International Conference Announcement and Call for Papers
Resorting to the Coast:
Tourism, Heritage and Cultures of the Seaside
25—29 June 2009
Blackpool, United Kingdom
organised by
Centre for Tourism and Cultural Change
&
Institute of Northern Studies
Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
www.tourism-culture.com
Globally, coastlines are arguably the most important sites for tourist activity and tourism development. The various combinations of sea and shore have become highly popular and successful attractions, and a majority of the world’s leisure tourists cling to these liminal spaces at the margins of the land. The lure of the ‘seaside’, the beach, and the resorts which have evolved to service and entertain tourists, is immensely powerful, reflecting a long standing but ever-changing relationship between humans and the oceans. The dominance of coastal tourism within the modern period has generated a wealth of issues which this conference seeks to address, including: The patterns and trends in how tourists mobilise the resources of sea, sand and shore; Ways in which coastal communities have adapted to tourism; Environmental degradation and regeneration of coastal regions and marine ecologies; The historical forms, structures and aesthetics of ‘seaside’ resorts; Regeneration of ‘historic’ resorts; Continuing multi-national development of ‘pristine’ coastlines; Inclusivities and exclusivities in coastal resorts; Changing beach and seaside holiday ‘traditions’.
In addressing such issues this major international and multi-disciplinary conference seeks to promote dialogue across disciplinary boundaries on a global stage. We therefore welcome papers from: anthropology, archaeology, architecture, art and design history, cultural geography, cultural studies, ethnology and folklore, history, heritage studies, landscape studies, linguistics, museum studies, political science, sociology, tourism studies and urban/spatial planning. The event will seek to draw upon ideas, cases and best practice from international scholars and help develop new understandings of the relationships between tourism and the coast. It will also provide a major networking opportunity for international scholars, policy makers and professionals.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Key themes of interest to the conference include:
· Histories of coastal tourism developments and resorts;
· Regeneration of coastal economies;
· Social and environmental impacts of coastal developments;
· Representations of seaside holidays in popular culture;
· Worker migrations to coastal sites;
· Beach behaviours and traditions;
· Myths of the sea and coastal communities;
· Coastal resort art and architecture;
· Tourist coastal colonies.
Please submit a 300 word abstract including title and full contact details as an electronic file to the conference manager Daniela Carl (ctcc@leedsmet.ac.uk). You may submit your abstract as soon as possible but no later than 2nd February 2009.
CONTACT
For further details on the conference please visit: www.tourism-culture.com or contact us at:
Centre for Tourism and Cultural Change
Faculty of Arts and Society
Leeds Metropolitan University
Old School Board, Calverley Street
Leeds LS1 3ED, United Kingdom.
Tel. +44 (0) 113 812 8541 or Fax +44 (0) 113 812 8544
Good. Anything upping the profile of seaside towns is a bonus.
