Exploring the use and impact of travel guidebooks

Exploring the Use and Impact of Travel Guidebooks TOURISM AND CULTURAL CHANGE Series Editors: Professor Mike Robinson, Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage, University of Birmingham, UK and Dr Alison Phipps, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK TCC is a series of books that explores the complex and ever-changing relationship between tourism and culture(s) The series focuses on the ways that places, peoples, pasts, and ways of life are increasingly shaped/ transformed/ created/packaged for touristic purposes The series examines the ways tourism utilises/makes and re-makes cultural capital in its various guises (visual and performing arts, crafts, festivals, built heritage, cuisine etc.) and the multifarious political, economic, social and ethical issues that are raised as a consequence Understanding tourism’s relationships with culture(s) and vice versa, is of ever-increasing significance in a globalising world This series will critically examine the dynamic inter-relationships between tourism and culture(s) Theoretical explorations, research-informed analyses, and detailed historical reviews from a variety of disciplinary perspectives are invited to consider such relationships Full details of all the books in this series and of all our other publications can be found on http://www.channelviewpublications.com, or by writing to Channel View Publications, St Nicholas House, 31-34 High Street, Bristol BS1 2AW, UK TOURISM AND CULTURAL CHANGE: 48 Exploring the Use and Impact of Travel Guidebooks Victoria Peel and Anders Sørensen CHANNEL VIEW PUBLICATIONS Bristol • Buffalo • Toronto Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress Peel, Victoria, author | Sørensen, Anders, author Exploring the use and impacts of travel guidebooks / Victoria Peel and Anders Sørensen Bristol, UK; Tonawanda, NY: Channel View Publications, [2016] Tourism and Cultural Change: 48 | Includes bibliographical references and index LCCN 2015034164| ISBN 9781845415631 (hbk : alk paper) | ISBN 9781845415624 (pbk : alk paper) | ISBN 9781845415648 (ebook) LCSH: Travel–Guidebooks | Tourism LCC G153.4 P44 2016 | DDC 910–dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/ 2015034164 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library ISBN-13: 978-1-84541-563-1 (hbk) ISBN-13: 978-1-84541-562-4 (pbk) Channel View Publications UK: St Nicholas House, 31-34 High Street, Bristol BS1 2AW, UK USA: UTP, 2250 Military Road, Tonawanda, NY 14150, USA Canada: UTP, 5201 Dufferin Street, North York, Ontario M3H 5T8, Canada Website: www.channelviewpublications.com Twitter: Channel_View Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelviewpublications Blog: www.channelviewpublications.wordpress.com Copyright © 2016 Victoria Peel and Anders Sørensen All rights reserved No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher The policy of Multilingual Matters/Channel View Publications is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products, made from wood grown in sustainable forests In the manufacturing process of our books, and to further support our policy, preference is given to printers that have FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certification The FSC and/ or PEFC logos will appear on those books where full certification has been granted to the printer concerned Typeset by Deanta Global Publishing Services Limited Printed and bound in Great Britain by Short Run Press Ltd This one is for our parents: Roma and John Peel, Bodil and Christian Sørensen In gratitude Contents Introduction: Travel Guidebooks and Tourism Discourse Introduction Guidebook Research Guidebook Research Lacunae Research Approach and Future Agenda 1 12 Conceptualising Travel Guidebooks Introduction Guidebook Terminology in Tourism Research Conceptions of Travel Guidebooks in the Research Literature Genre, Genre Theory and Guidebook Texts in Action Conceptualisation Discussion and Definition Conclusion 15 15 16 19 23 25 28 30 Guidebook Histories Introduction History, Tourism and the Guidebook Guidebooks in the Historical Narrative of Western Tourism A Guidebook is a Guidebook: Defining the Historical Text Conclusion 31 31 32 33 40 47 Travel Guidebooks as Text Introduction The Guidebook as Mediator of Understanding Text Analysis and Tourist Behaviour Conclusion 49 49 50 56 60 vii viii Contents According to the Guidebook: Exploring Lonely Planet’s Australia Introduction Lonely Planet Readership and the Authorial Voice Structure and Design ‘Things to See’ ‘Getting There and Away’ and ‘Where to Stay’ Conclusion ‘Why I Love/Hate My Guidebook’: Perspectives from the Blogosphere Introduction The Guidebook in the Blogosphere Reliability of Guidebooks Guidebooks and Politics Guidebook Relevance and ‘Real Travellers’ Guidebooks Influencing Personal Interactions Guidebooks and Travel Experience Travel with Confidence Brand Loyalty Loving and Hating the Guidebook Conclusion 84 84 85 89 94 95 97 98 100 102 104 109 Slaves to the Guidebook? Exploring Guidebook Usage Introduction Guidebook Usage: Perspectives in the Literature Structure of Analysis Guidebook Usage in the Trip Cycle: ‘The When’ Guidebook Usage In Situ: ‘The How’ Guidebook Usage for Purpose: ‘The What’ Challenging Assumptions on Guidebook Usage Conclusion 110 110 111 115 117 119 122 128 130 Towards a Typology of Guidebook Users Introduction 131 131 61 61 62 65 71 77 78 82 Contents Travel Guidebook Use and Users Methodology Guidebook Function: Information Sources and Information Retrieval Guidebook Consumption: Reading Mode