Geographical Research on International and Domestic Tourism

Abstract

Tourism is a worldwide industry which has become important at all levels of economic development. Although tourism was considered by academicians for decades to be primarily an economic activity, geographers and non-geographers in the 1970s turned largely to analyzing its impact upon cultures and the physical environments of the destination areas. The common goal is careful planning of future touristic developments. In addition, an increasing number of studies is on imagery created by the tourist industry and its impact on the decision-making processes of the tourists. Despite the increasing research efforts of geographers, their findings are usually not published in the major geographical journals nor in geography textbooks. Tourism is a form of spatial behavior and its many aspects need further investigation.