The representations of idealized identities and cultures in tourist attractions are the focus of this paper; how these identities are adapted by political agents to show how individuals and collectives draw on these notions to renegotiate their own approaches to identification and demarcation of difference; and how the historical context of tourism development relates local activity to global processes, in particular how global economic and social trends are of migration and consumption are played out in local encounters, are the main concerns of this collection of 11 papers. Particular issues surrounding the construction of identity include: the relation of the traveller to resident populations; the participants' views of themselves and others; and tourists' search for authenticity and their testing of boundaries. Case studies are presented from North America, South East Asia, Mediterranean Europe and the UK to illustrate these issues.