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Raoul Bianchi

Manchester Metropolitan University, Department of Economics, Policy and International Business, Faculty Member

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Raoul is a Reader in Political Economy in the Future Economies Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University.

His work focuses on the international political economy of tourism and visitor economies with specific reference to sustainability, governance and socioenvironmental justice. His particular areas of interest are Spain, the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean and Middle East.

He has also been involved in campaigning for ethical and fair trade tourism as a member of the executive council of the UK-based NGO Tourism Concern.

Raoul is fluent in Spanish as well as speaking French and Italian and has spent time living in nearly a dozen different countries.

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Manchester Metropolitan University

Pooneh Torabian

University of Otago

C. Michael Hall

University of Canterbury/Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Universitat de Barcelona

Axel L Eriksson

Jeannette Money

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Papers by Raoul Bianchi

Tourism, border politics, and the fault lines of mobility

Borderless Worlds for Whom?, 2018

This chapter examines the contradictions that mark the intersections between the right to the fre... more This chapter examines the contradictions that mark the intersections between the right to the freedom of movement and travel, and the right to tourism. While tourism is celebrated as an instrument of economic development, force for peace and a marker of global citizenship, the intensification of securitized bordering practices has accentuated severe inequalities between those deemed to lack the right credentials for travel and those whose mobility is defined as legitimate. The argument presented in this chapter repudiates the normative view of tourism as an apolitical phenomenon abstracted from the broader realm of mobility politics and structural determinants of immobility. In doing so it highlights a central paradox of international tourism whereby growing institutional support for the right to tourism coincides with and potentially, reinforces calls for the securitization of borders, both at home and at the destination, to be strongly enforced.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side- Assessing the Ethnographic Nuances, Techniques and Practices of Tourism Research

Tourism and Citizenship: Rights, Freedoms and Privleges in the Global Order: Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities in the Global Order

Deciphering tourism and citizenship in a globalized world

Tourism Management, 2013

h i g h l i g h t s Tourism is expanding and influencing emergent forms of citizenship. Internati... more h i g h l i g h t s Tourism is expanding and influencing emergent forms of citizenship. International tourism is premised upon the right to travel and freedom of movement. Rights and freedoms of tourist mobility are materially and politically determined. Citizenship rights and responsibilities determine tourism mobility outcomes. Certain forms of tourism are equated with progressive ideals of global citizenship.

Journeying into the lives of others': A critical analysis of ethnography, tourism and tourists

International Journal of Excellence in Tourism, Hospitality and Catering, 2007

Euro-Med Heritage: Culture, Capital and Trade Liberalisation-Implications for the Mediterranean City

Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 2005

Abstract: Although there has been ample discussion of the external relations of the European Unio... more Abstract: Although there has been ample discussion of the external relations of the European Union and its role as an institutional actor in the Mediterranean region (and indeed beyond), few analyses if any refer specifically to the role of culture and/or heritage within the overall policy frameworks or the wider fields of influence of the EU. This presentation situates the analysis of the Euro-Med Heritage Programme in the context of the changing political and economic landscapes of the European Union and the realignment of the European Union’s relations with its southern neighbours. Drawing on official European Union documentation as well as material generated by the Mediterranean Voices project (Euromed Heritage II), it interrogates the basis of Euro-Mediterranean Partnership from an international relations and political economy perspective, with particular emphasis on the role of ‘culture’ and ‘heritage’ (both tangible and intangible) in the context of the European Union’s intervention in the Mediterranean region, with particular reference to the urban context.

