“Other People, Other Times and Special Places”: A Social Representations Perspective of Cycling in a Tourism Destination

Abstract

A social representations framework and a mixed methods approach was used to analyse cycling in a UK destination (Purbeck, Dorset). An initial exploratory interview phase provided in-depth knowledge of social contexts and facilitated a subsequent quantitative phase employing travel diaries and a questionnaire survey. Cycling was considered a leisure practice frequently associated with “other” people that was marginalised, isolated from everyday life and situated in other places at other times. While there is potential for cycling to be developed as a tourism product, the need to transport cycles to special places makes it questionable as a sustainable practice. The findings show how, in the absence of actual experience of cycling, social conceptions shape people's knowledge of cycling and the potential for cycle use.