PhD Colloquium

‘Current Issues and (Im)possible Solutions: an interdisciplinary dialogue in tourism and leisure’

What: The Colloquium aims to offer opportunities to: • meet other PhD students • create wider academic networks amongst peers • present your research in a relaxed and supportive environment • discuss research issues with experienced academics and other up-and-coming researchers • establish research priorities for tourism and leisure research • reflect on your future professional development through a series of workshops

Who: PhD research students, at any stage of their research.

When: Thursday, 6th – Friday ... [continue reading]]]> The Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group of The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

PhD Colloquium

‘Current Issues and (Im)possible Solutions: an interdisciplinary dialogue in tourism and leisure’

What: The Colloquium aims to offer opportunities to:
• meet other PhD students
• create wider academic networks amongst peers
• present your research in a relaxed and supportive environment
• discuss research issues with experienced academics and other up-and-coming researchers
• establish research priorities for tourism and leisure research
• reflect on your future professional development through a series of workshops

Who: PhD research students, at any stage of their research.

When: Thursday, 6th – Friday 7th September 2012

Where: University of Surrey, Guildford Campus, UK

Cost: £80 includes:
• all refreshments and lunch on both days of the conference
• drinks reception on Thursday evening

Optional conference dinner on Thursday night at a local pub at delegate’s own expense.

Accommodation: is available at a cost of £34 per night in halls of residence (incl. breakfast).

Keynote Speakers and Panellists:
Prof Allan Williams currently holds a Chair in Tourism and Mobility Studies at the University of Surrey. His expertise lies with the relationships between economic development and mobility, innovation and risk. He is particularly interested in the relationship between tourism and migration, retirement migration, return migration, tourism innovation, and the role of risk in mobility.

Prof Andrew Holden holds the chair in Environment and Tourism at the University of Bedfordshire. He has considerable experience in the areas of sustainable tourism development, the use of tourism in poverty reduction, climate change and tourism and environmental ethics.

Dr Graham Miller is Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey, where his main research interest is in the forces that enable and prevent the drive towards a more sustainable tourism industry.

Dr Caroline Scarles is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. Her main research interests lie in the areas of sustainable tourism, ethics, visuals and visualities in tourism, as well as materiality and consumption.

Dr Jan Mosedale is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland. Dr Mosedale is primarily concerned with analysing the constitution of the economy as multiple forms of economic practices across space. This involves research on the capitalist structures of the economy as well as non-capitalist forms of economic exchanges.

Colloquium Background
Through its links with the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG), this conference aims to provide an interdisciplinary dialogue around the wider aspects of the conference theme and to provide an opportunity for contemporary, tourism and leisure related research issues to be explored. The conference theme provides a platform for many exciting and critical topics that call for discussion where students from all disciplines which locate tourism and/or leisure within its boundaries are welcomed.

The colloquium will be hosted by the University of Surrey Tourism Research Centre (STRC) with the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM). STRC and SHTM not only foster inter-disciplinary and creative research pursuits, but the SHTM also holds the number 1 ranking for tourism education in the UK, and is ranked 5th on a global scale for its teaching and research capabilities within the tourism and hospitality disciplines. Combined with the support of the RGS-IBG’s Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG), this colloquium promises to provide an engaging and thought-provoking forum with those at the forefront of tourism, leisure and hospitality research.

Author Guidelines
To make the conference as interactive and informative as possible for all participants, we have three different types of sessions to enable participation on a number of levels.

Paper presentations
Participants will present their research in a paper session, where each participant will be given 15 minutes to present their research, and respond to any questions.

Research conversations
Sessions will be offered where participants can discuss and constructively critique theirs and others’ work in a relaxed environment. Depending on your research area, you will be divided into small groups and given 1 hour to discuss current themes and issues. Following this, there will be half an hour for each group to present a summary of their discussion to everyone.

