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Sport Tourism, Events and Sustainable Development Goals: An Emerging Foundation (Routledge Insights in Tourism Series)
Discover the transformative potential of sports tourism and events in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with "Sport Tourism, Events and Sustainable Development Goals: An Emerging Foundation." This groundbreaking collection explores the profound impact of these sectors in shaping a more sustainable future.Readers of this book will gain a deep understanding of how sports tourism and events can serve as powerful catalysts for achieving SDGs. Through a rich array of case studies, innovative strategies, and expert insights, the book provides a roadmap for harnessing the full potential of these sectors to promote social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Readers will benefit from a multidisciplinary approach that integrates theory and practice, offering actionable solutions for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike.This book is intended for scholars, students, professionals, and policymakers interested in the intersection of sports tourism, events, and sustainable development. It serves as an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to leverage the dynamic synergy between these fields to drive positive change and achieve SDGs on a global scale.
Careful What You Witch For: The cosy grumpy x sunshine witchy romcom
by Emma Jackson'One of my favourite reads this year' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Ahh this was such a fun and cute little grumpy x sunshine romcom' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This is a five-star read that you could wish upon like a star' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'This book will make you grin and laugh' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Two witches.One life-changing spell.Be careful what you witch for. . .Becca Ashworth's family is in trouble and with their magical legacy under threat, it puts their small village of Biddicote at risk too. So going against the witching tenets to summon an ancestor for help seems like a small price to pay to fix the problem...at first.Connor Lynch is the Witches Council's secret weapon and he's just been deployed to find out exactly what the Ashworths are up to. But how he ends up posing as Becca's fake husband at a magical inn in Cornwall as they hunt down a magical artefact is just as perplexing as the cheerful witch herself.When their attraction for each other grows, Becca and Connor question everything they have been taught - and soon the missing artefact isn't the only thing they are searching for. As love collides with duty, it's clear that sometimes you need to be careful what you witch for...YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS LOVE EMMA JACKSON:'What a gorgeous, fun and sexy romance! I loved every word. Emma's stories just keep getting better. More please!' CARRIE ELKS'I love this series! The world-building is so charming and the love story sparkles with chemistry' LEONIE MACK'A cosy, magical treat of a book that charmed my socks off!' M.A. KUZNIAR'It has everything I love in a romantasy. I absolutely adored it' CARRIE ELKS'Fun, sweet and sexy' SARAH HAWLEY'A magical rollercoaster which will charm the hex out of the hardest of hearts' JESSICA THORNE'As effervescent as an Aperol Spritz' LUNA MCNAMARA'As warm and gently soothing as a magicked cup of tea - this is the perfect witchy comfort read' LAURA WOOD
Lochs and Legends: A Scotsman's Guide to the Heart of Scotland
by null Andy the HighlanderA Scotsman’s guide to the extraordinary tapestry of the land, history, folklore and stories of his homeland. From the majestic beauty of the wild Scottish landscape to the hidden traces of its history waiting to be uncovered in every town and village, Andrew McAlindon is enthralled by the country he is lucky enough to call home. As one of Scotland’s busiest tour guides in real life and online, Andy travels around the country to ancient sites such as castles, cemeteries, burial chambers and prisons, celebrating the history, folklore, superstitions and the fascinating people that make Scotland so unique. Lochs and Legends is Andy’s love letter to Scotland, a love that began when he landed a part on the worldwide phenomenon Outlander, and led to him dedicating his life to learning more about the true star of the show – Scotland. A social media sensation as Andy the Highlander, his first book opens up Scotland’s secrets to anyone, even if they can only explore it from the comfort of their armchair. It invites you to time travel with Andy, walking in the footsteps of kings and queens, lairds and ladies, murderers, farmers, poets, invading armies, and everyday folks like himself. It is Scotland as you’ve never seen it before.
