Land,Settler identity,and tourism memories

This paper draws on theoretical insights associated with settler colonial studies and a collective memory work methodology to illuminate the multiple and contested meanings of land conveyed in tourism memory narratives of Settler Canadians. As part of a multi-day nature-based tourism experience in June 2019, 16 Settler co-participants wrote, and collectively analyzed, memory texts associated with travel experiences that they felt expressed genuinely Canadian and Indigenous qualities. Thematic analysis of memory narratives and co-participant discussions show how land meanings—specifically, land as organizer, educator, connector, and sustainer—relate to the dynamics of Settler identity. The paper thus builds upon emerging scholarship on tourism and settler colonialism and contributes pathways for decolonizing Settler-Indigenous relations in tourism and tourism research.     

Settler colonialism,Indigenous cultures,and the promotional landscape of tourism in Ontario,Canada's ‘near North’

ABSTRACT

Settler colonialism relies upon a logic of elimination that strives to dissolve Indigenous culture and title to ancestral lands. In Canada, settler colonialism has steered not only oppressive state policy directions, but also settler narratives that essentialize and displace Indigenous Peoples and cultural connections to land. Tourism is an especially potent social force through which such settler stories can be perpetuated and resisted. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how Indigenous culture is portrayed in the tourism promotional landscape of Ontario's ‘near north’, a rural leisure landscape for nature enthusiasts and second-home owners. While Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee First Nations have inhabited this area for generations, their cultural presence is often marginalized in development discourses, both historical and contemporary. Our study draws upon critical discourse analysis of websites produced by stakeholders associated with three case study sites – a Provincial Park, an annual cranberry Festival, and a major casino operation – to understand both the limits and opportunities of tourism in relation to maintaining and revitalizing Indigenous culture. In so doing, our paper contributes to critiques of settler colonial power relations and how these infiltrate tourism, and identifies pathways for disrupting the erasure of Indigenous cultures in tourism.     

The (im)possibilities of doing tourism otherwise: The case of settler colonial Australia and the closure of the climb at Uluru

This article analyses the recent closure of the Uluru climb in the settler colonial context of Australia and reflects on (im)possibilities for doing tourism otherwise to practices and logics of coloniality. Tourism at Uluru is embedded within settler colonial map-making, privileging supply side models of consumption at the expense of the Anangu Traditional Custodians. We contribute to the emerging body of research in tourism that argues for a dismantling of colonial logics in practice and theory and discuss the possibilities inherent in forms of tourism led by the Aboriginal custodians. In this context, tourism can promote deeper engagement to place that is ‘more-than-human’, beyond the Eurocentric dualisms of nature and culture, human/non-human/spirit. Unlearning coloniality is key for promoting transformative tourism.     

Boundary-work and sustainability in tourism enclaves

Tourists, workers, and business owners from diverse cultural backgrounds and social positions meet at tourism enclaves. Yet, the spatial layout of most enclaves encourages segregation instead of celebrating and benefiting from this diversity. This paper examines the genesis of enclave tourism boundaries. It proposes boundary-work as a sustainability practice to work out segregating propensities, and transform exclusionary boundaries or make them more permeable. Life story interviews in a Mexican Caribbean enclave revealed segregation's appalling consequences for workers, implicit costs for business owners, and the personal involvement of tourism actors in historical struggles over boundaries. This analysis constitutes a first step to untangle exclusionary propensities and render tourism boundaries more workable from a sustainability governance perspective. The paper explains the need for sustainable tourism research that identifies opportunities to: (1) address traumatic experiences born of discriminatory practices, (2) turn adversarial emotions between workers and business owners into productive collaborations across boundaries, and (3) challenge power asymmetries by providing tourism actors with knowledge about the physical, symbolic, and imaginary dimensions of boundaries. It concludes that the influence of any individual agent is profoundly limited; the transformation of long-standing boundaries demands a deliberate reformulation of sustainable tourism as a multi-dimensional decolonizing force.     

The interpreter as researcher: ethical heritage interpretation in Indigenous contexts

ABSTRACT

This paper integrates Indigenous research and heritage interpretation scholarship by addressing how interpretation should be underpinned by research congruent with Indigenous expectations for research ethics and methods. Program research and delivery is a profound exercise of power, for interpreters mold public opinion. In a settler-colonial or Indigenous context, critically analyzing sources for one’s interpretative programs and media is particularly imperative, as Western researchers have historically been on colonialism’s front lines. The interpretation of Indigenous themes is fraught with difficulties, but existing interpretation literature myopically focuses on program delivery and evaluation methods. More attention must be paid by interpreters to the problems of relying on Western, positivist research in Indigenous contexts. This paper considers Indigenous research methods and ethics, provides an overview of the connection between Western knowledge and colonialism, and demonstrates the problems this poses for interpreters working with Indigenous content. I offer concrete suggestions for staff to improve their engagement with Indigenous peoples. Ultimately, I argue, interpreters must become more critical of themselves and their sources to successfully address Indigeneity.     

