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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Sociology of Tourism

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Sociology of Tourism by Erdinç Çakmak LAST REVIEWED: 23 August 2022 LAST MODIFIED: 23 August 2022 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756384-0263

The sociology of tourism studies tourists’ relationships, roles, and motivations and the ongoing exchange among tourists, institutions, and host communities. Tourism cannot be treated in isolation since it embodies all tourism practices in a system they operate in. Thus, tourism is a complex sociocultural, economic, and political phenomenon and touches all levels of society. The investigation of tourism’s role in society, the tourism system’s effects on nature, tourism spaces, objects, practices, relationships, and the tourist typologies demand systematic sociological investigations. A researcher needs to consider the whole macro system through its members’ social, political, cultural, and economic interactions. In such a social context, both human and nonhuman actors continuously shape and reshape the tourism system, and the tourism system reshapes these actors’ values, attitudes, and behaviors. Researchers examining the sociology of tourism departed from several theoretical Perspectives , blended theory and method, and focused on sociological concepts to understand and explain the different aspects of tourism. This group of scholars has been working within the several cores of sociology (e.g., education, family, economy, development, religion, gender, language, migration, social inequalities, labor, art) and at the margins of emerging interdisciplinary formations, including those crossing many disciplines such as geography, anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, marketing, communication, women’s studies, history, and cultural studies. The sociology of tourism studies engendered transdisciplinary conversations both in academia and in practice, and the results of these studies have created pragmatic changes in tourism practices, habits, and governance.

Five scholars, judging from the Google Scholar citation counts of their critical works on the sociology of tourism, have contributed to the field in an original and pioneering way. These leading scholars’ abundant and consistent publications have provided the foundation for a sociological approach to tourism. They can be called the established leaders of the sociology of tourism, and are listed here alphabetically: Erik Cohen, Graham Dann, Marie-Françoise Lanfant, Dean MacCannell, and John Urry. Cohen 1972 opposed treating tourists as a homogenous mass and provided a heuristic tourist typology ranging from familiarity to strangeness. Later, Cohen 1984 classified tourism’s sociology into four main areas: tourist as a traveler, tourists’ relationships with hosts, the tourism system, and tourism impacts. MacCannell’s 1973 seminal article on staged authenticity spotlighted the relationship between tourism and (Western) modernity, which became an essential research agenda for the sociology of tourism in the last quarter of the twentieth century. MacCannell 1976 argued that alienated modern tourists are motivated by a quest for authenticity in their travels, but this quest is thwarted through a “staged authenticity” offered by host communities. Dann 1977 sought to answer the question “what makes tourists travel?” and employed the themes of anomie and collective representations in the sociology of tourism research. He combined anomie with status enhancement in a motivational study of tourists and provided the first empirical results of the presentation and profiles of anomic tourists. Besides this approach, Dann 1996 took a sociolinguistic approach and examined the promotional counterpart of tourist motivations in “the language of tourism” using semiotic analyses. Lanfant 1980 emphasized the international dimension of tourism. She argued that tourism is a “total social phenomenon” which challenges identity formation. Lanfant, et al. 1995 transcended the dichotomy between seeing tourism as either business or not business and suggested a novel approach reflecting the fundamental level of reality in tourism practice. Urry 1990 introduced Foucault’s concept of “gaze” into tourism discourse. Urry prioritized the visual sense of gaze and distinguished the tourist gaze as “romantic” and “collective” without concerning other Foucauldian issues of power and authority. By introducing the concept “gaze” into tourism, Urry made a crucial theoretical opening in the sociology of tourism, and other scholars followed him by focusing further on the body and other senses. Later in the decade, Urry 1999 proposed studying journeys, connections, and flows (both physical and virtual movements) as mobile theories and mobile methods and that this be placed at the top of the research agenda.

Cohen, E. 1972. Toward a sociology of international tourism. Social Research 39:64–82.

This article stresses the travel dimension of tourism and devises tourist typologies along a continuum from familiarity to strangeness. It emphasizes the differences among tourists and calls for further examination of their travel types’ attitudes, motivations, and behavior.

Cohen, E. 1984. The sociology of tourism: Approaches, issues, and findings. Annual Review of Sociology 10.1: 373–392.

