Choice Review

In this well-crafted book, Sharpley (UK academic) discusses how the rapid growth and heavy promotion of mass tourism over the past half century has created an industry of many faces, with major environmental implications. On one hand, tourism may stimulate economic growth in what are otherwise disadvantaged areas or less developed countries with few other resources on which to build successful economies. Tourism is also conventionally seen as providing relatively "clean" money since it does not remove natural resources, makes comparatively few demands on public services, and often generates otherwise useful investment in infrastructure. On the other hand, tourism is in many ways a spatially concentrated activity (most tourists want to see and do the same things); it also displays strong seasonal variations (e.g., summer in the south of France). The result is heavy pressure on often-fragile ecosystems and the environment in general. Sharpley examines these issues in detail and includes case studies of Iceland, Cyprus, and The Gambia. He concludes that tourism is no more a panacea for growth than other forms of economic activity and that "sustainability" cannot be confined to tourism alone but must be considered in all aspects of the physical and cultural world. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels of undergraduate students as well as professionals. J. R. McDonald emeritus, Eastern Michigan University