Workshops and panel discussion
In addition to the paper sessions and research conversations, there will be workshops providing students an opportunity to ask questions and receive answers to questions related but not limited to, starting a career in academia or research consultancy, as well as general research advice.
• Life after a PhD
• An academic career after your PhD
• The changing landscape of Higher Education in the UK
• Taking your PhD into the industry
• Making the most of your PhD
• Women in academia
• Working overseas with your PhD

Session Convenors:

Abstract:

Leisure has long been a topic of the geographical imagination.  Whilst leisure studies and geography may have gone in somewhat separate directions in the past, the multi-, trans- and interdisciplinary nature of both subjects means that convergence and synergies are (re)emerging between these two subject fields.

This session seeks to explore the ways in which leisure and geographical thought have manifested innovative and creative research.  The session aims to engage with contemporary research and knowledge production in and beyond leisure studies and in turn, to challenge ... [continue reading]]]> Sponsor:

• Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG)

Session Convenors:

• Dr Tara Duncan, University of Otago – tara.duncan@otago.ac.nz

Abstract:

Leisure has long been a topic of the geographical imagination.  Whilst leisure studies and geography may have gone in somewhat separate directions in the past, the multi-, trans- and interdisciplinary nature of both subjects means that convergence and synergies are (re)emerging between these two subject fields.

This session seeks to explore the ways in which leisure and geographical thought have manifested innovative and creative research.  The session aims to engage with contemporary research and knowledge production in and beyond leisure studies and in turn, to challenge Sheller and Urry’s (2006: 208) contention that the social sciences have generally neglected the significance of people’s movements for leisure, pleasure, work,  family life, politics and protest.

As such, this session seeks to highlight the intersections between leisure studies and geography and invites papers that may consider some of the following:-

- Negotiating geography and leisure
- Security, geography, leisure
- Leisure studies and methodologies
- Affective possibilities and/of leisure
- Embodiment, leisure and performance
- Gender, leisure and (im)mobility
- Fluidity, movement and leisure
- Leisure and lifestyle
- Space, place, leisure and tourism

Please submit abstracts (of no more than 250 words) to Tara Duncan (tara.duncan@otago.ac.nz) by Monday 23rd January 2011.

References

Sheller M and Urry J, 2006, ‘The new mobilities paradigm’, Environment and Planning A, vol. 38, pp. 207-226.

See www.rgs.org/ac2012 for more details on the conference

Session Convenors:

Abstract:

Research on events and festivals within leisure and tourism is maturing with the launch of new journals and study programs (Getz, 2007). Yet much is still unknown about the social impact of events and festivals (Carlsen, Ali-Knight and Robertson, 2007) and the human side of events and festivals has been largely under researched (Baum et al, 2009). London will shortly host the Games of the XXX Olympiad, with athletes participating from 204 National Olympic Committees, the event employing 6000 paid ... [continue reading]]]> Sponsor:

• Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG)

Session Convenors:

• Dr Kirsten Holmes, Curtin University – k.holmes@curtin.edu.au
• Professor Tom Baum, Strathclyde University – t.g.baum@strath.ac.uk

Abstract:

Research on events and festivals within leisure and tourism is maturing with the launch of new journals and study programs (Getz, 2007). Yet much is still unknown about the social impact of events and festivals (Carlsen, Ali-Knight and Robertson, 2007) and the human side of events and festivals has been largely under researched (Baum et al, 2009). London will shortly host the Games of the XXX Olympiad, with athletes participating from 204 National Olympic Committees, the event employing 6000 paid staff, involving up to 70,000 volunteers and attracting thousands of predicted tourists and day visitors from the UK and abroad (www.london2012.com). The event’s legacy will be to create new residential communities on the Olympic site, training, jobs and wider social benefits such as further volunteering. While most events and festivals are on a much smaller scale they still rely on these human contributions. This session will focus on the human dimension of events and festivals, by going beyond current event impact studies to answer questions of how far oft-cited social and cultural benefits of events are or can be realized (Fredline, Jago & Deery, 2003; Rogers, Robertson & Leask, 2009). As such this section will address the following research questions: Do events and festivals genuinely bring people and communities together to help generate social capital? Can they really lead to intercultural exchange between people from different countries and cultures and if so, in what ways? Do they promote volunteering either during or after the event and how do they do this? What are the negative outcomes from events for residents beyond simple car parking and noise complaints? How far do events really act as a draw for tourists? What kind of human legacy is created in terms of employment, skills development and new communities? And how can these questions best be researched?

