The touristic transformation of postcolonial states: human zoos, global tourism competition, and the emergence of zoo-managing states

authored by: Sarah Becklake, Elisa Wynne-Hughes
Abstract: Tourism is transforming states. Nevertheless, how, in what ways, and with what consequences has yet to be adequately theorised and interrogated. This paper takes up this task by asking: How does tourism govern and transform states? And, what does this mean for places and people? Tourism is a global mobilities system with immense power. While this system is capable of governing and transforming all states, it has particular resonance in postcolonial states. Due to their historically constructed economic dependency on international tourism, postcolonial states are increasingly conceptualising, representing, and governing their territory/citizenry as desirable/safe ‘tourism destinations’ and ‘touristic figures’ for international—primarily white Western—tourists. This, we argue, is indicative of postcolonial states enacting a mode of governance that harks back to the colonial practice of human zoos and, thus, that they are acting as competitive ‘zoo-managers’. Through theorising and interrogating this touristic state transformation we reveal the continued coloniality of postcolonial states and how this is being experienced, negotiated, and resisted by citizens.
Organisation(s): Sociology Department
External Organisation(s): Cardiff University
Type: Article
Journal: Tourism geographies
Volume: 26
Pages: 778-795
No. of pages: 18
ISSN: 1461-6688
Publication date: 2024
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Geography, Planning and Development, Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2023.2231410 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{8d77894703b84ea59a47435e7fc06a08,
title = "The touristic transformation of postcolonial states: human zoos, global tourism competition, and the emergence of zoo-managing states",
abstract = "Tourism is transforming states. Nevertheless, how, in what ways, and with what consequences has yet to be adequately theorised and interrogated. This paper takes up this task by asking: How does tourism govern and transform states? And, what does this mean for places and people? Tourism is a global mobilities system with immense power. While this system is capable of governing and transforming all states, it has particular resonance in postcolonial states. Due to their historically constructed economic dependency on international tourism, postcolonial states are increasingly conceptualising, representing, and governing their territory/citizenry as desirable/safe {\textquoteleft}tourism destinations{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}touristic figures{\textquoteright} for international—primarily white Western—tourists. This, we argue, is indicative of postcolonial states enacting a mode of governance that harks back to the colonial practice of human zoos and, thus, that they are acting as competitive {\textquoteleft}zoo-managers{\textquoteright}. Through theorising and interrogating this touristic state transformation we reveal the continued coloniality of postcolonial states and how this is being experienced, negotiated, and resisted by citizens.",
keywords = "coloniality, Global South, governance, human zoos, mobilities, postcolonial states, Tourism competition, zoo-managing states",
author = "Sarah Becklake and Elisa Wynne-Hughes",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.",
year = "2024",
doi = "10.1080/14616688.2023.2231410",
language = "English",
volume = "26",
pages = "778--795",
journal = "Tourism geographies",
issn = "1461-6688",
publisher = "Routledge",
number = "5",
}