Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. This critical review of sustainable tourism, from its beginnings in the late 1980s to the present, examines the pressing challenges posed by the effects of global warming and the persistence of deep poverty and social unrest in many regions. David Weaver explores the convergence of mass and ‘alternative’ tourism as a dominant theme. Originally perceived as two incompatible forms of tourism, they are positioned in this book through enlightened mass tourism as unified components of a single global ’tourisystem’ with the power to achieve sustainable tourism. Key features include: a global systems perspective the presentation of enlightened mass tourism as an aspirational outcome discussion of climate change, resilience and smart tourism as major challenges for sustainable tourism. Offering a concise introduction to the topic, tourism students will appreciate the clear look into the benefits and challenges of sustainable tourism. This will also be an insightful read for destination managers and tourism officials responsible for implementing sustainable outcomes.