Development of advanced tourism studies in Holland

Bodewes, Theo, Development of Advanced Tourism Studies in Holland. Annals of Tourism Research 1981, VIII(1):35–51. The entry of tourism studies into the field of advanced education is often a difficult process. Theory and practice sometimes serve conflicting interests. In the Netherlands an option has been taken for a theoretical, multi-disciplinary approach with links to the field of practice. Within this framework, tourism is indissolubly connected with leisure and recreation, leisure being the core of studies. This implies that the universities should educate leisure economists, leisure sociologists, etc., and that advanced professional educational institutions should educate leisure experts. This paper discusses whether the problems and solutions in the Netherlands are recognizable and/or useful abroad, and whether one institution can learn from the experiences of others.     

Tourism demand constraints: A skiing participation

This article provides a critique of the existing literature on leisure constraints. Alternative models are discussed, including the new “negotiation of constraints” model. This study operationalized the new model in order to examine the limiting factors for participants and nonparticipants of skiing. Qualitative analysis revealed that nonskiers faced a number of intrapersonal obstacles, whereas skiers were constrained by time, family, or economic factors. Analysis of questionnaires indicated that economic factors were the major limitations for both groups. When the groups were compared, t-tests indicated that their differences were significantly greater for intrapersonal constraints, supporting the findings from the qualitative research. However, the results did not fully support the new hierarchical model of constraints.     

The struggle over worker leisure: an analysis of the history of the workers' sports association in Canada

Discussions of the work‐leisure relationship focus largely on issues of work‐life balance and generally ignore the possibility of employer‐sponsored leisure being used as a means of workplace or societal control of workers. The Workers' Sports Association (WSA), active in Canada between 1924 and 1935, challenged this use of leisure by the state and the elite, including employers. The WSA's goal was to use sport and leisure opportunities as a means of political education for workers, and to act as opposition to employer‐ and state‐controlled “bosses' sport.” The WSA, while ultimately unsuccessful, raised still‐important questions about the uses of leisure in relation to the workplace and society at large. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sociocultural dimensions of tourism history

This paper explores some of the sociocultural issues that surround tourism history. It is contended that tourist activity is socially differentiated, but that this is by no means solely a product of prevailing class and related structural constraints. Instead, importance must be attached to the cultural setting within which activity is located and to the role of the consumer in creating new opportunities. Two case studies — plotland development and holiday camps — are used to demonstrate the thesis. Conclusions are drawn in respect of the study of tourism history, arguing for interdisciplinarity, for comparative research, and for further work on the inter-relationships between societal constraints and individual opportunities.