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 today's 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.     

Understanding local innovation systems in peripheral tourism destinations

Tourism destinations in peripheral areas are often large regions established by centralised government agencies to encourage collaboration between dispersed communities and foster innovation. Relatively little research attention has been paid to the impact that centrally defined destination boundaries have on whether and how small communities contribute to innovation at a regional level. This paper examines the case of Burra, a small town in rural South Australia. It analyses the networking, collaboration and knowledge exchange behaviour of tourism stakeholders in the context of the state-government-defined ‘Clare Valley’ tourism region. Data were drawn from a web-based social network analysis, in-depth interviews, historic document analysis and field observations. The study found that the local tourism system had limited aspirations and capabilities to collaborate with other towns in the region. Lack of regional engagement was only partially due to intra-regional competition and resistance to regional boundaries. More significant barriers included a local culture of operating in isolation, an embedded reliance on public sector leadership to manage systemic interactions, an aging system with limited ambition to change and an inability to harness in-migrants and externally based stakeholders to stimulate knowledge transfer. Changing the imposed destination boundaries would have limited impact on the operation of the local system. The paper concludes that effective regional destination development in peripheral areas needs to be better informed by more detailed understandings of local tourism systems and their capacities to engage.     

Key issues in the conceptualization of tourism destinations

The purpose of this paper is to review the evolution of how the term ‘destination’ has been used, critiqued, and analyzed. While the traditional view of a destination has largely focused geographical features and the systemic concept of tourism destinations has focused on the interaction between tourists, the staff in industries providing tourism services, and the local population, more recent conceptualizations of tourism destinations treat destinations as complex adaptive systems that adapt to ever-changing economic, political, and social trends. As well, recent work on integrative conceptual frameworks of tourism destinations highlights the importance of particular geographical elements in the emergence and development of destinations which affect the structure of the mode of production, the range of stakeholders involved in tourism activity, and the entire process of destinations evolution. Although the traditional – geographic concept of destination, from today's point of view, is one-sided and not comprehensive, geographical elements, however, are the nucleus from which a tourism destination occurs and develops. In this regard, it is indisputable that the geographical attributes of tourism destinations represent the key component of their resource base. This fact should be borne in mind in future conceptualizations of destinations.     

Innovation and Destination Governance in Denmark: Tourism,Policy Networks and Spatial Development

Abstract

For more than a decade, tourist destinations in Denmark have experienced decreasing market shares and numbers of international visitors in comparison with the early 1990s. Despite this stagnation, destination development initiatives and national tourism policies have continued largely unaltered, relying on traditional efforts like collective marketing and local visitor information services, while giving limited priority to innovation-oriented measures that could improve the international attractiveness of Danish destinations by renewing the tourist experiences available. The article argues (1) that important reasons for the slow adoption of new destination development strategies can be found in the domination of tourism-related policy networks by short-term sectoral and localist interests, and (2) that recent reforms of subnational and sectoral governance have only improved the prospects of introduction of more innovation-oriented destination development policies to a limited extent.     

国外旅游线路空间模式研究进展

旅游线路空间模式实质上是游客在目的地区域对停留空间和消费空间的理性选择与线性组合,是具有典型空间属性的社会文化地理现象和经济地理现象,涉及了作为旅游景点和旅游目的地的点状地理要素和作为旅游线路的线状地理要素以及旅游目的地体系构成的区域等面状地理要素。从文献综述的角度对不同尺度旅游线路模式的空间模型、目的地类型、游客旅行行为特征、模式选择影响因素以及理论基础进行了总结,在此基础上结合国内研究对旅游线路模式今后的研究方向提出了建议。     

Sustainability of the tourist supply chain and governance in an insular biosphere reserve destination: the perspective of tourist accommodation

