The study of ‘dark tourism’ has gained increasing traction over the past two decades or so. Visits to sites of, or associated with death, disaster, atrocity, or suffering are a pervasive feature within the contemporary tourism landscape. This thesis, therefore, critically examines dark tourism within the modern tourism industry in which ‘dark’ experiences are packaged-up and sold to consumers – a process known as ‘commodification’. As a result, the study appraises the effects commodification has on the visitor experience at sites of dark tourism. Drawing upon a multidisciplinary approach, this thesis examines key relationships between dark tourism supplier and consumer in order to evaluate the visitor experience. This includes the notion of mortality and, in so doing, the research considers how the process of commodification affects encounters with the fragile state and inevitable demise of the human being. Moreover, this relates to the so-called ‘sequestration of death’ whereby death, in modern life, is removed from daily life in order to protect the Self from undue upsetting thoughts. This thesis utilises a phenomenological research philosophy in order to understand the nature of visitor experiences. The study also adopts a supply-demand approach, and so through the instruments of semi-structured interviews and participant questionnaires, appraises the relationship between the provision and consumption of dark tourism experiences. The empirical research investigates two case studies within UK dark tourism: Lancaster Castle and the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool. Ultimately, this thesis argues that the commodification process denotes specific semiotics of a touristic and behavioural nature. In turn, this thesis offers an original blueprint model in which to locate commodification processes, which this study terms the ‘Semiotic Framework of Dark Tourism Experience’. It is concluded that, using supply-side entities such as tour guides, shops, interpretative materials and other such items, suppliers of dark tourism sculpt the experience and direct visitor behaviour, but crucially do not fundamentally change the nature of experience by providing those phenomena. Rather, commodification within dark tourism provides a specific context in which to encounter death, mortality and atrocity within authentic and ontologically secure boundaries.

Philadelphia, like other major North American cities, has neighborhoods that are informally known as gay neighborhoods. This project examines how Philadelphia's Gayborhood is mediated, and how representations and markings of the Gayborhood are shaped by different discourses, namely tourism and urban development. Marking Philadelphia's Gayborhood justifies the presence of LGBT individuals in the city by linking LGBT lives to economic activity and "positive" urban change. This dissertation reads media texts about Philadelphia's Gayborhood against participant observations of everyday life and events in the Gayborhood, with particular emphasis on the activities of the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus (PGTC). Starting in 2002, the PGTC formed and produced specific tourism materials targeting the LGBT community, including print and television advertising campaigns, the rainbow street signs, and a dedicated map of the Gayborhood. These products highlight the Gayborhood as evidence of Philadelphia's gay-friendliness. Philadelphia's attractiveness for LGBT travelers is rooted in the visible presence of the city's LGBT community; Philadelphia's established LGBT everyday life allows LGBT travelers to come and already belong in the city. To support this message, the PGTC and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation market the city to both visitors and locals. New media platforms, namely social media, help promote events, both supporting local organizations, as well as creating visible LGBT everyday life to attract visitors. The meanings of the Gayborhood are then explored through its physical markings and LGBT events that emphasize its location. First, Philadelphia's Gayborhood is placed in the context of visibly and symbolically marking a "gay" city. While visual markers may provide indication of LGBT presence, certain symbols become stereotypical and caricatured, limiting the possible meanings of being LGBT-identified in public. Events such as the Pride Parade also serve to define the boundaries of belonging in the LGBT community. A central tension is the distinction between belonging and access, which are often conflated by an emphasis on legal, anti-discrimination discourses. LGBT history is also a central theme of Philadelphia's LGBT tourism promotion. By examining LGBT history walking tours, this project argues that not only do historical projects highlight stories that might otherwise be unseen, they also produce visibility of absences in contemporary discourse. The Gayborhood also functions as an archive exhibit, ultimately supporting a liberal project of belonging through economic and political activities. Parts of the archive are currently present, but access to the LGBT archive requires further inquiry or