Beauty as a factor of economic and social development

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss how aesthetic features can be the basis for a virtuous chain that leads to social and economic development. Design/methodology/approach The aesthetic characteristics of a destination are an important attractive feature. More than that, they can be considered a key determinant for economic and social growth. A conceptual support to this idea is presented here by following a line which links beauty to creativity, innovation and socio-economic development. Findings A purely qualitative and logical-deductive line shows how beauty, creativity and innovation are connected in a chain that leads to socio-economic well-being. Research limitations/implications This paper is conceptual in nature. The authors intend to use these considerations as a basis for future research. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on destination governance highlighting a number of factors that are often underestimated.

Digital Ecosystems, Complexity, and Tourism Networks

“…There is a recognized imperative, for a tourism destination, to improve its attractiveness and competitiveness by fostering creative and innovative offerings. Although traditionally thought to be "individual" traits, these have shown, in the last decades, a clear strong dependency from the environmental settings in which these "individuals" are embedded (Baggio and Moretti 2018;Fuchs and Baggio 2017). It is reasonable to think, thus, that structural changes can be highly valuable for improving the creativity and innovativeness characteristics of a tourism system and of its stakeholders (Hjalager 2002(Hjalager , 2010.…”

Allure and the spatialities of nationalism, war and development: Towards a geography of beauty

“…Feminist scholars also show the role of corporeal and spatial esthetics with the rise of tourism as the primary export‐product for countries across the Caribbean, and parts of Africa and Latin America (Mullings, 1999). Here beautiful landscapes, most notably beaches but also forests, mountains, and deserts, become a means to attract foreign direct investment and the strong currencies of tourists from the global north (Baggio & Moretti, 2018). The beautiful bodies of its citizens, typically flight attendants, chambermaids or sex workers are an expected part of the “tourist package” (Babb, 2013; Enloe, 2014; Jaiteh, 2018; Mullings, 1999; Nasser de la Torre, 2012; Simoni, 2013).…”

“…The beautiful bodies of its citizens, typically flight attendants, chambermaids or sex workers are an expected part of the “tourist package” (Babb, 2013; Enloe, 2014; Jaiteh, 2018; Mullings, 1999; Nasser de la Torre, 2012; Simoni, 2013). Beauty is ensconced into advertising for tourist destinations where, as Baggio and Moretti argue, beauty “is an essential element for a tourist destination” (2018, p. 68). This is powerfully demonstrated in burgeoning work on cosmetic and medical tourism, where the industry lucratively links beautiful landscapes and bodies to sell their packages (Holliday et al., 2015).…”

Beyond beauty: Ugly and borderline tourism aesthetic experiences

“…Understanding tourism aesthetics in terms of a typology is crucial to trigger desirable outcomes for both destinations and tourists. Destination aesthetic qualities are viewed as tools to achieve positive aesthetic judgments (Kirillova et al, 2014), tourist satisfaction (Kirillova & Lehto, 2015), or the socioeconomic well-being of a destination (Baggio & Moretti, 2018). However, for a more comprehensive understanding of the aesthetic experience in tourism, it is important to acknowledge the positive bias within the existing tourism literature (Pratt, Tolkach & Kirillova, 2019).…”