This No-Nonsense Guide demystifies the often invisible impacts of global tourism, one of the biggest industries in the world. From labor conditions to development by stealth; to the role of elites and the cultural impacts on both the visitor and the visited. It also takes in themes like the gap year, the role of travel and vacations in western cultures, and examines the 'happy smiling faces' syndrome and asks whether this is just a reworking of old colonial relationships.