Tourist Landscapes: Environment, Society, and Tourism
Seminar
21.04.2020 – 21.07.2020
© Anna Antonova, Djupavik, Iceland
Tourism surrounds us and we have all been tourists. In 2018 alone, according to the UN’s World Tourism Organization, international tourism generated US$ 1.7 trillion in exports, making it the world’s third-largest export industry after chemicals and fuels. Tourism creates vital livelihoods for many regions and even countries, but it also has a huge impact on environments and societies around the world. In this seminar, we will take a critical look at the societal and environmental issues arising from a range of tourist practices. We will think about various modes of travel: from globe trotters and cruise ships to wellness holidays and ecotourism. Considering case studies from around the world, we will explore a range of issues including the changing environments, cultures, and communities supporting tourism; the relationships between different forms of privilege and access to nature via tourism; or the control and commodification of landscapes, cultural heritage, and even disaster. Should we emerge from the pandemic in time for an excursion to be safe in July, we will also take a field trip to a local Bavarian tourist destination.