Deciphering tourism and citizenship in a globalized world

•Tourism is expanding and influencing emergent forms of citizenship.•International tourism is premised upon the right to travel and freedom of movement.•Rights and freedoms of tourist mobility are materially and politically determined.•Citizenship rights and responsibilities determine tourism mobility outcomes.•Certain forms of tourism are equated with progressive ideals of global citizenship.

Continued growth in global tourism is increasingly accompanied by claims that tourism has become a vital component of contemporary citizenship. This paper conceptualizes tourism's relationship to existing and emergent ideas of citizenship, with particular emphasis on the interplay between the freedom of movement and right to travel. In light of calls for the consideration of tourism as a vital social need and a human right, the work interrogates the degree to which the right to travel can be considered an integral citizenship right. Despite this position, international travel and tourist activities also embody diverse and often contested notions and practices of citizenship. Moreover, given that notions of citizenship signify duties and responsibilities, this paper critically reviews these implications in relation to tourism mobilities. The work fundamentally emphasizes that there are clear socio-economic and political disparities between the rights and freedoms of mobility, and access to the rights and privileges associated with the capacity to participate in international tourism and travel.