10 January 2023

SenseScapes in Tourism Call for Papers

 Here is the current call for papers:


CALL for Book Chapters

 

Sensory Tourism: Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations (CABI)

 

Ian S. Jenkins and Robert S. Bristow

 

CABI has commissioned us to compile the first-ever book on Sensory Tourism and we are very excited to be given the opportunity to build a global collaboration of academics and practitioners for this seminal text.

 

Much has been written about tourism since its arrival in the realms of academia. However,

some areas remain relatively unexamined or unexplored, one of these being sensory tourism. New forms of tourism are being developed but the notion of sensory perception and its close link to the holiday experience has not been studied in any depth.

 

Tourism offers countless global locations, providing a multitude of sensory experiences including commercialised tourism products such as saunas and floatation tanks through to natural phenomenon such as mountains and wilderness destinations. Consequently, sensory elements are a curious concept within tourism because every destination provides a sensory experience of one kind or another, even the new area of space tourism. It therefore seems timely to produce a text book examining holidays and tourism through sensory perceptions which either encourage or deter consumers.

 

Literature does exist which discusses the effects of the senses and sensoryscapes within tourism, but there now appears to be another emerging element whereby tourists seek locations where ‘types of senses’ or ‘qualities of senses’ can be found; this is especially relevant with the substantial growth of wellness tourism over the last decade.

 

Furthermore, tourism has become divided into a multitude of different types of niches, which in some cases reflect a desire for destinations which emulate or represent wildernesses. These will have different sensory qualities or natural sensoryscapes. Even within urban areas, there is a growing desire to find some form of solace away from bustling, noisy environments. Yet there are others who actively seek the dynamic and sometimes chaotic sensory overloads at destinations such as Hong Kong or Las Vegas.

 

How do our senses engage with the physical space around us? The sound of the waves, smell of the sea, touch of the cold water and sand, taste of the salt, the warmth of the sun on our bodies etc. are all sensory components of enjoyment which affect our experience but which have not been fully explored or studied.

 

This volume will also explore the interplay between senses in travel choice, recognising that one predominant sense may ‘over-ride’ the overall importance of others. The visual attraction of the Grand Canyon may permit the tourist to ignore the screaming adolescent in the background, while the stench of overflowing garbage may repel the experience of a beautiful sonata performed in the Theater an der Wien. Thus, we note how senses can contribute to or suppress other senses.

 

In sum, the book will explore aspects of the senses both through a theoretical framework as

well as the more practical aspects of the tourist product, such as micro level inputs at a

destination and the evaluative experience of the whole tourist package or journey engaged in the senses.

 

The book is aimed at all academic establishments teaching tourism and other subject areas such as the social sciences, which would be interested in the concept of sensory perception. The book is pitched at undergraduate level but could also perhaps serve as an introductory text for post graduates given the subject area and the likely enriched content of the book.

 

The proposed structure of the book is as follows:

 

Section 1

 

Theoretical aspects of sense in tourism

A review section of the literature surrounding sensory perception and its relevance to tourism in today’s competitive market to include a Sense of Place.

 

The Tourist Experience

Reviewing changes in mass tourism since its take-off in the 1960s and how markets and consumers have changed.

 

Sensory Disabilities

This is perhaps the area most associated with sensory tourism and there is a body of literature that has covered this subject to a significant degree. Leisure activities and tourism now cover leisure activities ranging from surfing through to gardening including for people with health conditions or impairments.

 

Triggers for choice

Exploring the methods tourists use to choose their holiday, based upon which senses they consider important when making their choices.

 

Decisions to go

Exploring the key sensorial elements that tourists use to choose certain types of tourist experiences.

 

Section 2 The Sensorial Aspects of Tourism

 

 

Section 2.1 Sound and Silence in Tourism

 

Introduction

Silence is an area of tourism that is relatively unexplored, yet it plays an important role in some tourist journeys. In the ultra-busy world many of us live in, there is a growing need to escape from the manmade noise which surrounds us most of the time. Mountains are not silent and neither are most wildernesses, but the sounds that are present are naturally occurring phenomena such as wind or animal calls. These locations appear to have an added attraction for tourists where anthropogenic sound is absent.

