In this episode, Dr. Nikki MacLeod discusses her newly published book, 'Literary Fiction Tourism,' explaining literary tourism as travel inspired by interest in stories or authors. She shares her background in English literature and tourism, her research findings, and offers various examples of literary tourism around the world. The discussion touches on Edinburgh's Harry Potter connections, the impact of multimedia on literary tourism, and the intersection of literary and popular culture tourism.

If you are interested in Dr MacLeod's work and want to explore further, please check her new book "Literary Fiction Tourism: Understanding the Practice of Fiction Inspired Travel'

00:42 Meet Dr. Nikki MacLeod: Expert in Literary Fiction Tourism

01:12 Understanding Literary Fiction Tourism

01:50 Dr. MacLeod's Journey into Literary Tourism

03:39 The Literary Heritage of Edinburgh

04:50 Harry Potter's Influence on Edinburgh Tourism

10:12 Types of Literary Tourism

17:48 The Power of Visual and Literary Combination

22:15 Global Examples of Literary Tourism

26:50 Future of Literary Tourism and Digital Integration

In this episode, our hosts welcome Dr Isabella Ye, a senior lecturer at the University of Greenwich who specialises in travel and hospitality research. Dr Ye discusses her research on travellers' mobility and the impact of passport power on cross-border travel. Drawing from personal experiences, she highlights the contrast between strong and weak passports, emphasizing the barriers faced by holders of weaker passports, especially those from politically unstable regions. The conversation covers topics such as the inequities at border controls, the psychological and financial stresses of travel for weak passport holders, and the ethical implications of the global passport hierarchy. The episode also touches on broader issues, such as stateless individuals and the differences between nationality and citizenship, advocating for more inclusive border policies and humane treatment of travellers.

If you are interested in this topic, please check Dr.Ye's paper 'Contested tourists' border-crossing experiences' published on Annals of Tourism Research.

00:22 Guest Introduction: Dr. Isabella Ye

01:04 Personal Experiences with Travel

02:39 Passport Power and Inequality

06:43 Impact of Weak Passports on Well-being

09:43 Border Control Challenges

14:19 Statelessness and Marginalised Communities

17:05 Advocating for Travel Mobility

21:26 Unexpected Research Findings

24:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Dr Lauren Siegel and Dr Rami Shamseen introduce the 'In The Meantime' podcast, aimed at making academic research accessible and engaging. They discuss their intent to demystify complex research topics, focusing on diverse areas such as virtual worlds, literary tourism, Instagrammable places, digital-free travel, passport power, gender pay gap, and low-key consumption. The podcast is designed for anyone interested in learning about new trends and ideas without the jargon of academic papers, with episodes concise enough to fit a 20-25 minute commute. Despite acknowledging the saturated podcast market, they believe their podcast will find its audience by providing meaningful insights from academic research in an engaging way.