The construction of tourist attractions...La dimension sauvage de la nature: émerge aux Etats-Unis vers le milieu du 19ème siècle comme nouveau rapport à la nature ! « Thousands

Master Interdisciplinaire en études du Tourisme (MIT)

The construction of tourist attractions

Prof. Mathis Stock 27.03.2012


Introduction

q  Construction of attractions means « co-construction » q  From an analytical point of view, we have to de-

construct the multiple elements and actors intervening q  Heritage as construction, authenticity as construction,

landscape as construction, « sea sand sun » as constrution, Eiffel Tower as construction, Grand Canyon etc.

q  Which are the reasons behind the construction of tourist attractions? How to explain the emergence of a tourist attraction?

Espace, société, tourisme.


1. Conceptual elements

q  MacCannell: tourist attraction as relationship between marker, sign and tourist

q  Urry: « tourist gaze » as « collective tourist gaze » à how does a tourist culture emerge?

q  Latour: Actor-newwork theory’s notion of « assemblage »

Construc3on sociale de l'espace touris3que


2. The configuration of a specific « tourist nature »

q  Question: which natures are invented by the tourist gaze? q  Nature as therapy: pure air, seaside resorts, thalassotherapy,

sun cure, watering resorts

q  Nature as playground: hunting, safari, alpinism, ski, diving, swimming

q  Nature as enchantment: landscape



2.1. The invention of snow as a resource for tourism

q  « THE ski-runner in search of a good centre has several considerations to allow for. He will naturally have to choose between the old-established centres and the newer resorts. Unlike the skater and the tobogganer, he has as much chance of good sport in the latter as in the former. Skating rinks and toboggan runs cannot be built in a season, but ski-ing slopes are not dependent on artificial assistance, and the ski-runner is just as likely to find good ski-ing in a new as in an old resort. Nor is it fair to assume that the best skiing resorts were the first ones to open » (p.143).



q  « The first impression on beholding a snow-clad landscape in a cold climate during fine weather is one of surprise and admiration. Conscious of excessive cold by external appearances rather than by disagreeable sensations of chilliness, one almost doubts the reality of the low temperature. A Bright sun and blue sky overhead, a clear and quiet atmosphere, distant sounds transmitted to the ear through the still air, combine with the charms of the scenery to produce such buoyancy of spirits that a man is braced and invigorated for almost any exertion » (Alpine Winter, p. 9).



Winter resort

q  « Well-known summer resorts stand a very good chance, as they are already well known to the travelling public. They have, moreover, the necessary machinery of hotels and railways. However, it by no means follows that a good summer centre will make a good winter centre. Zermatt is a case in point. Moreover, there are many valleys which afford excellent ski-ing, but which, owing to difficulties of communication and accommodation, have as yet been unopened.» (p.143-144).

q  « At the old centres a runner will find more amusements and greater comfort. If he likes to fill his time in with dancing and bridge, he will be better off at one of the old-established favourites, but he will have to pay for these advantages ; and if he cares only for the ski-ing itself, he had far better select a new and comparatively unknown centre » (p.144).



2.2. Wilderness through the tourist gaze

q  La dimension sauvage de la nature: émerge aux Etats-Unis vers le milieu du 19ème siècle comme nouveau rapport à la nature

q  « Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home, that wildness is a necessity, and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life » (John Muir)

q  Wild West par rapport à un Civilised East q  Parc National comme sauvegarde de la wilderness civilisée q  Wilderness Act de 1964



Wilderness Act of 1964

Définition_1: « A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain ».

Définition_2: « An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions »

Définition_3: « (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value ».



