The resilience of formal and informal tourism enterprises to disasters: reef tourism in Phuket,Thailand

This paper explores the resilience of vulnerable tourism sectors to disasters in a period of global change and interdependence. The coral reef tourism industry is highly vulnerable to natural disasters and economic and political shocks. The paper also explains why enterprise resilience is central to sustainable tourism management, for economic, socio-cultural and environmental reasons. It extends the concepts of ecological and social resilience to that of enterprise resilience. Using scenarios and interviews with key enterprise staff, the study contrasts the levels of resilience of formal and informal reef tourism enterprises, and the factors associated with the enterprise resilience in Phuket, Thailand, following the 2004 tsunami and the 2008 political crisis. Informal enterprises reported better financial condition in a crisis scenario and higher levels of social capital in the form of government, family and community support than formal enterprises. Formal and informal enterprises both enjoy high lifestyle benefits from reef tourism, which supports resilience. Most formal enterprises had part foreign ownership/management (61%); no informal enterprise had any foreign ownership or management. Management policies supporting reef tourism should consider local nuances and the importance of lifestyle benefits for both formal and informal enterprises, and take steps to enable enterprise flexibility and cost-cutting during crises.     

Situational influences on normative evaluations of coastal tourism and recreation management strategies in Hawai’i

Acceptance of tourism and recreation management strategies depends on situational factors including social, resource, and facility impacts. If an area has adequate facilities, little crowding, and minimal environmental impacts, modifying existing management may be opposed. If an area is damaged and overcrowded, actions such as limiting access may be acceptable. This article measures normative acceptance of management strategies and how situational factors differentially influence acceptance. Surveys of 1399 tourists and residents at coastal sites in Hawai’i included eight hypothetical scenarios describing impacts to four factors: use level/density, presence of litter, damage to reefs, and condition of facilities. Respondents rated their acceptance of improving awareness/education, restricting use, increasing facilities, and improving maintenance for each scenario. Factors differentially influenced acceptance of these actions. Damage to reefs was the most important factor influencing acceptance of improving awareness. Use level was most important when rating acceptance of restricting people, and facility conditions were most important in acceptance of increasing maintenance and facilities.     

Residents,their use of a tourist facility and contribution to tourist ambience: Narratives from a film tourism site in Beijing

Any tourist site open to local residents represents a point where residents and tourists become a back drop for the experiences of the other. This paper examines a specific Beijing film tourism attraction, Grand View Gardens, and the manner in which the site is used by local residents, the meanings attributed to it, and residents' role in creating an ambience for tourists. Residents have a daily connection with the site, and form audiences for events held at the Gardens. They often interact with tourists, becoming a source of information for tourists. The paper examines residents' motives for using such attractions, their attitudes towards tourists and suggests they possess a role in the creation of a sense of place that is valued by tourists. The paper fills a gap in an under-researched area, where, in the Chinese context, both residents and visitors form backdrops to each other's experience of place.