Search

Aim: The aim of this study is to understand the development of windsports and the challenges faced by wind-based leisure activities. Methods: The socio-historical dynamics behind the development of wind leisure are analysed on the basis of specialised tourism blogs, as well as a field study carried out in the Northeast Region of Brazil, combining ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews with 6 wind leisure enthusiasts. All the data is processed using the serious leisure perspective tools developed by Stebbins, and the body ecology tools developed by Andrieu et al. Results: The results show that wind sports provide a dual continuum. First of all, there are the practitioners, from Neophyte to Devotee Worker. Then there is the junction between land, water and air, where wind practices ensure a dual aesthetic. On the one hand, riders are united by a community of flow, emotion and sensation mediated by their relationship with the wind and the creation of play materials (waves, lagoons, trade winds). On the other hand, the tourist development of these practices serves a political narrative based on postcard aesthetics, enabling wind concessions to be traded for the development of wind farms. Conclusion: this original research calls for a more systematic exploration of wind practices and the hybridisation of natural elements, which seems to illustrate the crisis that modern sport and its institutions are going through today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractArctic destinations are continually reshaping their global identities to manage external expectations about the region. Existing portrayals of Greenland often stereotype the area as untouched wilderness or oversimplify its social, economic, and cultural realities. Our study combines visual analysis of cultural landscape and cultural ecosystem services (CES) to unveil a novel narrative in Greenland’s sustainable tourism branding we termed ‘landscape as homeland’. Empirically this research is based on the photographic database of Greenland’s national destination marketing organization. We explore Greenland’s destination branding as a strategic tool to define local meanings of sustainable tourism, homeland, and “Arcticness” in a branding that distinctively positions itself amidst Arctic destinations. Using pictured landscape as a dwelling place discerns locally valued CES, and realigns tourist engagements toward a culturally and ecologically integrated relationship. Applications of these findings extend to other rapidly changing regions seeking to expand economic opportunities, harnessing the synergy between destination branding and sustainable tourism. We reflect on the efficacy of our integrated CES and cultural landscape research to reveal local framings of the tourism-sustainability tension. We highlight the role of destination marketing organizations to bridge the gap between local identity, visitor expectations, and sustainable tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies information dissemination theory, consumer information behavior theory, signaling theory, and value co-creation theory to investigate the effects of companies' online platform operations from a tourism company perspective. We gathered data from 51 listed tourism companies in China between 1992 and 2022 to test these impacts. Results showed that using online platforms could improve listed tourism companies' performance, but not all platforms played the same role. Of the three online platforms we tested, official websites and WeChat accounts had significant positive influences on listed tourism companies' performance; Weibo had no effect. Group research revealed that online platforms most effectively enhanced hotels' performance, followed by comprehensive tourism companies. Resource tourism companies received no obvious impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intense competition amongst travel apps, regardless of their popularity, has made repurchase intention a critical financial challenge for travel providers. By combining the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and the New Economic Geography (NEG) theory, this research examined how city tier disparities influence the experiential features of travel apps and user repurchase intentions. Survey data was acquired from 739 travel app users in China. The findings indicate that a set of context-based experiential features significantly influences utilitarian and hedonic values, and consequently leading to a notable increase in repurchase intentions. In addition, the outcomes of a multigroup analysis revealed that China's users located in tier 1 city (i.e. Beijing) and tier 3 city (i.e. Kunming) had distinct effects on the hypothesised relationships. Theoretically, the research provides extensive implications to information systems and tourism literatures; whilst offering some actionable insights to travel practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainable tourism development is derived from sustainable development. Building tourism with the framework of sustainable development has become a necessary effective way. This study examined the abstracts and titles of 1783 sustainable development and 692 sustainable tourism development related papers from 2012 to 2021 as textual data sources through the Web of Science core database. Using text mining and semantic network as analysis methods, this paper summarizes eight main clusters of sustainable development and sustainable tourism development in the past 10 years. Based on this, this paper compares the differences between the two researches and explores four potential research areas in sustainable tourism development: (1) threats to sustainability; (2) ecology and health; (3) stakeholder cooperation and roles; and (4) tourism development planning. In addition, the visual network knowledge structure intuitively captures the relationship between the different keywords in the clustering, which provides an important reference value for broadening the future research direction of sustainable tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deepening application of information technology in the field of tourism, tourism informatics as a new research field came into being. In this study, qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to systematically summarize and evaluate the related research of tourism informatics. First, the history