Windswept: Life, Nature and Deep Time in the Scottish Highlands
by null Annie Worsley‘Windswept is a wonderful work, prose painted in bold, bright strokes like a Scottish Colourist's canvas’ ROBERT MACFARLANE ‘An instant classic of British nature-writing’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH A few years ago, Annie Worsley traded a busy life in academia to take on a small-holding or croft on the west coast of Scotland. It is a land ruled by great elemental forces – light, wind and water – that hold sway over how land forms, where the sea sits and what grows. Windswept explores what it means to live in this rugged, awe-inspiring place of unquenchable spirit and wild weather. Walk with Annie as she lays quartz stones in the river to reflect the moonlight and attract salmon, as she watches otters play tag across the beach, as she is awoken by the feral bellowing of stags. Travel back in time to the epic story of how Scotland’s valleys were carved by glaciers, rivers scythed paths through mountains, how the earliest people found a way of life in the Highlands – and how she then found a home there millennia later. With stunning imagery and lyrical prose, Windswept evokes a place where nature reigns supreme and humans must learn to adapt. It is her paean to a beloved place, one richer with colour, sound and life than perhaps anywhere else in the UK.
Translating Tourism: Cross-Linguistic Differences of Alternative Worldviews (Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting)
by Sofia MalamatidouThis book provides a large-scale empirical multilingual study of crosslinguistic differences in the language of destination promotion. The book explores how tourism texts are negotiated in translation, and how the translated texts reflect and reconcile different worldviews, that of the destination population and that of the tourist. Using the 2-million-word TrAIL (Tourism Across and & In-between Languages) corpus, which includes examples from official tourism websites in English, French, Greek, and Russian as well as translations between these languages, the author explores the differences in the key linguistic means used in destination promotion and what these linguistic choices can tell us about how these societies view the world around them differently. The book’s interdisciplinary focus makes it relevant to not only practising translators, but also students and scholars interested in issues surrounding tourism, promotion, and translation, as well as destination promoters who want to better understand the role that language and translation play in tourism promotion.
Budapest: Between East and West
by Victor SebestyenBudapest has always been an important place. Almost at the centre of Europe, it is at the crossroads of geographical regions and of civilizations, at the intersection of ancient trade routes. Mountains that gradually slope into gentle hills converge on a great river, the Danube, and the regions of Buda and Pest sprang up on either side.Throughout history the centre of gravity in Budapest and among Hungarians has shifted between this division of East and West - culturally, politically, emotionally. Invaders have come and gone, empires have conquered, occupied for centuries or decades, and left a few footprints behind: the remains of a Roman bath house complete with wonderfully preserved mosaics stand next to a Soviet-style 'five-year-plan' apartment block. The city bears the scars of the rise and fall of multiple empires, two world wars, fascism, Nazi German occupation, Soviet Communism. It has been home to some of the world's greatest writers, artists and musicians. Hungary is a place of extremes, a small country that has often in history punched well above its weight. At many moments, events that began in Budapest have proved to be of world significance. This is the story of that tumultuous, often divided, but always fascinating city.
Sustainable Tourism: Frameworks, Practices, and Innovative Solutions
by Thomas Walker Victoria Kelly Ender Demir Gabrielle Machnik-KekesiThis edited volume aims to ignite an academic discussion regarding necessary, and urgent, adaption and mitigation strategies for the tourism industry. Now more than ever, there is a need for designing and implementing concrete strategies for a world in which tourism practices are sustainability-minded, not only to rescue this key industry from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to limit the effects that it has on pollution, climate change, and at-risk populations. Achieving this goal will require innovations that can help us synchronously adapt to committed change as well as shift our planning processes and alter our behaviours. Including contributions from international experts in the fields of tourism management, economics, political science, finance, business, and sustainability, this book provides much-needed research on sustainable tourism by evaluating current and future trends, global contributions, case studies and new research evaluating issuessuch as over-tourism and under-tourism, as well as the general effects that tourism have on a region’s economy, environment, culture, and society. In addition, it will explore how sustainable tourism can help alleviate, mitigate, or control these problems. This book aims to provide insight into how we can still enjoy and benefit from touristic travel while implementing appropriate strategies and adaptation plans in the areas of health, culture, the economy, and the environment and showcase investigations of alternative tourism frameworks and tourist perspectives. It will be of great interest to academic and practitioner communities in business and policy, as well as economics, tourism management, development studies, finance, cultural heritage management, policymaking and entrepreneurship.
