Guiding Concepts
Shut Down Graceland? Decolonising the Memphis Tourist Trail
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anthony Mc Kenna
This paper explores the discriminatory power relations inherent in sanctifying pre-eminent individuals at the expense of cultural context on the Memphis tourist and heritage trail. It positions Graceland, Elvis Presley’s former home, as the dominating force in the Memphis heritage ecosystem, overshadowing the many museums devoted to black music and culture, such as the Civil Rights Museum and The Rock and Soul Museum. Memphis museums may benefit from the tourism that Graceland attracts, but there are many who feel that local histories are warped by its gravitational pull; indeed, the Memphis chapter of Black Lives Matter initiated its Shut Down Graceland campaign in 2016 in protest at the museum’s power and status in the city. That Elvis was a musical and social integrationist is not in doubt. However, the commercial packaging of the public memory of Elvis’s progressiveness appears specious in that it both deflects criticism and contributes to social problems. For example, the corporate structure of Graceland’s owner, Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), prevents tourist money from circulating locally, aggressive enforcement of intellectual property rights prevents residents from selling unlicensed memorabilia, and Memphians pay tax to fund public services while EPE secures tax breaks. Consequently, my hypothesis is that Elvis and his memory have effectively colonised Memphis tourism. Thus, my paper utilises decolonisation methodologies to critically examine the ideological position of Graceland in Memphis’s heritage ecosystem.
Osun Osogbo Festival Stakeholder Typologies and Participation in an Indigenous Cultural Event
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Adenike Adebayo, Adesola Osinaike, Ade Oriade
Festivals and events is a growing sector that plays a growing importance in placemaking, sustaining culture and contributes significantly to the visitor economy (Wallace and Michopoulou (2019); Evans, 2012; Getz, 2017; Meyrick, 2015). Getz et al., (2010) explains that festivals are unique, as they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, have multiple potential goals to satisfy, and a plethora of stakeholders to involve. There is a growing interest in how festival organisation can preserve and promote anthropological and cultural heritage, animate specific attractions or entire cities, improve destination awareness or image, provide a competitive marketing advantage, and increase economic benefits. The role of stakeholders in contributing to successful events is viewed as critical in terms of balancing competing claims and managing event impacts (Getz, 2017)—increasing the positive and decreasing the negative (Reid & Arcodia, 2002). Understanding stakeholder engagement is critical to its success. Miller & Oliver, 2015; Mitchell, Agle, & Wood, 1997; Tiew, Holmes, & De Bussy, 2015; Van Niekerk, 2016; Van Niekerk & Getz, 2016) stressed that the understanding is still poor and there is a growing interest in stakeholder identification and mapping. The research objectives are twofold. First, the research seeks to explore stakeholder participation at the Osun-Osogbo festival. Second to examine the extent to which the community members own the folklore. The data collection was done using the interpretivist phenomenological approach to collect data from twenty-four (24) stakeholders of the Osun-Oshogbo festival. Stakeholders interviewed were government officials, the private sector, academics and community members.
Beyond Place-based Tourism: Framing Iberian World Heritage Universities through Co-branding and Online Identity
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Germana Torres, Claudete Oliveira Moreira, Marianna Sigala
Analyzing tourist destinations through management and marketing strategies allows tourist attractions to improve, reposition, or rearrange activity performance as new collaborative products. A comparative study on the Iberian World Heritage universities' digital promotional strategies contributes to the understanding of best practices through destination benchmarking – evaluating and regulating performance (supply/push) – and bench learning – maintenance of high tourist satisfaction levels by offering services that meet visitors' expectations (demand/pull). Additionally, the assessment of destination branding through TripAdvisor review – revisit intention and electronic word-of-mouth recommendation – gives insight into product performance. To reply to the research question, How do the Iberian world heritage universities shape their destination brand? the study draws a parallel analysis resultant of qualitative research: participant observation, digital media and social network analysis, as well as case study research. After conducting the theoretical review, visiting both properties, collecting onsite data, and characterizing the (co-)brands digital presence grounded by preceding research, the study reveals compelling knowledge on what aggregates, differs, and functions as influencing practice for both assets – management systems, tourism offerings, promotional communication strategies, and consumption culture – even though more profound acknowledgment on perception, attachment, and emotional impact on communities' lacks understanding. Overall, the study demonstrates how destinations rearrange within rebranding efforts to compete within tourism preferences, strategically reposition amongst demographically defined tourist profiles, recreate online identity, and refresh destination image through digital presence, co-branded solutions, and communication technology initiatives.
