Tourists consuming distance

Gunvor Riber Larsen

Research output: Contribution to conference without publisher/journalConference abstract for conferenceResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The environmental impact of tourism mobility is linked to the distances travelled in order to reach a holiday destination, and with tourists travelling more and further than previously, an understanding of how the tourists view the distance they travel across becomes relevant. Based on interviews with Danish tourists about their holiday mobility and desires, the concept of 'consumption of distance' is developed, a concept which explores how tourists think about and engage with the distance they transcend when travelling on holiday. Consumption of distance is to be understood as a concept that allows theoretical and empirical investigation of how distance becomes an explicit element of a tourist's mobility, beyond being a naturally given entity that needs to be overcome in order to get from one place to another. Understanding whether and how distance is perceived as part of travelling on holiday could contribute to an understanding of how it is possible to change tourism travel behaviour towards becoming more sustainable. How tourists 'consume distance' is discussed, from the practical level of actually driving the car or sitting in the air plane, to the symbolic consumption of distance that occurs when travelling on holiday becomes part of a lifestyle and a social positioning game. Further, different types of tourist distance consumers are identified, ranging from the reluctant to the deliberate and nonchalant distance consumers, who display very differing attitudes towards the distance they all travel across.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date4 Jul 2012
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jul 2012
EventBournemouth University, FRIAS, NHTV and the University of Otago: Psychological and behavioural approaches to understanding and governing sustainable tourism mobility - Black Forest, Freiburg, Germany
Duration: 3 Jul 20126 Jul 2012

Conference

ConferenceBournemouth University, FRIAS, NHTV and the University of Otago: Psychological and behavioural approaches to understanding and governing sustainable tourism mobility
LocationBlack Forest
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityFreiburg
Period03/07/201206/07/2012

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