Master of Arts in Tourism Management

Dale Daniel G. Bodo

Title: The Magara Festival of Carigara, Leyte, Philippines: A Case Study

The Magara (Fabulous) Festival is a secular festival in the municipality of Carigara in the province of Leyte in the Philippines. Launched in 2019 during the 448th Founding Anniversary Celebration of the town, the festival aimed to display the rich history and culture of the town including its livelihood practices such as pangisda (fishing), pag-uma (farming), and prudukto (products). 

The study aimed to assess the effects of the Magara Festival in terms of its cultural, economic, and tourism impacts on the municipality of Carigara. This study used the focused group discussion with two focus groups of purposively sampled participants. The participants are those who took part in the planning and execution of plans- the heads of the competing clusters or teams during the Magara Festival Celebrations, and the representatives from the tourism business sector who witnessed the launching of the Magara Festival 2019 celebrations. 

Results showed that festival authenticity and interpretation, source of cultural information, integration of religion, cultural preservation, and people empowerment were the identified effects of the Magara festival in terms of the cultural aspect. In terms of the festival’s perceived economic effects, income generation and festival cost and investments were identified by the participants based on their responses. In relation to the effects of the festival on the tourism sector of the town, tourism arrivals, regular attendance in the festival, general welfare, creating affiliations, and event calendar were identified respectively.

Jordon Ozero

Title: El Camino de Santiago: A Catalyst for Transformative Tourism in the Secular Space

This thesis explores the phenomenon of secular transformative tourism on the Camino de Santiago, identifying catalysts that facilitate the experience. As primary motivations for walking the Camino have shifted from religious and spiritual towards secular, this research corroborates that many modern pilgrims seek transformation rather than transcendence. Four main themes of catalysts were observed: communitas, liminality, physical elements, and Spanish elements. The catalysts identified allow individuals to address explicit issues in their lives and tap into unrealized potential for transformation. As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals need to re-establish their physical, mental, and emotional health. For tourism organizations looking to enhance transformative experiences, the elements of motivation, catalyst, and transformation within this study may be incorporated into activities and events. Based on a sample of 15 Canadian participants, this study identified 25 catalysts that link motivations to walk the Camino with the transformations experienced by participants. Overall, this study offers a way forward for the emerging field of transformative tourism by providing insights into the importance catalysts have in facilitating transformative experiences for individuals seeking transformation and for tourism organizations wishing to create an environment that is conducive to transformation for their guests.

Shariq Khan

Title: The Lens of Wildlife Conservation

The research paper examined how photographing wildlife increases the possibility that a wildlife photographer will take action to protect biodiversity or the environment or it is harming it in some or the other way. The research was useful to learn about the potential long-term effects of photographing or observing wildlife and how it was and is helping in Tiger conservation in India.

The four themes identified in the research indicated that photographing wildlife increases emotional engagement with biodiversity, in terms of emotional attachment and help in wildlife conservation, economic generator for conservation and reduces human-wildlife conflicts through promoting tourism and involvement of local communities. In-depth interviews with nature photographers, conservationists, were a useful method for exploring this topic qualitatively. Also, surveys with open-ended questions with the use of photo-elicitation were also a great way to collect qualitative data.

The insight gained from this process undoubtedly provided direction for future investigation as research projects are often dynamic and sometimes the end of one project leads to the beginning of another. The findings of this study suggest that the implications of this research should be further explored with the aim that they are applied to nature conservation or educational practices in the future.

Deepa Sudame

Title: Cruising Past the Tourism Smiles but Leaving Scarring Footprints Behind

Cruise ships are often known to operate in and around pristine coastal waters and sensitive marine ecosystems. On the west coast of Canada, the Georgia Strait and Inside Passage's pristine waters offer cruisers the experience of a stunning route along the west coast of British Columbia (BC). While the very character of these ships (commonly referred to as floating hotels) attracts tourism interest, they can also leave behind adverse environmental cruising ‘waste-prints.’

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 2008) report, an average cruise ship generates 21,000 gallons of sewage, 170,000 gallons of wastewater and one ton of garbage in a single day. Have we considered the implications if one of those waste streams accidentally or maybe intentionally gets discharged into the ocean without being treated? We’ve all heard the news of such oil spills, deliberate dumping of waste into the ocean, ship strikes and other coral reef damages. One such blemishing memory still lingers for many- the image of ‘a dead whale carried/dragged on the bow of a cruise ship into an Alaskan port in 2017’.

While cruise companies are keenly aware of the importance of a greener environment image and to minimize waste, their increasing popularity continues to put their waste management practices under the limelight with many added sustainability concerns.

This research opens the discussion on cruise ship sustainability. The findings reveal drawbacks and weaknesses around the social and environmental aspects of cruise tourism management in BC.

Paula Kent

Title: Beyond the Book & Film. Conceptualizing the Literary Tourist Experience

The aim of this research is to explore the literary tourist experience, and the relationship between tourism, place and story.  The research purpose of the exploration is to contribute to literary tourism knowledge by reconceptualizing immersive experiences as an individually constructed experience, one that is distinct from other tourism experiences. This field study informed by grounded theory examines the experiences of literary tourists as they participate in mediated tourist experiences at literary locations. The fieldwork encompassed a diversity of sites, from the traditional such as Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place to a Fan Expo held in Toronto Ontario.

I situated myself in the reflexive role of researcher-as-participant. The field sites were purposefully chosen to ensure a diversity of genre: from Anne of Green Gables (Montgomery, 1908) sites in Prince Edward Island, to the comic book, gaming and pop culture event, Fan Expo a convention in Toronto Ontario.

In addition, a sample population of literary tourists, selected from book clubs was also included in the research to garner an array of responses from literary travel experiences. Organized into focus groups, the book club participants were led through an adaption of the Center for Creative Leadership’s Visual Explorer guided conversation method, resulting in their hand-drawn depictions of their immersive experiences.

The central conclusion is that recognition, in addition to the conventional definition as the internal feeling of familiarity, is reconceptualized as a critical sustaining factor of the immersive literary experience. Recognition integrates the internal response and intensifies the individual’s personally constructed meaning. The resulting Literary Tourism Recognition Integration model reconceptualizes literature-based immersive experiences, demonstrating the manner in which immersion is realized.