Short description:

One of the leading texts in the field, The Economics of Recreation, Leisure and Tourism is the ideal introduction to the fundamentals of economics in these industries, helping you to enjoy and pass an economics module as part of tourism, recreation, events or sport management degrees.

Long description:

One of the leading texts in the field, The Economics of Recreation, Leisure and Tourism is the ideal introduction to the fundamentals of economics in these industries, helping you to enjoy and pass an economics module as part of tourism, recreation, events or sport management degrees. International in its outlook, it will equip you with vital skills and knowledge for your future career as well as critical skills to help you understand and help tackle crucial challenges facing the world.

It is written in a clear and engaging style that assumes no prior knowledge of economics. It applies economic theory to a range of tourism industry issues at the consumer, business, national and international level by using topical examples to give the theory real-world context. This book is richly illustrated with diagrams and contains a range of features such as international case studies showcasing current issues, review questions and extracts from journals to aid understanding and further knowledge, as well as new data and statistics. It concludes with a powerful critique of traditional economics and a set of twenty-one issues that demand action.

This sixth edition has been revised and updated to include:

• recent and time series international economic data to provide a sense of the dynamics of world economies


• topical analysis to aid decision making for industry, governments and pressure groups


• a renewed emphasis on environmental and climate change issues


• new and revised international case studies that demonstrate theoretical principles of economics as applied to the sector


• a companion website with PowerPoint slides.

'A must-read introduction for all involved in tourism and leisure. John Tribe?s The Economics of Recreation, Leisure and Tourism is understandable, compelling and deeply informed; a brilliant synthesis of tourism and leisure and their wider economic framework. Now in its 6th edition, it has become a classic and will remain an easy guide to one of the main industries of contemporary times for many years to come.'

Tanja Mihalič, Professor of Tourism, School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

'The new edition of The Economics of Recreation, Leisure and Tourism maintains its original features with updated cases and examples. The author has once again done a great job in communicating the complex economic theories and concepts in an accessible language, which makes it a must-read text for both undergraduate and postgraduate students studying recreation, leisure and tourism related programmes.'

Haiyan Song, Chair Professor of Tourism, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Table of Contents:

1 Introduction 2 Recreation, leisure and tourism organizations 3 The market for recreation, leisure and tourism products 4 Demand: time preference, elasticity and forecasting  5 Supply and costs 6 Market structure and pricing 7 Market intervention 8 The competitive, technological, political and sociocultural environment 9 The economic environment 10 Investment in the private sector 11 Investment in the public sector 12 Income, employment and prices 13 Economic development and regeneration 14 The balance of payments and exchange rates 15 Globalization 16 Environmental impacts 17 Action for sustainability 18 Critique, alternative perspectives and change