ABSTRACT
It has been suggested at various points in earlier chapters that tourists need to be taken more seriously, and recent campaigns on the ethical forms of travel and tourism from development agencies (such as VSO and the Tear Fund) seem to suggest that they are. To this point in the book, a number of key factors have been stressed. First, Chapter 2 sought to demonstrate the significant economic changes that have resulted in post-Fordist modes of both producing and consuming goods and services. In part, these changes can be traced through to the emergence of new and varied forms of tourism in the Third World. It was also argued that these changes have tended to invest more power in us, the consumers, or the tourists: we have more choice. Second, it has been suggested that the influence of the new middle classes can be linked to the emergence of what may be referred to as postmodern cultural forms. The importance of these social groups in both producing new forms of tourism in the Third World and forming a significant role in taking such holidays was highlighted. It may be worth taking another look at Figure 2.3, Table 2.4 and Box 3.3 to recall this framework.
