Cultural regeneration in English seaside towns under New Labour: a political economy perspective on the restructuring of tourist destinations

This thesis critically analyses the ways in which cultural regeneration was applied by successive New Labour Governments in English Seaside Towns, as a response to the decline of English seaside tourism. This research was carried out from the perspective of political economy, using a modified régulation theory approach in which Bourdieu’s cultural sociology was used to supplement the standard concepts of the régulation school. Primary research was carried out using a Critical Realist methodology that was based on a multiple-embedded case study design. The case study chosen was the region of East Kent, and, specifically, the English Seaside Towns of Whitstable, Folkestone and Margate. Cultural Regeneration policies and practices were analysed within this case study in order to draw conclusions about the broader New Labour context. Data was collected from 93 policy documents and 49 interviews during the final New Labour Government, from 2007-2010. This research shows that the local variability in the governance of cultural regeneration had a significant impact on the implementation of national and regional cultural regeneration policy, and that this affected the restructuring of English Seaside Towns during the New Labour Period. Specifically, the degree to which the local state governed using post-Fordist approaches, affected the degree of success of the attempts to inaugurate post-Fordist tourist economies in each destination. The primary original contribution made in this thesis is in the application of an adapted régulation theory perspective to tourism destination development, an approach which can be applied in further studies of tourism destination development, in particular where these involve cultural tourism and cultural regeneration.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Greenwich

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Kennell, James

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Symon, Graham

• HD Industries. Land use. Labor
• JA Political science (General)

Language dc:language

en