participation. By considering the Gayborhood as an exhibit of the LGBT archive, we also can consider aspects of the archive as restricted from the public, or still impossible to articulate intelligibly to the public. This project ends with a reconsideration of what it means to articulate and communicate ideas about LGBT identity in space. Current representations and understandings of the Gayborhood still serve a homonormative and homonationalist project that privileges the activities and everyday lives of wealthy, white, gay men. Returning to thinking about gay men's cruising and public sex, this project closes with an examination of how mobile communication technologies and methods allow for public sex to occur in new ways. Marked LGBT neighborhood spaces still have the potential to change how we understand the relationship between sexual lives and public space. / Media & Communication

This research takes an interdisciplinary approach and includes aspects of applied geography, applied management, political economy, development studies, sociology and anthropology, in line with the tradition of progressive tourism studies. It seeks to resolve academic concern about the limited insight within existing bodies of knowledge into how sustainability and sustainable tourism development are conceptualised at a grassroots level by inhabitants and other stakeholders of tourism destinations (Redclift, 1987; Liu, 2003; Swarbrooke, 1999; Mowforth and Munt, 1998; Maida, 2007) and furthermore how these conceptualisations are shaped through expressions of political economy in a post-crisis context. The research aimed to evaluate how political economy and interpretations of sustainability affected post-disaster tourism redevelopment using the case study of Phi Phi Island in Thailand, which was devastated by the tsunami of December 2004. An interpretive philosophy informed the research design, in which primary data was gathered using an inductive mixed methodology. Methods included online research, comprising the design and operation of a tailored website to overcome geographical and access limitations; and offline methods such as visual techniques to monitor change and confirm opinions offered by participants of the research; in-depth face-to-face interviews with hand-picked stakeholders of Phi Phi's development; open-ended questionnaires with tourists; and extended answer Thai script questionnaires in order to overcome language barriers and present the 'Thai voice'. The primary data was gathered from April 2006-December 2011 including a period working at [information removed for anonymity purposes] University in Phuket (June-December 2006). Twenty-five themes emerged from the data, the most significant being the social impacts of tourism, environmental impacts of tourism, power relationships and future desires. It was found that the factor with the greatest influence over Phi Phi's development is the desire to develop the economy through tourism, and the philosophy underpinning the development is largely economic. The tsunami did not cause any significant reassessment of the tourism development trajectory, but served to uncover a range of conflicts and unlawful activity, resulting from powerful stakeholders pursuing their own interests and desired outcomes, in order to suit their own needs rather than those of the community as a whole. In terms of how sustainability is conceptualised by different stakeholder groups, it was found that the meanings attributed to sustainability in this context differ greatly to meanings elaborated within western ideological debates. Stakeholders' conceptualisations of sustainability were mapped against key debates within literature. How meanings differed between stakeholder groups was also examined and a definition for sustainable tourism development on Phi Phi was compiled encompassing a broad range of interests. The thesis provides a rare opportunity to see which political, economic and cultural factors shape the planning of tourism development and whether actual practice mirrors the principles of sustainability. For islanders, present needs are yet to be met and education was recommended to increase islanders' understanding of impacts and sustainability, as well as their skills and knowledge base to enable them to compete intellectually with the ruling elite and reduce dependence upon landowners and the mainland. Numerous authors have highlighted a relative lack of academic attention directly addressing the influence of political economy on achieving sustainability in post-disaster reconstruction (Klein, 2008; Hystad and Keller, 2008; Olsen, 2000; Bommer, 1985; Beirman, 2003; Faulkner, 2001; Glaesser, 2003; Ritchie, 2004). This work therefore extends existing academic debates and studies in a number of areas. In existing academic debates concerning the political economy of post-disaster reconstruction there is a trend towards 'disaster capitalism' (Klein, 2005: 3) or 'smash and grab capitalism' (Harvey, 2007: 32) and 'attempts to accumulate by dispossession' (Saltman, 2007a: 57). However, this did not occur on Phi Phi. Despite claims of a 'clean slate' being offered by the tsunami in