Social mediation in remote developing world tourism locations – the significance of social ties between local guides and host communities in sustainable tourism development

This article discusses the role of the local, or regional, guide as a social mediator between a host society and tourists, as a means of sustainable tourism development in developing world locations. The debate illustrates how previous studies have neglected this social aspect of mediation by tourist guides and partly absorbed it into the concept of cultural mediation. Empirical illustrations are offered from the context of small tourist group visitations to local villages in rural areas of Madagascar, where collective social norms still play an important role. A qualitative approach based on personal interviews with guides and on field trip experience and observation is employed. Empirical findings indicate that the inclination of the host society to welcome accompanied tourists is facilitated by the capacity of local guides to develop relatively strong social ties with the host society. It is suggested that the increased use of local guides with good social relationships with the local communities as against the mere employment of non-local accompanying guides working for centrally located tour operators can enrich the mutual experience quality in the encounter between visitors and hosts and support local sustainable development by enhanced local involvement. Implications for sustainable tourism practice are discussed.     

Economic and social yield of investing in hiking tourism: the case of Berguedà, Spain

ABSTRACT

Nature-based tourism is on the rise around the world. This article employs a cost–benefit analysis methodology to contribute to knowledge in this area by estimating both the economic impacts and the social costs and benefits of investing in hiking tourism. It includes tangible and non-tangible impacts, such as health benefits and CO₂ emissions. Using data collected between March 15 2014 and March 14 2015, results show a positive return from every Euro invested in hiking tourism. A single figure of net returns to society enables policymakers to assess the social value of the investment itself and can help citizens’ rational choice regarding whether to encourage or resist additional tourism development.     

Understanding tourism leaders’ perceptions of risks from climate change: an assessment of policy-making processes in the Maldives using the social amplification of risk framework (SARF)

Coastal tourism destinations are highly vulnerable to climate change risks, including sea-level rise, inundation, and extreme weather events. While such risks pose major challenges to the sustainability of these destinations, they have been insufficiently examined in tourism research. This study uses the social amplification of risk framework as a basis for understanding how climate change risks are perceived and what processes lead to an amplification or attenuation of risk perceptions at management and governance levels. In the context of the extremely low-lying Maldives, 12 leading tourism stakeholders, including representatives of government, industry, and NGOs, were interviewed to gather empirical data on risk perceptions. Results indicate that, while climate change risks are amplified for international audiences, several factors lead to an attenuation of risks for domestic audiences. As a result, local tourism stakeholders are not immediately concerned, and adaptation measures are woefully inadequate to cope with future climate risks. Detailed reference is made to the policy inertia found, the conflicts inherent in playing down risk in order to attract jobs, profitable tourism investment and tourists, and the equally pressing need to stress risks in order to attract expertise and funds to enable adaptation policies to be designed and funded.     

Resident perceptions of social–ecological resilience and the sustainability of community-based tourism development in the Commonwealth of Dominica

Despite major investments in community-based tourism to diversify economies, reduce poverty and improve life quality in the Caribbean, little is known about what conditions lead to resilience and sustainability. Sustainability from a resilience theory perspective is the likelihood an existing system of resource use will persist indefinitely without a decline in social and natural resource bases. Undertaking activities to enhance resilience and sustainability improves a system's ability to persevere, adapt and learn to meet challenges from unanticipated economic, political or natural events. This study investigated six communities in the Commonwealth of Dominica, all part of a seven-year community tourism program, and examined residents' perceptions of the social, institutional, economic and ecological resilience of their community, and therefore the resilience and sustainability of community tourism development. It used a new scale using eight steps suggested by Devellis' scale development methodology. Data indicated moderate to low resilience in all four domains across the communities. This suggests that communities should invest in strengthening social bonds, developing capacity in local institutions, in diversifying the tourism product and controlling infrastructure development. Indicators measuring trust, networks, local control, flexible governance, leakage prevention and controlled infrastructure development emerged as important in assessing social–ecological resilience and sustainability.     

Volunteer tourism and the “voluntoured”: the case of Tijuana,Mexico

This paper explores resident attitudes to volunteer tourism in several small communities within Tijuana, Mexico. Social exchange theory has been used to argue that the degree of personal benefit from volunteer tourism would predict residents' perceptions of the impacts of volunteer tourism and support for volunteer tourism planning and for volunteer tourism activities. Survey research of a purposive sample targeted several neighborhoods within Tijuana that were extensively “voluntoured”. Results indicate mixed support for social exchange theory. Implications are discussed concerning the need for volunteer tourism organizations to include a variety of community stakeholders in the volunteer tourism development process.     

