Caroline Scarles

Research Perspectives on Responsible Tourism

The vision of a more responsible form of tourism was much discussed in the 1980s and became an important element within the then emerging concept of sustainable tourism (Krippendorf, 1987: 138–139)...

Mediating landscapes: The processes and practices of image construction in tourist brochures of Scotland

Using the example of the Scottish Tourist Board ([STB] now VisitScotland), this article outlines three spaces of mediation involved in the discursive transformation of material landscapes into brochure images. STB marketing personnel occupy the first space of mediation. Market research provides specialist knowledge of consumer expectations and key icons of Scotland that form the dominant ideological foundations upon which positive discourses of place are constructed. Photography occupies the second space of mediation. Directly influenced by marketing discourse, photography becomes a highly selective process as photographers directly mediate landscapes using photographic techniques, knowledge and artistic expertise to convey atmospheres, moods and feelings of place, capturing consumers’ attention and encouraging imaginative interpretation. Design and the final presentation of images in brochures occupy the third space of mediation. Bound by design briefs outlining mediated discourse, design mediation occurs as designers apply knowledge, skills and artistic expertise of design practices and create new ways of presenting images in brochures.

Everyday climate discourses and sustainable tourism

ABSTRACT Debates surrounding the human impact on climate change have, in recent years, proliferated in political, academic, and public rhetoric. Such debates have also played out in the context of tourism research (e.g. extent to which anthropogenic climate change exists; public understanding in relation to climate change and tourism). Taking these debates as its point of departure, whilst also adopting a post-structuralist position, this paper offers a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of comments to an online BBC news article concerning climate change. Our analysis finds three key ways responsibility is mitigated through climate change talk: scepticism towards the scientific evidence surrounding climate change; placing responsibility on the “distant other” through a nationalistic discourse; and presenting CO2 as “plant food”. The implications of these ways of thinking about climate change are discussed with a focus on how this translates into action related to the sustainability of tourism behaviours. In doing so, it concludes that a deeper understanding of everyday climate talk is essential if the tourism sector is to move towards more sustainable forms of consumption.

Consumer priorities: what would people sacrifice in order to fly on holidays?

ABSTRACT Holidaying is an important leisure pursuit and, for a growing minority, air travel is the default mode for holiday mobility. However, the current trend of increasing demand for air travel runs contrary to climate-related sustainability goals. Efforts to motivate reductions in consumption of holiday air travel must contend with the embeddedness of flying as a social practice and should be informed by an understanding of how people prioritize air travel for holidays relative to other forms of consumption. Using data drawn from a survey of 2066 British adults, this exploratory study uses a novel method to assess the willingness of individuals to sacrifice holiday air travel relative to their willingness to make changes to their daily consumption patterns. We find a greater readiness to undertake additional expense (of time, effort, or money) than to retrench incumbent consumption patterns in order to fly for holidays. Reluctance to sacrifice for the sake of flying was greatest with regards to those items that are most associated with the basic infrastructure of modern life (e.g. mobile phones). Examining product-specific pro-environmental sacrifice in relative terms, our findings suggest that voluntary reductions in flying are more plausible than other modes of pro-environmental sacrifice.

BEST Education Network Think Tank IX: ‘The Importance of Values in Sustainable Tourism’:

© 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1467-3584 Tourism and Hospitality Research Vol. 10, 2, 152–155 Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel Education Network (BEST EN) held its ninth Think Tank on Sustainable Travel and Tourism in Singapore on the 15 – 18 of June 2009. The conference was held in conjunction with the School of Business at James Cook University in Singapore. Founded in 1998, BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge and is dedicated to developing innovative sustainable travel and tourism practices that enhance and develop current industry, academic and traveller practices. A major focus of BEST EN is the dissemination of such knowledge and this is accomplished through the annual Think Tank that takes place over 3 – 4 days at various universities around the world. At the Think Tanks, research is presented, sustainable tourism topics are addressed and a research agenda and curriculum modules for use in undergraduate education are developed. Therefore, the success of BEST EN Think tanks arises not only from the high-quality academic papers that are presented, but importantly in providing the opportunity to work closely with others to share and create new knowledge in this fi eld. The BEST EN is chaired by Dr Janne Liburd, Associate Professor from the University of Southern Denmark, and the executive committee is comprised of professors from undergraduate and graduate departments from around the world. Before reporting on the Think Tank, this year BEST EN also hosted the fi rst international symposium of Volunteering and Tourism, held at James Cook University the day before Think Tank IX commenced. Delegates were welcomed by Dr Deborah Edwards, University of Technology, Sydney and Dr Angela Benson from the University of Brighton, United Kingdom. The fi rst keynote was delivered by Conference Review

The Role of Digital Technologies in Facilitating Intergenerational Learning in Heritage Tourism

This research proposes a framework of intergenerational learning (IGL) that supports child-to-parent influence in the context of heritage learning using augmented reality (AR) and serious game applications. Positioning children as the behavioural catalysts in the learning process, the framework is developed based on several considerations and requirements. First, the technologies are designed to play a role in attracting and engaging children in learning and providing an intergenerational participation structure to allow children to influence parents’ attitudes and behaviour. Second, using the mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics framework of game design, the game elements are designed to provide realistic context for experiential learning, informative guiding and player interactions to increase engagement, as well as clear and measurable success indicators to increase motivation. The outcome of this framework is attitude and behaviour change in children and parents with regards to heritage preservation and appreciation, which is one of the main goals of heritage tourism managers.

BEST Education Network Think Tank XI “Learning for Sustainable Tourism” May 21–24, 2011, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Building Excellence in Sustainable Tourism (BEST) Education Network (EN) held its 11th Think Tank on Sustainable Travel and Tourism in Philadelphia, PA, on May 21–24, 2011. The conference was held in conjunction with Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and the Think Tank was hosted by Elisabeth Barber of Temple University. Founded in 1998, BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge and is dedicated to developing innovative sustainable travel and tourism practices that enhance and develop current industry, academic, and traveler practices. A major focus of BEST is the dissemination of such knowledge, and this is accomplished through the annual Think Tank which takes place during 3 to 4 days at various universities around the world. At the Think Tanks, research is presented, sustainable tourism topics are addressed, and a research agenda and curriculum module for use in travel and tourism education are developed. An additional output for the Think Tank in Philadelphia was a case study example of sustainable tourism practice. Therefore, the success of BEST EN Think Tanks arises not only from the high-quality academic papers that are presented, but importantly from providing the opportunity to work closely with others to share and create new knowledge in this field. The BEST EN is chaired by Dagmar Lund-Durlacher, dean of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management from Modul University in Vienna, and the executive committee