Papers by Giovanna Bertella
Purpose – This study raises and discusses questions concerning the assumptions of sustainability ... more Purpose – This study raises and discusses questions concerning the assumptions of sustainability to uncover aspects that might lead to new critical ways of understanding it. More specifically, the aim of this
study is to discuss the adoption of the sustainability approach in wildlife tourism and challenge its underlying anthropocentric assumptions.
Design/methodology/approach – The approach adopted is one of animal ethics, more precisely Ecofeminism.
Findings – The discussion ends by highlighting the possibility for new thinking. In particular, the concept of entangled empathy is presented as a potentially central element for re-thinking wildlife tourism.
Research limitations/implications – This study raises critical questions and starts the conceptualization of a non-anthropocentric approach in wildlife tourism. This can be viewed as a mental exercise that should
be developed further and translated into practical suggestions.
Originality/value – This study views innovation as a process of re-thinking sustainability through the adoption of the animal ethics lens.
Keywords: Innovation, Sustainable tourism, Wildlife tourism, Ecofeminism, Critical tourism studies, Knowledge paradigm, Animal ethics
Paper type: Conceptual pape
Sustainability, 2018
This study explores the business model literature within nature tourism, focuses on its sustainab... more This study explores the business model literature within nature tourism, focuses on its sustainability-related aspects, and adopts some of the results of the literature review by Reinhold et al. The research questions concern how scholars use and operationalize the business model concept in the context of nature tourism, and to what extent sustainability-related aspects are included and discussed. A literature review was conducted including a total of 18 scientific articles from various disciplines. The findings suggest that scientific literature about business models in nature tourism is very limited, both in relation to the number of articles and their content. With regard to the latter, the business model concept is sometimes adopted without any clear definition, sustainability-relatedaspects—especiallythoserelativetotheenvironmentaldimension—arescarcely discussed, the perspective adopted is usually static, and innovation for sustainability is only marginally included. This indicates a clear gap in the literature and a considerable potential for future studies. LINK TO OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/9/3226
Ethical vegetarianism is a relatively new phenomenon spreading in several Western countries. The ... more Ethical vegetarianism is a relatively new phenomenon spreading in several Western countries. The aim of this study is to discuss the use of animal-derived food in tourism, and in particular in tourism promotion, with reference to the concept of authenticity, seeing it into the perspective of ethical vegetarians and considering the animal ethics positions of ecofeminism and critical animal studies. The aspects discussed are illustrated by several examples and summarized in a graphic model and a set of questions. The model can help both scholars and practitioners to better understand the new and growing market segment of ethical vegetarians. Moreover, the questions raised in this study may contribute to a deeper reflection on the ethical implications of animal-derived food in tourism and how its promotion may affect values such as empathy, respect, and responsibility towards animals.
Tourism, Health, Wellbeing and Protected Areas, 2018
...
Neo-tribes. Consumption, Leisure and Tourism, 2018
This chapter applies the concept of neo-tribalism to investigate the perspective of vegetarian fe... more This chapter applies the concept of neo-tribalism to investigate the perspective of vegetarian festivals organisers on the role of inconsistent vegetarians.
The findings of a case study including fourteen Italian festivals suggest that inconsistent vegetarians are considered to play an important role as attendees and communication facilitators, while their contribution as close collaborators is limited.
The neo-tribe concept has been useful in exploring the perspective of festival organisers. In their view, two vegetarian subtribes can be identified: one related to the process of becoming vegetarian and the other related to consumerism. This can suggest that the use of the neo-tribe concept, the identification of subtribes and the adoption of the perspective of non-members can be useful to uncover the complex dynamics of belonging and exclusion.
