Social Tourism : Global Challenges and Approaches

Social tourism is the practice of offering programmes, events and activities to enable all population groups to enjoy tourism. This book encourages readers to think critically about challenges faced by the sector, as well as promote research bridging theory and practice in order to move towards more effective social tourism initiatives.

Social tourism - the practice of offering programmes, events and activities to enable disadvantaged population groups to enjoy tourism - is of increasing interest to academia. Beginning with an introduction to the social tourism concept, its relevance and target groups, this book then provides reflections about emerging topics case studies of programmes in action across Europe, Oceania and the Americas. It considers the tourism experience from the point of view of young people, families, senior citizens and people with disabilities, before covering the impacts of social tourism initiatives on both participants and tourism destinations. It concludes by reflecting on the practical challenges and policy implications emerging from theory and practice, highlighting common challenges and identifying guidelines for designing social tourism initiatives.This book:Covers the challenges faced by the sector and the relevance of promoting tourism programmes for disadvantaged groups of society.Promotes research that bridges theory and practice, permitting the identification of guidelines for more effective social tourism initiatives. Includes case studies from around the world to provide a global perspective.An important read for researchers of tourism, social inclusion and accessibility, this book will therefore also be of interest to students and practitioners of these areas.