Return labour migration: an exploratory study of Polish migrant workers from the UK hospitality industry

Incoming labour migration represents an important research field, especially in the context of East-Central Europe, a key source region of labour migrants to the tourism and hospitality sectors of many Western economies, including the UK. Surprisingly, return labour migration from the UK to this region has not been systematically examined and yet there is increasing evidence of its significance, especially in light of Brexit. The labour migrant motivations to return and their re-integration experiences back home remain poorly understood. This study adopts a qualitative method of data collection and analysis to explore return migration of the Polish workforce from the UK hospitality sector. Homesickness and educational pursuits are identified as the key drivers. The UK employment experience enhances career prospects of former migrants and yet it largely benefits non-hospitality related sectors of the domestic economy. While the re-integration experiences of former migrants are generally positive and the majority are content with the decision to return, some consider an opportunity to re-migrate.     

Ethnic tourism in Lao PDR: gendered divisions of labour in community-based tourism for poverty reduction

A simultaneous analysis of gender and ethnicity provides a fuller understanding of how tourism initiatives benefit marginalised groups in developing countries. In this article, the gendered division of labour is analysed as a way to understand the micro-politics of ethnic tourism production aiming at poverty reduction in Laos. The aim is to demonstrate how constructions of gender and ethnicity impact on women's possibilities to benefit from community-based pro-poor tourism initiatives. Socially constructed notions of gendered behaviour influence divisions of tourism labour in specific spatialities, which we argue is crucial knowledge in the implementation of tourism projects aiming at poverty reduction. The assumption that ‘the poor’ constitute a homogenous group might hide an uneven distribution of tourism benefits in local communities. By focusing on factors which marginalise women, the article demonstrates inequalities between men and women in the division of tourism work. A village in northern Laos is used as a case study to examine aspects impacting on gendered divisions of labour in community-based tourism in Laos. Two examples, the Akha people's belief in and worship of spirits, and provision of massage, are used to illuminate reasons behind gendered imbalances in more detail.     

Effects of enterprise bargaining and agreement clauses on the operating cost of airline ground crew scheduling

Labour conditions in enterprise agreements dictate airline worker rostering and affect operating costs. By using an airline ground crew shift optimisation model in the context of Australian labour regulations, this paper explores how labour agreements could affect costs and potential options to improve labour conditions for mutual benefits. Results found that a reduction of shift length could save 30 percent of airline employee costs. The ratio of full-time and part-time staff could significantly affect staffing costs. A portion of staff cost savings could be redirected to employees as wage rises, while maintaining job security and benefiting both parties.     

Division of labour and gender differences in metropolitan car use: An empirical study in Cologne,Germany

This paper suggests the need for a broader view of `gender and transport' by presenting a study of gender differences in car use for maintenance travel. Although many more women are now entering the labour force than a few decades ago, they still have to undertake the larger share of household-related work. The main objective of this paper is to assess the impact of these changing gender roles on travel patterns and in particular on car use for maintenance travel. We used the survey and trip diary data of 949 respondents living in two urban and two suburban neighbourhoods of the Cologne metropolitan area. The empirical findings suggest that labour market and maintenance activities influence car use in different directions. While parenthood reduces the odds of car use by women, it increases men's car use. Labour force participation on the other hand, especially when part-time, intensifies car use for both genders. In short, a levelling influence of paid work and a traditionalizing influence of parenthood regarding car use for maintenance travel was found.     

