Volume: 11  Number: 1  Page: 1–23  doi:10.2167/cit338.0

When Tourists Become Data: Consumption, Surveillance and Commerce

Adam Weaver Victoria Management School, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand

This paper addresses the way in which data obtained from tourists are used by corporations. These data are typically captured and recorded when tourists make purchases. As consumption practices are more closely analysed, they become part of the production process and also shape the way in which products are marketed. The synthesis of data collection and surveillance – or ‘dataveillance’ – makes customisation possible; it enables corporations to identify niche markets and reduce uncertainty. Reward schemes enable mass dataveillance to occur. They provide consumers with reward points each time a purchase is made. The provision of reward points not only promotes more consumption, it also makes dataveillance more acceptable and attractive to consumers. A study that examines private sector data collection provides an opportunity to explore the power relationships that underwrite the connection between observers and the observed. The way in which dataveillance is deployed by corporations also speaks to the relationship between rationalisation and enchantment. Procedures and systems that are a manifestation of the rationalisation process shape the manner in which enchantment is produced for consumers. Without the systematised exercise of dataveillance, corporations could not be as responsive to tastes and preferences exhibited by consumers. Their ability to produce enchanted experiences would be impaired.

Keywords: surveillance, consumption, production, customisation, rationalisation, enchantment

© 2008 A. Weaver

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