Anne Louise Zahra

A Cultural Encounter through Volunteer Tourism: Towards the Ideals of Sustainable Tourism?

International volunteering is increasingly recognised as a form of alternative tourism. However, the nature of the ‘alternative’ experience gained, and the ensuing narrative between host and volunteer, remains under-explored in published research, especially in volunteer tourism research within a cultural context in a developed nation. This paper examines the nexus between volunteer tourism and cultural tourism in the search for alternative and sustainable experiences through tourism. Qualitative research using in-depth interviews, diaries and participant observation was conducted to examine the pre-, during and post-trip experiences of 12 Australian visitors undertaking organised volunteer activities in an indigenous Maori community in the North Island of New Zealand during January 2005. Members of the indigenous Maori community were also interviewed to provide an important host perspective. Findings suggest that the nature of the interaction and cultural experiences gained were perceived as mutually beneficial and seemingly different from those gained from traditional cultural products. In particular, the volunteers experienced an alternative Maori cultural product and engaged in a different narrative with their Maori hosts through their volunteer work, one rich in authentic cultural content, genuine and reflective of modern Maori life in New Zealand society.

Volunteer Tourism: Evidence of Cathartic Tourist Experiences

This Department is devoted to research reports, notes, conference résumés and other significant research events. Two copies of write-ups, not exceeding 3,000 words, may he mailed to the Section Editor, Professor David A. Fennell, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada L2S 3A1; e-mail: david.fennell@brocku.ca. In all cases, one copy of the report should be mailed to the Chief Editor, TRR.

Rethinking regional tourism governance: the principle of subsidiarity

This paper examines the governance of regional tourism organisations (RTOs) and relates governance to the principle of subsidiarity. The principle maintains that tasks and responsibilities should be accomplished by the lowest and most basic elements of any social organisation, and it is an injustice to assign to a larger and higher association what the lesser and subordinate associations can do. There is little research on understanding RTO governance, on how governance may contribute to RTO instability or on the application of the principle of subsidiarity in a tourism context. A New Zealand case study demonstrates a series of fundamental problems with typical RTO governance structures, linked to problems found in many tourism partnerships. Data collection methods for the case study of the Waikato RTO included observation, interviews, focus groups and document analysis. The paper concludes that the principle of subsidiarity can underpin an RTO governance system if the RTO adopts an ethos of service to the tourism sector and the wider community. This governance style requires open communication and consultation, must foster trust and legitimacy and contribute to securing the RTOs ongoing required resources. Such a governance structure would align well with the principles of sustainable tourism.

Reflections on the research process: the researcher as actor and audience in the world of regional tourist organisations.

In an investigation of Regional Tourist Organisations (RTOs) in New Zealand the role and nature of research has been considered with reference to underlying epistemologies and paradigms. RTOs are not simple functional organisations with their sole aim being the promotion of tourism; they are subject to political processes, uncertainty and the influences of key personalities or the lack thereof. Consequently the researcher begins to exercise power as a conduit of information and as a source of knowledge, which factors in themselves require reflection about the multi-paradigmatic nature of such social science research. This paper examines approaches to tourism research within the context of a study of RTOs to illustrate the complexities of tourism research. It will be argued that no one research methodology or paradigm will accommodate the research phenomena and thus a multi-paradigmatic and bricoleur approach is preferable.

Learning Journals Leading to Authentic Learning in a Hospitality Context

There is a call for more reflective practices in hospitality education to deliver authentic learning. This article evaluates a learning journal assessment that stimulates both real-world relevance and experience and documents how the assessment was managed. The literature review outlines assessment characteristics and implementation considerations. This empirical article uses both quantitative and qualitative data. It was found that the informality of the assessment, student insecurity, and the lack of structure regarding expectations made the learning journal problematic in the early stages for most students, yet if managed well, it can lead to an authentic learning experience.

Proposing Video Diaries as an Innovative Methodology in Tourist Experience Research

Tourism is a highly visual experience, yet word-based approaches dominate travel and tourism research methods. Video diaries are one innovative methodology to understand the tourism experience; they capture visual and verbal representation of the participants reality, as participants choose the scenes worth filming based on personal meaning. This approach is therefore underpinned by the ontological hermeneutic assumption that understanding and interpretation are part of human existence, and that participants may therefore interpret their own experiences. A research project interpreting “home”, a complex, value-laden and personal concept, among returnees from long-term travel is presented here to demonstrate the execution of ontological hermeneutics through video diarising methodology, supplemented by conversational interviews based on empathic understanding through active listening. In short, video diaries are argued here to supplement traditional word-based approaches used in tourism research in order to privilege an insiders perspective of the tourist experience.

National tourism organisations - politics, functions and form: a New Zealand case study.

ABSTRACT National Tourist Organisations (NTOs) are an important part of a nations tourism industry, yet there has been comparatively little research on their functions, structure and the political processes that influence how they operate and change. This paper is a case study documenting changes of New Zealands NTO over a twenty year period. The paper focuses on some of the key players and the political processes that led to changes in the functions of the NTO and the ramifications this had on the tourism industry. The paper indicates that discussion of tourism strategies without reference to wider concerns of a political nature can at best only remain an incomplete analysis. The question is also raised: Why has not more research been done in this area?

A historical analysis of tourism policy implementation by local government

Abstract Local government is critical to tourism policy delivery. This paper examines the failure of the public and private tourism sectors to educate local government policy-makers in understanding tourism and related policy issues, leading to poor tourism policy implementation at the local level. The paper presents a historical and descriptive analysis of policy development and documents how local government tourism policy and its associated processes came into being in New Zealand. There is little academic historical research examining institutional and political frameworks of local government and how they impact on tourism policy implementation. Both primary and secondary data sources such as interviews and administrative and archived documents have been used. This finding illustrates a lack of understanding of tourism by central and local government bureaucrats and local government. Due to the lack of historical policy knowledge there is an inability to measure whether progress is being made.

Language and Cultural Considerations When Implementing Innovative Approaches to Assessments: Reflective learning journals and the perception of non-English speaking students

Abstract There is a call for hospitality educators to incorporate more reflective and critical thinking in curriculum and assessment. This paper explores if non-English speaking students, chiefly from a Confucian heritage background, in an English delivery hospitality management degree course respond to and engage differently to students who have English as their first language, when they undertook a reflective learning journal as an assessment for a hospitality law subject. The hospitality literature argues that Asian students have more reflective learning styles than their Western counterparts who prefer active learning styles. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were used to collect and analyse data. The findings show that international students found some aspects of the learning journal more problematic such as writing in the first person, fewer rules and understanding the process and expectations of the assessment. These students also found the reflective and critical thinking components more difficult. The paper concludes that reflection required in a reflective learning journal is different to a reflective learning style and more research is required.

The positive impact of othering in voluntourism: The role of the relational other in becoming another self

ABSTRACT Despite initial enthusiasm about the potential of voluntourism to promote sustainable development and intercultural learning, recent critiques have focused on voluntourists’ tendency to reinforce status differences by “Othering” their hosts. This study expands the literature on Othering in international voluntourism contexts by examining how local community members who interacted with voluntourists interpreted the Self–Other relationship. Based on longitudinal focus group data from four host communities, the findings showed that the categories of “Self” and “Other” were not fixed but fluid, permeable, and dynamic. The study suggests that the Othering process can open up unexpected relational spaces and reconfigure community–voluntourist relationships.