Hosts and guests’ social representations of nudism: A mutual gaze approach

Based on the mutual gaze concept and social representations theory, this study explored locals and nudists’ perceptions of social nudity and each other. Interviews with locals and nudists at a beach destination in Mexico revealed that both groups’ representations of naturism’s ideals, practices and benefits differ considerably. While nudists conceive nudism as a way of life, locals see it as a practice that outside the nudist space is morally unacceptable. Locals’ acceptance of nudists is largely conditioned by their economic significance, and residents have been active subjects in decisions about nudists’ use of local spaces. Nudists have positive perceptions of locals but are dissatisfied with spatial sanctions of nudism. Practical implications are presented.     

A Review of “Raj Rhapsodies: tourism,heritage and the seduction of history”

Many researchers have used stage-based and life cycle models to describe destination development and local residents’ changing reactions to tourism. Typically, they report that resident attitudes towards tourism, and its perceived outcomes for host populations, worsen with increasing experience and involvement in tourism. However, stage-based models traditionally focus on mature destinations in developed countries. In contrast, scholarship on ecotourism derives largely from developing countries and suggests that increased participation leads to more favourable outcomes and attitudes towards tourism. This paper breaks new ground by exploring attitudes to tourism in an emerging destination in a developing country and linking that exploration to a revised stage-based model. It uses ethnographic data to evaluate responses to recent tourism development in Nicaragua. While findings are complex and do not support a linear relationship between the level of experience in tourism and the attitudes of local residents, they do indicate a relationship between these two theoretical perspectives that can be used to inform one another. Notably, workers in tourism are more critical of the tourism industry than residents are. Important amendments to stage-based models are suggested that will assist tourism planners with the creation of more sustainable, community-centred development.     

A critique of “Response Bias” in the tourism,travel and hospitality research

Measurement accuracy of respondents' opinions, perceptions, attitudes and behaviors is vital for better managerial suggestions, theoretical conclusions and advancement of science. There is a growing concern, voiced frequently in other disciplines that a high rate of response bias exists and this casts serious doubts on generalizability of conclusions. Based on limited research on the topic, this paper examines the extent to which response bias is acknowledged as a limitation in tourism, travel and hospitality research. Additional analyses were carried out to explore i) researchers' attentiveness to cautions when citing a biased study and ii) editorial policies of journals against bias. The results revealed that i) acknowledgement of response bias was low, ii) that researchers’ negligence to reported response bias limitations was high, and iii) that editorial policies of the examined journals were far from encouraging authors to discuss and include response bias related limitations. Implications were discussed.     

Managing heritage tourism in Toraja: strengthening local values and improving tourists’ experiences

Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, is a tourist destination known best for its ethnicity and was one of the main tourist destinations in Indonesia during the 1990s. Since 2011, the government has again designated Toraja a priority strategic tourism area in its national tourism development plan. This case study describes opportunities for, and issues associated with, heritage tourism in Toraja and explores community perspectives on tourism. The fieldwork data and secondary data were used in preparing the detailed plan for the National Tourism Strategic Area of Toraja (KSPN Toraja). The opportunities for heritage tourism in Toraja include, among others, an emerging Asian market, better transport access to the region, and central government resources and programs to complement those of the local government. The core issues of local community concern include the need to conserve Torajan heritage and to strengthen local values; develop and nurture culture alongside tourism; balance heritage conservation with tourism; and the need for better interpretation to convey local wisdom to enhance the visitor experience.     

“Pacific Rim: The forefront of international tourism”: Report on the 1997 conference of the international society of travel and tourism educators (ISTTE)

The 1997 conference of the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) was held from October 23–26, 1997 in San Diego, California, USA. More than 150 travel and tourism educators and industry professionals gathered at the Mission Valley Hilton Hotel to attend the society's ninth annual event. Delegates represented over 80 tow‐ and four‐ year colleges and universities, private travel schools, and high school in Australia, Canada, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United Sates. Also present were representatives of nearly 30 companies from various sectors of the travel and tourism industry. Special to this year's conference was the theme of “The Pacific Rim: Tomorrow‐Today” —a recognition of the region as the fastest growing inbound and outbound market of international tourism. It was the first time the society chose a region as the center stage of its biggest annual event. It also was the first conference held after the society adopted its present name. At last year's conference in Ottawa, Canada, the Society's Board of Directors recommended, and members voted, to add “International” to its original name to reflect the increasing representation of international membership in the organization. This year's conference was presided over by Dr. Kaye Chon, President of ISTTE and Professor of Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston, USA.     

