Coastal Tourism in Southern Europe in the XXth century : New economy and material culture

Abstract

Tourism constitutes one of the most important economic and social activities in contemporary societies. This has not always been the case and, in fact, we must place the birth of modern tourism and its material culture in the transition from the 19th to the 20th century. This book deals with this tourism in a very specific geographical space, the countries of southern Europe, and on a chronology centered on the 20th century and focusing on the different pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental. The aim of this book is to analyze how the maritime and coastal tourism gave birth to a new economy and material culture during the Twentieth century, focusing on different countries and regions in southern Europe. Today this part of Europe is still the most important tourist destination in the world.