 

Soundscapes in Tourism/Spatial Location of Soundscapes / Soundscapes and links to other senses

 

Examples / Case studies

Noise Pollution

The need for silence

Technology and noise

Transport

Energy and sound

The City and Urban experience

Nature Parks and Protected Areas to include: NPs, beaches, oceans, mountains, jungle, forests with exception of developed landscapes i.e., Brighton, ski resorts etc.

Urban areas and sound to include Urban Beaches, Ski Resorts etc.

Medical, health and wellness tourism to include: Spas and noise

Adventure tourism: e.g., Wild camping, Skydiving, Diving, Spelunking

 

 

Section 2.2 Sight in Tourism

 

Introduction

There is currently a growing body of work examining the visual sense within the tourism field. Indeed, vision is probably the most important sense associated with tourism in terms of marketing and souvenirs (the ubiquitous postcard) now supported by visual apps such as TicTok, Instagram etc.

 

Examples/case studies/proposed chapters:

Dark skies and their resonance with silence

Arctic and Antarctic

Landscapes from a visual and colour palette

Colour and its use in the marketing of tourism packages

Caves and the lack of light and the creation of new light effects

Virtual reality and its allusion of a tourist experience

 

Section 2.3 Taste in Tourism

 

Introduction

Gastronomy has been widely covered by tourism academics and is a significant element in the many marketing campaigns of tourist boards. (It is also an area in which both editors of this book have published). Although taste is clearly related to food it can also invoke aspects of smell and sight, as the three are closely related.

 

Examples/case studies/proposed chapters:

Food through the context of cultural culinary experiences and their place in the tourism of the senses

Restaurants and street food and how taste is imbued into the motivation to travel

Food adventures in sustainable development through foraging and wild camping experiences

Wine and other beverages are very closely linked to this sense, wines in particular, as their distinct taste can often be identified by their growing location. Hence wines can be associated with a destination’s ambience.

Brewing: pubs, bars

Local foods, exotic cuisine

 

Section 2.4 Smell in Tourism (Olfactory)

 

Introduction

This is an extremely evocative sense, often overlooked but which creates many different feelings and emotions. It has a powerful ability to create a reality and image of a sense of place. It could also be argued that every location in space has a distinctive aura and odour that helps to create the sense of experiencing the physical space. Smells are associated with good and bad experiences which resonate with individuals.

 

Examples/Case studies/proposed chapters:

Religious spaces and the use of scents and odours to evoke feelings of peace and calm

Countryside smells and their ability to induce a sense of place

Urban: differentiation between city spaces based upon the odour of the location

Seaside: a well known and understood experience, as the smell of the sea and its debris create a very distinct experience. Also french fries, doughnuts and candyfloss smell of the more traditional seaside resorts e.g., Ocean City, USA, Blackpool, UK.

Mountains are seen as clean, pure places, free from pollution with a distinct smell of purity

 

 

 

 

Section 2.5 Touch in Tourism

 

Introduction

This is perhaps the sense least discussed in terms of its effect on tourism and tourism consumption. It is usually referenced in terms of disabilities and the way that touch can stimulate feelings and images not necessarily aroused by other senses. Some tourism products are clearly designed to focus on touch, possibly the most popular being that of wellness tourism, focusing on the use of spas. Spas were one of the first initiators of tourism and are now becoming increasingly popular once more.

 

Examples/case studies/proposed chapters:

Massage and spas

Water and its effect on the skin

Wellness and the need for affection in the tourist experience

Sexual harassment and negative tourism experiences

Robotics versus human touch in tourism

Tourism with Disability and the use of touch

Wind and the action of moving air felt by parachutes, hang-gliders, surfers, extreme weather conditions.

