ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the magnitude and patterns of global and African tourism. It presents the basis of international tourism to modern western culture. The chapter examines the concepts of tourism and recreation. It provides a topology of tourism and tourists, and discusses the conceptual and methodological approaches to analysing tourism and development. The chapter also examines the contribution of tourism in African development using the example of Kenya. Tourism within the context of African development must contribute towards the problem of poverty alleviation and the overall economic progress of the continent. Tourism and travel are the world's largest industry in terms of the numbers of people participating, the amount of resources generated, and employment capacity. The geographical patterns of world tourism show great differences both in international arrivals and receipts. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
