This thesis has contributed to the existing knowledge of the development of tourism in Scotland during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It has examined both the positive and negative influence which tourists had on the residents and on the overall development of the village of Oban. It focused on the transition of the locality from a village to a tourist-related town over a 130 year period from 1770 to 1901. Throughout the thesis the impact which the landowners and town councillors had on the town’s development was examined. This is something which to date no other study of tourism in Scotland has looked at in any detail. This study has utilised a wide range of historical source materials to reconstruct the evolution of tourism in Oban, making use of both qualitative and quantitative material. Comparisons have been made with other resorts to identify where Oban fitted in to the development of resorts in both the United Kingdom and also within Scotland. Extensive use was made of the early travellers’ accounts to understand why visitors initially came to Oban especially in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In later chapters an in-depth analysis of statistical data taken from a variety of sources including the visitors’ lists from the local newspaper were examined. This was done to not only identify the numbers of visitors who came to the town but also to identify the gender and place of origin of each visitor to determine who was visiting and where were they coming from. A detailed analysis of the census enumerators returns, were also used to illustrate how the occupations of the local population changed over time as tourism became more prevalent in the town. Overall this thesis has highlighted that smaller rural resorts played an important role in the development of tourism in Scotland and their contribution should not be overlooked.

In the first chapter the status of migration as a field of study is discussed; particular emphasis is given to the debate within Latin America between modernist and historico-structural approaches. In the seconds analysis is made of village demographic data which shows that the high out-migration cohorts differ for the sexes but that migrants are predominantly within the 10-29 age category: the implication of the absence of such a high proportion of the active population, especially males, for the productive capacity of the village are noted. In the following chapter it is shown that the incorporation of the village into the national economy has led to economic differentiation which has given certain sectors of the population an advantage over others in terms of access to labour. It is shown that labour shortage is particularly acute for men with households of over 5 members who have no access to reciprocal male labour or a cash income locally. Temporary migration is undertaken by some to acquire cash needed for living expenses, while young people may be sent away to relieve the pressure on household budgets. The growing political incorporation of the area has led to increased expenditure of time on administration being necessary, and again particularly effects certain categories of men, putting them at risk of migration. In the fifth chapter the changing patterns of cooperation are analysed. It is then argued that only with the historical background can an adequate framework be provided for an understanding of the causes for the out-migration flow. In the following chapters an analysis is made of the changes in the economy of the area which indicates how different categories of people have been put at risk of migration at different periods, and in Chapter 7 the political struggles which accompanied the restructuring of the local economy are discussed. In the final chapter statistical material is provided to show how selectivity has been changing over the 30-year period since migration became instituted; the interplay of local and extra-local factors on selectivity is demonstrated. In the conclusions it is argued that the basic mechanism for instituting and maintaining population redistribution is the transformation of the economic system, leading to a changed social division of labour throughout the national economy. Migration is thus seen as an aspect of this transformation and not the cause of it.

The aim of this research is to model international tourist flows to the Caribbean with a secondary aim of explaining the distance puzzle in tourism-the confounding tourist flows-geographic distance relationship. Tourist flows are a reflection of distance between origin and destination countries. Conceptually, distance is complex, involving cultural, historical and contemporary relationships, climate, and the economy, among other dimensions. Moreover, the relationships between non-geographic or relative dimensions of distance and international tourist flows have received comparatively little attention in the literature. This research adopts an interdisciplinary approach, necessitated by the limitations of existing approaches. The study employs the gravity model as, conceptually and theoretically, it provides a framework for modelling international tourist flows and examining the distance puzzle in tourism. The results demonstrate that gravity can explain international tourist flows to the Caribbean. In particular, tourist flows to the Caribbean are increased by cultural proximity, historical and contemporary colonial relationships, despite evidence of gradual erosion, the strength of diasporic and immigrant links, similarity in tastes, and the distance in climatic conditions between the Caribbean and its source markets. Further, the multidimensionality of distance can explain the distance puzzle in tourism. The current study provides an important input into Caribbean tourism geography and marketing, which can be of considerable value to tourism stakeholders in the region. Findings from this study can provide information for the development of policies or a policy framework, which could enhance the tourism product in the region, or help to forestall any negative outcomes.

