Professor David Airey
About
Biography
David Airey is Emeritus Professor at the University of Surrey. Since he retired from his position as Professor of Tourism Management and University Pro Vice-Chancellor he has remained active in teaching, research, writing and various projects both in the UK, including at Surrey, and in many other parts of the world. He has been involved in tourism as a subject for study for nearly 50 years. During this time his academic interests have included tourism education, tourism policy, and destination development. He has written or co-edited a number of books and many top ranked journal articles on these topics and has supervised numerous PhD students. In 2006 he received the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Ulysses Prize for his work on the creation and dissemination of knowledge. He is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism and Honorary Fellow of the Council for Australasian University Tourism and Hospitality Education.
Publications
Chinese outbound tourism has become of great interest to tourism scholars. This paper provides a brief review of the current theoretical discussion about modernity and alternative modernity and their connection to Chinese outbound tourism developments. The paper traces the progress of Chinese outbound tourism via the binary structure-agent approach. Its study integrates the institutional development of the Chinese tourism governing body over four decades as social structure, and as agents, analyzes the changing perceptions of Chinese outbound tourists. The study advocates that the Chinese outbound tourism sector has developed within the scope of alternative modernity. The paper indicates that the development of Chinese outbound tourism reflects a process of developing modern institutions and conceptual modernity over time. •This paper connects modernity theory with Chinese outbound tourism.•It investigates the institutional evolution of the governance of Chinese tourism.•It analyzes the changing perceptions and increasing individual freedom of Chinese outbound tourists.•It advocates that alternative modernity is applicable to an examination of the Chinese outbound tourism sector.
Viewed from Chinese-style modernity, this article explores Chinese tourism diplomacy in relation to the development of Chinese outbound tourism. Using public policy analysis, the article examines the role of modern Chinese statecraft in the outbound tourism industry. It identifies four main characteristics in the nature of tourism diplomacy: the economic power of outbound tourism; outbound tourism as sanctionable or rewarding forces; the relatively low political sensitivity and high flexibility of outbound tourism; culture and tourism integration to enhance international relations. The article contributes to the literature by illuminating the interconnectivity between diplomacy and tourism via investigating through China-style modernity. It contributes to a repositioning of the nation-state power metrics of China's outbound tourism industry.
Purpose - This paper aims to provide a short scholarly review on the development of tourism education that contributes to the celebration of 75years of the Tourism Review. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based on selective literature on the topic. Findings - Tourism education has developed into a major field of study in the period since the Second World War, but after a long period of growth, it now faces some important challenges. Research limitations/implications - The paper is based on selective literature. Social implications - The review provides a brief overview of the development and challenges for tourism education. Originality/value - The paper provides a brief overview of developments.
Tourism scholars and practitioners tend to regard diaspora tourism as a homogeneous market, with needs that can be met through general types of products. Adopting a literature review approach, this article has conducted a review of the extensive research on the diaspora, immigration, and root-seeking tourism to China. The conceptual framework provides a holistic perspective for researchers and destination managers to study diaspora tourism. This shows that the demand dimension of diaspora tourists is related to the structure of diaspora communities. Place attachment (sense of nostalgia), transnationalism, cultural (re)connectivity, hybrid self-identity (re)constructions and the nation-state power metrics of China for overseas Chinese, are as identified as factors that determine motivation for “returning home”. Further research is suggested to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the typology of diaspora tourism that may need to be considered in order to meet the needs of diaspora tourists in future planning and strategy formulation. •Synthesizes the existing researching literatures and current development on diaspora tourism.•Provides indications of diaspora tourism through both demand and supply sides.•Analyses key philosophical implications to understand Chinese diaspora tourism.
This article examines the mindsets of independent Chinese tourists in the context of the emerging dynamic mobility perspective. It investigates Chinese tourists' travel impulses, cross-border flows, quality-of-life perceptions, and the meaning of living a mobile lifestyle. Through face-to-face interviews and drawing on narrative descriptions in social media and newsletters, the article draws findings relating to travel motivations, the reconstruction of self, the quality-of-life mindsets, free-itinerary tour mode, and the influences of modern technology. The article aims at addressing the current development trends of Chinese outbound tourists, providing an understanding of the complex characteristics and the gradual release of Chinese outbound tourists' cross-border mobility freedom.