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The aim of this paper is to explore how the experiences of international volunteer tourists can contribute to the rejuvenation of the concept of pilgrimage in the contemporary world. Through thematic analysis of the individual portraits, this paper identifies the intertwining of the rejuvenation of pilgrimage with the concepts of meaning, ritual, and transformative experiences within the context of international volunteer tourism. The findings suggest that the current understanding of pilgrimage in contemporary tourism surpasses the notion of a journey to a religious destination, transcending religion itself. This paper extends the comprehension of modern pilgrimage and spirituality, and highlights the necessity for further research into the complex interconnections between tourism, religion, and spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on the literature on whether tourism promotes balanced regional development (BRD) by examining intra-regional disparities as part of total tourism inequality, an issue that is rarely addressed, and then not for a developed country. To that end, Mean Log Deviation (MLD) indices of tourism demand and supply indicators are compared in the case of Greece. The results indicate that inter-regional disparities are the main driver of total inequality, apart from the case of domestic tourism. The latter can be a more effective tool for BRD, which is not accomplished under the current tourism spatial pattern. The paper, lastly, provides recommendations at which level (national or regional) tourism policy becomes more essential to effectively reducing inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of vacation satisfaction on relationship quality in diverse Indian couples. It considers factors such as commitment, relationship type, and demographics. The research also explores the influence of travel motivations on relationship quality, encompassing aspects like goal attainment and commitment. The results indicate that Push and Pull motivations positively contribute to vacation satisfaction, underscoring their role in enhancing satisfaction. Moreover, the study emphasizes the importance of vacation satisfaction, commitment, and relationship quality in overall relationship quality improvement. Notably, different relationship types (cohabiting, not living together, married) do not alter the link between vacation satisfaction and relationship quality. The paper concludes with implications derived from the findings of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapidly emerging development of technology-mediated tourism experiences and place-based digital services for visitors, there is a lack of awareness regarding the spatial implications of technological implementations. Based on a participatory action research method applied in this study on five research-based destination development projects in Sweden, we propose a spatially sensible approach when developing enhanced experiences for visitors through digital technology. This paper is motivated by the emerging criticism of how media technology is shaping and reshaping spaces. Drawing on the theoretical underpinnings of the growing field of geomedia studies, we propose "geomedia sensibility" as a way to offer a sensible approach in the co-creation of digital experiences at destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how online review characteristics contribute to the star ratings of the Top Quick Service Restaurant in the Philippines. We collected a total of 8258 reviews through Data Miner scraping tool. Results showed that the reviews made by the Google local guides, in general, were readable, brief, and more positive in valence. While the SEM results demonstrated causal relationships of review characteristics to star rating, readability and positive tone showed a weak positive effect. In contrast, review length and negative tone had a high negative effect. Positive and negative emotions did not affect GLG's given star ratings. Implications are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how managers test strategies, focusing on their understanding of the strategic planning process, and aims to develop a framework for integrating cutting-edge technologies in strategy testing. We used elite interviews with top hotel managers in Turkey and a hermeneutic approach to establish this framework. Results indicate that managers have limited knowledge of strategy testing, which is not yet recognized as a distinct phase in strategy development. Scenario planning and AI-driven methods are only minimally adopted in the industry. We introduced a “techno-human” model that integrates AI and human-oriented decision-making for strategy testing. Our paper contributes significantly by analysing top managers’ use of testing methods in strategic management and highlighting an overlooked area in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether, following a prolonged health crisis, the offer of a tourist destination coupled with the use of health and safety protocols at the destination, influences brand equity and intention to visit. Specifically, it (a) examines whether the indoor/outdoor activity offers influence brand equity and intention to visit, (b) demonstrates whether health and safety protocols influence brand equity and intention to visit, and (c) tests whether there is a moderating effect by the use of health and safety protocols in destinations specializing in indoor, rather than outdoor, activities. The study is based on an experimental design in which the type of offer (out/indoor activities) and the use of anti-covid protocols versus their non-use were manipulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nationality is considered a highly relevant determinant of tourism expenditure. In this paper, we use survey data to estimate the main determinants of daily tourism expenditure in 2019 for five nationalities of a major coastal destination, the Canary Islands. A total of 38 regressors, based on literature, are used with the help of quantile regression analysis to understand the behaviour patterns of different expenditure segments. To obtain segmented information on the determinants of expenditure, independent quantile regression models for each nationality are estimated and compared. Results show that there are similarities but also some remarkable differences between nationalities regarding income, age, travel group, educational level, or content of the package that can be used in destination management and marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism industry is fragile as it is prone to numerous risks such as the outbreak of deadly viruses, and natural and human-made disasters. These risks have a significant impact on tourists' decisions when choosing a destination and while in a destination. This paper investigates the risks perceived by Australian tourists and how these risks affect their intention to revisit the Pacific Island Country of Fiji. Through a quantitative survey with 301 tourists, augmented by qualitative interviews conducted among management of hotels, as well as the DMO, the results show that tourists continue to perceive Fiji as a relatively safe destination however there are increased in the perceptions of risk concerning disease risk and financial risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although social media studies in tourism are increasingly important, little is known about factors influencing intention of sharing tourism experiences in social media. Tourists are unwilling to share experiences as much as tourism business expected. Thus, this article aims to identify the relevant theories and influencing factors through Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). The paper reviews 31 hospitality and tourism articles published until June 2021. As there is a lack of widely used theory, a model combining the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Technology Acceptance Model is proposed. The study highlights the influencing factors of sharing tourism experiences in social media from different perspectives with an integrated model and provides implications for researchers and destination managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]