Tourism, culture and society

Welcome aboard! The development of tourism in contemporary societies is of huge economic, social, and cultural significance. In this course, we will take an interdisciplinary approach, primarily from sociological and anthropological points of view, to examine various aspects of tourism. Important questions like “Why does tourism matter in the contemporary world?”, “How are tourist experiences socially structured?”, and “What is the relationship between tourism and identity?” will be discussed.

There are four key themes in our course. First, we will explore the historical background of the emergence of modern tourism and the definitions of tourists and tourism. Second, we will touch upon some essential concepts and theoretical perspectives on tourism studies, such as authenticity and the tourist gaze, in order to understand the formation of tourist experiences. Third, we will examine how space for tourist consumption is designed and constructed, as well as how tourism impacts the space of the host society. Finally, we will consider the relationship between tourism and identity, reflecting on how tourism shapes our individual and collective identities.