1st Edition

Last Chance Tourism Adapting Tourism Opportunities in a Changing World

Edited By Harvey Lemelin, Jackie Dawson, Emma J. Stewart Copyright 2012
    256 Pages 34 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    256 Pages 34 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Concerns over vanishing destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef, Antarctica, and the ice cap on Mt. Kilimanjaro have prompted some travel operators and tour agencies to recommend these destinations to consumers before they disappear. This travel trend has been reported as: ‘disappearing tourism,’ ‘doom tourism,’ and most commonly ‘last chance tourism’ where tourists explicitly seek vanishing landscapes or seascapes, and/or disappearing natural and/or social heritage. However, despite this increasing form of travel there has been little examination in the academic literature of last chance tourism phenomenon.

    This is the first book to empirically examine and evaluate this contemporary tourism development providing a new angle on the effects of global change and pressures of visitation on tourism destinations. It aims to develop the conceptual definition of last chance tourism, examine the ethics surrounding this type of travel, and provide case studies highlighting this form of tourism in different regions, and in different contexts. In particular it critically reviews the advantages of publicizing vulnerable destinations to raise awareness and promote conservation efforts. Conversely, the book draws attention to the issue of attracting more tourists seeking to undergo such experiences before they are gone forever, accelerating the negative impacts. It further examines current trends, discusses escalating challenges, provides management strategies, and highlights future research opportunities.

    Last Chance Tourism is a timely and multi-disciplinary volume featuring contributions from leading scholars in the fields of leisure, tourism, anthropology, geography, and sociology.  It draws on a range of international case studies and will be of interest to students, researchers and academics interested in Tourism, Environmental Studies and Development Studies.

    Section I: Disappearing Landscapes/Seascapes and Vanishing Fauna  Chapter 1. An Introduction to Last Chance Tourism Harvey Lemelin, Emma Stewart and Jackie Dawson  Chapter 2. Firsts and Lasts in Arctic Tourism: Last Chance Tourism and the Dialectic of Change Margaret Johnston, Arvid Viken and Jackie Dawson  Chapter 3. Last Chance tourism in Antarctica – Cruising for change? Machiel Lamers, Eke Eijgelaar, and Bas Amelung  Chapter 4. Last Chance Tourism in Alpine Regions: last chance to ski? Robert Steiger, Jackie Dawson, and Johann Stotter  Chapter 5. Vanishing Fauna of Tourism Interent David Newsome and Kate Rodger  Chapter 6. Last Chance birding: Twitching to See it First or Last? Glen T. Hvenegaard  Chapter 7. The Transformation of Polar Bear Viewing in the Hudson Bay Region, Canada Emma Stewart, Jackie Dawson, and Harvey Lemelin  Section II: Media and Marketing  Chapter 8. Last Chance Tourism? Public Sector Views of Marketing Endangered Tourism Destinations in North America Daniel H. Olsen, Rhonda L. Koster, Nicki Youroukos  Chapter 9. Advertising World Heritage Sites: Tour Operators and Last Chance Destinations Elspeth Frew  Chapter 10. Last Chance Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef Alexandra Coghlan  Section III: Ethics, Culture and Management  Chapter 11. Après moi Le Deluge: Ethics, Empire, and the Biopolitics of Last Chance Tourism Mick Smith  Chapter 12. Bringing the Gaze to the Masses. Taking the Gaze to the People: The Socio-cultural Dimensions of Last Chance Tourism Harvey Lemelin and Gary Baikie  Chapter 13. Seeing it Off: Last-chance Tourism Opportunity Shagged by Rare Parrot! Eric J. Shelton  Chapter 14. Last Chance Tourism in Canada’s Protected Areas: Management Implications and Emerging Ethical Considerations Chris Lemieux and Paul Eagles  Chapter 15. Last Chance Tourism: Conclusion Jackie Dawson, Emma Stewart, Harvey Lemelin

    Biography

    Raynald Harvey Lemelin is the LU-SSHRC Research Chair in Parks and Protected Areas at Lakehead University, Ontario, Canada. His research interests include northern parks and wildlife management. Dr. Lemelin and colleagues recently published the first article of Cree knowledge of polar bears in Canada.

    Jackie Dawson is a Canada Research Chair in Environment, Society and Policy at the University of Ottawa where she is affiliated with the Department of Geography and the Institute for Science Society and Policy. Her research focus is on the human dimensions of global change including transforming Arctic economies.

    Emma J. Stewart’s interests include polar tourism, cruise tourism, climate change and participatory research methodologies. Emma is a Senior Lecturer in tourism and parks at Lincoln University, New Zealand and is a Research Associate at the Arctic Institute of North America (AINA). She has published two edited texts on polar tourism.