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Selling Authentic Happiness: Indigenous wellbeing and romanticised inequality in tourism advertising

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  • Phillips, Tarryn
  • Taylor, John
  • Narain, Edward
  • Chandler, Philippa

Abstract

An international campaign launched in 2019 encourages tourists to visit Fiji, where the locals may not be wealthy yet are ‘rich in happiness.’ Drawing on critical discourse analysis, this paper investigates the history and implications of commodifying economic assumptions about indigenous happiness and wellbeing. Invoking contemporary neoliberal approaches to ‘positive psychology’, the campaign repackages historically-entrenched colonial stereotypes about the ‘happy native’ while ostensibly inviting reflexivity about the negative impacts of Western capitalism on human wellbeing. In doing so, it problematically romanticises poverty and rationalises continued labour exploitation in tourism. We argue that commodifying anti-monetary logics about subjective wellbeing in the Global South paradoxically serves to justify and further entrench objective economic inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Phillips, Tarryn & Taylor, John & Narain, Edward & Chandler, Philippa, 2021. "Selling Authentic Happiness: Indigenous wellbeing and romanticised inequality in tourism advertising," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:87:y:2021:i:c:s0160738320302590
    DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2020.103115
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Harrison & Biman Prasad, 2013. "The Contribution Of Tourism To The Development Of Fiji And Other Pacific Island Countries," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Clement A Tisdell (ed.), Handbook of Tourism Economics Analysis, New Applications and Case Studies, chapter 32, pages 741-761, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. Des Gasper, 2005. "Subjective and Objective Well-Being in Relation to Economic Inputs: Puzzles and Responses," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 63(2), pages 177-206.
    3. Kay Smith, Melanie & Diekmann, Anya, 2017. "Tourism and wellbeing," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 1-13.
    4. Harald Strotmann & Jürgen Volkert, 2018. "Multidimensional Poverty Index and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 167-189, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yang Gao & Mengmeng Li & Qingning Li & Keji Huang & Shiwei Shen, 2022. "Inheritors’ Happiness and Its Relevant Factors in Intangible Cultural Heritage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-17, October.

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