and global structure were summarized; Second, the research theories, data, and methods were analyzed. Third, five genres of content were explored: the tourism information industry; spatiotemporal analysis of tourism informatics; data mining in tourism informatics; tourism information behavior; tourism network marketing. The study found that the emerging topics of tourism informatics are constantly proposed, and the research boundaries are constantly expanded. The research gradually develops from the static phenomenon to the comprehensive application of multidisciplinary methods, theories and multiple heterogeneous data. But the research of tourism informatics has many problems, this paper discusses these problems and puts forward the the future research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text discusses the field of ecolinguistics, which explores the relationship between language and ecology. The special issue of the Journal of World Languages focuses on the influence of language on our perceptions of nature and society. The contributions in this issue analyze various types of discourse, such as advertising, tourism, politics, and online communication, to uncover how language shapes and is shaped by societal imaginaries. Ecolinguistics can be seen as a critical paradigm that challenges dominant narratives and promotes environmental stewardship. It also explores more positive approaches that emphasize cultural sensitivity and inclusivity. The special issue includes research articles that examine topics such as corporate advertising, tourism promotion, indigenous knowledge, youth-generated environmental discourses, animal imagery in digital discourse, news reports on elephants, and the representation of nature in language textbooks. The future of ecolinguistic research lies in exploring indigenous and local knowledge systems, analyzing environmental narratives in media and politics, and intersecting with fields like ecopsychology and environmental education. The goal is to develop a deeper understanding of how language can contribute to a sustainable future. [Extracted from the article]

In recent years, cultural tourism has increasingly embraced museum visits. Museums serve as both cultural heritage guardians and integral parts of tourist destinations, significantly impacting visitor satisfaction and experience. Moreover, online museum reviews have become a crucial indicator of museum service quality, visitor experience, and public feedback in the digital age. An analysis of online reviews on major tourism websites and social media platforms can assist museums in developing appropriate management strategies. This study employed the structural topic model (STM) to analyze online museum reviews, identifying three primary attributes of museums and visitors' personal experiences, as well as 19 sub-attributes. The study confirmed that core offerings have a positive impact on visitor experience and satisfaction, while peripheral services and overall ambiance are also positively related to visitor experience and satisfaction. Furthermore, the results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that visitors' personal experiences have a positive impact on satisfaction. The results of structural equation modeling analysis support all seven hypothesized relationships. These findings will assist museum managers in developing effective management strategies and future plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, leveraging search engine data, investigates the dynamics of China's domestic tourism markets in response to the August 2022 epidemic outbreak in Xinjiang. It focuses on understanding the reaction mechanisms of tourist-origin markets during destination crises in the post-pandemic phase. Notably, the research identifies a continuous rise in the potential tourism demand from tourist origin cities, despite the challenges posed by the epidemic. Further analysis uncovers a regional disparity in the growth of tourism demand, primarily influenced by the economic stratification of origin markets. Additionally, the study examines key tourism attractions such as Duku Road, highlighting its resilient competitive system, which consists of distinctive tourism experiences, economically robust tourist origins, diverse tourist markets, and spatial pattern stability driven by economic factors in source cities, illustrating an adaptive response to external challenges such as crises. The findings provide new insights into the dynamics of tourism demand, offering a foundation for developing strategies to bolster destination resilience and competitiveness in times of health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies and the practices that follow, from reviews and recommendations on websites to content on social media platforms characterised by real-time connectivity are now inseparable from tourist experiences. Further, the technological, and infrastructural configurations that underpin digital practices in tourism are increasingly impinged upon by non-human actors (such as algorithms and data governance and regulatory measures). This special issue considers the ways in which data in the form of content, digital infrastructures and algorithmic governance shape and transform knowledge generated within and about tourism destinations and the populations who inhabit them. We focus on digital technologies as part of emerging media technologies to emphasise the material and regulatory assemblages that are increasingly inseparable from automated processes that facilitate the collection and appropriation of data on behalf of digital platform corporations. Emerging media technologies in the tourist encounter consider such engagements across different sensory exchanges, where tourists experience other places, landscapes, weather, people, sights and knowledge. Significant issues related to the role of digital technologies such as the inequalities they may perpetuate through the platformization of tourist destinations, the impacts of 'smartness' and the ways in which digital infrastructures are embedded in wider geopolitical relations of territorialization and contestation have been increasingly recognised in tourism geographies, yet comparative regional studies are still limited. We establish a research agenda to call for further, comparative research into the unfolding consequences of the role of digital infrastructures and algorithmic governance in the shaping of tourism destinations and the practices that follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of tourism village websites aims to promote the potential of tourism villages in Indonesia. However, the increasing use of social media has reduced the intensity of websites being used. This research aims to determine whether the tourism village websites still influence tourists to visit the tourism village and whether it is relevant to the government's goals. