The Ethnography of Tourism

The Ethnography of Tourismoffers a comprehensive and insightful analysis of half a century of pathbreaking contributions made by one of postmodern anthropology’s leading practitioner-theorists, Edward Bruner. . . . It is impossible to do critical anthropological work in tourism today without the foundation provided by Edward Bruner. His contributions have been and will continue to be long-lasting.The Ethnography of Tourism combines this brilliant subject with a group of excellent theoreticians and superb ethnographers who have meaningfully applied key Brunerian concepts in their field sites. The excellent historiographical and contextualizing analyses at the beginning of the volume, strong discussions of Bruner’s and other theoretical concepts in various of the chapters, and Di Giovine’s magisterial interview with Bruner at the end of the book give us an insightful and exceptionally useful volume that is ideal for the experienced scholar, the newcomer to the field, and for graduate students interested in the development of anthropology and of tourism studies in the post-modern era.

* Journal Of Tourism and Cultural Change *
“This is a state-of-the-art book on the value of ethnography in understanding the complex cultural and economic phenomenon of 21st century tourism. The approaches discussed in this collection show that tourism is not the wrecking ball of traditional culture, as was widely held to be the case in the 1960s and 1970s, and how ethnographical approaches, which are increasingly collaborative in this modern and connected world, can provide us with nuanced and even positive accounts of traditional actors as cultural strategists. The book is of multi-disciplinary interest in the arts and social sciences, not least in subjects such as business management, tourism planning, and marketing.” -- Michael Hitchcock, Goldsmiths, University of London
This edited collection is a worthy homage to one of the outstanding anthropologists of our time. Edward Bruner’s vision of tourism as a creative process, his constructivist approach, and his disdain for prevailing concepts in the study of tourism have attracted younger anthropologists studying touristic phenomena. Many of them pay tribute to Bruner’s work in this volume by engaging in a discussion of his basic concepts and creatively deploying them in the presentation of their own studies. This book offers well-rounded, critical discussions of Bruner’s work and indicates future directions for the creative deployment of his basic ideas. Though a work of experts, this book is easy to read. While accessible to the interested layman, it constitutes an excellent introduction to Bruner’s work for the student. -- Erik Cohen, emeritus, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Celebrating the importance of Edward Bruner’s contribution to the ethnographic study of tourism, this invaluable book is a must-read for all students and scholars interested in pursuing a nuanced and dynamic understanding of tourism’s cultural complexities. Bruner’s constructivist-processual approach not only highlighted the ‘made-ness’ of tourist attractions, but also culture as emergent and contested. Incorporating fascinating interview material with Bruner himself, the editors of this volume have produced highly stimulating coverage of how Bruner’s work paved the way for subsequent scholars to bring an ethnographic lens to tourism-related matters such as cultural encounters, identity, and representation. -- Hazel Tucker, University of O