Social diversity: a look at tourism

Giusti, Antonio and Viviani, Alessandro (2013): Social diversity: a look at tourism.

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of social diversity, with reference to the phenomenon of tourism in Italy. Social inequality influences numerous socio-economic phenomena: tourism has been scarcely examined under this perspective. Tourism has significant effects at social level: both on travellers and on the inhabitants of the visited regions. Italy that is one of the most important touristic nations is significantly affected by the phenomena we are studying and, therefore, is an ideal context to analyse and identify the characteristics of tourism and its interaction on various aspects of social diversity. We could consider the interactions on tourism by persons with different economic and social conditions, race, gender, age, religion, mentality. These issues are usually considered by qualitative approaches. This paper attempts to give a quantitative dimension to these phenomena looking for possible statistical and administrative sources. We examined some, direct and indirect, official sources of the National Statistical System and other sources disseminated by European projects and research institutions. To get a more detailed picture of a particular form of social tourism, we used the data provided to us by a very active association in this area. This study is only a first approach in order to find a strategy to help assessing some quantitative characteristics of accessible tourism. The development of this type of tourism shall imply actions, techniques, and policies aimed at reducing the problems about social diversity in the sector, in order to make tourism become a factor of social inclusion.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Social distress, Statistical sources, Tourism.
• Subjects: A - General Economics and Teaching > A1 - General Economics > A13 - Relation of Economics to Social Values; L - Industrial Organization > L8 - Industry Studies: Services > L83 - Sports ; Gambling ; Restaurants ; Recreation ; Tourism; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics ; Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology > Z13 - Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology ; Social and Economic Stratification

References

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BIT/2013 http://bit.fieramilano.it/en

CALYPSO ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/calypso/index_en.htm

ISTATa http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/4014

ISTATb http://www.istat.it/en/archive/53676

ISTATc http://www.istat.it/en/archive/32560

ISTATd http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/14517