DOI: 10.1146/annurev.so.10.080184.002105

This is a crucial academic text for understanding the classification of the sociology of tourism. Cohen classifies tourism into four main areas: tourists, their interaction with hosts, the tourism system, and tourism impacts. Following this article, scholars have given more attention to systematic empirical research in the field.

Dann, G. M. 1977. Anomie, ego-enhancement and tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 4.4: 184–194.

DOI: 10.1016/0160-7383(77)90037-8

This paper maintains that tourists’ anomie (i.e., absence of the general societal and ethical standards) needs to be investigated at the pre-travel level. This sociopsychological research is the first empirical research of tourists’ attitudes and behavior and it provides a firmer theoretical and empirical footing to the literature on tourist profiles.

Dann, G. M. 1996. The language of tourism: A sociolinguistic perspective . Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

This book analyzes the verbal framing of tourists’ experiences. Paradigms on social control, the tourist as a child, and the tourism media from the printed word to television screen have been brought together with semiotic analyses at a quality level.

Lanfant, M. F. 1980. Introduction: Tourism in the process of internationalisation. International Social Science Journal 32.1: 14–43.

This article captures the multipolarity of tourism as a particular form of consumption. The author provides insights into world tourism organizations and the role of international bodies and tour operators by using the methodological principles of systems analysis.

Lanfant, M. F., J. B. Allcock, and E. M. Bruner, eds. 1995. International tourism: Identity and change . London: SAGE.

This book offers a novel approach in examining how tourism transcends individual societies and has become an international fact. It emphasizes the necessity of understanding the local and global developments simultaneously. The volume argues that local social practices cannot be understood independently of the global, and that the global practices are never independent of the local setting in which they operate.

MacCannell, D. 1973. Staged authenticity: Arrangements of social space in tourist settings. American Journal of Sociology 79.3: 589–603.

DOI: 10.1086/225585

This academic article and the ensuing book have dominated the discussions in the sociology of tourism in the last quarter of the twentieth century. This study describes the alienation of Western tourists and their search for authentic experiences in other times and places while hosts modify a cultural practice for tourism.

MacCannell, D. 1976. The tourist: A new theory of the leisure class . New York: Schocken.

This is the most influential book in the sociology of tourism and it portrays the role of tourists in postindustrial society. Tourists seek meanings to their deepest longings and travel as pilgrims to the secular world, paying homage to various attractions that are symbols of modernity.

Urry, J. 1990. The tourist gaze: Leisure and travel in contemporary societies . London: SAGE.

This book takes a postmodernist perspective and describes the foundation of tourist behavior in the form of a tourist gaze. Here tourism becomes a performance and acts as a central element in the broad cultural changes in contemporary society.

Urry, J. 1999. Sociology beyond societies: Mobilities for the twenty-first century . London: Routledge.

In this book, Urry suggests the necessity of replacing the examination of society as the traditional basis of sociology from bounded clusters and objects of a region to networks and fluids in the borderless world. The book studies the physical and virtual movements of people, ideas, messages, money, and waste products across international borders.

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Tourism Review

ISSN : 1660-5373

Article publication date: 16 February 2018

Issue publication date: 1 May 2018

This paper explores perceptions of tourism theory and its usefulness to the professional practice of tourism management as identified by the two major stakeholder groups – academics and tourism practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were collected through the use of two electronically administered surveys with tourism academics teaching on undergraduate tourism programmes of study and tourism professionals, both based in the UK.

Findings suggest that tourism theory is important in understanding tourism itself. But at the same time it has pragmatic relevance, facilitating researchers and others to make sense of the real world and contributing to successful practice in tourism.

Originality/value

This is the first study to provide empirical data from both academic and practitioner perspectives into often contested debates about the nature and uses of tourism theory.

• Tourism management
• Theoretical perspectives
• Tourism research

Stergiou, D.P. and Airey, D. (2018), "Understandings of tourism theory", Tourism Review , Vol. 73 No. 2, pp. 156-168. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-07-2017-0120

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Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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Tourism Theories, Concepts and Models

Author: mckercher, bob, author: prideaux, bruce.

