Negotiating a local gaze: Belfast tour guides and the challenge of post-conflict representation

Abstract

Since the conclusion of the Troubles in 1998, Belfast’s tourism industry has boomed. Yet, tourists still visit Belfast to learn about the conflict and tour guides must present a narrative of the conflict that is both educational for tourists and respectful of locals’ differing experiences. Conceptualized through the concept of the local gaze, this article uncovers how tour guides construct a narrative about the conflict in the shared city center. Data were collected during 3 months of ethnographic fieldwork, participant observation of guided tours and semi-structured interviews with tour guides. The findings show how the legacy of the conflict is incorporated into guided tours. Guides act with awareness of a local gaze during the tour. They are sensitive to the possibility of offending a local passerby when talking about the Troubles and are careful to neutralize their tour narrative. However, opinions about how the Troubles should be presented are not fixed and tour guides push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable. More broadly, the findings show that tourism can provide a platform for discussions about how the past can or should be remembered in post-conflict societies.