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires and producing a valid sample of 242 respondents who actively use the Internet and have the potential to travel. The research model design was created by combining the DeLone & McLean IS success model with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data were analysed using the Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Square (SEM PLS). The results show that the variables of information quality, service, and design positively affect trust, usability, ease of use, and enjoyment, positively affecting the intention to use the website. However, trust does not significantly influence the intention to use the website on the acceptance model. The frequent use of the tourism village website positively affects the tourist's motivation for the actual visit. Therefore, deeper analysis is needed to determine the variables that affect tourist confidence in developing acceptance models for further research. In addition, this research has practical implications for the government in making decisions regarding developing tourism village websites in terms of interface, user experience, information, and features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safari holidays are now a major part of the African tourist industry and food has become an essential aspect of the adventure. In the late nineteenth century, rugged imperialist explorers shot and consumed many of the large African animals, while after the First World War, luxury safaris for the rich became the norm. First as gentlemen explorers, and then as guides on hunting safaris, 'Great White Hunters' and their pervasive ideology of muscular Christianity prevailed. The period from the late nineteenth through the first part of the twentieth century is looked back upon as the golden age of the safari. Today, many safari tourists are provided with 'fine cuisine', but with accompanying 'nods' to the food of this golden age. At the same time, some safari guides provide reenactments of cooking on an open fire in the bush. Safari lodges and camps have had to cater to an increasing diversity of tourists and to manage the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic. Online advertisements for Safari companies depict carefully organized meals with views across the African savannah where dangerous encounters with wild animals may be envisaged. The companies often promote subtle and nostalgic invocations of the past providing the tourists with a 'back in time tourism'. In preparing this article, books on safari cuisine, accounts by safari guides and some individual tourists, and many safari company online websites were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hotel booking websites to collect information about hospitality products/services are becoming more popular in the hotel industry. As a result, the importance of these websites for tourism firms marketing their services and products through electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on these hotel booking websites continues to grow. Despite its importance, there has been little research on how guests interact with information to increase eWOM. This paper creates a new scale for assessing guest interaction with Meituan.com information to fill this void. To this end, a three-step mixed-methods approach using open-ended surveys and published relevant research is used. Data were gathered from 440 hotel guests in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong. Using SmartPLS 4, confirmatory factor analysis revealed 33 final items for the new scale. This paper significantly contributes to potential guest behavior by creating and confirming this new scale in the hospitality context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the government's strong interest in Indonesia's economic activities, especially in the context of post-COVID-19 economic recovery. The objective is to qualitatively analyze economic recovery strategies, especially in the MSME and tourism sectors, which have a significant impact on economic growth. A dynamic systems approach with qualitative methods was applied for collecting data through interviews, observations, and the use of secondary data from authentic articles. The findings highlight the need for support in the MSME sector, including improving the quality of human resources, financial management, tax incentives, credit relief and restructuring, increased working capital financing, product support, and e-learning training. The tourism sector requires innovation and diversification in the areas of product development, destinations, and tourism infrastructure management. This study makes a novel contribution by presenting a qualitative system dynamics conceptual model for post-COVID-19 economic recovery strategies. Future research will focus on testing and validating the components of this model in the context of MSMEs and tourism and will help policymakers, management teams, and relevant stakeholders in their efforts to recover MSMEs and tourism sectors from the impacts of disasters. This will have a significant impact on everyone involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the spatial distribution of tourism resources and the identification of its influencing factors are crucial for supporting the sustainable development of regional tourism. This study established a comprehensive database of tourism resources in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Ningxia) through a combination of literature review and field research. It examined the quantitative, qualitative, and categorical characteristics of tourism resources in Ningxia, and determined the spatial patterns based on kernel density and spatial association analysis. This study also comprehensively evaluated the societal, economic, and environmental factors influencing the spatial distribution of tourism resources in the entire region by employing the geographical