The ‘Blogosphere’ as a platform for interpretative phenomenological analysis: the case of TEFL tourism

The use of the Internet is becoming increasingly integral to the day-to-day operations of society, facilitating an interconnected and globalised world, where geographic barriers are no longer a defining criteria for communication. This opens the researcher up to a realm of research opportunities, which to-date have been under-exploited. This paper contributes to the wider body of literature addressing the concept of Online research, demonstrating in practice how it can be utilised in the context of interpretative phenomenological analysis. It is argued that netnography is akin to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) in that it accounts for an individual’s personal perception or account of an event or state, as opposed to attempting to produce an objective record. This paper outlines how blog analysis can be utilised in the context of IPA, demonstrating how this worked in practice during the initial exploratory research phase of the teaching English as a foreign language tourism phenomenon.     

Enforced Tourists: American Women,Travel, and the ‘Far-Flung Fronts’ of World War II

The exigencies of World War II resulted in a massive expansion of travel opportunities for American women, both civilian and military, that formed an essential ingredient of their wartime experience. As enforced tourists, the geographical centres and states of knowledge of American women were greatly expanded as they travelled to distant and remote areas, met new people, took on new jobs, encountered different cultures and ways of life, and established themselves and their families in unknown locations. The far-reaching consequences of enforced wartime travel played an important role in transforming the way American women thought about themselves and their world, and the legacy of the war continues to reverberate in women's lives. Much has been written about how major wars have given rise to postwar pilgrimages, battlefield tours, and the establishment of commemorative memorials and museums, but the significance of enforced tourists who travelled during wartime itself has not been fully explored. The far-reaching consequences of wartime travel and the extent to which it transforms the lives of enforced tourists – both women and men, civilian and military – is a largely uncharted topic worthy of considerable attention by scholars.     

‘Being on the move’: Time-spatial organisation and mobility in a mobile preschool

The mobile preschool, a form of preschool practice in a bus, is a new and growing phenomenon in Swedish preschool education. Combining theories of time-spatial organisation and mobility, we critically investigate the implications of transforming traditional stationary preschool practice into a mobile preschool. Our findings show that the social order of the mobile preschool is ‘being on the move’ and that the travelling shapes the time-spatial organisation, with major implications for daily routines and activities. In our analyses we show how constant travelling characterises the mobile preschool as a social practice with (i) logistics and choice of place prevailing over daily planning, (ii) creation of time and space for embodied habits, (iii) teachers as attendants and children as passengers, and (iv) walking in lines. However, mobility and time-spatial constraints are also co-constructed and intimately connected with the participants’ agency, since both children and teachers are actively ‘doing time’ and ‘creating space’ within the dominant structure of ‘being on the move’.     

The relationship between the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors of a tourist destination: the role of nationality – an analytical qualitative research approach

Using qualitative research techniques, this paper explores the relationship between the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors of a destination and the influence of nationality on these factors. These relationships were explored for a sample of 103 international tourists to Mauritius. The data were analysed by using (a) thematic analysis and (b) an analysis using the text analysis programme, CatPac. The results indicated relationships between specific motives, cognitive and affective images and it was also found that nationality has a strong influence on these variables. Different motives for visiting Mauritius were found to exist between different national groupings. Implications for use of thematic and content analysis, management of destination, marketing and tourist experiences are provided.     

Assessing the ‘value’ of new transport initiatives in deprived neighbourhoods in the UK

In the context of growing policy awareness in the UK of the links between transport and social exclusion, this paper describes case-study research of four different transport projects funded under the UK Department for Transport's Urban Bus Challenge Fund (UBC) with the specific aim of facilitating social inclusion in the areas they serve. Through surveys and interviews with end-users, the study qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated the value of these new services to local residents in terms of their increased economic opportunities and other quality of life benefits. It also aimed to identify their wider contribution to the renewal and regeneration of the deprived areas they serve through depth interviews with professional local stakeholders.     

Influence of the ‘slow city’ brand association on the behavioural intention of potential tourists

This study sees the ‘slow city’ idea as a brand, and used an empirical method to examine the influence of its brand association types on the behavioural intentions of potential tourists. The measurement of brand association types was limited to the following 13 variables: slow food, traditional culture, authentic local food, happiness, healthy, organic, peaceful, quality of life, beautiful scenery, comfortable, affectionate, compassion and well-being, elicited from a pre-test. The findings from 485 potential tourists in the 2 largest cities in South Korea show that eliciting positive feelings and brand associations are strong marketing strategies that increase the chance of tourist visits, and therefore could influence the choice of a destination and the chance for revisits in the future. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the marketing influence of the slow city brand on the behavioural intentions of potential tourists.     