Moon Arizona & the Grand Canyon: Road Trips, Outdoor Adventures, Local Flavors (Moon U.S. Travel Guide)
by Tim Hull Moon Travel GuidesVast open spaces, dreamy canyons, and colorful culture: experience it all with Moon Arizona & the Grand Canyon. Inside you'll find:Flexible itineraries from a Grand Canyon adventure to two weeks exploring the whole state The best road trips in Arizona, including historic Route 66 and scenic byways The top hikes, whether you're looking for treks near Phoenix or Tucson, a multi-day expedition into the depths of the Grand Canyon, or trails in Red Rock Country, complete with distance, duration, difficulty level, and elevation gain Can't-miss highlights and unique experiences: Discover hidden streams on a hike through high-desert forests or find the best spots to hit the slopes in winter. Visit Ancestral Puebloan cliff cities and learn about Arizona's indigenous cultures or stroll through charming historic towns. Marvel at the red rock cliffs around Sedona, watch your favorite MLB team play during Spring Training, and sample Southwest cuisine from spicy enchiladas to Sonoran hot dogs Expert insight from Arizona local Tim Hull on when to go, where to stay, and how to get around, including detailed coverage of gateway cities to the Grand Canyon and sustainable travel tips Full-color photos and detailed maps throughoutPractical background on Arizona's landscape, climate, wildlife, and culture Find your adventure with Moon Arizona & the Grand Canyon. Seeing more of the Southwest? Check out Moon New Mexico or Moon Phoenix, Scottsdale & Sedona. Hitting the road? Try Moon Southwest Road Trip or Moon Route 66 Road Trip.About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you. For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.
The Elgar Companion to Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals (Elgar Companions to the Sustainable Development Goals series)
This Elgar Companion comprises theoretical, empirical, and conceptual chapters from leading international scholars, reflecting on critical debates and developments surrounding the role of tourism in progressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Paying particular attention to the impact of tourism in a polycrisis era the Companion critically analyses how tourism may progress the SDGs alongside the requirements of the 2030 agenda framework, and/or how SDG progress may be stifled given various crises. Using global case studies, contributing authors provide insightful solutions to the challenges of implementing sustainability agendas.The Elgar Companion to Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals provides an excellent reference for scholars studying tourism and hospitality, environmental studies and government and political studies. Policy makers will also find the expert guidance contained within this Companion to be a useful resource for their day-to-day practices.
Handbook on Managing Nature-Based Tourism Destinations Amid Climate Change (Research Handbooks in Tourism series)
This Handbook offers a comprehensive guide to sustainable practices in nature-based tourism (NBT), focusing on the critical need to combat climate-related challenges. Multidisciplinary in scope, it highlights innovative governance models, community engagement, and transdisciplinary collaboration for sustainable NBT management, as well as adaptive strategies for NBT to thrive in changing climates.Bringing together an array of experts from the Global South and North, the Handbook underscores the importance of integrating climate considerations into tourism strategies for resilience and sustainability. Contributing authors provide actionable information and strategies for destination managers, focusing on reducing emissions, fostering ecosystem regeneration, and ensuring financial sustainability. The book is a key resource for navigating climate challenges in tourism and advocates for informed, strategic actions going forward.With its wealth of international case studies and focus on practical strategies for managing nature-based tourism destinations, this book is an essential read for students and researchers in tourism studies, as well as tourism practitioners and policymakers interested in the sustainable development of tourism.
Mastering the Travel Intermediaries: Origins and Future of Global Distribution Systems, Travel Management Companies, and Online Travel Agencies (Management for Professionals)
by Ben VinodThis book chronicles the role of travel intermediaries: global distribution systems (GDS), travel management companies (TMC), and online travel agencies (OTA) in the distribution of travel products. The book covers the historical development of these intermediaries and explores their current state and future prospects. Almost six decades after the introduction of computerized reservations systems and four decades after the introduction of Global Distribution Systems that allowed travel agents to make automated airline bookings, the distribution of air products is amid a major transition. A fundamental change is pricing power, which shifts from the GDSs to the airlines for the indirect channel. These changes are driven by advancements in technology, market economics, and airline cost controls, leading to the emergence of new revenue models that will permanently alter the landscape of air distribution. As a result, travel intermediaries are experiencing the effects of these turbulenttimes and must adopt innovative approaches and initiatives to adapt and transform their business models rather than maintaining the status quo. In addition to the ongoing transformation, over the next decade, the advancements in emerging technologies like blockchain and decentralized digital identity will further revolutionize the distribution landscape across all sectors of the travel industry.
