Understanding and Managing Tourism Impacts: An Integrated Approach (Contemporary Geographies of Leisure, Tourism and Mobility)

Book Details

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

• Author: C. Michael Hall

• Language: English

• Edition: 1st Edition

• ISBN: 9780415771337

• Pages: 392

• Cover: Paperback

• Illustrations: 67 black & white illustrations, 32 black

About The Book

Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries, with significant social, environmental, economic, and political impacts. While it can bring substantial economic benefits to some destinations, the portrayal of tourism as a purely benign and environmentally friendly industry has often been questioned. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests the impacts of tourism development are more complex than commonly acknowledged by policy-makers, with effects not only at the destination but throughout the entire journey of a tourist.

Furthermore, tourism does not operate in isolation. It is shaped by broader social and environmental changes, which in turn influence its development. This book presents a clear, accessible, and up-to-date synthesis of tourism’s role in the modern world, highlighting both its capacity to drive change and its role as a response to change.

The framework used in the book examines the changing environments within which tourism operates, considering the spatial scale and temporal effects of its impacts. It applies this framework to the economic, socio-cultural, and physical dimensions of tourism. After exploring the different types of tourism-related impacts, the book delves into the role of planning in mitigating undesirable effects while maximizing the beneficial outcomes of tourism development.

Drawing from a range of case studies and illustrations from diverse global locations, the book highlights key themes and issues, with figures and tables helping to clarify statistical data.

Understanding and Managing Tourism Impacts demonstrates that when tourism is well-managed, it can make a positive contribution to destinations. The book's exploration of issues like scale, time, and form serves as a valuable reminder that the effects of tourism are not static but evolve over time, offering a significant insight into how to approach and manage tourism impacts effectively.