New Morals in Tourism, 2018
This chapter reports on a case study of tourism entrepreneurs who are vegetarian and whose practi... more This chapter reports on a case study of tourism entrepreneurs who are vegetarian and whose practices seemingly align with the main tenets of ecofeminism. Vegetarian food experiences viewed as alternative to mainstream food experiences have been previously studied adopting an ecofeminist perspective. Similarly, vegetarian food practices initiated by entrepreneurs can be viewed as alternative business practices and can be studied adopting the ecofeminism perspective. Based on this idea and adopting central concepts from the institutional entrepreneurship literature, this study aims to investigate how tenets of ecofeminism are being put into practice by tourism entrepreneurs, and how these entrepreneurs contribute to the emergence of new practices as the first level of institutional change. The case study concerns two rural tourism organizations in Italy, one private and one community owned. The focus of the empirical investigation is placed on: 1) the institutional fields where the organizations operate, 2) the entrepreneurs’ perspective on the central tenets of ecofeminism in relation to nature and animals, and 3) the entrepreneurs’ capacities in terms of introducing change in the tourism sector.
Book chapter in "Animals, Food, and Tourism" by C. Kline. Routledge., 2018
This chapter investigates how animals enter the vegan food experience. This question is framed by... more This chapter investigates how animals enter the vegan food experience. This question is framed by adopting the ecofeminist care tradition and the concept of foodscapes and answered by conducting a case study on two vegan holiday country houses located in the “Italian food valley.” The study concludes that animals have an important role in the vegan food experience and that such experience is based on an understanding of veganism as a moral position that includes but is not limited to food choices. The findings highlight that numerous deep meanings are attached to food and food practices.
The purpose of this study is to challenge the view of the rural environment as a static
environme... more The purpose of this study is to challenge the view of the rural environment as a static
environment and the view of farmers as conservative actors. The focus is on mobile
innovative practices by rural entrepreneurs who bring to life some of the features of the
experience economy. An exploratory study concerning an association of rural entrepreneurs in the Italian region of Marche and a specific project of this association is conducted. The findings suggest that sociality and sense of belonging embedded in local rural communities can become a tool for promoting rural tourism through entrepreneurial mobile practices.
Annals of Leisure Research, 2017
This study adopts an eco-feminist perspective and investigates
leisure activities involving seals... more This study adopts an eco-feminist perspective and investigates
leisure activities involving seals occurring in the area of Tromsø,
an Arctic town in Norway. The aim is to contribute to the
discussion of the existence of various conceptualisations of wild
animals, with particular attention to their implications in terms of
animal welfare and wellbeing, and the promotion of specific ways
we as humans view wild animals and ourselves. The data was
collected through promotional material, local media and history
literature consultation, and participant observation. The results
suggest four co-existing conceptualisations of seals: as part of the
local cultural heritage, as prey and pest, as friends and pets, and
as entertainers. These conceptualisations are discussed in relation
to the components of the leisure experience (entertainment,
education, self-identity construction), animal welfare and
wellbeing, and the ethical implications of the way the local people
perceive the seals and view themselves as humans.
Anatolia, 2017
The purpose of this study is to focus on the experience value of tourism in those cases where tou... more The purpose of this study is to focus on the experience value of tourism in those cases where tourists and residents experience a closer interaction with each other. The aim is to contribute to a better understanding of the concept of experience value in terms of reciprocality and relations-building. Drawing upon central concepts from the co-creation literature, tourist–resident interactions are discussed in the paper and a case study of wedding tourism experience in an Italian village is conducted, employing an ethnographic methodology. The findings suggest that experience value can be qualified as reciprocal, depending on a common denominator that can be associated to humanistic values and other aspects that are complementary to each other, and occurs mainly through spontaneous interactions in common arenas.
This is a reply to the research note ‘Swim Encounters with Killer
Whales (Orcinus orca) off Nort... more This is a reply to the research note ‘Swim Encounters with Killer
Whales (Orcinus orca) off Northern Norway: Interactive Behaviours
directed towards Human Divers and Snorkellers obtained from
Opportunistic Underwater Video Recordings’ by C. Pagel, M. Scheer
and M. Lück published on the Journal of Ecotourism in the
December 2016 issue. This research note gives us the opportunity
to reflect on the following aspects: (1) the concepts of sustainability
and ecotourism, (2) the researchers’ position in terms of animal
ethics, (3) the relevance of the empirical context where the
fieldwork occurs and the related research ethics aspect, (4) the
difficulty of evaluating risk of injury. We comment on each of these
aspects and discuss them in the attempt to clarify research
challenges, propose some reflection points and possible alternative
approaches for improving research quality in wildlife tourism.
