Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Conclusion
This chapter has explored the value of family tourism as a facilitator for
the expansion of social and family capital in disadvantaged families. It has
highlighted that all families (not only the nuclear, affluent and well travelled
stereotype of the family often portrayed in Western popular media) can
build affectional ties and resilience through participation in leisure and
recreation. 'Balance family leisure patterns', which include family tourism
experiences, play a particular role here, as they allow opportunities for
learning and behaviour change. Disadvantaged families, which are at greater
risk of being low on social and family capital, can particularly benefit from
these experiences; however, due to financial restraints, many are not able to
participate in tourism.
Social tourism initiatives have been shown in a range of studies to bring
a variety of potential benefits for disadvantaged families. They offer oppor-
tunities to strengthen family relationships and to increase social networks,
and can provide the motivational impetus for behaviour change. Successful
social tourism initiatives thus have the potential to achieve a wide range
of social outcomes. As such, an argument exists for them to be integrated
in social policy as motivational or integrational measures. Where social
tourism is already provided by the public sector, these schemes are often run
as social enterprises or public-private partnerships, which limits the associ-
ated public spending. Moreover, social tourism initiatives are increasingly
used in Europe as vehicles for the stimulation or regeneration of destinations
(for a more in-depth discussion see Minnaert
et al
., 2011). The integration
of social tourism initiatives in the policy domain can thus be seen to have a
clear social and economic rationale.
In current times, when 'the fear of social disintegration is rampant'
(Furstenberg & Kaplan, 2007: 218), the role of the family holiday may need
to be reassessed. Perceiving tourism as a potential catalyst of social benefits
goes against its typical depiction as a frivolous and hedonist activity. In
the UK, the Conservative Party has developed a strong political discourse
around 'broken Britain' and a central element in this discourse is the 'broken
family', addressed in 2007 by the Social Justice Policy Group. The report
of the Social Justice Policy Group (2007) refers to policy goals as increas-
ing well-being, encouraging family cohesion and improving mental health.
Yet at no point is tourism, or leisure, mentioned in this report. The role of
tourism in social integration is still largely overlooked in the political and
even the academic sphere. This chapter has highlighted that family leisure
and tourism, instead of a frivolous activity, can be seen as a central building
block for the creation and strengthening of family capital - a function that
is of particular importance to disadvantaged families.
