Review of 'Tourism and Global Environmental Change: Ecological, Social, Economic and Political Interrelationships' S. Gössling and C.M. Hall (eds), Routledge, London and New York, 2006, xi + 323 pp, ISBN 10: 0 415 36132 X (paperback), US$39.95

Abstract

Probably any book with this title and subtitle could be accused of lacking focus. This one certainly does, and the subject matter would be better suited to a structured, co-authored volume (with photos) rather than an edited collection (without photos), even one with 18 chapters. It is part of a series on 'Contemporary Geographies of Leisure, Tourism and Mobility', but the geographical component is not easily recognisable. That all said, the book is intended to raise awareness among 'service managers' about issues of global environmental change, and it generally does that well. For a book first published in 2006 not to mention the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami seems a trifle deficient but I am sure there is a good reason for this. The introductory chapter by the editors is one of the best in the book, giving a concise and accurate summary of the major global environmental changes that confront key areas of global tourism. The chapters by Hall on disease and biodiversity are well written, they do not claim too much, and are perfect as a briefing for tourism managers. I found the section on stakeholder adaptation and perceptions quite compelling, especially the thoughtful paper by Andersson Cederholm and Hultman (Chapter 17) who go beyond the marketing of tourism to argue that 'as long as nature is constructed as an experiential product, the consumption of nature will have the same communicative function as before even if anthropogenic climate change re-arranges nature on a global scale'. Sounds like a blueprint for the future of the industry.