Several studies show the health related benefits of dog walking, for instance better physical con... more Several studies show the health related benefits of dog walking, for instance better physical conditions, stress release caused by the bodily activity and the contact with the pet, and social benefits resulting from bonding among dog walkers.
This study focuses on dog walking in urban green areas as a leisure experience the value of which can emerge along the dimensions identified in the literature about outdoor activities and pet-ownership (physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual). The aim is to uncover the aspects of this specific type of walking experience that have received none or scarce attention in the literature, and develop a conceptual framework that describes such experience.
Adopting an analytical auto-ethnographic approach, the data are collected performing dog walks over a period of four weeks. In order to increase the probability to collect data concerning the social dimension of the dog walking experience and uncover possible cultural differences, two urban environments located in different countries are chosen as the settings of the empirical investigation. Data are collected reporting the experiences in a diary and engaging in dialogue with other dog walkers. The narrative relative to the diary entries and the notes taken after the conversations are analysed identifying the themes relative to the experience along the various dimensions, and interpreting and discussing these using theoretical concepts from the leisure literature (communitas and liminoid experience).
Tourism Planning & Development, 2017
The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism
Chapter 14 in Y.S. Lee, N. Prebensen, & S. Weaver (eds). Artic Tourism Experiences: Production, Consumption and Sustainability. Cabi
Book chapter in Nature-based Tourism, edited by Prebensen & Chen
Recent tourism studies reflect on the possible connection that humans can feel toward wild animal... more Recent tourism studies reflect on the possible connection that humans can feel toward wild animals. This study poses the question: How and to what extent can human well-being related to wildlife encounters be described and explained in terms of empathy toward the animals?
Drawing on scholarly contributions from the tourism and animal ethics literature, this study describes the concept of empathy along four dimensions — attentiveness, knowledge, connectedness, and responsibility — and in relation to both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The focus and empirical research concern encounters with whales.
The findings suggest that the use of the concept of empathy can be appropriate when there is a high level of knowledge and interest toward the specific animals and habitat. They highlight challenges in relation to the identified empathy dimensions, in particular responsibility at the individual level and attentiveness toward marine animals, and indicate implications for the wildlife tourism industry.
This study concerns animal-based outdoor tourist activities. It adopts an experiential approach a... more This study concerns animal-based outdoor tourist activities. It adopts an experiential approach and uses the concept of friluftsliv (outdoor life) to thematise the specific experiencescape and develop a conceptual model. This model aims to contribute to a better understanding of animal-based outdoor experiences. The research question is: How do animal encounters influence the way nature is experienced? Data are collected through consultation of online promotional and tourist generated texts about three outdoor activities in Norway. The findings indicate that the presence of animals contributes to profiling nature reinforcing one or more dimensions of friluftsliv. Influential elements are: 1) the perception of the animals, presumably dependent on pre-visit factors, 2) the possible human-animals interactions and 3) the presence of a guide. These findings highlight the potentials of designing outdoor animal-based experiences based on engaging narrative frames through a deep understanding of the target segment and coherent promotional and staging activities.
This study concerns the development of Tuscany as a destination for
wedding tourism. The focus is... more This study concerns the development of Tuscany as a destination for
wedding tourism. The focus is on local entrepreneurs—specifically
local wedding planners—and the aim is to describe and discuss
their role as coordinators and innovators. The findings suggest
that local wedding planners act as coordinators of teams of local
practitioners. Beyond the local level, wedding planners experience
difficulties in finding collaborative partners; in relation to this, a
recently developed regional project could prove supportive. The
wedding planners’ role as potential innovators seems to be
limited due to the lack of market orientation by some local
authorities, the newness of wedding planning as a form of
employment in the Italian context and the related lack of
recognized legitimacy, the presence of some improvising wedding
service companies and the absence of certified professional
associations.