and Reader Involvement Types of Guidebook Users Reflections Conclusion Permission to Coast? Travel Guidebooks and Tourism Businesses Introduction Literature Review Case Study Melbourne: Perceived Impact of Lonely Planet Guidebooks Among Tourism Operators in a Tourist Precinct Case Study Copenhagen: Perceived Impact of Guidebooks Among Hoteliers and Other Service Providers Case Study Bali: Perceived Importance of Guidebooks Among Quality Accommodation Providers Case Study Fiji: Perceived Importance of Guidebooks Among Centrally and Peripherally Located Accommodation Providers Tourism Businesses in Guidebook Trusty Areas: Further Evidence Tourism Businesses and Travel Guidebooks: Discussion Conclusion 10 ‘Countdown to Doomsday’? Guidebook Agency in Destination Development Introduction Assumption 1: The Role of Guidebook Users in ‘Beating the Path’ Assumption 2: Guidebooks and Stages of Destination Development ix 132 134 136 138 140 143 146 148 148 150 153 156 159 160 162 165 167 169 169 172 174 236 References Scheyvens, R (2006) Sun, sand and beach fale: Benefiting from backpackers – the Samoan way Tourism Recreation Research 31 (3), 75–86 Scott, P.D (1998) Guidebooks: Pre-war to post-war imaging Journal of Intercultural Studies 25, 89–106 Seaton, A.V (2002) Tourism as metempsychosis and metensomatosis: The personae of eternal recurrence In G.M.S Dann (ed.) The Tourist as a Metaphor of the Social World (pp 135–168) Wallingford: CAB International Semmens, K (2005) Seeing Hitler’s Germany: Tourism and the Third Reich Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan Shanna (2012) Would you bring a guidebook to France or Italy or just rely on the web [blog post] 30 August See http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/would-you-bringa-guide-book-to-france-and-italy-or-just-rely-on-the-web.cfm (accessed April 2013) Sheller, M and Urry, J (2004) Tourism Mobilities Places to Play, Places in Play London: Routledge Shoemaker, S (2000) Segmenting the mature market: 10 years later Journal of Travel Research 39 (1), 11–26 Siegenthaler, P (2002) Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japanese guidebooks Annals of Tourism Research 29 (4), 1111–1137 Sillitoe, A (1995) Leading the Blind: A Century of Guidebook Travel 1815–1914 London: Picador Simon Veness (2012) Guidebook on the verge of extinction [blog post] 16 February See http://www.travelblather.com/2012/02/travel-guidebook-on-the-verge-ofextinction.html (accessed April 2013) SJ (2007) Why Your Guidebook is Ruining Your Holiday [blog] The Age 15 March 2007 See http://blogs.theage.com.au/travel/archives/2007/03/why_your_guideb.html (accessed 12 December 2014) Slaughter, L (2004) Profiling the international backpacker market in Australia In G Richards and J Wilson (eds) Global Nomad: Backpacker Travel in Theory and Practice (pp 168–179) Clevedon: Channel View Publications Smitz, P., Ashworth, S., Bain, C., Bedford, N., Campbell, V., Cruttenden, P., Farfor, S., Johnston, S., Kirby, J., Mitchell, L., O’Brien, S., Quintero, J., Rawson, J., Rousseau, N., Stone, A., Butler-Bowdon, E., Evans, M., Flannery, T and Millar, D (2004) Australia Melbourne: Lonely Planet (12th edn) Smitz, P., Bain, C., Bao, S., Farfor, S., Murphy, A., Rousseau, N., Sellars, S., Vaisutis, J., Ver Berkmoes, R and Worby, M (2005) Australia (13th edn) Melbourne: Lonely Planet Spradley, J.P (1980) Participant Observation Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Spring, U (2006) The linear city: Touring Vienna in the nineteenth century In M Sheller and J Urry (eds) Mobile Technologies of the City (pp 21–43) New York: Routledge Stafford, M and Scott, R (1986) Stigma deviance and social control: Some conceptual issues In S Ainlay, G Becker and L Coleman (eds) The Dilemma of Difference (pp 77–91) New York: Plenum Starke, M (1800) Letters from Italy, Between the Years 1792 and 1798 Containing a View of the Revolutions in that Country London: T Gillet, for R Phillips Starke, M (1820) Travels on the Continent: Written for the Use and Particular Information of Travellers London: John Murray Stausberg, M (2011) Religion and Tourism: Crossroads, Destinations and Encounters London: Routledge Stephchenkova, S (2012) Content analysis In L Dwyer, A Gill and N Seetaram (eds) Handbook of Research Methods in Tourism: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches (pp 443–458) Cheltenham; Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing References 237 Stonehouse, B and Snyder, J.M (2010) Polar Tourism: An Environmental Perspective Bristol: Channel View Publications Stracciatella (2012) Would You Bring a Guide Book to France and Italy or Just Rely on the Web? See http://www.fodors.com/community/Europe/would-you-bringa-guide-book-to-france-and-italy-or-just-rely-on-the-web.cfm (accessed 20 May 2013) Stuart (2012) Is the travel guidebook on the verge of extinction? [blog post] 12 February See http://www.travelblather.com/2012/02/travel-guidebook-on-the-verge-ofextinction.html (accessed 23 May 2013) Stuart (2) (2007) Why Your Guidebook is Ruining Your Holiday [blog post] The Age 15 March 2007 See http://blogs.theage.com.au/travel/archives/2007/03/why_ your_guideb.html (accessed 19 December 2014 Swanson, C (2014) The new Frommer’s turns one Publishers Weekly, 25 April See http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/ article/62033-the-new-frommer-s-turns-one.html (accessed January 2015) Sweet, R (2012) Cities and the Grand Tour: The British in Italy, c.1690–1820 New York: Cambridge University Press Sørensen, A (1999) Travellers in the Periphery Nexø: Research Centre of Bornholm