This week, Ira spoke with Marta Soligo, Postdoctoral Research Faculty (International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas), where she also teaches Sociology of Leisure & Tourism. In this leisurely episode of Ira’s Everything Bagel, Marta talks about how tourism mirrors society; why social media influences tourism; how tourism is evolving, with increasing demand for “off-the-beaten-path” adventures, authenticity, and sustainability; how some venues create “staged authenticity” to match tourists’ expectations without reflecting reality; the new collaboration between tourism boards and academia; and why she chose to come to Las Vegas, the “capital of tourism,” to research the sociology of tourism and obtain her PhD in sociology.