The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual model of the knowledge resources that can be rel... more The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual model of the knowledge resources that can be relevant in the development of a sustainable type of food tourism. The approach to sustainable tourism adopted is in accord with some of the recent tourism literature contributions concerning the critical role of knowledge and networking. The development of a sustainable type of food tourism can be viewed as a process that requires a strategic integration of different types of knowledge through networking among different actors. Based on such considerations, on previous studies and on a case study conducted in Maremma Toscana (Italy) and Lofoten (Norway), this paper proposes a conceptual model that illustrates the types of knowledge relevant in food tourism and their roles. Such a model represents a theoretical tool that can be adopted in a knowledge management process. Together with other theoretical tools, the proposed model can support decision making about food tourism development.
Tourism in Marine Environments , 2015
This research note concerns the role of whale-watching tourism providers in the debate over prote... more This research note concerns the role of whale-watching tourism providers in the debate over protection of the marine environment. The case reported is about northern Norwegian whale-watching organizations. Based on the analysis of local newspapers and on the direct experience of one member of our research team, this research note concludes that the whale-watching companies, and more in general the wildlife tourism companies, engage only marginally in the debate. This can be explained referring to the companies’ limited availability of resources and experience in the field, and to the existence of different perspectives relative to the way humans can use and impact the marine environment and its inhabitants.
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Papers by Giovanna Bertella
study is to discuss the adoption of the sustainability approach in wildlife tourism and challenge its underlying anthropocentric assumptions.
Design/methodology/approach – The approach adopted is one of animal ethics, more precisely Ecofeminism.
Findings – The discussion ends by highlighting the possibility for new thinking. In particular, the concept of entangled empathy is presented as a potentially central element for re-thinking wildlife tourism.
Research limitations/implications – This study raises critical questions and starts the conceptualization of a non-anthropocentric approach in wildlife tourism. This can be viewed as a mental exercise that should
be developed further and translated into practical suggestions.
Originality/value – This study views innovation as a process of re-thinking sustainability through the adoption of the animal ethics lens.
Keywords: Innovation, Sustainable tourism, Wildlife tourism, Ecofeminism, Critical tourism studies, Knowledge paradigm, Animal ethics
Paper type: Conceptual pape
The findings of a case study including fourteen Italian festivals suggest that inconsistent vegetarians are considered to play an important role as attendees and communication facilitators, while their contribution as close collaborators is limited.
The neo-tribe concept has been useful in exploring the perspective of festival organisers. In their view, two vegetarian subtribes can be identified: one related to the process of becoming vegetarian and the other related to consumerism. This can suggest that the use of the neo-tribe concept, the identification of subtribes and the adoption of the perspective of non-members can be useful to uncover the complex dynamics of belonging and exclusion.
environment and the view of farmers as conservative actors. The focus is on mobile
innovative practices by rural entrepreneurs who bring to life some of the features of the
experience economy. An exploratory study concerning an association of rural entrepreneurs in the Italian region of Marche and a specific project of this association is conducted. The findings suggest that sociality and sense of belonging embedded in local rural communities can become a tool for promoting rural tourism through entrepreneurial mobile practices.
leisure activities involving seals occurring in the area of Tromsø,
an Arctic town in Norway. The aim is to contribute to the
discussion of the existence of various conceptualisations of wild
animals, with particular attention to their implications in terms of
animal welfare and wellbeing, and the promotion of specific ways
we as humans view wild animals and ourselves. The data was
collected through promotional material, local media and history
literature consultation, and participant observation. The results
suggest four co-existing conceptualisations of seals: as part of the
local cultural heritage, as prey and pest, as friends and pets, and
as entertainers. These conceptualisations are discussed in relation
to the components of the leisure experience (entertainment,
education, self-identity construction), animal welfare and
wellbeing, and the ethical implications of the way the local people
perceive the seals and view themselves as humans.