Sørensen, A (2003) Backpacker ethnography Annals of Tourism Research 30 (4), 847–867 Tali Landsman (2010) Why I Hate Guide Books [blog post] July See http:// talilandsman.blogspot.com.au2010/07/why-i-hate-guide-books.html (accessed 28 April 2013) Taramorourke (2009) I love guidebooks I hate guidebooks! [blog post] 14 November See http://taramorourke.livejournal.com/ (accessed 29 April 2013) Teas, J (1988) I’m studying monkeys; what you do? – Youth and travelers in Nepal Kroeber Anthropological Society Papers 67+68, 35–41 Thapa, B., Graefe, A.R and Absher, J.D (2002) Information needs and search behaviors: A comparative study of ethnic groups in the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests, California Leisure Sciences 24 (1), 89–107 Theodora (2011) What the Lonely Planet Guide Books and the Bible Have in Common [blog post] 11 January See http://www.aswetravel.com/what-lonely-planet-guidebooks-and-the-bible-have-in-common.html (accessed 20 April 2013) The Pres (2007) Why Your Guidebook is Ruining Your Holiday [blog post] The Age 15 March See http://blogs.theage.com.au/travel/archives/2007/03/why_your_ guideb.html (accessed 19 December 2014) Therkelsen, A and Sørensen, A (2005) Reading the tourist guidebook: Tourists’ ways of reading and relating to guidebooks Journal of Tourism Studies 16 (1), 48–60 Theseraphicrealm (2012) A Complicated Love-Hate Relationship on the road – My Guidebook [blog post] April See http://www.theseraphicrealm.com/2012/04/01/ a-complicated-love-hate-relationship-on-the-road-my-guidebook/ (accessed April 2013) Tim Newman (2012) On today’s travel guides [blog] 14 August See http://www samizdata.net/2012/08/on-todays-trave/ (accessed 19 December 2014) TJ (2003) Why Your Guidebook is Ruining Your Holiday Sydney Morning Herald Blogs: Travel March See http://blogs.smh.com.au/travel/archives/2007/03/why_your_ guidebook_is_ruining.html (accessed 18 April 2013) Towner, J (1988) Approaches to tourism history Annals of Tourism Resarch 15 (1), 47–62 Towner, J (1996) An Historical Geography of Recreation and Tourism in the Western World 1540–1940 Chichester: John Wiley and Sons 238 References Towner, J (2003) Guidebook In J Jafari (ed.) Encyclopaedia of Tourism (pp 267–269) London: Routledge Tresidder, R (2011) The semiotics of tourism In P Robinson, S Heitmann and P Dieke (eds) Research Themes for Tourism (pp 59–68) Wallingford: CAB International Tsang, N.K.F., Chan, G.K.Y and Ho, K.K.F (2011) A holistic approach to understanding the use of travel guidebooks: Pre-, during, and post-trip behavior Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing 28 (7), 720–735 Uriely, N., Yonay, Y and Simchai, D (2002) Backpacking experiences: A type and form analysis Annals of Tourism Research 29 (2), 520–538 Urry, J (1990) The Tourist Gaze: Leisure and Travel in Contemporary Societies London: Routledge Urry, J (2000) Sociology Beyond Societies: Mobilities for the Twenty-First Century London: Routledge Vaisutis, J., Brown, L., D’Arcy, J., Gaskell, K., Gilbert, S., Harding, P., Jealous, V., McKinnon, R., Pozzan, O., Rawlings-Way, C., Roebig, R., Spurling, R., St Louise, R., Watson, P and Worby, M (2009) Australia (15th edn) Melbourne: Lonely Planet Vaughan, J (1974) The English Guide Book, c 1780–1870 An Illustrated History London: David and Charles Visser, G (2004) The developmental impacts of backpacker tourism in South Africa Geojournal, Wiesbaden 60 (3), 283–299 Vogt, C.A and Fesenmaier, D.R (1998) Expanding the functional information search model Annals of Tourism Research 25 (3), 551–578 Vogt, J.W (1976) Wandering: Youth and travel behaviour Annals of Tourism Research (1), 25–41 Walton, J (2000) The British Seaside: Holidays and resorts in the Twentieth Century Manchester: Manchester University Press Walton, J (2005) Introduction In J.K Walton (ed.) Histories of Tourism: Representation, Identity and Conflict (pp 1–18) Clevedon: Channel View Publications Walton, J (2009) Histories of tourism In T Jamal and M Robinson (eds) The Sage Handbook of Tourism Studies (pp 115–129) London: Sage Walton, J (2011) Tourism and history In C Cooper (ed.) Contemporary Tourism Reviews (pp 1–32) London: Goodfellow Weber, R (1990) Basic Content Analysis Newbury Park, CA: Sage Wearing, S.L and Whenman, A.E (2009) Tourism as an interpretive and mediating influence: A review of the authority of guidebooks in protected areas Tourism Analysis 14 (5), 701–716 Weidenfeld, A., Butler, R.W and Williams, A.M (2010) Clustering and compatibility between tourism attractions International Journal of Tourism Research 12 (1), 1–16 Welk, P (2004) Anti-tourism as an element of backpacker identity In G Richards and J Wilson (eds) The Global Nomad: Backpacker Travel in Theory and Practice (pp 217–236) Clevedon: Channel View Publications Wesleymarsh (2012) Would you bring a guidebook to France or Italy or just rely on the web [blog post] 30 August See http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/wouldyou-bring-a-guide-book-to-france-and-italy-or-just-rely-on-the-web.cfm (accessed April 2013) Westerhausen, K and Macbeth, J (2003) Backpackers and empowered local communities: Natural allies in the struggle for sustainability and local control? Tourism Geographies (1), 71–86 References 239 Wheeler, T (1973) Across Asia on the Cheap: A Complete Guide to Making the Overland Trip Sydney: Lonely Planet Wheeler, T (1977) South East Asia on a Shoestring Melbourne: Lonely Planet Wheeler, T (1977) Australia: A Traveller’s Survival Kit Melbourne: Lonely Planet Wheeler, T (1983) Australia: A Travel Survival Kit Melbourne: Lonely Planet Wheeler, T (1986) Australia: A Travel Survival Kit Melbourne: Lonely Planet Wheeler, T (1989) Australia: A Travel Survival Kit Melbourne: Lonely Planet Wheeler, T and Wheeler, M (2006) Once While Travelling: The Lonely Planet Story Melbourne: Penguin Books White, R (2005) A History of Getting Away in Australia Sydney: Pluto Press Wilson, E., Holdsworth, L and Witsel, M (2009) Gutsy women? Conflicting discourses in women’s travel guidebooks Tourism Recreation Research 34 (1), 3–11 Wilson-Howarth, J (2009) The Essential Guide To Travel Health: Don’t Let Bugs Bites and Bowels Spoil Your Trip (5th edn) London: Cadogan Guides Withey, L (1997) Grand Tours and Cook’s Tours: A History of Leisure Travel, 1770–1915 New York: William Morrow Wong, C and Liu, F (2011) A study of pre-trip use of travel guidebooks by leisure travelers Tourism Management 32 (3), 616–628 World Tourism Organization (1995) Concepts, Definitions and Classifications for Tourism Statistics Madrid: World Tourism Organization Yamashita, S (2003) Bali and Beyond: Explorations in the Anthropology of Tourism Oxford: Berghahn Young, T (2009) Framing experiences of Aboriginal Australia: Guidebooks as mediators in backpacker travel Tourism Analysis 14 (2), 155–164 Xiang, Z and Gretzel, U (2010) Role of social media in online travel information search Tourism Management 31 (2), 179–188 Zillinger, M (2006) The importance of guidebooks for the choice of tourist sites: A study of German tourists in Sweden Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism (3), 229–247 Index Aboriginal indigenous culture, Australia, 54–55, 57, 70–71 changing attitudes to indigenous art, 69, 70 academic research see tourism research accommodation discovery method and booking, 194, 197 influence of guidebooks on pricing, 151–152, 157 operators’ awareness of client reviews, 157–158, 161 service quality, LP effect, 91–92 suggestions for budget travellers, 79–80, 126–127 upper range (luxury) providers, 159–160, 161 accuracy of information, 84, 89–92, 105, 199–200 Across Asia on the Cheap (Wheeler), 63, 174, 176 Aduchamp1 (blog) adaptation of guidebooks for portability, 120 opinion on Rick Steves’ Spain guidebook, 93 age of guidebooks (/edition) carried, 137, 140 of target readers and authors, 96–97 ‘alternative’ tourism, 18, 52, 62, 64, 108 Andrea (blogger), guidebook usage, 118, 119, 191 anecdotal evidence, 7, 149, 151, 181 Annals of Tourism Research (journal), 16 Annhig (blogger) difficulties using Kindle, 195 on Michelin guidebooks, 96 Antarctica, tourism development, 176–177 anti-tourism agenda in historical analysis, 44–45, 46 coinciding with modern tourism emergence, 208 expressed in John Ruskin’s guidebooks, 41, 206 apodemic literature, definition, 25 apps, travel-related, 189, 196, 201, 202 Aquamineral (blogger), preference for books, 193, 195 Asian guidebook users, 13, 112, 113 assumptions (about guidebooks) impacts on local businesses, 9–10, 148–149, 165 promotion of destructive mass tourism, 10, 84, 179–183 role in destination development, 46, 171–179, 183–184 superficiality, and disdain of users, 2, 44–45, 58, 128–129 tourist usage patterns, 110–111, 119, 129, 208–209 tourists’ automatic acceptance of claims, 20–21, 43–44, 144 universal understanding of term, 20 verification and evidence needs, 217–218 asterisk systems, for recommendations, 22, 41 attractions, grouping arrangements, 75, 76 Australia (Lonely Planet series) authenticity of ‘things to see’, 77–78 changing readership and target market, 65–66, 68–71 early editions, 64–65, 179–180 evolution of structure and style, 67, 71–77, 82–83, 211–212 impact on local businesses, 153–156, 155, 162 240 Index influence on destination image perception, 173 transport and accommodation details, 78–82, 211 use of content analysis, 9, 61–62 Australians, domestic travel, 68–69, 177–178 authenticity desire for ‘undiscovered’ destinations, 180 identification of ‘things worth seeing’, 77–78 political implications, 95 authority contested by users, 128–129, 139, 144 early influence of Baedeker’s Guides, 36, 44–45 and identity of guidebook authors, 27, 65–66, 204 in language and tone, effect on readers, 54, 56, 83, 212–213 opinion leaders in online communities, 199–200 power of guidebooks to drive tourism, 173–174, 218–219 backpackers accommodation choices, 79–80, 157, 162–163 confidence and personal safety, 100–102, 123, 197 diversification and mainstreaming, 64, 76 growth in numbers, 60, 64–65 pre-trip planning, 56, 89–90, 97–98, 173–174 reliability of guidebook information for, 90, 95–96, 97 research on interactions with businesses, 151 role in destination ‘discovery’, 174–175 understanding of Aboriginal culture, 54–55, 57, 115 use of guidebooks at Tana Toraja, 20–21, 54, 172, 173 waning influence/use of guidebooks, 133, 140, 156, 163 Baedeker’s Guides aims and intentions of Karl Baedeker, 60, 66 241 features and formats, 36–37, 41, 75 influence in Germany, 1, 38, 45 mentioned in A Room with a View, 206, 207, 212 portability and field use, 43 Bali benefits of tourism, 181 history of destination development, 176, 177, 179 hotelier awareness of guidebooks, 159–160 Barthes, Roland, 2, 44, 49, 50, 144 Beach, The (A Garland novel), 169, 180–181, 207 behaviour (of tourists) change in guidebook use with experience, 121, 137 manner of reading and attitudes to guidebooks, 138–140 purchasing choices, 146–147 reliance on guidebooks vs serendipity, 126–128 research on influence of guidebooks, 6, 7, 43–44, 55–60 belles lettres consumers (user type), 142, 143 belles lettres texts (Seaton), 25, 35, 137–138 Ben Groundwater (blogger), on failings of guidebooks, 99, 148, 207 