Social Responsibility in Tourism: Applications, Best-Practices, and Case Studies (Tourism on the Verge)
by Martina Pásková Josef ZelenkaThis monograph offers a comprehensive examination of responsible tourism, meticulously deconstructing the core tenets of socio-cultural, environmental, and economic accountability within the framework of sustainable tourism. The work underscores the intrinsic significance of local attributes, emphasizing their pivotal role in shaping responsible practices. Guiding through the intricate terrain of challenges and opportunities inherent in integrating responsible paradigms within the dynamic tourism sector, the authors introduce a prescriptive implementation framework. This framework steers tourism stakeholders towards equilibrium, enabling present actions to safeguard and augment conditions for sustainable future development. Rooted in scholarly depth, augmented by synoptic diagrams and references to supplementary resources, the book converges into an analysis of concrete instances—illustrative case studies, products, and applications—demonstrating the embodiment of social responsibility in tourism's fabric. By spotlighting both successful and adverse examples, the monograph underscores the vital interplay of environmental, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions, encapsulating the essence of responsible tourism's enduring impact.
First Comes Marriage: The perfect slow-burn romcom you won’t be able to put down in 2024!
by Laila RafiZafar and Reshma might be husband and wife.But now it's time to fall in love...Zafar is the perfect son. After all, he does spend his head buried in the family business and sets the right example for his younger brothers. But being the perfect husband doesn't come so easily to him...Reshma didn't expect romance when she agreed to marry Zafar. And definitely not love. But there's something just about Zafar Saeed that makes her long for the romance she reads in her books, so falling for him was easy. The only issue is that he barely acknowledges her!And when Zafar and Reshma are reluctantly swept away to beautiful Mombasa for a family wedding, avoiding each other becomes even trickier. Forced to be in close proximity, Zafar and Reshma are about to discover that sometimes falling in love comes after saying 'I do'.*Heartwarming and achingly romantic, First Comes Marriage is just the slow-burn, grumpy-sunshine romance you need to read in 2023. Perfect for fans of Sara Desai, Sonali Dev and Talia Hibbert!*
A Wild Walk to School
by Rebecca CobbA Wild Walk to School is a warm, witty and imaginative story from Waterstones prize-winner Rebecca Cobb that perfectly captures the epic adventure of getting to school on time.It's time to walk to school and mum wants the children to get there on time. But what Mum doesn't realise is that the hill is in fact the tummy of a sleeping giant and it's important to tread carefully when the floor turns to lava! It's just as well Mum has these two Brave Explorers with her . . .A charming, relatable and beautifully illustrated story that's full of fun: recognisable to children and their grown-ups everywhere!
Critical Questions in Sustainability and Hospitality
by Willy Legrand Henri Kuokkanen Jonathon DayInformed by the scholarly and practical viewpoints of a myriad of internationally recognised experts, this engaging and timely volume poses a set of pertinent questions that cover critical and contemporary sustainability issues in hospitality and tourism and proposes actionable solutions.Embellished with informative tables, diagrams and photographs, key questions and debates are discussed from a variety of angles with proposed solutions by industry practitioners, academics and consultants belonging to the Hospitality Net World Panel on Sustainability in Hospitality. Designed to facilitate contemporary discussion and debate, this book presents constructive dialogues which are designed to lead to action within the hospitality industry and education.Key questions cover the following topics:• Major contemporary sustainability challenges – e.g. climate change, biodiversity loss, impacts of pandemics, water scarcity, human right risks.• Specific hospitality functions or departments – e.g. food and beverage, engineering, health and safety, guest relationship, finance, purchasing, human resources.• Strategic issues related to marketing and stakeholder relationships – e.g. sustainability working groups, return on sustainability investment, marketing and reporting sustainability, certification, supplier relationship, engaging guests.This book is an essential reading for students and academics in the field of hospitality and tourism management, as well as industry professionals searching for answers to the challenges they face in enacting sustainability in their business.