Whales (Orcinus orca) off Northern Norway: Interactive Behaviours
directed towards Human Divers and Snorkellers obtained from
Opportunistic Underwater Video Recordings’ by C. Pagel, M. Scheer
and M. Lück published on the Journal of Ecotourism in the
December 2016 issue. This research note gives us the opportunity
to reflect on the following aspects: (1) the concepts of sustainability
and ecotourism, (2) the researchers’ position in terms of animal
ethics, (3) the relevance of the empirical context where the
fieldwork occurs and the related research ethics aspect, (4) the
difficulty of evaluating risk of injury. We comment on each of these
aspects and discuss them in the attempt to clarify research
challenges, propose some reflection points and possible alternative
approaches for improving research quality in wildlife tourism.
This study focuses on dog walking in urban green areas as a leisure experience the value of which can emerge along the dimensions identified in the literature about outdoor activities and pet-ownership (physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual). The aim is to uncover the aspects of this specific type of walking experience that have received none or scarce attention in the literature, and develop a conceptual framework that describes such experience.
Adopting an analytical auto-ethnographic approach, the data are collected performing dog walks over a period of four weeks. In order to increase the probability to collect data concerning the social dimension of the dog walking experience and uncover possible cultural differences, two urban environments located in different countries are chosen as the settings of the empirical investigation. Data are collected reporting the experiences in a diary and engaging in dialogue with other dog walkers. The narrative relative to the diary entries and the notes taken after the conversations are analysed identifying the themes relative to the experience along the various dimensions, and interpreting and discussing these using theoretical concepts from the leisure literature (communitas and liminoid experience).
Drawing on scholarly contributions from the tourism and animal ethics literature, this study describes the concept of empathy along four dimensions — attentiveness, knowledge, connectedness, and responsibility — and in relation to both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The focus and empirical research concern encounters with whales.
The findings suggest that the use of the concept of empathy can be appropriate when there is a high level of knowledge and interest toward the specific animals and habitat. They highlight challenges in relation to the identified empathy dimensions, in particular responsibility at the individual level and attentiveness toward marine animals, and indicate implications for the wildlife tourism industry.
wedding tourism. The focus is on local entrepreneurs—specifically
local wedding planners—and the aim is to describe and discuss
their role as coordinators and innovators. The findings suggest
that local wedding planners act as coordinators of teams of local
practitioners. Beyond the local level, wedding planners experience
difficulties in finding collaborative partners; in relation to this, a
recently developed regional project could prove supportive. The
wedding planners’ role as potential innovators seems to be
limited due to the lack of market orientation by some local
authorities, the newness of wedding planning as a form of
employment in the Italian context and the related lack of
recognized legitimacy, the presence of some improvising wedding
service companies and the absence of certified professional
associations.
study is to discuss the adoption of the sustainability approach in wildlife tourism and challenge its underlying anthropocentric assumptions.
Design/methodology/approach – The approach adopted is one of animal ethics, more precisely Ecofeminism.
Findings – The discussion ends by highlighting the possibility for new thinking. In particular, the concept of entangled empathy is presented as a potentially central element for re-thinking wildlife tourism.
Research limitations/implications – This study raises critical questions and starts the conceptualization of a non-anthropocentric approach in wildlife tourism. This can be viewed as a mental exercise that should
be developed further and translated into practical suggestions.
Originality/value – This study views innovation as a process of re-thinking sustainability through the adoption of the animal ethics lens.
Keywords: Innovation, Sustainable tourism, Wildlife tourism, Ecofeminism, Critical tourism studies, Knowledge paradigm, Animal ethics
Paper type: Conceptual pape
The findings of a case study including fourteen Italian festivals suggest that inconsistent vegetarians are considered to play an important role as attendees and communication facilitators, while their contribution as close collaborators is limited.