bicycle rental agencies, 157, 158 bloggers guidebook brand preferences, 102–104, 107 on guidebook reliability and relevance, 89–97, 108–109, 199–200 on purposes of guidebook use, 122–128 as resource for analytical research, 9, 12, 85–86, 108, 198 on risks of dependence on guidebooks, 98–100 sampling selection criteria, 87 on timing/amount of guidebook usage, 117–122 on value of internet resources, 190–199 Blue Guides (Guides Bleus) Barthes’ critique, 2, 44, 49, 50, 144 content compared with internet information, 198 publication, readership aims, 50 typical user types, 143 242 Index Blue List publications, 213 Boracay, Philippines, 162–163 brand attitudes destination image construction, 170 guidebook preferences, 54, 102–104, 107, 125–126, 143 stigmatisation of particular styles, 210 variation in meanings, tourist understanding, 212 brochures destination image in, 20, 170 influence on tourist choices, 151, 173 budget travel accommodation options, 79–80 British tourists in Mediterranean resorts, 39 guidebook information resources, 125 providers, awareness of guidebook inclusion, 157, 162–164 transport options, 81–82 see also backpackers business travellers, 132, 147 businesses, tourism business perceptions of guidebooks, 165–167 case studies on guidebook importance, 152–161 development in remote areas, 162–164, 182–183 independent hostels, 79–80 lack of research on guidebook impacts, 9, 47, 150–152 ‘LP (Lonely Planet) effect’, 91–92, 148–149, 181 Cairns, Australia, coverage in LP guides, 74, 78, 178 Chamborres (blogger), dislike of guidebooks, 98–99, 191 characteristics of guidebooks, 22, 24 emergence of ‘modern’ traits, 35–36 city tourism attractions linked by itineraries, 74–75 choices and planning, use of guidebooks, 110, 128, 136, 156–159 detail available in guidebook maps, 73, 74, 125 development of mobile app guides, 189, 201 London guidebooks, geopolitical tone, 37 ‘coasting’ on favourable reviews, 149, 158, 166 commercial distribution see publishing industry comprehensiveness, 26–27, 73 conceptualisation absence, impacts on guidebooks research, 8, 11, 19–23, 40, 134 benefits of operational definitions, 29 categories of guidebook user types, 140–143 necessary constituents of guidebooks, 25–28 scope/breadth required, 15–16 stigma, in tourism context, 208 consumers analysis of consumer culture, 106 attitudes to guidebooks, 9, 84, 85, 138–140, 146 influence of guidebooks on place perceptions, 53–56 content analysis application of methodology for guidebooks, 5, 12, 49–50, 61–62 compared with interview analysis, 55, 85–86 destination image portrayal, semiotics, 52–53 evaluation by guidebook users, 139 limitations of approach, 54, 58–60, 129 related to individual tourist behaviour, 56–58 subliminal messages in guidebook texts, 50–52 thematic analysis of blogposts, 88, 88–89, 115–117, 116, 190 conventional wisdom see assumptions Cook, Thomas, 2, 34, 44 Copenhagen, hotel/service businesses, 156–159 ‘critical turn’ (in tourism research), 50, 216, 217, 218 Crocodile Dundee (film), 65, 78 cultural change and tourism, 217–219 cultural stigma, 11 Index guidebooks seen as pejorative objects, 206–208, 219 and possible futures for guidebooks, 211–214 routine critiques and stereotyping, 208–211, 214–217 culturally embedded knowledge bias in understanding guidebook use, 4, 42, 58, 215 knowledge of local manners, 123 data collection methods and Western bias, 12–13, 193–194 from online discussions/blogs, 85–88, 115, 190 participation of businesses, 153–154, 154, 156–157, 159 techniques used in fieldwork, 134–135 David Whitley (blogger), preference for books, 193, 195 definition of ‘tourist,’ UNWTO, 147 definitions of ‘guidebook’ absence in research literature, 20–21, 40 Lonely Planet as exemplar, 18–19, 58, 63 by purpose and characteristics, 22, 24–25 summary statement, 29 texts excluded from guidebook definition, 28 travel books compared with guidebooks, 19–20, 23 Denmark, book trade production costs, 203 destinations analysis of assumptions about development, 171–172, 183–184 discovery influenced by guidebooks, 172–174 guidebooks as indicator of tourism growth, 33, 42–43, 73–74, 170–171 impacts of international travel expansion, 74 influence of marketing image, 52–53, 169, 170 management of unfamiliarity, in guidebooks, 144 243 negative impacts of guidebooks, 179–183 reliability of representation in guidebooks, 92–94 role of guidebooks in development, 3, 10, 45–47, 150–152, 162–164 speed and life cycle of development, 174–179 digital technologies business models for e-book production, 203–204, 214 ‘e-fatigue’ and escape, 192–193, 196–197, 201 handheld access to maps, 73 related to definition of ‘guidebook’, 8, 11 smartphone capabilities, 188–189 tablets/readers, impacts on guidebook use, 121–122, 192, 193, 198 ‘dynamic object’ status (McGregor), 6, 20–21, 54, 129 e-platforms see online discussions; social media platforms educational level and guidebook use, 133 Egypt and the Sudan handbook (Baedeker), 43 electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), 185, 188–189, 200 empirical techniques available range for guidebooks research, 12 case study analysis, 152–161 ethnographic fieldwork procedures, 135 fragmentary data from surveys, 150–151 see also data collection ephemeral nature of guidebooks dated content compared with online sources, 190–191, 203 incorporated in tourism histories, 32–33 regular updating and adaptation, 61, 98 as signifiers of cultural change, 37–38 transient visitor as target, 27 ErikSmith (blogger), usage of guidebooks, 117–118, 120, 127, 197 244 Index ethical issues ethical stance of LP, implications, 51–52, 