The rapid expansion of the tourism industry has provided economic benefits for many and has also affected every facet of contemporary societies, for example employment, government revenue and cultural manifestations. However, tourism can also be considered a problematic phenomenon, promoting dependency, underdevelopment and adverse sociocultural effects, especially for developing countries. This pioneering work provides a comprehensive review of these complex tourism issues from a sociological perspective. The various theoretical and empirical approaches are introduced and the following issues are then disscussed: *identifiable and stable forms of touristic behaviour and roles * social divisions within tourism * whether tourism reinforces underdevelopment * the interdependence of tourism and social institutions * the effects of transnational tourism on the ecosystem and commodification * the sociology of tourism as a sub-discipline The Sociology of Tourism has sixteen contributions from nine different countries, including the UK, USA, Canada and Australia. It brings together the most noted theoretical and empirical studies written in this area and enriches them with diverse experiences and perspectives. Malcolm Crick, Erik Cohen, Giuli Liebman Parrinello, John Urry, Michael Ireland, Stephen Britton, Cecilia A. Karch, Graham H. S. Dann, Maria