Airbnb in the Byron Shire, Australia – bane or blessing?

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania von der Heidt ◽  
Sabine Muschter ◽  
Rod Caldicott ◽  
Deborah Che

Purpose Scholarly research into community members’ views on the positive and negative impacts of Airbnb on the local community is sparse, especially in regional Australia. The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of key informants in the Byron Shire of Australia about the impacts of Airbnb on the local community, as well as possible solutions to the problems. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach of in-depth interviewing using a semi-structured interview guide was used to capture the views regarding the impacts of Airbnb held by 22 key informants in the Byron Shire community. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings The 22 interviewees identified five main positive impacts of Airbnb on the Byron Shire community and eight main negative impacts of Airbnb. All participants said they wanted more regulation of Airbnb properties to help address the negative impacts of Airbnb in the community. Eight specific recommendations were offered by the interviewees. Research limitations/implications The negative impacts of Airbnb felt by local community are more extensive and deleterious than have been accounted for in the literature. Research into community stakeholder perspectives is important, in order to gain a fuller view of the costs and benefits of sharing economy, especially with regard to short-term letting or holiday letting in tourism centres, as well as potential for more sustainable solutions to the issues. Practical implications The findings are being used to inform policy makers’ decisions in managing Airbnb in the Shire. Social implications The involvement of key informant community members in this study highlights that there is much common ground between different stakeholders. This type of research may help to provide a sense of enfranchisement and empowerment. This is important in fostering a more balanced public debate, as well as more sustainable approaches to managing the issues. Originality/value This paper is the first to explore the views of a range of different key informants in the regional tourist area of Byron Shire in Australia with regard to the positive and negative impacts of Airbnb on the local community, as well as possible solutions to the issues raised by Airbnb.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoriia Gorbunova ◽  
Natalia Gusak ◽  
Vitalii Klymchuk ◽  
Valeriia Palii ◽  
Vitalina Ustenko ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore senses of powerlessness and empowerment among Romani in Ukraine in relation to such social circles as the extended family, the Romani local community and the whole Ukrainian society. The main research interest is focused on situations and factors that make people feel powerless or empowered. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted using a semi-structured interview method via telephone. Romani NGO experts approved the interview content. Trained Roma-facilitators were interviewers. Every interview was transcribed for further thematic analysis. Findings The most prominent empowerment factors for Romani people are located within their families and local communities, while the bigger society (Ukrainians themselves and Ukrainian public institutions) is a main source of powerlessness. At the same time, the rigid role of family and community expectations is seen as detrimental for both males and females. Originality/value The paper is original in terms of its topic (senses of powerlessness and empowerment among Romani in Ukraine as social determinants of mental well-being) and research strategy (engagement of Roma-facilitators as interviewers).


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Ahmad Algassim ◽  
Akhmad Saufi ◽  
Diswandi Diswandi ◽  
Noel Scott

Purpose Al-Juhfa is a small village located near Rabigh City, between Makkah and Madinah, Saudi Arabia, with significant archaeological and religious resources. The purpose of this paper is to examine residents’ attitudes toward tourism development at Al-Juhfa. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative study uses purposive interviewing to recruit informants. Data was collected using semi-structured interview and open-ended questions. Eight semi-structured interviews were made and a list of open-ended questions was distributed to 134 informants. All data were analysed and no new codes were found after the answer of the first 49 informants analysed. Findings The results show that residents’ attitudes toward tourism development in general were positive with residents expecting to receive economic, social and environmental benefits. Residents were aware of potential positive and negative impacts of tourism development and appeared to balance these in developing their attitudes. Tourism was seen to empower residents and the religiosity of the community influenced their perception of tourism development. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by supporting the use of social exchange theory in this context and by recommending the inclusion of religiosity in further studies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Parra-López ◽  
José Alberto Martínez-González

