Tourists, Signs and the City

Dr. Michelle M. Metro-Roland, Western Michigan University, USA

• Contents: Preface; Introduction; Peirce, signs and interpretations; Landscape and tourism; The city - a brief introduction; Tourists in the city - means and methods; Signs in the city; Markets and culture; Conclusions and implications; Appendices; References; Index.

'Budapest is at once one of the most beautiful and one of the most challenging urban landscapes of Europe. The complexity of meanings embedded in its urban fabric--its touristscapes and heritagescapes--defy easy interpretation. Metro-Roland's skill is her ability to carefully unpack these meanings using the insights of Peircian semiotics. Charles Peirce's insights into the signs and symbols of social life have never gained as much attention in geography and social sciences as have de Saussure's structuralist meanderings. This is a pity because, as Metro-Roland argues, implicit in Peirce's complex theories of communication is a sensitivity to the ambiguities of sense and meaning which are at the core of contemporary theoretical and critical debate.' Ken Foote, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA and President, Association of American Geographers 'Reading this book provides an intellectually stimulating experience. The book is most suitable for those who already have some knowledge of semiotics and can be used as an excellent research reference text.' Annals of Tourism Research 'Overall this is an elegant piece of work, of great interest to cultural and historical geographers, and a rewarding read to all those interested in the challenges tourism poses to people and to the uniqueness of places'. Tourism Analysis