without tourism, the world would be dull-and, more pointedly, tourism's only alternative, immobility, is an invitation to xenophobia. for this reason tourism encounters warrant further analysis and reflection (gibson, 2010, p. 525)
this notion that tourism might act as a countering force to xenophobia reminds us of the importance of attending to tourism's relational qualities, and particularly to the ways in which tourism might meet its promise of being'a force for cross-cultural understanding, empathy and peace