Working the problems of tourism

Much research looks at the "problem of tourism": tourists cause changes to both themselves and their destinations, influences which are open to critique or comment. Somewhat less attention has been given to the "problems of tourists": the issues, worries, difficulties, and solutions during vacations. This article presents an ethnographic study that attempts to take these concerns seriously. The focus is on the "work" of tourism: the organization and arrangement of the experience. The paper describes how tourists work in groups, use maps and guidebooks, and lastly pre- and post- -visit places. An ethnomethodological approach is applied to the different ways in which tourists collaboratively find solutions to their problems.