“You want to see the people that live here”: using everyday life to create a distinctive city destination

© Robert Maitland

“You want to see the people that live here”:using everyday life to create a distinctive city

destination

Professor Robert MaitlandDirector, Centre for Tourism Research

Centre for Tourism Research

© Robert Maitland

Events and Icons certainly attract visitors …

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London’s latest tourism attractions

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And coming shortly …

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But London’s greatest tourism attractions?

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1 Shift of focus

From Cities Shaping Tourists -planned, predictable tourism development

To Tourists shaping ‘their’ cities - exploration, experience, attachment

© Robert Maitland

1 Shift of focus

From Cities Shaping Tourists -planned, predictable tourism development• Heritage precincts • Tourism Bubble (Judd)• ‘Iconic’ attractions • Cultural Quarters (Montgomery)• EventsBut• Costly• City standardisation • Neglects changing visitor preferences

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1 Shift of focus

To Tourists shaping cities - exploration, experience, attachment

• Diverse, experienced tourists

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Beyond the tourist stereotype

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1 Shift of focus

Tourists shaping cities exploration, experience, attachment

• diverse tourists • other mobilities - ‘as if’ tourists – e.g. students

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Tourist? Tourists?

Tourist?

Tourist?

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1 Shift of focus

Tourists shaping cities exploration, experience, attachment

• diverse tourists • other mobilities - ‘as if’ tourists – e.g. students• search for ‘real’ experiences – often off the

beaten track

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LondonParisBerlinNew York CitySydney

Off the Beaten Track

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2 Everyday life in London: Islington & Bankside

Characteristics• Popular with visitors but• Not developed as tourism precincts • Off the beaten track

Research• Surveys of overseas visitors• In depth interviews

Off the (Yahoo) Beaten Track …

Bankside

Islington

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Bankside

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Islington

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3. The Appeal of Bankside and Islington

1 ‘Not touristy’ • ‘off the beaten track’• ‘out of the way places where there aren’t so

many people catering for tourists’• Big ‘touristy attractions’ do not dominate

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3. The Appeal of Bankside and Islington

2 the appeal of everyday life

“I saw a lot of tourists, of course, but there were a lot of people that were from here. I think they were coming out of their offices and they were having something to eat at the restaurants… I like the mix. I don’t like to see all tourists. You want to see the people that live here, how they act, how they live their life.”

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The Appeal of Bankside and Islington2 the appeal of everyday life

“People going about their daily tasks”

“Normal Londoners just doing their thing”

“Museums [are] interesting – but they could be anywhere”

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The Appeal of Bankside and Islington2 the appeal of everyday life

“… tourist spots are always very generic … you feel like … I’m just doing the typical tourist thing but if you end up in the place where the locals go, it feels like a more authentic experience somehow. A glimpse of how life is in the city”.

© Robert Maitland

3. The Appeal of Bankside and Islington

“one of our favourite places has been Tesco … we just like to look around and see people”

“You can actually see the real London and see how people work. You can walk by … and see them typing on their computers … It’s kind of cool ”

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4. Discussion: Enjoying Everyday Life

1 Discriminating experienced visitors seek the distinctive and ‘real’

2 Distinctive and ‘real’= interesting cityscape + consumption opportunities + local people / everyday life

3 ‘Real London’: idealised city, emerging as islands in homogenised and branded London (residents would agree …)

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4 Conclusions

1 Everyday life a source of competitive advantage2 Costs the city less than icons and events

= € 13b +

3 Builds Distinctiveness not standardisation

4 And cheaper for credit crunched visitors

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Thank you

Professor Robert MaitlandDirector, Centre for Tourism Research

[email protected]

www.westminster.ac.uk/tourism