SPECIAL TRACK HUMANISTIC MANAGEMENT AND TOURISM

Humanistic Tourism: a new disciplinary perspective on tourism management

MARIA DELLA LUCIA - ERNESTINA GIUDICI - FRÉDÉRIC DIMANCHE

Objectives. This contribution positions humanistic tourism at the nexus between tourism management and humanistic management, aiming to establish a new disciplinary perspective on tourism that can interpret and manage the weaknesses of traditional approaches to tourism and cope with tourism challenges and new scenarios, including the current global pandemic crisis. An exploration of this nexus is not only consistent, but it is also important and urgent, from both a theoretical and managerial perspective. With this contribution we propose a novel and original approach that has been neglected so far.

The premise is the predominant neoliberal structure of capitalism and the vital function of tourism in sustaining it. Humanistic tourism is an alternative development model which must be strongly aligned with the tenets of sustainability, and humanistic management, to create shared value, while dignifying people and communities (Della Lucia and Giudici, 2021a). This entails being less exploitative and greedy, more environmentally sustainable, more respectful to communities and their cultures and traditions, more mindful, fair, and compassionate (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2020a). Humanistic tourism envisions human flourishing as a deep shift in values (Cheer, 2020), towards revaluing and reconceiving the way we inhabit the planet and interrelate with humans and non-human.

#alternative development model #business model innovation. business model for sustainability #capitalism paradoxes #crisis #humanistic tourism #Shared Value