Fairy tourism: negotiating the production of fantasy geographies and magical storyscapes

Journal article


Lovell, J. and Sharma, N. 2023. Fairy tourism: negotiating the production of fantasy geographies and magical storyscapes. Tourism Geographies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2023.2290662
AuthorsLovell, J. and Sharma, N.
Abstract

This research brings an original anthropological approach to the understanding of how the tourism industry negotiates the construction of elusive, magical geographies. Fairy tourism or ‘fairy hunting’ has been acknowledged since the nineteenth century, but is largely overlooked in tourism literature, despite increasing exposure to fairy motifs through multi-media platforms, including films, gaming, and literature. This study examines fairy festivals using a theoretical framework based on the novel concept of ‘liminal affective technologies,’ (LATS), that are designed to enhance the transformative potentiality of festivals. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis method is used to analyse how fairy festival producers generate approximations of Fairyland. To create fairyscapes, their organisers devise LATs, such as situating the events in places that are bucolic, mystical and connected to local folklore, and staging workshops, music, and activities including wish-making, using fairy-themed motifs, to reinforce the magical narrative. Yet several festival producers ‘tone down’ the troublesome or Pagan elements of the fairyscape, explaining the surreality of their events to visitors as dreamscapes.

KeywordsMagical tourism; Folklore; Mythology; Fairy tourism; Storytelling; Otherworlds; Liminality
Year2023
JournalTourism Geographies
PublisherTaylor & Francis
ISSN1461-6688
1470-1340
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2023.2290662
Official URLhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616688.2023.2290662?needAccess=true
Publication dates
Print06 Dec 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted28 Nov 2023
Deposited08 Dec 2023
Accepted author manuscript
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Permalink -

https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/96894/fairy-tourism-negotiating-the-production-of-fantasy-geographies-and-magical-storyscapes

