Untitled

222 fairy tales
fairy tales
Since tourism is analogous to fiction, and because
of its magical qualities �see magic), it can exploit
linkages with fairy tales. Thus, touristic children
can be attracted to sites of the imaginary, to
temporarily resolve some of life's problems. Hence
also the make-believe titles of many travellers' tales
and tour operators, and the appeal of museums
and theme parks featuring fairy tale
characters.
familiarity see motivation; novelty
fantasy
GRAHAM M.S. DANN, UK
The desire to engage in activities that are
normatively proscribed by ordinary role expectations,
tourist fantasy permits the realisation of
dreams through travel to extraordinary places. It
promises freedom from constraint by removing the
tourist from the conventional attitudes and
behaviour of the home environment to a setting
where there are apparently no restrictions on
conduct.
Generally speaking, the more exotic the destination,
the more pronounced are the cultural
differences between host and guest. However,
the more the tourist remains anonymous and
detached from peer pressure, the greater are the
perceived chances of dissolving the differences of
strangerhood �see strangeness) and of replacing
reality by fantasy. This creation of illusion occurs
primarily at the pre-trip stage of a vacation
through various promotional devices which feed off
increasingly extravagant expectations heightened
by the media and advertising. Images of sunfilled
hedonism ± a world that knows no `no' ±
appeal to the tourist as child and to limitless
satisfaction of desire without parental figures
spoiling the pleasure.
Since there are as many fantasies as there are
facets of daily life, the tourism ± or fantasy ±
industry tries to incorporate several into a single
holiday. One such illusion is a naming fantasy.
Here the tawdriness of Station Road and Blackhall
Street is overturned by the lure of such romantic
alternatives as Coconut Creek, Tamarind Cove
and Discovery Bay. Another is a colour fantasy,
where the drab grey of the metropolis is replaced
by the brilliant hues of a tropical paradise.
Similarly, the monotonous sounds of a modern
industrial town can be substituted with a passionate
flamenco or the bouzouki music of a taverna
dance. Additionally, there are educational, religious
and political fantasies, all based on the temporary
reversal of current situations and all conjuring up
the notion of excess ad libitum. Perhaps none is so
enticing as the sexual fantasy �see sextourism),
since this is the life domain that is most surrounded
by taboo. Consequently, holiday brochures and
videos regularly feature beckoning dusky maidens
who seemingly have no moral inhibitions.
See also: inversion; liminality; play
Further reading.
Dann, G. �1976) `The holiday was simply fantastic',
Revue de Tourisme 3: 19±23.
farm tourism
GRAHAM M.S. DANN, UK
Farm tourism is distinguished by the specific milieu
where it occurs. It is also known as agrotourism.
It is a portion of general tourism where environmental
tourism and cultural tourism overlap.
Farm tourism is where tourists reside and
sometime participate in the working activities of
farms and ranches. It has increased in popularity as
farming families search for enterprises which will
supplement or replace their traditional economic
activities. In addition, farm tourism is a tool for the
conservation of traditional landscapes.
Tourists seek farm tourism for the outdoor
component and use it as a setting for outdoor
activities. Others, mainly urbanites, seek to temporarily
experience a rural lifestyle which often
forms part of the cultural image of the region, or
functions as a nostalgic escape to the `good old
days'. In the diversification of agricultural enterprises
into activities such as farm tourism, some