ABSTRACT
Qualitative research has been instrumental for uncovering and elucidating the political dimensions and tensions of tourism. Among the many tools in the qualitative research toolbox, participant observation and in-depth interviewing can help to develop a holistic perspective on the context and political dynamics of politics. Though not without its own challenges, participant observation can enable opportunities for observing everyday tourism activities and for in-depth dialogue between researcher and subjects. These conditions, as opposed to formal settings and procedures that can work against dialogue and a fuller viewing of tourism in practice, can reveal interconnections and power dynamics associated with tourism practices, and help in the creation of new theories. Given the newness of alternative tourisms such as community ecotourism, these qualitative methods are particularly suitable for assisting in theory discovery and generation following Burawoy’s (1991) extended case method.
