In recent decades, several Latin American nations have experienced political transitions that have caused a decline in tourism. In spite of-or even because of-that history, these areas are again becoming popular destinations. This work reveals that in post-conflict nations, tourism often takes up where social transformation leaves off and sometimes benefits from formerly off-limits status.
Comparing cases in Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru, Babb shows how tourism is a major force in remaking transitional nations. While tourism touts scenic beauty and colonial charm, it also capitalizes on the desire for a brush with recent revolutionary history. In the process, selective histories are promoted and nations remade. This work presents the diverse stories of those linked to the trade and reveals how interpretations of the past and desires for the future coincide and collide in the global marketplace of tourism.
Industry Reviews
"One of the strengths of The Tourism Encounter is undoubtedly its multisited approach, which allows both for a wide angle of vision on this complex topic and a number of illuminating comparisons of [Chiapas (Mexico), Cuba, Nicaragua, and Peru]." - Claire Lindsay, New West India Guide "Combining long-standing anthropological analysis of tourism's local effects, Babb successfully reaches toward a macro-view to examine how national discourses and policies are constructed to attract tourist dollars." - Amy Cox Hall, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute "The Tourism Encounter is a very well-written monograph...Being both readable and conceptually rich, this book would complement both advanced undergraduate and graduate seminars... The book should be considered essential reading for those interested in contemporary tourism in general." - Noel B. Salazar, American Ethnologist "Babb's writing style turns this book into an attractive journey [and] beautifully captures the volatility of tourist travel ... Babb's book is highly recommended for tourism scholars who want to know more about the four countries under study and about the intersection of tourism and revolution. The writing style also makes it a good read for those tourists who want to know more about the places they visit than what the superficial accounts in travel guides tell them." - Annelou Ypeij, Journal of Latin American Studies "This is one of the most important insights the author shares with us: how tourism functions not solely as an economic strategy but rather as a central tool through which [Latin American] countries are coming to terms with and actively negotiating revolutionary pasts ... Overall, the book does a great job." - Arlene Davila, The Americas
