Social tourism refers to facilitating access to tourism for low income groups and/or the use of tourism as a regeneration and economic stimulation strategy. Although social tourism has its roots in the early 20th Century and is still a major component of the tourism sector in a range of countries, the concept has received relatively little research attention until recently. In this volume, international specialists on social tourism present perspectives on social tourism from different disciplines and geographical contexts. The book highlights the multitude of interpretations and implementations of social tourism that make the concept so multi-faceted: examples reviewed in this book include holiday vouchers in Hungary, charity initiatives in the UK, accessible tourism schemes in Spain and state provision in Brazil.

DescriptionSocial tourism refers to facilitating access to tourism for low income groups and/or the use of tourism as a regeneration and economic stimulation strategy. Although social tourism has its roots in the early 20th Century and is still a major component of the tourism sector in a range of countries, the concept has received relatively little research attention until recently. In this volume, international specialists on social tourism present perspectives on social tourism from different disciplines and geographical contexts. The book highlights the multitude of interpretations and implementations of social tourism that make the concept so multi-faceted: examples reviewed in this book include holiday vouchers in Hungary, charity initiatives in the UK, accessible tourism schemes in Spain and state provision in Brazil.
Seven themed chapters and two case studies explore the potential of social tourism from a range of perspectives. Should tourism be a right that is available to all? Is social tourism indispensable in a sustainable tourism strategy? What are the different systems of social tourism supply and demand in Europe, and why do the implementations differ so much between countries? The book provides a critical reflection on these and other questions, and is therefore a key resource for social tourism researchers and practitioners.
This book was originally published as a special issue of Current Issues in Tourism.

Contents
1. Introduction Lynn Minnaert, Robert Maitland and Graham Miller 2. What is Social Tourism? Lynn Minnaert, Robert Maitland and Graham Miller 3. Systems of Social Tourism in the European Union: a comparative study Anya Diekmann and Scott McCabe 4. Towards a ’Tourism for All’ policy for Ireland: Achieving real sustainability in Irish tourism Kevin Griffen and Jane Stacey 5. The Role of Charities in Social Tourism Philippa Hunter-Jones 6. Social Tourism in Hungary: From Trade Unions to Cinema Tickets László Puczkó and Tamara Rátz 7. Accessible Tourism for All: Experience and practice in Spain Mireia Ferri Sanz 8. Away from daily routines – holiday as a standard of prevailing society and manifestation of unequal society Minna Ylikännö 9. Case study - The International Organisation of Social Tourism (ISTO) Working towards a Right to Holidays and Tourism for All Charles Étienne Bélanger and Louis Jolin 10. Case study: The development of social tourism in Brazil Marcelo Vilela de Almeida