Living in a world that is increasingly 'on the move' means that many of us now rely on mobile devices, social media, and networking technologies to coordinate togetherness with our social networks even when we are apart. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in the emerging practices of 'interactive travel'. Today's travellers are more likely than ever to pack a laptop or a mobile phone and to use these devices to stay in touch with friends and family members - as well as to connect with strangers and other travellers - while they are on the road. New practices such as location-aware navigating, travel blogging, flashpacking and Couchsurfing now shape the way travellers engage with each other, with their social networks, and with the world around them.

"This book examines the emerging and shifting issues in the field of gay tourism, how these relate to significant societal and technological changes and the implications of these changes for theory, policy and practice. It will be a useful resource for students, lecturers and researchers in tourism, human geography, cultural studies and sociology"--

Using a combination of theoretical discussion and real-world case studies, this book analyses the use of robotics, artificial intelligence and services automation (RAISA) within the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Divided into two sections, the book first concentrates on the theoretical aspects surrounding the use of RAISA in travel, tourism and hospitality. Themes explored include: economic fundamentals customer attitudes chatbot adoption service quality Following on from this, the second section concentrates on current and future use of RAISA technologies in specific subsectors of the tourism economy: hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, museums, and events. With an international scope of authorship and focus, the book is a useful reference source for scholars, students, and general readers interested in robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation technologies. Alongside this, the business insights and case studies examined in the book offer practitioners guidance on how these technologies can and will be incorporated into organizations, particularly those in the travel and tourism industry.

The book provides unique insights into the culture of computer-mediated hospitality and how this has begun to transform contemporary tourism and travel practice. Focusing on Couchsurfing.org, one of the largest online hospitality communities worldwide, the authors explore how social relations, intimacy and trust are built in the online environment and then extended into the offline contexts of actual tourism and travel. Being active couchsurfers themselves, the authors scrutinise the candid claim by much of the online hospitality community that couchsurfing creates a »better world«. The book is key reading for anyone interested in how computer mediated communication is changing contemporary forms of contact, travel and hospitality, and the kinds of cosmopolitism it brings into being. Authors: David Picard, Sonja Buchberger, Jennie Germann Molz, Dennis Zuev, De-Jung Chen, Bernard Schéou, Jun-E Tan, Paula Bialski and Nelson Graburn.   Rezension »Being skillfully written, making use of a narrative approach, and enriched by exciting and originial chapters 'Couchsurfing Cosmopolitanism' is a recommanded read for those who are eager to delve deeper and better understand the phenomenon of promoting cosmopolitanism as a desire for and openess to difference.« Variety Fair, 7 (2014) Reviewed in: Schweizerisches Archiv für Volkskunde, 2 (2013), Regina F. Bendix www.urbanophil.net, 08.08.2013, Paula Salomo http://popanth.com, 22.10.2013.

What's the story of our food? Where did it come from and how did it get to us? What is the impact of the food choices we make? Nourish vividly illustrates how what we choose to eat - individually and as a society - has an effect around the world, and how making more wholesome choices can improve the health of the environment, our communities and ourselves. With beautiful visuals and inspiring stories, Nourish traces our relationship to food from a global perspective and suggests the steps individuals can take to create a more sustainable food system and live more healthful lives.

This book is a grand probe into the dynamic and evolving nature of strategic marketing in the hospitality and tourism industry. Strategic dimensions of marketing are presented and Internet is treated as an important part of the strategic marketing iceberg to promote a hybrid marketing stance by incorporating traditional marketing techniques. Multiple components of marketing are identified to formulate a strategic online marketing model that is resilient and holds potential to adapt as contemporary environments change. This book is unique in that it proposes a broader treatment of online market

This book presents significant theoretical and empirical studies of various aspects of hospitality and tourism from the perspetives of both tradition and innovation. With thirty-nine contributors from Bulgaria, Croatia, Indonesia, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, and the USA, if offers a collection of recent regional and marketing studies. The first part is dedicated to traditional tourism and hospitality issues ranging from tourism policy and planning and management practices, through cultural even marketing to the need for more intercultural communication. Special attention is paid to new developments in specialised types of tourism and specific tourist destinations. The second part of the book deals with new developments in the tourism industry offering a range of chapters on new technologies and techniques, the modern concept of urban and city tourism development and specific new and innovative tourism types and products--back cover.