Policy brief on inclusive tourism
The main findings from the TiMS project were summarised in a policy brief package targeting Swedish policy makers and public and private tourism stakeholders. The policy brief is presented under three main themes: representation, co-creation and tourism experience, and is available in Swedish here.
In conjunction with the launch of the policy brief in May 2024, an open online seminar was held, in Swedish. The recording of the seminar can be found here.
Can-Seng Ooi about inclusive tourism and TiMS
Can-Seng Ooi is Professor at the University of Tasmania in Australia and was Advisory board member in TiMS. In this short video he shares his thoughts on inclusive tourism, multiculturalism in tourism research, and the research carried out in the TiMS project. Professor Ooi has been actively engaged in tourism research over the last 25 years, with a big emphasis on research centring on tourism in society, and thus making tourism relevant to the communities and the society.
To Can-Seng Ooi, inclusive tourism is very much about respecting the individual and about embracing diversity. Inclusive tourism also means that everyone should have the opportunity to travel and possibilities to engage with the tourism industry. A focus on multiculturalism in tourism research provide an understanding of the integration of different groups of people in society into tourism. It sheds light on who is included or excluded, as well as who is the dominant group and the minority group. According to Can-Seng Ooi, the TiMS project was an important attempt at broadening our understanding of diversity and inclusion in tourism, especially as it is an area that is not widely researched thus far.
“Talking about sustainability” at GSTC 2024
In April 2024, CFT researcher Emma Björner presented research and participated in a panel discussion on the topic “Talking About Sustainability without Talking About Sustainability” at the Global Sustainable Tourism Conference 2024, in Stockholm, Sweden.
In her presentation, Emma shared insights into a study conducted together with Visit Sweden, focusing on how Swedish tourism actors communicate sustainability. Emma’s presentation and the panel discussion can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfCFY5ALYRU
New publication in first issue of EUTOPIA Review
TiMS researchers Eva Maria Jernsand and Emma Björner, together with Chiara Rinaldi at Ca’Foscari University in Venice, have written an article in the University Alliance EUTOPIA’s first edition of the EUTOPIA Review.
The new journal aims to provide a nuanced and critical analysis of complex issues by bringing together perspectives and voices from Europe and the world and thereby shaping the European decision-making process and encouraging a sense of shared identity and expertise.
In the article, the authors retrace a selection of research and policy orientations for sustainable tourism in the context of current societal challenges:
1. Tourism and place development
2. Climate and environment
3. The economic growth paradigm
4. Inclusive and just futures
5. Goal conflicts
6. Actors and their relationships
7. Digitalisation and tourism
8. Sustainable behaviour
9. Sustainability tools in tourism
Taken together, the authors emphasise the need for urgency in responding to global challenges, and the role of tourism to contribute to sustainable development and just and equitable societies. A range of actors and stakeholders must co-create to transform institutions, structures and behaviours, and support the natural and social context in which tourism occurs. In coming years, the authors also point to the importance of following and addressing the twin (green and digital) transition in tourism, including opportunities and risks with AI in a tourism context.
Seminar: Innovation in the tourism industry
A sustainable tourism industry that offers innovative, creative and attractive experiences and high-quality products has good conditions to compete on an international market. Innovation is also an important tool in the work with a sustainable transformation of society.
At the same time, many companies in the tourism industry find it difficult to free up time and resources to work on innovation and long-term development. Actor systems around companies and other tourism actors therefore take on an increasingly important role in promoting innovation in the broadest sense.
Innovation in the tourism industry was the theme of a seminar organised in December 2023 by the Centre for Tourism, the University of Gothenburg, and the Network for a Sustainable Hospitality Industry (Nätverket Hållbar Besöksnäring). TiMS researchers Eva Maria Jernsand and Emma Björner presented their research and facilitated the seminar. The seminar also gathered a range of knowledgeable and inspiring speakers from academia and practice, with a key aim to create dialogue between people in academia and in the tourism industry.
Sara Johansson, Lecturer in Economics at Jönköping University, with long experience from research on innovation in small companies, not least in rural areas and in the food industry, shared insights and perspectives on challenges and opportunities of innovation in tourism. More information about this can be found in a report authored by Sara, available here.
Anna Hegethorn, Freelancing place and product developer, with long experience from working with business development and tourism in Småland, shared insights about innovation processes and the components of innovations. She highlighted the importance of finding the authentic values of a place, and provided illustrative and exuberant examples from Norra Kvills National Park.
Pernilla Bredberg, Business developer at Visit Värmland, talked about innovation arenas in the tourism industry and how Visit Värmland works to create sustainable and innovative solutions for and together with companies. Pernilla emphasized that it is important to test things, and provided an inspirational example of how Vist Värmland has innovated using the online game platform Roblox (see film here).
Sofia Berntsson, Strategic development manager at Göteborg & Co talked about how we together can create good conditions for innovation, using the initiative ‘Prototype Gothenburg’ (Prototyp Göteborg) as an illustrative example. Sofia emphasized the importance of not doing things on a large scale right away. Instead, it is better to start small, to test and try: to prototype.
Eva Maria Jernsand, Researcher in TiMS and based at the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, talked about innovation arenas and co-creation. She emphasized that the innovation support system in Sweden is not adapted to the tourism industry, provided examples of innovation arenas, and discussed whether innovation arenas are needed or not.
The seminar was recorded and can be found here (in Swedish):https://www.natverkethallbarbesoksnaring.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Seminarium_Innovation_turism_besoksnaring_231213.mov