Jens Kr. Steen Jacobsen and Antonio Miguel Nogués-Pedregal
The purpose of this paper is to outline and interpret social circles and networks of long-term visitors to Costa Blanca (Spain) and to analyse how the long-termers relate to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to outline and interpret social circles and networks of long-term visitors to Costa Blanca (Spain) and to analyse how the long-termers relate to Spanish nationals and compatriots in their (temporary) residence areas.
Design/methodology/approach
En route airport questionnaire survey to departing passengers.
Findings
The study indicates a presence of translocalism among many of the polyglot long-termers not tied to their native soil and having manifold links across national borders. Most of them socialise within compatriot leisurescape settings. Language skills are determinant. Many long-termers are “dual citizens”, feeling at home both here and there.
Research limitations/implications
Airport surveys can reach a broad range of people but must be kept simple because of time constraints. The different labels used by researchers to describe international mobility might not be comprehensive.
Practical implications
The paper is of interest to local authorities, planners, property developers and tourism destination service providers.
Social implications
The study confirms that some persons may be physically “in” a foreign culture while socially “outside” of that culture, or in society but not of it.
Originality/value
The research uniquely encompasses all types of long-termers in various locations, based on an airport survey. It offers new insights into patterns of social circles and language proficiencies of diverse international long-term arrivals in Mediterranean Spain.
Details
Keywords
Antonio-Miguel Nogués-Pedregal
This paper aims to show that tourism is one of the most perfect creations of the capitalist mode of production insofar as not only does it consume places and territories and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to show that tourism is one of the most perfect creations of the capitalist mode of production insofar as not only does it consume places and territories and perpetuate dependency relations, but in the expressive dimension, it also produces feelings and meanings and generates a new relationship of the past with the present and future (chronotope).
Design/methodology/approach
The study was carried out using a socio-anthropological approach with participant observation over several decades.
Findings
The modes of time are described and how the tourism chronotope shapes the historic centre of a consolidated tourist destination. The case study, analysed with the model of the “conversion of place through the mediation of tourism space”, illustrates the prevalence of instrumental and commercial values over one’s own aesthetic-expressive values in tourism contexts. This fact encourages the emergence of local political projects and the incorporation of uniformities outside the local place. These processes end up uprooting the anchors from collective memory. The definition of territories according to visitors’ imaginaries and expectations encourages the abusive occupation of public space and the adoption of new aesthetic attributes of urban space.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the chosen research approach and methodologies, the research results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test both the model and the propositions further.
Originality/value
This study approaches the relationship of the idea Tourism with the idea Development based on the anchors of memory.