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to synthesize the published works about tourism in the island. Island destinations, especially smaller ones, suffer the negative effects of tourism more than other destinations. This is because of the characteristics of island destinations and the negative impacts arising from their inadequate management by different stakeholders. For these reasons, and conversely because tourism favors the social and economic development of islands, there has been a great deal of research published on insular tourism in the literature at a global level. Despite the number of studies carried out from different approaches, none have synthesized this scientific production. Thus, the main contribution of this paper is the use of a bibliometric and descriptive approach to carry out a thorough review of studies published on tourist development in island destinations.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a bibliometric and descriptive approach to carry out a comprehensive review of the published studies on tourism development in island destinations in the past decade with special emphasis on the items analyzed, places of analysis and scientific journals that have addressed this topic.FindingsThe results of the analysis of the literature show the interest of the study of tourism in island destinations. This interest is partly due to the attraction that tourists have for this type of destinations and the need to promote their sustainable management as tourism destinations (Cusick, 2009, Hall, 2011, Cave and Brown, 2012, López, Orgaz, Marmolejo and Alector, 2016). In addition, tourism in island destinations constitutes an opportunity for economic development and benefits both the local population and its visitors (Fabinyi, 2010; Porter et al., 2015).Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this paper is the great diversity of tourist destinations made up of islands, the complex nature of these destinations and tourism and the quantity and diversity of research carried out into them. This aspect has already been highlighted by other authors and makes it complex to determine which research should be included or excluded in this review.Practical implicationsImportantly, the results allow researchers and decision-makers to identify the main areas of interest in the study of island tourism and the reasons for this interest. They also indicate new areas of interest and in-depth studies. Thus, professionals have a map that shows the most relevant factors in tourism development for this type of destination and the variables that, both from a positive and a negative point of view, influence its development.Social implicationsThis research shows that the main areas of interest is island destination are the quality of life of the local community, stakeholder collaboration, sustainability, diversification and seasonality, marketing, consumer behavior/perception and segmentation, planning of tourism activity, information and technology, competitiveness and efficiency.Originality/valueAs evidenced by the amount of research carried out, there is a great deal of interest in tourism in island destinations. This interest arises from the specific characteristics and the interest of tourists themselves in this type of destination, as well as from the negative impacts and opportunities generated by island tourism. Nevertheless, the number of references obtained for tourism in island destinations (N= 949) represents only 0.2 per cent of the total number of studies referring to only “island” in the SCOPUS consultation (339,607 studies). Thus, one of the contributions of this paper has been to highlight the need to continue studying and reviewing in greater depth research on insular tourism.


Author(s):  
Rodney W. Caldicott ◽  
Tania von der Heidt ◽  
Pascal Scherrer ◽  
Sabine Muschter ◽  
Antonia Canosa

Purpose This paper aims to purposely place community and its stakeholders at the forefront of an investigation of positive and negative social, economic and environmental impacts of the sharing economy in the specific context of Airbnb by drawing upon the triple bottom line (TBL) framework of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative enquiry through a “scoping approach” with the search of relevant electronic databases identified a range of conceptual and empirical studies in the period from 2008 to 2018 informing a profile focussed on the triple bottom line impacts. Findings The criteria limited search yielded 23 focal articles, which investigated or discussed Airbnb impacts on local communities. Analysis of these articles informed a three-pillar tabulation of positive and negative impacts, which are presented against four key stakeholder groupings. Research limitations/implications The study is exploratory, and further research, especially confirmatory research, is recommended. Practical implications The study’s value extends to praxis. Guided by findings, real-time planning and policy-making are already underway within the authors’ community. Additionally, an extension project, as requested by the community, is now investigating direct traditional accommodation provider impacts. Social implications Understanding of the social issues concerning Airbnb and indeed, the wider sharing economy, is broadened through identified need for further social impact research. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to apply a “scoping approach” to holistically illuminate the positive and negative impacts of Airbnb at the micro-level in each of the three domains of sustainability. The research methodology is shown to be effective, with positive community impact, and will easily adapt to other destinations grappling with policy decisions.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiago Ribeiro ◽  
Abel Correia ◽  
Rui Biscaia

PurposeDespite the recognition that citizens' perceptions of mega sport events' social impact is critical for the sustainable development of these events and host cities, most previous studies have not taken into consideration how these perceptions may change over time. This study examines citizens' social impact perceptions of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games before and after the event.Design/methodology/approachData were collected amongst local residents of Rio de Janeiro pre- and post-event (n = 256). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) analysed the psychometric properties of the proposed social impact constructs. Subsequently, a multigroup analysis and latent mean comparisons were conducted to test social impact perceptions pre- and post-event.FindingsThe multigroup CFA showed factorial stability of the social impact model in both periods, while the latent mean comparisons revealed significant differences in the dimensions of social experiences, city image and community pride enhancement, public infrastructures and social conflicts. Results indicated that the perception of positive impacts tends to increase, while perceived negative impacts decrease from pre- to post-event.Social implicationsThe social effects of hosting sport mega events result in a short-term change in attitudes towards the local community, leading to a better comprehension on how communities perceive the event's impact on their lives.Originality/valueIn a highly complex mega event such as the Olympic Games, any change may influence residents' perceptions. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of residents for determining support or opposition in hosting the event, allowing a better understanding of the exchange effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10(6)) ◽  
pp. 1916-1931
Author(s):  
Takalani Ramukumba

Natural areas, when protected, conserve the natural environment and function as social spaces in which tourism brings increased income, employment, and financial support for conservation. The inclusion of local community members in the planning and management of protected areas has been on the rise since the early 1900s. Tourism has been advocated as a strategy that can help in achieving economic development, especially in rural areas. However, governance issues and potential negative impacts of tourism development have been under inspection. Conservation efforts in Southern Africa especially in the late 1800s and early 1900s had negative impacts on the local communities since this led to many communities being displaced or having limited access to these protected areas. This has seen the need for ways and efforts to get local community members' despondency and attitudes towards protected areas change such that in the 20th century, there were efforts to use conservation models that included community members in the decision-making and benefit-sharing process to garner their support for protected areas. This paper reviews literature on environmental governance, land restitution in protected areas, tourism in protected areas, co-management, and the importance of community participation. These concepts are reviewed using Manyeleti Game Reserve as a case study.