Restricted files

Accepted author manuscript

  • 87
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Conversational entanglements in new animistic tourism
Lovell, J. 2024. Conversational entanglements in new animistic tourism. Annals of Tourism Research. 109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2024.103855
New animism research: listening and storytelling with non-human persons
Lovell, J. 2024. New animism research: listening and storytelling with non-human persons.
World Heritage Sites, storytelling, the non-human and new animism
Lovell, J. 2023. World Heritage Sites, storytelling, the non-human and new animism.
The night is rising: How magical stories and new animism influence winter tourism light trails
Lovell, J. 2023. The night is rising: How magical stories and new animism influence winter tourism light trails.
Always the desert: creating affective landscapes in Breaking Bad
Lovell, J. and Fox, K. 2023. Always the desert: creating affective landscapes in Breaking Bad. in: Champion, E., Lee, C., Stadler, J. and Peaslee, R. M. (ed.) Screen Tourism and Affective Landscapes: The Real, the Virtual and the Cinematic Abingdon Routledge. pp. 121-135
Time: Lighting World Heritage
Lovell, J., Hurst, A. and Griffin, H. 2022. Time: Lighting World Heritage.
Pilgrimage as transformation - a symposium to explore contemporary thinking
Lovell, J. 2022. Pilgrimage as transformation - a symposium to explore contemporary thinking. Canterbury Christ Church University 21 - 21 Sep 2022
The dissolution of the monastery: negotiating text in place, entropy, ruins and light installations
Lovell, J. 2022. The dissolution of the monastery: negotiating text in place, entropy, ruins and light installations.
When the story comes to you: affectively negotiating parallel worlds
Lovell, J. 2022. When the story comes to you: affectively negotiating parallel worlds.
Waterscapes, fairies and Philip Pullman
Lovell, J. 2022. Waterscapes, fairies and Philip Pullman.
Opening spatial hinges with mindful writing practice: negotiating Philip Pullman’s secret commonwealth
Lovell, J. 2022. Opening spatial hinges with mindful writing practice: negotiating Philip Pullman’s secret commonwealth. Cultural Geographies. https://doi.org/10.1177/14744740221126988
Literary and film pilgrimage
Oulton, C. and Lovell, J. 2022. Literary and film pilgrimage.
Unfamiliar light: The production of enchantment.
Lovell, J. and Griffin, H. 2022. Unfamiliar light: The production of enchantment. Annals of Tourism Research. 92, p. 103328. https://doi.org/j.annals.2021.103328
Evolving authenticity into the magical realm of fantasy-based third-order simulacra
Lovell, J. 2021. Evolving authenticity into the magical realm of fantasy-based third-order simulacra. in: Sharpley, R. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of the Tourist Experience Abingdon Routledge. pp. 77-88
Extending hot authentication: Imagining fantasy space
Lovell, J. and Thurgill, J. 2021. Extending hot authentication: Imagining fantasy space. Annals of Tourism Research. 87 (103138), pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.103138
Symposium: light installations, magic and heritage
Lovell, J. 2020. Symposium: light installations, magic and heritage. Canterbury Christ Church University 14 Jul 2020
Light as enchantment, light show designers as enchanters
Lovell, J. 2020. Light as enchantment, light show designers as enchanters.
Enchantment, light installations and imaginative authentication
Lovell, J. 2020. Enchantment, light installations and imaginative authentication.
How the tourism industry produces enchantment
Lovell, J. 2020. How the tourism industry produces enchantment.
Could it be magic? The light re-enchantment of places
Lovell, J. 2020. Could it be magic? The light re-enchantment of places.
Simulated authenticity: storytelling and mythic space on the hyper-frontier in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Westworld.
Lovell, J. and Hitchmough, S. 2020. Simulated authenticity: storytelling and mythic space on the hyper-frontier in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Westworld. Tourist Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797620937912
Dissolving and transfiguring monasteries through light
Lovell, J. 2019. Dissolving and transfiguring monasteries through light.
The illuminated past: using light installations to interpret world heritage sites’
Lovell, J. 2019. The illuminated past: using light installations to interpret world heritage sites’.
Expanding worlds: place and collaboration in (and after) the ‘text-as-spatial-event’
Thurgill, J. C. and Lovell, J. 2019. Expanding worlds: place and collaboration in (and after) the ‘text-as-spatial-event’ . Literary Geographies. 5 (1), pp. 16-20.
Opening the memory boxes: magically hyperreal authenticity, tourism and the Haida People
Lovell, J. 2019. Opening the memory boxes: magically hyperreal authenticity, tourism and the Haida People. in: Lovell, J. and Hitchmough, S. (ed.) Authenticity in North America Place, Tourism, Heritage, Culture and the Popular Imagination London Routledge. pp. 96-111
Authenticity in North America: place, tourism, heritage, culture and the popular imagination
Lovell, J. Lovell, J. and Hitchmough, S. (ed.) 2019. Authenticity in North America: place, tourism, heritage, culture and the popular imagination. London Routledge.
Fairytale authenticity: historic city tourism, Harry Potter, medievalism and the magical gaze
Lovell, J. 2019. Fairytale authenticity: historic city tourism, Harry Potter, medievalism and the magical gaze. Journal of Heritage Tourism. 14 (5-6), pp. 448-561. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2019.1588282
