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This chapter sets the conceptual foundation for the book. It provides a background on the development of thought around social entrepreneurship, and the scholars and organizations that have led to its development. After introducing various definitions of social entrepreneurship it then goes on to develop a definition of tourism social entrepreneurship (TSE). The terms ‘tourism social entrepreneur’ and ‘tourism social enterprise’ are also defined. An analysis of the current state of the tourism and hospitality industries and their market failures leads into a discussion of how TSE can transform the industry for the better. The chapter then describes how social entrepreneurship can effectively make changes to the economic and social systems that are no longer working in the world and in tourism. The status of tourism social entrepreneurship in industry, academia and education are then discussed. The final section of the chapter lays out the book’s contents, its three sections and the topics of each chapter.

This research provides insights into the nature of the Mexican health spa tourism market. The overriding research hypothesis is that a comparatively strong long-haul pleasure market for health spa-related tourism exists in Mexico, and that this market can be differentiated from other more generic Mexican long-haul travel groups. Using information derived from the Tourism Canada-United States Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA) long-haul market data sets, the paper begins by outlining the health spa affinity of travellers from several European, Asian and Latin American countries on their long-haul pleasure travel vacations. The research then describes the characteristics of Mexican health spa travellers. Using a long-haul market segmentation framework developed by Tourism Canada and the USTTA, it identifies how Mexican long-haul health spa visitors differ from other travellers to that destination in terms of their socio-demographic, attitudinal and behavioural traits. The paper then describes tivo distinct groups of Mexican health spa users that offer a particular opportunity for tourism businesses interested in attracting Mexican long-haul pleasure travellers. In the process of describing these Mexican health spa travellers, the paper also suggests an effective step-wise method for identifying high potential long-haul niche travel markets.