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The 2010 Winter Olympics THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Hotel Industry and Tourism in the Demographic Clusters metro–Vancouver versus the alpine–Resort Whistler Leonard John VAN DER HEYDEN Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration School of Management University of Bradford 2014 The 2010 Winter Olympics: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Hotel Industry and Tourism in the Demographic Clusters metro–Vancouver versus the alpine–Resort Whistler Leonard John VAN DER HEYDEN KEYWORDS: Winter Olympics, Mixed-Methods, Hotel Industry, Tourism, Cluster, metro- Vancouver, alpine-Resort, Whistler ABSTRACT In this thesis, applying an innovative postmodern equal-weight/sequential QUAN→PHEN Mixed-Methods Phenomenological Research (‘MMPR’) approach to study an Olympics’ impact within its two-cluster socio-demographic footprint forms its main contribution to knowledge. Facilitating between-methods triangulation is a novel eclectic pragmatic approach that is used to capture the richness of thematic data flowing from in-depth, open-ended interviews with most – 62 in all – senior Hoteliers spread evenly between distinct urban Metro- Vancouver and rural alpine-Whistler, whilst concurrently capitalizing on the availability of a unique BC Stats proprietary micro-municipal-level secondary data source, i.e., British Columbia’s ‘Additional Hotel Room Tax’ (‘AHRT’). Typically, traditional mono-method-positivist neo-classical economic syntheses are used to quantify an Olympic Games’ ex-ante or ex-post impact. This study’s findings confirm that such syntheses attempts, at the micro-municipal level, lead to inevitable dead-ends. At a sub-national level of micro-granularity, using available economic models is an impossible task due to the insurmountable practical problem of complete lack of, or paucity, of data. When applied to assess mega-events, such modelling is shown to lack credibility; models are insufficiently comprehensive or its users consciously engage in ‘shenanigans’ by force-fitting input/output to produce pre-ordained outcomes for political expedience and meeting agency interests. The ‘MMPR’ approach acknowledges and respects the established and ‘current-thinking’ paradigmatic epistemological and ontological perspectives. ‘Hotel Activity’, measured via ‘AHRT’, is substituted as a ‘Proxy’ for ‘Tourism’ following empirically establishing these three variables as highly correlated. Prevalent academic findings of negative impacts from Winter Olympics are not borne out. Phenomenological issues of ‘illusory correlations’ and ‘data saturation’ are addressed. i DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to all women; those who have loved, inspired and encouraged me throughout my temporal visit here and continue to do so; to those who will always remain close to my heart; including my four daughters – Karen Joy, Wendy Lynn, Cindy Lee, and Mélanie Thérèse Johanna – their love has been boundless even when I frequently seemed otherwise pre-occupied. They have also blessed me with wonderful grandchildren – Eva, Alexandra, Jaden and Kerry. Also, special kudos to my mother Johanna Maria Wernaert who was sent out to work at age 12 – not unusually in the 1930’s – as a mother’s helper, and who in 1950, after four children, enrolled in college and qualified as a Chiropodist in The Netherlands. In 1958, our family immigrated to Canada where 20 years later Mom retired from Bell Canada, as did I a decade ago. Thank you, mama, for your love and passing on the ‘Lifelong Learning’ gene. Last, but not least, the men closest to me by blood. My dad Theo will forever remain an enigma. Old-fashioned, we never talked. He was an electrical engineer and ‘bricoleur’ in the everyday sense of the word. After WWII, I watched him, at arm’s length, build a working TV from a military radar monitor discarded by the Allied Forces well before TVs were sold. He seemed to be able to fix anything from appliances to motor cars. I watched, learned, and was inspired to follow the pursuit of engineering. I am reminded of him whenever I happen to hear that song ‘The Living Years’ by ‘Mike and the Mechanics’. My son Leonard Todd is a communicator par excellence; a journalist who never stops talking. In retirement, I am now typically referred to as “Oh … you’re Todd’s dad”; a heart-warming compliment. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this DBA thesis, while hopefully not the end of a life-long learning journey, is certainly a crowning and rewarding milestone. I want to thank my partner Francine Perreault and youngest daughter Mélanie who have encouraged and supported me throughout this long and, at times, arduous quest. During this academic pursuit, the three of us together, have travelled across several continents to South Korea, The Bahamas, Spain, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom; and, of course, across our home country Canada from the Atlantic, across to the Pacific, and up to the Arctic Ocean. My grown-up children, Karen, Wendy, Cindy, Todd, and Mélanie along with my grandchildren Eva, Alexandra, Jaden, and Kerry, continue to hold that special place in my life reserved for those closest to one’s heart. In our case, there is no greater gift than the gift of family. I am enormously proud of them and ‘love them to death’. My decision to pursue the DBA was prescient. In post-retirement, it has kept me engaged, challenged and more aware of the blessings of family, old and new friends, and good health. I want to thank two academics for their support and advocacy on my behalf throughout this journey. Firstly, Dr. Eva Niemann who recommended my admission to the DBA programme. Ever since that day, long ago in Bonn, she has been an ardent supporter and advocate on my behalf when I ran into some serious medical adversities. I hold her in the highest of esteem and affection. Also, Professor Colin R. Martin; Colin graciously agreed to take on the role of principal thesis supervisor a mere ten months prior the thesis submission deadline. Colin has been an outstanding and brilliant supervisor. I have benefitted greatly from his insight and responsiveness while he skillfully guided the transition from a purely quantitative to a mixed- methods thesis, the Viva process, and final thesis submission. Without Eva and Colin’s support and encouragement, this academic quest would inevitably have ended in a cul-de-sac checkmate. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i DEDICATION ..................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv TABLE OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................... ix TABLE OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................................. x TABLE OF CHARTS .............................................................................................................................. xi TABLE OF MAPS .................................................................................................................................. xi LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS ................................................................................................................... xii LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................ xii CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 1.1 – A PERSONAL JOURNEY ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 – BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY .................................................................................................. 2 1.3 – CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ..................................................................................................... 3 1.4 – PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................................... 3 1.5 – THE PROFESSIONAL DOCTORATE ........................................................................................... 4 1.6 – TOURISM AS A DISCIPLINE ....................................................................................................... 5 1.7 – FROM MACRO ‘TOURISM’ TO MICRO ‘WINTER OLYMPICS’ ................................................ 6 1.8 – OLYMPICS ..................................................................................................................................... 7 1.9 – OLYMPICS IN CANADA ............................................................................................................... 8 1.10 – WINTER OLYMPICS ................................................................................................................... 9 1.11 – THE 2010 VANCOUVER XXI WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES ..................................................... 9 1.12 – OLYMPIC GAMES IMPACT ON THE HOTEL INDUSTRY ..................................................... 11 1.13 – COSMOPOLITAN-VANCOUVER VERSUS ALPINE-WHISTLER .......................................... 11 1.14 – RESEARCH (EPISTEMOLOGY) & REALITIES (ONTOLOGY) .............................................. 12 1.14.1 – EPISTEMOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 12 1.14.2 – ONTOLOGY
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