Tourism For People Research Articles

Time allocation in tourism for people with disabilities

This article analyses the time allocated to tourism activities for people with and without disabilities. Using data at an individual level from the Time Use Survey for Spain in 2002-2003 and the social model of disability as a framework, we estimate a modified count data model called “Zero Inflated Negative Binomial Model” to investigate the likelihood of undertaking tourism activities and the intensity of this participation among disabled individuals as compared to their non-disabled counterparts. Although the results show that disabled people who are limited in their daily activities are less likely to participate in tourism activities, the differences in the intensity of this participation by disability status are less evident, particularly among those males with disabilities (limited or not).

Community-based tourism enterprises: challenges and prospects for community participation; Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust, Botswana

This study assesses community participation in a community-based tourism enterprise in Botswana, the Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust, founded in 1992. Data were collected using structured and semi-structured questionnaires, interviews with key stakeholders and community focus group discussions. Results indicate that although Community-Based Natural Resource Management is popular in many southern African nations, communities still face challenges and constraints which hinder their participation in community-based enterprises. While some other studies in Botswana indicate the value of community-based tourism, 95% of adult residents in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust area did not know who owned the Trust, and 98% had never been to the Trust's lands. There was community disappointment about loss of cattle grazing and other land-related benefits, lack of communication with the community, lack of benefits, the low numbers employed and the slow progress of the project which did not record a profit until 2008. But the Trust now has over 25% of the rhinos in Botswana and has seen visitor numbers rise from 1820 in 1996 to over 21,000 in 2008. Suggestions for the future include appointment of a community liaison officer, training for local people in tourism and management and use of single-community rather than multi-community trusts.

Travel and the ‘Freedom of Movement’: Racialised Encounters and Experiences Amongst Ethnic Minority Tourists in the EU

This paper presents a conceptual‐based discussion dealing with social and geo‐political concerns associated with the tourism experiences and travel encounters of ethnic minority citizens living in member‐states of the European Union (EU). Although EU legislation emphasises that its citizens have freedom of movement throughout member‐states, the prevalence of racialised situations transpiring within, across and beyond EU borders suggests that this commitment is socio‐politically ambiguous. The popular hysteria that has developed towards increased immigration from non‐EU countries extends to those minorities who have legal status of entry, residency and/or citizenship – as they too are visibly different from Europe's white majorities. The paper thus reflects on ways in which the 11 September 2001 attacks in America have had a detrimental impact on people's tourism and travel experiences, particularly in instances where individuals have been treated with high levels of suspicion from institutional bodies and ethnic (white) majorities. The work firmly emphasises that racial prejudice, institutional racism and xeno‐racist practices restrict ethnic minority citizens from appreciating cosmopolitan‐based tourism experiences and engaging in congenial exchanges with other European cultures and societies. One of the main contentions asserts that racialised movements limit ethnic minority citizens from achieving full rights to social and (multi)cultural forms of citizenship. The conclusion suggests ways in which researchers ought to respond to the study of tourism and racism within the EU.

