Impact of mass tourism on a destination Research Proposal 2022

Running Head: Research Proposal
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
(Topic: Impact of mass tourism on a destination)

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Research Proposal
Table of Contents
1. Research question...................................................................................................................3
2. Measurable objectives............................................................................................................5
3. Research design......................................................................................................................5
3.1 Philosophical position......................................................................................................5
3.2 Reasoning approach..........................................................................................................6
3.3 Methodological choice.....................................................................................................6
3.4 Methods............................................................................................................................6
3.5 Time horizon....................................................................................................................7
3.6 Data collection and data analysis technique.....................................................................7
4. Ethical concerns.....................................................................................................................7
5. Project management plan.......................................................................................................8
Reference list............................................................................................................................10

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Research Proposal
1. Research question
Problem statement
Mass tourism is considered as destructive tourism and it is cheaper than other kinds of
tourism. A large group of people visits a particular place together at a single time. As opined
by Garau-Vadell, Gutiérrez-Taño & Diaz-Armas (2018), this new trend of tourism is
becoming more popular day by day as it is cost-effective and new generation is showing
interest in buying packages of mass tourism. However, Boniface, Cooper & Cooper (2016)
have argued that there are drawbacks of this form of tourism and it has a great impact on the
tourism industry. Often it is seen that tourists are not respecting nature and local people of
places. They are going wild and harming the nature and local population as well. Rural and
less-known places are being visited by a large number of people and many inconveniences
are taking place due to mass tourism. Incivility, loss of identity of local people, increasing
competition in tourism industry and gentrification, are common issues that have been arises
due to mass tourism.
Question to answer
A research question helps in providing direction of research and it is generally based on
the area of research. In this study, a question has been asked that can be answered through
intense research and applying appropriate methodology.
 What are the impacts of mass tourism in a tourism destination?
Process of improvement
The issue of incivility occurs when tourists do not respect the culture and heritage of a
place. Mass tourism is impacting on the environment. For getting more benefits within a
small time, tourism industry is supporting mass tourism (Brondoni, 2016). However, it is
important to take initiatives to improve the process of mass tourism. Respecting heritage,
cultural and value of the visiting places must be promoted. People must be aware of

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heritage and cultural background of a place before visiting. Eco-friendly hotels need to be
promoted that can allow sustainable accommodation. If hotel authorities allow a limited
amount of people as per their normal capacity, the destruction can be inhibited. On the other
hand, Zanini (2017) have mentioned that people need to be more careful about possible
environmental crisis and must try their best not to contribute to the crisis. The number of
restaurants, hotels, and bars are increasing day by day in tourism hotspots. Local populations
are moving to other places and loss of identity is taking place. Local population must be
protected for preventing the incidents of loss of identity.
Justifying research question by literature review
Tourism brings many benefits to local communities like improving economic
stability. However, mass tourism has many drawbacks that impact on tourism destination,
which creates a negative reputation among consumers. As opined by Martínez‐Garcia, Raya
& Majó (2017), environmental destruction is a major impact of mass tourism that decreases
natural beauty of a destination. As more tourists arrive at a destination, the demand rises and
this causes degradation of the land. Development of hotels, restaurants and other appealing
landmarks creates intense pressure on biodiversity. Moreover, Coccossis (2017) argued that
excessive land clearing due to construction of development projects causes loss of natural
resources and wildlife.
On the other hand, Alipour, Olya & Forouzan (2017) stated that loss of culture is
another essential impact of mass tourism in a destination. The trend of mass tourism is
causing loss of original culture of a place because the industry focuses to provide service
according to the needs of tourists rather than focusing on local population. However, some
Asian countries like Bali have become successful to preserve authentic culture in spite of
intense tourist pressure. In addition, Sharpley (2015) mentioned that pollution is another
essential impact that occurs due to intense tourists’ pressure in a destination. Mass pressure in

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a destination gives rise to a huge amount of wastes that pollute land and water. Moreover,
improvement of transportation facilities for supporting the industry is done that increases the
emission rate of harmful gases. As said by Kizielewicz & Lukovic (2015), excessive crowd in
a destination decreases attractiveness of that place, which can have long term impacts. Huge
crowd pressure in a destination acts as a negative motivational factor for tourists to visit a
place. Moreover, other impacts include change in behavior of locals. This impact is evident
especially in developing countries, which occurs due to intense competition in the tourism
industry that undoubtedly decreases the reputation of the destination.
2. Measurable objectives
 To identify issues related to mass tourism
 To measure impact of mass tourism on environment and society
 To measure impact of mass tourism on the tourism industry
 To recommend processes that can help to reduce the impact of mass tourism on
tourism industry
3. Research design
Using research design onion, appropriate methodology of this research will be chosen.
3.1 Philosophical position
Philosophy of research can be defined as a set of beliefs concerning the subject area
of research (Arantes do Amaral, dos Santos & Rodrigues, 2018). There are two main research
frameworks, which includes positivism and constructivism. The philosophy of positivism
assumes that factual knowledge that is gained through observation is trustworthy. However,
constructivism states that internal meaning of a phenomenon is particularly designed by the
observer or researchers.

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Research Proposal
In this study, positivism research philosophy will be adopted by the researcher
because the study will be based on factual data. Fresh data will be collected from respondents
that can help to answer the research question.
3.2 Reasoning approach
Research works must be done after reviewing related theories (Saunders et al. 2018).
Selection of an appropriate research approach helps to design the research. Deductive and
inductive research approaches are different from each other in terms of attributes. Deductive
approach is suitable for quantitative research as it allows developing and testing hypotheses
(Etikan, Musa & Alkassim, 2016). On the other hand, inductive approach is appropriate for
qualitative research and it helps to answer the research question. In this research, inductive
research approach will be considered as appropriate to address the predetermined research
question.
3.3 Methodological choice
There are different choices of research that are outlined and help in collecting data
properly (Saunders et al. 2018). Mono, multi and mixed is methodological choices that
guides researchers in collecting data. Mono method involves conducting research using one
approach. While mixed method refers to conducting research, using different approaches like
qualitative and quantitative approach. In a multi-method, research is segmented into a
different process, which generates different data sets that can be analyzed by either
qualitative or quantitative approach.
In this study, a multi-method methodology is chosen. This can help to collect data
from primary and secondary sources and qualitative approach will be chosen to analyze them.
3.4 Methods
Selection of research method is an important task and it impacts on the final outcome
of the research. As mentioned by Guest, Namey, Taylor, Eley & McKenna (2017), attributes

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Research Proposal
of quantitative and qualitative research method are different from each other. Qualitative
method helps to understand the thought process and feelings of human beings. It is a
subjective research method that differs from the other one. On the other hand, the quantitative
method helps to generate numerical data from analyzing statistics. This research will follow
the qualitative research method and both primary and secondary data will be collected.
3.5 Time horizon
Cross-sectional and longitudinal are two kinds of time horizons that are found in
research projects. As mentioned by Saunders et al. (2018), cross-sectional time horizons
support completion of data collection within a specific time. On the other hand, longitudinal
time horizon allows long term processes of data collection. In this case, a specific area of
research has been chosen, which is mass tourism and its impact. Due to this reason, both
primary and secondary data will be collected within 14 days.
3.6 Data collection and data analysis technique
Primary data are fresh data that can be collected through an interview or survey. In
this research, interview of managers in the tourism industry will be done. 5 managers from
different tour agencies will be interviewed to gain in-depth knowledge about the research
topic. Qualitative technique will be adopted to analyze the data such as transcripts.
On the other hand, secondary data is collected from already existing data sources like
previous research. In this research, different previous journals and articles with a similar topic
will be reviewed to collect data. Thematic analysis will be done to analyze the collected data
in a proper way.
4. Ethical concerns
Conducting research in an ethical way is essential that can help to avoid any legal or
ethical issues. The selected managers for an interview will be provided with consent firm,
which will contain all details about research topic. In addition, during an interview, the no

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Research Proposal
personal questions will be asked that can hurt emotions of respondents. The secondary data
will be collected by taking permission from concerned persons. Storage of data is an essential
concern that will be done properly in this study. Access of data will be given to authorize
persons only. Besides, the research will be commenced after taking permission from
supervisor and selected respondents.
5. Project management plan
Timeline
Activity 1st
Oct
2nd to
8th Oct
9th to
10th
Oct
11th to
18th Oct
19th to
28th
Oct
29th
to
30th
Oct
31st
Oct
Developing a research
question
Determining aim and
objectives
Literature review
Method selection
Primary data collection
Secondary data collection
Analyzing data
Documentation
Budget
Project tasks Assumed expenses ($)
Transport fare 135
Interview expense 150
Internet charge 80
Data analysis 40
Total cost 405

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Research Proposal
Risks management
Risk category Risk event Management process
Financial Shortage of resources can
cause a delay in project
Designing proper budget and
collecting resources before
commencement of research.
Research achievability Low chance of obtaining
research outcomes
Avoiding bias in data
collection
Ethics Legal issue due to unethical
approach
Arranging training for team
members to increase their
knowledge about ethical
practices.
Research group Lack of collaboration among
group members
Arranging team meetings to
increase effective
communication and
collaboration.

