The human gaze at animals and the missing animal gaze in tourism studies

Abstract

This research letter critically reflects on the missing animal gaze in tourism studies and elaborates on the urgency of including it in the discussion about the relationship between human and non-human animals. Drawing on the Foucauldian gaze and on the John Urry’s tourist gaze, we reflect on the unproblematised power imbalance between human and animal gazes that is inherent in tourist representations. Inspired by posthuman thinking, we use features of critical theory, sociology, and geography. This letter aims at casting a novel light to the human-animal relationship in tourism studies identifying a promising novel research line.