Tourism Research Frontiers: Beyond the Boundaries of Knowledge (Tourism Social Science Series) (Tourism Social Science, 20)

This book recognizes that while tourism research has undoubtedly penetrated and gone beyond a number of knowledge frontiers, frontiers are never static, but are constantly shifting and changing form in the context of a dynamic environment. This book therefore is a much needed contribution which acknowledges the imperative for continuous innovation and renewal in tourism research if it is to remain relevant. In this regard the book contains original papers which span a number of creative topics and debates and which transcend existing frontiers of tourism knowledge, including popculture tourism, gospel festivals as heterotopia, tourism and elections, articulations of the concept of tourismization and tourism of spiritual growth and critical explorations of the tourism image of Switzerland as represented in right wing visual rhetoric. Importantly this original text also includes novel discussions of sustainability and destination evolution and network dynamics. The book concludes with reflections from the editors on additional frontiers of tourism research and knowledge still to be traversed. Front Cover 1 Tourism Research Frontiers: Beyond the Boundaries of Knowledge 4 Copyright page 5 Contents 6 List of Contributors 8 Preface 10 Chapter 1 Tourism Research Frontiers an Introduction 12 Unpacking the Concept of “Frontier” 14 Chapters in this Volume 17 How to Use this Book 22 Chapter 2 Popculture Tourism a Research Manifesto 24 Introduction 25 Popculture and the Circuit of Tourism 27 Conclusion 36 Chapter 3 The Tourismization of Ilha Grande, Brazil 38 Introduction 38 Study Methods 40 The Hell-Paradise Dichotomy 41 The Environmentalizing Process 47 Tourismization in Ilha Grande 50 Conclusion 56 Chapter 4 Gospel Festivals as Heterotopia 60 Introduction 60 Religion, Tourism, and Pilgrimage 62 Liminality and Communitas 64 Heterotopia 66 Gospel Festivals as Heterotopia 72 Conclusion 78 Chapter 5 Tourism of Spiritual Growth as a Voyage of Discovery 82 Introduction 82 Concept and Varieties of Spiritual Tourism 84 Tourism of Spiritual Growth 88 Meaning 91 Connectedness 93 Transcendence 94 Conclusion 96 Chapter 6 The Salience of Tourism in Politics 98 Introduction 98 The Relationship with Politics 99 Tourism and Psephology 101 Eliciting an Electoral Conceptualization 104 Theorizing the Nature of Political Issues 104 Electoral Response 108 A Research Agenda 110 Conclusion 114 Chapter 7 Right-Wing Visual Rhetoric and Switzerland’s Tourism Image 116 Introduction 116 Destination Image 117 Country Image 118 National Image Management 119 The Contemporary Rise of the Right in Europe 120 Over-Foreignization and the Radical Right 121 The Rise of the Swiss People’s Party 122 Political Posters 122 Approach 124 The Biopolitics of Fear 125 Effects of the SVP Strategy 130 Conclusion 133 Chapter 8 Sustainable Island Tourism an Operative Definition 134 Introduction 134 Toward an Operative Definition 136 Study Methodology 141 Study Results 144 Socioeconomic Profile 147 Conclusion 149 Chapter 9 Destination Evolution and Network Dynamics New Research Agendas 152 Introduction 153 Destination Evolution and Network Dynamics 155 Scale-Free and Small-World Networks Research 156 Scale-Free Structures, Small Worlds, and Network Dynamics 159 Scale-Free Networks 160 Small Worlds 160 Scale-Free Network Distribution and Local Clustering 161 Ties that Reduce Path Length 163 Synthesis of the Theory 164 Empirical Illustrations 166 Future Research Areas 170 Emergence 170 Development and Growth 171 Collaborative Groupings 172 Strategic Agents 172 Competition and Vulnerability 173 Innovation and Performance 174 Conclusion 175 Chapter 10 Conclusion Reflections Beyond Existing Research Frontiers 176 Tourism, Disciplinarity, and Coloniality 177 A Gender Agenda 180 Sustainability and Freedom to Travel 183 Research Methods and Sources of Data 185 Journeying Beyond Frontiers 186 References 188 About the Authors 240 This Volume Has As Its Central Theme The Presentation Of Original Papers Which Seek To Critique, Deconstruct And Go Beyond Existing Research And Knowledge Frontiers In Tourism. It Aims To Incorporate Discussions Which Are Commensurate With This Central Theme Including Novel Explorations Of: The Nature And Meaning Of Research And Scholarship In Tourism; The Function And Impact Of Tourism Research In Contemporary Society; The Role Of Research Journals In The Development, Advancement And Dissemination Of Tourism Knowledge; The Role Of Ethics In Tourism Research; Methodological And Theoretical Approaches To Tourism Research; Innovative Techniques For Conducting Tourism Research; And The Role, Nature And Development Of Research Communities And Scholarly Groups. Importantly The Text Also Seeks To Include Debates On The Value Of Tourism Research At The Institutional Level; Discussions Of Tourism Research Agendas Which Still Remain Under Or Unexplored And Examinations Of The Extent To Which Traditionally Marginalised Voices Have Been Legitimised In Tourism Research.