Tourism Theories, Concepts and Models:Explains why we think about tourism the way we do;Explores key theories, concepts and models that explain how tourism works;Is a comprehensive and cohesive text that develops a series of key ideas that deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.This important text provides a critical overview of the core theories, concepts and ideas that have shaped the way we think about tourism. Divided into six parts, it takes the reader through the following areas to ensure thorough and coherent knowledge, looking at the important key theories, models and concepts, ensuring clear understanding and the ability for critical thinking:Setting the stage: looking at the interdisciplinary nature of tourism and its’ structure (5 core aspects of generation region, industry, destination region, transit route and tourist)How tourism works: explores the three core dimensions of tourism factors, attractions, access and government policyThe evolution of tourism: examines the main models that have depicted the evolution of tourism destinations, economies and geographies.The tourist: motivations and influences of the tourist as an individual, covering typology, social demographic factors and constraints.Planning models: destination planning, scenarios and forecasting, including responses to current challenges Current issues: examines the theoretical and conceptual foundations for a range of contemporary issues that will affect tourism well into the future, including climate change, overtourism, crisis management and political change.

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N2 - Explains why we think about tourism the way we do;Explores key theories, concepts and models that explain how tourism works;Is a comprehensive and cohesive text that develops a series of key ideas that deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.This important text provides a critical overview of the core theories, concepts and ideas that have shaped the way we think about tourism. Divided into six parts, it takes the reader through the following areas to ensure thorough and coherent knowledge, looking at the important key theories, models and concepts, ensuring clear understanding and the ability for critical thinking:Setting the stage: looking at the interdisciplinary nature of tourism and its’ structure (5 core aspects of generation region, industry, destination region, transit route and tourist).How tourism works: explores the three core dimensions of tourism factors, attractions, access and government policy.The evolution of tourism: examines the main models that have depicted the evolution of tourism destinations, economies and geographies.The tourist: motivations and influences of the tourist as an individual, covering typology, social demographic factors and constraints.Planning models: destination planning, scenarios and forecasting, including responses to current challenges Current issues: examines the theoretical and conceptual foundations for a range of contemporary issues that will affect tourism well into the future, including climate change, overtourism, crisis management and political change.Additional resources consist of web links, online videos and teaching reference materials. These can be found at www.goodfellowpublishers.com/TTCM from Academy fellows and other academic links explaining the ideas in the book.A must-have text for post graduate tourism and hospitality studies, as well as a key resource text for those teaching and studying tourism subjects at the later stages of undergraduate level.

AB - Explains why we think about tourism the way we do;Explores key theories, concepts and models that explain how tourism works;Is a comprehensive and cohesive text that develops a series of key ideas that deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.This important text provides a critical overview of the core theories, concepts and ideas that have shaped the way we think about tourism. Divided into six parts, it takes the reader through the following areas to ensure thorough and coherent knowledge, looking at the important key theories, models and concepts, ensuring clear understanding and the ability for critical thinking:Setting the stage: looking at the interdisciplinary nature of tourism and its’ structure (5 core aspects of generation region, industry, destination region, transit route and tourist).How tourism works: explores the three core dimensions of tourism factors, attractions, access and government policy.The evolution of tourism: examines the main models that have depicted the evolution of tourism destinations, economies and geographies.The tourist: motivations and influences of the tourist as an individual, covering typology, social demographic factors and constraints.Planning models: destination planning, scenarios and forecasting, including responses to current challenges Current issues: examines the theoretical and conceptual foundations for a range of contemporary issues that will affect tourism well into the future, including climate change, overtourism, crisis management and political change.Additional resources consist of web links, online videos and teaching reference materials. These can be found at www.goodfellowpublishers.com/TTCM from Academy fellows and other academic links explaining the ideas in the book.A must-have text for post graduate tourism and hospitality studies, as well as a key resource text for those teaching and studying tourism subjects at the later stages of undergraduate level.

