Facilitators and Inhibitors of Host-Guest Understanding: The case of Lazize (Italy)

Past research related to host-guest relations has been heavily influenced by the host-guest paradigm, a binary concept assuming a reciprocal relationship among two clearly distinct communities. Recently scholars have questioned the validity of this notion in a contemporary context, but have not widely succeeded in showing what facilitates/inhibits host-guest understanding. Lazise, a popular holiday destination on the shores Lake Garda/Italy is the case study taken  in order to identify and understand facilitators/inhibitors of host-guest understanding through an interpretive approach. The study has resulted in identifying three core themes which facilitate host-guest relations in the context of Lazise, namely romanticization of local lifestyle, self-criticism and perceived authenticity of local culture. Furthermore, two inhibitors for host-guest understanding have been identified, namely lack of cultural sensitivity, and open display of sexual encounters between locals and tourists. The findings are useful for tourism policymakers in Lazise and elsewhere, while a further academic step towards a better understanding of host-guest relations is offered.Past research related to host-guest relations has been heavily influenced by the host-guest paradigm, a binary concept assuming a reciprocal relationship among two clearly distinct communities. Recently scholars have questioned the validity of this notion in a contemporary context, but have not widely succeeded in showing what facilitates/inhibits host-guest understanding. Lazise, a popular holiday destination on the shores Lake Garda/Italy is the case study taken  in order to identify and understand facilitators/inhibitors of host-guest understanding through an interpretive approach. The study has resulted in identifying three core themes which facilitate host-guest relations in the context of Lazise, namely romanticization of local lifestyle, self-criticism and perceived authenticity of local culture. Furthermore, two inhibitors for host-guest understanding have been identified, namely lack of cultural sensitivity, and open display of sexual encounters between locals and tourists. The findings are useful for tourism policymakers in Lazise and elsewhere, while a further academic step towards a better understanding of host-guest relations is offered

Hell is other people? A Sartrean analysis of the Local Gaze

Tourism has often been defined as a linear “way of seeing”, where tourists gaze upon the world in order to consume it as a tourism product. It is now largely understood that “the Gaze” is more complex and overarching, comprising of diverse “gazers” and “gazees”. This paper adopts a Sartrean perspective through building on the concept of “being-for-others”, where human consciousness is brought to light through being gazed upon by an outstander. Accordingly, this research aims at understanding the lived experience of tourists of being exposed to the Local Gaze as a “being-for-others”. An emic perspective is adopted through a methodology and method underpinned in the philosophical underpinnings of phenomenology. Eight participants were recruited through experience-based, purposive sampling and interviewed in-depth. Findings show that the look of the Other increases tourists’ self-awareness and reflection, confronting them with the existential question of being in the world. This results in a struggle of meaning making through the Sartrean concepts of sadism, masochism and indifference, which makes authentic relationship between the tourist and the toured ephemeral at best

Conceptualizing residents' destination brand ambassador behavior

Although destination branding has become increasingly popular throughout the last decades, the role of the biggest destination brand stakeholder has scarcely been researched: the local inhabitants of a destination, commonly called the “resident” stakeholder. Only recently scholars have speculated that residents could be a brand‟s most valuable advocate through showing “residents‟ destination brand ambassador behavior” (RDBAB) and enhancing brand equity. However, what this concept really means has hardly been investigated. This research employs content analysis of related destination branding literature in order to conceptualize the notion of RDBAB. Findings have shown that a general distinction between planned/spontaneous, and promotion/development-related RDBAB can be made. Offline and online word-of-mouth, personal use of promotional material, as well as participation in promotion and development-related events and activities are given as behavioral examples. Finally, a definition of RDBAB is offered based on the findings and suggestions for future studies are given

Implementation of triple helix clusters procedure in the Sub-Sahara Africa energy sector

