Tourism and Environment

The contributions contained " Tourism and Environment" deal with two perspectives of 'tourism and environment'. The first one could be called the 'role of the environment in tourism' and the other one 'environmental tourism'. The reader would expect the same message in both cases. The environment comprises the set of biophysical and cultural events surrounding us and influences the activities to be developed depending on time and site.

Certain places in the world captivate visitors who flock to them in large numbers. Local people recognize the benefit of this, employers become interested in the economic aspects and so the tourism infrastructure develops. The appeal of 'good climate' has led to a change from a rural subsistence culture to a lucrative services economy in some areas. Unfortunately, however, in many cases short-sightedness and corruption can lead to the ruin of the natural landscape. Situations like this are now common throughout the world due to the environmental mismanagement of tourism.

The edited papers included in this volume address important issues related to tourism and the environment and offer a better understanding of some of the current challenges.