Tourism, inclusive growth and decent work: a political economy critique

Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2020

This paper interrogates the ideas of 'sustained' and 'inclusive' growth that are intrinsic to one... more This paper interrogates the ideas of 'sustained' and 'inclusive' growth that are intrinsic to one of three UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8-Decent Work and Growth) adopted by the UN World Tourism Organisation's (UNWTO) 2030 sustainable tourism agenda. It provides a Marxian-inspired political economy critique of the UNWTO's embrace of SDG8 and highlights the blind spot within the UNWTO's inclusive growth-led SDG agenda with respect to questions of equity and social justice. The paper contends that the UNWTO's SDG-led agenda is contradicted by the logics of growth, competitiveness and profit-making that drive the continued expansion and development of tourism. Rather than addressing the structural injustices that entrench inequalities and reproduce exploitative labour practices, the notion of sustained and inclusive growth reinforces the primacy of capital and market notions of justice and continues to perpetuate a growth driven tourism development model. The paper contributes to a critical theorization of sustainable tourism and offers an informed critique of the current political agenda for sustainable tourism and its potential outcomes.

The political economy of mass tourism and its contradictions

Mass tourism in a small world, 2017

Drawing on historical materialism in the Marxian tradition, this chapter focuses on key facets of... more Drawing on historical materialism in the Marxian tradition, this chapter focuses on key facets of the political economy of mass tourism (PEMT) and the industrial configurations and political-economic relations that drive the logic of accumulation and development, which impel its expansion in today's networked transnational capitalist economy. The discussion centres on the forces and relations of capitalist development that shape and determine the industrial logic of mass tourism as it expands, diversifies and settles in different parts of the globe, driven by the search for profits and the self-expansion of capital.

Politics and tourism in the Mediterranean region

Routledge Handbook of Mediterranean Politics, Aug 14, 2017

This chapter considers a number of salient themes and contradictory tendencies within the politic... more This chapter considers a number of salient themes and contradictory tendencies within the politics of tourism in the Mediterranean. Commencing with a brief reflection on the integration of the Mediterranean into European orbits of war, conquest and colonial rule, it foregrounds the importance of tourism in the uneven spread of capitalism throughout the region along with strategies of nationalism and state formation. A salient characteristic of Mediterranean tourism has been the structures of patronage and clientage that have persisted and reinforced a 'rentier' system of accumulation in Mediterranean tourism capitalism whilst enabling family microenterprises to establish a significant foothold in these industries. The latter part of the chapter then considers how the close alignment between tourism and neoliberal capitalism has given rise to forms of civic resistance, whilst securitization and the rebordering of the region threaten to fundamentally reconfigure the political geography of Mediterranean tourism and to disrupt the dense yet fragile ties between tourism and the region's historic cosmopolitanism. Finally, it explores the role of heritage both as a marketable commodity and marker of intra-regional difference, as well as a medium through which alternative, critical narratives of tourism and Mediterranean identities are emerging

The political economy of tourism development: A critical review

Annals of Tourism Research

This paper reviews the varying theoretical approaches in political economy and their application ... more This paper reviews the varying theoretical approaches in political economy and their application to the analysis of tourism development. It examines the shifting focus of enquiry and traces the evolution of the political economy of tourism from an earlier generation of predominantly technical, empirically-driven analyses of tourism's contribution to economic development through to the various strands of development theory that have influenced and which continue to shape the political economy of tourism today. Particular emphasis is given to recent theoretical advances in which the application of cultural political economy and Marxian thinking herald a promising future for the political economy of tourism.

Politics and Tourism in the Mediterranean Region.

by Raoul Bianchi and Tom Selwyn

In R. Gillespie and F. Volpi (Eds) Handbook of Mediterranean Politics. London: Routledge (July 2017)

This chapter considers a number of salient themes and contradictory tendencies within the politic... more This chapter considers a number of salient themes and contradictory tendencies within the politics of tourism in the Mediterranean. Commencing with a brief reflection on the integration of the Mediterranean into European orbits of war, conquest and colonial rule, it foregrounds the importance of tourism in the uneven spread of capitalism throughout the region along with strategies of nationalism and state formation. A salient characteristic of Mediterranean tourism has been the structures of patronage and clientage that have persisted and reinforced a 'rentier' system of accumulation in Mediterranean tourism capitalism whilst enabling family microenterprises to establish a significant foothold in these industries. The latter part of the chapter then considers how the close alignment between tourism and neoliberal capitalism has given rise to forms of civic resistance, whilst securitization and the rebordering of the region threaten to fundamentally reconfigure the political geography of Mediterranean tourism and to disrupt the dense yet fragile ties between tourism and the region's historic cosmopolitanism. Finally, it explores the role of heritage both as a marketable commodity and marker of intra-regional difference, as well as a medium through which alternative, critical narratives of tourism and Mediterranean identities are emerging

