Doing sustainability: an application of an inter-disciplinary and mixed-method approach to a regional sustainable tourism project

Abstract

This paper describes and explains an interdisciplinary and mixed-method approach to a large-scale sustainable tourism development project. The research took place in a two-county area straddling the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, USA. It was commissioned in order to develop a sustainable tourism centerpiece to enhance the region and encourage visitor expenditures while maintaining the environment and quality of life of the community. In response to Hollinshead and Jamal's 2007 call for a more bricoleur and third ear approach to tourism research, a gap analysis of the region's tourism offerings was performed using six interdisciplinary, mixed-method research phases seeking to identify discrepancies between the current region's tourism offerings, visitor preferences and community stakeholders. Phases included a Community Resource Assessment (GIS-based Inventory), Stakeholder Interviews, a Visitor Survey and GPS visitor tracking, the development of seven Potential Scenarios, a Potential Visitor Survey and an Economic Analysis. Subsequently, two potential tourism centerpieces were developed with the goal of showcasing the region's unique mountain and agricultural heritage. In addition to providing a detailed overview of the research project, the paper concludes with discussion of the practical and political challenges, time constraints and rewards that accompany this type of research.