Growing Pains
Asynchronous - Online Only
Branding a Myth: Cashing In on the “Hit Recording Capital of the World” View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Chris Reali
A Cherokee myth claimed a voice sang from beneath the Tennessee River. This tale, known as the “Singing River” legend, unleashed a powerful cultural force that has shaped the promotion and reception of the Muscle Shoals, Alabama music scene. A recording industry developed in Muscle Shoals during the mid-1950s. By 1975, the region declared itself the “Hit Recording Capital of the World.” For decades, performers recorded many hit tracks primarily at two recording studios, FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound. After the production of thousands of recordings, the Shoals music scene has itself became legendary. But now, few studios remain operational. The “Singing River” tale grew in popularity during the 1990s, but entered the vernacular after the release of a 2013 documentary. County tourism boards now foreground the legend in their marketing strategies to entice tourists to the area. What was once a Cherokee myth has become a brand. This paper examines how the Muscle Shoals region exploits music, myth, and memory to promote musical tourism. Musical tourism relies on a mixture of tangible elements like historic sites and intangible elements including music and myths. For tourists, iconic recordings serve as aural triggers for memory and emotional associations. Muscle Shoals Sound is now a museum, and the public can tour FAME. The “Singing River” myth promoted in conjunction with recording studio tours reimagines the Shoals as a holy site with very deep musical roots. Like other “music cities” around the world, Muscle Shoals is capitalizing on its historic musical past.
Elite Tourism at the Beginning of the 20th Century: Inspirations for the Future of Luxury Tourism View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Joao Simoes
This work is part of a set of studies on the history of tourism, in which the golden age of European tourism stands out, still marked by aristocracies and the elites. A period of transition between the Victorian era, to the beginning of mass tourism after the World War II. The elite tourism was divided in 4 areas: Visits to the main cities of Europe; Visits to the landmark places of the Grand Tour; Visits to the Spas and healthcare centers and visits to beachside costal towns. The elite tourists stayed in luxury palace hotels, luxury yachts, or private villas. The transports used where the luxury trains, yachts, cruise lines and cars. Recent studies show that current luxury tourists intend to have a more complete experience when they travel, they prefer to escape the masses, to be protected. But at the same time to experience local food and wines and health of the body and mind are among their main concerns. The same spirit can be found in the journals of elite travelers of the beginning of the 20th century. This study demonstrates how current luxury tourism can be inspired by the past to promote the future, giving some examples of success stories.
Accessible and Personalised Mobile Apps for Travel Booking: Examining User Perspectives View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Emmet Mc Loughlin
Accessibility and personalisation are crucial for enhancing the travel booking experience and are also important for different mobile apps. However, many travel-related platforms have limited functionality and remain inaccessible, creating barriers for users, including those who use assistive technologies. This exploratory research is part of a multi-phased project that aims to explore various accessible travel booking and mobility apps to help identify greater levels of inclusion and access to the tourism experience. The authors distributed an online survey (N=195) through various channels and differentiated data by age. Younger age groups were more likely to use a booking app with personalisation features, such as text-to-voice and voice-to-text. Most respondents agreed that using accessible travel booking apps would improve their booking experience. While younger respondents felt that travel booking and mobility apps should have more accessible design, many respondents aged 55+ also agreed that accessible technology would make it easier to book travel requirements. The research indicates that the need for accessible features and design in mobile apps is not limited to specific age groups or people with disabilities. These findings highlight the importance of accessible and personalised mobile apps in the travel industry and the need for further development in this area to promote greater inclusion and accessibility for all users. While the study provides valuable insights into the importance of accessible and personalised mobile apps for travel booking, future research could examine how participants interacted with specific apps when doing specific tasks.
