Challenges and Solutions
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Reinventing Nature-based Tourist Destinations Infrastructure: Establishing a Tourist Map for Backwater Tourism Infrastructure Development, Kerala, India View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Frank Jose
Tourism never existed alone. Fair contribution to tourism is through infrastructure developments. John Urry states, “The tourism itself is a unique and central element in contemporary society” and Tourism is travel for pleasure or business, it is the theory and practice of touring and business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists. However, none of these would be possible without the integration of resources, ideas, and facilities in the tourist destination. A clear path of travel or itinerary and its execution become the best experience for a tourist. This requires factors like ‘what do I get to see?’, ‘how do I get there?’, ‘where do I stay?’. These are the exhibit, path, and infrastructure that needs to be integrated to serve the visitor. Kerala, a state in India is often cited as 'God's own Country' to project its unique advantages on the tourism front. But the unscientific use of the State's natural resources has led to the fast degradation of the natural environment thus adversely affecting sustainability in the long run. This study critically analyzes the environmental management and competitiveness of nature based tourist destinations globally and focusing on Kerala backwater tourism from the perspective of the natural environment and its sustainability and address the current ecological aspects of the tropical region that is immensely loved by tourists and develop an integrated backwater tourist circuit map that can develop the local infrastructure, boost the local economy and thereby re-invent facilities for local, domestic and international tourists.
Tourism of Fear: The Amplification of Nature View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Harald Hoebusch
In March 2007, the Grand Canyon Skywalk opened at the South Rim of one of the largest geological features on Earth. Over the course of the last decade, similar touristic structures have been built around the world, primarily in the European Alps, but also in Norway, Canada, and China, totaling nearly thirty at last count. Common to all of these structures, curiously, is that they project out over the edge of a precipice and feature either a glass floor or a perforated walking surface through which the spectator may gain a view of the deep below, thereby combining a natural geological feature with an artificial, man-made structure, i.e., a kind of “fabricated nature.” What are we to make of the proliferation of these kinds of structures around the world within the last fifteen years? What modes of explanation can we employ to make sense of this new touristic phenomenon? And finally, what does this phenomenon tell us about post-modern wo-/man’s relationship with nature? In my paper, I shed light on and begin to make sense of this recent proliferation of the skywalk phenomenon around the world by approaching it from four different angles -- the fears and pressures of economic/touristic development, Kant’s notion of the sublime, the concept of the simulacrum, and the phenomenon of the hyperreal -- and to trigger further reflection upon this “amplification of nature.”
How Does Previous Experience Affect the Nature of Destination Attachment?: The Role of Sensory Appeal and Affect as Antecedents View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Daniela Buzova, Silvia Sanz Blas
Individuals feel connected to places for various reasons: family life, religious significance, social meaning or storytelling. A prevalent view in the place attachment scholarship is that place bonds evolve in tandem with the amount of time spent in a place. However, visiting a travel destination for a few days can also engender attachment based on the cultural importance of the place, its recreational benefits and/or the quality of the social interaction experienced there. Importantly, recent studies have found evidence for place attachment developed not only by repeat tourists, but also first-time visitors. Existing research, though, has not yet explored the nature of the destination attachment developed in a short versus a prolonged period of time. Hence, the present study fills this knowledge gap by comparing the antecedents of destination attachment of first time versus repeat tourists in a Spanish travel destination, namely: sensory appeal and affective experience. Data was collected via a face-to-face survey of 513 international tourists. To test the hypothesized relationships partial least square equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used and the MICOM procedure for estimating the moderating effect of the previous experience variable was applied. The results reveal a stronger association between sensory appeal and destination attachment in the case of first timers, while the positive emotional experience has a greater impact on the attachment of repeat tourists. Furthermore, place dependence contributes more to the formation of destination attachment for repeat tourists in comparison to first time visitors for whom place identity is more significant.
Upscaling Vulnerable Heritage: Juxtaposing Adaptive Reuse Case Studies in India and Iran View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lakshmi Krishnaswamy, Mozhgan Hassani Kouchaki
This critical discussion maps and studies the sustainable practices inscribed in the upscaling and adaptive reuse of two heritage buildings; in Iran and India. The study adopts a mixed methodology: descriptive and analytical methods to discuss the design approaches taken to promote the environmental, social, and economic aspects of these resorts, considering their potential to promote sustainable tourism practices. Through a literature review, we generate parameters for environmental impact mitigation strategies, community engagement, and cultural preservation efforts. It also explores the economic viability of eco-resorts, including their financial models and market positioning. Challenges such as embodied costs, scalability, and infrastructure pain points are identified alongside the tangible benefits of design for meaningful leisure practices. The discursive outcomes serve to expand the base of formal case studies in adaptive reuse to promote sensitive and sustainable design strategies.
