the positive and negative factors that affect tourists and destinations as well as the effects tourism has on both peoples and places. Her real-world case studies, based both on research and on the experiences of tourists themselves, vividly illustrate key issues. This comprehensive, thematically organized introduction will enhance students’ understanding of geographic concepts and how they can be used as a way of viewing and understanding the world.