Discussion topic: How can a destination or attraction work to maintain the romantic gaze?
In addition to the criticisms of tourism discussed above, Edward Relph argues that this practice of identifying and highlighting those things worth seeing for tourists creates an inauthentic sense of place. Tourists who accept this professionally prepackaged portrayal may think they have a sense of that place. Yet, this isn’t a deep association with and emotional attachment to place but a partial, selective, and superficial impression of a place that is not even based on their own explorations, findings, and assessments.9
Figure 13.4. Despite imitations in places like Las Vegas and Macau, there is no substitute for the character, the history, and ultimately the spectacle that is Venice, such as this typical scene of the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge. (Source: Velvet Nelson)
For most tourists, it isn’t just about seeing the sights; it’s also about recording them. In a recent study on tourism and photography, scholars Mike Robinson and David Picard argue, “To be a tourist, it would seem, involves taking photographs. Whilst photography is clearly not the exclusive preserve of tourists, it is nonetheless one of the markers of being a tourist.”10 Tourists have long sought to “capture” the scene and bring it home with them as evidence of having been there and a tool to remember the experience. In the earliest eras of tourism, tourists would sketch the places visited or purchase paintings and replicas of famous sites. This practice became even more firmly embedded in tourism with the development of small, portable, easy-to-use personal cameras. While the camera has, to some extent, become a symbol of “the tourist”—with all its negative connotations—most tourists are nonetheless willing to endure potential derision to be able to record the places they visit as well as themselves in those places. Tourist photographs and video recordings comprise another type of representation for the destination, as they are shown to family, friends, and potentially wider audiences on the Internet.
This desire to record can ultimately shape the ways tourists experience the destination. The itineraries of both package and self-guided tours are often structured around stops at locations that have been predetermined to offer the best photographic opportunities. Thus, the first and perhaps the only thing tourists do at these locations is to take a picture. These tourists may not even be aware of what they are taking pictures of or why. At well-known destinations, tourists commonly look for the sights they have seen countless times before in media representations, places like the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, or the Christ the Redeemer statue, so they can capture it for themselves. In fact, tourists are often so focused on this objective that they lose the opportunity to explore the character of places for themselves and miss other sites and scenes that are equally or more interesting. While such tourists have visual evidence of the places they visit, they don’t really see or experience them through their other senses. They are, in a sense, merely “collecting” places (figure 13.5).
Figure 13.5. A part of the modern tourism industry involves directing tourists to sights to be photographed. For example, this tour group has stopped at a key vantage point in Zagreb, Croatia, and the tourist in the front of the image is taking a picture of the iconic Church of St. Mark’s. (Source: Velvet Nelson)
Conclusion
Tourist experiences have been considered the realm of related fields in tourism studies, such as psychology and sociology; geography has had generally little to contribute. Yet, as a fundamentally place-based activity, there is much potential for cross-fertilization between the geography of tourism and the geography of place. Just as representations of place are an extraordinarily important part of tourism, so is the experience of places. Yet, we must always remember, as John Urry wrote in The Tourist Gaze, “There is no universal experience that is true for all tourists at all times.”11
Key Terms
collective tourist gaze
romantic tourist gaze
sense of place
Notes
1. Jaakko Suvantola, Tourist’s Experience of Place (Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 2002).
2. Edward Relph, Place and Placelessness (London: Pion, 1976), 93.
3. Relph, Place and Placelessness, 95.
4. Relph, Place and Placelessness; Edward Relph, “Sense of Place,” in Ten Geographic Ideas That Changed the World, ed. Susan Hanson (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1997).
5. Yi-Fu Tuan, “Place: An Experiential Perspective,” Geographical Review 65 (1975): 164.
6. Relph, Place and Placelessness, 142; Relph, “Sense of Place,” 208.
7. Erik Cohen, “The Tourist Guide: The Origins, Structure, and Dynamics of a Role,” Annals of Tourism Research 12 (1985): 5–8.
