Richard Voase offers an interesting collection of case studies on the development of tourism in Western Europe. The case studies are well organized into three thematic areas based on political, economic and socio-cultural contexts. The collection of stories communicates changes in tourism development and practices and reflects how tourism development seeks new ways of thinking about tourism. Voase concludes that tourist experiences, by travelers, show signs of active decision-making with passive consumption. This point leads the reader to think that tourists choose “canned” experiences that are creatively constructed, however accessed through extensive information seeking and decision making.
The case studies are written by a variety of authors with strong local ties to the place they are writing about, allowing extraordinary insight into the issues facing the tourism industry in Europe and North America (although North America is not). is the central theme of this book). This book can be used in a tourism development course to help students identify current issues in tourism (eg, environmental challenges, sustainability, conservation approaches) and develop theoretical definitions and models in tourism.
In his introduction, Voase conveys that the analysis or interpretation of the cases is based on political, economic, sociocultural and technological environments. The analysis captures the multidimensionality of the tourism product and the cultural and social factors that are related to current ideologies, which affect the evolution of tourism. Such ideologies relate to prevailing postmodern approaches that seem to affect consumer behaviors, capturing experiential consumption rather than product or service production processes.
The book consists of eleven chapters. The first four chapters are addressed under the lens of an analysis of the political context. The first chapter, by Meethan, introduces the role of tourism marketing and public policy in the counties of Devon and Cornwall, England. Meethan concludes that for these two countries “marketing was one aspect of a broader integrated policy that aims to incorporate tourism more fully into the regional economy” and these programs would not have been possible without European Union (EU) funding. . “The Devon and Cornwall cases also demonstrate how new organizational forms emerge in response to broader structural changes.”
Chapter 2, by Morpeth, focuses on the role of leisure and tourism as policy instruments in Britain during the 1980s. Leisure and recreation policies were used by central and local governments as an extension of urban policy to balance the negative effects of unemployment and the evident structural problems in England in the 1980s. Morpeth analyzes the case of the city of Middlesbrough and the role of Thatcherite policies on the city, which focused on the generation of inner cities and the use of tourism as a tool for regeneration.
Chapter 3, by Voase, analyzes the influence of political, economic and social change in a mature tourist destination; the Isle of Thanet in southeastern England. Voase concludes that the process of tourism policy, planning and development in a mature destination is not always straightforward. The antagonistic policy between the actors involved in tourism development generated inconsistencies in the development of the destination. Chapter 4, by Robledo and Batle, focuses on Mallorca as a case study for rethinking tourism development of a mature destination using Butler’s (1980) product life cycle concept. As a mature destination, Mallorca needs a sustainable development strategy to survive in the future. This recognition led the Tourism Department of the Balearic Islands Government to establish a regulation of the tourist offer to protect the environment. However, this plan, as identified by Robledo and Bade, is an interesting case of struggle between different groups (ie government, environmental groups, municipalities, hoteliers, construction industry) that defend their interests in tourism development. Voase identifies these first four chapters with three common factors: the role and interaction of local levels of government in the formulation and implementation of policies, the role of politics as a vehicle for the promotion and management of economic interests, and the powerful influence of social interests. -cultural factors. While these common factors are not directly evident in the case studies presented, Voase fills that gap in her writing. These common factors may stimulate further discussion about what is the role of politics in tourism and how politics can affect researchers and practitioners in the field.
The second part of the book focuses on the economic context of tourism and its use as a tool for regeneration and wealth creation. Chapter 5, by Lewis, focuses on two agri-environmental schemes, Tir Cymen and Tir Gofal, and how they affected recreational access in rural Wales. This chapter presents how these schemes caused many changes in farming practices in Wales. These changes positively affected recreation opportunities in Wale’s agricultural landscape and changed the relationships between “new rural and urban demands and rural access, all of which now reflect the interdependence of environmental health, local social and economic needs, and access to land for recreation”.