detector model to quantify the influence of each factor. The following results were obtained. (1) There were 29218 individual tourism resources in Ningxia, comprising eight main types, 23 subtypes, and 105 fundamental types, and they exhibit a hierarchical pyramidal structure. (2) The tourism resources in Ningxia displayed characteristics of "widespread regional dispersion and limited regional agglomeration". The spatial distribution of tourism resources was highly imbalanced, and most types of tourism resources exhibit strong positive spatial correlation. (3) The altitude, annual precipitation, population density, distance from urban centers, urbanization rate, and per capita GDP were identified as significant factors influencing the spatial distribution of tourism resources in Ningxia. Based on the results, we recommend that the government should formulate tourism development policies in Ningxia based on local conditions to effectively address the spatial imbalances, enhance the sustainability of tourism development, and continue to promote high-quality tourism development in Ningxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burgeoning field of sustainable tourism in historically significant urban districts has derived increasing attention in tandem with broader urban economic development. The perceived image of a tourist destination significantly affects tourist consumption behaviors and destination choices, while negative evaluations provide destination managers with insights for targeted improvements to tourist amenities, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of these historically significant districts. This study leveraged Python 3.12.3 software to collect online textual data from popular tourism websites, specifically Ctrip 8.71.4 and Mafengwo 11.1.7. Then, ROST CM6.0 software facilitated high-frequency word analysis, network semantic analysis, and sentiment analysis to outline the perceived image and characteristics of the Macau Historic District, a UNESCO World Heritage site, from the perspective of tourists. The findings are as follows: (1) The image of the Historic Centre of Macao as a tourist destination comprises four primary dimensions: cultural (16.02%), landscape (30.85%), emotional (16.97%), and local (36.16%). (2) Tourists perceive the Historic Centre of Macao as a blend of dynamism and tranquility, tradition, and modernity. (3) Emotional evaluations of the Historic Centre of Macao as a tourist destination are primarily positive (85.45%), whereas negative sentiments constitute 5.76%, with recurring themes pertaining to overcrowding, high prices, a lack of interactive experiences at attractions, excessive commercialization, and insufficient public rest facilities. These findings offer valuable directives for the future planning and development of tourism in Macau, a city recognized for its World Heritage status. (4) In summary, the thematic image of the Historic Centre of Macao can be considered authentic, romantic, and commercialized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Technology is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Technology is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the context of a globalized world where travel enthusiasts seek personalized recommendations for their favourite destinations, the study delves into sentiment analysis and travel recommendation systems. While previous research has explored various aspects of tourism destination selection, this work explores the use of star ratings to create sentiment lexicons tailored to specific domains. However, a notable limitation is the absence of a comprehensive investigation into the effectiveness of sentiment analysis techniques, in conjunction with star ratings, in accurately capturing review sentiment. This article aims to address this limitation by introducing a novel model that combines explicit sentiment scores and star ratings to predict optimal travel destinations based on user preferences. The model collects data from TripAdvisor but faces challenges related to noisy and non-informative elements such as HTML tags. To streamline the categorization process, preprocessing techniques like tokenization, stemming, and stop-word removal are applied. The study leverages Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modelling to extract user choice topics from the collected review data. Additionally, Correlated Topic Modeling (CTM) is employed to capture correlations between latent topics. The Morphological Linear Neural Network (MLNN) model is introduced to generate sentiment scores for textual content. These scores are then combined with star ratings from reviews to determine the most suitable destination. Furthermore, the study predicts average cumulative ratings by considering projected emotion scores and star ratings through the cumulative gain model. Implementation is carried out using Python software on a dataset comprising 67,871 samples. Evaluation metrics, including an F1-score of 89%, precision of 86%, and recall of 87%, indicate high performance in sentiment classification. The model exhibits an accuracy of approximately 95% and an RMSE value of 0.287, affirming its efficiency in polarity classification. Comparative analyses against state-of-the-art methods demonstrate the proposed model's superiority in terms of accuracy, precision, and recall. The practical implications of this model are underscored by its successful implementation and impressive evaluation results, highlighting its potential for enhancing personalized travel recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Baghdad Science Journal is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The transition to a neoliberal economy that has been happening in Northern Canada has promised increasing control over resources to residents. Yet, the neoliberal approach carries significant risk, especially as it attempts to extract profit from failed and abandoned public projects—what Anna Tsing calls “salvage accumulation”. In Churchill, Manitoba, the primary economic drivers—shipping and tourism—have turned the town as a place into a particular type of salvage commodity. Built upon abandoned infrastructure, non‐human nature, the collapse of other industries, and the changing climate, these industries rely upon the overall place image of Churchill to bring non‐market goods into the commodity process. This process removes local control of