ABSTRACT
Th e previous chapter traced how major events in America’s urban past-the birth of the railroads, the rise of manufacturing, World War II, and the decline of manufacturing-carved a path for the development of urban leisure and travel for recreational purposes (tourism), and for business. Over the course of nearly 200 years, the way Americans spent their free time changed dramatically, rising and falling with economic conditions, shifting toward activities driven by spending, consumption, and the careful planning of cities’ leisure landscapes. However, urban leisure and tourism have not been infl uenced by domestic factors alone. Th is chapter explores how globalization would also prove to have a signifi cant impact on the development of tourism. For example, international trade and commerce require the creation of entertainment outlets. Convention centers and exhibitions are often regarded as a prerequisite of travel, whether recreational or for business, to urban areas. Business travel not only necessitates appropriate visitor sites, as those attending conventions seek a recreational environment, perhaps to entertain potential customers, but also helps establish related markets and networks. In the last few decades, the explosion of this international industry
gave countries and cities across the globe the opportunity to promote themselves with the hope of attracting the accompanying expenditures of large volumes of visitors.1