ABSTRACT

Small islands in peripheral regions are currently perceived as attractive tourist destinations. Governance plays an important role as a strategy for the revival of such destinations to achieve a more productive, environmental, social and sustainable management structure. ‘Good’ governance of a destination depends on all the actors involved in the tourism network. Such governance requires a redefinition of relations between government and society and minimal boundaries between public and private sectors. This paper has analysed the level of implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a tourist destination that is a biosphere reserve (BR), the island of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain), from a comprehensive approach involving a tourism supply chain (TSC) with private and public agents. The focal firms analysed within the TSC have been tourist accommodation establishments in Fuerteventura. The paper shows that the level of involvement of tourist accommodation in CSR is positive. However, this involvement is not sufficiently high to meet the requirements of a destination designated as a BR. Therefore, coordination policies should be developed that promote governance systems and further enhance sustainability in the destination.     

城市旅游地生命周期的系统动态模型

对城市旅游和旅游地生命周期的概念进行了分析和界定,在评述国内外相关研究成果的基础上,提出了一般城市旅游地生命周期的研究框架,并论述了系统动力学方法对于旅游地生命周期研究的适用性和有效性,构建了一般城市旅游地旅游发展的系统动态模型,解释了旅游地发展的系统内部结构和各要素的作用机制。     

Visitors’ place-based evaluations of unacceptable tourism impacts in Oulanka National Park,Finland

Visitors’ assessments of the negative impact of tourism, on physical and social environment, vary based on the location where the evaluation occurs. Research that focuses on identifying visitors’ norms within outdoor recreation settings has not been able to link the geographical location with the corresponding evaluation of unacceptable levels of impact. This study combines a traditional on-site visitor survey with a Public Participation Geographic Information Systems survey to produce spatially explicit information on visitors’ acceptance of tourism impacts. Using a web-based participatory survey, visitors were asked to indicate specific locations where they felt the effects of tourism disturbed the quality of their experience in Oulanka National Park. These evaluations were analyzed at multiple scales – destination, specific zones, and sites – to promote more efficient park management. Based on visitor evaluations, we found a collection of hotspots in the park where tourism has already caused unacceptable impacts. Visitors noted that crowding and erosion disturbed their experiences, especially along highly visited trail sections, while littering was considered problematic near wilderness huts. However, participant satisfaction at these sites was not lower than elsewhere in the park. This indicates that the association between negative impacts of tourism and visitor satisfaction is not straightforward, but complex. This study encourages the collection of spatially accurate data on visitors’ assessments of the effects of tourism because it has the potential to more efficiently direct park management policies. In addition, spatial techniques provide a new means to monitor the impacts of tourism, acknowledging that visitors’ perceptions of acceptability of tourism impacts also vary within tourism destinations, such as parks.     

形象趋同与个性趋异:资源同质目的地品牌差异化定位研究

品牌差异化定位是目的地获取竞争优势的重要手段,当前由于目的地旅游资源同质化,导致了目的地品牌形象趋同、竞争力下降等问题。针对此,本研究试图借鉴品牌个性理论找到目的地差异化定位的新视角。文章选取周庄、乌镇和西塘三个资源禀赋相同的目的地为研究对象,通过分析到访旅游者撰写的游记发现,虽然旅游者对不同目的地的感知形象相似,但是感知个性存在明显差异。其中,乌镇的个性集中表现为"雅";周庄"智"的个性最突出;西塘则在"乐"上有更好表现。基于此,本文为三个目的地提供了个性导向的品牌定位建议。研究表明在品牌形象趋同的情况下,资源同质旅游目的地仍可借助趋异的品牌个性进行差异化定位,并使品牌获得持久的竞争力。     

Marketing Destinations with Prolonged Negative Images: Towards a Theoretical Model

Abstract

While there is a great deal of research on destination branding in general, the study of tourism marketing that deals specifically with destinations suffering from prolonged image problems is less well developed. We integrated theories from crisis communication, image restoration and destination marketing to examine media strategies used by such destinations to attract tourism, and then classified them. We utilized qualitative content analysis of tourism campaigns for destinations – primarily in problematic areas such as the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe – that appeared in international tourism magazines, destinations’ websites and video-sharing websites. We classified two approaches of media strategies: the ‘cosmetic approach’, relating to strategies that focus mainly on altering the destination's image and the ‘strategic approach’, relating to strategies that take comprehensive action, changing both the negative image and the problems causing it.     