place image (and experience) yet still embeds the risk of the venture in the location itself. Salvage accumulation as an entrepreneurial practice unequally distributes the risk onto residents while allowing the profits to accrue elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the digital transformation of the administrative environment and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, official endorsers have nurtured a new channel for tourism destination marketing, which is of great significance to local economic recovery. However, less attention has been paid to the different effects of endorsement between ordinary endorsers and official endorsers, mainly due to their contrasting social statuses. To bridge the research gap, the source credibility model and social identity theory are integrated to construct the distinctive attributes of officials, as well as structural equation model is utilized to explore the underlying mechanism of official endorsement. Findings indicate that trustworthiness, the sense of authority, expertise, and attractiveness have direct positive effects on official identification, while also indirectly influencing tourists' attitudes toward the destination through official identification. These findings provide theoretical and managerial implications for the local government managers involved in tourism destination marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of Chinese tourists exhibit reluctance in trusting and using Official Tourism Destination Websites (OTDWs). To address this hesitancy, our study developed an integrated framework and structural model based on Hofstede's cultural values (CV) and perceived administration service power (PASP) to explore methods for enhancing tourists' trust in OTDWs. This research investigated the impacts of collectivism, low power distance, high context, local distinctiveness, perceived economic management power, perceived tourism management power, perceived benevolence, and perceived integrity on CV and PASP. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze questionnaires completed by 324 Chinese tourists with experience in traveling and using OTDWs. The overall fit of our structural model was acceptable, and the Cronbach's Alpha values indicated adequate reliability. Findings revealed that tourists' trust in OTDWs is positively and significantly influenced by collectivism, low power distance, high context, and perceived benevolence. Furthermore, CV positively impacts PASP. Consequently, OTDW management departments should give special attention to collectivism, low power distance, high context, and perceived benevolence to enhance tourists' trust in OTDWs. The study's results offer valuable insights for tourism destination managers to understand tourists' preferences and optimize OTDWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tigers are one of the most recognized and charismatic predator on earth, yet their habitats have declined, their numbers are low, and substantial threats to their survival persist. Although, tiger conservation is high priority globally and tigers are generally considered well studied, there has been no comprehensive global assessment of tiger-related publications aimed at identifying trends, assessing their status and pinpointing research gaps. Utilizing PRISMA framework, we conducted an extensive search across multiple databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, to gather research related to Bengal tigers. Following thorough screening, we selected and evaluated 491 articles published between 2010 and 2022 to address these issues. The results show that publications on Bengal tigers have steadily on rise, with an average of 40 papers/year within this period. We found that most research was focused on the theme of tiger biology. Information on leopards and dholes was also frequently associated with tiger research. The highest number of lead authors originated from India (n = 192), where most research was also conducted. Authors from USA (n = 111) and UK (n = 38) were the next most productive, even though tigers are not found in or anywhere near these countries. We demonstrate that there is only limited amount of transboundary research, and that relatively little tiger research is conducted in the forests beyond protected areas. Similarly, very important but the least studied themes ─Poaching, Population and Socio-culture dimension should be the priority of future research efforts. Additionally, research on tourism, economic aspects and technological inputs are essential for the sustainable conservation of Bengal tigers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the Metaverse, a convergence of virtual and physical realities, presents unprecedented opportunities for promoting cultural tourism along the historic Silk Roads within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework. However, this emerging technology's potential remains largely unexplored in the context of cultural heritage preservation and its promotion. The aim of this study is to address this gap by empirically examining how the Metaverse can be harnessed to improve tourists' experiences, support sustainable tourism development, and promote cultural exchange along the Silk Roads. In this study, we employed a mixed-methods approach grounded in attribution theory, using both surveys and semi-structured interviews with Silk Road tourists who had been exposed to Metaverse applications. To investigate the relationships between Metaverse features, tourists' attributions, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions, we used structural equation modeling and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that perceived immersion, avatar identification, and cultural authenticity significantly influenced tourists' internal, stable, and controllable attributions. Interviews further highlighted the Metaverse's potential to promote accessibility, interpretation, and engagement with Silk Road heritage, while also raising sociocultural and ethical considerations. This paper also showcases the development of Metaverse digital twin prototypes for several iconic Silk Road cities to demonstrate the potential for participatory virtual environments to promote cultural heritage preservation, accessibility, and sustainable tourism. The study's findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of Metaverse tourism and the application of