The theme of this book focuses on the being of tourism and knowledge construction in tourism. It discusses both ontological and epistemological issues in tourism studies. In addition to examining what constitutes tourism knowledge and how tourism knowledge is acquired, various theoretical and methodological paradigms will also be addressed.

This book provides insights into the lived experiences of researchers as they negotiate the undulating terrain of the world of paradigms and seek to find their niche. Each chapter presents the journeys of postgraduate candidates, early career researchers and established scholars, starting with an overview of their paradigm, the application of the paradigm to their specific research context, and concluding with the authors reflecting on their identification with and use of the paradigm. The volume acknowledges that determining the paradigm that best aligns with a scholar’s personal ideologies and the underlying assumptions of the research can be rather daunting, challenging and perplexing to scholars who are starting their research journey. It offers an accessible exploration of research paradigms and will be a valuable resource for postgraduate researchers, emerging scholars and PhD supervisors.

This collection of papers from Tourism Geographies emphasizes new and emerging research paradigms in the geographic study of tourism. The papers included in this collection follow one of two threads: explicitly supporting specific research frameworks, or implicitly presenting new and emerging theoretical perspectives through empirical research on the geographical topics. These begin with three overview papers from themes that emerged from recent annual meetings of the Association of American Geographers, including evolutionary economic geography (EEG), political ecology and community resilience. Each of these theoretical and conceptual frameworks is leading to new explorations and insights in a wide variety of geographical and social science research, including tourism studies. These are followed by a series of papers that extend our knowledge and thinking on a range of key geographical topics, including development and underdevelopment (by Saarinen & Rogerson), sustainable tourism planning (by Torres-Delgado & Saarinen), encounters with the natural environment (by Hill), and the geography of place names (by Light), as well as economic geography and new technologies and their applications to spatial behavior research. The papers in this special issue are especially relevant to tourism scholars, and very much represent the types of perspectives that Tourism Geographies seek to promote. This book was published as a special issue of Tourism Geographies.

Whilst qualitative approaches are beginning to be more commonly used and accepted in tourism, discussions of research methods have rarely moved beyond practical considerations. Limited attention given to the underlying philosophical and theoretical underpinnings that influence the research process. This book links the theory with research practice, to offer a more holistic account of how qualitative research can be used in tourism.

This collection of papers from Tourism Geographies emphasizes new and emerging research paradigms in the geographic study of tourism. The papers included in this collection follow one of two threads: explicitly supporting specific research frameworks, or implicitly presenting new and emerging theoretical perspectives through empirical research on the geographical topics. These begin with three overview papers from themes that emerged from recent annual meetings of the Association of American Geographers, including evolutionary economic geography (EEG), political ecology and community resilience. Each of these theoretical and conceptual frameworks is leading to new explorations and insights in a wide variety of geographical and social science research, including tourism studies. These are followed by a series of papers that extend our knowledge and thinking on a range of key geographical topics, including development and underdevelopment (by Saarinen & Rogerson), sustainable tourism planning (by Torres-Delgado & Saarinen), encounters with the natural environment (by Hill), and the geography of place names (by Light), as well as economic geography and new technologies and their applications to spatial behavior research. The papers in this special issue are especially relevant to tourism scholars, and very much represent the types of perspectives that Tourism Geographies seek to promote. This book was published as a special issue of Tourism Geographies.

Contemporary Research Methods in Hospitality and Tourism delivers a comprehensive collection of chapters including new insights for traditional paradigms, approaches, and methods, as well as more recent developments in research methodology in the context of tourism and hospitality.

Cultural tourism includes experiencing local culture, traditions and lifestyle, participation in arts-related activities, and visits to museums, monuments and heritage sites. This book reviews a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods applied to the field. It is suitable for students and researchers in tourism and leisure.

Within the tourism industry there is a growing consensus on the need for research to investigate the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism. However, existing research methods texts are based solely on either the business approach or the social science approach to tourism. They often fail to provide real world examples of how to plan, implement or analyse tourism related research. This book aims to address this divide by integrating theory with practice through the inclusion of specific tourism research case studies alongside research theory. It considers a wide range of research issues, approaches and techniques with contributions from both experienced and new researchers.

Over the past two decades, through unprecedented levels of prosperity and changing values, luxury tourism has transformed into a new consumption pattern. This book analyzes the topic in detail with contributions from both recognized scientists and prominent executives in the luxury business. It shows how the concept of luxury has shifted from material to immaterial dimensions, and outlines new trends that will shape the luxury market in the future. The content includes carefully selected leading examples from the most important segments of the tourism market, along with concrete recommendations and best practices. Sharing unique insights, the book is a must-read for those working in the tourism industry, as well as lecturers and university students of tourism.