Not such smart tourism? The concept of e-lienation

The concept of alienation was adapted to tourism by MacCannell who identified it as a key feature of modernity and a strong driver of tourism where tourists seek to reconnect to authentic places and selves. Meanwhile the post-modern world has witnessed a revolution in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) especially in the realm of smart tourism where its advocates talk eagerly of the internet of everything. Such a totalising prospect demands serious review and this article fills a critical gap by conceptualising the idea of e-lienation as a specific form of alienation in ICT-enabled tourism. It combines philosophic questions of meaning, sociological theory and empirical research to demonstrate the meanings of e-lienation, its dimensions, causes, consequences and strategies of resistance

Evaluation of some pseudomonas species isolated from Hogsback forest reserve for the production of antibacterial compounds

Pseudomonas species are Gram-negative bacteria most abundant in soil and water bodies, with the capacity to thrive in varied environments. They are largely associated with resistant pathogenic bacteria linked to human and plant diseases. Species such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been particularly targeted as case studies due to the extremity to which they pose a threat to human health. With more focus directed at using these species for biocontrol and bioremediation purposes, their role in bioactive compound production may be equally important. As the crisis on antimicrobial resistance still persists, the need for effective antimicrobial compounds is ever more urgent and solutions may possibly still be dormant in bacterial species whose potential has not been fully investigated. On a bid to source out potential antimicrobial compound producers, soil samples were collected from Hogback forest reserve in the province of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. For bacterial screening, M1 and R2A agar were used and the cultures grown at 37˚C for a period of seven days. After the presumed Pseudomonas species were identified, antimicrobial production was determined by submerged fermentation method using nutrient broth as media of choice. Active isolates were further studied to determine the optimum conditions which best facilitate for antimicrobial compound production, with parameters such as temperature (25˚C – 40˚C) and pH (4 – 9) considered. The role plasmids play in antimicrobial compound production was also investigated. Each isolate was grown in fermentation media containing Sodium dodecyl sulphate and Ethedium Bromide, at varying concentrations, to facilitate for plasmid curing. With each sample, distinct colonies were identified with varying pigmentations most dominant being a cream colour. The identity of the isolated strains was achieved through sequencing of 16S rDNA. Phylogenetic analysis showed that isolate A16 had 80 percent homology with Pseudomonas plecoglossicida strain P4 and share a close ancestor with isolates Y52 and Y81, also isolate Y89 showed a 90 percent homology with Pseudomonas sp. Co-11a. With the exception of isolate A16, the isolates which were active against Gram-negative bacteria lost activity as the screening processes continued. When looking at temperature variations, isolates Y81 and A16 were highly active with maximum activity observed at 35˚C while Y89 performed best at 25˚C and Y52 showed constant activity across all studied temperatures. The plasmids in all isolates were found to be 48.5 kb in size with the exception of isolate Y89 which was 20 kb. The plasmids were cured at concentrations of (1 mg/ml; 5 mg/ml; 7 mg/ml; 10 mg/ml; 11 mg/ml) SDS and (125 μg/ml; 6.5 μg/ml; 5μg/ml) EtBr. The curing process also showed changes in both the antimicrobial activity of the isolates as well as their physical characteristics. The isolates are the first reported Pseudomonas species from Hogsback forest reserve with the ability to produce antimicrobial compounds which are active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These mesophilic bacteria also show that plasmids do not pay any role in the production of antimicrobial compounds and that the biosynthesis genes are highly likely to be chromosomal borne meaning that the production cannot be linked to horizontal transfer of genes. Therefore, these isolated Pseudomonas species provide a potential reservoir of antimicrobial compounds which may play an important role in the antimicrobial resistance phenomenon

“I think … I feel …”: using projective techniques to explore socio-cultural aversions towards Indigenous tourism

