American Association of Geographers 2018

Given the present circumstance in the tourism world......the following body is organizing....
AAG (American Association of Geographers) conference, April 2018 in New Orleans, Prof. Michael Clancy and I are organising a strand.  It's prompted by the anti-tourism protests that have been widely reported over the Summer. Case studies looking in details at specific instances, or more general analyses, would be very welcome. Please pass this on as appropriate.

see: http://www.aag.org/ and also below for strand details

Title:  The dynamics of anti-tourism

Description: In 2017 activists in several venues (Barcelona, Venice, Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam, Bhutan, Dubrovnik, to name a few) launched local campaigns against tourists and tourism. In August, UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai called the rise in anti-tourist sentiment is “a very serious situation that needs to be addressed in a serious way.”

What is behind these actions and how do we best understand them? Are they simply a reaction to perceived ‘overtourism’ (a term widely adopted in the media this year)? Do they imply a disillusionment with, or critique of, mass tourism’s cultural influence? Are they best understood as criticism of certain types of tourism – cruise tourists, casinos, mega-events? Do the very diverse forms of anti-tourism contain a common thread? Are they motivated by a desire for resources, recognition, growth or de-growth?

While some attention has been given to opposition to specific forms of tourism (Boykoff, 2011; Briassoulis, 2011; Cox, 1993) we need a deeper understanding of the various forms and manifestations of anti-tourism as well as the impact such movements have. This session seeks papers that address opposition to tourism of all kinds, which might include:

• Reactions to perceived ‘overtourism’
• Anti-tourism and cultural identity
• Controversies over resource use: tourism and recreation versus other uses
• Disputes among tourists over access and predominant forms of tourism within a given site (e.g. backpacker tourists vs. coach tourists)
• Opposition to specific types of tourism development: casinos, cruise tourism, the Olympic games, sex tourism
• Anti-tourism as a new social movement
• Historical evolution of anti-tourism
• The impact of anti-tourism movements on tourism destinations
• Tourism and the ‘right to the city’

Boykoff, J. (2011). The Anti-Olympics. New Left Review, (67), 41–59.
Briassoulis, H. (2011). Opposition to golf-related tourism development: an interpretivist analysis of an online petition. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(6), 673–693.
Cox, T. R. (1993). Before the casino: James G. Scrugham, state parks, and Nevada’s quest for tourism. Western Historical Quarterly, 24(3), 332.

Michael Clancy
University of Hartford
Jim Butcher
Canterbury Christ Church University