Political economy of mass tourism_2017

In D. Harrison and R. Sharpley (eds) Mass Tourism in a Small World. Oxford: CABI, pp. 40-52., 2017

The Cultural Politics of Heritage and Commemoration in La Gomera

The'critical turn'in tourism studies: a radical critique.

Tourism Geographies, Jan 1, 2009

Towards a New Political Economy of Global Tourism

Development must start from the actual conditions and social practices of each people. (Barratt B... more Development must start from the actual conditions and social practices of each people. (Barratt Brown 1995) from the past and suggestions for the future, Tourism Management, 19(3): 237-245 Bryden, J. (1973) Tourism and Underdevelopment: A Case Study of the Commonwealth Caribbean. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Buhalis, D. (2000) Relationships in the distribution channel of tourism: conflicts between hoteliers and tour operators in the Mediterranean region, Materials for an exploratory theory of the network society, British Journal of Sociology, 51(1): 5-24 45 Clancy, M. (1998) Commodity chains, services and development: theory and preliminary evidence from the tourism industry,

Tourism and the globalisation of fear: Analysing the politics of risk and (in) security in global travel

Tourism and Hospitality Research, Jan 1, 2006

Abstract International tourism represents the apotheosis of consumer capitalism and Western moder... more Abstract International tourism represents the apotheosis of consumer capitalism and Western modernity, based on an apparently seamless harmony between the free movement of people, merchandise and capital. However, as the growing insecurities engendered by the globalisation of terrorism and military interventionism, as well as targeted attacks on foreign tourists in certain parts of the world illustrate, the liberal calculus of unhindered mobility, political stability and the unfettered expansion of the market, which underpins the ...

Tourism Restructuring and the Politics of Sustainability in the Canary Islands

In recent years, there has been considerable discussion of sustainable tourism development, both ... more In recent years, there has been considerable discussion of sustainable tourism development, both in theory and practice. However, less attention has been paid to the discourses, ideologies and power relations which help to shape 'sustainable' tourism policies and planning instruments. This paper analyses recent initiatives introduced by the regional government of the Canary Islands, designed to bring about a more sustainable model of regional tourism, including a temporary moratorium on tourism development, and subsequently, the drafting of a strategic and normative set of guidelines for sustainable tourism. Rather than present a comprehensive review of the planning process, the paper considers the contested nature of the public debate which accompanied these new initiatives, within the wider context of the regionally-distinct pattern of tourism and capitalist development. It is argued that the legacy of uneven development and the entrenched power of regional economic and political élites, is likely to undermine the prospects for a just model of sustainable tourism, and in particular, consolidate the continuing privatisation of space and increase socio-spatial inequalities across the region.

Migrant tourist-workers: exploring the'contact zones' of post-industrial tourism

Current Issues in Tourism, Jan 1, 2000

Editorial: the politics of World Heritage

International Journal of Heritage Studies, Jan 1, 2002

Thirty years after the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) b... more Thirty years after the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) brought the concept of World Heritage into official existence (16 November 1972), this collection of papers offers a timely set of reflections upon the meaning, purpose and outcomes of circumstances related to theWorld Heritage project&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;. The publication of this special issue of the International Journal of Heritage Studies is intended to coincide with both UNESCO&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;s own 30th anniversary conference in Venice (November 2002) as well as ...