developmental terms (Pleumarom, 2004; UNDP, 2005; Dodds, 2011; Ko, 2005; Nwankwo and Richardson, 1994; Argenti, 1976; Rice, 2005; Altman, 2005; Brix, 2007; Ghobarah et al., 2006; Dodds et al., 2010), this research provides evidence and explanation of why this did not and would never exist on Phi Phi, a finding that may be applied to other destinations in a post-disaster context. In response to Blaikie et al.'s (2004) concerns that vulnerability is often reconstructed following a disaster and may create the conditions for a future disaster, this work has extended discussions of disaster vulnerability through an adapted application of Turner et al.'s (2003) Vulnerability Framework. This meets Calgaro and Lloyd's (2008) recommendation that further longitudinal research is required in other tsunami-affected locations. This research refines their work to identify a detailed framework of vulnerability factors intertwined with factors of political economy, presenting a post-disaster situation that remains highly vulnerable and non-conducive to sustainability. This is in response to Hystad and Keller's (2008) recognition that there is a lack of long-term studies, which not only show how disaster has shifted the nature of the destination and tourism product, but also identify successful strategic processes and actions in disaster response. The strategic response has been analysed through an adapted Strategic Disaster Management Framework (Ritchie, 2004) to identify the shortcomings of the disaster response to comprehend how such a disaster has influenced tourism development and planning on the island, showing that this was a mirror opposite to how a disaster should be handled according to the literature (Ritchie, 2004; Adger et al., 2005; Miller et al., 2006; Olsen, 2000; Coppola, 2007; Faulkner, 2001; Baldini et al., 2012). The researcher draws on the notion of 'strategic drift' (Johnson, 1998: 179) and 'boiled frog syndrome' (Richardson, Nwankwo and Richardson, 1994: 10) to explain how host attitudes to tourism may increase vulnerability. Both these contributions can assist in identifying destination vulnerability and limitations in disaster response and recovery. Unlike the work of Dodds (2010) and Dodds et al. (2011), the aim was not to assess the practice and attainment of sustainability on Phi Phi; rather, it was to elaborate interpretations and conceptualisations of sustainability. An examination of development philosophy established how specific factors of political economy and relationships of a hegemonic nature influence the development trajectory of both Phi Phi and Thailand. Despite governmental rhetoric influenced by a strong 'sufficiency economy' hegemony led by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the observations of dependency theorists provide a better fit for the experiences on Phi Phi and present significant challenges for the pursuit of sustainability. The thesis posits that an effective response to the disaster and pursuit of sustainability are undermined by the political economy of the destination.

Evidence concerning the benefits of physical activity to health is well established. Despite this extensive evidence, the vast majority of the population remains insufficiently physically active to elicit meaningful health gain. Exercise Referral Schemes (ERSs) have been operating in this country since the early 1990s. However, despite continuing expansion in the number of schemes nationwide, `success', in terms of long-term adherence to physical activity by clients has not been achieved. Extensive evidence in the literature suggests service quality may impact on clients' decision to adhere. However, this concept has not previously been applied to ERSs, assuring the originality and contributory potential of this investigation This thesis aims to investigate the factors affecting retention rates in ERSs. Furthermore, this investigation seeks to develop an understanding of the relationship between service quality and adherence in this setting. Five schemes comprising diverse operational management systems are evaluated via a new assessment tool, completed by 1024 respondents. This quantitative data is supported and extended by qualitative data drawn from a range of key stakeholders collected via 10 interviews and five focus groups. Results suggest clients do not generally perceive service quality to be problematic; however, significant differences between adherence groups and schemes offer insights into issues affecting retention. The nature of the relationship between client and exercise professional appears to represent one of the most notable `keys' to retention. Many clients seek a medical solution to health problems and perceive an exercise professional to be the poor relation of a GP. The fundamental importance of the potential for other exercisers to contribute to the support of clients is also highlighted and discussed. Site-specific issues, time to exercise and client stereotypes of the gym environment also feature as possible determinants of adherence. Considerable further research is needed to build upon these results. Possible avenues for such studies are also discussed.

