ABSTRACT
The aim of this book is to demonstrate that tourism is susceptible to economic analysis to a much greater extent than is suggested by current literature by using economic concepts to provide a review and critical evaluation of the literature on a wide range of aspects of the economics of tourism and to indicate useful directions for future research. Thus, the book was not conceived as simply a text aiming to introduce basic economic concepts and theories to non-specialists. It attempts to go further by demonstrating the subject’s ability to strengthen the theoretical foundations of more descriptive, diffuse and pragmatic research approaches to tourism and by showing economies’ potential to explain and predict tourism phenomena. By examining tourism, using methodologies from mainstream and alternative schools of economic analysis, it also contributes new material about an activity of major and increasing economic importance, hitherto neglected in economics literature. In effect, the rationale of the book is to introduce more advanced applications of economic theory to tourism and so go beyond an introductory exposition of principles. For example, tourists’ expenditure decisions, the structure of tourism markets and nature of decision-making within them, cross-country linkages between tourism firms, the extent and effects of foreign currency generation by tourism, the contribution of environmental resources and their relevance to policies for sustainable tourism have not been fully investigated and would benefit from further economic analysis.
