Tourist Performances

This research presents two case studies of travels,
comparing tourist performances in two divergent
settings; natural and urban environment. It
specifically deals with four themes emerging from
the observation of performances; sociality,
embodiment, constraints of performances and
identity. The discussion on sociality presents the
importance and consequences of presence of relevant
others. Discussion about embodiment presents the
role of body in tourist experience; body as a
display and as a tool for sensuous perception of
the environment. Looking at the constraints of
performances reveals how tourists negotiate places
and what shapes their performances. The discussion
on identity presents specific perceptions of nature
and culture that derive from the cultural background
of participants and deals with emergence of
temporary identities that enable tourists to consume
places. This research contributes to a debate on
performances and enables us to understand more about
places and people that encounter them. Such approach
supersedes old theories dealing with motives,
problems of authenticity and tourist representations.

Autorentext

Being awarded with BA degree in Tourism (Turistica, Slovenia) and MA degree in Tourism and Leasure (Lancaster University, UK), MiSela Mavric is now a PhD researcher at the Lancaster University and a research assistant at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies and the Faculty of Information Studies in Slovenia.

Klappentext

This research presents two case studies of travels, comparing tourist performances in two divergent settings; natural and urban environment. It specifically deals with four themes emerging from the observation of performances; sociality, embodiment, constraints of performances and identity. The discussion on sociality presents the importance and consequences of presence of relevant others. Discussion about embodiment presents the role of body in tourist experience; body as a display and as a tool for sensuous perception of the environment. Looking at the constraints of performances reveals how tourists negotiate places and what shapes their performances. The discussion on identity presents specific perceptions of nature and culture that derive from the cultural background of participants and deals with emergence of temporary identities that enable tourists to consume places. This research contributes to a debate on performances and enables us to understand more about places and people that encounter them. Such approach supersedes old theories dealing with motives, problems of authenticity and tourist representations.