References

Baum, T., Deery, M., Hanlon, C., Lockstone, L. & Smith, K. (Eds.). (2009). People and work in events and conventions. Wallingford: CABI.

Carlsen, J., Ali-Knight, J. & Robertson, M. (2007). Access-A research agenda for Edinburgh festivals. Event Management 11 (2007): 3-11.

Fredline, L., Jago, L. & Deery, M. (2003). Developing a generic scale to measure the social impacts of events. Event Management 8, 23-37.

Getz, D. (2007). Event studies. Oxford: Elsevier.

Robertson, M., Rogers, P. & Leask, A. (2009). Progressing socio- cultural impact evaluation for festivals. Journal of Policy Research for Tourism, Leisure and Events 1(2) 156-169.

Deadline for Abstracts: 31^st January 2012

See www.rgs.org/ac2012 for more details on the conference

Session Convenors:

Abstract:

The notion of governance is increasingly used to refer to the dynamic structures, institutions and practices for regulating public and private socio-economic interactions. The term ‘governance’ incorporates on the one hand, the organization and structures of government (e.g. neoliberalism and shifting scales of governance); on the other hand, the social aspects and relationships between actors (e.g. governance networks).

The dispersion of the functions of the government to a wide variety of formal and informal organisations, institutions and social groups increases ... [continue reading]]]> Sponsor:

• Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG)

Session Convenors:

• Jan Mosedale, University of Sunderland – Jan.mosedale@sunderland.ac.uk
• Carla Ricaurte Quijano, University of Brighton – C.V.RicaurteQuijano@brighton.ac.uk

Abstract:

The notion of governance is increasingly used to refer to the dynamic structures, institutions and practices for regulating public and private socio-economic interactions. The term ‘governance’ incorporates on the one hand, the organization and structures of government (e.g. neoliberalism and shifting scales of governance); on the other hand, the social aspects and relationships between actors (e.g. governance networks).

The dispersion of the functions of the government to a wide variety of formal and informal organisations, institutions and social groups increases the complexity of decision-making, collaboration and cooperation for touristic purposes. Indeed, conflicting interests, values and perspectives on the future need to be negotiated between networked stakeholders across various scales as well as  across multileveled government bodies and tourism organisations. The politics of policy-making and the meaning of tourism governance are themselves continuously negotiated in these processes. The role of the government in fostering or legitimizing emerging tourism governance practices needs consideration as the private sector and civil society are given a larger level of responsibility in sharing the accountability for the decisions and actions. 

The overall purpose of the session is to discuss tourism governance in relation to private-public management including policy-making, tourism planning and management and related themes.

Deadline for Papers: 31^st January 2012

See www.rgs.org/ac2012 for more details on the conference

Session Conveners:

Abstract:

Tourism theory is grounded in occidental, individualistic culture. With more and more non-Western tourists hitting the road, the need for new, less biased theoretical approaches is becoming apparent. The session provides a meeting point for scholars already working in this field and those who ... [continue reading]]]> Sponsors:

• COTRI (China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, Heide, Germany
• University Mainz, Germany
• Sunderland University, UK
• School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK

Session Conveners:

• Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, COTRI, University of Applied Sciences Germany, Heide – arlt@fh-westkueste.de
• Dr. Ala Al-Hamarneh, University of Mainz – A.Al-Hamarneh@geo.uni-mainz.de
• Prof. Kevin Hannam, Sunderland University – Kevin.Hannam@sunderland.ac.uk
• Dr. Kevin Latham, University of London, SOAS – kl1@soas.ac.uk

Abstract:

Tourism theory is grounded in occidental, individualistic culture. With more and more non-Western tourists hitting the road, the need for new, less biased theoretical approaches is becoming apparent. The session provides a meeting point for scholars already working in this field and those who are interested in a fresh point of view

