Introduction

Every year hundreds of millions of trips are taken across international borders for pleasure and relaxation, business, education and a wide variety of other reasons. One of the most common activities undertaken by travellers is shopping, with some evidence suggesting that it is in fact tourists' most common leisure pursuit in many destinations (Jansen-Verbeke, 1991, 1998; Timothy, 2005). Shopping can be a secondary attraction or activity in the destination, or it may be a primary motive for travel. While tourists shop for a wide array of merchandise, the most pervasive tourist retail items are souvenirs in many forms, including clothing, jewellery, electronics, alcohol, sweets, foodstuffs and handicrafts. Some tourists seek out 'place-based souvenirs' that are considered 'authentic' and illustrative of the destination, while others purchase whatever mementos are available (Swanson & Timothy, 2012).

In addition to traditional souvenirs such as wood carvings, baskets and pottery, coffee mugs, hats, T-shirts and textiles, there is a growing trend among some tourists, who may have a particular interest in archaeology or antiquities, to purchase ancient relics, whether authentic or not, during their journeys. There is also a growing trend wherein more and more collectors are travelling for the sole purpose of expanding their collections, which demonstrably contributes to the expanding illegal trade in antiquities throughout the world, particularly the developing world (Di Lernia, 2005; Timothy & Nyaupane, 2009). This chapter examines the global problem of illicit trade in archaeological relics (the term 'antiquities' will also be used interchangeably in this chapter) from a broad perspective, what fuels it, and the challenges associated with preventing it.

Trends in the illicit antiquities market are highlighted with these general patterns and problems brought into the realm of tourism to illustrate the role of tourism and how the global flow of travellers creates a unique demand for the trade in ancient relics, both legal and illegal.