国外旅游目的地竞争力研究综述

随着世界范围内旅游目的地竞争的日益激烈,旅游目的地竞争力正逐渐成为国内外研究的热点领域。国外旅游目的地竞争力研究起步早,已经较为成熟,主要包括旅游目的地竞争力概念的界定、影响因素的分析以及竞争力的评价等。本文通过对国外旅游目的地竞争力的研究文献的梳理和回顾,重点分析了旅游目的地竞争力的影响因素和竞争力评价研究,并指出了未来研究的方向。     

The aeromobile tourist gaze: understanding tourism ‘from above’

ABSTRACT

While the impact of aeromobility on the growth of tourism and its destinations is well documented, the role of aeromobility in the process of experiencing and shaping place with specific regard to tourist destinations has received little attention from scholars. With the growth of commercial aviation and the increasingly mundane nature of the experience within mass tourism, I draw attention to the touristic experience of flying as the activity beyond its role in arriving at the destination. After a brief review of the genealogy of aeromobility and tourism, I reflect on examples of tourist aeromobility in Cape Town, South Africa in order to theorise the aeromobile tourist gaze. This paper analyses mobile testimonies from online travel reviews from airborne tourists performing helicopter ‘flips’ over Cape Town. Results highlight the need to focus on flying as tourism itself while they illustrate the role it plays in the aeromobile tourist gaze, a unique perspective and experience of the tourism destination as ‘tourism from above’ that emerges from the touristic dimensions of flight including the destination, the flying device and flight route. The findings underscore the role of flying-as-tourism. The aeromobile tourist gaze thus spectacularises the destination and disrupts the relationship between tourists and place.     

旅游目的地选择行为的收入群体差异——以北京、武汉、西安城镇居民为例

以北京、武汉、西安城镇居民为例,探究旅游目的地选择行为的收入群体差异。研究发现,不同收入群体的旅游目的地选择行为存在明显差异,具体表现在：①不同收入群体的景区到访率均随距离的增加呈e指数衰减,但衰减速率存在收入群体差异,收入越高的群体,到访率距离衰减速率相对越小。②中国城镇居民的国内旅游目的地选择行为具有“距离择近,景点择高,经济择富”的“三择”倾向,但不同收入群体的“三择”程度不同,收入越低的群体,“距离择近,经济择富”的倾向越明显。③不同收入群体到访率空间分异趋势一致,但高到访率空间大小不同,收入越高的群体,高到访率空间越大。④目的地亲景度存在收入群体差异,收入越高的群体,目的地亲景度越高。     

整体网视角下传统村落旅游地咨询网络结构与社区权力分异——以湖南张谷英村为例

本文基于整体网视角对张谷英村社区咨询网进行研究,试图揭示传统村落旅游地社会网运行机理。通过确定样本边界得到了169户家庭构成的样本空间,对咨询网络结构分析与社区权力分异研究发现:(1)张谷英村旅游地社区咨询网络结构呈现不均衡性;大多数家庭活跃于由可达性产生的1-派系小圈子之中,并由11个基础派系衍生出240个衍生派系。(2)整体网视角下张谷英村旅游地社区权力分异呈现金字塔结构;年龄、是否参与旅游经营、助人经历、能力展现与业余爱好是权力分异的主要影响因素;位于权力分异金字塔结构顶端的家庭很少,但对张谷英村旅游地社区咨询网络演化产生重要影响。本文研究也显示:旅游实践活动既是传统村落旅游地社区成员能力展现的重要平台,也是体现社区社会网权力分异的重要平台;基于社会网视角的传统村落旅游地社区权力分异将处于动态演化中。     