Example: Yellowstone (1872)

q  3 millions visitors in 2009 q  Area: ca. 9'000 km2 q  9 visitor centers, museums, and

contact stations q  9 hotels/lodges (2,000+ hotel

rooms/cabins) q  7 NPS-operated

campgrounds (450+ sites) q  5 concession-operated

campgrounds (1,700+ sites)


Y E L L O W S T O N E

P L A T E A U

Yellowstone

Lake

Yello

wstone

Galla

tin

Gre

en

Mad

iso

n

Snake

WIND RIVERINDIAN

RESERVATION

BEAVERHEAD-DEERLODGE NF

CUSTER NF

SHOSHONE NF

SHOSHONENF

BRIDGER-TETON NF

CARIBOU-TARGHEE

NF

CARIBOU-TARGHEE

NF

CARIBOU-TARGHEE

NF

GALLATIN NF

RED ROCKLAKES NWR

GRAYSLAKE NWR

NATIONAL ELK REFUGE

YELLOWSTONE NP

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR. MEMORIAL PARKWAY

GRANDTETON

NP

TETON

GROS

VENTRE

BRIDGER

NORTH

ABSAROKA

ABSAROKA-BEARTOOTH

WASHAKIE

POPO

AGIE

FITZ-

PATRICK

JEDEDIAH

SMITH

WINEGAR

HOLE

LEE

METCALF

LEE

METCALF

RED ROCK LAKES

M O N T A N A

W Y O M I N G

I D A H O

U.S. Forest Service

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

National Park Service National Wilderness Preservation System

Lands administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Managementand by states are not shown.

TETON

North10 30 Kilometers0

0 30 Miles10


Civilised wilderness of Yellowstone

q  As a wilderness, therefore, the Yellowstone is unequalled. Its innumerable waters insure the luxuriance of its growths. Its forested parts are densely forested; its flower-gardens are unexcelled in range, color, and variety, and its meadows grow deep hi many kinds of rich grass. If it were only for the splendor of its wilderness, it still would be worth the while.

q  Imagine this wilderness heavily populated with friendly wild animals, sprinkled with geysers, hot springs, mud volcanoes, painted terraces and petrified groves, sensational with breath-taking canyons and waterfalls, penetrable over hundreds of miles of well built road and several times the mileage of trails, and comfortable because of its large hotels and public camps located conveniently for its enjoyment, and you have a pleasure-ground of extraordinary quality. (Yard, 1920, 207).





q  To illustrate this it is simply necessary to refer to certain cantons of the Republic of Switzerland, a commonwealth of the most industrious and frugal people in Europe. The results of all the ingenuity and labor of this people applied to the resources of wealth which they hold in common with the people of other lands have become of insignificant value compared with that which they derive from the price which travellers gladly pay for being allowed to share with them the enjoyment of the natural scenery of their mountains. These travellers alone have caused hundreds of the best inns in the world to be established and maintained among them, have given the farmers their best and almost the only market they have for their surplus products, have spread a network of rail roads and superb carriage roads, steamboat routes and telegraphic lines over the country, have contributed directly and indirectly for many years the larger part of the state revenue and all this without the exportation or abstraction from the country of any thing of the slightest value to the people (Olmsted).



q  The Government of the adjoining kingdom of Bavaria undertook years ago to secure some measure of a similar source of wealth by procuring with large expenditure, artificial objects of attraction to travellers. The most beautiful garden in the natural style on the Continent of Europe was first formed for this purpose, magnificent buildings were erected, renowned artists were drawn by liberal reward from other countries, and millions of dollars were spent in the purchase of ancient and modern works of art. The attempt thus made to secure by a vast investment of capital the advantages which Switzerland possessed by nature in its natural scenery has been so far successful that a large part, if not the greater part of the profits of the rail roads, of the agriculture and of the commerce of the kingdom is now derived from the foreigners who have been thus attracted to Munich, its capital (Olmsted).



2.3. A mountain as a global heritage: Jungfraujoch Switzerland



Jungfrau seen by UNESCO

q  The site provides an outstanding example of the formation of the High Alps, including the most glaciated part of the mountain range and the largest glacier in Eurasia. It features a wide diversity of ecosystems, including successional stages due particularly to the retreat of glaciers resulting from climate change. The site is of outstanding universal value both for its beauty and for the wealth of information it contains about the formation of mountains and glaciers, as well as ongoing climate change. It is also invaluable in terms of the ecological and biological processes it illustrates, notably through plan succession. Its impressive landscape has played an important role in European art, literature, mountaineering and alpine tourism



