Critical animal studies is increasingly interfacing with tourism
research in an effort to shed light on the various ways animals are
incorporated into touristic experience. Exploring non-human work in
tourism: From beasts of burden to animal ambassadors builds upon the
theoretical connections of animal ethics, agency, and welfare as it
foregrounds specifically the work that animals perform in the industry.
While some types of animal labor are more readily identified, readers of
this volume may be surprised by how many forms of animal labor are
overlooked. Taking a widely international perspective, with cases from
the Arctic, China, Costa Rica, China, Finland, Greece, Mexico, New
Zealand, and the United Kingdom, this volume offers readers diverse
scenarios of animals working. The book is arranged along three themes of
work. Performative work focuses on the animals whose performances are
front and center of tourists' motivations and experiences. Value-added
work turns attention to the co-working relationships of animals, while
the political work of animals as ambassadors and icons is examined
within the chapters on hidden labor. Additionally, the book makes
theoretical considerations of the implications of positioning animals as
workers and offers reflections on ways this focus on working animals
extends current scholarship in the field.