Nineteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Romas are a heterogeneous minority population dispersed throughout the world without a historic homeland and faced with extreme prejudice and discrimination. For many researchers, Romas as nomads, even today, are wandering around the world, but no one considers them to be tourists. This research is a first attempt to illustrate the motivations and travel habits of Romas by taking into account their community in a specific region of Greece, Kato Achaia. By adopting a qualitative methodology approach (35 semi-structured in-depth interviews), unspecified aspects and travel patterns of the sample are highlighted. Significant findings include the broad participation of members of this community group in business trips, which is an important sector for tourism industry. The conclusions of this study reveal that the structure and purpose of travel of Romas varies according to the degree of integration into the Greek society, as this tendency derives from the existence of permanent residence, professional occupation, and their perceptions towards education. The social policy implications for the enhancement of those communities with the use of feedback from travel experiences are specified.