Dimitri Ioannides

Tourism 'non-entrepreneurship' in peripheral destinations: a case study of small and medium tourism enterprises on Bornholm, Denmark.

Geographers have increasingly criticized the absence of theoretical rigour characterizing studies of the tourism production system. Tourism entrepreneurship is one related research area that has not received the level of attention it deserves. Additionally, the role that innovation plays in small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) has not been examined in depth. This paper focuses on a study of entrepreneurial activity among SMTEs in a peripheral region, namely the Danish island of Bornholm. The study is based on thirty in-depth, non-random, structured interviews with owners of tourism-related enterprises. An examination of the key characteristics of these SMTEs provides evidence that most can be described as ‘gap-fillers’, companies operated by so-called ‘constrained’ or ‘non-entrepreneurs’, which do not display evidence of having adopted significant product or process innovations. Among the key barriers to innovation identified are the extreme seasonality plaguing the island’s tourist industry and, related to this, the uncompetitive nature of the existing tourist industry.

Post-Fordism and flexibility: the travel industry polyglot

Abstract Theorists argue that leisure and travel-related activities have become increasingly commodified, reflecting the broader evolution of a postmodern culture of consumption. This paper argues that these developments have produced a travel industry complex characterized by a polyglot of varying production processes, each placing a premium on flexible forms of accumulation. Focusing on certain key sectors of the travel industry, the paper examines how, partly because of new information technologies, each element of the travel industry polyglot appears to have been affected by flexible-based production strategies such as the externalization of ancillary services, the development of interfirm strategic alliances, and sophisticated product differentiation through brand segmentation. The paper ends with a call for in-depth empirical investigations to help develop a superior understanding of how flexible production techniques affect the various components comprising the travel industry.

A flawed implementation of sustainable tourism: the experience of Akamas, Cyprus

Abstract Alternative tourism is increasingly regarded as a key to sustainable development. The rationale is that contrary to mass tourism with its commonplace negative effects on receiving areas, alternative tourism promotes a balanced growth form more in tune with local environmental and sociocultural concerns. Yet, academics are becoming increasingly skeptical as to whether alternative tourism can be truly sustainable. This paper examines a case study of the Cypriot governments recent efforts to introduce alternative tourism as a rural development strategy in the Akamas peninsula. Evidence reveals that failure to involve the local rural communities in the decision-making process plus the inability of policy makers to form an integrated vision for the entire region form major obstacles towards realizing the goal of sustainable development.

Transboundary Collaboration in Tourism: the Case of the Bothnian Arc

Abstract Tourisms relationship to political boundaries has caught the attention of researchers only recently, even though on a more general level the academic study of borders attracts considerable interest. A topic that has been explored only superficially concerns the obstacles inhibiting tourisms development in a cross-border setting and, particularly, the tensions arising when the respective national interests of the two neighbouring countries do not coincide with the mutual benefits to be derived through close transfrontier collaboration at the regional level. An emerging key question is what forces dominate within the region straddling the border between two countries – those dictated by the respective national interests of each country, or those benefiting the transboundary region itself? These issues are explored through an examination of the Bothnian Arc Project, a cross-border collaborative effort between Sweden and Finland. A detailed investigation of the planning process that has been put into effect for developing and marketing this coastal regions tourist product is provided. Among the issues discussed are the attempts on the part of all stakeholders to establish a unifying identity for the region, which will set it aside from other destinations in northern Scandinavia (e.g. Lapland). The focus is on some of the most important challenges lying ahead in terms of developing and marketing this cross-border region as a single destination. Additionally, the investigation shows that even if the border in this region has effectively disappeared, obstacles remain to achieving mutual regional benefits.

Commentary: The Economic Geography of the Tourist Industry: Ten Years of Progress in Research and an Agenda for the Future

Commentary: The Economic Geography of the Tourist Industry: Ten Years of Progress in Research and an Agenda for the Future

Misguided policy initiatives in small-island destinations: why do up-market tourism policies fail?

Following the rhetoric of sustainability, many destinations have adopted policies aimed at attracting high spending visitors while limiting the further growth of mass package tourism. Drawing mainly from the experiences of small-island destinations, we question whether these policies are either environmentally or economically justifiable. Up-market tourists are few in number, prefer varied destinations and require luxury accommodations and facilities that are environmentally taxing and often foreign owned. Mass tourism, while certainly no panacea, has the advantages of larger markets, higher rates of repeat visitation, lower per capita rates of energy and natural resource use, and is often relatively spatially confined. Additionally, given the downturn in all travel following the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, destinations are likely to welcome any paying guest.

