Tourism is one of the world's most important activities, involving millions of people, vast sums of money and generating employment in developing and industrialized countries. Yet many aspects of tourism have been ignored. This text makes a contribution from an economic standpoint to the understanding of tourism. Examining such issues as how tourism firms operate in national and global contextx, the effects of tourism on destination areas, the demand for tourism, and the interaction between tourism and natural environments, the authors explain how economic concepts and techniques can offer a...