The Full English: A Journey in Search of a Country and its People
by null Stuart MaconieA Sunday Times Book of the Week and Top 10 Bestseller A Waterstones Travel Book of the Year A Spectator Book of the Year What kind of country is England today? What does it mean to be English? Are we hungry for change or seeking old certainties? Join Stuart Maconie on an enlightening, entertaining journey through England, from Bristol's Banksy to Durham's beaches, from Cotswolds corduroy to Stoke's oatcakes. As his guide, Maconie walks in the footsteps of J.B. Priestley's classic travelogue, English Journey, to explore our national identity and how it has evolved over the last century. On his way, Stuart takes inspiration from the people he meets at bus stops and train stations, cafes and corner shops. Travelling the length of the land, Maconie explores the differences between city and town, north and south, and examines our past and present with affection and insight. Whether he’s passing the boutique hotels of Manchester, the moors of Ilkley or the grand houses of Tynemouth, looking out over misty fens or urban skylines, he shines a light on the people who make these places and asks what the future holds for them. Along the way, he uncovers local heroes and secret histories over early breakfasts and last orders. Through his journey, he lets us see our homes and habits, hopes and eccentricities with fresh eyes. The Full English challenges us to embrace the messy, shifting and diverse nature of England, and to ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.
Tourism and Climate Change in the 21st Century: Challenges and Solutions (Advances in Spatial Science)
by Paula Remoaldo Juliana Alves Vítor Ribeiro Hélder LopesThis book explores the effects of climate on tourism and the effectiveness of climate adaptation in this sector. Taking into account the spatial dimension of tourism and climate change, it highlights the need for more detailed information, the weak interaction between stakeholders, and the limitation of resources in the context of rapid changes, brought on by the necessary implementation of the third-order stage of tourism. The book focuses on adaptation, mitigation, and resilience to climate change, including topics such as human thermal comfort of visitors, the water resources in tourism areas, the circular economy, the mobility and transports, the psychological aspects of weather and climate in recreational practices. The book concludes an assessment of the status, challenges, and prospects for the adaptation of the tourism sector to climate change. The book appeals to scholars and students of economic geography, regional and spatial science, tourism economics, and related fields.
Tourist Destinations According to Stakeholder Strategies: From Clusters to Local Tourist Systems (ISTE Invoiced)
by Philippe Violier Pierre Louart Jérôme PiriouTourist destinations are subject to the strategies and interactions of the people who reside in them, with complementary and sometimes conflicting interests. To ensure that these destinations remain competitive, Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) are tasked with stimulating cooperation between all partners (independents, organizations, networks). Tourist Destinations According to Stakeholder Strategies is based on a series of case studies that are analyzed and discussed from a dual geographical and managerial perspective. This enables us to extract operational typologies and propose recommendations for actors in the tourism sector. The authors have opted for an original and innovative name for the object of study, "Localized Tourism Systems" (LTS), thus emphasizing the triple aim of territorialization, tourism activities and actors that interact together in collective projects.
Cultural Tourism in the Asia Pacific: Heritage, City and Rural Hospitality
by Tai-Chee Wong Hoon-Peow See Meg MilliganThis book covers multiple cultural tourism aspects including among others, nature and rural conservation policy and conflicts, reflected in case studies, and ethnic minority heritage and their folklore traditions and performances, as well as tourism activities in the city areas. It provides a distinguished quality and an innovative focus to the existing literature by highlighting the unique features and development experience in cultural tourism in the Asia Pacific in both the rural and urban setting. The book has a strong appeal to an international audience, including both tertiary institution academics and students, seeking a better understanding of public policy and cultural tourism practices in the contemporary world.
Agritourism in Africa (ISSN)
by Azizul Hassan Brighton Nyagadza Farai ChigoraThis insightful, timely and multi-faceted book offers significant insight into the role and complex dynamics of agritourism in Africa.Logically structured, data-led and richly illustrated throughout, chapters provide theoretical, policy and practical implications on the successes and challenges of achieving sustainable agritourism destinations, with an emphasis on technology, that not only grows African economies, but offers work opportunities, increased social empowerment and diversity. Based on empirical research, the volume covers a wide range of topics relating to agritourism in Africa, elucidated through inclusion of case studies and examples from around the continent, including Ghana, Angola and Nigeria. Topics covered include discussion of the features required for a successful agritourism business, the impact of social media and digital marketing on new agritourism destinations.This volume will be of pivotal interest to students, researchers and scholars of Tourism, African Studies and Development Studies.