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Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Long-term independent travel is regarded by many commentators as an active quest for discovery, and has long been proclaimed by individuals and organisations, both within and outside the tourism industry, as having a social, cultural and educative role. As independent travel becomes an increasingly popular and important sector of the travel market, the guidebook as cultural text becomes a significant and powerful mediator of experience. Guidebooks have a prevailing capacity to define and represent places, peoples and cultures and, at the same time, present descriptive and prescriptive information that simultaneously constructs the traveller and shapes their perspectives and experiences. Independent travellers such as backpackers, in their quest for the ‘authentic’, often seek out experiences with other cultures and demonstrate a desire to learn about, and interact with, indigenous people and their cultures. This thesis is concerned with the complex process of the dialectic construction of the backpacker (the traveller) as a particular gazing and experiencing subject, and of places, peoples and cultures (the travelled) as objects of the gaze. Central to the thesis is a consideration of the role of the guidebook as an interpretative lens through which the constructed and mediated nature of both the traveller and the travelled can be examined and understood. Drawing on theoretical and methodological insights from the interdisciplinary fields of tourism studies and cultural studies, the thesis seeks to understand relationships between text, audience and culture in tourism. The interpretative method of textual analysis is married with qualitative interviews with a sample of backpackers to Australia to examine the interplay between travellers, guidebooks and experiences. An analysis of guidebooks published by Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and Let's Go reveals that representations of Aboriginal people and their cultures are central to constructing an ‘authentic’ experience for independent travellers to Australia. These representations are, however, not without contradiction, as traveller discourses of authenticity, cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity and responsible travel are mobilised concurrently with popular tourism imagery and stereotypes of Aboriginal Australia. For the backpackers interviewed, the discrepancies between discourses provided in guidebooks means that their engagement with texts is dynamic, and their experiences with, and understandings of, Aboriginal Australia are continuously negotiated and renegotiated throughout their travel experiences. I argue in this thesis that backpackers actively engage with narratives and representations of culture contained within guidebooks, and negotiate these textual contradictions to construct a particular type of experience and traveller-self to make sense of their travels in Aboriginal Australia. The findings of this thesis raise important questions about the role that the text plays as mediator between the traveller and the travelled culture, and the tensions, contradictions and negotiations between text and lived experience.

Bakgrund: År 2030 ska Stockholm vara en storstad och en evenemangsstad i världsklass, detta i enlighet med Stockholms stads Vision 2030. Fram till dess ska bland annat mål för ökad företagsamhet och utveckling inom turismnäringen, ökad kvalitet inom utbildning och ett ökat samarbete mellan den privata och offentliga sektorn uppnås och förverkligas. Stockholmsarenan är en del av visionen, som en pusselbit i den infrastruktur som behövs, för att uppnå status som en evenemangsstad i världsklass. Syfte: Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats är att erhålla ökad förståelse för hur de inblandade aktörerna i Stockholmsarenaprojektet tillsammans skapar en ny evenemangsdestination och göra den till en framgångsrik punktdestination. Vi ämnar belysa de utvalda faktorerna och hur de påverkar utvecklingen av Stockholmsarenan samt hur arenaprojektet påverkar sitt direkta närområde och Stockholm som destination. Frågeställning: Vilka förutsättningar inom faktorerna plats, marknadsföring, säkerhet och miljö samt ekonomiska resurser lägger grunden för en framgångsrik utveckling av Stockholmsarenan? Hur ser kommunikationen och samarbetet ut mellan de olika aktörerna i projektet med Stockholmsarenan? Hur påverkas området runtom Stockholmsarenan och staden i sig av en satsning som denna? Metod: Kvalitativa metoder har använts under arbetets gång genom djupintervjuer, litteraturstudier och kvalitativa dataanalyser av den insamlade empirin för att besvara problemformuleringarna. Intervjuer med offentliga aktörer inblandade i projektet samt privatpersoner som direkt påverkas av