The Coorong Wilderness Lodge: A case study of planning failures in Indigenous tourism

This paper presents a case study of the Coorong Wilderness Lodge (CWL) in order to highlight barriers to success that are in part derived from poor policy and planning supports for Indigenous Australian tourism operators. This analysis assists in filling a research gap on the catalysts to economic success and failure in Indigenous tourism through obtaining rich narratives from public sector facilitators and the Indigenous Australian tourism entrepreneur. Using social construction theory, this paper narrates the story of difficulties in developing the infrastructure between 1995 and 2008. This story highlights diverging views of how such enterprises should be supported which is in part explained by cultural differences, diverging expectations and poor communications across such divides. With the founder of the CWL George Trevorrow as a co-researcher in the project, the paper provides an emic perspective that offers fresh insights into this topic.     

Postcolonial perspectives on colonial heritage tourism: The domestic tourist consumption of French heritage in Puducherry,India

This ethnographic study explores postcolonial Indian perspectives on the production and consumption of the former French colony Puducherry as a destination for colonial heritage tourism, asking: how does colonial heritage capture the imagination of domestic visitors, and what are the rationales amongst local residents and authorities that promote this destination for its colonial heritage? It demonstrates how the use of Puducherry's French legacy is a postcolonial phenomenon which has been a product of Indian interests. A central argument is that we need to investigate the postcolonial complexities of restaging colonial heritage in tourism without assuming a simple dichotomy between tourists from former colonial powers and formerly colonised countries, which has often formed the baseline of postcolonial tourism research.     

A postcolonial feminist analysis of official tourism representations of Sri Lanka on Instagram

Although postcolonial analyses examining the sexualized imagery of women in tourism have been conducted, previous studies have predominantly focused on gender and (post)colonialism from a patriarchal perspective. By doing so, other (neo)colonial power asymmetries, such as race, class and ethnicity, have often been neglected. This paper mobilises postcolonial feminist theory to expand the existing analyses and discourses concerning gendered representations in tourism. Through a narrative analysis of the images published in the official Instagram page of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Tourism, we contend that the images produced and circulated to promote Sri Lanka in many instances echo essentialist gendered binaries (e.g. men/women; coloniser/colonised; hegemonic/subordinated). However, as the images tend to produce and reiterate Sri Lankan national identity through a hegemonic Sinhalese Buddhist discourse, they also show the intersections between gender and other asymmetries of power (e.g. race, ethnicity, religion, and social class) – in reproducing (post)colonial gendered identities.     

Story and moral development in tourism education

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this reflective, conceptual, and narrative article is to illuminate the promise of story in nurturing moral development, specifically in relation to nature and cultural difference, in and through tourism education. Representing both a reflection on and extension of Zachary’s experience in a graduate level course on Indigenous Knowledges taught primarily through stories, the paper traces how story enabled Zachary to shift into, or sense, new onto-epistemological perspectives relating to nature and begin to question his assumptions, privilege, and responsibilities. We focus in on the story of Mutandum – a narrative of transformation and connection – written by Zachary, which was constructed to represent his relationship to learning during the graduate course. In telling this story, and situating and reflecting on the narrative contexts within which it was crafted, we show the enabling promise of story as a moral pedagogical and epistemological tool. We argue that learning through story has much to offer tourism curricula, especially those focused on preparing values-engaged students with the competencies to take on the multitude of ethical issues in tourism and effectively navigate the moral encounters that arise in our tourism worlds.     

