The Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model is one of the most cited articles in the tourism literature, and since its publication has continued to be frequently quoted and utilised by academics and those in the tourism industry. Over the past 40 years it has been subject to widespread application and discussion, as well as elaboration, modification and criticism. This book provides a final overview of the use and contribution of the model, its strengths and weaknesses, and particularly its relevance in the 21st century in the context of problems such as overtourism and disasters, including the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors represent a mixture of senior academics, all of whom have used the TALC in their research, and younger scholars who have also used and modified the model. The final section considers revisions and concludes with a new version of the model.

In this book the origin, evolution, validity, refinement, uses and relevance of tourism’s most widely used model of destination change are described and evaluated by the model’s originator and other contributors, making it important reading for all those interested in the past, present and future of tourism destinations, and their planning and management. * Geoffrey Wall, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Waterloo, Canada *

I am certain that this recent update of Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle model will continue to be welcomed as the 'go-to resource' for researchers and students interested in how tourism communities evolve. In addition to updated literature citations, I was pleased that the contributions from invited scholars from several countries added new perspectives.

* Alison Gill, Simon Fraser University, Canada *
Butler’s new book offers an insightful examination of the extraordinary legacy of the TALC model, its current validity and its capacity to help to understand and manage some of the most critical factors that underlie the transformation of tourism destinations. Building bridges with other evolutionary approaches, it is an inspirational must-read book for all those interested in advancing the discussion about the complexity of the evolution of tourism destinations and, furthermore, about the intrinsic capacity of tourism to transform places. * Salvador Anton Clavé, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain *

Richard Butler is Emeritus Professor at the University of Strathclyde, UK and the University of Western Ontario, Canada. His research focuses on destination development, remote and insular areas, impacts of tourism, sustainability and overtourism.