Book reviews / Tourism Management 30 (2009) 608–614612

events using the application of tables to clearly identify fivethemes, ‘Nature and meanings; the event experience, antecedentsto attending events, planning and producing events, outcomesand the impacted and finally, processes and patterns’ (p. 51). Theapplication of tables is a format tables is a format which iscontinued throughout these chapters, are referred to in the over-view of the book and revisited at a later stage. This re-enforcementof themes creates a strong understanding of the theory and meth-odology behind the foundation disciplines. Continuing through,chapter six expands the foundation principles to related studylinked to professional fields such as studies in Parks and RecreationManagement: Leisure Studies, Tourism Studies, HospitalityManagement and Studies, Arts and Cultural Management, CulturalStudies and Sport Management and Sport Studies to name buta few. Set out in tables using the same five themes as before thesechapters cleverly create a strong link back to the previous founda-tion disciplines sections through re-enforcement of the format andthemes.

Returning to the psychology of experiences and meanings,chapter seven broadens the discussion by exploring further theinterpretation of ‘experience’ within a tourism and planned eventenvironment and applying different event experiences to typolo-gies of events such as festivals and carnivals, religious and sportevents. The chapter evolves to include discussion of experiencesof a variety of stakeholders from paying customers to organisersand performers, the latter a group which are vital to any eventbut often overlooked.

Chapters eight, nine, ten and eleven revisit the themes identifiedin the preliminary chapters to clarify the foundation disciplines andincludes a chapter on ‘Management of Events’ (Chapter 10) whichin this instance discusses the theory of management in keepingwith the studies theme. This presents itself as a useful reminderto the reader of previous topics whilst discussing them in moredepth within the confines of these four chapters. On a more generalfooting chapter twelve takes events into the public policy arena by

taking a closer look at where events sit within the political environ-ment and how and why policies are considered in conjunction withevents. This leads neatly to the penultimate chapter which followsthe subject matter of picking up themes from earlier stages in thebook including an outline of possible research methodologieswhich could be applied to events. By returning to some of the initialtopics within the foundation disciplines Getz identifies keyresearch questions that may be applied to event studies whilst clev-erly bringing back to awareness the five main themes with the finalchapter providing a succinct and brief overview of the main topicsaddressed throughout.

Learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter combinedwith study questions at the end and interspersed with researchnotes gives the reader thought for reflection on themes and topicsdiscussed and enables the reader to expand study in particularareas of interest with an abundance of references supportingfurther research avenues. The format works particularly well andby linking back and revisiting previous topics the knowledge ofthe reader is strengthened with information easily accessiblethrough the use of tables and relatively small paragraphs providingbrief explanations of the concept being discussed without beingoverly complicated, enabling the reader to focus clearly on the topictherein.

The book steers clear of the ‘how to’ put together an event andconcentrates on the academic processes of the study of eventsthrough the combination of identifying principle disciplines andexploring themes within the environment of events. With theincreased level of interest in event studies it is timely that thisbook addresses an under subscribed view on the more theoreticaland academic nature of event studies.

Marjory BrewsterDepartment of Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK

E-mail address: marjory.brewster@stir.ac.uk

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2008.09.004

Handbook of Low Cost Airlines: Strategies, Business Processesand Market Environment, S. Grob, A. Schroder (Eds.). ErichSchmidt Verlag, Berlin (2007). Euro 49,95. 319 pp. (pbk), ISBN:978-3-503-10081-1

Given the enormous impact that low cost airlines (LCAs) havehad on travel patterns in both developed and developing worlds,it is surprising that a greater body of literature has not emergeddocumenting their successes, failures and the impacts they havehad on other sectors of the travel industry. This book aims to gosome way to restoring the balance. Marketed as a reference hand-book written by experts in the field, the editors expand on anearlier edition, by including a wider range of authors, updatingmaterial and expanding the range of topics covered.

