Tourism Affordances as a Research Lens

Abstract

We propose that the concept of affordances can be useful in tourism research, for two reasons. First, it integrates recent theoretical progress in a range of related fields, across tourism, recreation, and leisure research. Second, it provides new practical insights into the tourism industry, notably the importance of comparing tourists at home and on holiday. The term affordance is a theoretical conceptualization of a common vernacular phrase, room to maneuver. It represents the interaction between an individual’s capabilities and their circumstances. It originated in ecology, to describe the opportunities available to different species in different environments. It was taken up in sports science and outdoor recreation, focusing on training to improve capabilities. It was expanded into the social sciences, through recognition that individual circumstances include social as well as physical context. Each of these phases is reviewed briefly below. We propose to apply it broadly in tourism.