U2 - http://dx.doi.org/10.23912/9781911635352-4280

DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.23912/9781911635352-4280

M3 - Research book or monograph (as author)

SN - 9781911635369

BT - Tourism Theories, Concepts and Models

PB - Goodfellow Publishers

CY - Oxford

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Chapter 3. What is Tourism? Definitions, Theoretical Phases and Principles

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Chapter 24: Tourism Theories

Tourism industry is still blooming in the 21st century as it represents 9.2% of world GDP and 235 million people are employed within this industry (WTTC 2010). This indicates that tourism is one of the main economic sectors in the world. Tourism does not stand alone and it is highly integrated. Given the complex nature of tourism industry, it is vital to understand the system and structure of this industry, the tourists’ needs and behaviour. Tourism is defined as “the temporary movement to destination outside the normal home and workplace, the activities undertaken during the stay, and the facilities created to cater for the needs of tourists” (Mathieson and Wall 1982). Although there is no consensus on the definition of tourism among the researchers and lack of theories in tourism (Franklin and Crang 2001), the conceptualization of tourism as a discipline leads to the emergence of conceptual and theoretical approaches which contributes to the tourism literature. There are few types of theoretical models of tourism; descriptive models, explanatory models and predictive models (Chorley and Haggett 1967). A descriptive model depicts the tourism system while explanatory model illustrates how the system and subsystem function. The predictive model is developed based on causal relationship which allows prediction. Tourism is a multidisciplinary as the phenomenon within this discipline cannot be studied using a single disciplinary (Matthews and Ritcher 1991). Tourism scholars adapt theories from other disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics and etc. (Sheldon 1991). Borrowing theories from other discipline is common in tourism discipline. Even though, there is short of theory building within this discipline, scholars developed few key concepts in tourism such as tourism system (Leiper 1979), tourist typology (Plog 1974; Cohen 1972; Smith 1977) and Butler’s Tourist Area Life Cycle (TALC) (Butler, 1980). Various theories are employed to understand the tourists’ travel behavior, motivation, consumption pattern, and...

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Lazar Kalmic

The main subject of analysis in this paper is the issue of change of the dominant paradigm in the study of tourism. In this sense, first the following key categories are being examined: pre-paradigmatic stage, paralysis, transformation or paradigm shift, borrowing and adaptation of theories from other disciplines and their applications in tourism. Then, the tourist system is being analyzed in detail, which is still the dominant paradigm, and which provides a coherent conceptualization of tourism. In contrast, there is postmodernism, which stands for discontinuity and deconstruction of existing theories and systems. This is, in fact, a post-disciplinary approach that insists on the demolition of the walls between the individual disciplines, i.e. on “forgetting separate disciplines,” and puts exclusively the research of a certain phenomenon in this specific case, tourism, in the spotlight. Also, it is strived for complete dedication and specialization of researchers, as well as the re...

Matheus Palmeira

Leiper, Neil, “The Framework of Tourism: Towards a Definition of Tourism, Tourist, and the Tourist Industry,” Annals of Tourism Research, 1979, VI(4):390–407. A framework for the general study of tourism is discussed. Three approaches to the topic: economic, technical, and holistic are identified and analysed; it is argued that its multi facets require a holistic definition. A systems methodology is used to develop a new definition of tourism. Five elements are isolated: tourists, three geographical elements (generating region, transit route, and destination region), and a tourist industry. The process of tourism is dissected to show that it is inherently a partially-industrialized one, and the tourist industry is shown to contain several sectors with functional and spatial connections across the system. Suggested applications of the framework are proposed, in academic research, education, business and government arenas of tourism. The main theme is that tourism's many facets are connected and that it is both possible and desirable to include an explicit recognition of those connections in general studies of the subject.

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The objectives of this study were to explore tourism as one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry, and to be more involved in their development strategies, as a means of economic diversification, employment growth and higher standards of living. The idea is that tourist destinations are essentially present as an institutional framework for tourism development design concept. Materials and methods relevant methods and techniques in the monitoring of the literature. Research findings are described in the capacity of certain features, presented in direct relation to the engagement of the identified and selected resource base for tourism development. Explored the concept and classification of tourism resources, tourism resources evaluation, internal and external factors evaluation, the concept of creating a tourist destination with the elements and types of tourist destinations, tourist destinations and development of tourism products and destinations. Contribution to research is reflected in application importance and its results can be incorporated into the official tourism development strategy.

