Innovative techniques in tourism research: an exploration of visual methods and academic filmmaking

Abstract

While visual methods have long been utilised as legitimate research techniques in the social sciences, within mainstream tourism research these techniques are rarely employed. This paper thus seeks to question current research practices in tourism by focusing on academic filmmaking as an innovative visual method which can be used to approach tourism research in a new way and to create tourism knowledge which is widely accessible. Two case studies explicate these points: an ethnographic documentary about tourism impacts in Crete, and a doctoral project which explored the construction and consumption of images of Greekness by visitors to the Athenian Acropolis

Understanding Event Sport Tourism Experiences of Support Partners: A Research Note

“…And instead of asking participants to produce photographs, future research should also use other visual methods, e.g. academic filmmaking (Rakić & Chambers, 2010), providing vivid insights on spectating in real time.…”

Electrodermal activity measurement within a qualitative methodology

“…Limitations of conventional methods used in tourism and events, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, self-reporting methods and observation, have already been mentioned above and have been discussed by many others (e.g., Tribe, 2008;Rakic and Chambers, 2010;Rydzik et al, 2013;Kim and Fesenmaier, 2015;Li et al, 2015). We acknowledge that the same limitations apply to our methods of collecting and analysing interview and observation data, in the sense that participants might be subject to social desirability bias or other environmental conditions during the interviews.…”

“…A call for new approaches to data collection and analysis in order to advance the field has therefore emerged in recent years (Tribe, 2008;Rakic and Chambers, 2010;Rydzik et al, 2013). More specifically, the post-experience self-reporting techniques mentioned above have been heavily criticised due to the 'time gap' which creates "'slippage' between the emotions travellers' truly experienced and what they described" (Kim and Fesenmaier, 2015, p. 419).…”

Ecotourism and environmental sustainability knowledge: An open knowledge sharing approach among stakeholders

“…The field observations supplemented the participants' responses because the researchers were able to witness processes, observe equipment and technologies employed, and attend meetings that were associated with ESK. Theoretical saturation was achieved as common patterns emerged in the responses after interviewing 14 senior managers and specialist staff at nine ecotourism operations through on-site, in-depth interviews and observations (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007;O'Gorman, MacLaren, & Bryce, 2014;Rakić & Chambers, 2010). Since theoretical saturation was achieved, and due to the financial costs associated with conducting on-site interviews and observations, it was decided not to recruit further participants.…”