Farewell to the intelligentsia: political transformation and changing forms of leisure consumption in the former communist countries of eastern Europe

This paper refers to evidence from studies of young adults conducted in eight different ex‐communist countries from 1993 onwards, but it is based primarily on data gathered in Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia in 2002. The evidence is used to chart the disintegration of the intelligentsia strata that were consolidated under communism. Members were highly educated and were unified by an intelligentsia lifestyle that included the consumption of state‐subsidized high culture and typically involved interest and participation in public affairs. The evidence that is presented shows that under post‐communism higher education graduates continue to be distinguished by their consumption of high culture. However, their occupations are more diverse in terms of work and market situations. Many, especially those in the more intellectual occupations, have been impoverished, state subsidies for their lifestyles having been withdrawn or reduced, making their lifestyles more expensive. The better‐off are now even more exposed to and involved in the new consumer cultures. This paper explains how the cessation of the intelligentsia’s reproduction as a lifestyle group, and the spread of commercial leisure, will have contributed to the post‐1989/91 decline in political interest and activity among young people in the former communist countries of eastern Europe.     

Analysing the media discourses surrounding DJs as authentic performers and artists within electronic dance music culture magazines

This paper critically analyses how the media construct, consolidate and perpetuate discourses surrounding DJs as artists. It explores representations of their status and roles in a selection of dance music magazines (Mixmag and DJ Mag) and the links to wider ideologies concerning music and dance culture such as authenticity, originality, innovation, cultural progression and performance. It considers how the media bestow DJs with artistic credibility and authenticity in addition to the range and type of references used to position DJs within the cultural landscape and hierarchy of electronic dance music culture. Furthermore, it discusses their sensationalist construction as powerful performers and the links between DJ performances and wider discourses surrounding event experiences. This paper concludes that not only do the discourses perpetuated serve to elevate and sustain the cultural status of DJs, they also validate and perpetuate a wider range of ideological notions within dance music culture. It also highlights the power relations between authors, audiences, DJs and promoters and the media’s role in sustaining the social capital of different players, through projecting a vibrant and dynamic culture.     

Religious heritage and emerging tourism in the Republic of Georgia

This brief research note describes the current situation regarding religiously based heritage tourism and pilgrimage in Georgia. Heritage in Georgia is almost synonymous with religious heritage. Few countries in the world possess such an intensity of built religious patrimony in a small territory as the foundations of their heritage tourism sector as Georgia does. Georgia is already an increasingly popular destination, but owing to its important religious history, the multitude of ancient churches and holy relics at home there, and the inseparable mix of religious and natural heritagescapes, the country has the potential to develop further in three areas of heritage tourism: domestic pilgrimage; international pilgrimage among Orthodox Christians from Eastern Europe and countries of the former USSR; and non-religious cultural tourists from all over the world.     

Locational strategies of international hotel chains

An empirical study was undertaken into the expansion strategies of international hotel operators in five countries in Eastern Central Europe. A questionnaire survey was conducted of the leading chains, framed around an eclectic paradigm. The analysis was complemented with multivariate analysis of competitive and locational strengths, thereby permitting additional insights into the relative positions of the major companies. The major ownership advantages were knowledge of guest requirements, strategic planning, and reservation systems. Locational advantages identified consisted of the size and nature of the city in which the hotel was to be located, the infrastructure within the region, and the perception of the region as an attractive business destination.     

Emerging Eastern European tourism markets

The collapse of communism led many to see Eastern Europe as a major new market both for the development of tourism and the generation of outbound travel. While both are likely in the long term, current economic confusion (in the West as well as the East) makes their realization much more difficult in the short term. This article analyses the economic future for the countries of Eastern Europe, the travel behaviour of their citizens and the outlook for tourism in the region.     

The culture of hospitality: From anecdote to evidence

We examine the effects of hotel workers' national culture on hotel guests' satisfaction with services rendered by the workers. The results suggest that workers from countries scoring low on Hofstede's cultural dimensions named Individualism and Indulgence are particularly gifted for rendering high quality hotel services. Interestingly, many Asian countries, including Japan, Pakistan, Hong Kong, China, Lebanon, India and the Philippines have advantageous overall cultural profiles, which is consistent with portrayals of the Asian (or Eastern) hospitality culture in the scientific and professional literature. The insights presented in this study have important implications for the processes of staff recruitment and training in the global hotel industry.     

GIS uses and constraints on diffusion in Eastern European and the former USSR

The authors examine the emerging uses of geographic information systems (GIS) in Eastern Europe and the countries that formerly were part of the USSR. "The paper, based on a communications survey, conference participation, and local sources, devotes particular attention to GIS applications in planning and services delivery and to variable rates of adoption of GIS technology in the region, as documented in a table of public-sector applications compiled by the authors. Factors limiting the utility of traditional innovation-diffusion models in understanding current patterns are identified."     