Izael Pereira Da Silva; Steffen Wassler - Contributions from Practitioners - User ExperiencePenetration of decentralized power supply for households and commercial enterprises is low in Sub-Sahara Africa. Solar Home Systems (SHS), despite their widespread use in other continents have failed to attain much success in Africa. One of the reasons is the high rate of failure of existing implementations. Data shows earlier failure rates of 50%.1 This is largely attributed to poor quality of products used, inefficient installation, mismanagement and lack of maintenance. To address this problem, the Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Conservation (CREEC) is setting up a Solar PV test laboratory in Uganda. This paper describes the installation process and how to sustain the laboratory after implementation. The lab is intended to provide a forum for training, research and consultancy under CREEC. It is intended as a tool to implement the triple helix and clusters procedure in the PV industry in particular and the energy sector in a more general scope. This paper offers details covering the current situation of the energy sector in Uganda and how the lab supports capacity building in the university to support the upcoming demand.Penetration of decentralized power supply for households and commercial enterprises is low in Sub-Sahara Africa. Solar Home Systems (SHS), despite their widespread use in other continents have failed to attain much success in Africa. One of the reasons is the high rate of failure of existing implementations. Data shows earlier failure rates of 50%.1 This is largely attributed to poor quality of products used, inefficient installation, mismanagement and lack of maintenance. To address this problem, the Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Conservation (CREEC) is setting up a Solar PV test laboratory in Uganda. This paper describes the installation process and how to sustain the laboratory after implementation. The lab is intended to provide a forum for training, research and consultancy under CREEC. It is intended as a tool to implement the triple helix and clusters procedure in the PV industry in particular and the energy sector in a more general scope. This paper offers details covering the current situation of the energy sector in Uganda and how the lab supports capacity building in the university to support the upcoming demand

Implementation of a solar test laboratory in sub-Sahara Africa

Describing the process used and how to sustain the laboratory after implementation.Penetration of decentralized power supply for households and commercial enterprises is low in Sub-Sahara Africa. Solar Home Systems (SHS), despite their widespread use in other continents have failed to attain much success in Africa. One of the reasons is the high rate of failure of existing implementations. Data shows earlier failure rates of 50 [1]. This is largely attributed to poor quality of products used, inefficient installation, mismanagement and lack of maintenance. To address this problem, the Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Conservation (CREEC) has set up a Solar PV test laboratory in Uganda. This paper describes the process used and how to sustain the laboratory after implementation. The lab is intended to provide a forum for training, research and consultancy under CREEC. It is intended as a tool to implement the triple helix and clusters procedure in the PV industry. This paper offers detail covering the current situation of the energy sector in Uganda and how the lab helps capacity building in the University to support the upcoming demand.Penetration of decentralized power supply for households and commercial enterprises is low in Sub-Sahara Africa. Solar Home Systems (SHS), despite their widespread use in other continents have failed to attain much success in Africa. One of the reasons is the high rate of failure of existing implementations. Data shows earlier failure rates of 50 [1]. This is largely attributed to poor quality of products used, inefficient installation, mismanagement and lack of maintenance. To address this problem, the Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Conservation (CREEC) has set up a Solar PV test laboratory in Uganda. This paper describes the process used and how to sustain the laboratory after implementation. The lab is intended to provide a forum for training, research and consultancy under CREEC. It is intended as a tool to implement the triple helix and clusters procedure in the PV industry. This paper offers detail covering the current situation of the energy sector in Uganda and how the lab helps capacity building in the University to support the upcoming demand

Tourist Vulnerability: Proposing an emic perspective

Most tourism-scholars have taken an etic perspective on vulnerability, defining the concept as risk for - and largely confined to - vulnerable populations. An emic perspective, defining vulnerability as an experiential state inherent to the human condition, is anyhow largely absent. This study adopts a phenomenological stance and proposes to approach vulnerability in tourism from an emic perspective, transcending conceptualization equaling it with risk management

Hell is other people? An existential-phenomenological analysis of the local gaze in tourism.

The “Gaze” is a complex and overarching phenomenon comprised of diverse “Gazers” and “Gazees”. This paper adopts an existential-phenomenological perspective to understand tourists’ lived experiences of being gazed upon by local people. Based on thirty experiences collected from interviews with ten participants, we show that experiencing the “Local Gaze” exposes the tourist as Sartrean “Tourist-esque”: an inauthentic experiencer of positivity, discrimination, alienation and self-consciousness. Moments of true human connections are at best ephemeral. Through an existentialist lens, the study questions the possibility of authentic host-guest relationship in tourism and argues that to maintain hopes for an authentic relationship, the concepts of “Gaze” and – perhaps even of “Tourism” – need to be transcended