Tourism and Society

Level 4
Lecture, Week 2 commencing 12th September 2022
Sociological theories, principles and practices.
 Last week’s lesson Recap

LO1 Understand and explain sociological theories, principles and practices related to tourism and society.
• Tourism as a concept
• Tourism and Society
• Key concepts and definitions
• Investigate the relationship between Tourism and Society
This week
LO1 Understand and explain sociological theories, principles and practices related to tourism and society.
LO2 Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts, including of tourism and society and how different socio-
cultural, political and economic contexts influence principles and practices of sustainability.

• Sociological theories and principles

• Travel motivations and expectations
• Tourist Behaviour and Authenticity
• Stakeholders
• Tourism is multidisciplinary as a phenomenon
• Tourism as a sector does not stand alone, it is highly
integrated.
• Models and theories are adapted from other disciplines
such as psychology, sociology, anthropology and
economics.
Tourism
• Models of tourism can be explanatory, descriptive or
Models and
predictive.

Theory
Butler’s Tourist
area life cycle
(1980)

Choice and
popularity of
destinations
Push and pull factors
Crompton 1979
• Push: Intangible factors
Factors that encourage
individuals to move /
travel away from their
home setting through
tourism.

• Pull: Tangible factors

Attributes of a destination
that attract or ‘pull’ people
to visit.
Outbound
travel Most popular UK travel destinations
(Skyscanner 2019)
Leiper’s Tourism system model
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

Leiper outlines three geographical elements in his model:

1) Traveller-generating region
2) Tourist destination region
3) Transit route region. The tourist destination functions as a ‘pull’ factor in the market and provide an
area for most of the tourism activity
Leiper’s Tourism system model
Leiper’s (1979)
Tourism system
model
Think back to the last
times you have
travelled…….
Trending in Travel (wtt
c.org)
Cohen’s
tourist
Typologies
(1972)
Tourism and Society

Why do we travel?
In pairs write a list of all the reasons why we travel?
WHY DO WE
TRAVEL?
 Discover, experience, make
new friends
 Escapism
 Visit friends / family
 Business / New job
 Better weather
 Discover new cultures
 Create memories
 Open our minds
 Character building
 Culture
Research
In pairs or small groups research one of the following (20 minutes):
• Cultural tourism
• Heritage tourism
• Eco tourism
• Medical Tourism
• Geo Tourism
• Dark Tourism
• Voluntourism

What does it mean? Is this form of tourism good or bad for destinations?
How do you think this may impact upon the host destination and furthermore society?
According to the definition adopted by the UNWTO General Assembly, at its 22nd session (2017), Cultural Tourism implies “A
type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible
and intangible cultural attractions/products in a tourism destination. These attractions/products relate to a set of distinctive
material, intellectual, spiritual and emotional features of a society that encompasses arts and architecture, historical and
cultural heritage, culinary heritage, literature, music, creative industries and the living cultures with their lifestyles, value
systems, beliefs and traditions”.
HERITAGE TOURISM
Heritage tourism involves visiting historic
landmarks and locations that are of particular
significance to people from certain cultures. In some
instances, heritage tourism may entail visiting a
modern community in which people live and work in
a traditional manner that is associated with their
culture.
Eco tourism

Ecotourism is about uniting

conservation, communities, and
sustainable travel.
This means that those who
implement, participate in and
market ecotourism should adopt
the following ecotourism
principles:
Minimize physical, social,
behavioural, and psychological
impacts.
Build environmental and cultural
awareness and respect.
GEO TOURISM

“Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place

—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its
residents.” (National Geographic Society 2018)

Examples:
The Alaska Geotourism Collaborative focuses on community projects
and education for interested Alaskans.
In Bogor, Java, Indonesia, the GeoWisata (“Geotourism” in Indonesian)
project trains locals in geotourism-related information technology skills.
Dark Tourism
Dark tourism is defined as tourism involving travel to places
historically associated with death and tragedy.