Chapter 6, by Lindroth and Soisalon-Soinimen, looks at how a historic tourism product was developed in Loviisa, Finland. The objective of the tourism development was to create an image of Loviisa as a historical tourist destination and to create new products aligned with the historical theme. Lindroth and Soisalon-Soinimen identified that without the support of the tourist office, as well as the National Board of Antiquities, the development would not have progressed significantly. In addition, funding from the European Union helped with training and expert help. The professionals and project leaders involved in the process shaped the project through their enthusiastic actions described in detail in the case study.
Chapter 7, by Bohn and Elbe, describes the story of one man and how his vision for the municipality of Alvdalen, Sweden, transformed the town into a tourist destination. The most important element of this story is that this man created a destination without being an expert in the field of tourism development. He used the current notion of relationship marketing to achieve successful development without realizing its full value as a marketing tool. This chapter also underlines the importance of cooperation between the actors involved in tourism. Voase identifies factors that these three cases share: the role of the individual entrepreneur in product development, the consumption of natural resources, and tourism focused on past heritage.
The third part of the book focuses on the sociocultural context of tourism in four case studies. Chapter 8, by Finn, looks at the change of European football from being an amateur sport to being a spectator sport. Finn identifies current sports marketing approaches, which build a product or an experience in which the identity of the fans does not fit with the current “civilized” consumption processes and, instead, the identity of the spectators fits with the images and procedures promoted by sports marketing specialists inside and outside of football. stadiums.
Chapter 9, by Baron-Yelles, focuses on nature-based tourism and tourism policies and how the ‘Large National Site at La Point du Raz’ underwent changes in tourism provision services and infrastructure to meet the demands of tourists. the reader can observe the trade-offs between natural resources and the provision of tourist experiences. This case study also shows how a destination responded to stakeholder views on coastal conservation, public access, and permitted visitation levels.
Chapter 10, by Lohmann and Mundt, focuses on mature markets for cultural tourism in Germany. The chapter looks at how tourism shapes culture through the sharing of experiences between travelers and residents of a destination. Travel and tourism are discussed as constituents of culture. Lohmann and Mundt conclude that traveling has become an important part of people’s lives and, in turn, they are exposed to other cultures, which can affect their own.
Chapter 11, by East and Luger, focuses on youth culture and tourism development in the mountains of Austria. East and Luger share interesting insights into youth reactions and behavioral adjustments toward tourists. They report that youth who become involved in tourism through family businesses tend to be more respectful of tourists. Youth from rural mountain areas were found to be interested in urban experiences.
Voase concludes that these final four cases have three underlying themes. The first theme is that the consumption experience is staged or produced. This theme brings to mind MacCannell’s (1976) notion of front and backstage realities. The front stage is the presentation of a destination to visitors, while the back stage is the actual or truer nature of a destination. The second issue is that commercialization and commodification are not synonymous terms. The third theme is that environments are often manipulated to influence people. Voase explains how sports environments have changed and have caused spectators to change as well.
Overall, this book is useful for professionals and academics because it provides case studies offered by people with close connections to the tourism industry, thus providing an insider’s point of view. Voase, as a tourism and academic tourism marketing professional, effectively assembles case studies focusing on Western European tourism and communicates concepts that change “old” tourism principles for “new”. His introductions to each collection of cases (ie, economic, political, and sociocultural) are insightful. Voase, however, does not dispute the introduction of the euro in January 2002. This is a major change in the economic structure of all EU member countries and their socio-cultural development. The interconnection of the EU countries through the common currency could create a sense of a larger community, potentially affecting tourism through the cultural, social, political and economic aspects of the EU member countries.
Finally, Voase’s final piece is insightful. Its conclusions identify the demographic, environmental and consumer trends that will influence tourism in Western Europe during the 21st century. He concludes that population ageing, global warming, and active and passive consumer segments are elements of a ‘new’ tourism. All three trends will potentially affect future research in the field of tourism development and marketing. Both academics and practitioners need to be aware of these trends. Voase, as a professional and academic, makes a significant contribution through these thematic case studies and the identification of the main themes and trends in tourism in Western Europe.