Agritourism in Africa (ISSN)
by Azizul Hassan Brighton Nyagadza Farai ChigoraThis insightful, timely and multi-faceted book offers significant insight into the role and complex dynamics of agritourism in Africa.Logically structured, data-led and richly illustrated throughout, chapters provide theoretical, policy and practical implications on the successes and challenges of achieving sustainable agritourism destinations, with an emphasis on technology, that not only grows African economies, but offers work opportunities, increased social empowerment and diversity. Based on empirical research, the volume covers a wide range of topics relating to agritourism in Africa, elucidated through inclusion of case studies and examples from around the continent, including Ghana, Angola and Nigeria. Topics covered include discussion of the features required for a successful agritourism business, the impact of social media and digital marketing on new agritourism destinations.This volume will be of pivotal interest to students, researchers and scholars of Tourism, African Studies and Development Studies.
Tourism in a VUCA World: Managing the Future of Tourism
by Naser Ul Islam, Manjula Chaudhary, and Izidora Marković VukadinThe international tourism industry grew exponentially during the latter part of the 20th and early 21st century due to the advent of cheap air travel and a growing moneyed class. However, it witnessed a calamitous slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world came to a standstill and was unable to travel. It brought to the fore the fragility of the tourism industry in the face of bio-threats and other uncertainties such as climate change, disease, war, and terrorism. These issues have led to a growing need for a strategic re-evaluation of the tourism industry vis-a-vis volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) in the environment. Tourism in a VUCA World: Managing the Future of Tourism is an attempt to identify the new approaches to tourism in the near past, present, and future. Novel solutions can be expected through an integration of knowledge from the fields of social, physical, and biological sciences.
Tourism in a VUCA World: Managing the Future of Tourism
by Naser Ul Islam Manjula Chaudhary Izidora Markovi 263 VukadinThe international tourism industry grew exponentially during the latter part of the 20th and early 21st century due to the advent of cheap air travel and a growing moneyed class. However, it witnessed a calamitous slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world came to a standstill and was unable to travel. It brought to the fore the fragility of the tourism industry in the face of bio-threats and other uncertainties such as climate change, disease, war, and terrorism. These issues have led to a growing need for a strategic re-evaluation of the tourism industry vis-a-vis volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) in the environment. Tourism in a VUCA World: Managing the Future of Tourism is an attempt to identify the new approaches to tourism in the near past, present, and future. Novel solutions can be expected through an integration of knowledge from the fields of social, physical, and biological sciences.
Chinese Outbound Tourism: From Source Markets to Destinations (ISTE Invoiced)
by Maxime DejeanChina's international tourism industry is gradually rising from the ashes after three years of travel restrictions imposed in response to China's "zero Covid" policy. This gradual recovery has prompted three geographers, specialized in understanding these trends, to pool their research and present an overview of the current state of Chinese international outbound tourism. Drawing on their extensive field experience in Wuhan, Phuket, Paris and Nice, these three researchers have combined their complementary and original approaches to explore the underlying mechanisms of the flow of Chinese tourists, from their origins to the most popular destinations. Chinese Outbound Tourism highlights the particularities of the Chinese tourism system, as well as the complex dynamics at work behind the 170 million international trips made before the pandemic by nationals of this "socialist country with Chinese characteristics".
A Ride Across America: A 4,000-Mile Adventure Through the Small Towns and Big Issues of the USA
by Simon ParkerOn the eve of the 2024 election, a fascinating - and frequently funny - tale of one man cycling the breadth of America. 'Finally, I emerged onto a sealed asphalt walkway, with twigs in my hair and blood streaming down my legs. Feeling like David Livingstone without a machete, I had tamed the impenetrable woodlands of Eastern Mississippi. Hurrah! But then my sense of adventure sobered suddenly, when a woman in yoga pants and flipflops wandered past, walking a Bichon Frise.' Frustrated by the shallow headlines focusing only on Trump, guns and divisions, award-winning travel writer Simon Parker decided that to better understand the USA he would have to travel across it, slowly. Did the America of his teenage dreams really exist? And was it really as fractured as the headlines suggest? On his journey to find out, Simon cycled 4,373 miles through eleven states and numerous extreme weather events, via mountains and prairie lands, forests and freeways. Along the way he visited homes, schools, churches and rodeos, meeting hundreds of (extra)ordinary Americans behind the clickbait news posts to discover a nation whose portrayal has become vastly oversimplified. Praise for Simon Parker's previous book, Riding Out: 'A truly inspiring journey that celebrates the healing power of adventure. A must-read.' - Levison Wood 'Simon's cycle ride around his own country is a fine demonstration that adventure and transformation begins on your own doorstep.' - Alastair Humphreys