TiMS: The role of tourism in multicultural societies - adding to stereotypes or contributing to diversity?
Facts
- Contact person:
- Sayaka Osanami Törngren
- Financer:
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- Formas – Research Council for Sustainable Development
- Responsible at MaU:
- Sayaka Osanami Törngren
- Project members at MaU:
- Collaborators :
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- Göteborg University
- Lund University
- Mistra Urban Futures
- Tsinghua University
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Keio University
- Maseno University
- Time frame:
- 01 January 2019 - 31 May 2024
- Faculty/department:
- Research environment :
- Research subject:
About the project
Tourism and the tourism industry have been criticized for contributing to a uni-dimensional view of culture and people, which (re)produces stereotypic images, discredited histories and romantic fantasies. There is a risk that tourism reduces places to monocultures where the complexity that makes them interesting disappear. No modern society has only a culture, language or identity. Globalization, migration and other intercultural exchanges changes places. Inclusion and participation are increasingly highlighted in tourism and place branding literature. However, tourism and place branding have rarely been associated with concepts such as integration, migration and multiculturalism. TiM's objective is to explore the role of tourism in multicultural societies, in Sweden and beyond, as well as to act for the inclusion and representation of diversity in tourism development and place branding. TiMS’ originality lies in
- A multidisciplinary and innovative approach to tourism studies, including design, social work, migration studies, marketing and interaction design, placing it in the forefront of technical and methodological development.
- The ability to reach actual practical and societal change through collaboration between research and practice through action-oriented research.
- Studies in Sweden and four non-European countries (Kenya, China, Japan and the US) broadens and deepens the understanding and conceptualisation of sustainable and inclusive forms of tourism and place branding.