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The March 2006 conference brought together
some of the nation's finest researchers and practitioners who endorse
a place-based approach to tourism and economic development. While
the gathering was referred to as a "conference," it was
really designed as a series of salons, during which participants
could dig deeply into the idea of "using" tourism to preserve
and enhance place, in addition to strengthening the economy.
The Civic Tourism
conference sought to identify appropriate and feasible ways to combine:
- theory and practice
- resident and visitor perceptions of "place"
- sustainability and economic development
- tourism development and community building
For more information about
the conference's background and goals, check these two introductory
sections from the printed program: Welcome,
Goals
(pdf files, may take a minute)
Presenters were
divided into four content areas:
-
Sense of Place: This category included researchers
who focus on the subject of "place," conceptually
and historically. One conference goal was to link theories of
place to responsible tourism practices.
-
Tourism Management: This group featured practitioners
of existing programs that incorporate concepts central to Civic
Tourism, such as "using" tourism as a tool for building
healthy communities.
-
Tourism Trends: This category included theorists
breaking new ground in place-based tourism and economic development
- suggesting methods and outcomes that are outside the usual
approaches.
-
Public Voice: Civic Tourism's central premise
is that we need a new kind of public converation about tourism,
not the usual pro/con debate (pro: tourism provides jobs;
con: tourism ruins towns). This unit included presenters
who reviewed strategies for civic engagement within a tourism
context.
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