Racialised boundaries in tourism and travel: a case study of the UK black Caribbean community

Abstract

Studies of tourism motivation and behaviour have not accounted significantly for the aspirations and experiences of ethnic minority groups living in metropolitan societies. This conceptual paper presents a case study of the UK black Caribbean community and seeks to indicate ways in which members of this community perceive places, spaces and destinations in Europe. Attention is directed to how black people's perceptions and experiences are influenced and structured by the social conditions of racialism and racism. The discussion considers how the incursive nature of the white gaze, and popular representations and stereotypes of black societies and cultures, contribute to black people's disengagement from 'tourism experiences'. Racialised experiences and encounters call into question an individual's right to adopt a tourist identity. As the discussion partly focuses on ways in which black visitors perceive 'white others', the work strongly implies that there is a fundamental need to remove the 'white gaze' as the only or dominant way to observe and make sense of the world. Given that this paper contributes to an understanding of how race relations are reproduced within tourism environments, it concludes with suggestions as to how future studies of ethnic minority tourism and travel might be conducted.

Travel and the ‘Freedom of Movement’: Racialised Encounters and Experiences Amongst Ethnic Minority Tourists in the EU

“…From the perspectives of non-white communities, the fear or reality of racial prejudice is a major obstacle in the social and cultural appreciation of rural landscapes. As very few ethnic minorities live in countryside areas their conspicuous presence can produce menacing stares, verbal ridicule and physical hostility from rural communities (Stephenson, 2004;Stephenson & Hughes, 2005).…”

“…Despite several notable exceptions (Stephenson, 2004;Stephenson & Hughes, 2005), the racial barriers inherent in tourism and travel have not been rigorously addressed. Therefore, the conclusion suggests ways in which researchers can approach prevailing concerns relating to the racialised movements of ethnic minority groups in Europe.…”

“…Travelling to the ancestral homelands is a major aspiration for those minority citizens whose heritage and ethnicity transcends Europe's geographical boundaries, for example: Algerian communities in France, Turkish communities in Germany, Moroccans living in the Netherlands and Jamaicans living in the UK (Stephenson, 2002). Although 'ethnic reunion' is a popular form of movement for first-and second-generation groups, like other such movements it manifests racialised practices and processes; especially in terms of entering and exiting the EU (Stephenson & Hughes, 2005). This paper will thus illustrate that journeying within and across EU's internal borders and across its external borders is often an onerous undertaking for ethnic minority citizens.…”

Entertainment and its Significance in the Holiday Experience at UK Seaside Resorts

“…Within that 2001 total, the largest single category was 'Indian' at 1.0 million followed by 'Pakistani' at 0.7 million and 'Black Caribbean' at 0.5 134 million. The limited information about their holiday profiles suggests that few go on domestic seaside (or domestic rural) holidays and that homeland visits are significant within their tourism profiles (Makuni 2001;Klemm 2002;Stephenson and Hughes 2005). Although these profiles differ from those of the white non-ethnic population, this is an insuffident explanation for the decline of seaside resorts especially as the white population has remained at approximately the same size (54 million) over 1991-2001. In all, seaside resorts have had a lingering image of being 'yesterday's product'; this has been exacerbated by the difficulties in updating -of accommodation, the infrastructure, and the leisure and entertainment fadlitiesleading to a deterioration of product quality, contributing further to a 'tired' image of UK seaside resorts.…”

Palestinian Diaspora in Transnational Worlds: Intergenerational Differences in Negotiating Identity, Belonging and Home

“…In terms of travel to visit friends and relatives, there was always an emphasis on the part of the first generation that these trips should be family-based. However, few previous studies (for example, Stephenson, 2002;Stephenson & Hughes, 2005;Hughes & Allen, 2010) have focused on the meaning of these visits to the new generations. A Canadian study of Caribbean immigrants focused on the new generation only (Duval, 2004).…”