Critical Social Challenges in the Tourism Industry: Labor, Gentrification, and Drugs is a groundbreaking book that delves into the often-overlooked critical issues within the field of tourism. The book adopts a critical perspective, shedding light on power relations, domination, and oppression within the tourism industry. By exposing these dynamics, the critical paradigm seeks to liberate both tourist destinations and employees from exploitative conditions. From examining the social and environmental effects of tourism to addressing critical topics such as gentrification, consumerism, commodification, and critical pedagogy, this comprehensive study offers a fresh and thought-provoking analysis of the field. With a focus on labor transformation, the formation of the working class, and the employment of women, children, and immigrants, the book uncovers the intricate labor processes and interactions within the tourism industry. Furthermore, it explores important aspects such as tourist-employee interaction, LGBT tourism, illegal sex tourism, and the use of drugs and psychedelics in the context of tourist mobility. This book is ideal for researchers and students in the field of tourism, offering a comprehensive examination of critical issues within the industry.

The impact of disasters and crises on culture, heritage, and religious tourism, have been realized in recent years, creating a need for solutions to heal and prevent future damage to these aspects of tourist regions. There is a need for strategies in mitigating these challenges and preserving cultural sites for the future. An emphasis on the importance of sustainability in cultural and heritage tourism, discussions on digitalization, stakeholder participation, and socio-economic livelihoods must be made to properly address this intricate issue. This book explores the development, marketing, and societal implications of cultural and heritage tourism enterprises, showcasing best practices and innovative business models. Exploring Culture and Heritage Through Experience Tourism is an academic research book that delves into the intricate relationship between tourism, culture, and heritage. It offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of this evolving field. Drawing on the latest research and international frameworks, this volume identifies new areas of culture and heritage tourism, understand its scope and challenges, and highlight its interlinkages with various sectors of the industry and the broader economy. Designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students of travel and tourism management, this book serves as a valuable resource. It also meets the needs of universities with cultural and heritage tourism in their curricula, and offers insights for industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers interested in multidisciplinary studies.

"This book will examine the various digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Blockchain and their applications in the service sector to promote economic growth, create new job opportunities, and improve access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and financial services"--

Pilgrimage routes face challenges such as fragmented experiences, inadequate infrastructure, and limited knowledge, hindering their full potential and economic benefits. Esteemed academic scholars Vítor João Pereira Domingues Martinho, João Augusto Guerra da Rocha Nunes, Maria Jesus Pato, and Liliana Castilho offer a compelling solution in their book, Experiences, Advantages, and Economic Dimensions of Pilgrimage Routes. Through meticulous research, the book provides valuable insights to enhance the pilgrimage experience and unlock the economic potential of these routes. It presents alternative paths to harmonize pilgrims' journeys and addresses the issue of fragmented experiences. This essential resource serves students, researchers, local authorities, municipalities, and policymakers, creating a platform for engaging in discussions and fostering improvements in pilgrimage routes. Covering a wide range of topics, including heritage, culture, spirituality, tourism, regional development, and rural planning, the book offers a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between pilgrimage routes and societal aspects. Experiences, Advantages, and Economic Dimensions of Pilgrimage Routes empowers readers to contribute to the transformation and revitalization of these sacred paths, allowing for their continued significance and economic prosperity.

In a world grappling with sustainability challenges, the service sector is crucial for both the global economy and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite its importance, the sector faces obstacles like unequal access, resource inefficiency, and the digital divide, hindering progress towards sustainability.Sustainable Development Goal Advancement Through Digital Innovation in the Service Sector offers a pioneering solution by exploring how digital technologies can drive SDG achievement in this sector, unveiling a transformative path toward sustainability. The book delves deep into the relationship between digital innovation and sustainable development, revealing challenges, opportunities, and strategies. It highlights how technologies like IoT, AI, and blockchain can revolutionize service delivery, enhance access, and promote resource efficiency. More than a guide, this book serves as a roadmap for policymakers, academics, business leaders, and changemakers, enabling them to leverage digital innovation's potential for a service sector that transcends limitations and aligns with SDGs.

The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Issues in Health and Illness is a multidisciplinary reference book that brings together cutting-edge health and illness topics from around the globe. It offers a range of theoretical and critical perspectives to provide contemporary insights into complex health issues that can offer ways to address inequitable patterns of illness and ill health. This collection, written by an international pool of expert academics from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, is unique in providing theoretical and critical analyses on key health topics, considering power and broader social structures that influence health and illness outcomes. The chapters are organised in three parts. The first covers medical contexts; here, chapters provide commentary and critical analysis of the history of medicine, medicalisation, pharmaceuticalisation, services and care, medical technology, diagnosis, screening, personalised medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine. The second part covers life contexts; chapters include a range of life contexts that have implications for health, including gender, sexuality, reproduction, disability, ethnicity, indigeneity, inequality, ageing, and dying. The third part covers shifting contextual domains; chapters consider contemporary areas of life that are rapidly changing, including bioethics, digital health, migration, medical travel, geography and "place", commercialisation, globalisation, and climate change. The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Issues in Health and Illness is a key contemporary reference text for scholars, students, researchers, and professionals across disciplines, including sociology, psychology, anthropology, geography, medicine, public health, and health science.

In Medical Tourism and Inequity in India, Kristen Smith explores the role of private hospitals in India in the global healthcare service supply chain. Smith examines the medical tourism industry, the commodification of the Indian healthcare system, and the local populations facing critical health issues.