Social Tourism―Perspectives and Potential

Social tourism refers to facilitating access to tourism for low income groups and/or the use of tourism as a regeneration and economic stimulation strategy. Although social tourism has its roots in the early 20^th Century and is still a major component of the tourism sector in a range of countries, the concept has received relatively little research attention until recently. In this volume, international specialists on social tourism present perspectives on social tourism from different disciplines and geographical contexts. The book highlights the multitude of interpretations and implementations of social tourism that make the concept so multi-faceted: examples reviewed in this book include holiday vouchers in Hungary, charity initiatives in the UK, tourism schemes for senior citizens in Spain and state provision in Brazil.

Seven themed chapters and two case studies explore the potential of social tourism from a range of perspectives. Should tourism be a right that is available to all? Is social tourism indispensable in a sustainable tourism strategy? What are the different systems of social tourism supply and demand in Europe, and why do the implementations differ so much between countries? The book provides a critical reflection on these and other questions, and is therefore a key resource for social tourism researchers and practitioners.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Current Issues in Tourism.

Dr. Lynn Minnaert is a lecturer of Tourism and Events at the University of Surrey, UK.

Professor Robert Maitland is a Professor of City Tourism at the University of Westminster, UK.

Dr. Graham Miller is the Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey, UK.

Together they are the convenors of the seminar series NET-STaR (Network for Social Tourism and Regeneration), funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.