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In-Depth Information
system (Milne and Ateljevic, 2001). Analysing tourism as complex and geographically diverse
commodity chains helps 'unravel the power relations in tourism distribution channels' (Coles
and Hall, 2006: 291).
Mosedale (2006, 2008) has attempted one of the most innovative applications of the global
commodity chain theoretic. Specifi cally, he utilises the commodity chain framework to illu-
minate the spatiality of production relationships by linking corporate headquarter locations
to sites of production on the Caribbean island of St Lucia (Mosedale, 2006). Thus, it becomes
possible to more explicitly model international business behaviours, avoiding a destination-
based approach that constrains analysis to how local actors impact a destination. The
commodity chain approach allows tourism geographers to ask new research questions such as:
who can participate in commodity chains and why; what barriers exist to entry for full
participation and where they are; and how are these constructed (Mosedale, 2008)?
In related research, Judd (2006) argues that commodity chains are ideally suited for iden-
tifying the organisational structure of the tourism industry and the relationships between
inputs and outputs. He identifi es experiences as the principal output of tourism, while the
three signifi cant inputs that manufacture this fi nal product are: marketing and image agen-
cies; place infrastructure; and tourism providers (e.g. tour operators, airlines and hotels).
Whereas gathering data to trace the commodity chain is a daunting task, given various
conceptual problems, Judd dismisses the notion that tourism is more complicated than any
other sector. Rather, he contends that by treating tourism as a coherent system of production,
it becomes possible to integrate tourism literature with broader discussions on globalisation.
Furthermore, Judd contends that part of the problem is that current defi nitions of tourism are
defi cient since they view tourism as a system of consumption rather than of production.
Although Judd de-emphasises the reciprocal relationships between production and consump-
tion, clearly the commodity chain framework better encapsulates the totality of tourism impact
in time and space since it explicitly incorporates the effects at the origin coupled with the travel
to and from destinations (Hall, 2005c). That said, given transport's fundamental role in linking
tourist-generating areas with destinations, it is surprising that so few mobilities researchers inves-
tigate how transportation systems shape international and domestic tourist fl ows. This is changing
with the advent of specialist texts focused on the global perspectives of transport and tourism
(Hanlon, 1999; Graham, 2003; Graham
et al.
, 2008; Page, 2005b, see also Duval and Koo,
Chapter 27 o
f this volume). One area of interest includes analysing how specifi c airline business
models shape destination development patterns (Bieger and Wittmer, 2006; Papatheodorou and
Lei, 2006). Others investigate how the regulatory environment of the international airline
industry and airport-based infrastructural constraints infl uence tourist fl ows (Debbage, 2000,
2002, 2005). Further, Debbage and Alkaabi (2008) suggest that airlines utilise market power to
shape consumer demand and accessibility levels in major destinations like Dubai.
Conversely, only a few tourism researchers have studied the international impact of cruise
ship tourism (Braun
et al.
, 2002; Douglas and Douglas, 2004; Dowling, 2006; Jaakson, 2004;
Weaver, 2005b; Wood, 2000). Cruise tourism is a curious form of mobility and transportation
since ships are increasingly marketed not just as transportation modes but also as 'fl oating resort
destinations', competing directly with land-based resorts like Las Vegas and Orlando. Wood
(2000: 352-3) argues that 'if economic globalisation means the increased mobility of capital
and its spatial embeddedness, cruiseships represent the ultimate in globalisation: physically
mobile; massive chunks of multinational capital; capable of being “repositioned” anywhere in
the world at any time'. Terry (2009) provides an interesting perspective in an exploration of
the dynamics leading to the proliferation of Filipino workers in the global cruise industry and
discusses how these individuals fi nd themselves in an exploitative labour environment.
