ABSTRACT
In chapter 2 we examined the rise of tourism and the way in which its evolving character as a commodity has been fueled by globalization. Many cities, especially those whose manufacturing economies have experienced decline, have seized on tourism as an alternative source of economic growth. Attracting tourists requires cities to distinguish themselves as distinctive “places.” In this chapter we focus on the characteristic types of place that are identifi ed by, or in many instances, have been created by local governments and their business allies to serve as tourist attractions. Th is analysis will include a consideration of the pros and cons of developing such tourist districts. When hundreds of thousands of visitors fl ood the streets of a formerly quiet ethnic neighborhood or historic town, the everyday lives of the residents will be changed in many ways. Th e chapter concludes by discussing an associated form of tourism, the mega-event, whose mechanism for drawing visitors is an organized array of activities-a World’s Fair or Olympic competition-that concentrates visitors in time as well as space.
