Exploring Tourism Labor

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore tourism labor research using a thematic approach. Set against a background of increasing interest in and diversity of labor issues, dominant and emerging themes in tourism labor research are discussed to demonstrate the broad range and evolution of studies undertaken to date. Following an exploration of the themes, the paper considers three different perspectives on tourism labor in order to articulate the complexities of labor issues. These perspectives are from the tourism worker, the tourism employer, and the tourism researcher. Each is considered through the use of a scenario. The paper concludes that the intricacies of tourism labor afford an opportunity for multi-disciplinary boundaryless research that promotes dialogue between different perspectives