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Individuals' participation in tourism recreation events can be constrained by a number of situational factors and can also be bolstered by key influences such as a desire for a particular social identity. This study extends the current body of research by investigating the effects of social identity, motivation, and perceived constraints on desire, and thus on the intent to participate in organized motorcycle tourism events. This research was carried out on a sample of participants at an internationally acclaimed motorbike event: the Transitalia Marathon. The results of the structural model indicate that social identity has a positive influence on motivation, the desire to participate, and the intent to participate. In addition, social identity has a negative, direct effect on perceived constraints, which in turn have a negative effect on motivation. This motivation has a positive, direct influence on the desire to participate. The practical and research implications of this study are presented herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholder tourism development has revolved around the sustainable branding concept and brand engagement challenges. Addressing concerns on branding and sustainability, this study aims to investigate the stakeholder destination image (socioenvironment, infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and pleasant atmosphere) impact on destination brand (brand meaning, presented brand, brand awareness, and brand equity) with the mediating role of stakeholder brand engagement (behavioral, affective and cognitive). We draw on the self-congruity theory to develop hypotheses and collect data from different stakeholder groups (local people, visitors, and entrepreneurs) (N = 350). Structural equation modeling with second-order analysis was undertaken using SmartPLS 3.3.9. Our results show the significance of stakeholder destination image in positively building destination brand. The results also showed that stakeholder brand engagement partially mediates between destination image and destination brand. Our study provides implications for theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a dearth of scholarly attention to the relationship of destination aesthetic and restorative qualities, this research investigates the connection between destination aesthetic and restorative qualities. It also explores the interrelationship between restorative and aesthetic qualities in nature-based and urban destinations. Associations between destination aesthetic qualities (Locale Characteristics, Scope, Upkeep, Accord, Perceived Age, and Shape) and restorative qualities (Compatibility, Extent, Mentally Away, Physically Away, Discord, and Fascination) were estimated by canonical correlation analysis. In nature-based destinations, the results illuminate the criticality of experiential characteristics of nature aesthetics to perceived destination restorative qualities and of fascination to destination aesthetic qualities. In urban destinations, findings indicate the importance of experiential characteristics of destinations and compatibility of tourists' needs and predispositions to vacation destination characteristics. Implications to tourism experience design are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a comparative study of the destination competitiveness of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau and those strategies developed to enhance their future positions in the global destination "marketplace." The methodology adopted is secondary in nature in that a critical review of the existing literature was conducted along with a synthesis of current practices across the three city-state destinations. The 15 Cs Framework provides the research parameters for the study in that it advocates an inclusive approach to those challenges and opportunities facing destinations as they seek to enhance their overall competitiveness. In particular, the study explores the specific approaches of the three destinations in terms of their similarity to thematically grouped clusters of the 15 Cs. The article closes by highlighting particular opportunities and challenges and potential management approaches that could be adopted within the destinations for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic and social changes have had dramatic effects on regional areas. In a search for diversification, tourism and film may be targeted by these regions. Challenges of regional planning, however, include lack of local expertise, decentralized decision making, and diverse stakeholder groups. Specifically for film tourism this includes anticipating visitation numbers and assessing potential negative impacts. Broken Hill, located in Outback Australia, was used to investigate the complementary integration of film into regional development and tourism strategies. A stakeholder engagement process that adopted a transactive approach was implemented. The main findings of this process highlighted the need to develop the strong film presence into a visitor-friendly product, coordinating the film product with other destination strengths, establishing an expert and sector-diverse governance team, and developing a consistent brand with film as a component. Implications for other regional areas include considering how a film presence can be harnessed to develop film tourism experience opportunities, utilizing film tourism and production expertise to develop a coordinated and sustainable product, and to promote film experiences reflective of their place in the destination hierarchy. Finally, for film tourism, is the need to utilize representations of the range of destination experiences in film in destination marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to determine the suitability of the dyadic approach and the network relationship approach when engaging destination stakeholders and to identify the roles of the public sector within destination management. These study aims are investigated in the context of Mbombela Local Municipality, South Africa. A conceptual framework was developed based on a literature review. Data were then collected through official documents, 55 semistructured interviews with key stakeholders, a local economic summit, forum discussions, and 504 demand- and 403 supply-side questionnaires. The study findings suggest that the network relationship approach was the most suitable approach for the engagement of destination stakeholders. In addition to the roles identified in previous studies, the study findings identified several additional roles that the public sector should fulfill in destination management. Based on the study findings, a new conceptual framework for the role of the public sector in destination management has been proposed. By utilizing the conceptual framework developed in this study, destinations can engage their stakeholders more effectively and increase the attractiveness of their destinations. This is one of a few studies from Africa providing empirical findings on destination management and the role of the public sector within destination management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since customers increasingly base purchase decisions on online reviews, tourism has to constantly manage and evaluate the whole service chain from the guests' perspective. Service design as a contemporary approach provides methods to analyze and visualize service chains in a holistic and user-centered manner. A customer journey map visualizes a sequence