8. John Urry, The Tourist Gaze (London: Sage, 1990); John Urry, Consuming Places (London: Routledge, 1995), 131.
9. Relph, Place and Placelessness.
10. Mike Robinson and David Picard, “Moments, Magic, and Memories: Photographic Tourists, Tourist Photographs, and Making Worlds,” in The Framed World: Tourism, Tourists, and Photography, ed. Mike Robinson and David Picard (Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2009), 1.
11. Urry, The Tourist Gaze, 1.
Sources
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———. The Tourist Gaze. London: Sage, 1990.
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Glossary
accessibility. The relative ease with which one location may be reached from another
acculturation. The process of exchange that takes place when two groups of people come into contact over time
affect. To act on or produce a change in something
back region. The part of a destination that is not intended for, or is closed to, tourists
beautiful. An aesthetic landscape concept dating back to the eighteenth century, describing a landscape that is soft, smooth, and harmonious in appearance, the experience of which is reassuring and pleasurable
b
iogeography. The study of living things
circular itinerary. A trip in which tourists travel from home to multiple destinations before returning home
climate change adaptation. The technological, economic, and sociocultural changes that are intended to minimize the risks and capitalize on the opportunities created by climate change
climate change mitigation. The technological, economic, and sociocultural changes that can lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
climatology. The study of climate
code of conduct. A set of voluntary principles intended to inform patterns of behavior among tourism stakeholders and tourists to minimize the negative environmental effects of tourism
collective tourist gaze. The visual consumption of public places that are characterized by the presence of other people
commodification. The transformation of something of intrinsic value into a product that can be packaged and sold for consumption
complementarity. The relationship between people who have a desire for certain travel experiences and the place that has the ability to satisfy that desire
critical regional geography. An evolution of traditional regional geography based on the idea that regions are “social constructions” that must be critically examined to understand the ways in which they are defined and the meanings with which they are associated
cultural geography. A broad topical branch in human geography that studies various issues pertaining to how societies make sense of, give meaning to, interact with, and shape space and place
deferred demand. Those people who wish to travel but do not because of a problem or barrier at the desired destination or in the tourism infrastructure
demonstration effect. Changes in attitudes, values, or patterns of behavior experienced by local people as a result of observing tourists
direct economic effect. The introduction of tourist dollars to the local economy
discretionary income. The money that is left over after taxes and all other necessary expenses have been taken care of
distance decay. Exponential decrease in demand for a product or service as the distance traveled to obtain that product or service increases
domestic tourism. Tourists traveling within their own country
drifter. A type of tourist that seeks out new tourism destinations, utilizes local infrastructure, and immerses himself or herself in the local culture
economic development. A process of change that creates the conditions for improvements in productivity and income of the population
economic geography. The study of the spatial patterns of economic activities, including locations, distributions, interactions, and outcomes
ecotourism (the International Ecotourism Society definition). Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people
effect. Something that is produced by an agency or cause; a result or a consequence
effective demand. Those people who wish to and have the opportunity to travel
enclave tourism. Geographically isolated and spatially concentrated tourism facilities and activities
environmental carrying capacity. The extent of tourism that can take place at a site before its environment experiences negative effects
environmental geography. A topical branch of geography that lies at the intersection of physical geography and human geography and is concerned with the ways in which the environment affects people and people affect the environment
experience stage. The primary stage of the tourism process, in which tourists participate in a variety of activities at a destination
explorer. A type of tourist that travels for more than pleasure or diversion, utilizes a combination of tourist and local infrastructure, and seeks interaction with local people
front region. The part of a destination that has been entirely constructed for the purpose of tourism
geomorphology. The study of landforms
geotourism (National Geographic Society definition). Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, including its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents
globalization. The increasing interconnectedness of the world
historical geography. The study of the geography and geographic conditions of past periods and the processes of change that have taken place over time to better understand the geography of the present
