Tourism communities and social ties: the role of online and offline tourist social networks in building social capital and sustainable practice

Abstract

Mobile connectivity enables the adoption of new ways to connect with social networks which are changing how we might, and could, seek support. In the tourism domain we increasingly blend online and offline presence to engage with social networks in the spatial location, at a distance and across time. This paper explores the forms of community that exist in physical tourism contexts, contexts not previously analysed through a community lens, and explores how mobile technology is creating connections within and beyond existing social networks. It examines how sustainable tourism can be enhanced by mobile connectivity through new spaceÀtime practices and using ephemeral interpersonal relationships to harness niche groups to create bottom-up social systems interested in sharing experiences, ideas and resources. Special attention is given to the concept of gelling socialities which proposes a less ridged network structure, and to the need to understand the increasingly liquid social dynamics of mobile social interactions. The paper adds to the theories surrounding community, social ties and tourism's value to society. It draws on data from in-depth interviews undertaken while designing and testing a collaborative travel app. It contributes to growing research into the new technologies increasingly available for sustainable tourism marketing and implementation.

Lift-share using mobile apps in tourism: The role of trust, sense of community and existing lift-share practices

“…While trust remains a concern for businesses (see for example, Rose and Wheeler, 2017) and organisations promoting lift-share, our analysis suggests this may not be as significant a barrier as thought. Initial work in the project highlighted a lack of trust as a barrier related to mobile travel collaboration solutions (Dickinson et al, 2017b). In seeking an explanation for these mixed findings, studies in other fields have shown that community participation generates trust (Boeckmann and Tyler, 2002;Brown et al, 2012) rather than trust leading to community participation, which is supported by the analysis in this paper (Fig.…”

The Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Managing High Arctic Tourism Sites: A Collective Action Perspective

“…Case study methodology allows for the exploration of a complex phenomenon, such as the relationship between ICT use and sustainable management of tourism sites, within a well-defined situational context [63]. Building on the argument that ICT can change the organisational principles of collective action and that it can, thereby, influence the sustainable management of tourism sites [15,19], a single case study approach enables to explore the use of ICT in ensuring the quality of tourism. It also provides room for personal interactions between the researchers and the participants, while giving study participants the opportunity to describe their views on ICT use and sustainable management of tourism sites within the Arctic context they operate [63].…”

“…Although prior studies claim that ICT can support the sustainable management of tourism sites, there is little understanding of the exact functions ICT is to assume in this regard [19,20]. Lupia and Sin (2003) [21] highlight that ICT changes communication dynamics in collective action and thus becomes a means for information flow, monitoring and control.…”

A Systematic Approach to Terahertz-based Glucose Monitoring

“…For instance, Cova and White (2010, p. 264), suggested that firm-related negative effects of OTCs have led to the emergence of counter-brand communities-"a phenomenon of aggregation against a company that manages the brand and which leads to the creation of competing brands by members of the community"-and alter-brand communities-"a phenomenon of aggregation around not-for-profit projects that nevertheless creates a brand that can compete with the brands of certain companies." Members of these alien communities are former adherents of a brand who have moved away because of their frustration with the firm and float activities and (Stepchenkova, Mills, & Jiang, 2005) and lurking (Dickinson et al 2017) are common in OTCs. As argued by Ruiz-Mafe, Tronch, and Sanz-Blas (2016), these negative emotions constitute psychological, social, and privacy risks, and OTC managers should incorporate technologies to curb any such deviant behaviors.…”