ABSTRACT
Tourism is now the largest industry in the world, employing millions of people in a variety of occupations related to travel. Graduates of tourism programs in universities work in government agencies, travel agencies, hotels, museums, sports venues, medical facilities, and universities, and have positions such as hotel managers, marketing directors, travel agents, travel writers, and professors of tourism studies. Given the size and importance of the tourism industry, it is only logical that many universities now offer courses on tourism and majors in tourism studies to fill the demands of the tourism industry for people with knowledge and expertise in the field. This book is designed both for tourists and for tourism students and deals with the subject by focusing on the iconic places and buildings tourists visit—on their their social, cultural, semiotic, and economic significance.
