Trends in tourism geography and the everyday tourism

encounter in Hanoi's Old Quarter, Vietnam

Presentation for the Geography Teacher’s

Association of Singapore

Dr Jamie GillenDepartment of Geography,

NUS, 24/3/2012

Overview of the Presentation1. Trends in Tourism I-Changing Understandings of Leisure Space

2. Trends in Tourism II-From “Impacting On” to “Engaging With” Host Communities

3. Emphasizing the everyday tourism encounter in 3. Emphasizing the everyday tourism encounter in the Old Quarter, Hanoi

4. Conclusions-Inclusive Tourism Spaces

Overview of the Presentation1. Trends in Tourism I-Changing Understandings of Leisure Space

Key Question-How have changing work spaces transformed leisure spaces?

1. Ordinary

2. Progressive

3. Rational/Reasoned

1. Extraordinary

2. Backward

3. Irrational/Chaotic

Divided Structure of Space in the 20th Century (after Harvey 1989, Gregory 1994)

Work Leisure

4. Fundamental

5. Ordered/Structured

6. Productive

7. Illuminating

8. Planned “Time is of the essence!””

3. Irrational/Chaotic

4. Optional

5. Disordered/Decentred

6. Consumptive

7. Illustrative

8. Fluid “Chill Out!”

1. Telecommuting

2. Flex hours

3. Child Care at Work

4. Office “Party Rooms”

1. Volunteer Tourism (Voluntourism)

2. Weekend Conference Calls

3. Child Care at Resort (!)

4. Resort Conference Rooms

Flexible and Multipurpose Spaces-Erasing the Division?

Is it Work? Or is it Leisure?

4. Office “Party Rooms”

5. Office Gym Facilities

6. Early Friday Leave

7. Office “Picnics”

8. Cultural Training

9. Golf Outings (Neo 2010)

4. Resort Conference Rooms

5. “Email Access Everywhere”

6. Conferences/Incentive Tourism

7. Heritage/Learning Tours

8. Heritage Training

9. Golf Outings (Neo and Savage 2002)

Overview of the Presentation1. Trends in Tourism I-Changing Understandings of Leisure Space

2. Trends in Tourism II-From “Impacting On” to “Engaging With” Host Communities

Tourism as a detrimental impact on culture

*Tourism “homogenizes local cultures towards one undifferentiated aggregate—an ‘erosion thesis’ where change is seen only as diminishing original cultures and reducing global differences” (Crang 2004: 73)…power is a one-way street

*Tourism insists that tourists and locals integrate into the *Tourism insists that tourists and locals integrate into the global economy, slowly dissolving alternative ways of life and means of exchange (Britton 1991)

*Tourism renders places “placeless” as they primarily only exhibit the glitter and artificiality of commodification

Tourism “Impacting On” Local Cultures?

From “Impacting on” to “Engaging With”

“Tourism is an active agent in the creative destruction of places in what can be a violent, contested, unequal, but sometimes welcomed, transformative and productive process. The process is one of co-construction where the destination is fashioned between different destination is fashioned between different actors…tourism is part of a reflexive process where all the actors learn from experiences” (Crang 75).

*”Engaging with” Tourism – presumes that rich tourism experience arises from direct participation and engagement with all facets of tourism, from imagination to “being there”

1. Participatory and Engaged– Voluntourism, Ecotourism, Pro-Poor Tourism, “Yoga Retreats”, “Couples Getaways” (Includes Host Communities)

2. Politically Committed/Not Neutral – Assumes Consequences to Actions

3. Liberatory/Self Enhancing – Camping, Trekking, Heritage Tourism/Learning Journeys

Today’s tourism encounters :

1. Are reciprocal

2. Often occur in the private realm

3. Are spontaneous

4. Are culturally meaningful

5. Are risky (eg can be culturally, financially costly)

6. Are rare

1. Are experientially and multi-sensorially authentic

Distinguishing principles of “new tourism” geographies

1. Incorporate and empower local voices

Distinguishing principles of “new tourism” geographies

2. Connect local physical and human landscape to foreign visitors

Distinguishing principles of “new tourism” geographies

3. Protect and engage instead of take (but not necessarily “give” rather than take)

Overview of the Presentation1. Trends in Tourism I-Changing Understandings of Leisure Space

2. Trends in Tourism II-From “Impacting On” to “Engaging With” Host Communities

3. Emphasizing the everyday tourism encounter in 3. Emphasizing the everyday tourism encounter in the Old Quarter, Hanoi

Overview of the Presentation1. Trends in Tourism I-Changing Understandings of Leisure Space

2. Trends in Tourism II-From “Impacting On” to “Engaging With” Host Communities

3. Emphasizing the everyday tourism encounter in 3. Emphasizing the everyday tourism encounter in the Old Quarter, Hanoi

4. Conclusions-Inclusive Tourism Spaces

Conclusions-Inclusive Tourism Spaces

1. Who has the power to speak as a tourist authority?

2. How are tourist spaces negotiated effectively?

3. What is ethically responsible tourism when both Western and local knowledges must be incorporated?