Deadline for Abstracts: 31^st January 2012 

See www.rgs.org/ac2012 for more details on the conference

Session Convenors:

Abstract:

Reflecting the theme of the RGS-IBG annual conference, this session seeks to explore the ways in which tourism development mobilises manifestations or security within tourism destinations. In particular, the session focuses not upon interpretations of security in relation to issues such as terrorism, fear or vulnerability in touristic encounters, but rather upon developing confidence in stakeholder practices, partnerships and collaborations that mobilise peace, security and well being of tourists and residents via: knowledge ... [continue reading]]]> RGS Tourism and Development Session

Session Convenors:

• Dr Sheena Carlisle, Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Cardiff Metropolitan University. Email:scarlisle@cardiffmet.ac.uk
• Dr. Caroline Scarles, Department of Tourism, University of Surrey. Email: C.Scarles@surrey.ac.uk

Abstract:

Reflecting the theme of the RGS-IBG annual conference, this session seeks to explore the ways in which tourism development mobilises manifestations or security within tourism destinations. In particular, the session focuses not upon interpretations of security in relation to issues such as terrorism, fear or vulnerability in touristic encounters, but rather upon developing confidence in stakeholder practices, partnerships and collaborations that mobilise peace, security and well being of tourists and residents via: knowledge exchange and transfer, language, opportunities for learning and education, cultural interaction  and understanding through touristic  encounters (see Moufakkir and Kelly 2010). Indeed, while realising the importance of understanding the impacts and potentially destructive forces of tourism that are addressed within the rich literature of sustainable tourism (Sofield 2003; Weaver 2006; Hall, Gossling and Weaver 2009;  commodification and cultural stagnation (see Greenwood, 1978, Jafari 1996; Boniface 1998), exploitation or repression through the host-guest relationship (Smith 1983; Boissevain 1996), or the inherent selectivity of the tourist product as focusing on that which is distorted by the romanticised tourist gaze (Urry 1990 and 2001 ), are all ongoing impacts that underlie the need for effective partnerships and collaboration.  This session calls to attention the opportunities afforded by tourism for generating positive, mutually beneficial exchanges between stakeholders that generate and nurture opportunities via mutuality in behaviour and practice. This is not to deny the complex pluralities of motivations, opinions and principles underpinning the behaviour of agents within the tourist experience, but rather is to explore the unfolding opportunities of mutuality of experience that may arise. Thus, security as it is performed and constructed, facilitates an emergent hopefulness through mutuality that can renegotiate instances of frustration, fear, indifference and insecurity that permeates (to varying degrees) through many destinations.  The aim of the session is therefore to explore theoretical and empirical applications of how tourism can mobilise improved cultural understanding and  relations, as well as economic and social frameworks between stakeholders in the tourist experience.

 The session therefore welcomes papers that address security and tourism through issues such as:

• Migration and labour opportunities and emergent mobilisation of skills, knowledge and expertise,
• The role of Government and industry (e.g. leading by example, examples of best practice, advisory codes, corporate social responsibility, providing knowledge-based experiences, regulation and legislation)
• Ethical consumption and empowering the tourist as knowledgeable, active and skilled consumers,
• Reconceptualising the host: mobilising autonomy and empowering residents
• The importance of understanding, appreciation and empathy in stakeholder relationships
• Interplays of stakeholder agency, power and politics in the tourist experience
• Identifying the challenges of mobilising security and mutuality within the tourist experience
• Theoretical conceptualisations of security in tourism

Deadline for Abstracts: 31^st January 2012

See www.rgs.org/ac2012 for more details on the conference

We welcome proposals within GLTRG’s broad remit of tourism, mobility and leisure and also those that directly engage with the conference theme. A number of past sessions at the conference are in the process of being reworked into edited books as part of the ... [continue reading]]]> The Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG) is pleased to present a call for sponsored sessions for the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference to be held in Edinburgh Tuesday 3rd-Thursday 5th July 2012. The conference chair is Chris Philo (University of Glasgow) and the theme is Security of geography/geography of security- see www.rgs.org/ac2012  for more details.