attribution theory, offering practical insight for the responsible and effective harnessing of this transformative technology. This research provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, destination managers, and technology providers to optimize the Metaverse's potential for cultural tourism along the Silk Roads. This has great potential in promoting the BRI's connectivity and cooperation objectives. This paper lays the foundation for future research and responsible innovation at the intersection of emerging technologies, cultural heritage, and sustainable tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing global concern over greenhouse gas emissions has led to a demand for understanding and addressing carbon emissions, with China being one of the main contributors to global carbon emissions, committed to reach the carbon peak by 2030. As a result, much previous research has delved into the drivers of carbon emissions in China; however, few studies have included new energy factors in the extended STIRPAT model when analysing the data, employed more advanced visualisation techniques such as force-directed diagrams, and explored factors outside of the industrial and energy sectors in determining China's ability to reach their environmental goals. In this study, we use the extended STIRPAT model to analyse a more diverse range of drivers for carbon emissions in China and discuss methods to reach peak carbon emissions through the implementation of environmental policies. Using data from China's 14th Five-Year Plan and Vision 2035 to set up two simulation scenarios, we predict China's carbon emissions, introducing ridge regression to ensure validity, and employing big data and visualisation techniques to aid in interpreting results. Our findings suggest that China needs to implement more stringent environmental policies to meet its commitment to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030, revealing that factors such as per capita arable land area, per capita GDP, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty, the level of tourism development, the use of fossil fuels, and new energy technologies have a significant impact on China's carbon emissions. As such, we can recommend more stringent policies relating to the agricultural, energy, and tourism sectors to help China achieve their goal of carbon peak by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the published academic material on metaverse in the context of tourism marketing. This is done by examining leading journals with published articles related to the phenomenon, the authors shaping the discourse and conducting coauthorship analysis to reveal the collaborative networks. Additionally, the study identified common themes among the published documents to comprehensively understand the metaverse's multifaceted impact. Drawing from peer‐reviewed research articles published until November 1, 2023 from prominent scientific databases, a bibliometric and content analysis of 26 articles was performed. Findings revealed that the use of the metaverse in the tourism industry is still in its infancy, with studies only gaining momentum in 2023. Despite the transformative potential of the metaverse, this study sheds light on the current state of academic research on the metaverse and tourism marketing, providing insights into its key contributors and thematic trends. The study bridges gaps in existing knowledge and contributes to explicating an avenue that guides future research and advances understanding in the field. The study argues that the metaverse is causing a paradigm shift in tourism marketing, making the research relevant to practitioners interested in digital transformations in tourism and thus have managerial and policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing importance of social media in the tourism domain has led to an accelerated growth of research in the past decade. Through a systematic literature review, this study offers an overview of researched contexts and topics, identifies gaps in the literature, and suggests a comprehensive agenda for future research. We also present quantitative, visualization-rich results employing bibliometric citation and content analysis of 94 articles covering social media content strategy across 43 journals published from 2012 to 2022. The cocitation analysis on cited references revealed four clusters. A detailed analysis of the most influential journals/articles in the area, theories employed, research context, variables tested (characteristics), and methods used is also provided. The study finally outlines eight directional themes for advancing research in this domain. The study's findings can help academics, practitioners, and policymakers comprehend the latest developments and significant trends influencing social media content strategy in the tourism domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Park tourist facility managers need to understand guests' preferences for elements of the accommodation experience to provide an ideal mix of attributes. Hedonic pricing models were used earlier to estimate the implicit effect of facilities' characteristics on room rates. But these models do not account for possible spatial variations in the relationships. This study assessed the global and spatial influence of facilities' attributes on room rates in Amboseli, Tsavo East, and Tsavo West National Parks, the three contiguous most visited parks in Kenya, an important wildlife tourism destination, using data from on–line and geographical information systems. Results of the global model indicate that the availability of buffet breakfast, bathrobes, plunge pools, and ecolodge designs positively influences room rates, while the distance to aesthetic appreciation hotpots inversely correlates to rates. The spatial model uncovering non–stationarity in estimating the effects of facilities' attributes on room rates, predicts that the causal effects are better in particular places. It also revealed that particular facility attributes influenced room rates more strongly than others. The results of the global model can help park managers design destination marketing programmes while the facilities may use the spatial model to derive indices for product design and marketing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal ethics is a critical concern in the tourism industry with numerous accounts of unethical and