Commercial hospitality in destination experiences: McDonald's and tourists' consumption of space

Abstract

Abstract:This paper examines the multiple roles that globalised, branded spaces of commercial hospitality can play in tourists' experiences in destinations. Drawing on empirical data of consumers' discussions of McDonald's, the paper examines five themes: 1) controlled separation and the way consumers use these venues as spaces of comfort and familiarity, while employing notions of home to assess their touristic consumption of the venues and destinations; 2) strategic behaviour, in particular how tourists utilise such venues in their broader touristic endeavours; 3) identity work, specifically as tourists (re)construct their identities as they explain and often excuse their decision to consume in these venues; 4) engagement(s) with the destination, including how such hospitality venues are used as reference points by tourists to mentally construct the destination and shape their consumption practices; and finally, 5) authenticity, as consumers critically assess their consumption in such venues alongside critiques of authenticity and globalisation. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for the marketing and management of this and similar branded commercial venues, the marketing and management of destinations, and it outlines avenues for further research.

Socio-technological authentication

“…Lastly, ANT recognises the interaction of human and non-human 'actors'. Previous studies of authenticity and authentication have argued that tourists utilise technologies such as social media to communicate their positions, values and experiences (Mkono, 2012a(Mkono, , 2012b(Mkono, , 2013Osman, Johns and Lugosi, 2014). However, within these studies, social networking sites and technologies were treated as neutral communication media.…”

Tourism sector competitiveness in Portugal: applying Porter's Diamond

“…Other research projects focused on particular facets of destination competitiveness, including its positioning (Pike, 2012;Claveria & Poluzzi, 2016), management systems (Baker, Hayzelden & Sussmann, 1996;Arbulú, Lozano & Rey-Maquiera, 2016), destination commercial profile (Buhalis, 2000;Osman, Johns & Lugosi, 2014), pricing competitiveness (Dwyer, Forsyth & Rao, 2002;Seetaram, Forsyth & Dwyer, 2016), quality management (Assaf & Tsionas, 2015), the environment (Tang, 2015;Cao et al, 2016), nature based tourism (Tirasattayapitak, Chaiyasain, & Beeton, 2015;Rahayuningsih, Muntasib, & Prasetyo, 2016), strategic management (Phillips & Moutinho, 2014;Evans, 2016), and organised circuits/routes (Rodríguez, Molina, Pérez, & Caballero, 2012;Manhas, Kour, & Bhagata, 2014).…”

Food tourism policy: Deconstructing boundaries of taste and class

“…More broadly, increasing emphasis has been placed on food tourism over the previous decade, with the tasting of local food now recognised as an essential dimension of the touristic experience (Hjalager &Richards, 2002 andQuan &Wang, 2004). Much scholarship has thus focused on the motivations driving travellers to seek out culinary encounters when visiting certain destinations (Kim et al, 2009 andYeoman at al., 2007) and the outcomes arising through such encounters -in terms of economic benefits and local development (Bessiere, 1998), attraction of and impediments to tourist experience (Cohen & Avieli, 2004), alongside broader conceptualisation of the entanglements of food consumption and food experience (Mkono et al, 2013, Osman et al, 2014and Quan & Wang, 2004. Tourist scholars have focused particular attention on the ways culinary travel enables opportunity to encounter, and consume, Otherness (Mkono, 2011).…”