We are living in an era of growing illiberalism and authoritarianism. Tourism scholars must confront this trend and consider what it means for how we understand democracy, justice, and power. Framed by a critical, political economy approach, the presentation situates the illiberal/authoritarian turn within the broader context of a changing neoliberal landscape, which is inspired by, and supportive of, so-called populist (ethno-nationalist) movements, and which is best understood as part of a racially-driven response to economic inequality and social precarity. I illustrate how understanding the broader political economic forces shaping these trends creates opportunities for crafting a complex, nuanced view of travel and tourism development that considers our unsettling contemporary state of affairs, and yet may hold the seeds for resistance and change.

Heather Mair is Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario.