The experience of time in long-term travel

Small, J

The experience of time in long-term travel

Small, J

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Tourism Geographies, 2016, 18 (4), pp. 341 - 358
Issue Date:: 2016-08-07

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Small, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6200-5398	en_US
dc.date.issued	2016-08-07	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Tourism Geographies, 2016, 18 (4), pp. 341 - 358	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1461-6688	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/122116
dc.description.abstract	© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Travellers’ understanding and experience of the flow, pace of time and distinctions between past, present and future are culturally specific with many from advanced urbanised societies immersed in a life-style characterised as time-pressured. Leisure travel can provide opportunities for those from such ‘harried’ societies to escape these pressures of home. This paper explores the experience of ‘time’ of long-term, self-drive travellers in Australia. The findings demonstrate the change in perception of time flow and pace as the travellers took control of time to slow down. Their sense of time was also informed by the spatial and temporal narrative of the Australian landscape through which they were travelling. The further they moved inland and away from Western cities, the closer they came to experience the exotic, temporal otherness that has been constructed in relation to the Outback and Australian indigenous culture. The study confirmed that just as spaces, places and landscape are animated and co-produced through the practice of mobility so too is sense of time. There were physical and psychological benefits for the travellers in controlling their own sense of time by travelling slowly and living in the moment. The Australian landscape, especially in remote areas, provides a suitable backdrop, with its isolation, quietness, ancientness, ‘timelessness’ and indigenous living culture, to contemplate one's life and place in the universe. While these findings can assist destination managers in their promotion of regional Australia and self-drive, long-term travel, caution is required to avoid privileging an exotic temporal narrative at the expense of contemporary, political, indigenous and environmental concerns.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Tourism Geographies	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/14616688.2016.1175023	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Sport, Leisure & Tourism	en_US
dc.title	The experience of time in long-term travel	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	18	en_US
utslib.for	1506 Tourism	en_US
utslib.for	1604 Human Geography	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Management Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	18	en_US

Abstract:

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Travellers’ understanding and experience of the flow, pace of time and distinctions between past, present and future are culturally specific with many from advanced urbanised societies immersed in a life-style characterised as time-pressured. Leisure travel can provide opportunities for those from such ‘harried’ societies to escape these pressures of home. This paper explores the experience of ‘time’ of long-term, self-drive travellers in Australia. The findings demonstrate the change in perception of time flow and pace as the travellers took control of time to slow down. Their sense of time was also informed by the spatial and temporal narrative of the Australian landscape through which they were travelling. The further they moved inland and away from Western cities, the closer they came to experience the exotic, temporal otherness that has been constructed in relation to the Outback and Australian indigenous culture. The study confirmed that just as spaces, places and landscape are animated and co-produced through the practice of mobility so too is sense of time. There were physical and psychological benefits for the travellers in controlling their own sense of time by travelling slowly and living in the moment. The Australian landscape, especially in remote areas, provides a suitable backdrop, with its isolation, quietness, ancientness, ‘timelessness’ and indigenous living culture, to contemplate one's life and place in the universe. While these findings can assist destination managers in their promotion of regional Australia and self-drive, long-term travel, caution is required to avoid privileging an exotic temporal narrative at the expense of contemporary, political, indigenous and environmental concerns.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/122116