Myths can be part of the established narratives of tourist destinations: they offer a perspective on reality that may alter it but that makes it also more insightful by highlighting its inner contradictions and idiosyncrasies and challenging the universal values underlying it. This altered perspective on a place ensures visitors will feel touched by the myth and connected to the place, and the myth itself will be retold. In this paper, we discuss how we have connected narrative to story and story to myth to (re)tell the narratives of people and places and to enhance, in this way, the overall visitor experience in (tourist) destinations. We review two storytelling/placemaking projects that were commissioned to us by several regional, tourism organizations in Brabant, a province in the South of the Netherlands. The projects are: Becoming Vincent, a project about Vincent van Gogh; and Crossroads, a project about heritage from WWII. The aim of these projects was to draft a unique, narrative concept and design storylines that would link and upgrade the sites related to that heritage to eventually attract tourists there, and/or to stimulate visitors to visit more sites connected to the same theme. Finally, we draw lessons we learnt from these projects and highlight the insights we gained in the use of storytelling for mythmaking in tourist destinations
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In this report the philosophy of the Conscious Destination is discussed. Also the bounderies of the hospitality domain and the core themes (as defined by CELTH) of Conscious Destinations will be described. These themes are: “Living environment”, “Human capital”, “Organising Capacity”, “Smartness” and “Leisure offer”.
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The general aim of this research project has been to examine this phenomenon of tourism flow switching and consider the factors driving the geopolitical instability that can compromise destination security. On a more practical level the research has also examined what the reactions of Dutch tourists are to security threats affecting their tourism decisions and looked at the development of preventive measures against attacks by destinations and travel organisations. Finally, the research on the regional geopolitics of the MENA and European areas have together with the attitudes of Dutch tourists towards destination security been used as inputs into a scenario planning process involving the steering group of tour operators who originally commissioned this research, as participants. This process has focussed on macro environmental analysis, identification of key uncertainties, and the development of resilient strategies for the future.
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Recent studies on urban policy responses to increasing tourism have moved beyond the physical impact of tourism to also include the way tourism is framed by social movements. This paper contributes to this line of research with a focus on frame resonance: the extent to which frames strike a responsive chord with the public in general and policymakers in particular. We introduce a specific form of frame amplification through cultural resonance; the appeal to pre-existing societal beliefs. Using an analysis of policy documents, print, online and social media, we demonstrate that frames around tourist shops in Amsterdam appealed to pre-existing beliefs that portray the inner city as: a delicate mix of functions, an infrastructure for criminal activities, and a business card reflecting the city’s quality of place. These beliefs amplified frame resonance to such an extent that they convinced an initially reluctant local government to ban tourist shops from the inner city, a policy that undermines the accessibility and inclusivity of urban spaces that the local government aims to promote (SDG 11). This suggests that the contingencies in the local context that enable or foreclose the cultural resonance of frames are essential in understanding policy responses to touristification.
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This book explores inspirational entrepreneurial activities in the tourism industry of Ladakh, India. It particularly looks at ways to develop an entrepreneurial yet environment-friendly tourist destination. The book starts off with in-depth historical reflections of entrepreneurship and tourism in one of India’s fastest growing tourist destinations. Subsequently, the book studies the unique entrepreneurial challenges and opportunities in Ladakh’s extreme resource-scarcity and remote context based on empirical evidence from entrepreneurs and stakeholders in the tourism industry. In addition, a broad overview of contemporary entrepreneurial activities in the tourism industry in Ladakh is presented, underscoring the importance of indigenous knowledge and cultural traditions for developing sustainable tourism. Based on qualitative data analyses and literature reflections, this book provides scholars, students, professionals and policymakers an alternative view on entrepreneurial activities in the tourism industry of an ecologically jeopardized region.
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Tourism and Hospitality in Conf lict-Ridden Destinations provides insight into the various types of current and post-conf lict destinations worldwide and the steps that might be taken to transform them into future tourist destinations. Through both a conceptual and demonstrative approach, this book examines the steps destination management organizations as well as destination marketers need to take in order to improve their image in the eye of potential tourists. It also questions the extent to which tourism can alter the image of a destination and the possible destination marketing strategies that can be undertaken. Analysis of a wide selection of international case studies in countries ranging from Palestine to Myanmar to Northern Ireland provides a thorough and far-reaching academic study. Written by an international and multidisciplinary team of leading academics, this book will be of great interest to students, researchers and academics in the tourism as well as development studies disciplines.
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Purpose: Little is known about how tourists’ eating habits change between everyday life and holidays. This study aims to identify market segments based on changes in food consumption and experiences of a sun-and-sea destination’s local food. The authors evaluate to what extent tourists consume local food and assess the contribution of local food experiences to the tourists’ overall experience. Design/methodology/approach: The target population was all tourists visiting the Algarve in the Summer 2018 and included both domestic and international sun-and-sea tourists. A sample of 378 valid questionnaires was collected. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, statistical tests and cluster analysis. Findings: Cluster analysis identified three segments: non-foodies, selective foodies and local gastronomy foodies. Results indicate that tourists change their eating habits during holidays, eating significantly more seafood and fish and less legumes, meat, fast food and cereals and their derivatives. International and domestic sun-and-sea tourists reported that eating local food contributes significantly to their overall tourism experience. Practical implications: Sun-and-sea destinations should promote the offer of local dishes, especially those that include locally produced fish and seafood, to improve the tourist experience, differentiate the destination and increase sustainability. Originality/value: The authors address three identified research gaps: a posteriori segmentation based on tourists’ food consumption behaviour; measurement of changes in eating practices between home and in a sun-and-sea destination; and assessment of the role of food experiences to overall tourism experience of tourists visiting a sun-and-sea destination.
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Why people conduct different sharing about their travel is unclear. Understudied areas include the roles of tourism activity type, tourist well-being, and social context. Under the framework of construal level theory, three studies which combined secondary data and experiments revealed that: 1) challenging (relaxing) tourism activities lead to more desirability (feasibility) sharing; 2) eudaimonia (hedonia) occupy the dominant position and mediate the relationship between challenging (relaxing) tourism activity and desirability (feasibility) sharing; and 3) social context induces the transformation of the relationship between eudaimonia and hedonia, and has a significant moderating impact on the mechanism of travel experience sharing type. Theoretical and managerial implications of travel experience sharing type and mutual transformation between eudaimonia and hedonia are discussed.
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