Authenticity Collective Conference - introduction
Lovell, J. 2018. Authenticity Collective Conference - introduction.
Looping the loop of authenticity in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Westworld
Lovell, J. and Hitchmough, S. 2018. Looping the loop of authenticity in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Westworld.
Magical places
Lovell, J. 2018. Magical places.
Opening the memory boxes: magical realism and the Haida people
Lovell, J. 2017. Opening the memory boxes: magical realism and the Haida people. University of Minnesota Press.
Hyper-staged authenticity on the technological frontier in Westworld’s post-human theme park
Lovell, J. and Hitchmough, S. 2018. Hyper-staged authenticity on the technological frontier in Westworld’s post-human theme park. in: Yeoman, I. and McMahon-Beattie, U. (ed.) Science Fiction, Disruption and Tourism Channel View.
Fairy tale tourism: the architectural projection mapping of magically real and irreal festival lightscapes
Lovell, J. and Griffin, H. 2018. Fairy tale tourism: the architectural projection mapping of magically real and irreal festival lightscapes. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events. 11 (3), pp. 469-483. https://doi.org/10.1080/19407963.2018.1556674
Visiting Fellow, British Library Eccles Centre of American studies
Lovell, J. 2018. Visiting Fellow, British Library Eccles Centre of American studies. British Library.
An American yell: Buffalo Bill and the Wild West in East Kent
Lovell, J. and Hitchmough, S. 2015. An American yell: Buffalo Bill and the Wild West in East Kent.
Future dreaming – East Kent’s City of Culture bid
Lovell, J. 2016. Future dreaming – East Kent’s City of Culture bid.
Magical realism and the Haida people
Lovell, J. 2017. Magical realism and the Haida people.
Magical realism and the Haida people
Lovell, J. 2017. Magical realism and the Haida people.
Hyperreal light simulacra: performing buildings in motion
Lovell, J. 2018. Hyperreal light simulacra: performing buildings in motion. in: Rickly-Boyd, J. and Vidon, E. (ed.) Authenticity and Tourism: Materialities, Perceptions, Experiences: 24 Emerald.
The role of the desert in Breaking Bad
Fox, K. and Lovell, J. 2015. The role of the desert in Breaking Bad.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the potential local economic impact of tourism and leisure cycling and the development of an evidence-based market segmentation
Weed, M., Bull, C., Brown, M., Dowse, S., Lovell, J., Mansfield, L. and Wellard, I. 2014. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the potential local economic impact of tourism and leisure cycling and the development of an evidence-based market segmentation. Tourism Review International. 18 (1-2), pp. 37-55. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427214X13990420684482
Authentic and inauthentic places in tourism: from heritage sites to theme parks
Lovell, J. and Bull, C. Lovell, J. and Bull, C. (ed.) 2017. Authentic and inauthentic places in tourism: from heritage sites to theme parks. London Routledge.
The relationship between cycle tourism and sustainable transport in the UK
Weed, M., Bull, C., Brown, M., Dowse, S., Lovell, J., Mansfield, L. and Wellard, I. 2014. The relationship between cycle tourism and sustainable transport in the UK. Tourism Review International. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427214X13990420684644
The postmodern heritage city: From real to fake: Visual methodology
Lovell, J. 2009. The postmodern heritage city: From real to fake: Visual methodology.
The postmodern heritage city: From real to fake
Lovell, J. 2009. The postmodern heritage city: From real to fake.
The timelessness of the postmodern heritage city
Lovell, J. 2009. The timelessness of the postmodern heritage city.
Historic cities: From real to fake
Lovell, J. 2010. Historic cities: From real to fake. in: Lovell, J. and Stuart-Hoyle, M. (ed.) Leisure experiences: Space, place and performance Brighton, UK Leisure Studies Association. pp. 81-108
The impact of hosting major sporting events on local residents: an analysis of the views and perceptions of Canterbury residents in relation to the Tour de France 2007
Bull, C. and Lovell, J. 2007. The impact of hosting major sporting events on local residents: an analysis of the views and perceptions of Canterbury residents in relation to the Tour de France 2007. Journal of Sport & Tourism. 12 (3-4), pp. 229-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080701736973
A systematic review of evidence for the potential of live sites to generate community and public health outcomes
Weed, M., Dowse, S., Chatziefstathiou, D., Lovell, J., Mansfield, L. and Wellard, I. 2010. A systematic review of evidence for the potential of live sites to generate community and public health outcomes. Dover National Health Service.
Post-modern heritage, chivalry, park and ride: Le Tour comes to Canterbury.
Lovell, J. 2008. Post-modern heritage, chivalry, park and ride: Le Tour comes to Canterbury. in: Ali-Knight, J., Robertson, M., Fyall, A. and Ladkin, A. (ed.) International Perspectives of Festivals and Events: Paradigms of Analysis London Elsevier. pp. 265-277
Liberating the heritage city: towards cultural engagement
Stuart-Hoyle, M. and Lovell, J. 2006. Liberating the heritage city: towards cultural engagement. in: Smith, M. and Robinson, M. (ed.) Cultural Tourism in a Changing World: Politics, Participation and (Re)presentation Clevedon Channel View.