Tourism, Magic and Modernity

Tropical islands are magical, volcanoes are magical and coral reefs are magical. Classical ruins, old town centres, modern artworks, and contemporary architecture are magical as well. Even local people are magical. The attribution of magical qualities appears central in the constitution of contemporary tourism attractions. Drawing from extended fieldwork in La Reunion, Indian Ocean, the author suggests an innovative re-reading of different concepts of magic that emerge in the global cultural economics of tourism. Following the making and un-making of the tropical island tourism destination of La Reunion, Indian Ocean, he powerfully demonstrates how destinations are transformed into global pleasure gardens in which ideas of the human are cultivated for tourist consumption.