3. Disneyworld or the transformation of a swamp

q  « I don’t want the public to see the real world they live in while they’re in the park. I want them to feel they are in another world » (Walt Disney)

q  « In Disneyland, the built environment is entertaining. Every edifice has symbolic value, much as was the case for ancient and medieval cities. Disneyland, as the most successful theme park, helped inaugurate the entertainment culture of postmodernism. It is the ludic town par excellence” (Gottdiener)



3.1. What is Disneyworld?

q  Un ensemble de quatre parcs principaux: -  Magic Kingdom (1971) -  EPCOT (1982) -  Disney Film Studio (1989) -  Animal Kingdom (1998) Quel type d’espace? Un comptoir, un ensemble de

comptoirs?



3.3. EPCOT: Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow

q  « Epcot theme park, one of 4 Theme Parks at Walt Disney World Resort, sprawls across 300 acres—twice the size of Magic Kingdom theme park—and is divided into Future World and World Showcase.

q  Future World: Future World is full of sensational attractions—including one of the fastest attractions in all Disney Parks—as well as inspiring entertainment and shows, all of which focus on technological advancements, innovation and wonder. In Future World, ideas become reality.

q  The Epcot theme park icon, Spaceship Earth, looking like a giant golf ball rising high above the horizon, welcomes you as you walk through the Park's main entrance.

q  World Showcase: Beyond Future World, if entering from the main gate at Epcot theme park, is the World Showcase area. World Showcase is a collective of Pavilions that wrap around the World Showcase Lagoon. Inside the Pavilions, find shops, attractions and restaurants that represent the culture and cuisine of these 11 countries:: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, Canada

q  While walking between Pavilions, be amused by live performers—some may even invite you to participate in the show! There's also plenty of kid-centric entertainment, too, like Disney Character meet and greet locations and Kidcot fun stops. At Kidcot stations, kids can create one-of-a-kind souvenirs. In Epcot theme park, creativity is encouraged, imagination is celebrated and countries are united. Be amazed, inspired, enlightened and entertained ! » (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/)



3.4. Disney Hollywood Studios

q  « Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park, one of 4 Theme Parks in Walt Disney World Resort, offers behind-the-scenes glimpses of Hollywood-style action with live shows, thrilling attractions, backstage tours and special events that only happen in this Disney Park dedicated to entertainment.

q  The glitz and glamour of the Hollywood Heydays from the 1930s and 1940s are captured by the neon, chrome, art deco and modern architecture throughout Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. The streets and sections of the 4 areas of the Park blend together like a large, bustling movie set.



3.4. Disney Hollywood Studios

q  Step into the action with new attractions—like the American Idol Experience—that might put you center stage and under the spotlight. Feel like a star, or come face-to-face with one! Collect autographs and pose for photos at special events or at Character greeting locations.

q  Live out your desire for stardom by participating in parades, being part of a rock 'n' roll fantasy and experiencing spectacular attractions based on blockbuster movies and top TV shows—all at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park where movie magic comes to life! » http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/



3.5. Animal Kingdom

q  Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park, one of 4 Theme Parks at Walt Disney World Resort, is full of attractions, adventures and entertainment that reflect Walt Disney's dedication to nature and conservation, and in doing so, the Park leads the way in animal care, education and research.

q  Home to more than 1,700 animals from 250 species and sprawling across 500 acres of lush landscape, Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park is the largest animal-themed park in the world!

q  Within each area, encounter real and fantastic animals. Get close enough to pet some of them, or ask for their autograph! Exciting attractions await, as does live and wild entertainment—like Broadway-style musical shows and parades that invite you to be part of the excitement » (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/animal-kingdom/, 31.3.2011)



4. Disneyworld avant Disney: 1963-1969



A spatial « dispositif »

q  « 1. as fabricated, controlled environments, which are designed to be different from everyday life

q  2. as fantasy lands in which the visitors can enjoy ephemeral contact with exotic and sometimes erotic worlds

q  3. as spectacles wich provide visitors with all-encompassing visual and aural experiences

q  4. as liberation from the obligation to engage in mundane behaviour

q  5. as an entertainment experience specifically designed for families

q  6. as a direct consequence of improvement of transport q  7. as a place where visitors can take risks while knowing they

are unlikely to be harmed q  8. as a context within which the major forms of human play can

be enacted » (Nye, 1981).