Foreign investors versus local businesses: an urban economics model for tourist cities

Most economics and urban literature focuses on the economic aspects of foreign investors' impact on cities and defends their positive role in urban development. This paper takes a different approach by developing an urban economics model for tourist cities that illustrates how, when there is local underinvestment and a large influx of foreign labour, transnational enterprises may make their profits at the expense of local businesses. Therefore, it is the government's responsibility to regulate foreign investment in a way that is conducive to sustainable development. Macao is adopted as a case study. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Valuing organic farm volunteer tourists in Hawai'i: farm host perspectives

This article challenges conventional understandings of the benefits of farm volunteer tourism through a qualitative study of the perceived value of organic farm volunteer tourists participating in the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) network from the perspective of WWOOF farm hosts in Hawai'i. Through an ethnographic examination of farm hosts' perspectives, the economic and non-economic costs and benefits of hosting farm volunteer tourists are examined. It illustrates how the off-setting of labour costs are juxtaposed against the economic cost of lost productivity and accommodation expenses. Farm hosts also report non-economic benefits, including spiritual development, interpersonal exchange relationships and shared lifestyles, while non-economic costs pertained to loss of privacy, and the need to engage in the emotional labour associated with farm hosting.     

Same city—different options: An analysis of the work trips of married couples in the metropolitan area of Oslo

The question raised in this paper is in which ways the urban structure interacts with or creates different conditions for activities made by men and women. To explore this question the paper focuses on the travel to work of married couples in an urban context, how they adapt time use and deal with the spatial choices of work places and the allocation of transport resources. The empirical analyses are based on a personal travel study from the Oslo-region in 1990/91. Women work closer to their homes than the husbands, and have less choice on the geographical labour market. In families with one car, the husband has the first choice. Women have more often tasks on the way to and from work related to household responsibilities.     

Is tourism employment a sufficient mechanism for poverty reduction? A case study from Nkhata Bay,Malawi

Extensive attention has been paid to the magnitude and distribution of economic benefits derived from tourism employment by impoverished populations. However, less is known about how economic benefits, such as increased income, relate to poverty conditions at the intra-household level, particularly within the unique contexts of least developed countries. In this paper, we examine the relationship of tourism employment to poverty conditions in a lakeshore community in Malawi. First, we quantitatively compare employment and poverty conditions among the households of tourism employees with those of employees of non-tourism sectors. Secondly, we undertake a qualitative investigation into lodge employment, and its remuneration and fringe benefits from the perspectives of lodge owners and employees. Our findings of the former analysis reveal that while employees of the tourism sector experienced better working and monetary conditions, this group did not exhibit an improved status in other poverty conditions. The latter qualitative analysis shows that most tourism lodge owners adhered to labour standards of minimum wage, and voluntarily offered fringe benefits such as paying medical, funeral, and education expenses of lodge employees. However, despite this adherence to labour standards, there is little evidence that lodge employees and their households experience an improvement in poverty conditions.     

The sustainability of the Ryanair model

This paper examines the growth of Ryanair, Europe’s largest new entrant airline since deregulation. The sustainability of the Ryanair product is examined, including: acceptability to passengers, the use of secondary airports, labour productivity and use of outsourcing, corporate culture, policy environment and legal and policy obstacles. The growth of the airline is expected to continue because of the popularity of low fares, the willingness of passengers to forego traditional airline services in order to avail of low fares and the ability of Ryanair to control and reduce costs.     

The effects of road infrastructure improvement on work travel in Northern Iceland

Work travel is an important alternative to out-migration in rural areas characterized by a limited range of jobs. The size of local labour markets is determined in part by geography and tradition, but advances in transportation have the potential to move people and communities closer together and transform established mindscapes. In Iceland, the dispersion of the rural population, a challenging terrain, and unpredictable weather has made road infrastructure improvements a key component in regional development strategies. A large-scale tunnel project completed in 2010 was intended to strengthen a vulnerable rural area on the northern coast and expand the urban labour market of the regional centre of Akureyri. Traffic surveys and resident surveys conducted before and after the tunnels show a substantial increase in 17–34 km work travel between rural communities. Work travel 61–77 km to and from the regional centre did however not increase. The average length of work travel has shortened but the increase in commuting yielded a net increase in total km commuted. The tunnels increased work travel irrespective of age and education, but increased work travel by women with children in the household in particular. The results suggest that large-scale road infrastructure improvements may substantially strengthen rural labour markets within a driving distance of 15–30 min, but may not extend the edge of micropolitan labour markets 45–60 min from an urban centre of less than 20 thousand inhabitants.     