The mining sector and indigenous tourism development in Weipa,Queensland

A relatively high proportion of Indigenous Australians live in remote areas where a number of mines are located. Indigenous Australians are more likely than their non-Indigenous counterparts to be unemployed and to be living below the poverty line and in order to overcome this disadvantage it is important for Indigenous people to gain meaningful employment. In these remote areas, in addition to mining, tourism is seen as potentially providing substantial opportunities for Indigenous employment. However many of these Indigenous tourism enterprises will need on-going support to become sustainable. Mining companies have significant resources and infrastructure that could be used to help develop Indigenous tourism and a number of companies, as part of their corporate social responsibility agenda, have directly facilitated the development of Indigenous tourism ventures. This study examined Indigenous involvement in tourism in the Weipa region of north-west Queensland and the role of the then Comalco bauxite mining operation, now called Rio Tinto Aluminium, in assisting this development. The study revealed substantial enthusiasm about market opportunities for Indigenous tourism and potential support from the Comalco mine. However the mine did not see itself as being directly involved but saw itself as a facilitator working with some regional Indigenous organisations. However given the constraints these other organisations face, this approach by Comalco is likely to limit the effectiveness of the mine's efforts.     

The sanitization of colonial history: authenticity,heritage interpretation and the case of Macau's tour guides

Macau was founded by the Portuguese in the mid-sixteenth century. The centuries of colonial rule that preceded its recent return to China gave it a distinctive character unique in China. The tangible and intangible imprint of the colonial history of Macau is central to its attractiveness as a cultural tourism destination. A literature review reveals worldwide examples of the manipulation of history for both political and tourism purposes. This research uses in-depth thematic interviews with 14 local tour guides to show how Macau's colonial heritage is presented and interpreted to tourist groups by the local tour guides, as regards both what they are shown and what they are told. It is found that the guides adjust their interpretation to the geographical origin of the tourists in a significant way; in particular, they tend to almost totally eschew any reference to its colonial history when addressing a Chinese audience, in contrast to the interpretation presented to non-Chinese visitors. The use of Hall's three-fold interpretative message framework (dominant – hegemonic/negotiated/oppositional) is discussed, as is Langer's concept of mindless and mindful tourists. Some consequences for the sustainability of heritage tourism in Macau are also explored.     

Indigenous self-representations in the touristic sphere

This paper draws on decolonial theorizing to explore how Indigenous groups self-represent on official tourism websites. The findings indicate a juxtaposition of narrative patterns related to struggle and cultural pride, salutation to tourists and code of ethics which highlight contradistinctions between non-Indigenous and Indigenous touristscapes. The examined texts foreground decolonial frames through which the politics of representation allow for reclaiming of the colonial past to affirm identity, showcase resistance, and highlight the agentic power of Indigenous cultural custodians. This study centers the voices of Indigenous communities, by moving beyond narratives of victimization and oppression, to illustrate agentic power. This study offers an opportunity for linkages between tourism and global debates on social justice for Indigenous Peoples.     

Tribal Tourism in Fiji: An Application and Extension of Smith's 4Hs of Indigenous Tourism

Indigenous tourism has seen significant growth in recent years. This type of cultural tourism is often seen as a way to promote and reinforce native culture and provide pro-poor benefits to the local community. This research extends the predominantly supply-side view of indigenous tourism put forward by Smith [1996. Indigenous tourism: The four Hs. In R. Butler & T. Hinch (Eds.), Tourism and indigenous peoples (pp. 283–307). Toronto: International Thomson Business Press] who used the four Hs of Habitat, Heritage, History and Handicrafts as a framework to examine indigenous tourism. The paper argues that from the demand-side, tourists attracted to and interested in indigenous tourism are likely to be adventurous, want authenticity, seek education and desire personal interaction. These four attributes of the tourist complement the four “H”s of indigenous tourism. By combining both the demand and supply perspective, this research contributes to a more holistic view of indigenous tourism and provides an extended framework in which to analyse indigenous tourism.     

Exploring Critical Factors of Macau's Heritage Tourism: What Heritage Tourists are Looking for when Visiting the City's Iconic Heritage Sites

Although Macau is widely stigmatized as a gambling paradise, its colonial past has left the city with a wealth of heritage and cultural attractions that can be converted into priceless tourism resources. Macau's status as world heritage city further creates opportunities for the city to develop its heritage tourism business. This requires Macau to understand heritage tourists whose needs and wants may vary from ordinary travelers. A review of the literature, however, indicates that most academic discussions of Macau heritage are from a history or conservation perspective rather than from the prism of tourism; because of this, the present study aims to explore, from a tourism perspective, the critical factors that are essential to enhance tourist experience when visiting Macau's major heritage sites.     