Policy choices in South Asian tourism development

Government tourism initiatives in developing countries have been applauded by tourism scholars as a means of assisting a private sector that has insufficient resources and assuring public control of the industry's future. This article reviews the tourism development experience of seven South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldive Republic) on five policy options: public versus private tourism development; domestic versus international tourism; class versus mass tourism; centralization versus decentralization; and integrated versus enclave tourism. All of the governments in the region have been involved in tourism development to some degree, but they have shown considerable variation in their responses to these policy choices. Which choices are made by a specific country, it is suggested, will depend as much on political and cultural considerations as upon economic factors.     

Romanian tourism in the post-communist period

This paper examines tourism development in post-communist Romania. It first examines tourism trends between 1989 and 1997. International arrivals are faltering, due to political/economic instability since 1989, the legacy of a decaying tourism infrastructure, and poor standards of service. Post-communist economic restructuring has significantly depressed domestic tourism, with the accommodation sector also declining. This leads to a discussion on tourism restructuring, particularly the privatization of accommodation, the introduction and regulation of standards for it, and the training/education of tourism personnel. Next, future prospects are considered, specially rural, heritage and cultural tourism. The paper concludes that, despite Romania's considerable tourism potential, the immediate future prospects are not encouraging.     

THE POTENTIAL OF ARTS-BASED TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH

This paper contributes to tourism’s conceptual, methodological and ethical debates by discussing the potential offered by arts-based participatory approaches to enrich tourism knowledge and promote co-transformation at a number of levels. To demonstrate the value of this approach, we discuss how a group of Central and Eastern European (CEE) migrant women engaged with a research project and created artworks to represent their trajectories, mobilities, identities and tourism employment experiences. We outline the benefits and limitations of the methodology and explore how it impacts on: participant involvement and empowerment; voices, self-representation and public engagement; participant, researcher and community (co)transformation; data ownership and anonymity.     

TOURISM AND CULTURAL PROXIMITY: Examples from New Zealand

While tourism products based on Maori culture are popular among some overseas tourists to New Zealand, there has been little research as to their appeal to the domestic market. This paper discusses notions of indigenous tourism and the role of cultural and spatial difference in European conceptualizations of the exotic other. It argues that although there is a common cultural antecedence between non-Maori and European culture, the lack of spatial distance between Maori and tourists means that European New Zealanders are not drawn to Maori culture as an attraction in the manner that those from Europe and North America are. The paper discusses “kiwi culture” and familiarity as determinants of tourist demand.     

传统与复建历史文化街区文旅融合特征与路径——基于符号学视角

历史文化街区既是城市文化的重要地标,也是旅游发展的重要资源,由此成为新时期文旅融合的重要实践载体。本研究基于符号学视角,选取黄山市屯溪区毗邻的屯溪老街和黎阳in巷分别作为传统与复建历史文化街区代表,基于扎根理论构建历史文化街区文旅融合的符号学理论框架。实证分析表明：传统与复建两类历史文化街区均形成了主题定位、文旅功能、空间布局、物质载体、业态产品、旅游服务六方面的文化和旅游符号,前者以传统文化符号居多,后者以现代旅游符号居多;两类街区文化和旅游符号融合的独特性、凸显性、融合性和适应性等特征差异明显,前者偏向地域文化的独特性,后者偏向旅游介入的适应性。据此提出传统历史文化街区“旅游趋向”和复建历史文化街区“文化趋向”的文旅融合路径,两类街区在文化传承与旅游发展中应加强文化资源符号化、资源功能多元化、符号空间整合化、文化符号全景化,促进文化产品价值化、旅游服务品质化,以实现历史文化街区可持续发展。     

Impacts of exported Turkish soap operas and visa-free entry on inbound tourism to Turkey

We examine the main determinants of the recent boost in the number of tourist inflows to Turkey, focussing on the indirect marketing effect of the Turkish soap operas exported abroad and recent changes in the Turkish government's foreign policies. Applying a traditional tourist demand gravity model, we explore that the recent increase in the popularity of the Turkish soap operas in the Middle East and Eastern Europe has boosted the number of inbound tourists to Turkey from those countries, and as the number of hours of Turkish soap operas aired in a particular country increases, the tourist flows from that country to Turkey increase as well. We also consider the Turkish government's recent bilateral agreements with other countries to waive the visa requirements for ordinary foreign visitors, and indicate that the termination of visa requirements has increased the tourist flows from those countries to Turkey.     

Modeling travel decisions: Urban exploration,cultural immersion,or both?

This paper investigates the characteristics of the choice between cities and culture (or aspects of both) in selecting certain travel destinations. The data consist of 28,700 individuals in 32 European countries. Bivariate probit model estimates show that those with moderately and skilled occupations, students, pensioners, women, people living in cities and regions with a high gross domestic product per capita have a higher joint probability of undertaking city and cultural trips. Furthermore, there are large differences in decisions to take a combined city and cultural trip across the countries of residence surveyed, with small western European countries exhibiting the highest probability.     

Rethinking post-tourism in the age of social media

The article explores how the culture of spreadable social media affects post-tourism, and, by extension, the boundaries of tourism. Post-tourism is understood as a generalized social condition that entails de-differentiation between tourism and other social realms as well as a complex set of reactions against this predominant trend. Through a case study of urban explorers the article demonstrates how spreadable media impose new layers of reflexivity and hesitation as to whether and how to share tourist representations. While spreadable media provide resources for personalized communication they also make it more difficult to uphold cultural boundaries and distinctions. Differences in handling spreadability testify to the extended role of post-tourism as a site of symbolic struggle among the aspirational middle classes.     