Tourism in the USA : A Spatial and Social Synthesis

The United States continues to provide opportunities for travel and tourism to domestic and international travellers. This is the first book to offer students a comprehensive overview of both tourism and travel in this region, paying specific attention to the disciplines of Geography, Tourism Studies and, more generally, Social Science. Tourism in the USA explains the evolution of tourism paying attention to the forces that shaped the product that exists today. The focus of the book includes the manner in which tourism has played out in various contexts; the role of federal, state, and local policy is also examined in terms of the effects it has had on the US travel industry and on destinations. The various elements of tourism demand and supply are discussed and the influence that transportation (especially Americans’ high personal mobility rates and love affair with the auto) has had on the sector highlighted. The economics of tourism are fleshed out before focusing more narrowly on both the urban and rural settings where tourism occurs. A look into the manner in which the spatial structure of cities is transformed through tourism is also offered. Additionally, a brief examination of future issues in American tourism is presented along with explanations concerning the ascendancy of tourism as an economic development tool in various areas. The book combines theory and practice as well as integrating a range of useful student orientated resources to aid understanding and spur further debate, which can be used for independent study or in class exercises. These include: ‘Closer Look’ case studies with reflective questions to help show theory in practice and encourage critical thinking about tourism developments in this region ‘Discussion questions’ at the end of each chapter encourage stimulating debates ‘Further Reading’ sections direct the readers to related book and web resources so that they can learn more about the topics covered in each chapter.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. American Tourism: A Study through Time 3. The Institutional Setting for Tourism in the United States 4. Demand for Tourism in the United States 5. Tourist Attractions, Tourism Types, Accommodations, and Intermediaries 6. The Transportation System 7. Tourism’s Economic Significance 8. Urban Tourism in the US 9. On the Road to Small Town USA: Rural Tourism and its Significance 10. Conclusions

Special issue introduction: evolutionary economic geography and the economies of tourism destinations

Tourism does not exist in isolation as an economic activity and is embedded in numerous highly complex internal and external networks. As such, understanding tourisms relations to places and regions is a challenging task. The introduction to this special issue defines the editors’ goals of proposing that an evolutionary economic geography (EEG) approach can provide an insightful conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between tourism development and local and global economies. The first set of papers clearly outline and demonstrate the EEG perspective. The latter set of papers are not explicitly EEG oriented; however, the arguments and findings that the authors make have clear evolutionary theory implications. The special issue is intended to generate further research and dialog on the relations among tourism, development and place.

Conducting creativity in the periphery of Sweden : A bottom-up path towards territorial cohesion

ABSTRACT Socio-economic cohesion has been a foundational overarching objective of the European Union. The European Unions recent enlargement, not to mention the worldwide economic downturn, persisting asymmetries of globalization and deindustrialization have deepened existing cleavages and accentuated persisting effects of unbalanced development. The mainstreaming of the sustainability concept and the ascendance of creativity and innovation as regional development tools have caused municipalities and regions to explore ‘soft’ strategies aimed at fostering culture and creativity in order to revive their image and their economies. A shift in the thinking about cohesion policy after the publication of the Fifth Cohesion Report in November 2010 has signalled the need for European municipalities and regions to focus on bottom-up strategies so as to compliment top-down redistributional arrangements as paths towards regional development. This article focuses on the concept of territorial cohesion as spatial justice and its implications for the sparsely populated Swedish northern periphery. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of cultural industries (CIs) as a regional policy tool in the periphery in the context of justice, sustainability and the three dimensions of territorial cohesion: territorial identity, territorial efficiency and territorial quality. Findings suggest that viewing CIs as tools towards regional development in the periphery follows the tenets of (spatial) justice, sustainability and the dimensions of territorial cohesion.

Airbnb as an instigator of ‘tourism bubble’ expansion in Utrecht's Lombok neighbourhood

ABSTRACT The Airbnb phenomenon as part of the broader growth of the so-called collaborative economy has grabbed the attention of a growing number of tourism researchers. Among the topics explored have been investigations as to the spatial tendencies of Airbnb in cities and discussions concerning its effects, inter alia, on gentrification, over-touristification and eventual resident displacement. Recognizing that the majority of extant studies have been conducted either in major cities, which in their own right attract large numbers of visitors or in tourism-intensive smaller communities we chose to investigate what Airbnb growth means for a mid-sized city with a highly diversified economy, which is not yet over-touristified. Our focus was on the Dutch city of Utrecht. Through a geospatial and statistical analysis of AirDNA data, we explored the growth of Airbnbs in the city overall, focusing specifically on the phenomenons effects on the Lombok neighbourhood, a nascent ‘neo-bohemia’ neighbouring the city-centre tourist bubble. Our analysis reveals that although Airbnb activity in this neighbourhood is relatively recent there are signs suggesting that further touristification of parts of Lombok has ignited increased Airbnb activity. Moreover, there is a distance decay of Airbnb activity as one moves away from the city centre and from established tourism services including restaurants. These findings suggest that in an emerging neo-bohemian space such as Lombok, Airbnb takes on a role as instigator of urban tourism bubble expansion. The study ends with a call for further investigations to better understand the implications expanded Airbnb activity has, among others, on social justice within cities. For example, future investigations could examine the manner in which Airbnbs influence the everyday life of the residents of urban spaces and investigate the conflicts that might arise in Airbnb ghettoes between visitors and locals.