The contested landscapes of world heritage on a tourist island: the case of Garajonay National Park, La Gomera

International Journal of Heritage Studies, Jan 1, 2002

Abstract This paper considers the World Heritage Site of Garajonay National Park on the island of... more

Tourism, border politics, and the fault lines of mobility

Borderless Worlds for Whom?, 2018

This chapter examines the contradictions that mark the intersections between the right to the fre... more This chapter examines the contradictions that mark the intersections between the right to the freedom of movement and travel, and the right to tourism. While tourism is celebrated as an instrument of economic development, force for peace and a marker of global citizenship, the intensification of securitized bordering practices has accentuated severe inequalities between those deemed to lack the right credentials for travel and those whose mobility is defined as legitimate. The argument presented in this chapter repudiates the normative view of tourism as an apolitical phenomenon abstracted from the broader realm of mobility politics and structural determinants of immobility. In doing so it highlights a central paradox of international tourism whereby growing institutional support for the right to tourism coincides with and potentially, reinforces calls for the securitization of borders, both at home and at the destination, to be strongly enforced.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side- Assessing the Ethnographic Nuances, Techniques and Practices of Tourism Research

Tourism and Citizenship: Rights, Freedoms and Privleges in the Global Order: Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities in the Global Order

Deciphering tourism and citizenship in a globalized world

Tourism Management, 2013

h i g h l i g h t s Tourism is expanding and influencing emergent forms of citizenship. Internati... more h i g h l i g h t s Tourism is expanding and influencing emergent forms of citizenship. International tourism is premised upon the right to travel and freedom of movement. Rights and freedoms of tourist mobility are materially and politically determined. Citizenship rights and responsibilities determine tourism mobility outcomes. Certain forms of tourism are equated with progressive ideals of global citizenship.

Journeying into the lives of others': A critical analysis of ethnography, tourism and tourists

International Journal of Excellence in Tourism, Hospitality and Catering, 2007

Euro-Med Heritage: Culture, Capital and Trade Liberalisation-Implications for the Mediterranean City

Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 2005

Abstract: Although there has been ample discussion of the external relations of the European Unio... more Abstract: Although there has been ample discussion of the external relations of the European Union and its role as an institutional actor in the Mediterranean region (and indeed beyond), few analyses if any refer specifically to the role of culture and/or heritage within the overall policy frameworks or the wider fields of influence of the EU. This presentation situates the analysis of the Euro-Med Heritage Programme in the context of the changing political and economic landscapes of the European Union and the realignment of the European Union’s relations with its southern neighbours. Drawing on official European Union documentation as well as material generated by the Mediterranean Voices project (Euromed Heritage II), it interrogates the basis of Euro-Mediterranean Partnership from an international relations and political economy perspective, with particular emphasis on the role of ‘culture’ and ‘heritage’ (both tangible and intangible) in the context of the European Union’s intervention in the Mediterranean region, with particular reference to the urban context.

Tourism, inclusive growth and decent work: a political economy critique

Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2020

This paper interrogates the ideas of 'sustained' and 'inclusive' growth that are intrinsic to one... more This paper interrogates the ideas of 'sustained' and 'inclusive' growth that are intrinsic to one of three UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8-Decent Work and Growth) adopted by the UN World Tourism Organisation's (UNWTO) 2030 sustainable tourism agenda. It provides a Marxian-inspired political economy critique of the UNWTO's embrace of SDG8 and highlights the blind spot within the UNWTO's inclusive growth-led SDG agenda with respect to questions of equity and social justice. The paper contends that the UNWTO's SDG-led agenda is contradicted by the logics of growth, competitiveness and profit-making that drive the continued expansion and development of tourism. Rather than addressing the structural injustices that entrench inequalities and reproduce exploitative labour practices, the notion of sustained and inclusive growth reinforces the primacy of capital and market notions of justice and continues to perpetuate a growth driven tourism development model. The paper contributes to a critical theorization of sustainable tourism and offers an informed critique of the current political agenda for sustainable tourism and its potential outcomes.

