In this paper I discuss the use of participatory research as an epistemic philosophy and a
methodology, and explore its relevance to tourism research. Participatory research is
particularly suited to exploring the views and voices of marginalised members in the
community. This paper focuses on the views of children and young people who have been
under-researched in tourism studies particularly from a host community perspective. Some
preliminary findings from my own research with children and young people living in the
iconic Australian tourist destination of Byron Bay are presented, and the benefits of using
participatory research are discussed.