Constructing work travel inequalities: The role of household gender contracts

This article analyses how cohabiting women and men negotiate and respond to individual needs and claims related to commuting. The study is based on 20 in-depth interviews with parents of small children, who were highly skilled participants in specialized labour markets, living in the Gothenburg urban region of Sweden. The study applies a time-geography theoretical perspective and uses the concept of gender contract in analysing the interviews. In terms of work travel in everyday life, three distinctive types of gender contracts are identified: the traditional gender contract, the gender-equal contract, and the mixed gender contract. These contracts illustrate how individuals and households handle surrounding socio–spatial structures differently depending on their perceptions and manifestations of gender relationships. The identification of different contracts among the respondents indicates both re-enactment of and opposition to stereotypical gender structures in society; moreover, these contracts illustrate the individual's manoeuvring room within the frames of organizing structures.     

Framing in a contested space: media reporting on tourism and mining in Australia

The last decade has seen Australia's economy undertake a significant transformation, with a rapid resurgence in mining. The high exchange rate that has arisen as a consequence of this boom has resulted in a number of other Australian industries becoming less competitive, leading to a two-speed economy. For the tourism industry, the result has been declining visitation, with some commentators attributing this decline directly to the mining boom. This paper explores how the media frames tourism- and mining-related issues regarding the current mining boom in Australia by undertaking a content analysis of 265 online newspaper articles relating to tourism and mining in Australia. The impact of mining on the tourism sector was frequently identified as a key issue, with the rapid expansion of mining increasing competition for labour, resources and infrastructure, as well as having the propensity to destroy certain tourism products. Journalistic techniques, such as hedging, were found to be prevalent in the media reporting, potentially leading to confusion surrounding key issues relating to tourism and mining in the public forum. Future research should seek to explore strategies that could be used by government and businesses to build sustainable, resilient regions through tourism and mining.     

Job growth,accessibility, and changing commuting burden of employment centres in Melbourne

How transport and employment agglomeration enhance urban productivity is a fundamental problem for many cities. Internationally, there has been a great deal of interest in the effect of employment concentration on urban productivity, but very few studies have examined its effect on worker commuting burdens and transport costs. This paper aims to advance international knowledge by measuring job growth and costs of labour market access between 2011 and 2016 for employment centres (EC) in Melbourne, Australia. A comprehensive transport cost model is used that incorporates detailed transport costs and travel times associated with transport modes. By tracking job growth and changes in worker commuting burdens, this paper distinguishes ‘high-cost’ ECs from ‘low-cost’ ECs, for their respective labour pools, and identifies which ECs offer opportunities for better transport outcomes. The results show that well-planned public transport (PT) systems and residential development, coupled with walking and cycle networks, are important features of ECs experiencing lower commuting burdens. Drawing upon the conclusions, this research recommends more effective approaches by governments to foster effective investments in urban infrastructure and discusses how broader policy and investment decisions can align to optimise employment agglomeration and minimise negative transport impacts.     

Impact of international tourism on the Chinese economy

Since 1990, international tourism to China has grown dramatically, as has the rest of the Chinese economy. Its impact on the Chinese economy is estimated for 1997, the last year for which sufficient input–output, social accounting and tourist expenditure data are available when the paper was written. With these data, a so‐called type II input–output model is constructed, which enables to estimate direct, indirect and induced impacts. The results show that 1.64% of gross domestic product, 1.40% of household income and 1.01% of Chinese employment is dependent on international tourism. The differences are explained by the sectoral composition of the tourist expenditures, together with the sectoral differences in capital/labour ratios, labour productivity and backward linkages. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A vehicle for valorising the labour power of commuting: The politics of mobility fixing in Shanghai's Dockless Public Bike Sharing Sector

