Reflections on the Research Process: The Researcher as Actor and Audience in the World of Regional Tourist Organisations

Abstract

In an investigation of Regional Tourist Organisations (RTOs) in New Zealand the role and nature of research has been considered with reference to underlying epistemologies and paradigms. RTOs are not simple functional organisations with their sole aim being the promotion of tourism; they are subject to political processes, uncertainty and the influences of key personalities or the lack thereof. Consequently the researcher begins to exercise power as a conduit of information and as a source of knowledge, which factors in themselves require reflection about the multi-paradigmatic nature of such social science research. This paper examines approaches to tourism research within the context of a study of RTOs to illustrate the complexities of tourism research. It will be argued that no one research methodology or paradigm will accommodate the research phenomena and thus a multi-paradigmatic and bricoleur approach is preferable.