The opening of direct flights across the Taiwan Strait: the impact on the global role of Taiwan’s international airport

Scheduled direct flights between Taiwan and Mainland China were halted for six decades and restarted in December 2008. The Taiwan’s government has a policy of developing Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), the major international airport in Taiwan, as one of main hubs in East Asia, based on the airport’s access to Mainland China. To assess whether the airport is progressing toward meeting the set expectation, this study evaluates the changes in airline networks of the TPE after the opening of direct flights across the Taiwan Strait. The time-dependent earliest arrival time algorithm is applied to global flights in 2004, 2008, and 2012. Empirical evidence demonstrates that providing direct flights across the Taiwan Strait has significantly increased accessibility from TPE to airports in China, but did not improve the centrality of TPE. Additionally, the transfer dependency of TPE on other airports is increasing significantly. This result was based on two major reasons: the first involves the Chinese government’s refusal to allow Chinese citizens to use airports in Taiwan as transfer points to and from other countries and the second reflects the competitiveness among airports and airlines in the region. The key finding is that political exclusion of airline use by external governments via travel regulations adversely influences the development of an airport as a global hub.     

Residents’ attitudes on the contribution of cultural tourism in Tanzania

This study aimed at evaluating residents’ attitudes towards the contribution of cultural tourism to the social welfare of the local rural residents participating in cultural tourism activities by factoring gender and level of education as possible differentiating factors in residents’ attitudes. Based on survey of local people in northern part of Tanzania, a questionnaire was administered that yielded data that were subjected to a series of t-tests. The results indicate residents to have both positive and negative attitudes towards the contribution of cultural tourism. Gender differences are noted to relate with cultural tourism participation and attitudes towards the contribution of cultural tourism. Females benefit more from cultural tourism than males in economic terms. Having education raises the chances of locals having a more positive attitude towards cultural tourism. From the results, implications to facilitators in cultural tourism to further aid tourism contribution to the locals are derived.     

The effects of tourists’ knowledge-sharing motivation on online tourist community loyalty: the moderating role of ambient stimuli

This study explores the role of tourists’ knowledge-sharing motivation in the formation of online community loyalty. More specifically, the study examines (1) the theoretical relationships between five factors influencing knowledge-sharing motivation, knowledge contributions (KNC), knowledge-sharing continuance intentions (KCI), and community promotion (COP) and (2) the moderating effects of ambient stimuli on the relationship between KNC and KCI and on that between KNC and COP. For valid respondents, a convenience sample of online travel community members was obtained using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Hence, a total of 410 responses were employed to test the research hypotheses through a structural equation modelling analysis and a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The results show that four factors influencing knowledge-sharing motivation, namely altruism, expected reciprocal benefits, reputation, and trust, had positive effects on KNO. KNO had positive effects on KCI and COP, and KCI had a positive effect on COP. In addition, a positive group perception moderated the KNC–KCI and KNC–COP relationships.     

The ‘Zest of Adventure’ in Australian Overland Narratives, 1920–2000

This paper is part of a broader research project which examines the history of leisure motor touring in Australia from the 1920s to 2004. At the core of this piece is an examination of the way adventure is presented in three non-fiction narratives that span 80 years. By considering different points in time the impact of the developing tourist infrastructure, improvements to roads and growing knowledge of the landscape, on the constructs of adventure can be seen. Yet, despite fundamental cultural shifts the lure and zest of adventure continued to function as a means of framing the overland experience. The narratives reveal the subjective nature of adventure and how it can be repackaged and re-presented at specific historical moments.     

The impact of low-cost carriers on airport choice in the US: A case study of the Washington–Baltimore region

Previous research has shown that low-cost carriers (LCCs) may stimulate traffic at an airport by offering low fares. Using passenger survey data from the Washington–Baltimore region’s three airports, we find that the benefits of LCCs to airports extend beyond the traffic generated directly by the LCCs through their low fares. In addition, we find that the mere presence of an LCC at an airport can attract passengers, even to competing carriers. These “halo effects” from LCC presence increase the significance to airport managers of attracting LCCs in order to generate passenger demand.     

