Tourist travel has become part of the lifestyle of Western industrial society. For today's travelers, recreation and curiosity, experiencing the world and gaining status have been the main motivations, whereas generating income or profit has been the focus of the more or less professional service providers who still style themselves hosts . But the benefits of tourism also have their drawbacks - not least for the local residents who do not participate in tourism but are affected by traffic, high prices in restaurants and housing. Another loser is unprotected nature, the environment, as tourism infrastructure eats up the landscape. As with any industry, there are downsides to a business where the sun always seems to shine. This book examines the many contradictions, in hopes of promoting more conscious, responsible forms of tourism.
Before the Journey: What Can the Reader Expect?.- Always Home or into Happiness - Why Do We Travel?.- Near and Far, In Between Longing.- Places of Happiness, Mobile Privatization and Emotional Geography.- A Brief History of Travel and Tourism.- Utopias and Dystopias - Dream and Nightmare.- The Past Has Never Been as Beautiful as Today.- Alpine Travel: Fair Weather Zone in Climate Change.- Tourism as a Development Perspective.- Paths to Sustainability.- The Vision: Smart Tourists, Minimally Invasive.
Prof. Dr. Kurt Luger holds the UNESCO Chair for Cultural Heritage and Tourism at the Department of Communication Sciences at the University of Salzburg and is the Chairman of EcoHimal, the Society for Alpine-Himalayan Cooperation.
English Editors: Susan Höivik, Kurt Luger
