Abstract

102 BOOK REVIEWS and 8 focus more on the actual impact of guidebooks by outlining a number of research approaches and methodological considerations. These two chapters are concerned with exploring and understand usage, and offer a typology of guidebook users. Chapter 8 is especially important and offer valuable practical insight for the guidebook publishers to con- sider. Four case studies on Melbourne, Copenhagen, Bali and Fiji are presented in Chapter 9 with a discussion of ‘trust’ at the end of the chapter. This is difficult to measure because guide- books are unique to each destination and while authors are experts, may they be locals or very familiar with the destination, the element of trust and usefulness may greatly differ by destina- tion – I have certainly experienced this from my own personal travels. As argued in Chapter 10, there are three assumptions of guidebooks and destination devel- opment. This is where looking at the influence of guidebooks over time as detailed back in Chapter 3 is useful. Guidebooks have the power to influence and direct people to a new desti- nation away from more popular destinations and attractions. Those writing have a unique view of a destination so they