64, 180, 209 exploitation and inequality, 95 judgement of local traditions, 51 practices in netnographic research, 86–87 Eurocentrism awareness amongst researchers, 215–216 bias in primary data collection, 13 evolution continued Western cultural expansionism, 39, 42 response to changes in readership, 65–66, 68–71 in structure of Australia (LP) series, 67, 71–77, 82 of tourist destinations, 174–179 in traveller behaviour, with experience, 121 Eyewitness Guides, 117, 118 field utility (in situ use) guidebooks, 26, 43, 90, 136–138 screen-based resources, 194–195, 201, 202 Fiji accommodation providers, 160–161, 164 information sources chosen by tourists, 194 Flick (blogger), on guidebook hierarchy, 104, 107 Flores, Indonesia, tourism development, 164, 182 Freetown Christiania tour guide group, 157, 158–159 Frommer’s Guides involvement with Google, 188, 202 perceived target market, 192 sales trends, 3, 187–188 used for trip planning, 103 Fussell, Paul, 4, 19, 36, 44 future prospects focus of research approaches, 186–187 interactions of print and e-publication, 202–204, 211–212, 213–214 media opinion vs analytical research, 10–11 views of bloggers, 191, 198–199, 211 gender differences in guidebook usage, 100–102, 106, 113 genre analysis, 24–25, 28, 143–144 Girona, Spain, tourist image, 46, 52 globalisation in tourism guidebooks as components in cultural change, 219 use of guidebooks as data for study, 22–23, 46 Wheelers’ acknowledgement of LP role, 181 Goa, promotion image in printed media, 20, 53 Grand Tour tradition (European), 34–35, 43–44 guidebook trusty (user type), 142–143, 144, 165 Guides Bleus see Blue Guides handbooks, travel information, 28 handheld digital devices, 73, 189 ‘hippie trail’ itineraries, 62, 176, 177 history of tourism chronological banding, 33–34, 47 democratisation and package tours, 35–38 European Grand Tour tradition, 34–35, 43–44 historians’ interest in guidebooks, 4–5, 21–23, 31, 32–33 international growth, 20th century, 38–39 use of guidebooks to trace destination change, 46–47 Hong Kong tourists (outbound), 112, 113, 114 ‘hopeful tourism’ research approach, 216 illustrations changing content in Australia (LP) editions, 70–71, 72 in early Murray/Baedeker Guides, 36–37 imperialism, 37, 51, 68 independent travel evidence of diversity in guidebook use, 44, 113–114, 127, 137 Index freedom seen as restricted by guidebooks, 11, 22, 84–85, 98–100, 209 guidebook usage restraint, moral tension, 124–125 guidebooks as enablers, 60, 69, 94, 98, 106, 209 influence on destination development, 172–174, 182 institutionalisation, 77, 107, 133 publishers catering for traveller diversity, 75–76 India (Lonely Planet series), 51–52, 54, 65, 163 information electronic, compared with books, 190–197, 199–200 factual accuracy in guidebooks, 89–92 guidebooks used as filter, 145, 192–193, 213–214 invited, from guidebook users, 66, 68, 185 sources, range used by travellers, 55, 111–112, 113, 128, 137 for specific types of traveller, 75–76 types influencing destination image, 170 information consumers (user type), 141 international tourism causes of growth in Australia, 64–65, 80–81 effects of development on destinations, 74, 177–178 history of development, 34, 38–39 internet resources access through smartphones, 188–189 information-seeking choices, 128, 133, 191–192, 197–198 wifi availability, 121, 163, 191, 193–194, 205 interview data, 12 compared with blog content analysis, 85–86 compared with guidebook content analysis, 55 criteria for choice of respondents, 117, 134–135 245 interpretation of responses, 139, 154–156 itineraries in early Murray/Baedeker Guides, 36, 74–75 flexibility, affected by internet connectivity, 194, 205 role in destination development, 47, 177 seen as limiting travel experiences, 98–99 suggested in Australia (LP) series, 76, 81 Jane1144 (blogger), photocopying guidebooks, 120, 142 Japanese tourists, guidebook use, 112, 113, 133, 172 Jeremy Head (blogger), guidebook uses, 117, 118, 196 Julia (blogger), avoiding book/devices use, 120, 192 Kathmandu, tourism development, 176, 177 Katie going global (blogger), on guidebook use, 110–111, 195–196 Kindle e-readers, 121, 193, 195 Koshar, Rudy, 15, 19, 37–38, 45 language barriers, in guidebook research, 13, 216–217 guidebooks used as translation tools, 123 translations of early Baedeker’s Guides, 36 length of trip, influence on guidebook use, 114 Lesley Stern (blogger), reasons for hating guidebooks, 92–93, 107–108 Let’s Go Guides, foundation and competitors, 63, 104 Lily (blogger), gender and guidebook use, 101, 106 Lofoten Islands, Norway, tourist image, 55, 59 Lonely Planet (LP) Guides authority, perceived by users, 89–90 blogger opinions, 9, 90–97, 103, 191 246 Index brand loyalty of users, 54, 102–104, 126 business awareness of inclusion, 148, 154, 162–163 Code Green ecotourism content, 213 editorial decisions, 75–76 ethical stance and aims, 51, 64, 77, 180, 181 handling of contested histories, 53–54, 70 history of development, 38–39, 62–63, 66, 178 influence on destination development, 173–174, 178, 219 ‘LP effect’ on service provision quality, 91–92, 148–149, 181 online resources and updates, 68, 82, 185, 196, 202 ‘other’ stereotyping, Western outlook, 51, 52, 68, 77–78 preferential use in academic research, 17, 18–19, 23, 58–59, 215 sales trends, 3–4, 63, 187–188 seen as manipulator of tourist behaviour, 59–60, 128–129, 163–164, 209 usage patterns, 123, 126, 127, 141–143 see also Australia maps changing content in Australia (LP) editions, 73, 74, 76 electronic vs print, 195, 196 included in, 18th century guidebooks, 34–35 quality and reliability, 90, 