Rudi Hartmann

Combining field methods in tourism research

Abstract Too often interviewing forms the only method of data collection in recreation and tourism research. It is maintained here that the research could profit from a combination and integration of different field methods and techniques. This is shown in the case of the European trips of young American and Canadian tourists. In this study, these travelers were interviewed, observed, and counted in various ways. The information gained through the different field methods proved to be complementary in nature and allowed counterchecks. The findings were useful both on a macro- and micro-level. A comparison of the methods introduced disclosed major advantages and serious shortcomings in each case. Participant observation proved to be a powerful heuristic tool; however, its uses also posed ethical questions.

Dark tourism, thanatourism, and dissonance in heritage tourism management: new directions in contemporary tourism research

This research note focuses on tourism to heritage sites with a controversial history and sites associated with death, disaster, and the macabre. Several new concepts and research directions have emerged in the study of such sites. Particular attention is given to the dark tourism and thanatourism approaches as well as to an analysis of dissonance in the management of heritage sites. Further, changes at places with a shadowed past are examined in the context of a revived geography of memory. There is a continued interest of the traveling public in revisiting war and peace memorials. In the final part of the research note examples of a new perspective on places of pain and shame are introduced.

Physical Geography of China and the U.S.

A comparative physical geography of both countries is an important step to better understand their complex relationships. First, the topography and landforms of China and the U.S. are presented in great detail. Next, the climates of both countries are discussed, and the variety of climate conditions is shown. The following section introduces rivers and lakes and outlines the basic drainage systems in both countries. Vegetation patterns and soils are the focus of the next section which discusses the latitudinal and altitudinal zonations. The section on natural disasters in China and the U.S. compares the role and significance of earthquakes, of hurricanes and typhoons as well as tornados, of floods and droughts. Both countries are located in major earthquake belts. Further, it is shown that China has a more noticeable monsoonal climate with different implications for the occurrence of typhoons, floods and droughts. The chapter includes also a section on environmental issues and problems. The final section of the chapter focuses on the general physical zonations of the two countries and closes with a physical geography regionalization.

Tourism to Memorial Sites of the Holocaust

Few historical periods in human history are so fatally associated with the destruction of human lives as Hitler’s ‘Third Reich’. Historic places honouring the victims of National Socialistic Germany form a wide and expanding network of heritage sites in Europe. Most of the places where the horrific events occurred during 1933–1945 have been broadly denoted as Holocaust memorial sites in the remembrance of the six million Jews who died, and the many other ethnic, religious, social, and political groups which were subjected to persecution. This chapter, therefore, reconstructs the evolution of this memorial landscape. It is important to understand that not only has the memorial landscape been substantially expanded and changed over the years but also the approaches in the study of these sites and their management practices. Ultimately, this chapter gives an overview of the various traditions of research in this field.

Tourism, Performance, and Place: A Geographic Perspective

Tourism geography has been a latecomer to the interdisciplinary field of tourism studies, well short on theoretical treatises. Thus, it is most welcome that the Ashgate Series “New Directions in Tourism Analysis” features this groundbreaking work by a group of cultural geographers. Tourism, Performance, and Place is the remarkable, ambitious venture launched by four closely collaborating colleagues from Indiana University. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

In the footsteps of Anne Frank, The Beatles and Vincent Van Gogh: a review and discussion of personal legacy trails

ABSTRACT This article focuses on a review and discussion of personal legacy trails. A detailed analysis and reconstruction of tourism in the footsteps of Anne Frank and the management of the involved sites form the main case study here. The short life of Anne Frank in perilous times has attracted the attention of millions of readers as well as visitors to the places closely associated with her life path: Frankfurt, her birth place in 1929, Aachen, Amsterdam (including her place in hiding 1942–1944), Transit Camp Westerbork, Concentration Camp Auschwitz and at last Concentration Camp Bergen-Belsen, where she and her sister Margot died in March 1945. A general discussion of the importance of personal legacy trails follows in the last third of the paper. This section examines cases of the popularized legacy of well-known artists and musicians in local/regional settings, such as The Beatles in Liverpool, and tourism in the search of Van Gogh’s Provence. Finally, the commonalities in the personal legacy trails of ordinary US citizens is discussed and shown for the visitation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Washington Mall and for the Wall of Honor on Ellis Island.

A Review of “Mediating the tourist experience – from brochures to virtual encounters”, by Jo-Anne Lester and Caroline Scarles

The crossroad where the media and tourist behavior intersect continues to attract many spectators and investigators from the social sciences. Thus, it is welcome that the Current Developments in th...

Population/Ethnic Geographies of China and the U.S.

This chapter examines the historical and geographical peopling of China and the United States. Using current United States Census Bureau data from the 2010 census as well as the most current census data from China, the authors examine the patterns, similarities and differences of these two fascinating countries. The comparisons articulate the geographic realities that have formed the current demographic profiles as well as the directions both countries are heading towards. The various ethnicities involved in the internal emigrations are examined in an effort to understand the links between populations and economic production based upon spatial distributions. Finally, the possibilities of future growth are examined with an eye to understanding what the future holds.

Introduction to A Comparative Geography of China and the U.S.

The chapter introduces the theme and the approach of a comparison of the two countries. The introduction includes a discussion of the regional geography tradition within the history of geographic thought. Further, it outlines the five main reasons for a comparison of the human and physical geography of China and the United States. First, China and the U.S. are large mid-latitudinal countries which are both located in the northern hemisphere. Second, China and the U.S. are home to large populations marked by an increasing cultural and ethnic diversity. Third, China and the U.S. represent cultures with important contributions to world civilization (Eastern and Western traditions of world civilization). Fourth, China and the U.S. are leading economies in the Pacific realm and worldwide. Fifth, China and the U.S. have significant political power in the world. In the final section of the chapter, an overview of the structure and organization of the book is given.

Megaregions of China and the U.S.

A new geography is transforming how a large quantity of the world’s population lives and works. The Megaregion, a vast expanse of urban, suburban and sometimes even rural territory connected through economic, social, cultural and environmental linkages is a global reality. Megaregions consists of more than 10 million inhabitants and can stretch across national and international political boundaries. These ‘endless cities’ can be found on North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In this chapter we will explore several Megaregions located within China and the United States of America. These two countries offer interesting case studies from which to begin to understand the importance of Megaregions and the impact they have on the planet. The discussion that follows will attempt to define the unique characteristics and provide a better understanding of the evolving urban geography of Megraregions in each country. It is interesting to analyze this emerging geographic phenomenon in light of the drastically different political and economic realities of the United States and China. As you will discover, both countries have witnessed the development of similar Megaregional structures, but through vastly different circumstances and processes. While, not discussing why Megaregions have become so important for each country, the discussion that follows does provide an excellent overview of this global experience in select Megaregions of China and the United States.