On Holiday: A History of Vacationing (California Studies in Critical Human Geography)

California Studies in Critical Human Geography #6

by Orvar Löfgren

Löfgren takes us on a tour of the Western holiday world and shows how two centuries of "learning to be a tourist" have shaped our own ways of vacationing. We see how fashions in destinations have changed through the years, with popular images (written, drawn, painted, and later photographed) teaching the tourist what to look for and how to experience it. Travelers present and future will never see their cruises, treks, ecotours, round-the-world journeys, or trips to the vacation cottage or condo in quite the same way again. All our land-, sea-, and mindscapes will be the richer for Löfgren's insights.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, History, Travel

338 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 1999

Reviews

[Dante]

Read this for research purposes. The author relates everything back to Sweden. Yes we get it. You are Swedish.
The middle third is decent. But he makes numerous references without explaining them, expecting us all to know everything about Club Med. You call it a history, then you got some 'splainin' to do!
Edit: months later, I realize much of the stuff, whether I like it or not, has implanted itself in my brain. Good work Lofgren, you earn another two stars.

[Brett]

A really interesting book that tells you something aboutour world nearly every page.

[Zoe]

I'm not usually a fan of non-fiction, but this book was interesting and engaging. I would recommend it.