ABSTRACT
The central aim of this chapter lies in exploring the concept of entertainment as a way of invigorating a number of tourism research areas. The sequence of discussion points commences with a consideration of certain kinds and styles of entertainment. Next, the presentation of a relatively new study area in the academic spectrum, an area potentially entitled entertainment science, will itself be entertained (cf. Bryman, 2004). It will be argued that entertainment science reaches beyond cultural studies of tourism (Baerenholdt et al., 2004; Howard, 2003; Inglis, 2000) and is a particularly adaptable specialism of interest capable of augmenting tourism research. Specific areas for attention in entertainment science will be considered, focussing in turn on the ownership and production of entertainment, the consumption of entertainment and education, training and employment in the world of entertainment. Throughout, the styles of entertainment particularly relevant to tourism settings will be the primary focus of attention. In establishing some new connections and refreshing existing tourism–entertainment analyses, the discussion will culminate in a framework for guiding research themes and agendas. The concluding section of the paper argues that without specifying conceptual frameworks for novel research themes, the identification of an entertainment wedge penetrating the circle of tourism interest will be dissipated, resulting in the kind of non-cumulative, ad hoc and disoriented approach to tourism study which already troubles a number of tourism scholars (Aramberri, 2001; Dann, 1999; Rojek and Urry, 1997).