TSUNAMI: Disconnect and the Aftermath

At one time, few people lived permanently near the edges of the world’s oceans. Now, more than half of the world’s population lives near beaches and estuaries. People in developed countries have primary or secondary homes there to enjoy the views and for recreation. Poor people in developing countries live there to engage in fishing, jobs in tourism for people from developed countries, and for subsistence farming in river delta areas. They remain despite persistent hurricanes, typhoons, and resulting flooding. There is a serious disconnect for both rich and poor people between the reality of living near oceans and the danger that this entails. For a variety of reasons, people are becoming less and less connected to the world around them. Natural events that have devastating effects on humans are considered to be strange and unusual, rather than a normal part of human existence on a continually changing planet. Our disconnect from nature has serious consequences. Earthquakes under the oceans, from shifting tectonic plates or volcanic eruptions, are known to result in oceanic disturbances that result in elevated wave activity near ocean shores. A high wall of water, or wave, that emerges from the water column caused by an ocean disturbance is called a tsunami (Japanese for “harbor wave”). Globally, 80% of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean region. Seismic waves above 7.5 m occur there naturally every 15 years. Tsunamis are not unusual events. When I was in Japan recently, I discovered that they are a favorite theme in Japanese art, especially in woodblock prints. The earthquake that recently occurred in the Indian Ocean was unusually strong (9.0 on the Richter Scale) and the resulting tsunami resulted in horrific loss of life and property in countries like Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka. Television has enabled everyone to witness the devastation and its aftermath. More than 150,000 people have died and huge coastal areas have been destroyed. Stunned local populations are responding to an enormous outpouring of international relief aid. What will be the aftermath of this devastating tsunami? Reefs have been damaged or destroyed as have coastal mangrove areas and estuaries. What effects this will have on fish populations and reproduction are unknown. Ponds used to cultivate shrimp have been destroyed. Few fishing boats are left to harvest what fish may be left. Seawater was driven inland, killing plants and animals, and infiltrating agricultural land and wells used for drinking water. The long-term effects on agriculture and well water are not known. Ecologists have an opportunity to study recolonization of affected areas by plants and animals. Epidemics of diseases have not developed as prompt burial of bodies and distribution of clean water and

A strategic perspective to human resource development in Scottish tourism

Profiles “Tourism People” an industry‐led body established as an integral part of a new strategy for Scottish tourism. Its role is to focus the industry on meeting and exceeding the expectations of its customers, by investing in the people who work in the industry. Building on the earlier work of “Tourism Training Scotland”, the new body is a partnership organization, with representation from across the sector. This paper outlines some of the initiatives that will help to provide a range of learning and development opportunities for employers and employees in key industry roles.

Tourism, livelihoods and protected areas: opportunities for fair‐trade tourism in and around National parks

AbstractThe development and implementation of ‘alternative livelihood projects’ by donor agencies and conservation organisations has become one of the most commonly‐applied management prescriptions to alleviate existing or potential conflicts between protected areas and local livelihoods. The use of these projects is a common feature of so‐called Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs). In most cases, the promotion of these initiatives are undertaken as extensions of protected area programmes and often take place in buffer zones. Examples of projects that seek to improve local livelihoods in and around protected areas are common, and many of them have a tourism component. However, the results of tourism components of ICDPs have often been disappointing with local people benefiting little from tourism revenues.Nevertheless, many national parks are major tourist attractions in rural, and often marginal, areas and do offer significant opportunities for indigenous enterprise development. People living in and around these protected areas often have high expectations of what tourism could offer them. Using data collected in the south east lowveld of Zimbabwe for the DFID Tourism, Conservation and Sustainable Development project an analysis of local people's expectations of tourism is presented. The survey covered nine villages and there are significant differences in the responses. Local people were asked about their experience of tourism and their aspirations, including their preferred ways of earning money from tourism. Finally an analysis of their perceptions of the barriers to their involvement in the industry is presented.The paper then addresses the ways in which a national park or conservancy might respond to these aspirations and seek to involve local people in tourism enabling them to secure all or part of their livelihood from tourism related employment or entrepreneurial activity. An analysis of the preferences of tourists surveyed in Gonarezhou about activities, which they would wish to participate in if they were available, is presented.The paper concludes with an analysis of the opportunities for the managers of state, communal or privately owned land to create and support opportunities for local people to participate in the tourism industry and to benefit from fairly traded tourism. These strategies include marketing and business development support, regulation and price management.

The Effect of Trust on Quality in the Culturally Diverse Tourism Industry

Tourism can be interpreted as a system of different companies, which are often situated in different regional, geographical, political, economic and cultural backgrounds. Because of the tense interaction between customers and employees in tourism firms, understanding of the system plays a significant role to establish a high service quality. Furthermore customers have to offer trust to tourism firms, since the tourism product is characterized by high intangibility before consumption. Additionally trust building is hampered due to the diversity of people in tourism and the different firms in tourism, which have to cooperate. This paper analyzes trust building in tourism and presents strategies to improve trust.