Consulting on the European Union's 2050 tourism policies: An appreciative inquiry materiality assessment

Abstract

Stakeholder consultations serve as powerful legitimising devices upon the balance of participants, the quality of the process and its effective results. We propose a deliberative digital stakeholder consultation methodology based on an appreciative inquiry approach to materiality assessment. We illustrate its application in a four-month consultation for the European Commission (2020 European Tourism Convention, towards a European Agenda for Tourism 2050). An interactive, online consultation (due to COVID-19) enabled dynamism and co-creation. Appreciative enquiry introduced the human elements of ownership and legitimacy towards policy. The choice of topics, language and attitudes reframed problems into opportunities with shared responsibilities. Technology allowed to explore new forms of open, democratic and inclusive engagement, and materiality provided structure and transparency that legitimised the process.