4.1. Disneyland’s beginning (1955)

Walt Disney Productions is planning the development of an extensive recreational and educational enterprise to be known as Disneyland. It is the desire of the Disneyland management to provide a wide variety of entertainment activities and exhibits, designed and constructed to afford maximum pleasure and comfort for the people who will visit the facility. Stanford Research Institute was asked to assist the Disneyland management by conducting research on the basis of which the most suitable site could be selected. Location criteria were set out in broad terms to allow maximum flexibility in arriving at the best site. Total area requirements were established at approximately 100 acres. The Disneyland management wanted the facility to be located somewhere somewhere in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, in the section bounded by Chatsworth and Pomona to the north and Tustin and Balboa to the south (Stanford Research Institute, 1953).



Principle of spatial discontinuity towards the non-enchanted environment

q  « I don’t want the public to see the real world they live in while they’re in the park. I want them to feel they are in another world » (Walt Disney)

q  « In Disneyland, the built environment is entertaining. Every edifice has symbolic value, much as was the case for ancient and medieval cities. Disneyland, as the most successful theme park, helped inaugurate the entertainment culture of postmodernism. It is the ludic town par excellence” (Gottdiener)



Principle of carnavalesque

q  « Finally, Disneyland inverts the structure of family authority. While most families, regardless of class, are adult-directed even if they are child-centered, a visit to D-land is ostensibly for children (or tourist visitors who then are ascribed the status of children). Here the child gets to direct the adults. Invariably they choose the rides, the food, and the schedule. Parents become chaperones or vicarious thrill seekers through the eyes of their own offspring. Once outside the park and back in the quotidian world of Los Angeles, the father returns to his role as “the master,” with both parents reassuming their familial division of labor in “bringing up” the children” (Gottdiener)

q  “carnavalesque” principle where social relationships are temporarily inversed or suspended



Principle of social control

“In Disneyland social control is refined to an art, the art of moving crowds by their own motivation instead of coercion. D-land represents the ideal in this regard. It is the perfection of subordination: people digging their own fantasy graves” (Gottdiener)



3.5. From Disneyland to Disney World

Well…when Walt was alive, he used to stand at the exit of Disneyland wishing the guests a farewell at the end of the night. NO ONE ever left the park before closing time. One night, a family walked by and was leaving the park before closing time, and Walt stopped them. He asked them why they were leaving early, worried that maybe a CM was rude or something bad happened. They said everything was wonderful, but when they were on the skyride, they saw the highway and could see there was a lot of traffic. They wanted to get a head start home to beat the traffic. Walt would have none of it, so he decided that day he would build a bigger park and make it a “world” instead of just a “land.” He wanted it to be that once you enter Disney World you have no ties with the outside world. Since Disneyland is in the middle of the city and is so small, one couldn’t do that. With a new world, you are engulfed in all that is Disney. Thus, the idea for Disney World was born (which was later renamed “Walt Disney World” by Roy Disney).



Disney’s initial project

q  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkT2iLetCTc q  http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=pxC_a7qnGi8&feature=related q  http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=gBNfauF6IHc&feature=related



Conclusion: How attractions are constructed? Through which media?

q  Marketing : « selling places » q  An esthetic gaze : « Sight-seeing » and « picturesque »,

landscapce, monument, folklore q  Marker as a necessary sign of the touristic q  Myths, images, imaginaries, discourse, stereotypes, utopia,

values, norms, signs, matérialities : les multiples vehicles of the construction of tourist attractions

q  It’s not only imagination, it’s also infrastructure, architecture, contracts etc.

q  Political, actorial, contractual, commercial assemblages


Documents

The construction of tourist attractions...La dimension sauvage de la nature: émerge aux Etats-Unis vers le milieu du 19ème siècle comme nouveau rapport à la nature ! « Thousands