Cultural heritage and Indigenous tourism

ABSTRACT

Tourism is acknowledged as a vehicle that can help sustain both tangible and intangible elements of Indigenous cultural heritage, including languages, stories, song, art, dance, hunting methods, rituals and customs. Often, cultural heritage products developed for tourism promise to provide many socio-economic opportunities for the communities involved, however, tourism can also present a challenge as the self-management of Indigenous cultural product and cultural identity can be problematic. Given the pivotal role culture plays in the sustainability of Indigenous tourism products, it is time for a twenty-first century examination of the nexus between cultural heritage and Indigenous tourism. This paper reflects upon tourism and contemporary Indigenous cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. Through a review of the current literature on Indigenous tourism and cultural heritage, the authors identify key areas for future research and aim to stimulate further discussion around the ways Indigenous tourism may be developed to sustain Indigenous cultural heritage.     

Restoring the dignity of indigenous people: Perspectives on tourism employment

The importance of dignity in tourism employment and the positive impact of Indigenous tourism activities are increasingly acknowledged. Nevertheless, the dignity and well-being of Indigenous people in urban tourism workplaces have received limited attention. Drawing on Indigenous Mexicans as a case study, we use cross-disciplinary concepts of dignity and humanistic management to address this gap by developing recommendations for restoring dignity to Indigenous groups through tourism employment in urban destinations. We explore how tourism employment has resulted in violations of the dignity of Indigenous peoples and illustrate how changes in employment practices across economic, sociocultural, and psychological dimensions can contribute to dignity restoration. By doing so, we advance a conceptual understanding of dignity and guide its practical implementation in tourism employment and management, and policy. Finally, we argue that dignity-restoring practices may also result in improved company performance and reputation as well as contribute to the sustainable development goals.     

Indigenous tourism in Australia: understanding the link between cultural heritage and intention to participate using the means-end chain theory

ABSTRACT

Tourism is often suggested as a development strategy for Indigenous people while protecting their cultural and natural heritage. However, without actual visitor participation, the good intentions of tourism cannot be achieved. By using the means-end chain theory and adopting a convergent mixed-methods approach using photographs, this study seeks to identify the link between visitor perceptions about Australian Indigenous tourism attributes and their intention to participate on this type of tourism. Two Australian Indigenous tourism activities (short tour and performance), portraying both traditional and contemporary culture, at Cairns, Queensland were tested with 209 visitors. The results reveal that the attributes ‘history/art/culture’ and ‘local’ are perceptions linked to Indigenous tourism. The findings support previous studies by identifying that some participants associated Indigenous tourism with a traditional past; however, the majority of participants expressed a contemporary perception of Indigenous culture. These findings highlight the need for Indigenous tourism stakeholders to monitor and protect their historical and evolving cultural heritage (in particular intangible heritage) when engaging in Indigenous tourism. Cultural heritage could be susceptible to commodification and loss of authenticity in order to accommodate visitor expectations.     

Indigenous tourism and the sustainable development goals

This research aims to identify opportunities for the tourism industry to effectively address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in ways that respect Indigenous priorities and support development aspirations of Indigenous peoples. We do so via case studies of Indigenous tourism among small-medium sized enterprises in Fiji, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The research finds that the Indigenous tourism enterprises operated in the spirit of many of the SDGs, even when they had low awareness of these goals. It also finds that Indigenous values and lifeways – such as appreciation of the intrinsic connection between nature and culture - correspond with the SDG agenda, and could be used to further advance this agenda in ways that benefit Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.     

Strategies for building diverse tourism advocates

Informed by co-management theory this study revealed strategies destination marketing organizations can utilize to develop and engage a diverse set of advocates. Interviews were conducted with 31 destination stakeholders to measure their level of understanding of tourism's role in economic development, value in the community, and their intention to advocate for tourism. Strategies for stakeholder development revealed in this study indicate destination marketing organizations need to expand partnerships throughout the community, improve and personalize communication strategies with advocates, tell a more nuanced story showcasing how tourism contributes to residents' quality of life, and specify advocacy asks with actionable information for tourism advocates. By implementing these strategies destination marketing organizations can educate and empower a diverse set of advocates to limit negative policy impacts on the tourism industry.     

Cultural sensitivity: Engaging difference in tourism

Cultural sensitivity is highly relevant but inadequately conceptualized in tourism contexts. This article explores and advances understanding of cultural sensitivity in relation to Arctic tourism where local and Indigenous livelihoods and environments are tethered to dynamics of recent tourism growth and decline, climate change, and colonial power relations. Framing cultural sensitivity as a subjective orientation towards otherness, the article illuminates differences between ethnocentric and ethnorelative orientations and discusses the importance of relational tourism processes. By advancing the conceptualization of cultural sensitivity, the article offers a framework for developing tourism services and products, and approaching tourism encounters, in ways that can enhance recognition, respect and reciprocity towards otherness in Arctic tourism and beyond.