Biolemano : base de données biographiques et analyse prosopographique

Abstract

The Biolemano biographical database went online in summer 2021 after more than ten years of research. It contains biographical information on nearly 1,800 people involved in the tourism system in the Franco-Swiss region of the Lake Geneva Arc between 1852 and 1914. Drawing on a substantial corpus of sources, this database is not simply a consultation tool. On the contrary, it aims to provide innovative research possibilities in the field of tourism history. This contribution is divided into three parts. The first presents the methodological stages in the creation of the Biolemano database. Particular attention is paid to the corpus of sources used and its limitations. The second part highlights the research potential of this new digital tool. The many possibilities it offers are illustrated with examples designed to show the ways in which a database can contribute to the history of tourism. The final section develops this analytical potential through an analysis of the role of women working in the hotel industry. This case study provides an insight into the importance of a category of actors in the development of the tourism system in Lake Geneva, actors who until now have remained in the shadows of this field of research.

Keywords

• tourism system
• tourism actors
• digital tool
• database
• 19th century
• Switzerland