‘Devolution’ of transport powers to Local Government: Impacts of the 2004 Traffic Management Act in England

The concept of ‘Devolution’—the transfer of powers away from the Central Government to more local bodies of Government, has been used across many different areas of policy and by many different national governments. This paper examines the devolution of transport powers to the existing Local Traffic Authorities in England via the 2004 Traffic Management Act. The paper first presents a summary of how several different nations have undertaken this process of devolving transport powers and responsibilities to either new or existing bodies. It then presents research from an electronic survey concerning how English Local Traffic Aut`horities are choosing to use some of the new powers available to them and their opinion on complementary areas of transport policy. Research is also presented from structured telephone interviews, concerning how individual Local Authorities perceive the efficacy and equity of the new legislation. Overall, the results show that only some of these new powers are likely to be used by English Local Authorities, with limited variation in how different types of LTA are choosing to implement these new powers. The structured telephone interviews provided some evidence that rural Authorities in particular are more dissatisfied with the legislation and consider some of the measures unhelpful. The results provide some insights on the formulation of devolved policy applicable to existing Local Government bodies and the varying benefits that can be perceived to apply to different types of Local Authority. Conclusions are drawn on some of the practical difficulties arising from the English experience, and lessons of relevance are drawn for other nations considering a similar devolution of transport powers.     

Touring the ‘comuna’: memory and transformation in Medellin,Colombia

The objective is to explore the touristification of some peripheral neighbourhoods of Medellin. The focus is on urban areas built by war-displaced populations commonly referred to as ‘comunas’ and often associated with crime and narco-traffic. Some tours generally labelled as ‘comuna tours’ have been emerging during the last three years and are largely included in the promotion of the ‘new Medellin’, focusing on its transformation from ‘the most violent to the most innovative city in the world’. Examining the role of the different stakeholders, including local community leaders, private entrepreneurs or state representatives, it will show that this practice is above all multiform and has to be analysed along with the general process of city branding ongoing in Medellin. Between the acknowledgement of past violent events and the will to look forward, competing narratives are at stake in this touristic and memorial arena.     

The inner struggle of visiting ‘dark tourism’ sites: examining the relationship between perceived constraints and motivations

Numerous conflicting factors impact the tourism decision process especially as it relates to dark tourism, that is, tourism that focuses on mortality. This research examines the relationships among constraints and motivational factors that affect tourists’ decision to visit the Memorial of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre in China. Seven dimensions of constraints were revealed with the most important factor being an interest in other leisure activities. Of the three motivational factors discovered, the obligation the respondents feel to visit the site was discovered to be the most important. The major contribution of this research is its analysis of the relationship between motivations and constraints and the discovery that there are both positive and negative relationships between constraint and motivation factors. The most important finding may be that an increase in curiosity motivation may result in a decrease in disinterest constraints but an increase in the strength of the constraint of Chinese cultural perspectives on death and taboos. The findings suggest that the most effective marketing might not focus too much on the development of curiosity but on other motives, such as obligation and education.     

“Waiting on the train”: The anticipatory (causal) effects of Crossrail in Ealing

This paper estimates the willingness-to-pay for anticipated journey-time savings introduced by the Crossrail intervention in the London Borough of Ealing. Given Crossrail remains under construction, we estimate how the anticipated benefit of Crossrail's announcement enters the house price determination process. Anticipated journey-time savings should enter the home-buyer's pricing equation because these benefits are speculatively internalised even before the service becomes operational. Using a experimental method that accounts for the possibility of a spatial autoregressive process in housing values, we test the hypotheses that the announcement of a new commuter rail service generated a location premium, and that house price appreciation reflected proximity to Crossrail terminals. Our evidence suggests home-buyers significantly valued proximity to planned Crossrail terminals following the post-announcement period.     

Bussing between hegemonies: the dominant ‘frame’ in Oxford's transport policies

In 1972, a revolution in local transport policy in Oxford resulted in the dominant doctrine of the previous 30 years—providing for car use—being replaced by an alternative policy ‘frame’ focussed around the promotion of bus use. Although subsequently challenged in the 1970s and 1980s, the pro-bus policy community remained sufficiently strong to implement a further level of bus-oriented policy in the 1990s. Bus use in Oxford has returned to levels not observed since the 1960s, against a trend of decline nationally. The present paper examines how the policy problems came to be framed around the bus and how the frame evolved to accommodate changes in the funding and regulation of public transport. The extent to which the Oxford experience informs future policy-making towards demand management in urban areas is considered and the explanatory value of the concept of framing is revisited.