This paper seeks to contribute to ongoing debates around the politics of hybrid mobilities, smart cities, surveillance capitalism and mobility fixing. Based on a set of qualitative interviews with key stakeholders and secondary sources, the paper uses the emergence of dockless public bike sharing in Shanghai between 2016 and 2018 as its case study. In order to explain the emergence of dockless PBSS and illustrate our contention that this system seeks to create surplus value from the work of mobility (in this case cycle commuting), we examine the processes of valorisation that have occurred in order to both position PBSS as a worthy activity (and therefore remunerate participants affectively) and produce use values for the data generated by users. In doing so we also highlight the ways in which these processes of valorisation seek to ensure that the mobility work of users is not aligned with the products of that labour in order to avoid calls for this mobility work to be remunerated as wage labour (which would reduce any surplus value extraction). Ultimately we argue that these processes of valorisation are not only invasive, but exclusionary in that they prioritise select aspects of social practice that address matters of (governmental) concern, rather than a more rounded interpretation. We argue that there is an urgent need to recognise mobility practices beyond registers that simply prepare the ground for their marketisation.     

Commercialisation and airport performance: The case of Ireland's DAA

Airport performance has been the subject of an increasing volume of empirical research in recent years. This paper bridges a gap in the existing literature through an in-depth case study analysis of the process of commercialisation in the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Ireland's state-owned airport company, and the corresponding impact on performance over the 1994–2014 period. We use a model of commercialisation to examine changes in the DAA's internal and external environments that show evidence of a more commercial focus. The DAA's economic performance is then analysed using total factor productivity (TFP) and labour productivity indicators, as well as basic financial indicators. Our analysis highlights the significant internal and external changes experienced by the DAA over the past two decades that have driven a continuous process of commercialisation. While TFP growth was positive or stable in half of the years that we examined, the overall level of TFP declined over our timeframe of analysis. Much of this decline was due to two considerable programmes of investment in long-lived infrastructure assets where a return in the short-term would not be expected.     

A method for estimating world maritime employment

Compared with technical research on ships, there is lack of systematic data and research on maritime labour, their number, education and manning efficiency. Due to the high mobility of the profession and complication of jurisdictions, there is no exact figure of the number of seamen worldwide. This paper establishes a method to estimate maritime labour worldwide as well as on open-registry fleets.     

Stakeholder perspectives on the current and future roles of UK bus-based Park and Ride

UK bus-based Park and Ride (P&R) has increased significantly in popularity over the past 40 years although there are doubts over its role in reducing car use. This paper presents the findings from interviews with eight key stakeholders involved in UK P&R, which sought to provide insights into the popularity of P&R, particularly at the local government level, its success, and how the concept of P&R can be developed in the future to improve its role in reducing car use whilst maintaining its popularity. It is suggested that there are a range of goals for the use of P&R which extend beyond traffic reduction. It is discussed how there may be potential to develop the concept, particularly by decentralising P&R sites and developing their role as interchanges for public transport.     

End of the free lunch? The responses of traditional European airlines to the low-cost carrier threat

The short-haul operations of traditional European airlines such as British Airways and Lufthansa have come under increasing pressure from the growth of low-cost carriers. This paper examines their competitive responses. These are found to include reductions in labour costs, greater use of regional aircraft and a run-down of secondary hubs. Minimum stay requirements on cheap fares have been axed in many markets, while changes to the on-board service and a move to direct-sell bring these airlines closer to the low-cost carrier product. The network strength is largely maintained, however, which appears a better strategy than setting up a low-cost subsidiary.     

Estimating the marginal costs of airport operation using multivariate time series models with correlated error terms

This paper explores insights about marginal airport costs that can be gained by analysing labour inputs and their variability. Based on hourly cost and traffic data for the airport of Helsinki, a multivariate time series approach is used incorporating correlated error terms to account for random shocks such as delays. We found for most airport services a linear relationship between labour input and aircraft movements, except for producing passenger services for international departing flights where a cubic cost relationship was estimated. The findings are comparable with earlier studies for US airports.