Prof Michael Hall on inspirations, fears, and tourism studies’ legitimacy problem
There is much to fear about the future of travel, according to Michael Hall, including the risks that attend its growth, and the rise of intolerance. He also worries about a lack of “genuine debate” in tourism studies.
Professor Hall participated in a Tourism’s Horizon Interview. For this “Good Tourism” Insight, Jim Butcher summarises the highlights. [The full transcript is on Substack.]
Contents
- Who is Professor Michael Hall?
- Inspired by ecology and geography
- Doubts about tourism studies
- ‘Carrying capacity’ more useful than ‘overtourism’
- Much to fear
- What do you think?
- About the Tourism’s Horizon Interviews
Who is Professor Michael Hall?
Michael Hall is possibly the world’s most prolific academic authority on tourism. He plies his professorial trade in New Zealand, at the University of Canterbury.
Before his family emigrated to Australia from the UK, Michael started out life, and leisure, in the iconic UK resort of Margate; a place I know very well as a resident of Canterbury (UK) just 25 km away from Margate.
Hall shares with us snippets of an early life that perhaps shaped his interest in tourism:
“I grew up in the industry, maybe without realising it. My grandfather’s printing firm printed the posters for Dreamland and the Winter Garden in Margate. My mother had a B&B and my stepfather drove taxis. I worked in hospitality and did catering at university.”
As a child, Michael would get fish and chips from … continue reading this “GT” Insight in full and for free at The “Good Tourism” Blog.