“Give and take”: A social exchange perspective on festival stakeholder relations

Based on social exchange theory, this research seeks to establish the differences between festival stakeholder relations in terms of trust, control, dependence, and altruism. A total of 1105 participant surveys were collected at six festivals in Ghana across eight stakeholder groups including organizers, government authorities, visitors, volunteers, sponsors, and media. The results indicate that organizers have the highest level of trust for other stakeholders whereas media have the lowest. For other stakeholders trust levels are similar, suggesting that festival organizers capitalize on mutual stakeholder trust to broaden collaboration. Regarding dependence, volunteers showed the least level of dependence on other stakeholders, suggesting that organizers work to more deeply engage their volunteers to improve relationships. This multi-dimensional assessment of social exchange theory in the festival field contributes to our understanding of dynamics among festival stakeholders.     

Among the piranhas: the troubling lifespan of ethnic tropes in “tribal” tourism to Vietnam

This article presents findings from mixed-method research into ethnic tourism in Vietnam. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and ethnographic research carried out in Sapa, northern Vietnam, the article examines how minority Indigenous groups are represented in ways that reproduce certain racial and gendered tropes that are drawn upon by tourists before, during and after actual tours. Findings from the study suggest that ethnic tourism is having a marginalising effect on minority ethnic women, who are becoming excluded from social, symbolic and economic space for behaviour that is deemed inauthentic. Tourists are drawing on a narrow range of Orientalist tropes throughout different stages of their participation in ethnic tourism and are carrying forward their pre-conceptions into tourism environments. Therefore, the ways in which indigeneity is packaged for tourists and the ways that tourists “authenticate” ethnicity inform their desires, which then shape their behaviour and interactions with locals. By bringing together ideas about authentication and gendered Orientalism and Othering, the analysis shows that the power play and its effects on Indigenous groups are considerable and troubling, with the whims and desires of tourists steering tourism organisation, including the surveillance and controlling of Indigenous women traders in and around the town.     

The “Pink Night” festival revisited: Meta-events and the role of destination partnerships in staging event tourism

This paper adopts a managerial perspective to revisit an original case study of the “Pink Night” festival presented by Giovanardi et al. (2014) in an earlier issue of this journal. Our in-depth qualitative study contributes to the event tourism planning and management literature in three ways. First, we shed light on how and why competing Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) cooperate to plan, develop and manage event tourism. Second, we introduce and describe the brand new concept of the meta-event, which is the main theoretical contribution of this work. Third, we elucidate the role of meta-events as brand architecture tools to rebrand and reposition wide tourism areas. We illustrate the theoretical and managerial implications of the meta-event concept for event tourism studies and destination managers.     

Undergraduate students’ perceptions of the importance of English in the tourism and hospitality industry

Educators commonly promote English as beneficial to future employability, but students’ perceptions of the importance of English in the tourism and hospitality industry are often not considered. It is important that students’ perceptions are examined as gaining better insights could allow more positive attitudes to both English and the industry being fostered. This study investigated the perceptions of students (n = 71) enrolled at a university in Japan and found no statistically significant differences based on gender, country of origin, year of study, work experience, or future work intentions. However, it was indicated that communicative competence, confidence, English listening, and English speaking were the factors perceived to be most important by the students. Consequently, it is suggested that tourism and hospitality courses should incorporate components that focus mainly on these skills, but not to the detriment of English reading and writing, which were also perceived as important.     

Visitors with their ‘Backs to the archaeology’: religious tourism and archaeology

This paper presents a conceptual analysis of the crossover between religious tourism and archaeology. It begins with a clarification of what religious tourism is and continues to consider the link between archaeological sites, religious heritage and religious tourism. It then moves on to a supply-focused typology of sites and a typology of visitors according to their characteristics. It also discusses the primary conflicts existing today between archaeology and religious tourism. In light of this discussion, it concludes with thoughts on possible future research needs. The paper conceptualized the multiple relationships between religious tourism and religious archaeology. Archaeological remains that also serve as attractions for religious tourism appear to have unique characteristics, the understanding of which is important for long-term planning and development that will take into consideration archaeological, religious, political, and tourism needs. A better understanding of these contexts may also ultimately contribute to our understanding of the development versus conservation arguments facing archaeological areas.     

Investigating individuals’ decision formation in working-holiday tourism: the role of sensation-seeking and gender

ABSTRACT

Despite the emergence of working-holiday tourism, little research has been carried out to understand working-holiday makers’ (WHMs) decision-making processes. This study was designed to examine the formation of WHMs’ intentions to participate in working-holiday tourism programs. A study model was proposed by extending sensation-seeking into Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and testing the difference between gender groups. An online survey was conducted with 369 WHMs in China. The study result indicated that the TPB model has a good fit to the data, and that the predictive power of the intention has been improved compared with the original TPB. The results from a structural equation reveal that three critical elements in TPB significantly formed individuals’ intentions for working-holiday programs, sensation-seeking formed positive and significant relationships with subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), and most importantly, significant differences were found between different gender groups. The study’s theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.