summary these articals

day’s European urban tourism mar-

ket. Among the 144 cities presented in

the material provided by the agencies that were visited, 19 bestsellers have been identified, which in fact repre- sent the European cities, mostly capi- tal cities, that are flooded with tourists during Easter holidays. However, the majority of the destinations appeared in the catalogues of just one or at the most two generating countries.

There are also relevant differences in the supply of urban destinations among the countries considered. The first is that there exists a difference in ~~rientation towards domestic tourism between, on the one hand, France, Germany and Great Britain and on the other The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Italy. The first group is relatively more orientated to the home market than the second. The differ- ence in dimension of the countries in the two groups is one element which may be used to explain this difference.

The second is that the diversity of cities offered to the market varies among the countries. The countries

with a more mature holiday market offer more alternative destinations than countries that have become generators of international tourism flows more recently.

The third is that the tour operators in those countries that have been traditionally close have been specializ- ing more than others in East Euro- pean urban destinations.

Jan van der Borg C/SET-University of Venice

Riviera San Pietro 83 30030 Oriago di Mira (VE)

Italy

Notes

‘G.J. Ashworth, ‘Is there an urban tour- ism?‘, Tourism Recreation Research, Vol 17, No 2, 1993. ‘G.J. Ashworth and J.E. Tunbridge, The Tourjsf-ffisforic City, Belhaven, London, 1990; J. van der Borg, ‘Tourism and urban development’, PhD Thesis, University of Rotterdam, 1991. 3P. Costa. J. van der Bora and M. Manen- te, Trad$onal Tourism &ties: Problems and Perspectives, C&ET Working Paper, University of Venice, 1993.

Travel, lifestyles and health This short report discusses a major funded ~uttidisc~pti~a~ research project on ‘Travel, ~ifes~les and ~ea/t~’ based at Christ Church Co/iege of higher Education, Canterbury, UK. The report outlines the rationale and objectives of the project, research undertaken and progress to date.

The Travel, Lifestyles and Health Pro- ject (TLHP) was established in September 1992 as a joint multidisci- plinary research programme based in the Centre for Health Education and Research and The Centre for Tourism at Christ Church College of Higher Education, Canterbury. The research is funded by the South East Thames Regional Health Authority and Higher Education Funding Council for three years. The research prog- ramme combines expertise in interna- tional and domestic tourism and an active health education research cen- tre with expertise in the AIDS pande- mic, the lifestyles of young people and their risk behaviour. The broad aims of the project are:

to examine the interconnections between tourism, travel and

health;

to advance basic understanding of individual and social variations in lifestyle patterns and travel and their potential consequences for health;

to explore the implications for pub- lic health policy and strategic plan- ning of research data reviewed or collected within the project;

to constitute the development, im- plementation and evaluation of practical health promotion/ education initiatives concerned with travel and health at commun- ity level.

Reports

The project is structured in three phases. During the first phase (Octo- ber 1992-September 1993), three stu- dies were undertaken:

a survey of local health promotion campaigns run by health promotion units across England; a survey of health issues associated with holidays abroad among British tourists in Malta in March 1993; a pilot survey of health issues associated with holidays abroad among single full-time undergradu- ate students aged 18-25 years at Christ Church College of Higher Education.

The second phase of the project (October 1993-September 1994) in- volves more detailed research in a number of interrelated areas:

two survey/qualitative studies of the sexual behaviour of young peo- ple while on holiday abroad; further monitoring and more de- tailed case studies of local health- promoting campaigns on travel and health set in the context of nationai initiatives, commercial campaigns, media attention to health/travel

issues; further tourism research based in Malta in spring 1994 focusing on health issues highlighted by the 1993 survey; an investigation of the role of tour operators and the commercial sec- tor in providing health advice to package holiday-makers, within the context of the recent EC Direc- tive on Package Holidays.

The third phase of the project (September 1994 onwards) will focus on the development of resource and training materials to support practical travel health promotion initiatives.

From a tourism perspective, the re- search programme is innovative since it examines the interconnections be- tween travel/tourism, lifestyles and health, further developing this area of research highlighted by the Xnterna- tional Society of Travel Medicine. Although a number of medical jour- nals and Travel Medicine lnternaiional publish relevant articles on this sub- ject, little attempt has been made to move from an academic investigation

Tourism ~anugeme~zf 1994 Volume I5 Number 1 69

Reports

to practical application and evaluation of health promotion initiatives to re- duce the risk-taking behaviour of Brit- ish tourists abroad. For example, it is estimated that one case of AIDS costs Regional Health Authorities in the UK approximately f200 000 to treat. In view of the increasing number of cases of HIV infection contracted overseas by business travellers and tourists, practical advice and effective

health promotion in this field consti- tutes a cost-efficient mechanism to highlight tourists’ risk behaviour and methods of reducing the potential risks.

