Browsing by Author "Knollenberg, Whitney G."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Exploring Tourism Advocates' Relationship with Tourism Industry Members through a Political Model of Leadership
    Knollenberg, Whitney G. (Virginia Tech, 2015-11-05)
    Political environments shape the tourism industry. Political support for the industry can result in the creation of competitive and sustainable destinations through which tourism may contribute positive social, environmental, and economic impacts to residents and business owners alike. However, policymakers do not always recognize the potential for these positive impacts. Some tourism representatives argue that policymakers only see their businesses as an engine for tax generation and that the industry as a whole does not receive the respect it deserves from policymakers. The fragmented nature of tourism poses a challenge for advocates desiring to develop a collective voice and legislative agenda for the industry. Such initiatives would appear to demand strong leaders from within the tourism industry itself who can organize a unified approach to gaining political influence. However, few scholars have explored these individuals, who serve as a conduit between the tourism industry and policymakers. Even less attention has been given to their relationship with members of the tourism industry. Therefore, this study utilized a partnership with the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association to examine how political leaders within the tourism industry, or tourism advocates, establish relationships with members of the tourism industry in order to facilitate political influence. A political model of leadership was employed to conceptualize the contextual elements, antecedents, and behaviors that result in outcomes that influence the relationship between the advocates and tourism industry members. Data was collected through interviews with 26 tourism advocates which were conducted to gain an understanding of the contextual elements and antecedents that influence tourism advocates' political behavior, in regards to building a relationship with members of the tourism industry. Their followers, members of VHTA who represent the lodging, restaurant, and attractions segments of the Virginia tourism industry, were surveyed to evaluate their perceived outcomes of tourism advocates' leadership efforts. This study determined that contextual elements such as organizational culture and advocates' prior episodes play an important role in determining advocates' participation in political leadership. In turn, advocates' antecedents, particularly their sector-specific knowledge, social capital, and interpersonal style influence the behaviors they use to create relationships with tourism industry members. It was determined that overall, advocates' are far more critical of the outcomes of their behaviors than tourism industry members. The findings of this study can help prepare future tourism advocates to pursue political influence for the tourism industry by suggesting strategies that result in a productive relationship between political leaders and members of the tourism industry.
  • Thumbnail Image
    An Investigation of Transformative Tourism Outcomes and Strategies
    Soulard, Joelle Marie (Virginia Tech, 2020-04-09)
    Transformative tourism is investigated as a potential solution to the challenges currently facing the tourism industry. Tourism is facing a defining time as societies are attempting to manage the effect of fast path globalization and are confronted with the pressing issues of climate change that push us to implement fast and drastic changes in the way that we consume services and interact with others. Transformative tourism proposes to design travel experiences in which travelers are encouraged to self-reflect, become more tolerant of cultural differences, and are eager to become agents of change in their community by fostering social empowerment and taking concrete actions to promote a sustainable way of life. The dissertation takes on a three-manuscript approach, each investigating a facet of transformative tourism in terms of outcomes and strategies. The first article is based on in-depth interviews with tourism practitioners and investigate their use of glocalization strategies as a way to create partnerships with local community members and foster loyalty from travelers. The second article examines the development of a scale to measure the transformative process in travelers. The third article uses a multi-method approach to study the symbols and narratives present in the transformative travelers' experience with the objective of using those to develop marketing content.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Re: Reflections and explorations : Essays on politics, public policy, and governance
    Stephenson, Max O. Jr.; Kirakosyan, Lyusyena (Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance, 2015)
    We have organized the essays that follow in this volume into nine themes or broad topical foci based on the subjects our RE: Reflections and Explorations authors selected for their efforts during 2013-2014. A brief overview of our contributors’ organizing issues follows. Part 1 contains six essays that address the role(s) of the academy in society. Part 2 offers six essays that address questions central to the relationships among art, culture and politics. Part 3’s five essays treat issues linked to community building. Part 4 includes five essays that explore the challenges of public leadership at multiple scales and in a variety of contexts. Part 5’s eight essays examine a variety of concerns central to the characteristics and fundamentals of democratic citizenship and ethics. Part 6 consists of six essays that explore different dimensions of international politics. Part 7 of the volume comprises seven essays that directly or indirectly illuminate alternate facets of local and international development dynamics. Part 8 includes six essays that together analyze several manifestations or implications of neoliberalism, the current dominant public imaginary or frame in American and indeed, Western, politics. Part 9’s seven essays each afford readers alternate lenses into the dynamics and vicissitudes of change processes, as conceptualized at alternate analytical levels. The 56 essays together address a variety of concerns central to democratic politics and self-governance. The topics are as varied as our contributor’s substantive interests and perspectives, and that diversity yields a complex array of analytical insights. We hope you enjoy reading this richly textured collection as much as we have enjoyed assembling it.