Human-Animal Relations in Tourism, Leisure and Development

Humans and animals have developed multiple and complex interactions in the fields of tourism, leisure, and development. However, much of the existing research on how humans and animals interact in these fields has emerged from within the context of developed countries. As a result, little has been documented about human-animal interactions in the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental contexts of countries in the Global South. Specifically, the diversity and complexity of interspecies relationships in tourism, leisure, and local development in Latin America have been largely ignored in Anglo-Saxon literature. This has resulted in a limited, partial, and hegemonic understanding and debate about human-animal relationships globally, dominated by certain regions of the world. This book addresses this gap by documenting multiple and complex relationships between humans and animals in the fields of tourism, leisure, and local development in countries in Latin America. The book:Brings together empirical and conceptual works that reveal different disciplinary, theoretical, ethical, methodological, and practical perspectives. Reveals how human-animal relationships - both domestic and wild - can result in co-created interspecies experiences, conflicts, conservation efforts, welfare, and local development of human societies in the region.Equips stakeholders with conceptual frameworks and actionable tools to formulate policies that blend animal welfare and sustainability in Latin American tourism and recreation strategies.Challenges dominant narratives from the Global North regarding tourism and conservation, promoting a more inclusive and nuanced approach.This book will be of interest to researchers, professionals and policymakers within tourism, leisure, animal welfare, conservation and destination development.

Carlos Monterrubio (PhD) is a full-time researcher at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Mexico. His research interests focus on vulnerable groups and interspecies relations in tourism, leisure and events in Latin America. He has published on these topics both in Spanish and English in well-established tourism and leisure journals. He is the co-editor of Tourism Planning and Development in Latin America (CABI, 2020).

Xavier López-Medellín (PhD) is a full-time researcher at the Biodiversity and Conservation Research Center of the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Mexico. He made a postdoctoral stay at the Center for US Mexico Studies at the University of California in San Diego, United States. His research focuses on the interaction between natural and human systems to balance the trade-off between the costs and benefits of conservation. He has published on human-wildlife interactions in both Spanish and English in well-established journals.

Katherine Dashper (PhD) is Professor and Director of Research Degrees in the School of Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management at Leeds Beckett University, UK. Her research interests focus on gender and human-animal interactions in tourism, events, sport and leisure. She has published widely on these topics, including a research monograph Human-Animal Relationships in Equestrian Sport and Leisure (Routledge, 2017) and a co-edited collection Humans, Horses and Events Management (CABI, 2021).

Helen Wadham (PhD) is Reader in Sustainability at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. Her research explores sustainability via collaborative approaches across species, sectors and communities. Current projects focus on decent interspecies work in the tourism industry, how racehorses transition into post-racing work and life, and the growth of the tiny house movement. She is a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute, and a member of the British Academy of Management and the Institute of Place Management