Social Tourism: Global Challenges and Approaches

Abstract

Social tourism - the practice of offering programmes, events and activities to enable disadvantaged population groups to enjoy tourism - is of increasing interest to academia. Beginning with an introduction to the social tourism concept, its relevance and target groups, this book then provides reflections about emerging topics case studies of programmes in action across Europe, Oceania and the Americas. It considers the tourism experience from the point of view of young people, families, senior citizens and people with disabilities, before covering the impacts of social tourism initiatives on both participants and tourism destinations. It concludes by reflecting on the practical challenges and policy implications emerging from theory and practice, highlighting common challenges and identifying guidelines for designing social tourism initiatives.