This book examines the concept of social tourism within a European context. It places social tourism within a historical context of social development in the region, highlighting the diverse ways in which social tourism has evolved, identifying commonalities and providing a comprehensive definition.

Chapter 1. Scott McCabe, Lynn Minnaert, and Anya Diekmann: Introduction to social tourism in Europe Chapter 2. Lynn Minnaert, Anya Diekmann, and Scott McCabe: Definitions of social tourism and historical context Chapter 3. Anya Diekmann, Scott McCabe and Lynn Minnaert: Current supply and demand factors Chapter 4. Freya Higgins-Desbiolles: Resisting the hegemony of the market: Reclaiming the social capacities of tourism Chapter 5. Gilles Caire: Social Tourism and the Social Economy Chapter 6. Kevin Hannam: Mobilities and Social Exclusion: Towards a research agenda Chapter 7. Derek Hall and Frances Brown: The welfare society and tourism, European perspectives Chapter 8. Liz Such and Tess Kay: The family factor in social tourism Chapter 9. Gareth Shaw and Sheela Agarwal: Disability, Representation and Access to Tourism Chapter 10. Christian Baumgartner : Social tourism and sustainability Chapter 11. Scott McCabe, Anya Diekmann, Lynn Minnaert: Conclusions and emergent issues in social tourism policy and research agenda