Based upon a social science approach to understanding the significance of tourism in contemporary society, Andrew Holden’s fascinating book highlights tourism as a multidisciplinary area of study with rich and varied theoretical underpinnings.

Here, Holden introduces social science disciplines and applies relevant theories to the understanding of tourism. He investigates how the economic and political structures of society influence the manifestation of tourism at a global level, and subsequently considers a variety of topical issues including citizenship and social exclusion, tourism as a form of trade, consumerism, the consequences of tourism, and feminism and ethics. Each chapter includes:

• a brief introductory summary of the discipline


• a critique of its main theories and concepts which have relevance to tourism


• a discussion of how the theories and concepts have been applied to tourism using cases and examples


• international case studies and examples.

Punctuated with study and teaching aids, chapter summaries and ‘think points’ to encourage reflection, this excellent, broad-ranging textbook provides a wider understanding of tourism’s role in society.