of direct and indirect touchpoints. Touchpoints are moments in which customers encounter a certain brand or destination from their first online search, their evaluation through social media, and the booking process, as well as the travel and stay itself and writing subsequent online reviews. The intentional design of service systems through the eyes of customers is becoming fundamental to compete for customer' s satisfaction. Service design builds on ethnographic research of real-life customers. However, quantitative and classic ethnographic research methods tend to fail when applied on the spacial scope and temporal extension of customer journeys in the field of tourism. In consequence, the innovative approach of mobile ethnography was developed to overcome this problem through integrating tourists as active investigators using smartphones. Mobile ethnography contrasts with other quantitative and qualitative research methods through its open approach. It is the guests who decide what is a touchpoint during their individual customer journey. This article reports on an EU-funded pilot study applying mobile ethnography in seven European tourism destinations. The findings of the study in St. Anton, Austria demonstrate the research design of mobile ethnographic research for tourism destinations and indicate its potential to iteratively improve the customer experience in a destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism destination governance is a topic that has been attracting the interest of scholars in the tourism field due to the difficulties associated with the management of destinations that are characterized by high fragmentation. Nevertheless, there is a lack of studies addressing the topic of the stakeholder coordination that is needed so that all stakeholders work towards the development and promotion of the destination in a comprehensive and unique way. The present research aims to explore this somewhat neglected area of tourism research by studying how stakeholders working within a destination are coordinated. In order to achieve this aim, a case study approach on the city of Edinburgh in Scotland was applied. Two partnerships were studied: one was responsible for promoting the city as a place to live, invest, work, and study, and the other was responsible for the city's tourism development. Secondary data such as documents and reports from the two partnerships were analyzed and primary data were collected through 12 semistructured interviews with people involved in one or both partnerships. The results show that coordination needs to be carried out by adopting several mechanisms that can be used in conjunction in order to complement each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destination management (DM) is a collaborative process requiring destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to reconcile the diverging interests of various stakeholders and actively involve them in decision- and policy-making processes. Web 2.0 tools and e-democracy applications empower DMOs to further enhance the role and deepen the participation of tourism stakeholders in such collaborative DM processes. However, the literature has paid limited attention to such issues. This article synthesizes literature from four fields [namely stakeholder theory, collaborative decision making, collaborative destination management (CDM), and e-democracy] for developing a framework showing how DMOs can exploit Web 2.0 for developing collaborative decision-making processes for DM. The theoretical and practical implications of this framework are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development pattern of a tourism destination network is a factor in determining the growth of each tourism destination. This research note provides an analytical framework to investigate the dynamic properties of a tourism destination network and separately estimate the individual and destination benefits from destination network development. The method assumes network development is a dynamic process and uses estimates from expert assessors to measure the changes in network properties over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destination management is an important competitive marketing method for global tourism destinations. Especially, when cooperated with image and brand management, it helps destinations to stand out from today's severe crowd of competition. The successful and efficient destination management companies usually play a major role in marketing their destinations, but there exists a conflict in literature on the level of involvement in related marketing activities. Though managing an autonomous organization having its' own budget and freedom in decision making seems to be the best solution to meet the rapidly changing trends and needs of global tourists, it needs to be analyzed within the organizations' managerial level. The aim of this article is to determine the perspectives of DMO managers from the most important two destinations in Turkey, which is a very popular country that is usually in the first 10 in the international tourism market. The destinations chosen are Istanbul and Izmir, which by using destination management within the last 10 years were able to become popular global brands in the world market by increasing their share rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism distribution research to date has essentially taken a tier-by-tier approach to questions of channel structure and channel relationships rather than a nodal network approach. This article provides a new perspective by extending existing notions of distribution channels through a more explicit articulation of tourism distribution in network terms. It is based on a review of the literature and is informed by the experience of undertaking a major 5-year project on tourism distribution in New Zealand. Concepts and examples of tourism distribution networks are outlined; limitations in existing distribution research reviewed; ways to take network analysis forward are suggested and illustrated with examples; and the management implications for firms and destination management organizations are outlined. Steps to operationalize a network approach to tourism distribution include identifying the focal actors, considering the form of network and the structural dimensions to be analyzed, developing typologies and exploring network relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer complaints are an important factor for service providers; effective handling of consumer complaints can be a key to acquiring loyal customers. However, despite the abundance of studies on customer complaints regarding goods and service products of hotels and restaurants, there is a lack of research on customer complaints regarding tourism destinations. Aiming to specifically focus on customer complaints about a tourist destination, researchers of this text investigated (1) what types of complaints foreign tourists have, (2) how they tend to report their complaints and to whom, and (3) what sorts of practical measures they recommend to resolve their own complaints. To achieve this, an on-site self-administered survey was undertaken on foreign charter tourists visiting the southwest part of Turkey during the summer of 2004. Results showed that tourists had several complaints and several suggestions about resolving their complaints, mostly with monetary compensation. The article includes managerial implications and future research suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]