This research examines interactions and relationships among tourism actors concentrated on nowadays domestic eco-tourism to identify the possibility of domestic fair travel as an alternative to existing mass-tourism. Recently, the stereotype of mascul...
This research examines interactions and relationships among tourism actors concentrated on nowadays domestic eco-tourism to identify the possibility of domestic fair travel as an alternative to existing mass-tourism. Recently, the stereotype of masculine tourist image has been broken due to the constant increase of female tourists. On this encouraging trend, this paper is written in the need for concrete and detailed analysis of eco-tourism predominant among female tourists. Therefore, I try to show the possibility of domestic fair travel by investigating diverse actors of walking-tourism and their interactions and relationships on the basis of feminist approach about sustainability, interaction, and relationships.
The contents of my research are described below. First, as the paradigm of sustainability has been spreading globally, the concept of ‘Fair travel’ has been appeared in domestic tourism. This trend has been accelerated as the ‘Fair travel’ concept combines traditional eco-tourism and green tourism. The recent trend of walking-tourism can be a good example of this phenomenon. Walking-tour courses such as Jeju Olleh and Jirisan Dul-lae-gil have been developed nationally and tourists increasingly use these roads. Although the scope of domestic eco-tourism, represented by walking-tourism, has been widened, it is hard to conclude all tourists participated in eco-tourism are actors of fair travel. Walking-tourism can be fair-tourism just when its sustainability and relationship-oriented perspectives are emphasized.
Second, I would suggest ‘Choraster’, which pursue interaction, as an alternative to the image of ‘Flâneur’ defined within the traditional tourism paradigm. The concept of ‘Flâneur’ does not include concern on the real life of tourist destinations, yet includes shallow interests on artificial event and sightseeing. Thus, this concept is not suitable to fair travel. However, ‘Choraster’ concept makes it possible to redefine tourists as actors with interactive subjectivity beyond gender segregation. When people consider Fair travel with ‘Choraster’ concept, each actors’ perception and followed interaction and relationships can be identified more clearly.
Third, by specific examination on actors’ experiences which realize the value of fair travel, this paper would explain how and on what way the eco-friendly and relationship-oriented nature of fair travel be revealed in domestic walking-tourism. Nature environment and co-existence with diverse life can be maintained by promoting each actor’s eco-friendly practices in the position of herself/himself. In specific, using public transportation, reducing trash, and minimizing the number of tourists can be examples in the context of tourism. These practices could be beneficial not only for environment, but also for each tourist. In fact, those efforts let individual has a chance to introspect and heal herself/himself within deep and close interactions with other actors.
Fourth, female actors participating walking-tourism understand the value of fair travel and mutual-reciprocity. Female tourists are less reluctant to use public transportation compared to men. Also, they prefer tour spots where many other female tourists visit. In addition, females try to secure their safety at tourist spots by sharing information and experiences about fair travel with other female tourists via on- and off-line network such as internet. Furthermore, females’ preference on small-scale trip or travelling alone often makes it easier to obtain subjectivity and intense social relations with other diverse actors during travel. It is true that female tourists are not free from patriarchal ideologies and often treated as ‘extraordinary women’, but empowered women have power to resist against this kind of judgment.
Fifth, the fair travel, which is different from traditional mass-tourism, contributes to the economy of tourist spots and foster social relationship among tourist actors. These aspects of fair travel are helpful to construct feministic horizontal network. Actors interacting face-to-face during travel can build continuous relationships even after their trips end. This has possibility to foster multiple relationships with diverse actors beyond one-to-one relationship and promote alternative network at tourist spots. This type of relationship pursue horizontal feministic network regardless of social status, age, and gender of tourists, local people, and tour planner.
This research theorizes the sustainable value of fair travel and explains how it would be realized within the context of domestic walking-tourism in the context of tourist actors’ perceptions and experiences. To be specific, I try to reveal the relationship-oriented perspective of fair travel by analyzing relationships among female tourists participated in fair travel and visualizing their actions and subjectivity. In addition, this paper justifies the development of domestic tourism in a sustainable way and its positive effect of domestic tourism by identifying tourists’ contribution on the economy of tourist spots. Finally, I try to show the potential for domestic fair travel by analyzing walking-tourism, which is relatively small compared to other domestic tourism but have potential to evolve into a fair travel.