Influences of nationalism on tourist-host relationships

Abstract

Although academics have long considered the nature and structure of tourist-host relationships, only limited attention has been paid to the role of nationality in such relationships whilst the influence of nationalism in particular as a cultural determinant of encounters between tourists and hosts has not been explored. This paper addresses this gap in the literature. Applying Q methodology to the contemporaneous study of interactions between English tourists and Welsh hosts in Bala, North Wales, it seeks to identify the varying senses of nationalism amongst tourists and hosts, both individually and relative to each other. In so doing, it suggests that outcomes of tourist-host encounters are dynamic, dependent on differing types and intensities of nationalism held by both tourists and hosts.