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The role of tourism in bridging the gap between high-skilled expatriates and hosts : a case of the United Arab Emirates

Expatriates and tourists both represent transient markets who travel to destinations and, to differing degrees, look to understand their host destination. To date, the overlap between tourism and expatriation has received scant analysis and yet could offer useful synergies. With this premise in mind, a two-stage, mixed methods study analysed the connection between tourists and expatriates in Dubai, UAE. The results from 36 face-to-face interviews and 439 questionnaires suggested that tourism practices do benefit expatriate adjustment by providing opportunities to expatriates and nationals to meet, interact, and learn from one another. The results offered the five Arenas of adjustment – the Individual, the Destination, Exposure opportunities, the Company, and the Host – that facilitate adjustment within the expatriate. Tourism is directly referred to in the Exposure Arena, reflecting a qualitative effect of tourism in adjustment. It was through such opportunities that tourism was found to encourage expatriate adjustment by either directly teaching expatriates and nationals about one another, or providing the opportunity for them to meet, interact, and learn.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:739159
Date January 2017
CreatorsDutt, Christopher Simon
ContributorsHarvey, William ; Shaw, Gareth
PublisherUniversity of Exeter
Source SetsEthos UK
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Sourcehttp://hdl.handle.net/10871/32106

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