The neo-tribe concept has been useful in exploring the perspective of festival organisers. In their view, two vegetarian subtribes can be identified: one related to the process of becoming vegetarian and the other related to consumerism. This can suggest that the use of the neo-tribe concept, the identification of subtribes and the adoption of the perspective of non-members can be useful to uncover the complex dynamics of belonging and exclusion.
environment and the view of farmers as conservative actors. The focus is on mobile
innovative practices by rural entrepreneurs who bring to life some of the features of the
experience economy. An exploratory study concerning an association of rural entrepreneurs in the Italian region of Marche and a specific project of this association is conducted. The findings suggest that sociality and sense of belonging embedded in local rural communities can become a tool for promoting rural tourism through entrepreneurial mobile practices.
leisure activities involving seals occurring in the area of Tromsø,
an Arctic town in Norway. The aim is to contribute to the
discussion of the existence of various conceptualisations of wild
animals, with particular attention to their implications in terms of
animal welfare and wellbeing, and the promotion of specific ways
we as humans view wild animals and ourselves. The data was
collected through promotional material, local media and history
literature consultation, and participant observation. The results
suggest four co-existing conceptualisations of seals: as part of the
local cultural heritage, as prey and pest, as friends and pets, and
as entertainers. These conceptualisations are discussed in relation
to the components of the leisure experience (entertainment,
education, self-identity construction), animal welfare and
wellbeing, and the ethical implications of the way the local people
perceive the seals and view themselves as humans.
Whales (Orcinus orca) off Northern Norway: Interactive Behaviours
directed towards Human Divers and Snorkellers obtained from
Opportunistic Underwater Video Recordings’ by C. Pagel, M. Scheer
and M. Lück published on the Journal of Ecotourism in the
December 2016 issue. This research note gives us the opportunity
to reflect on the following aspects: (1) the concepts of sustainability
and ecotourism, (2) the researchers’ position in terms of animal
ethics, (3) the relevance of the empirical context where the
fieldwork occurs and the related research ethics aspect, (4) the
difficulty of evaluating risk of injury. We comment on each of these
aspects and discuss them in the attempt to clarify research
challenges, propose some reflection points and possible alternative
approaches for improving research quality in wildlife tourism.
This study focuses on dog walking in urban green areas as a leisure experience the value of which can emerge along the dimensions identified in the literature about outdoor activities and pet-ownership (physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual). The aim is to uncover the aspects of this specific type of walking experience that have received none or scarce attention in the literature, and develop a conceptual framework that describes such experience.
Adopting an analytical auto-ethnographic approach, the data are collected performing dog walks over a period of four weeks. In order to increase the probability to collect data concerning the social dimension of the dog walking experience and uncover possible cultural differences, two urban environments located in different countries are chosen as the settings of the empirical investigation. Data are collected reporting the experiences in a diary and engaging in dialogue with other dog walkers. The narrative relative to the diary entries and the notes taken after the conversations are analysed identifying the themes relative to the experience along the various dimensions, and interpreting and discussing these using theoretical concepts from the leisure literature (communitas and liminoid experience).
Drawing on scholarly contributions from the tourism and animal ethics literature, this study describes the concept of empathy along four dimensions — attentiveness, knowledge, connectedness, and responsibility — and in relation to both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The focus and empirical research concern encounters with whales.
The findings suggest that the use of the concept of empathy can be appropriate when there is a high level of knowledge and interest toward the specific animals and habitat. They highlight challenges in relation to the identified empathy dimensions, in particular responsibility at the individual level and attentiveness toward marine animals, and indicate implications for the wildlife tourism industry.
wedding tourism. The focus is on local entrepreneurs—specifically
local wedding planners—and the aim is to describe and discuss
their role as coordinators and innovators. The findings suggest
that local wedding planners act as coordinators of teams of local
practitioners. Beyond the local level, wedding planners experience
difficulties in finding collaborative partners; in relation to this, a
recently developed regional project could prove supportive. The
wedding planners’ role as potential innovators seems to be
limited due to the lack of market orientation by some local
authorities, the newness of wedding planning as a form of
employment in the Italian context and the related lack of
recognized legitimacy, the presence of some improvising wedding
service companies and the absence of certified professional
associations.
The motivation for studying this topic is related to the potential relevance that such an interconnected way of viewing wellbeing could have in terms of animal protection. The idea is to move from the view of animal protection as an element that limits the tourism experience, toward a more positive approach where animal protection is an enriching element.
The specific objective of this paper is twofold: integrate the service-dominant logic (SD-logic) and the resource-based theory (RBT), discuss the concept of business model as a tool adoptable by hotels in relation to value co-creation and community wellbeing.