No description available.

Despite much tourism literature exploring the complex relationships loosely falling under the `tourism encounter'; this topic remains important. It remains important as tourism, culture and economy have become inextricably intertwined. As tourism continues to grow, sophisticated marketing and promotional strategies are devised. In a competitive environment, elements of local culture are transformed into spectacular narratives of `Otherness' to be consumed by tourists and into cultural tourism assets to achieve destinations' sustainable socio-economic development. Cultural tourism, today serves a multitude of social, political and economic agendas, designating and encompassing a multitude of products and practices.. These arguments are significant to many European Mediterranean islands, as limited socio-economic resources and cultural conservatism put them in prime position for the development of tourist-based economies that rely upon the commodification of cultural forms and practices and on marketing them as authentic relics of time past. This research enquiry evaluated these processes in Sardinia. In specific it evaluated the articulation of discourses of Sardinian culture and identity through tourism. This was done through a comparative study of a festival, La Cavalcata Sarda and a heritage site, Tiscali. Two popular cultural attractions, which were found contributing to sustain an overall romantic imagery of Sardinia-ness synthesising and conveying to a regional, national and international tourism audience, the cultural singularities and specificities of the region. Building upon a socio-constructionist paradigm and a qualitative and inductive research methodology, the enquiry explored how locals, tourists and local cultural intermediaries respond to these cultural representations and how the social relations gathered under the umbrella of tourism encounter may themselves influence the production and consumption of contemporary discourses of Sardinian culture and identity. This was done through the adoption of the two inter-related conceptual frameworks of embodied performances and the tourism encounter, which allowed making sense of how these categories performatively encounter discourses of destination authenticity and otherness within specific tourism settings such as festivals and heritage sites. The findings highlighted how the articulation of Sardinian-ness at La Cavalcata Sarda and Tiscali reflects the nature of the setting, Sardinia and thus they intersect broader national, regional and local discourses of social and economic development as well as cultural renegotiation through tourism. Whilst tourism on the island was found to play a critical role in activating these processes, enabling the transformation of cultural resources into tourism assets and popular tourist attractions. It was found to be the key in allowing the renegotiation, contestation and amendment of discourses of Sardinianness by all of the key actor categories studied within this enquiry including the local cultural intermediaries called to interpret and mediate the two attractions. Thus this study has developed an original contribution to knowledge by furthering the application of the metaphor of the tourism encounter demonstrating how all categories do not just passively accept discourses of destination cultural otherness and authenticity. Rather they are able to unpack and recombine and contest their meanings at both social and individual level and through an embodied encounter with the place and with people within that place.

In Britain, in the year 1900, geography held a subordinate position not only in the universities, but also in general educational circles, and in the opinion of the public. The early years of this century were of great moment in its development and by 1914 a much greater respect had been accorded to the subject though it was not yet recognised as a subject of full honours standard in the several universities. In 1900 the acknowledged and established centres of geographical work were the geographical societies, and it is through their work and influence that the development of geography in the first fourteen years of the century is examined. The societies led the movement to improve geographical education. They provided influential spokesmen, financial and other support, both nationally and locally. This study uses the records of the major geographical societies of Britain in an attempt to increase knowledge of the history of geography during these years. The lack of published material on this topic is evidenced in the bibliography. After an assessment of the position of geography in 1900, its progress is shown in relation to the various areas of development, namely the universities, the extra-mural departments, the teacher training colleges, the schools and the field of research and publication. Finally, the achievement reached by 1914 and the place of societies in this are evaluated.At that time the number of academic geographers was small and most of them were active in several spheres. Similarly, the chief officials of the societies worked for several geographical causes, so that the exact area of influence of anyone society or person remains uncertain. The nature of the part played by the leading geographers in relation to the work of the societies is considered and the complementary function of the individual and the society clarified.

