Resort Spatiality: Reimagining Sites of Mass Tourism

This book explores the complexity of resorts as distinct urban milieux, drawing on qualitative field research in six international destinations. It examines the material and symbolic production of lived spaces, considering the relations between spatial formations, built environments, popular imaginaries, representations, identity narratives, rhythms, and experiences of tourists and locals. It advocates for more nuanced conceptualizations of tourism, globalization, and spatiality and reimagines these phenomena in lived spaces.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the intricate world of resorts, unveiling them as distinct urban milieux that encapsulate the multifaceted allure of destinations renowned for their vibrant blend of 'sun, sand, and sex' mass tourism. Through a rigorous qualitative field research approach encompassing participant observation, in-depth interviews, and captivating photography, the author explores a diverse array of six international resort destinations across four continents: the Gold Coast, Australia; Phuket and Koh Phangan, Thailand; Cancun, Mexico; Miami, USA; and Ibiza, Spain.

The book delves into the intricate tapestry of material and symbolic production that shapes the lived spaces within these resorts. It examines the mutually constitutive and mutually transformative relations that exist between their spatial formations, built environments, popular imaginaries, representations, narratives of identity, rhythms, and the experiences and practices of both tourists and locals. By adopting a cultural studies lens, the book advocates for a more nuanced understanding of tourism, globalization, and spatiality, challenging conventional notions and reimagining how these phenomena unfold within the confines of lived spaces.

Through its comprehensive analysis, the book showcases the immense value of embracing complexity, fluidity, partiality, and uncertainty in urban analysis. It serves as a valuable resource for students and researchers across a wide range of disciplines, including tourism, geography, cultural studies, development studies, anthropology, and sociology. By delving into the complexities of resorts as urban spaces, this book offers a fresh perspective on the dynamics of tourism, globalization, and the spatial transformations that shape our world.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032338835