Since the research programme is multidisciplinary, the project is advised by a national consultative group comprising health profession- als, international researchers in travel medicine and specialists in social sci- ence and tourism. The Consultative Group meets every six months to assess progress and research outcomes and to set priorities for future research in a systematic and critical manner. To assist with the dissemination of re- search findings, a series of Travel, Lifestyles and Health Working Papers

have been launched and an edited

book on Health and the International Tourist is due to be published in au- tumn 1994.’ The project currently comprises two Project Directors, Dr S. Clift (Centre for Health Education and Research) and Dr S.J. Page (Cen- tre for Tourism), two additional academics in Health Education, a full- time Research Fellow and two Re- search Assistants. Enquiries regarding the TLHP should be addressed to either of the Project Directors.

Dr S. Clift and Dr S.J. Page Christ Church College of

Higher Education

Canterbury CT1 lQU, UK

Notes ‘N. Clark, S. Clift and S. Page, A Safe P/ace in the Sun? Health Precautions, Behaviours and Health Problems of British Tourists in Malta, Travel, Lifestyles and Health Working Paper No 1, Canterbury Christ Church College, Canterbury, 1993; D. Stear, Travel Health Promotion: A Sur- vey of the Work of District Health Educa- tion Units in the UK, Travel Lifestyles and Health Working Paper No 2, Canterbury Christ Church College, Canterbury, 1993; S. Clift and S.J. Page, eds, Health and the International Tourist, Routledge, forthcom- ing.

Working for tourism in Whistler The following report summarizes highlights of the 24th annual conference of the Travel and Tourism Research Association, held in Whistler, Canada, June 1993. Conference registrants and members of mRA will automatically receive a copy of the conference proceedings when they are published. Other readers who wish to receive one may order copies from Francine Butler, TTRA, 10200 West 44th Avenue, Suite 304, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. The cost is $75.

The conference opened with a cere-

mony, ‘Canadian Spirit of Eco- Tourism’, performed by members of the Sen’Klip Native Theatre Com-

pany. Marvin Cetron, Forecasting Inter-

national, Inc, was the keynote speaker of the conference and provided a pot- pourri of ideas and travel trends on a variety of subjects from the US eco- nomy, to ethics and the international arena. He stated that most researchers collect simplistic data that are easy to obtain, but this information does not necessarily provide a good base on

which to make decisions. In addition, much of the information the consumer reads is tainted; good news is buried while the bad news is printed on page one. This is why consumer spending is down in some areas of the USA and why these areas are still in a recession. Cetron also stated that the higher de- gree of unionization in a region, the more time it will need to come out of the recession. Union membership is declining in the USA and the Amer- ican Association of Retired Persons will take its place as a powerful lob- bying force. By the year 2000, 88% of

the work-force will be employed in service industries. On the internation- al front, Cetron stated that Japan will increasingly experience problems as it has few natural resources with which to manufacture, and most of the coun- try’s food and energy must be im- ported. China will become a world power and may possibly develop into a loose confederation of states, like the former Soviet Union. The world is quickly dividing itself into three major trading blocks: the European Com- munity, the North American Free Trade Zone and Japan’s informal Pacific development area. Other reg- ions will ally themselves with these giants.

Emerging research and information needs

Blair F. Stevens, Tourism Canada, moderated this session. He arranged to have speakers who could explain what industry needed to know from government data and how industry leaders needed the academic com- munity to present data analysis.

William S. Watson, Best Western International, Inc, explained that throughout the lodging industry the pressing questions were ‘Where do I build?‘, ‘What type of facility do I build?‘, and ‘Do I need to add resort and/or conference services?‘. The overbuilding of the 1980s should have been guided by a closer examination of the experience the traveller wants, beyond a safe and restful sleep. Re- searchers need to integrate analysis to achieve a balanced understanding of the psychological and financial dimen- sions.

Al Thompson, Air Canada, char- acterized the airline industry as a ma- ture market. The volume of travel may not grow as in the past. Frequent travellers will probably not fly signifi- cantly more; the percentage of people who will choose air travel may not change. Since price increases result in decreased demand, an airline finds it difficult to create features that distin- guish it from the competition. Changes in alliances between interna- tional carriers or changes in airline route structures may help to stabilize losses. Research is needed to show

70 Tourism Management 1994 Volume 15 Number I