This research investigates the skills that Tamil refugees who have moved to the UK bring with them, the extent to which they utilise these skills, and how they adapt and develop their skills for the UK labour market. Through qualitative research with twenty-six Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, and a further seventeen interviews with 'elite' contacts in London, the refugees' experiences of integration through employment are examined. Here the human and social capital factors influencing the use, or lack of use, of skills within the Tamil refugee community are analysed. Particular focus is placed on contrasting the practices of male and female refugees and the variations of perceptions of individual success within wider perceptions of success in broader Tamil societies. Further research undertaken with Tamils in Montreal offers a counterpoint to the situations of refugees in London, providing an international perspective on the wider Tamil diaspora. The concepts of success, gender. coping strategies, gratitude and integration are used to theorise the employment experiences of individuals. With a few exceptions, most previous research investigating the skills of immigrant groups has focused on the demand for, rather than the supply of, skills. and on the economic, rather than social, aspects of skill utilisation and adaptation. Research in this area has important implications for policies that disperse asylum seekers away from their ethnic communities. Supporting the utilisation of skills could contribute to overcoming some skill shortages and integrating refugees into society, as well as enhancing the lives of the refugees themselves. This thesis argues that the ethnic community and ethnic economy playa crucial role in shaping the employment experiences of Tamil refugees. The importance of the wider Tamil refugee community and the ability to be immersed within the Tamil ethnic economy on a day-to-day basis, however also contributes to the difficulties that Tamil refugees face integrating into wider societies. This is not a unique situation. Tamil refugees face some similar experiences to other immigrant groups. Consequently this work builds upon earlier work concerned with the migrationasylum nexus, arguing that the differentiation between forced migrants and economic migrants has been over-simplified when examining their experiences in host countries.

This research sought to explain why some people take up growing fruit and vegetables, home composting and outdoor drying, whilst others do not and why some of these people persist with these practices, whilst others do not. In this study the contributions that urban gardens made to the delivery of a wide range of sustainable development objectives were identified. Contributions were found to depend on extent of garden provision and a range of garden practices that had yet to be fully explained. A critical realist approach, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, was then used to build explanations and identify opportunities for behaviour change for each of the garden practices specified above. Key findings include that knowledge was a necessary condition for practice initiation and persistence. Furthermore, practice initiation was found to depend on indirect knowledge of what others do or what other people thought they should do and access to the material and non-material resources believed to be necessary to practice. In contrast, practice persistence was found to depend on direct knowledge of each practice. In addition, a number of mechanisms were identified that worked to either increase benefits, reduce risk or decrease the effort involved in initiating and then maintaining practice. The garden practices studied were found to be distinct from other Environmentally Beneficial Behaviours (EBBs) in providing immediate extrinsic and intrinsic benefits. Additionally for people who persisted with each practice, intrinsic benefits were found to be more salient than the personal costs involved in practice. Finally 'time of life' and the garden setting were significant to both practice initiation and persistence, whereas garden size was only significant to practice initiation. Overall this research hoped to have contributed to understanding the role of the garden in the city and to have identified practical steps towards achieving more sustainable cities.

An initial investigation of the extent of private landownership and occupancy of rural land, and of the importance of the countryside recreation points to an inter-relationship between private landholders and tourism and recreation in Scotland. The objective of the thesis is to elucidate this interrelationship based on the postulationn that landholders provide facilities for recreation and tourism and experience public access in general. Investigation of the existing literature reveals that, despite expressed interest and concern, very little actual information is available on the extent, nature and, effect of the interrelationship in Scotland. Various public agencies are active in this field. An associated objective of the thesis is to use the results of the research to contribute suggestions for public policy making. Two principal surveys of landholders were, carried out: first, a series of detailed interviews with landholders providing facilities; secondly, a postal survey of a random sample of landholdings throughout Scotland. The response rates achieved were high. The results obtained from these surveys are analysed to present information on the extent to which landholders are involved in providing facilities for recreation and tourism and in experiencing de facto access on their holdings. The relationship between these activities and the characteristics of landholding is investigated. The nature of facility provision is studied in detail. An examination is made of the attitudes of landholders to the development of facilities and of their reaction to de facto access. The effect of tourism and recreation on landholdings is investigated. A particular aspect of this is the assessment of the economic results of tourism and recreation enterprises. Social costs and benefits from tourism and recreation on private landholdings are discussed. In conclusion, the results of the research are applied in the formulation of a number of suggestions for future policy in Scotland.

No description available.