April 30, 2004

Critical Intersections in the Study of Tourism

"Movement" is a word that describes travel per se. But "circulation" - movement with return proceeding along definable pathways and with perceptible rhythm - captures travel and hospitality taken together.

The natural question is, "What circulates?"

The emphasis of the answer depends on who asks. Obviously, the traveler circulates. And the luggage, the transport system, the fees involved, etc.

Travel and hospitality is an industry. By one accounting it is the world's largest --certainly the most widespread. So the tools needed to study it are those of a business person.

Travel and hospitality is a service industry. It is one in which all the senses, values, and idiosyncrasies of the partcipant are involved. The recipient of the service is intimately affected. So other tools are needed as well.

Design, Engineering, Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology are some fields that have a role to play. A few lenses for critical analysis of the tourist experience include:

  • Universal Design

  • Disability Studies

  • Gender Studies

  • Aging Studies

  • Cutural Studies
  • Area Studies

  • Psychographic/Demographic Studies

    • What fields remain to be drawn into the dialogue? Recent tourism promoters suggest that it has a role in peacemaking and international cooperation. See, for example, Tourism as a Force for Peace.

  • Peace Studies

    • What metaphors and models can usefully be elaborated?

  • The heart as metaphor of the circulation model suggesting the emotional, relational, or "wisdom" aspect of travel.

  • The network as model for understanding the information flow and structuring of nodes in its transport

    • Others?

    Posted by rollingrains at April 30, 2004 04:40 PM | TrackBack