Author(s):  
Konstantinos Karanasios ◽  
Paul Parker

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the issues related to the deployment of renewable electricity technologies (RETs) in remote indigenous communities by examining the views of key informants in a remote northern Ontario community through the lens of a wicked problem approach, with the goal to identify policy direction and strategies for the further development of renewable electricity projects. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses semi-structured interviews with community key informants, informed discussions with community members and energy conference participants and literature reviews of academic, policy and utility documents as complementary data sources for triangulation of results. Findings According to informants, the complexity surrounding the deployment of RETs in remote Canadian indigenous communities is the result of different stakeholder perspectives on the issues that RETs are expected to address. Furthermore, institutional complexity of the electricity generation system and uncertainty over both the choice of off-grid renewable technology and the future of electricity generation systems structure and governance add to this complexity. Research limitations/implications Given the governments’ legal obligation to consult with indigenous people for projects within their territories, community perspectives provide insights for policy design to support both the deployment of RETs and address indigenous communities sustainability goals. Originality/value This paper offers views and opinions of community members from an off-grid Canadian indigenous community. Community members describe how they envision their electricity systems and the desired contribution of community owned renewable electricity generation to increase local control and economic development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morakot Ditta-Apichai ◽  
Uraiporn Kattiyapornpong ◽  
Ulrike Gretzel

Purpose This paper aims to bridge micro-entrepreneurship, sharing economy and community-based tourism (CBT) literature by analyzing the specific ways in which technological platforms mitigate risks and create opportunities that benefit local communities. Design/methodology/approach Six online platforms (two local and four international) used by tourism micro-entrepreneurs in Thailand were systematically analyzed to compare and contrast nuances in their business models, as well as their features to highlight benefits to CBT. Thematic analysis was used in the data analysis. Findings Three different types of business models based on tourism offers, membership policy and contributions to the destination community were identified. The variety of tourism offers includes tailor-made tours and private tour guides, local food experiences, skilled workshops and other local/community-based activities. Importantly, Thai platforms work closely with the Thai Government to promote tourism micro-entrepreneurship. Originality/value This paper adds to tourism micro-entrepreneurship, sharing economy and CBT literature by dissecting the business models of online platforms and their roles as mediators of CBT, discussing the platforms’ contributions to the achievement of sustainable development goals.


Author(s):  
Ryuji Kakimoto ◽  
Fumihiko Yamada

Purpose The Aso area of Kumamoto Prefecture and the western part of Oita Prefecture in Japan experienced heavy rainfall from midnight until morning on 12 July 2012. Flooding and landslides caused by this torrential rain killed 31 people and injured 11. This paper aims to analyze a time series of flood risk perception and evacuation behavior, and to identify factors that promote effective autonomous evacuation. Design/methodology/approach A time series of flood risk perception and evacuation behavior following the 2012 flood was developed and systematically analyzed. Differences between the data sets (compiled from survey data) for the evacuated group and the non-evacuated group were statistically evaluated. Then, an evacuation behavior model was developed to simulate which households would be likely to evacuate in different scenarios. The relationship between disaster prevention and activities of a local community were also statistically assessed. Findings This study concludes that an assessment of river conditions and evacuation advice from fellow local community members are the factors that most strongly influence and promote autonomous evacuation. This study also revealed that the everyday activities of a local community have the potential to foster effective disaster prevention and emergency responses if they promote the building of relationships between community members. Originality/value The research focused on actual decision-making and autonomous evacuation behavior. Whereas previous studies were limited to the analysis of activities of disaster prevention on a normal day, this study proved that the usual activity level in local community activities and relationships significantly affected evacuation behavior.


Author(s):  
Flora Joseph Pallangyo

The purpose of the study was to assess the socio-economic responses from Iringa District Council Natural Disaster Management Committee. The research used both quantitative and qualitative research approaches whereby questionnaires were used to collect data from community members and interviews were conducted with the key informants from Iringa District Council Disaster Management Committee. Cross-sectional design was used to gather data to answer the research problem and summarize the results. Targeted population was 11675 community members and key informants from District, Ward and Village Disaster Management Committees (DMC, WDMC AND VDMC) in Iringa District Council whereby a sample size of 133 was drawn out of it. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used for the selection of respondents. Descriptive statistical analysis and contents analysis were used in data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that the DMC has been providing both social and economic responses to the disaster victims such as temporary shelters and housing, supply of water and food as well as a relief package to the disaster victims. However, the social responses were considered minimal as compared to the economic responses by the DMC. The study recommended for the WDMCs and VDMCs to be empowered to be able to mobilize social economic assistance within and outside the community. This will help the local community to restore their lives and properties before the assistance from the DDMC. The DDMC is advised to establish training schedules with proper skills and techniques on natural disaster management in wards, villages, involving the academic institutions in the respective areas, definitely will facilitate to handle the situation effectively. Furthermore, the WDMCs and the VDMCs should re-enforce the legal disaster management Act, and Village by laws of (2019).


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