Do you think it is good to visit these places or insensitive?

https://youtu.be/8vV1xaLCONw
Voluntourism

‘Voluntourism has been described as an oxymoron between selfishness and selflessness.

We volunteer because we want to give but we derive so much personally from that giving.
If we’re not careful, volunteering abroad can do more harm than good’

Does Voluntourism do more harm than good in the long term?

Tourist behaviour
The presence of tourists can have a positive or negative reception and can be influenced by a number of variables.
The following factors have an impact on tourist behaviour −
• Geographical Factors − Some physical factors like geographical and climatic conditions, facilities and amenities available at the
destination, advertising and marketing conducted by tourism business alter the decision making of the tourists.
• Social Factors − A few social factors such as a person’s social network, which provide first had information that can alter a
person’s decision of visiting or not visiting a particular place.
• Place of Origin − There can be a broad spectrum of tourist behaviour depending upon the place they belong to. North
Americans like to follow their own cultural framework. Japanese and Korean tourists like to visit places in groups.
• Tourism Destination − It is a major contributing factor altering tourist behaviour. If a destination has all basic provisions such
as electricity, water, clean surroundings, proper accessibility, amenities, and has its own significance, it largely attracts tourists.
• Education of Tourist − The more educated the tourist is, the wider range of choices, curiosity, and the knowledge of places
he/she would have. This drives the decision making when it comes to choosing a destination.
(Malviya 2005)
Authenticity

Authenticity. The term ‘authentic’ is used either in the strong sense of being “of undisputed
origin or authorship”, or in a weaker sense of being “faithful to an original” or a “reliable,
accurate representation”. To say that something is authentic is to say that it is what it professes
to be, or what it is reputed to be, in origin or authorship (SEP 2021).
Considering the various reasons that consumers travel.
Do you think authenticity is important as part of the experience?
Do you think destinations should change to meet the requirements of visitors?
For example:
• Speaking their language
• Offering different cuisine
Expectations & Authenticity

Do you think it is possible to have a fully

authentic experience in today’s world?
Spend 25 minutes to read over the following
article:
(PDF) The Role of Authenticity in Airbnb Experi
ences (researchgate.net)
Do you think Airbnb facilitates the opportunity
for authentic experiences?
Tourist behaviour
Tourist motivation
Lingling Wu, Junyi Zhang, Akimasa Fujiwara (2013)
Erratum to “Tourism participation and expenditure behaviour: Analysis using a scobit
based discrete–continuous choice model” Ann. Tourism. Res. 40 (2013) 1–17Annals of Tourism Research, Volume 43,
Pages 662
Medical Tourism

The process of traveling outside the country of residence

for the purpose of receiving medical care.

When do you think this could be a problem?

Tourism and society

Film suggestion: Silent Ibiza

Documentary suggestion: Fyre festival
Tourist / consumer behaviour
Further reading:
(PDF) Tourist Behaviour and Trends (researchgate.net)
P107
Consumer behaviour in tourism: Concepts, influences an
d opportunities (tandfonline.com)
References
• Andrades, Lidia & Dimanche, Frederic & Ilkevich, Sergey. (2015). Tourist Behaviour and Trends. (Online) Available
at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302139612_Tourist_Behaviour_and_Trends (Accessed: 14/1/2022)
• Lalicic, Lidija & Weismayer, Christian. (2017). The Role of Authenticity in Airbnb Experiences. 781-794.
10.1007/978-3-319-51168-9_56.
• Malviya, S (2005) Tourism: Tourism, environment and the society. 3 rd Edn.Delhi: Isha Books
• National Geographic Society (2018) Ecotourism (Online) Available at: Ecotourism | National Geographic (Accessed
12/1/2022)
• Sharpley, R (2018) Tourism, tourists and Society. Routledge: London
• Skyscanner (2019) Most popular destinations (Online) Available at:
10 most popular holiday destinations for UK travellers | Skyscanner (Accessed: 12/1/2022)
• UNWTO (2017) Tourism and Culture. (Online) Available at: Tourism and Culture | UNWTO (Accessed: 13/1/2022)