The political economy of mass tourism and its contradictions

Mass tourism in a small world, 2017

Drawing on historical materialism in the Marxian tradition, this chapter focuses on key facets of... more Drawing on historical materialism in the Marxian tradition, this chapter focuses on key facets of the political economy of mass tourism (PEMT) and the industrial configurations and political-economic relations that drive the logic of accumulation and development, which impel its expansion in today's networked transnational capitalist economy. The discussion centres on the forces and relations of capitalist development that shape and determine the industrial logic of mass tourism as it expands, diversifies and settles in different parts of the globe, driven by the search for profits and the self-expansion of capital.

Politics and tourism in the Mediterranean region

Routledge Handbook of Mediterranean Politics, Aug 14, 2017

This chapter considers a number of salient themes and contradictory tendencies within the politic... more This chapter considers a number of salient themes and contradictory tendencies within the politics of tourism in the Mediterranean. Commencing with a brief reflection on the integration of the Mediterranean into European orbits of war, conquest and colonial rule, it foregrounds the importance of tourism in the uneven spread of capitalism throughout the region along with strategies of nationalism and state formation. A salient characteristic of Mediterranean tourism has been the structures of patronage and clientage that have persisted and reinforced a 'rentier' system of accumulation in Mediterranean tourism capitalism whilst enabling family microenterprises to establish a significant foothold in these industries. The latter part of the chapter then considers how the close alignment between tourism and neoliberal capitalism has given rise to forms of civic resistance, whilst securitization and the rebordering of the region threaten to fundamentally reconfigure the political geography of Mediterranean tourism and to disrupt the dense yet fragile ties between tourism and the region's historic cosmopolitanism. Finally, it explores the role of heritage both as a marketable commodity and marker of intra-regional difference, as well as a medium through which alternative, critical narratives of tourism and Mediterranean identities are emerging

The political economy of tourism development: A critical review

Annals of Tourism Research

This paper reviews the varying theoretical approaches in political economy and their application ... more This paper reviews the varying theoretical approaches in political economy and their application to the analysis of tourism development. It examines the shifting focus of enquiry and traces the evolution of the political economy of tourism from an earlier generation of predominantly technical, empirically-driven analyses of tourism's contribution to economic development through to the various strands of development theory that have influenced and which continue to shape the political economy of tourism today. Particular emphasis is given to recent theoretical advances in which the application of cultural political economy and Marxian thinking herald a promising future for the political economy of tourism.

Politics and Tourism in the Mediterranean Region.

by Raoul Bianchi and Tom Selwyn

In R. Gillespie and F. Volpi (Eds) Handbook of Mediterranean Politics. London: Routledge (July 2017)

This chapter considers a number of salient themes and contradictory tendencies within the politic... more This chapter considers a number of salient themes and contradictory tendencies within the politics of tourism in the Mediterranean. Commencing with a brief reflection on the integration of the Mediterranean into European orbits of war, conquest and colonial rule, it foregrounds the importance of tourism in the uneven spread of capitalism throughout the region along with strategies of nationalism and state formation. A salient characteristic of Mediterranean tourism has been the structures of patronage and clientage that have persisted and reinforced a 'rentier' system of accumulation in Mediterranean tourism capitalism whilst enabling family microenterprises to establish a significant foothold in these industries. The latter part of the chapter then considers how the close alignment between tourism and neoliberal capitalism has given rise to forms of civic resistance, whilst securitization and the rebordering of the region threaten to fundamentally reconfigure the political geography of Mediterranean tourism and to disrupt the dense yet fragile ties between tourism and the region's historic cosmopolitanism. Finally, it explores the role of heritage both as a marketable commodity and marker of intra-regional difference, as well as a medium through which alternative, critical narratives of tourism and Mediterranean identities are emerging

Political economy of mass tourism_2017

In D. Harrison and R. Sharpley (eds) Mass Tourism in a Small World. Oxford: CABI, pp. 40-52., 2017

The Cultural Politics of Heritage and Commemoration in La Gomera

The'critical turn'in tourism studies: a radical critique.

