Examines the concept of luxury and its meaning across tourism, events and hospitality globally. Packed with case studies, it’s a challenging and innovative text that investigates how the idea of luxury is changing in response to a variety factors, such as social change, technological innovation and the challenge of sustainability.

It covers the following areas, issues and case studies:

* Traditional luxury products: the ‘golden age’ of luxury cruising; the grand old five star hotels and the ‘Ritzification’ of the European hotel industry, the early days of civil aviation, and the ‘Grand Tour.
* Travel and Transport: the luxury tourist trains of today around the world; the First Class service of Gulf States airlines; taxi travel from limousines to Uber!
* Tourism operators: small-scale tailor-made holidays – ‘Nomadic Thoughts’ in the UK; ethical community based tourism, the case of ‘Village Ways’; specialist music festival operators
* Tourist destinations: luxury shopping destinations – designer brands, gold and markets; exclusive private islands; gastronomy destinations – Copenhagen, San Sebastian and Cornwall!
* Hotels: the impact of Airbnb, pop - up hotels, fashion hotels and the luxury hotel brands such as Banyan.
* Food: the three star Michelin restaurants; the kudos of eating street food; farmers markets; ‘eating with the locals’.
* Events: Upselling at festivals including meet-and-greet opportunities; luxury weddings; corporate hospitality at major sporting events
* The cruise sector: the ‘democratisation’ of the cruise market- selling luxury at affordable prices.
* Tourist behaviour: ’co-creation’/personal development travel eg foraging and cooking holidays in the UK; the ‘slow travel’ movement; experience sharing via social media; upscale hedonism.
* Tourism media: Condé Nast Traveller magazine; ‘designer’ travel guides.

An innovative text, and must have reading for all those studying in hospitality, events and tourism, as well as researchers and pracitioners wishing to keep abreast of the latest developments in this influential and growing market segment.