Occupying whateverland: Journeys to museums in the Baltic

Recent history of Central and Eastern Europe charts multiple occupations, liberations and re-occupations by a variety of states and regimes. Museums of recent history, located across the region, strive to both constitute a memorial shaping narratives of national identity, and to represent the past in a way both recognizable and persuasive for their predominantly international tourist visitors. These visitors come with their own preconceptions and aims towards building both a historical narrative of the past and a personal identity narrative of a cultured, engaged tourist. In this paper, we chart how the historical past is used in contemporary sensemaking processes in the museums, and how tourist interpretations cross organizational and national barriers that the museum-curated historical narratives attempt to create.     

Social media-based analysis of cultural ecosystem services and heritage tourism in a coastal region of Mexico

Understanding spatial patterns of visitation and benefits accrued to different types of natural and cultural heritage tourists may have important implications for the sustainable management of their destinations. We investigate cultural services accrued to local, domestic and international visitors to the Usumacinta floodplain, a coastal region with one of the highest biological and cultural diversities in Mexico. We combine analysis of social media photographs and high-resolution land cover mapping to identify different cultural services and their association with specific ecosystem and land cover types. Hotspots for international tourists are spatially restricted to well-known and accessible sites. Locals are 2.2–2.5 times more likely than international visitors to be associated with aesthetic appreciation and birdwatching. Locals upload more photographs of coastal lagoons, mangroves, beach and sea. Results are analyzed in light of land cover changes in the region and provide valuable information to decision makers for improved tourism management and conservation strategies.     

The changing nationality composition of the Central Asian and Transcaucasian states

Patterns and levels of migration in eight states located in the southern region of the former Soviet Union are analyzed for the period from 1989 to the beginning of 1996. "The focus of the paper is on the composition of migration streams by nationality and the impact that migration has had on the changing population of the newly independent states formed after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. Recent data are tabulated and estimates discussed in detail disclosing the exodus of Russians and movement of other nationalities in each of the Transcaucasian (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) and Central Asian (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) countries."     

遗产旅游地意象媒介传播机制——苏州园林与江南古镇的比较研究

旅游地意象既包括旅游者经实地体验形成的复合意象,也包括那些远离旅游地的潜在旅游者借助各类媒介信息所形成的引致意象.在新媒体时代,传媒在旅游地意象传播中所扮演的角色越来越重要,分析和研究旅游地意象媒介传播机制现已成为该领域前沿课题.为探索遗产旅游地意象媒介传播模式,文章结合苏州园林和江南古镇案例,采用焦点组访谈、内容分析、问卷调查等方法获取9365例样本的旅游目的地意象媒介传播数据,在质性分析基础上,通过在遗产旅游地意象属性因素与传播媒介因素之间建立结构方程模型,并根据系列研究假设验证结果,揭示出传统媒体与新媒体在遗产旅游地意象形成中的实际作用机制.结论认为,传统媒体与新媒体在文化遗产旅游地意象传播中存在功能互补,前者的优势在于遗产形态与形象推广,而后者的优势则在于遗产文化与意义诠释;借助传统媒体扣新媒体传播不同类型的遗产旅游地意象信息,能够在激发遗产旅游需求的同时,帮助公众更完整地理解遗产文化价值和精神内涵,从而在潜在旅游者中塑造更优良的遗产旅游地意象.在文化遗产旅游地意象传播中,传统媒体与新媒体的整合使用,代表着文化遗产旅游地意象传播的必然.     

Branding Post-Conflict Destinations

SUMMARY

This paper examines the challenges and opportunities of promoting Montenegro as a destination for sustainable tourism in the post-civil war era of the former Yugoslavia, given the country's unique status as the world's only self-proclaimed “ecological state.” There is no denying the recent history of ethnic violence and turmoil that divided the Balkans in the 1990s. Consequently, the incremental return of foreign and domestic visitors to Montenegro, as well as Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, represents a significant return to stability almost ten years after the fighting stopped. And the particular interest of many tourists in the biology and cultural geography of the region makes clear the potential usefulness of “green” branding for Montenegro to distinguish itself from its competitors in the Mediterranean, and to resurrect the country's political image and visitor appeal through targeted environmental practices and promotions.

The ability to embellish its “eco” credentials and image through complementary partnerships and policies that sustain both tourism and the nation's economy would allow Montenegro to strategically and successfully position itself in the Adriatic travel market over the long term. Collaborative management and branding of World Heritage sites and transboundary parks for sustainable tourism will also enable Montenegro, and its former allies and foes, to restore the social and biological integrity and connectivity of a shared landscape severely degraded by a decade of war. In this manner, tourism can be a critical catalyst in overcoming the negative imagery and distrust which still impedes the Balkans' ability to achieve greater political integration and prosperity in an increasingly unified Europe.