hub-and-spoke itinerary. A trip in which tourists travel from home to a destination and use that destination as a base from which to visit other destinations
human geography. One of the two main subdivisions of geography, which focuses on the study of the patterns of human occupation of the earth
hydrology. The study of water
inbound tourism. Tourists traveling to a place of destination
indirect economic effect. The second round of spending, in which recipients of tourist dollars pay the expenses of and reinvest in their tourism business
individual mass tourist. A type of tourist that travels for pleasure and seeks experiences different from those that may be obtained at home without straying too far from his or her comfort zone
induced economic effect. An additional round of spending after the recipients of tourist dollars pay the government, employees, suppliers, etc.; money spent by these new recipients for their own purposes
interchange. A node within a transportation network
international tourism. Tourists traveling to another country
last chance tourism. A recent trend in tourism in which tourists seek environments that are experiencing fundamental changes and might ultimately “disappear”
leakages. The portion of the income from tourism that does not get reinvested in the local economy; occurs with each round of spending
leisure time. The free time left over after necessary activities have been completed, in which an individual may do what he or she chooses
lingua franca. A language used for the purpose of communication between people speaking different languages
linkages. The connections formed between tourism and other local economic sectors that can support tourism and help provide the goods and services demanded by tourists
mass tourism. The production of standardized experiences made available to large numbers of tourists at a low cost
meteorology. The study of weather
movement stage. The stage of the tourism process in which tourists use some form of transportation to reach the destination and to return home; may be a means to an end or a part of the experience stage
multiplier effect. A ratio of the additional income generated by the indirect and induced economic effects from the re-spending of tourist dollars in the local economy
niche tourism. The production of specialized experiences for relatively small markets based on a particular resource at the destination or a specific tourism product
no demand. Those people who do not travel and do not wish to travel
organized mass tourist. A type of tourist that travels purely for diversion, in which place is less important than experience, and is entirely dependent on the tourism infrastructure
outbound tourism. Tourists traveling from their home environment
perceptual carrying capacity. The extent of tourism that can take place at a site before tourist dissatisfaction occurs
physical carrying capacity. The limits of a particular space, such as the number of tourists a site can contain
physical geography. One of the two main subdivisions of geography, which focuses on the study of the earth’s physical systems
picturesque. An aesthetic landscape concept dating back to the eighteenth century, describing a landscape that has a rough, varied, or irregular quality that gives it an interesting character for observation and illustration in painting
picturesque tourism. A type of tourism popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centurie
s, which dictated what types of places to visit and how to experience these places based on a set of predetermined criteria
place. A unit of the earth’s surface that has meaning based on the physical and human features of that location
placelessness. A loss of identity where one place looks and feels like other places, often as a result of the superficial, stereotypical images circulated by the media
place promotion. The deliberate use of marketing tools to communicate both specific and selective ideas and images about a particular place to a desired audience for the purpose of shaping perceptions of that place and ultimately influencing decisions
point-to-point itinerary. A trip in which tourists travel from home to a destination and back
political geography. The study of the ways states relate to each other in a globalized world
post-trip stage. The final stage in the tourism process after the tourists return home, in which they relive their trip through memories, pictures, and souvenirs
potential demand. Those people who wish to travel and will do so when their circumstances change
preferred sites. Planned locations that have sufficient tourist facilities to spatially concentrate visitors, thereby limiting the environmental effects of tourism to a particular area
pre-trip stage. The first stage in the tourism process, in which potential tourists evaluate their travel options, make decisions, and complete all arrangements for a trip
pro-poor tourism (Pro-Poor Tourism Partnership definition). Tourism that results in increased net benefits for poor people and ensures that tourism growth contributes to poverty reduction
protected area (Convention on Biological Diversity definition). A geographically defined area which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives
pull factor. Something in the destination environment that attracts people to visit that place over another
An Introduction to the Geography of Tourism Page 41