Kevin Hannam

Jess Ponting

Dimitrios Stergiou

Purpose: This paper explores perceptions of tourism theory and its usefulness to the professional practice of tourism management as identified by the two major stakeholder groups – academics and tourism practitioners. Design/methodology/approach: Data for this study were collected through the use of two electronically administered surveys with tourism academics teaching on undergraduate tourism programmes of study and tourism professionals, both based in the UK. Findings: Findings suggest that tourism theory is important in understanding tourism itself. But at the same time it has pragmatic relevance, facilitating researchers and others to make sense of the real world and contributing to successful practice in tourism. Originality/value: This is the first study to provide empirical data from both academic and practitioner perspectives into often contested debates about the nature and uses of tourism theory.

Journal of Travel Research

Arch Woodside

Maximiliano E. Korstanje

A Book Review: Tourism Research Frontiers: beyond the boundaries of Knowledge * In only eight chapters and 165 pages, this book discusses the needs of introducing new themes of investigation in the specialized literature of tourism research. Likely, this globalized world looks pretty different from a couple of decades back, when the discipline was founded. New times, new horizons and new challenges need new thinking. As a part of prestigious Emerald Series, Chambers and Rakic present an edited book, oriented to expand the epistemological boundaries of tourism research, imagining not only new themes and issues to explore but new problems. Based on the legacy of Jafar Jafari, the editors worked hard to compile different voices, dotted of different arguments, into a shared viewpoint. In the first chapter, the editors introduce the concept of frontiers as the fringe between the known and unknown. The fieldwork suggests that we shed light on some issues while others remain unchecked. The legitimacy of academic disciplines rests on their explanatory capacity. These borders, far from being stable, are in continuous renegotiation. Though tourism-research has been consolidated as a promising academic option for graduate and postgraduate students, a radical turn undermines the dominant understanding of tourism as it has been formulated by the founding parents. Most certainly, beyond tourism, critical scholars unveiled a commoditized discourse where the " Other " is subordinated to a ruling class of developed countries. As something else than a peace-making industry, tourism covers racialized allegories which lead to control of the periphery. This paradigm sees in tourism an alienatory mechanism of surveillance. Nonetheless, this book proposes an alternative way. Instead of proclaiming the dismantling of epistemological borders of tourism, the editors suggest a shift offering a fertile ground to shore up new paradigms. Through the second chapter, Gyimothy et al, discuss the ebbs and flows of popculture tourism which represents an extension of cultural behaviour in a globalized and multiculturalist universe. In chapter 3, Mondoca presents a study case based on the relationships of stakeholders in Ilha do Grande, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Those communities

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Sustainable Tourism (Sustainable Development of Tourism, Sustainable Tourism Management)

• Reference work entry
• First Online: 22 November 2023
• pp 3613–3620
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• Nil Sonuç 7  

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Definitions and Conceptualizations of Sustainable Tourism

A well designed and well-managed tourism can make a significant contribution to the three dimensions of sustainable development and has close linkages to other sectors and can create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities.

UN Resolution ( 2012 , pp. 130/283)

In line with the above description of the United Nations, the “sustainable tourism” definition of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is as follows:

Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.

UNEP and UNWTO ( 2005 , p. 12)

Since the first appearance of the environmental concerns by Brundtland Commission with “Our Common Future Report,” the need for the protection of the scarce resources of the world while developing the industry to meet the needs of current and future generations, conceptually the sustainability,...

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İzmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir, Turkey

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Correspondence to Nil Sonuç .

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Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law London Metropolitan University, London Metropolitan University, London, UK

Samuel O. Idowu

BFH - Bern, Bern, Switzerland

René Schmidpeter

College of Business, Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA

Nicholas Capaldi

International Training Centre of the IL, International Labor Organization, Turin, Italy

Liangrong Zu

Department of Economics, Society and Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy

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Instituto Politécnico da Guarda, Guarda, Portugal

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Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

Arto O. Salonen

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Sonuç, N. (2023). Sustainable Tourism (Sustainable Development of Tourism, Sustainable Tourism Management). In: Idowu, S.O., Schmidpeter, R., Capaldi, N., Zu, L., Del Baldo, M., Abreu, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainable Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25984-5_454

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Published : 22 November 2023

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