92, 125 used in situ for navigation, 114–115, 120 Mark (blogger), use of guidebooks, 118, 125, 198 marketing material advertisements included in guidebooks, 72, 181–182 business perceptions of guidebook importance, 157, 160, 161 destination image building, 52–53, 170 electronic and print forms compared, 186–187 independence of guidebook advice, 27–28, 160 ranking of types by businesses, 154–156, 155 mass tourism development at Cancun, Mexico, 177 history of early development, 35–38, 47, 75 post-war (20th C) expansion, 38–39 youth culture attitudes to, 64 material culture effects of sightseeing on places, 46 guidebooks as objects in practice of tourism, 5–6, 26, 60, 115, 196 meaning, construction of, 20–21, 57, 119, 212 media assessment of mobile technology impacts, 187–188, 219 influence on destination image, 53 journalistic opinion of guidebooks, 84–85, 105 Meg (blogger), enjoyment of LP content, 102, 106, 142 Melbourne, St Kilda businesses, 153–156, 154 memories see souvenirs Meta (blogger), Time Out preferred to LP, 104, 108 methodologies for construction of user typology, 134–136 content analysis approaches, 49–50 netnography, 85–89 MICE tourism, 147 Michelin Guides, 96, 151, 207 Mikeachim (blogger), on guidebook use, 84, 99–100, 124 ‘mobile electronic guides,’ meaning of term, 21 mobile phones see smartphones Moon Travel Guides, 63 Mornings in Florence (Ruskin), 206 motivations for guidebook use, 116, 122–128 multiple destinations and guidebook use, 125, 136, 137 Index Murray’s red book guides, 2, 36–37, 41, 206 national identity construction, 36–37, 77 nationalities, variation in guidebook use, 113, 134 netnography, 85–89 nominal consumers (user type), 142 objectives of guidebooks, 22, 27–28 online discussions authority and reliability, 199–200 consumer review sites, 158, 161 forums, as information sources, 190–191, 196 ‘lurking’ for tourism research, 86–87 user–publisher communication, 68, 185 opportunistic data collection, 13, 117, 135, 157 Oscar (blogger), reliance on guidebooks, 126, 141 package tourism in destination development cycle, 175, 176–177 guidebook usage during travel, 113–114, 133, 142 history of development, 34, 41, 44 pre-trip influence of guidebooks, 112 Parsons, N T., analysis of guidebook history, 32, 38–39, 42, 44–45 participant observation, 13, 117, 134 peer-to-peer information see word-ofmouth information sources Pegontheroad (blogger), guidebook preferences, 103, 120 personal relationships, 97–98 political issues alternative world views espoused by LP, 51–52 bias perceived by bloggers, 94–95 discourse analysis, using text mining, 49 guidebooks trusted as information source, 55 reflected in guidebook content, 38, 39, 70 popular perceptions collective memory, guidebook contributions, 53–54 247 geographical knowledge, 10, 42–43 of guidebook impacts, 1, 8, 149–150, 169–170 standard and unchanging nature of guidebooks, 61 value and weaknesses of guidebooks, 84, 85 see also assumptions portability, 43, 119–120, 121, 201 post-travel use of guidebooks, 112, 118, 119 pre-trip use of guidebooks backpackers, 56, 97–98 package tourists, 112 reflections of bloggers, 117–118, 119, 124–125 reported in research literature, 132–133 primary data Eurocentric/English language bias, 13, 108, 215 fieldwork, in situ collection, 131, 134–135 problem-solving guidebook usage practices, 129 language barriers and interpretation, 123 during travel, as function of guidebooks, 7, 114–115 promotional material see marketing material publishing industry early modern entrepreneurs, 36–37, 40 electronic production, commercial aspects, 202–204 growth and diversity, guidebooks, 2–3, 135, 213 guidebook sales trends, 3–4, 63, 187–188, 204 impacts of online information sources, 3–4, 10–11, 185–186, 202 lag-time, cause of inaccuracies, 90–91 shared values with target readership, 66, 68, 212 specific publishers mentioned in research, 17, 17–18 Publizon (Danish e-book producer), 203 Punch (magazine), on package tourists, purchasing behaviour, 146–147 248 Index reliability of guidebooks, 89–94, 195–196 religion, information in guidebooks, 53 remoteness of destinations access to online information, 163, 194 business attitudes to guidebooks, 161, 164 and guidebook coverage, 2, 136, 177, 182–183 influence on guidebook use, 114, 142–143 research on guidebooks clusters of research attention/activity, 4–7, 49 guidebook usage, existing literature, 111–115, 132–134 historical narratives, 31, 32–33 influence of guidebooks on businesses, 150–152 knowledge gaps, 8–11, 39, 42, 111, 130 need for concept definition, 20–23, 40 range of approaches and sources, 12–14, 217 risk of false inferences from observations, 129, 217 stigmatising assumptions, 214–215 residents at tourist destinations contemporary, absent from guidebook texts, 78 objectification (Lonely Planet India), 51–52 use of guidebooks for local information, 27 reviews, importance to businesses, 158–159, 160, 161 Rhine Valley tourism, 45, 47 Rick Steves’ Guidebooks accuracy, 93, 103 size and use while travelling, 103, 120, 125 roaming charges (mobile technology), 163, 185, 191, 201 Room with a View, A (E M Forster novel), 206, 207, 212 Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, 157, 159 Rough Guides brand preferences of bloggers, 102, 103–104, 126 electronic resources, 202 foundation and competitors, 63 use by senior/short-term backpackers, 162 Ruskin, John, 41, 46, 206 Ryan Garguilo (blogger) accommodation quality, LP effect, 91–92 praise for transportation advice, 93–94, 102 safety, personal, 100–102, 106, 122, 123–124 satire ‘Lonely Plonkers’ parody (blogger Brian), 128, 219 mockery