College of HHD

Exploring Tourism as a Global Phenomenon

June 24, 2015

book cover for Contemporary Caribbean Tourism: Concepts and CasesMechelle Best (Faculty, Recreation and Tourism Management) has co-authored a comprehensive text on the Caribbean tourism economy, “Contemporary Caribbean Tourism: Concepts and Cases.”  The book explores tourism as a global phenomenon.

Born in Barbados, Best said the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world and yet, for most of the Caribbean, the tourism industry has often been a place of last resort for people who cannot find other jobs.

She conducted interviews with educators to find out if and how secondary schools were preparing students with a sufficient education in tourism. “I looked at the kinds of materials they were using,” Best said. “There were books that were written on Caribbean tourism, but no textbook focused on Caribbean tourism for instruction in schools.” Read more in CSUN Today.