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Research Proposal
Reference list
Alipour, H., Olya, H. G., & Forouzan, I. (2017). Environmental Impacts of Mass Religious
Tourism: From Residents' Perspectives. Tourism Analysis, 22(2), 167-183. Retrieved
from:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Habib_Alipour/publication/317429213_Environ
mental_Impacts_of_Mass_Religious_Tourism_From_Residents'_Perspectives/links/
59bb9a4a458515e9cfc6d37f/Environmental-Impacts-of-Mass-Religious-Tourism-
From-Residents-Perspectives.pdf
Arantes do Amaral, J.A., dos Santos, L. & Rodrigues, R.J., (2018). Combining Project-Based
Learning & Community-Based Research in a Research Methodology Course: The
Lessons Learned. International Journal of Instruction, 11(1), pp.47-60. Retrieved
from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1165218.pdf
Boniface, B., Cooper, R., & Cooper, C. (2016). Worldwide destinations: The geography of
travel and tourism. Routledge. Retrieved from:
https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/download?dac=C2014-0-38031-
5&isbn=9781317450535&format=googlePreviewPdf
Brondoni, S. M. (2016). Global Tourism Management. Mass, Experience and Sensations
Tourism. Symphonya. Emerging Issues in Management, (1), 7-24. Retrieved from:
http://symphonya.unimib.it/article/viewFile/12076/11105
Coccossis, H. (2017). Sustainable tourism and carrying capacity: a new context. In The
Challenge of Tourism Carrying Capacity Assessment (pp. 19-30). Routledge.
Retrieved from:
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781315240817/chapters/10.4324/978131524
0817-10

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Etikan, I., Musa, S.A. & Alkassim, R.S.,(2016). Comparison of convenience sampling &
purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical & Applied Statistics, 5(1), pp.1-
4. Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sumanta_Deb2/post/Purposive_Sampling_&_Co
nvenience_Sampling_are_these_two_types_of_Sampling_different_Please_Explain/
attachment/59d64fc179197b80779a8d1c/AS:499559933505536@1496115777990/
download/Comparison_of_Convenience_Sampling_&_Purposive_S.pdf
Garau-Vadell, J. B., Gutierrez-Taño, D., & Diaz-Armas, R. (2018). Economic crisis and
residents’ perception of the impacts of tourism in mass tourism destinations. Journal
of destination marketing & management, 7, 68-75. Retrieved from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212571X16302086
Guest, G., Namey, E., Taylor, J., Eley, N. & McKenna, K., (2017). Comparing focus groups
& individual interviews: findings from a r&omized study. International Journal of
Social Research Methodology, 20(6), pp.693-708. Retrieved from:
http://www.verityresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2017_Guest_ComparingF
ocusGroups&IndividualInterviews.pdf
Kizielewicz, J., & Lukovic, T. (2015). Negative impact of cruise tourism development on
local community and the environment. Information, Communication and
Environment: Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation, 243-250.
Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=JkZOCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA243&dq=Impact+of+mass+touris
m+on+a+destination&ots=WqmJWeYlSI&sig=S7U6pJDDcCTDgYYTkn6RQHsPtiE
Martínez‐Garcia, E., Raya, J. M., & Majó, J. (2017). Differences in residents' attitudes
towards tourism among mass tourism destinations. International Journal of Tourism
Research, 19(5), 535-545. Retrieved from:

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https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Josep_Maria_Raya/publication/
316973939_Differences_in_residents
%27_attitudes_towards_tourism_among_mass_tourism_destinations/links/
59d52a7c0f7e9b7a7e46668e/Differences-in-residents-attitudes-towards-tourism-
among-mass-tourism-destinations.pdf
Saunders, B., Sim, J., Kingstone, T., Baker, S., Waterfield, J., Bartlam, B., Burroughs, H. &
Jinks, C., (2018). Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization &
operationalization. Quality & Quantity, 52(4), pp.1893-1907. Retrieved from:
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11135-017-0574-8.pdf
Sharpley, R. (2015). In Defense of Tourism. Challenges in tourism research, 194-201.
Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=VchLCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA194&dq=Impact+of+mass+touris
m+on+a+destination&ots=fG3N66owS1&sig=dKFcOYIno_XMmbHQTWVtZluJqN
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Zanini, S. (2017). Tourism pressures and depopulation in Cannaregio: Effects of mass
tourism on Venetian cultural heritage. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and
Sustainable Development, 7(2), 164-178. Retrieved from:
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/JCHMSD-06-2016-0036