Does Bear do it for you? Gen-Y gappers and alternative tourism

Abstract

Popular culture and travel are both major points of interest within the realm of leisure in contemporary consumer society. Respectively, they are both highly contentious and diverse fields. This paper explores the more specific areas of popular culture celebrities and alternative tourism in an effort to examine the influence that popular culture and travel engagements have on a segment of Generation Y (Gen-Y) -the gappers. These two areas of leisure activity shape social and cultural norms and influence the construction of self-identity amongst this generation. The aim of this exploratory research is to highlight some areas where popular culture and alternative tourism can be valued as constructive factors influencing a Gen-Y group. The theory of planned behaviour acted as a framework and was used to identify the influence that popular culture celebrity 'Bear' Grylls and his TV show Man vs. Wild had on the alternative tourism engagements of the Gen-Y gappers. IntroductionThis paper explores the influence that popular culture has on the travel engagements of Generation Y (Gen-Y) gappers. It then goes on to examine how popular culture and alternative travel might shape social and cultural norms as well as influence the construction of self-identity. The aim of the paper is to highlight some areas where popular culture and alternative tourism can be valued as constructive factors influencing a Gen-Y group. A case study of Edward 'Bear' Grylls and his TV show Man vs. Wild was used to explore the impacts of alternative tourism engagements on the Gen-Y gappers. It then looked to understand whether these travel engagements had an influence over their subsequent lifestyles. Studying how popular culture celebrities and alternative tourism engagements impacted the beliefs, attitudes, motivations and behaviours of a Gen-Y subgroup -the gappers -was a main focus. The selection of popular culture figure Edward 'Bear' Grylls, as an example for this research, stems from his status as 'one of the world's most recognised faces of survival and outdoor adventure' (Bear Grylls Ventures 2013).In this paper, the idea of popular culture was further refined in order to focus on the celebrity phenomenon. Popular culture was examined to see how it might reinforce and legitimise social and cultural norms and provide social comfort and shared meaning through consumption. Additionally, it investigated how opportunities for self-expression, self-enhancement and the legitimisation of a diverse range of experiences might be enabled.

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