Ithaca College

In an article in Latin American Perspectives, assistant professor of sociology Alicia Swords and coauthor Ron Mize address a popular approach to tourism that focuses on the "tourist gaze" and the performance of tourism. They focus instead on the relations of consumption and production that make the tourist gaze possible, and that lead to displacement and exploitation of local people.

Studying U.S. consumption of tourist destinations and hospitality labor in Puerto Rico and Mexico reveals that tourism exacerbates inequalities between tourists and service providers, calling into question its long-term sustainability.

Citation

Alicia Swords and Ron Mize. 2008. "Beyond Tourist Gazes and Performances: U.S. Consumption of Land and Labor in Puerto Rican and Mexican Destinations." Latin American Perspectives