Tourism, Globalization, and Cultural Change

Globalization is the growing interconnection of markets, people, and cultures across the world. One important link in this development is the rise of the global tourism. Tourists and tourist spaces abound, from weekends at Disneyland to safaris in Africa, and the tourist industry has become the world's largest. The rapid growth of tourism has been a mixed bag; while it has been an economic boon and encouraged certain types of cultural preservation, it promotes dependency, environmental degradation, and the commodification of cultures. Tourism offers an effective entry point for exploring where globalization is taking us. In this course we will explore tourism not only as an important human activity and industry, but also as a means to understanding the complex relationship between globalization and culture. 3 hrs. sem.