Experiencing place bonding: Exploring differences between migrants, refugees, and tourists

Abstract

Rapid globalisation and increasing mobility result in the sameness in places’ architectural and commercial forms. Therefore, places begin to lose their cultural speciality, unique identities, characteristics, meanings and emotional associations as well as their attractiveness. Hence, to be sustained and profitable in the globalising competition, places need to distinguish themselves from other places by delivering unique experiences and positive connections with people. In doing so, the process by which people build an emotional relationship with a place and consequently a bond, is considered. Prior studies on people-place relationships have proposed several similar concepts such as place attachment, place identity, place belonging, place rootedness, sense of place, and place dependence. However, these concepts rely heavily on measuring the components of place bonding rather than explaining how the mechanism works. We do not know how, when and why emotional connections with a place are formed, hence a model explaining these dynamic interactions is required. This study investigates how people build emotional relationships with a place by using a more holistic and experience-based approach. In doing so, data was gathered from three different categories of place makers (i.e. tourists, refugees, and migrants). 31 phenomenological interviews were conducted to understand informants’ experiences in New Zealand. Moreover, the Zaltman Elicitation technique was applied to probe deeply the informants’ feelings towards New Zealand. All the cases were analysed and compared within and across the categories. Findings of the study offer an experience- based model of place bonding which is applicable across these three categories of place makers. Moreover, seven types of place bonding were identified within these categories. Individuals’ responses to the place can be positive or negative, hence cases of failed bonding were also found. Furthermore, this study describes different strategies employed in the practice of place making and discusses managerial implications.