arenaprojektet har utförts. Teori: Uppsatsens teoretiska referensram omfattar teorier gällande; destinationsutveckling, storstadsturism, information och effektiv kommunikation samt teorier om NIMBY, sportarenor och sportevenemang och hur de påverkar sin omgivning. Slutsats: En rad faktorer påverkar hur framgångsrikt projektet Stockholmsarenan blir. Ett väl fungerande samarbete, en välplanerad kommunikation inom projektet och ut mot allmänheten samt även långsiktiga planer och strategier är av stor vikt. Författarna tror att Stockholmsarenan, tillsammans med Stockholm Entertainment District, på lång sikt kommer att gynna Stockholm som evenemangsstad. / Background: In the year 2030 Stockholm is going to be a metropolis and a city of world class events, in accordance with the City of Stockholm's Vision 2030. Until then, among other objectives for greater entrepreneurship and development in tourism, increased quality in education and increased collaboration between the private and public sector must be achieved and realized. The Stockholm Arena is part of that vision, as a piece of the infrastructure puzzle needed to attain the status of being an event city of world class. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to obtain understanding of how participants in the Stockholm Arena project work together to create a successful event destination and point destination. We intend to shed light on the factors that influence the development of the Stockholm Arena as well as how the project affects its immediate vicinity and Stockholm as a destination. Questions at issue: Which circumstances within factors of location, marketing, safety and environment as well as economic resources lay the foundation for the successful development of the Stockholm Arena? How does the communication and collaboration between the different participants involved in the project with the Stockholm Arena manifest itself?  How does a building project like the Stockholm Arena affect its immediate area and the city itself? Method: The authors of this thesis have conducted qualitative interviews. The interviews include people from the companies involved in the building of the Stockholm Arena and local residents in the near vicinity of the arena. Theory: As theoretical framework the authors have used theories of; destination development, urban tourism, information and effective communication as well as theories of NIMBY, sport arenas and sporting events and how they affect their environment. Conclusion: A number of factors influence how successful the Stockholm Arena project will become: good cooperation, a well-planned communication within the project and towards the public and also long-term plans and strategies. The authors believe that the Stockholm Arena together with the Stockholm Entertainment District in the long-term will promote and benefit Stockholm as an event location.

Denna uppsats behandlar ämne turiststudier och bildbanker med koppling till porträtteringen av Småland utifrån ett tyskt och ett svenskt perspektiv. Syftet med uppsatsen är att se ett resultat kring huruvida det finns skillnader i hur hemsidor med svensk eller tysk målgrupp porträtterar Småland. Detta sker genom en analys av deras olika val av motiv i sina fotograferingar och vad eventuella skillnader kan säga om representationen. En kvantitativ, kvalitativ och en komparativ undersökning har genomförts där sex hemsidor publicerade av tyska respektive svenska turistbyråer och med tysk eller svensk målgrupp har blivit analyserade. Materialen på hemsidorna kommer huvudsakligen från bildbanker. Utifrån statistik kunde slutsatser dras att hemsidor som främst riktar sig till tyska turister gestaltar Småland med Astrid Lindgrens figurer och älgar, medan de hemsidorna med svensk målgrupp främst fokuserar på storstäderna och matkulturen i regionen. Även lantlighet visar sig vara viktigt för de bådas gestaltningar. / This scientific essay deals with topic such as tourism studies and image banks with a connection to the portrait of Småland based on a German and a Swedish perspective. The purpose of this essay is to find a result of weather there is differences in how websites with German or Swedish targetgroup portray Småland. This is done through an analysis of their choices of motives in their pictures, and what these differences can tell us about the representation. One qualitative, one quantitative and one comparative survey has been done where six websites with Swedish or German targetgroup has been analyzed. The material is mostly from image banks. Conclusions could be drawn where the websites targeting Germans showed Astrid Lindgren’s figures and elks, and the websites with a Swedish targetgroup showed mostly the big cities and the food culture in the region. Also the rurality turns out to be important.

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