Localities and tourism

This paper develops a research agenda on the interaction between tourism as an activity and the character of the places in which it has been significant, with the aim of relating tourism studies more closely to developments in core areas of human geography. It focuses particularly on the various forms of externality generated by the industry and how their effects - on collective investment, innovation, governance, labour markets and the resort cycle - would be expected to vary between different types of tourist place. The research strategy that it proposes emphasizes the need for theoretically grounded comparative studies across a range of localities which are or have been involved in the industry. As pioneer postindustrial places it is argued that there are potential lessons to be drawn from an understanding of their experience for a much wider range of contemporary cities.