Cold/hot/humid/dry tourism

 

Section 2.6 Extra Sensory Perception in Tourism

 

Introduction

This is a relatively new area of tourism reflecting the need for tourism innovation. Indeed, there has been a significant growth in dark tourism attractions possibly linked to the genre. Certain people claim to have an extra sense in addition to the usual senses which can be used in many ways. Predicting the future through fortune telling has existed from time immemorial and is found within the tourism industry, often as side shows or specific acts. The media has helped to proliferate this idea of a sixth sense resulting in the tourism market developing a number of products to meet consumer demand. One example is Disney which has established its Haunted House Mansion. Several companies also use the title ‘Sixth Sense’ to market their holidays and products. Perhaps the mainstay of this type of tourism is ghost hunting holidays and paranormal excursions.

 

Examples/case studies/proposed chapters:

Ghost hunting

Festivals of the Dead

Meditation and Spirituality

 

Section 2.7 Multi-sensory experiences in Tourism

 

Introduction

Although each sense can be seen as powerful in affecting tourism development and experience, generally, senses are used in combination. This combination of senses can be attributed to most tourism packages with perhaps an emphasis on one particular sense to provide the key experience and enjoyment. This can be seen within the context of adventure and the thrill that such holidays create.

 

It is the combination of senses that provide the tourist with the experiences they seek. For example, the notion of freedom is used many times by adventurers such as Alpinists. Understanding freedom within the context of adventure and how the senses combine to achieve this feeling of ‘freedom’ is extremely problematic.

 

Examples/case studies/proposed chapters:

Spas and Saunas

Wild Camping

Wild Swimming

Mountaineering and adventure climbers

Theme Parks

Dark Tourism

 

Section 3 Summaries and Practical Applications

 

Written by Ian Jenkins and Robert Bristow

 

Rubric for Submission

We invite academics and practitioners to join us in the investigation of Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations.  Each sense examination should include the specific SenseScapes in Tourism (sight, taste, sound etc.), Spatial Location of SenseScapes and the SenseScapes’ links to other senses.

A 150 – 200 abstract should highlight the sense, locational characteristics and possible links to other senses and should be emailed to rbristow@westfield.ma.edu by 28th February 2023. Please state “SenseScapes” in subject line.

•           Successful authors will be notified by 15th March 2023.

•           Draft manuscripts to be submitted to Editors by 31 August 2023.

•           Revised manuscripts (after Editor comments) to be submitted by 31 December 2023.

•           Final manuscript submitted to Publisher by 30 April 2024.

•           Expected publication – late 2024.

Each chapter should be approximately 6,000 to 8,000 words (including the bibliography). A chapter abstract is also required (150-200 words). Figures, schematics, and photographs (with relevant permissions) are also highly encouraged.

Editors Biographies

Dr Ian Jenkins is a geographer who has worked in the tourism and leisure industries as a researcher, associate professor, consultant and director of several research units, at a number of Universities in Wales, Switzerland and Iceland. His numerous publications have included industry reports, conference papers, academic articles and book chapters and books; he has also been a peer reviewer for journal articles. Some of the research projects he has been involved with have resulted in legislative change and improved industry standards. In addition, he has undertaken work for prestigious organisations such as UNESCO, British Council, British Standards Institute, Health and Safety Executive, VisitWales and CEN. His research and consultancy expertise covers subjects such as: responsible/sustainable tourism, niche tourism development, risk and safety management, adventure tourism and literary tourism. Ian has been an examiner for the University of South Wales, the University of Birmingham at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and also a PhD examiner at Cranfield University. Ian has been the co-editor of a special edition of the Laureate Hospitality Journal.

Robert S. Bristow, Westfield State University · Geography Planning and Sustainability. Rob is Professor Emeritus at Westfield State University. As a geographer, he has been involved with the planning and management of parks and protected areas throughout his academic and professional career. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in travel and tourism, quantitative methods, GIS and site planning. He has published over 70 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, government documents, community plans, and book chapters and has delivered a similar number of presentations at regional, national and international conferences. For parks and protected lands, he has expertise in volunteer management, cultural landscape monitoring and hiking. Applying the remote sensing tools of LiDAR has been used to identify and manage our cultural resources in parks. When not outside his research agenda has focussed on the liminality of fright tourism.