of package tourists (Punch), Molvania: A Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry, 180, 207 Schmap (mobile travel app), 189 seaside resorts, 33 secondary data, online sources, 12, 190 self-drive tourists, 81–82, 133, 136 Simon Veness (blogger), benefits of guidebooks, 192, 200 Singapore, comparison of guidebook types, 59 slavery, representation in guidebook texts, 53–54 small to medium enterprises (SMEs), 9, 149, 151, 165 smartphones, 188–189, 201–202 social media platforms, 161, 185, 188, 195, 200 social science, multisited studies, 13–14 South American Handbook (Box), 28 souvenirs Aboriginal art, commodification awareness, 70 guidebooks as keepsake of past trips, 118, 119, 196 Spotted by Locals (city blog network app), 189, 212 Starke, Mariana, 31, 40–41 static-word netnography, 86, 87 stigmatisation see cultural stigma structure of guidebooks consistency and change, 8, 61 evolution of content, Australia (LP) series, 67, 71–77, 82 Index features of early Baedeker’s Guides, 36–37, 41 Stuart (2) (blogger) guide value for inexperienced travellers, 106 guidebook brand preferences, 102, 108 style of guidebooks, 25, 41 changes over time, Australia (LP) series, 66, 71, 82–83 perceived strengths and weaknesses, 84–85 Sydney, Australia, coverage in LP guides, 73, 75 TALC model (Butler), 171, 175–176, 177, 178 Tana Toraja, Indonesia, guidebook use, 20–21, 54, 115, 144, 173 Taramorourke (blogger) choice of guidebook and edition, 106, 125 guidebook reliability on costs, 89 as ‘information consumer’ type, 141 opinions of authors’ experience, 90, 97 personal relationships, impact of guidebooks, 97–98 technological development see digital technologies terminology diversity of meanings, and ambiguity, 16–17, 19, 21, 152 occurrences of ‘guidebook’ in research papers, 16 synonyms for ‘guidebook’, 17 textual analysis see content analysis thematic analysis of blogposts, 88, 88–89, 115–117, 116, 190 theseraphicrealm (blog) expectations of guidebooks, 92, 98, 126 impact of LP on restaurant businesses, 9, 92 inaccuracies due to publishing timelag, 90–91 relevance of guidebooks to target market, 96 Thorn Tree webpage forum, 185 Tibet, image and media portrayals, 53 249 Time Out guidebooks, 104, 212 tourism research academic journals, 16, 30 attention to historical perspectives, 32 common clichés, 210–211 communication between disciplines, 15 conceptual role of typologies/models, 140–141 conferences, guidebooks for delegates, 147 ‘critical turn’ (recent trend), 50, 216, 217, 218 sociocultural background of researchers, 18–19, 215–216 specific mentions of guidebook publishers, 17, 17–18, 63 see also research on guidebooks tourist experience expectations, based on guidebooks, 105 guidebooks as mediators, 5–6, 27–28, 50–56 individual construction of meaning, 57 range, vs assumed uniformity, 43–44, 47–48 seen as restrained by guidebook use, 98–100, 120–121 ‘tourist gaze’ (Urry), 5, 37–38, 77, 144 tourist information centres/offices, 55, 104, 137 Towner, J., on guidebooks in tourism history, 33, 34, 42 transport bicycle rental, 157, 158 impacts of mass transport growth, 35–36, 38, 78–79, 81 information in Australia (LP) editions, 75, 76, 80–82 reliability of guidebook advice, 93–94 self-drive tourists, 81–82, 133, 136 travel writing/travelogues compared with guidebooks, 19–20 diversity and volume, 23 online networks, 189 traveller–tourist dichotomy emergence, with modernised tourism, 208 escape and resolution vs routine acceptance, 209–211 250 Index guidebooks’ influence on experience, 99–100, 107 perpetuated in historical narratives, 44–45, 60 reflected in guidebook use patterns, 125, 128 as subject for research, 6, 181, 215 trip cycle, timing of guidebook use, 112, 117–119, 186 TripAdvisor reviews, 158, 161, 164, 196, 200 typology of guidebook users, 7, 112–113, 140–143 usage of guidebooks combined with internet resources, 186, 213–214 as element of genre identification, 24, 26, 29, 143–144 empirical evidence in research, 6–7, 131–132 physical aspects, and adaptation, 119–122, 197–198 purposes of in situ use, 1, 55, 122–128, 137–138 reading mode and involvement, 138–140, 202 selectivity, 145–146 timing, in trip cycle, 117–119 types of users, 7, 112–113, 140–143 see also field utility user-friendliness see field utility user-generated content, 189, 202, 204 vade mecum consumers (user type), 141 vade mecum texts (Seaton), 25, 35, 137–138 value of guidebooks to travellers, 93–94, 100–102, 118, 192–197 Vietnam, guidebooks and politics, 39, 53, 59 webpage forums see online discussions Western cultural dominance historical basis, 39, 42 implicit in tourism research, 216 neocolonial agendas in guidebook writing, 50–52 Wheeler, Tony (Lonely Planet founder), 62–63, 65, 66, 68–69, 181 wikitravel, 204 word-of-mouth information sources, 55, 126, 170, 178, 188 electronic (e-WOM), 185, 188–189, 200 reliability, compared with guidebooks, 195–196 World Heritage Sites, 56 world tourism development see globalisation in tourism youth hostels, 61, 79–80 ... scholarly understanding Exploring the Use and Impact of Travel Guidebooks of guidebooks seems often to obliquely buttress a condescending view of guidebooks rather than examining the critique The overarching... perspectives on the guidebook, we aim to problematise its role in the practice of tourism and to emphasise the guidebook as worthy of focused research 12 Exploring the Use and Impact of Travel Guidebooks. .. there is little understanding of what users of guidebooks expect from the guidebooks they field Chapter advances a clearer understanding of consumer opinion regarding the value or otherwise of