国外旅游型海岛人地关系研究进展

基于文献资料的整理与分析,国外旅游型海岛人地关系研究中关注人对地的影响、人地关系相互作用过程,人地关系的调控途径;在野外调查、分区规划的基础上广泛采用生态经济学、管理学理论。借鉴国外相关研究,协调我国旅游型海岛人地关系中要整合人地关系研究,拓宽旅游型海岛的研究领域,重视乡、村级旅游型海岛的人地关系问题,尤其要先解决环境脆弱地区外来游客的影响和相关利益主体问题。     

游客安全感的影响要素、形成机理及提升策略研究

安全感是旅游目的地安全状况的"晴雨表",是游客在旅游目的地最基本需求。本文在对游客安全感的概念进行界定、游客安全感重要性和研究意义进行阐述,以及游客安全感的影响要素进行分析的基础上,探索游客对旅游目的地安全感的认知过程和形成机理,并据此提出旅游目的地提升和强化游客安全感的"四位一体"策略,即培育理性的游客、营造安全的旅游环境、运用现代的安全技术和选择科学的传播渠道。     

基于分层聚类的旅游目的地营销系统研究

旅游目的地营销系统是一个重要的研究领域。利用1068份长沙市居民的有效问卷,针对湖南省内的景区景点、信息渠道和出游方式进行分层聚类,发现在长沙居民心目中,湖南省各景点存在7大类型。就各类型目的地现实客源市场的行为特征进行了探讨,针对各类型总结了不同的信息渠道、销售渠道,给出了不同的营销建议,并归纳出各旅游目的地在空间距离上形成的市民观光减压活动圈、城市商务/会议活动圈、猎奇探秘活动圈。     

韩国潜在游客的中国旅游目的地意象认知与行为意图

旅游目的地意象是20世纪70年代以来,地理学和旅游学等学科交叉生成的研究命题,是旅游目的地市场细分、市场定位及竞争分析的重要工具。本文选择中国近缘文化群体客源市场,也是中国最大的入境客源市场韩国为研究对象,以非结构式和结构式研究相互结合的方式,研究分析了韩国潜在游客对中国的旅游目的地意象认知及行为意图,研究结果显示：（1）韩国潜在游客对中国的旅游目的地意象认知由四个基本维度构成,分别是平和、愉悦、动感与现代,其中,平和、愉悦和现代与旅游目的地意象呈正相关关系;（2）韩国潜在游客对中国的旅游目的地意象认知与其行为意图呈正相关关系;（3）中国旅游目的地意象的平和、愉悦特征对韩国潜在游客行为意图有明显的正向影响,呈正相关关系。     

基于旅游行为的旅游目的地空间层次与管理

关于旅游目的地的空间研究比较丰富,视点主要在于经济与地理空间。但是,旅游业是市场导向非常明显的行业,从旅游行为角度研究旅游目的地的空间层次更具有现实意义,对指导旅游目的地的开发和管理更具有操作性。本论文从旅游行为导向、管理方便性角度,融入社区理念,提出了新的旅游目的地解读,将其划分为三个空间层次,即游览服务区、社区服务区和社会服务区,并分析了它的空间层次结构关系和主要要素。论文最后从规范管理角度提出管理层次与关系。     

旅游目的地区域国内旅游花费的差异性分析——以西安市五一黄金周为例

旅游花费由客源地花费、路途花费和旅游目的地花费三部分构成,游客的旅游目的地花费结构和花费水平客观地反映了目的地旅游产业部门结构的合理性及旅游业发展水平。以西安地区国内游客黄金周旅游花费为研究对象,选取旅游花费水平及花费结构指标,利用SPSS12.0中的聚类分析将国内游客划分为三类:高、中、低消费游客群,通过对不同消费水平的游客群的研究,得出如下结论:西安地区以中低消费游客群为主体,停留时间、旅游目的等旅游消费行为因素是影响国内游客旅游花费水平的主要因素。增加参与性、体验性旅游活动项目,加大旅游商品及娱乐产品的开发力度,是提高国内游客在西安花费水平的根本途径。