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 the 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, yet are 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 write about, allowing for 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 build on definitions and theoretical models in tourism.
In his introduction, Voase conveys that the analysis or interpretation of the cases is based on political, economic, socio-cultural 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 are related to the prevailing postmodern approaches that seem to affect consumer behaviors, which capture experiential consumption rather than the production processes of products or services.
The book consists of eleven chapters. The first four chapters are addressed through the lens of an analysis of the political context. The first chapter, by Meetan, presents the role of tourism marketing and public policy in the counties of Devon and Cornwall, England. Meetan concludes that for these two countries “marketing was one aspect of a broader integrated policy that aims to embed tourism more fully into the regional economy” and these programs would not have been possible without funding from the European Union (EU). . “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 structural problems evident 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 the south-east of 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 regarding the development of the destination. Chapter 4, by Robledo and Batle, focuses on Mallorca as a case study to rethink the 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 Department of Tourism of the Government of the Balearic Islands 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) defending 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 policy formulation and implementation, 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 with his 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-environment 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 recreational opportunities in the agricultural landscape of Wale 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, discusses how a historic tourism product 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 board, as well as the National Board of Antiquities, 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, tells the story of one man and how his vision for the municipality of Alvdalen, Sweden, transformed the city 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 in European football from being an amateur sport to being a spectator sport. Finn identifies current sports marketing approaches, which build a product or experience where the identity of fans does not fit with current “civilized” consumption processes, and instead, the identity of viewers fits with those images and procedures promoted by sports marketers inside and outside of soccer. stadiums.
Chapter 9, by Baron-Yelles, focuses on tourism and nature-based tourism policies and how the ‘Grand Site National at La Point du Raz’ underwent changes in the provision of tourism services and infrastructure to meet the needs of tourists. tourist demands. the reader can observe the trade-offs between natural resources and the provision of tourism experiences. This case study also shows how a destination responded to stakeholder feedback on coastal conservation, public access, and permitted levels of visitation.
Chapter 10, by Lohmann and Mundt, focuses on the mature markets for cultural tourism in Germany. The chapter looks at how tourism shapes culture through the exchange 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 towards tourists. They report that young people who get involved in tourism through family businesses tend to be more respectful of tourists. Young people 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 consumer 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 real or truer nature of a destination. The second theme 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.
In general, 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 tourism marketing professional and academic, effectively brings together case studies focusing on Western European tourism and communicates concepts that change “old” tourism principles to “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 greater sense of community, potentially affecting tourism through the cultural, social, political and economic aspects of the EU member countries.
Finally, Voase’s final piece is insightful. His conclusions identify demographic, environmental and consumer trends that will influence Western European tourism in the 21st century. He concludes that the aging of the population, 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 tourism themes and trends in Western Europe.