Socio-cultural aversions encompass a multitude of avoidant behaviours expressed in different forms and intensities. While there has been an increase in research on aversions that are somewhat underpinned by racism and discrimination, little research to date explores the existence of these aversions within an Indigenous tourism context. This study utilises projective techniques to explore the extent to which socio-cultural aversions may exist and how they manifest towards Indigenous tourism in Australia. Three major themes identified suggest that implicit and explicit socio-cultural aversions exist: 1) racial and stereotypical projections, 2) implicit cultural distancing and avoidance, and 3) ambivalence and indifference. Although less prevalent, non-aversive sentiments were also identified. The study makes a theoretical contribution to Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), specifically to the “consumer identity”, “socio-historic patterning”, and “marketplace culture” streams of research. Practically, product repositioning and marketing strategies are provided for destination managers and tourism stakeholders responsible for Indigenous tourism experiences

Up close and personal: using high engagement techniques to study Chinese visitors' landscape perceptions

Given the well-documented increase in Chinese outbound tourists, it is no surprise that the Chinese market continues to attract considerable scholarly interest. Previous studies have been primarily quantitative, using methods and instruments administered prior to and/or immediately after visitation. While useful, such approaches may struggle to capture the complex cultural attributes of the Chinese market. Accordingly, this paper proposes the adoption of high-engagement (HE) methods, namely Accompanied Walk and Visitor Employed Photography (VEP), as additional in-situ techniques for studying Chinese visitors. Drawing on fieldwork conducted at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, this paper details the procedures of using HE approaches to collect data. An insider positionality and triangulation of data from multiple techniques are particularly useful for unravelling cultural nuances. The strengths of each method in obtaining quality data from Chinese tourists are discussed, together with strategies for overcoming challenges encountered in the field

Tourism and Pilgrimage: Paying Homage to Literary Heroes

By exploring the experiences of visiting the grave of famous authors, this study highlights the place of literary tourism in the tourism pilgrimage literature. It is based on an observational study of visitors to the grave of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir in Paris. Analysis reveals that visitors were motivated by a desire for closeness, a wish to pay their respects and to acknowledge the influence on their life of the two writers. The study notes a strong parallel between the religious and the literary pilgrim, and contributes to knowledge on the phenomenon of the secular pilgrimage

Affecting solidarities: bringing feeling into feminism, empathy in employment and compassion in academic communities of crises

While a wider context of crisis and neoliberal practices engulfing academia has triggered a variety of debilitating impacts on both education and academic working lives, tourism academia remains an insulated workplace, slowly responding to efforts corresponding to a politics of care, diversity and inclusivity. In highlighting attention to the issue of gender equity in tourism academia, this paper draws on netnographic analysis from one global electronic mailing list and analyses empirical data on the issues of ‘gender’, ‘women’ and ‘diversity’. The case study brings to the fore the urgency of addressing these issues as regards tourism academia. The latter is a space that we argue would benefit from enactments that nurture affectivities of solidarity. These are exemplified in the form of caring, compassionate and feeling fuelled inclusive workplaces. This paper aims to stimulate further debate in underscoring the need to introduce what we term ‘unbounded feminisms of solidarity and compassion’

Commercial hospitality in destination experiences: McDonald's and tourists' consumption of space

This paper examines the multiple roles that globalised, branded spaces of hospitality can play in tourists' experiences in destinations. It is argued that previous studies have not considered adequately how such commercial hospitality services and spaces interact with and influence tourists' experiences of places. Drawing on a netnographic analysis of online discussions of McDonald's, this study explores how tourists perceive these hospitality venues, and how they use them to engage with foreign destinations and negotiate the ‘work of tourism’. The data show how tourists (re)construct their identities through reflections on consuming McDonald's. The data also demonstrate that tourists critically evaluate discourses of authenticity and the (in)authenticity of consuming McDonald's. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for the marketing and management of McDonald's and similar branded commercial hospitality venues, the marketing and management of destinations, and it outlines avenues for further research