Tourism Geographies, Jan 1, 2009

Towards a New Political Economy of Global Tourism

Development must start from the actual conditions and social practices of each people. (Barratt B... more Development must start from the actual conditions and social practices of each people. (Barratt Brown 1995) from the past and suggestions for the future, Tourism Management, 19(3): 237-245 Bryden, J. (1973) Tourism and Underdevelopment: A Case Study of the Commonwealth Caribbean. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Buhalis, D. (2000) Relationships in the distribution channel of tourism: conflicts between hoteliers and tour operators in the Mediterranean region, Materials for an exploratory theory of the network society, British Journal of Sociology, 51(1): 5-24 45 Clancy, M. (1998) Commodity chains, services and development: theory and preliminary evidence from the tourism industry,

Tourism and the globalisation of fear: Analysing the politics of risk and (in) security in global travel

Tourism and Hospitality Research, Jan 1, 2006

Abstract International tourism represents the apotheosis of consumer capitalism and Western moder... more Abstract International tourism represents the apotheosis of consumer capitalism and Western modernity, based on an apparently seamless harmony between the free movement of people, merchandise and capital. However, as the growing insecurities engendered by the globalisation of terrorism and military interventionism, as well as targeted attacks on foreign tourists in certain parts of the world illustrate, the liberal calculus of unhindered mobility, political stability and the unfettered expansion of the market, which underpins the ...

Tourism Restructuring and the Politics of Sustainability in the Canary Islands

In recent years, there has been considerable discussion of sustainable tourism development, both ... more In recent years, there has been considerable discussion of sustainable tourism development, both in theory and practice. However, less attention has been paid to the discourses, ideologies and power relations which help to shape 'sustainable' tourism policies and planning instruments. This paper analyses recent initiatives introduced by the regional government of the Canary Islands, designed to bring about a more sustainable model of regional tourism, including a temporary moratorium on tourism development, and subsequently, the drafting of a strategic and normative set of guidelines for sustainable tourism. Rather than present a comprehensive review of the planning process, the paper considers the contested nature of the public debate which accompanied these new initiatives, within the wider context of the regionally-distinct pattern of tourism and capitalist development. It is argued that the legacy of uneven development and the entrenched power of regional economic and political élites, is likely to undermine the prospects for a just model of sustainable tourism, and in particular, consolidate the continuing privatisation of space and increase socio-spatial inequalities across the region.

Migrant tourist-workers: exploring the'contact zones' of post-industrial tourism

Current Issues in Tourism, Jan 1, 2000

Editorial: the politics of World Heritage

International Journal of Heritage Studies, Jan 1, 2002

Thirty years after the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) b... more Thirty years after the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) brought the concept of World Heritage into official existence (16 November 1972), this collection of papers offers a timely set of reflections upon the meaning, purpose and outcomes of circumstances related to theWorld Heritage project&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;. The publication of this special issue of the International Journal of Heritage Studies is intended to coincide with both UNESCO&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;s own 30th anniversary conference in Venice (November 2002) as well as ...

The contested landscapes of world heritage on a tourist island: the case of Garajonay National Park, La Gomera

International Journal of Heritage Studies, Jan 1, 2002

Abstract This paper considers the World Heritage Site of Garajonay National Park on the island of... more

Tourism, Border Politics and the Fault Lines of Mobility

Borderless Worlds for Whom? Ethics, Moralities and Mobilities. , 2019

This chapter examines the contradictions that mark the intersections between the right to the fre... more This chapter examines the contradictions that mark the intersections between the right to the freedom of movement and travel, and the right to tourism. While tourism is celebrated as an instrument of economic development, force for peace and a marker of global citizenship, the intensification of securitized bordering practices has accentuated severe inequalities between those deemed to lack the right credentials for travel and those whose mobility is defined as legitimate. The argument presented in this chapter repudiates the normative view of tourism as an apolitical phenomenon removed from the broader realm of mobility politics and structural determinants of immobility. In doing so it highlights a central paradox of international tourism, whereby growing institutional support for the right to tourism coincides with and potentially reinforces calls for the securitization of borders to be strongly enforced-at home and at the destination itself.