Chapters in the book are split into three sections. Part one dealswith business processes and strategies from the airline perspectiveand consists of two chapters outlining generic business models andprocesses plus two chapters presenting case studies of individualairlines. An initial chapter by the editors, Grob and Schroder, pres-ents an overview of the LCA business model. Whilst there is littleoriginal material in this chapter, the authors nonetheless presenta very comprehensive analysis of the LCA business model and itsdivergence across the spectrum of airlines which now trade underthe LCA banner. The chapter is well researched and international in

its perspective. The following chapter purports to examine implica-tions of the LCA business model for IT provision across the range ofservices and operations. However, Bley and Buermann’s lengthychapter includes too much attention to the business practicesalready outlined in the previous chapter, and insufficient focus ontheir implications from an IT perspective. Greater considerationof existing and potential solutions and innovations would haveconstituted a more engaging paper.

Two case study chapters follow, written by Andreas Knorr andBertholt Flick dealing, respectively, with Southwest Airlines in theUSA and Air Baltic, based in Latvia and Lithuania. The two airlinesrepresent a noteworthy contrast, Southwest being generally recog-nised as the pioneer of low cost airline services, and Air Baltic beinga relative newcomer to the business. Knorr’s chapter is arguably oneof the most enjoyable in the book, offering a well-written, detailedand comprehensive case study and making use of a wide range ofdata sources. Of particular interest is Knorr’s detailed treatise onbarriers to entry for LCAs. By contrast, the chapter on Air Baltic drawssolely on an interview with the Air Baltic President for its content.Whilst unusual in its format, the chapter does give a valuable insightinto the mechanisms of one airline, and indeed the Baltic market.However, in the opinion of this reviewer, the author has missedthe opportunity to present a much more strategic perspective. Thefirst part of the book concludes with a very brief chapter examining

Book reviews / Tourism Management 30 (2009) 608–614 613

the dilemma of a charter airline (Condor) attempting to adapt to themarket conditions created by the LCAs. The case is noteworthy, butthe reader is left yearning for much greater detail.

Part two of the book is concerned with the somewhat oddbedfellows demand (consumers) and impacts. The thorny issue ofthe rights of LCA passengers is handled well by Birgit Zandke-Schaffhauser, Legal Counsel with the German conciliation bodyresponsible for long distance travel. The chapter outlines clearbreaches of German and European law within the practices andconditions of carriage of a number of LCAs. Zandke-Schaffhauserconcludes that the Conditions of Carriage of many LCAs are draftedin a way which is detrimental to the consumer and thus infringe thelaw. The chapter is a useful inclusion in a book of this nature,however the lay reader may struggle with the legal technicalities.

Two subsequent chapters by Schroder and Widmann examinethe impact of LCAs on tourism. Schroder’s chapter sets out to illus-trate how LCAs have affected tourist behaviour, with regard totime-spatial systems. The results of a large-scale survey of fourEuropean destinations demonstrate not only increased frequencyof travel (with cost as a travel motivator), but also intensified spatialbehaviour at some destinations. Widmann’s chapter documents themomentous growth of Frankfurt-Hahn airport, Germany’s first lowcost airport. Whilst the airport’s role as a generator of employmentwithin a relatively deprived area is not contested, Widman high-lights, through a detailed study of a range of data, the serioustourism deficit for the region, which Hahn appears to exacerbate.The final chapter in this section is an excellent, if somewhat one-sided report on the environmental and economic impacts of LCAs.Regine Gericke’s views are rigorously backed up with data, result-ing in an intelligent and well documented argument for a reductionin the environmental burden created by air transport through the‘user pays’ principal. The chapter would have been better still,had Gericke concluded with a section on the implications forLCAs of the environmental protection measures she expounds.

