Now fully revised and updated, the third edition of this bestselling text provides students with a vital understanding of the nature of tourism and contemporary tourists behaviour in political, social and economic context and how this knowledge can be used to manage and market effectively in a variety of tourism sectors including: tourism operations, tourist destinations, hospitality, visitor attractions, retail travel and transport. This third edition has been updated to include: New material on the impacts of IT on research and marketing communications, the rise and influence of social media and virtual technology, the growth in the interest of sustainable tourism products including slow food, the experience economy and new consumer experiences including fulfilment. New international case studies throughout including growth regions such as the Middle East, Russia, Europe, China, India and Brazil. New companion website including Power point slides and a case archive. Each chapter features conclusions, discussion points and essay questions, and exercises, at the end, to help tutors direct student-centred learning and to allow the reader to check their understanding of what they have read. This book is an invaluable resource for students following tourism courses.