Degrowing tourism: rethinking tourism

Abstract

Concerns with growth have steadily advanced since the Limits to Growth report due particularly to human impacts on the natural environment. Since that time, neoliberal capitalism has become increasingly reliant on growth exacerbating these problems. The destructive outcomes of these strategies has led to a growing interest in degrowth. Analysts are examining how we can create economies that eschew a growth imperative while still supporting human thriving. Tourism as a key facet of capitalism is implicated in these issues and recent concerns with “overtourism” are only one symptom of the problem. This article presents a conceptual consideration of issues of degrowth in tourism. It examines current tensions in international mobility and argues just and sustainable degrowth will require greater attention to equity. This analysis suggests that essential to such an agenda is redefining tourism to focus on the rights of local communities and a rebuilding of the social capacities of tourism. This article argues for the redefinition of tourism in order to place the rights of local communities above the rights of tourists for holidays and the rights of tourism corporates to make profits.     

Unobserved tourism

Having more reliable statistics is essential for policy-makers to be able to make effective decisions. Nevertheless, measuring the number of tourists in a given destination is not an easy task. After reviewing the main problems affecting official statistics on tourism, this paper proposes a general framework by formalizing a theoretical model in which tourism nights and trips in a given destination are broken down into observed and unobserved components, according to the European system of tourism statistics. The main approaches related to the measurement of unobserved tourism are discussed, and some empirical findings in Sicily (Italy) are presented in order to highlight the actual magnitude of unobserved tourism.     

Green tourism

The notion of ‘green’, or ecological, tourism, in which people are encouraged to pursue rural leisure activities in a manner that will benefit, rather than harm, the countryside, is gaining popularity. Independent tourism and environment consultant Arwel Jones describes a recent conference on the subject which looked at ways of developing a coherent, ecologically sound strategy for the future.     

Sex tourism

This article reviews the existing literature on sex tourism and prostitution. The review reveals a relatively narrow definition of what the subject constitutes. This paper proposes a holistic framework that moves beyond the traditional use of monetary exchange as the defining criterion of sex tourism. Besides pecuniary aspects, the framework incorporates several parameters, including intention and opportunity, tourism, length of time, prostitute–tourist relationship, sexual encounter, and who travels. These are used as important criteria in establishing what constitutes sex tourism and/or identifying sex tourists. By adopting this new perspective it is hoped that existing double standards towards sex tourism and its workers are recognized and overcome.     

Community tourism development scenarios and their use in tourism research

Scenarios have been utilised to a limited degree in tourism and in a number of areas such as in development, sustainability studies, and political decision making. The use of scenarios has primarily concentrated on evaluating people's attitudes and decision processes, as predictions toward perceived future situations for tourism planning, and as a tool in exploratory research. In a recent study conducted in Eastern Australian coastal regions, a set of community tourism scenarios was developed in order to gauge the types of communities with tourism development, and thus explore in more depth the ideologies and platforms which may have influence on decision making in local government. The use of a community tourism scenario, such as developed in this study may have strong implications in broadening the way tourism and community researchers distinguish community attitudes toward present and future tourism development opportunities as well as their corresponding pressures. In addition, it may provide a positive tool for understanding perceived community directions as well as providing a mechanism for gauging planning decisions in a tourism context.     

Forecasting tourism revisited

This article examines the accuracy and efficiency of forecasting techniques by applying time series regression to forecasting visitor arrivals. Past studies have shown that simpler time series techniques perform as well or better than complex forecasting models. An assessment of visitor forecasts developed at regional, destination and individual market levels suggests that time series regression performs well in producing annual forecasts of visitors which can also serve as a baseline for evaluating the net returns from applying more complex techniques. Tourism managers should appreciate the usefulness of simpler formal methods in developing forecasts of visitors.     

English educational tourism

Public sector attractions in the UK are becoming more consumer orientated and special attention is being paid to the needs of children. Chris Cooper and John Latham, Lecturers in the Department of Management Studies for Tourism and Hotel Industries at the University of Surrey, UK, have carried out a survey of educational visits to tourist attractions in England leading to more detailed research aimed at determining various parameters of the English educational market.     

Redefining Asian tourism

Research examining Asian tourism destinations and markets has burgeoned, paralleling the region's economic and middle-class growth. However, despite this burgeoning, extant studies tend to replicate theories and models from western tourism literature, with few attempts to interpret tourism from and in Asia through an indigenous lens. This editorial provides an overview of the current state of play in relation to past Asian tourism special issues, book publications and research articles as well as papers included in this special issue. Through the broad themes of deconstructing the universality of tourism knowledge, legitimising other ways of knowing, and convergence of knowledge, we borrow the lenses of research articles included in this special issue to critically examine colonised knowledge, offer alternative ways of conceptualising Asian tourism, and reflect on our journey of composing this special issue. Suggestions are provided for future researchers to take on this path of decolonising tourism knowledge.