The third and final section of the book addresses partners’ andcompetitors’ perspectives on the LCAs, examining competitionand cooperation. Two of the chapters highlight the cases of Germanairports highly, if not solely, dependant on LCAs. Michael Hupe’scase study of Dresden airport illustrates the role that LCAs haveplayed in the regeneration of this former East German city toa dynamic centre of economic growth and a popular tourist desti-nation. The chapter also documents successful cooperationbetween airlines, airports and DMOs in a developing destination.Like Hupe, Maria Horbert is an employee of the airport which formsthe subject of her chapter. Unfortunately her contribution is littlemore than a PR exercise for Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, and adds littleto Widmann’s previous chapter on this airport.

The book concludes with three chapters addressing the compe-tition and cooperation between LCAs and other forms of transport.

The coach tourism industry is dealt with by Grob and Schroder,largely from a German perspective. The authors suggest that LCAs,whilst a significant threat to the coach industry in the tourismmarket, nonetheless offer opportunities for cooperation, and indeedexpansion of coach tour operators’ activities. Some intelligent ideasare presented, however there must be a question over the realism ofmany of these proposals, given the well documented benefitssought by coach travellers: fly/coach holidays would surely negatemany of the perceived advantages of coach holidays. A subsequent,well-structured chapter discusses the relationship between LCAsand the railways, with particular focus on Deutsche Bahn. Thestruggle of the German rail operator to compete is an interestingstudy, particularly given the excellent reputation of the rail networkin that country. However, initiatives such as the Italian TrenOK offersome hope. The book concludes with an overview of attempts tointroduce the low cost business model into other transport sectors,namely bus, cruise and car rental. The analysis of factors constrain-ing the employment of such a model outside the airline industry rai-ses a number of pertinent issues, not least the limitations caused bygreater degrees of regulation in other industry sectors.

Broadly speaking, the book offers a useful resource toresearchers and students interested in LCA business practices andstrategies. Moreover, it represents one of the first collections of arti-cles documenting the relationship between LCAs and other formsof transport, from a tourism perspective. However, several attri-butes may constrain its value to students and academic staff. Firstand foremost, the book has a heavy, though by no means exclusive,focus on Germany. This is unsurprising given the country of resi-dence of the majority of the authors, nevertheless the internationalphenomenon of low cost travel would arguably benefit from a moreinternational perspective. Secondly, although a large quantity ofsecondary data has been collected and collated into this handbook,which is doubtless of considerable value, a greater number ofempirical studies, presenting primary data from a more interna-tional field would be a welcome addition, and would perhapsmake the book more attractive to academics. Finally, a concludingchapter by the authors, drawing together the key themes acrossthe chapters would have certainly produced a more joined-updiscourse, particularly given the brevity of the preface. Nonetheless,a handbook of this nature written principally from an industry,rather than academic perspective, is a welcome addition to thefew publications in this field. Moreover, the book contains a wealthof case study material which will unquestionably be valuable toacademics teaching within the subject area.

Karen ThompsonUniversity of Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

E-mail address: Karen.Thompson@strath.ac.uk

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2008.09.003

Tourism and The Consumption of Wildlife. Hunting, Shootingand Fishing, Brent Lovelock (Ed.). Routledge, London and NewYork (2008). pp. xxi D 290, £80, ISBN: 10:00-415-40381-2

It is a continuing reality that in pursuit of their sport, hunters andfishers are prepared to travel considerable distances, sometimes toquite remote locations and to spend time and substantial moneyon guides, accommodation, equipment and clothing. This form ofsporting tourism has a long pedigree, and has had a significanteconomic and environmental role in many parts of the world, both

developed and developing. But whereas it once was accepted andunchallenged, it is now under pressure from many directions. Theremay be no real controversy over the wildlife tourist with a camera,but no figure is more suspect to many in Western society than thesporting tourist who travels to shoot or hawk or to fish, whose enjoy-ment is centered on killing for sport, or, as it is translated in academicspeak, is a player in the consumption of wildlife. The hunter, inparticular the man with a gun, is now neither hero nor role modelbut villain. The practice of hunting, shooting and fishing is trulydisputed territory. There are core ethical issues; it may be big