Confecting Adventure and Playing with Meaning: The Adventure Commodification Continuum

Varley, Peter

doi:10.1080/14775080601155217

Cited by 106 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Admitting to boosting one's self-esteem as a reason for mountaineering may have been perceived as a weakness by some respondents. The statement related to the risk element of mountaineering elicited a quite mixed response (mean = 2.49), reflecting conclusions drawn from previous research that risk can be either an essential or a secondary element of adventure (Ewert, 1985;Kane & Tucker, 2004;Martin & Priest, 1986;Robinson, 1992;Varley, 2006;Walle, 1997).…”

Section: Motives Of the Mountaineer Touristsmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…First, it is noted that outdoor adventure activity participants have wide-ranging skill levels, from novice to expert (Buckley, 2007(Buckley, , 2010aVarley, 2006), and these differing abilities influence participants' motivational decisions. Second, despite the commonly-held assumption that adventure must always involve risk, either as an integral or secondary component (Ewert, 1985;Kane & Tucker, 2004;Martin & Priest, 1986;Robinson, 1992;Varley, 2006;Walle, 1997), limited evidence exists to confirm its motivational importance. Adventure activity participants acknowledge that risk may play a role in their experiences, but often it is not a motivational force.…”

Section: Motives Of Outdoor Adventure Activity Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The characteristics and motivational decisions of outdoor adventure tourists: a review and analysis

Pomfret

Bramwell

2014

Current Issues in Tourism

118

122

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The growing demand for outdoor adventure tourism activities, and the rapid growth in associated industry supply, means we need an improved understanding of outdoor adventure tourists. The paper considers the characteristics and motives of outdoor adventure tourists, as well as the influence of experience, age and gender on their motives. This is based, firstly, on a critical review of the relatively much more extensive literature on outdoor adventure activity participants for insights into the character and motives of outdoor adventure tourists. The paper also focuses, secondly, on an original case study of mountaineer tourists in Chamonix, France. Results from the case study of mountaineer tourists are evaluated against the research themes and gaps identified from the review of literature on outdoor adventure activity participants, including outdoor adventure tourists. It is shown how outdoor adventure tourists are a diverse group. Motivational similarities and differences exist between these tourists and their outdoor recreational counterparts. Experience, age and gender influence the motives and motivational differences among outdoor adventure activity participants. It is noted that there is considerable scope for further research on outdoor adventure tourists, including mountaineer tourists, and potential new research directions are identified for the specific themes examined in the paper.

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Section: Motives Of the Mountaineer Touristsmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Motives Of Outdoor Adventure Activity Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The characteristics and motivational decisions of outdoor adventure tourists: a review and analysis

Pomfret

Bramwell

2014

Current Issues in Tourism

118

122

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“…Through adventure tourism, intersubjective encounters extend beyond communitas, spontaneous, temporary communities (Wang, 1999), to stronger companionship relations by way of the heightened elements of risk, and therefore trust among adventurers. Adventure tourism offers moments of existential authenticity through challenges that emphasize bodily experience, sense of self, and companionship (see Varley, 2006Varley, , 2011Rickly-Boyd, 2012b), but the embodied practice of adventure can also be used to assess fellow users (see Senda-Cook, 2012).…”

Section: Authenticity and Adventure Tourismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, adventure tourism carries forward many neocolonialist practices as a predominantly Western tourist activity (Mowforth & Munt, 2003). And while this can be observed from structural and even post-structural approaches that examine the marketing and commodification of adventure (see Sung, Morrison, & O'Leary, 2000;Weber, 2001;Cloke & Perkins, 1998Kane & Zinc, 2004;Varley, 2006;Fletcher, 2014;Vidon, 2016) and the motivations of adventure tourists (see Ewert, 1985;Christensen, 1990;Csikszentmihalyi & Selega, 1990;Ewert, 1993;Beedie, 2003;Kane & Tucker, 2004), what has not been presented are existential and humanistic perspectives on the ethical dilemmas of these same adventure tourists. As this paper will discuss, many adventure tourists recognize the duplicitous nature of their pursuit -that it is both the result of privilege, and therefore requires a particular responsibility, but many also feel that access should be limited and controlled (primarily for others).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Much of the study of adventure tourism to date relates to notions of risk and danger (see Ewert, 1985;Ewert & Hollenhorst, 1989;Priest, 1990Priest, , 1992Hall, 1992), desire for challenge (see Ewert, 1985;Csikszentmihalyi & Selega, 1990;Rubens, 1999;Lewis, 2004), as the commodification of nature and wilderness (see Johnson & Edwards, 1994;Cloke & Perkins, 1998Palmer, 2002;Braun, 2006;Varley, 2006;Fletcher, 2014), and environmental and economic sustainability of adventure practices (see Fennell & Eagles, 1990;Swarbrooke, 2003;Costa & Chalip, 2005;Davidson & Stebbins, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contesting authentic practice and ethical authority in adventure tourism

Rickly

Vidon

2017

Journal of Sustainable Tourism

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This paper examines the discourses of authenticity and ethics used among adventure tourists regarding the use of the natural environment. In one case, full-time traveling rock climbers use their dedication to the sport and annual visits to the Red River Gorge as evidence for their authoritative voice on ethical climbing practice. While they identify the growing numbers of leisure climbers as a problem for sustainability, many also take up temporary employment as guides and are directly involved in the introduction of new climbers to the area. In another case, two groups of wilderness enthusiasts -"ADK 46ers" and "Summit Stewards" -lament the environmental and social impacts of other recreational users in the Adirondack Park. Despite being visitors themselves, Summit Stewards and 46ers use their sense of place and knowledge of Adirondack history and ecology to substantiate their authority as purveyors of ethical practice. In both cases, senses of responsibility are inspired by senses of place, but are articulated through notions of authenticity and used as justification for ethical authority. While validating their presence in these outdoor spaces, the use of such rhetoric also minimizes their own impacts yielding further tensions among user groups.

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Getting down and dirty: An exploration of participation in the field of obstacle challenges

Maguire

2017

J of Consumer Behaviour

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This paper examines the contemporary phenomenon of obstacle challenges and why people participate in events that result in them getting soaking wet, freezing cold, and dirtier than they have ever been while also getting shot with pellets and receiving “electric shocks.” Many participants in these challenges have taken part numerous times and keep coming back for more. Using multiple research methods including questionnaires, participant observation where the author completed one of Ireland's more well‐known and “toughest physical and mental endurance challenges,” and also depth interviews with challenge participants has resulted in a rich and detailed account of the obstacle challenge experience. These events are so much more than a few hours of strenuous and muddy physical exercise. The sense of community and camaraderie that people experience during these challenges could be described as “transformative” with participants in many cases more rewarded and moved by this collaborative aspect than the gruelling physical endeavour that they undertake. The escapism provided by the experience is also one its main rewards, relief from the quotidian and the chance to just “be.” The servicescape proves to be critically important to the experience but in ways that are largely incompatible with research in this area to date in that the comfort and cleanliness expected of more traditional servicescapes are spurned and physical hardship is welcomed. As this is an exploratory and novel research topic, suggestions for further research are plentiful.

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Confecting Adventure and Playing with Meaning: The Adventure Commodification Continuum

Cited by 106 publications

References 22 publications

The characteristics and motivational decisions of outdoor adventure tourists: a review and analysis

The characteristics and motivational decisions of outdoor adventure tourists: a review and analysis

Contesting authentic practice and ethical authority in adventure tourism

Getting down and dirty: An exploration of participation in the field of obstacle challenges

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