Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
10
THE FUTURE
Speaking only as one individual, I feel strongly that I
should not go into research unless it promises results that
would advance the aims of the people affected and unless I
am prepared to take all practicable steps to help translate
the results into action.
(G.White 1972:102)
If geographical research is to maintain its own
distinctiveness, which it surely has to do for the sake of its
own survival and respect, it needs to make explicit its
sense of what is important. The sheer number of people,
the economic value and the significance to people's lives
of leisure, recreation and tourism will eventually make
even the most doubting sceptic accept that these topics are
worthy of study and that battle for acceptance of [leisure,
recreation and tourism] as valid areas of research will be
won. It would be depressing if geography was not there to
claim its unique place and interests.
(Butler 2004:156)
As the various chapters in this topic have indicated, geographers have made substantial
contributions to the understanding of tourism and recreation. However, as noted in
Chapter 1, the geographers who are working in the field are, increasingly, not based in
geography departments but instead are located in departments of tourism and recreation
or leisure, environmental studies or business. Indeed, the authors, while still regarding
themselves as geographers, were working in faculties of business as this topic was being
completed.
Such a situation is a reflection of several things: the growth of tourism and recreation
as a separate, legitimate area of academic endeavour, the poor standing in which studies
of tourism and recreation have generally been held within academic geography, and the
applied nature of much work in tourism and recreation geography, which has meant a
professional career in the public and private sectors for many geography graduates in the
field. Such a situation clearly raises substantial questions about what the future of the
