ABSTRACT
Tourism is a significant economic sector in the world and one where much of the activity can be classified as leisure travel. Tourism generates significant flows of both travellers and money worldwide and is therefore an activity worthy of academic study. However, in a world that is changing rapidly it is important to provide a disciplined and stable framework to study tourism, as this chapter does. One interesting feature of tourism is its sustained growth and resilience since 1950, despite the recent ‘shocks’, which include 9/11, the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Tourism is also a key source of business and opportunity for both leisure and sport operators. Leisure facilities, sporting events and cultural festivals all attract tourists, as well as local residents and day visitors, and the particular audience mix will depend upon the nature of that facility or event – the 2012 Olympics, for example, will attract significant numbers of both domestic and international tourists to the UK. In addition, the synergies between tourism and leisure and sport can be seen in the development of new products such as sport tourism. It is therefore important for the leisure manager to understand the operation of tourism and the opportunities it presents internationally, in order to better manage their businesses and to gain a competitive edge.
