Customer Reviews

Native Tours: The Anthropology of Travel and Tourism

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As a fellow anthropologist in the field, I know that Erve Chambers has done the anthropology and tourism research and teaching community a great favor by writing this book which summarizes most of the key ideas that have been distilled in the field over the last 30 years. It is well written, easy to read, densely packed with ideas, concepts and examples and is the best book to use in introductory courses in the anthropology of tourism. If you are new to the field and don't want to take a course in it, this book is still the best thing on the market. It is also inexpensive and a great bargain.

This book gives a good overview of lots of different theories in Anthro and Tourism. She also spatters the book with various examples. However, it is wordy and not an easy read. In general, I would say if you are looking to really study, this is a good book. It is not a leisurely read.

This little book is now nine years old, but there is still no better text on the market for a course on the emerging field of the anthropology of tourism. Chambers covers a lot of ground in less than 130 pages, starting with the origins of modern tourism and ending with the issue of authenticity. The main concern is the impact of tourism on cultures, as people from the developed world travel in increasing numbers to the less-developed world. Specifically, what are the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental costs and benefits of tourism, particularly for small scale societies and ethnic minorities? The focus is on cultural, ethnic, and indigenous tourism and ecotourism. The book is very clearly written and easy to follow, but not exciting to read. You will learn a lot from it, relatively painlessly, but it won't keep you up at night. Chambers covers the topic comprehensively, he has an excellent command of the relevant literature, and he has original ideas to contribute. The book is admirably cheap and it has a tough binding that will hold up well.