Reviewing a book on « Contemporary issues in tourism » at a time when the prevalence of Covid-19 throughout the world is causing widespread disruption to tourist activities and an almost complete halt to international travel is not without its challenges. This is particularly the case as this text was written before the emergence of these problems and quite naturally considers many of the numerous aspects of the growth and development of tourism and its global spread. However, this in no way detracts from the interest of this book and its many qualities. It has been written as a textbook for university and research students. As the authors themselves suggest, they have aimed to provide in a structured manner « a reflective approach to the geography of tourism » in a volume of just over 500 pages. The text is divided into four main parts which are then further subdivided in each case into three chapters. At the end of each chapter there is a conclusion bringing together the main points discussed as well as advice on further reading. An extensive bibliography concludes the text.

The first section deals with the problematic issue of defining and measuring tourism (Chapters 1&2). Much of the discussion centres around the ideas of leisure or recreational tourism rather than ‘tourist’ visits associated with other activities related such as business or health. In the final chapter of this section (Chapter 3), the different meanings attached to the notion of a geographical approach to tourism are explored more fully. In the second part, attention is focused on the stakeholders associated with tourist development. Three main groups of actors are identified – tourists themselves (Chapter 4), tourist enterprises (Chapter 5) and government or other official bodies responsible for the development of tourism or for legislation affecting this sector (Chapter 6). Considerable emphasis is given initially to the spatial behaviour of tourists and their use of new technologies, confirming the socio-cultural approach to tourism analysis which is prevalent throughout the book. Then follows a chapter devoted to the tourist economy, appraising tourism as part of an economic system and analysing the actions and strategies of tourist entrepreneurs and firms. In the last chapter of this section the emphasis is on the governance of tourism, particularly but not exclusively in relation to public policy. As elsewhere in the text, ideas are drawn from several disciplines including political science and political sociology. When looking at the role of the state in tourism development and regulation, much of the analysis relates to France.

For the third section the authors consider in their opening chapter (Chapter 7) different ways in which tourism has been developed and spread within the world, starting by an evaluation of the role of natural resources in this process. This then leads on to a study of the ways in which landscapes are perceived by tourists (and indeed by other groups such as residents). Subsequently, in the second chapter (Chapter 8) the question of perception is explored further making use of John Urry’s notion of the ‘tourist gaze’. From this perspective, various forms of tourism are discussed such as the roles of heritage tourism, cruises, mega-events and shopping as well as the ways in which tourism has become increasingly integrated into everyday life. Different types of special interest tourism (as diverse as visits to industrial sites or vineyards) are also studied. To conclude this section, a chapter is devoted to the globalisation of tourism looking in particular at the various stages and processes associated with this phenomenon (Chapter 9). Within this globalised organisation, discussion is also focused on the questions of the spatial concentration of tourism (with reference particularly to major cities), and on the creation of spatial systems and hierarchies at a world scale. Finally, in the fourth and last major section the emphasis is placed on the analysis of tourist places. These are considered first from various perspectives (Chapter 10); for example, the symbolic importance of tourist places, the creation and persistence of certain mythical destinations and the role of territorial marketing. A second chapter in this section (Chapter 11) deals more specifically with urban destinations, whether this be in relation to major cities or to urban tourist centres in mountainous or coastal regions. The creation of purpose-built resorts is analysed with once again much of the discussion based on the French experience. As a conclusion to this part (Chapter 12), the processes of transformation of these tourist places are considered. In part this is achieved by looking at various models of development such as Butler’s ‘life cycle’ concept. Subsequently, attention is again centred on the urbanisation of resorts and the idea of tourist trajectories for tourist places.

There is much to recommend this book. It contains a wealth of information which is clearly presented, and throughout the text a strongly analytical approach is adopted. Frequent reference is made to the theoretical and conceptual notions which underpin many of the ideas and to the contributions of other disciplines (political sciences and sociology, for example) to this geographical approach to tourism. In addition, numerous examples of actual tourist developments are included. The text is also enriched by providing an historical perspective to much current thinking in this field and this is often achieved by exploring in detail specific case studies. All these traits are perfectly illustrated in the chapter devoted to the transformation of tourist places (Chapter 12). Many of the tables offer useful summaries of key ideas such as Table 20 which outlines the main characteristics of different tourist systems over time. The main text is also usefully complemented by a series of boxed insets providing more detailed information and analysis on specific points ranging from the meaning and importance of the « selfie » in the development of tourist places (Inset 14) to the role in the United States of mega shopping malls as tourist attractions (Inset 48).

1 Duhamel P., 2018, Geographie du tourisme et des loisirs, Paris, A. Colin, coll. U, 288 p. 5Certain shortcomings might also be identified. This is a second, supposedly updated version of the text but many of the statistics begin to look dated; similarly, the opportunity has not been taken to update the bibliography with certain key texts uncited (for example, Duhamel, 20181). Many case studies are used but there is a tendency to rely too heavily on examples from France, yet the authors themselves stress the global character of tourism. Despite the length of the text, certain subjects receive scant attention; the spatial dimensions of tourism planning and tourist mobility are two examples. Given the emphasis accorded to urban places, it is also surprising that the impacts of low-cost airlines and city-breaks, are not discussed at some length. The book is about ‘contemporary issues in tourism’. While many of these are mentioned (such as sustainable tourism, overtourism or, conversely, the diversification of activities in tourist destinations to render them more attractive), few are analysed in a comprehensive manner, particularly from a current policy point of view. Finally, given the wide scope of the text, an index would be helpful.

Not with standing these last remarks, the authors should be congratulated on assembling such an extensive range of material providing a rich and readable text and as such a valuable addition to the contemporary literature on the geography of tourism.