Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
started taking her out and stuff. I didn't realize how good it would be,
to have time together, just as a family, or just me and her. (Minnaert
et
al
.,
2010: 135)
Social tourism has equally been shown to lead to increases in
social capital
(McCabe, 2009; Minnaert, 2008; Minnaert
et al
.,
2009, 2010). As social
isolation is a common problem for disadvantaged families, holidays can be
particularly valuable where they lead to an expansion of social networks or a
strengthening of social ties. Minnaert
et al
.
(2009) found that group holidays
were particularly useful for this purpose, as they encourage intense contact
with other holidaymakers, often from similar geographical and social back-
grounds. After holidays, many adults keep in touch via telephone or pay
each other visits. Minnaert
et al
.
(2010) include examples of similar impacts
of group holidays on disadvantaged children in Dublin. One striking finding
from that study concerned the extent to which the children's geographi-
cal and social worlds were very limited, with little exposure to different
areas, people and lifestyles. In contrast with their normally limited social
worlds, on holiday children encountered and engaged with children from
other areas. The importance of making new friends and reconnecting with
friends made on previous holidays emerged strongly. Often, the new friends
lived in relative proximity, yet it was only through the intervention of the
holiday that children managed to attain this modest broadening of their
social worlds. McCabe (2009) reports on focus groups with children who
have participated in social tourism: although they had generally not been
on group holidays, the children still mentioned improved social contacts in
relation to playing with cousins or other children.
Minnaert
et al
.
(2009) found that where families travelled as a unit,
and not as part of a group holiday, most participants did not build strong
personal ties with other holidaymakers. However, their social capital could
increase in other ways. Rather than expanding their membership of social
networks, they often increased their involvement in social structures, most
commonly the support organisation that facilitated and supported the
holiday application. In many cases the participants proved more engaged or
open to the support programme, or more confident in seeking help from the
support staff. One of the support workers in that study testified:
Afterwards they might come to a group session or they might bring
their child to stay and play. They might even not have been confident
enough to talk to you before, but then afterwards they are.
(Minnaert
et al
., 2009: 326)
These findings highlight that social tourism can lead to increases in social
capital in a variety of ways: some respondents met new people on holiday
