Situated Sustainable Tourism: an Alternative for Emerging Countries

Abstract

This article is an attempt to apply the main results of the theory of symbolic sites1 of belonging in the field of tourism. As any new approach presupposes empirical verifications in order to consolidate its theoretical achievements, and this is exactly what this contribution in a new field such as “situated tourism” answers. This theory can be traced to the economics of development where in it can be considered a “good laboratory” of studies for the failures of economic conceptions that doesn’t consider the complexity, diversity and contingencies of the development and the complex actions of economic agents. the aim of the article or study is to decipher the motivations and needs of the agents involved in the many types of tourism such as heritage, green, rural and cultural tourism. The complexity and diverse factors that comes into play in these markets underpins the need and the use of an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach to social practices, even if they are considered economic practices. only under this condition can we highlight the “symbolic engines”, and their role in the irruption of these figures of tourism. To accomplish this endeavor, we will start first by decrypting the new dynamics of tourism. The first step will be to isolate on the one hand the causes of the decline of mass tourism and on the other hand, the reasons for the emerging demand for new tourism models and products. the second stage of this contribution will be to try to better specify the contributions of this situated approach to tourism. The goal of the progress of our demonstration is to widen the debate on the theory of situated tourism associating nature, culture and an economy respectful of the diversity of our world.