ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the attributes of resorts which make them special, as well as examining the various factors and processes that have combined to produce them. While the attractions and fortunes of resorts have declined in recent times and initiatives to offset such decline have, in some instances, created additional functions and modified the typical resort morphology, many of the features of the classic seaside resort remain. The chapter focuses on the British seaside resort, partly because to include broader coverage would result in a more superficial account and also because several authorities have argued that seaside holidays were a British invention. It examines the ways in which resorts have responded to decline and assesses the extent to which they have refashioned themselves while still maintaining a sense of retreating authenticity. The chapter describes the attributes of resorts which make them special, as well as examining the various factors and processes that have combined to produce them.