We welcome proposals within GLTRG’s broad remit of tourism, mobility and leisure and also those that directly engage with the conference theme. A number of past sessions at the conference are in the process of being reworked into edited books as part of the Current Developments in the Geographies of Leisure and Tourism book series with Ashgate. 
 
Session proposals (max 400 words) that are seeking GLTRG sponsorship should be submitted for consideration by 20th November 2011 to Jan Mosedale (jan.mosedale@sunderland.ac.uk). You can download the session proposal form at www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/051F446E-3A43-43AA-B585-754DCCB5B80E/0/AC2012_SessionProposalForm.doc
 
Please note that due to space limitations in Edinburgh each research group will only be able to sponsor 12 sessions at the conference and to maximise participation, we would encourage session convenors to consider innovative formats for sessions- see the website www.rgs.org/ac2012sessionformats for some ideas.

Caroline and Jan
GLTRG Chair and Secretary

Synopsis Humans are rapidly becoming an urban species, with millions of people migrating to cities each year. Over half of the world’s 7 billion people now live in urban areas and over 1 billion live in slums and favelas. How will urban centres across the world keep pace with predicted continuing growth? What are the visions of tomorrow’s cities?

Panel • Robert Neuwirth – Journalist and author ... [continue reading]]]> Adapting to an Urban Future
Date: 6 December 2011
Time: 19:00- 20:30
Venue: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) (Directions – http://www.rgs.org/AboutUs/Visiting+the+Society.htm)
Tickets: £10 / £7 RGS-IBG members
To book tickets please call our events team on 020 7591 3100 or visit http://www.rgs.org/WhatsOn/21cc.htm

Synopsis
Humans are rapidly becoming an urban species, with millions of people migrating to cities each year. Over half of the world’s 7 billion people now live in urban areas and over 1 billion live in slums and favelas. How will urban centres across the world keep pace with predicted continuing growth? What are the visions of tomorrow’s cities?

Panel
• Robert Neuwirth – Journalist and author of acclaimed Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World – a book describing his experiences of living in squatter communities in Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul and Mumbai for two years.
• Doug Saunders – Author of Arrival City: How the largest migration in history is reshaping our world. Doug is also European bureau chief for The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper.
• Peter Bishop – Former Director of Design for London and Group Director of design, development and environment at the London Development Agency.
• Samira Ahmed (chair) – freelance journalist and presenter on BBC Radio 4 News and Current Affairs programmes PM and The World Tonight.

Panellist biographies can be found at http://www.21stcenturychallenges.org/focus/meet-the-panel3/

Diversity & Equality in

Leisure, Sport & Tourism

July 6-8, 2010

hosted by Leeds Metropolitan University

Second Call for Papers

This conference is intended for researchers, policy-makers and professionals

with interest in matters of equality. As societies across the globe become

characterized by greater diversity, and with growing interest in narrative in

hybridity, increasing recognition is being given to the opportunities and

challenges presented by diversity. Presenters are invited to disseminate findings

on the (potential) role of leisure, sport and tourism in promoting and constraining

equality. An interesting and dynamic range of internationally renowned keynote

speakers will be contributing ... [continue reading]]]>

Diversity & Equality in

Leisure, Sport & Tourism

July 6-8, 2010

hosted by Leeds Metropolitan University

LSA2010@leedsmet.ac.uk. Pleasewww.leisure-studies-association.info). The deadline forwww.leedsmet.ac.uk/lsa2010/ for further information.

The GLTRG is very pleased to offer six session calls for papers for the RGS-IBG annual conference next year. The session title are:

1) Lifestyle Mobilities and Corporealities

2) Innovative spaces of learning: debating their origin, nature and pedagogical significance

3) Narrating the Stories of Travel and Tourism

4) Mediating the Tourist Experience: The Role of the Media in Contemporary Tourism

5) Migration Blurrings: Exploring the Social Orientated Motives for Mobility and Migration

6) Research(ing) Ethics in Tourism

and full calls are outlined below.

If you have any questions, please contact the session convenors. Looking forward to receiving your abstracts.

Best wishes,

Caroline