Tialda Haartsen

Measuring age differentials in representations of rurality in The Netherlands

Abstract The importance of representations of the rural in discussing the competition for rural space by different functions is increasingly acknowledged. It is known from the literature that these representations differ for specific groups of actors, but empirical measurement of such differences lags far behind conceptual discussions. In this paper we propose methodologies of classifying different representations and analysing these in the framework of a multinomial logit regression model. The analysis shows that visual-figurative images of the countryside are predominant. Elderly people tend to add a socio-cultural flavour to such images. Younger people, however, add functional representations of rurality to the visual-figurative image base. They often portray the countryside as a one-dimensional agricultural production zone. Such age differences will clearly have consequences for rural policies. In the first place in developing policies that are targeted towards specific age groups. In the second place in deconstructing age-related representations of rural policy makers themselves. What the exact consequences will be is however less clear. For that it is important to develop a methodology for separating age effects from cohort effects.

Identifying social innovations in European local rural development initiatives

Social innovation is attracting increasing attention in research and policy, heightened by continuing austerity across Europe. Therefore, this paper examines earlier research into community-led local development (CLLD) initiatives in rural areas of Europe to develop our understanding of the meaning and scope of rural social innovation. We draw on a Schumpeterian view where innovations emerge from new combinations of resources that bring about positive changes and create value in society. A Schumpeterian social innovation framework is derived as the basis for re-analysing data from previous evaluations of LEADER policy in five different national contexts. This elicits a clearer understanding of social innovation in a rural development context, identifying different processes and outcomes that create social value. As the CLLD agenda and the demand for innovation in Europe gather pace, our aspirations are to inform future research and other initiatives on how to integrate social innovation into the design and evaluation of new rural development policies and programmes.

The challenge of proximity: the (un)attractiveness of near-home tourism destinations

ABSTRACT Imaginaries of touristic otherness have traditionally been closely related to geographical distance and travel far away from the everyday. But in todays context of sustainable tourism, a moral and behavioral shift may be expected, toward traveling near home. Distance may actually become a disadvantage and proximity a new commodity. This implies a need to disentangle subjective understandings of both distance and proximity in relation to perceived attractiveness of and touristic behavior in places near home. Thus, it is aimed to shed light on how ‘proximity tourism’ is constructed, endorsed and appreciated (or not). An online survey (N = 913) was administered to residents of the Dutch province of Friesland, exploring their attitudes toward their home province as tourism destination and representations of proximity and distance in relation to preferred vacation destinations. We grouped respondents into four categories, reflecting destination preferences: (1) proximate, (2) distant, (3) intermediate and (4) mixed. These groups were differentiated and characterized using quantitative and qualitative analyses. The ‘proximate’ and ‘distant’ preference groups, respectively, were most and least engaged in proximity tourism. However, the perceptions of proximity and distance expressed by the ‘intermediate’ and ‘mixed’ preference groups were associated in a nonlinear way with appreciation of the home region as a tourism destination. Additionally, respondents used proximity and distance in various ways as push, pull, keep and repel factors motivating their destination preferences. Interpretations of both proximity and distance were thus important in determining engagement in proximity tourism and, in turn, the potential for proximity tourism development in the region. This implies that such development will require a balanced consideration of the relative, temporally sensitive ways that people negotiate distance and proximity in their perceptions of being at home and away. Our results advance the discussion about imaginaries of travel, distance and proximity, and their impact on regional tourism.

Destination Branding by Residents: The Role of Perceived Responsibility in Positive and Negative Word-of-Mouth

ABSTRACT The importance of residents’ communication about their home region as tourist destination is increasingly acknowledged in the place branding process. However, the extent to which residents feel responsible for communicating Destination Images (DIs), and how these attributions affect word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior has remained unclear. This paper addresses this topic by reporting a quantitative study (N = 913) among residents of the Dutch province of Fryslân. The results show that responsibility attributions for communicating positive regional images predict, next to Place Attachment and DI, positive and negative WOM behavior (pWOM and nWOM). Particularly attributing responsibility to citizens themselves is a significant predictor of pWOM and nWOM. Further, findings point to the role of age in variation in responsibility attributions and to previous holiday experience as predictor of nWOM. The implications for citizen engagement in destination branding and regional tourism management are discussed.

How ordinary wildlife makes local green places special

Abstract Individuals can have meaningful experiences with iconic wildlife during holidays, but how important is experiencing ordinary wildlife near home? We investigated how wildlife shapes a bond with favourite local green places in the Netherlands. We conducted 13 walk-along interviews with participants of varying sociodemographics. Results show that experiences with ordinary wildlife can lead to three different types of place bonding. First, familiarity with ordinary wildlife can trigger (childhood) memories, leading to place identity and ‘the localised self’. Second, increasing knowledge about wildlife leads to intentional wildlife encounters, accompanied by feelings of accomplishment and ‘the internalised place’. Third, ordinary wildlife experiences provide feelings of ‘embeddedness in Panta Rhei’: they make individuals feel connected with the flows and cycles of nature and life. Thus, ordinary wildlife makes local green places special, as it facilitates connectedness with the world.