A lesson in ‘resilience’: realities and misconceptions
Resilience is trending. Touted as the answer to virtually every problem it is used, and too often misused, in all sorts of ways. “Bouncing back” from some disturbance is probably the most common. And that is NOT resilience. Bouncing back to just like before means that nothing was learned. Resilience is about changing in response…
From too many to too few: the impact of COVID-19 on overtourism
A few months ago 2020 was predicted to be a record-breaking year for tourism, continuing the apparently unending pattern of annual growth recorded since the tourism industry began collecting data on numbers of people travelling. Even allowing for the fact that the figures included almost everyone crossing an international border for an overnight visit and…
Travel and sociocultural sustainability. A perspective from religious tourism and pilgrimage
Tourism these days is not only a fast-growing industry worldwide, which carries blessings as well as undesired effects, it is also a field that is receiving more and more attention from a myriad of academic perspectives. It is no secret that travel and tourism are of a cross-disciplinary nature, since they have impacts at all…
Cultures don’t meet, people do: Ethnocentrism and essentialism
By Arjan Verdooren There is a goal that virtually all methods and models of intercultural communication have in common – explicitly or implicitly. This goal is countering ‘ethnocentrism’: the tendency to assume one’s own worldview as normal and natural, and judge others on the basis of this worldview. Ethnocentrism is associated with closed-mindedness, inflexibility and feelings…
CABI helps Pakistan Museum of Natural History showcase scourge of noxious parthenium weed
CABI in Pakistan is helping the Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) showcase the scourge of the noxious parthenium weed, otherwise known locally at ‘Gajar Booti’, to members of the public visiting its Bio Gallery exhibit. Parthenium is regarded as one of the major threats to native species, environment and ecosystems in more than 48…
TEFL Tourism: Author Interview
There is evident lineage between the concepts of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) and tourism, represented through evocative marketing material, the commoditisation of the TEFL product, teacher motivations and experiences. Yet, to date there has been no recognition of these links within industry or academia. With this in mind, Dr Hayley Stainton has…
Religious Tourism: What is it and why is it so important?
By Peter Wiltshier, University of Derby, UK Religious tourism is one of the earliest forms of tourism and is a fast growing market. Here, Peter Wiltshier, Lecturer in Tourism and Spa at the University of Derby, explains what it is and why it is so important.
Tourism and animal welfare: a 21st century dilemma
Tourists encounter animals in many different situations: photo opportunities, street performances, animal rides and specialised ‘sanctuaries’ such as elephant homes and tiger temples. Tourism may benefit wildlife, by funding wildlife animal conservation, as well as providing vital income for local communities, but the exploitation of animals in animal entertainment can be a cruel and degrading experience for intelligent sentient creatures.
Watch key moments from the Gender Equality in Tourism Symposium
This post was originally published by Equality in Tourism, find the original article here. Great news! If you missed our symposium in September last year, you can now watch the recordings. We’ve got plenty for you to choose from.
On International Mountain Day, let’s look at mountain tourism
Today, 11 December, is International Mountain Day. Almost one billion people live in mountain areas, and over half the human population depends on mountains for water, food and clean energy. And mountains are also important for tourism, attracting visitors for their scenery, wildlife, healthy air, winter sports and summer activities such as hiking, climbing and…