ABSTRACT
In an age of refl exivity, it is perhaps appropriate to begin by stating that as a now retired white male, educated in geography some forty-odd years ago when analysis involved a knitting needle and punch cards, and one who has a somewhat jaundiced view of many recent academic developments, I might not be suitable to comment on recent and possible future trends in geography and tourism. However, as someone nearing the end of their career, I am not limited by the fear of what wrath my comments might provoke, nor of implications for promotion, government research assessment designation or research grant success in the future. That does not make my comments any the more meaningful but it does free them of the need for caution, except, of course, that I do not wish to be taken as someone totally out of touch with reality (perhaps unfortunately for the subject, other geographers in tourism appear to have similar feelings, as recorded in Smith, 2010b).