exploitative practices. Not-for-profit animal rescue organisations, like Animal Aid Unlimited, offer a counter experience to this largely negative narrative by redefining tourist–animal interactions through volunteer tourism, where visitors help to rescue domesticated street animals, who are rarely included in tourism research. To address the lacuna in the academic literature, this study utilises a multi-method approach to build a case study to explore how such organisations can engage voluntourists to promote animal welfare and rights. Findings show that Animal Aid engages digital technology-enhanced approaches, especially information and communication technologies and social media, to heighten awareness and engagement in animal welfare and rights in part through tourism. The theory is hence proposed that while seemingly incongruous, some niche forms of tourist-animal interactions can support an animal rights ethic. As such, animal rescue tourism emerges as a seemingly distinct and alternative animal-based tourism experience requiring more research, especially in a digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges to the global economy, especially within the tourism industry. Economic downturns and psychological barriers make it even more challenging to attract tourists back. This paper explores the stimulating effect of digital travel vouchers on tourist mobility, as well as the heterogeneous effects of different vouchers modes. Using monthly data on tourist inflows in 306 cities from September 2020 to December 2021, collected by a web-crawling tool, and manually gathered information of digital travel vouchers issued during this period, our analyses show that digital travel vouchers can boost tourist inflows. Their effectiveness, however, depends on the method of issuance and the total number distributed. Furthermore, significant spillover effects among neighboring cities are found through a spatial econometric model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Çatalhöyük International Journal of Tourism & Social Research / Çatalhöyük Uluslararası Turizm ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi is the property of Catalhoyuk International Journal of Tourism & Social Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigates inter-island accessibility in the Azores Islands (Portugal), a region marked by unique territorial fragmentation and significant distances between islands. Recognizing the pivotal role of sea and air transport in fostering the socioeconomic development of the archipelago by enhancing resident mobility and attracting tourism, we address the challenges posed by the region's low demographic and economic influence and the pronounced imbalances among islands. The methodological approach involves the examination of various accessibility parameters, with a specific focus on hourly operations identified as presenting the most unfavorable ratios of time availability in the destinations. We analyze inter-island sea and air schedules during the winter season, emphasizing their relevance for residents engaged in travel for business, health, administration, and related purposes. We have mainly analyzed the air schedules since it was possible to make the round trip on the same day on only two maritime routes, although these have also been considered. Regarding the study outcomes, they reveal that despite positive efforts to implement air public service obligations (PSO), which mandate specific frequencies, seat allocations, and rate caps, among other examples, the limited attention given to adapting operating hours based on demand undermines the effectiveness of these measures. Contextually, this lack of adjustment results in substantial inconvenience for travelers, particularly those engaged in round-trip operations on the same day, a common scenario in inter-island mobility. In more than 70% of the operational routes, suitable travel times at the destination are significantly compromised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) records that the economic growth in Lampung Province has experienced a lower growth rate compared to the national economic growth. This condition is exacerbated by the lack of development in existing infrastructure, especially provincial roads that have suffered severe damage. In this context, the provision of toll road infrastructure becomes crucial in regional development as it serves as a means to facilitate and support community activities. This study aims to analyze the differences in the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of transportation and warehousing, tourism, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, Regional Original Income (PAD), and economic growth of districts in Lampung Province before and after the existence of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road. The research method used is a quantitative approach using five variables, namely Transportation and Warehousing, Tourism, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Regional Original Income, and Economic Growth. Secondary data related to these variables were collected, especially those related to transportation and warehousing, tourism, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, regional original income, and economic growth. The study involved six Districts/Cities in Lampung Province traversed by the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road, namely South Lampung, Central Lampung, Mesuji, Pesawaran, Tulang Bawang, and West Tulang Bawang. Observation samples were collected for 4 years before and 4 years after the existence of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road for the period 2015-2022. The collected data was then processed using SPSS Ver. 26 software. The results of the study indicate that the existence of the Trans-Sumatra toll road in several districts of Lampung Province has a significant impact on various economic sectors and Regional Original Income (PAD). The presence of significant average differences indicates that the Trans-Sumatra toll road has had a considerable impact on the economic sector and Regional Original Income in the mentioned districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was motivated by the researcher's interest in tourism in the city of Curup, especially the hot spring suban tourist destination. Various natural resources in Curup City such as mountains, hills, lakes, or waterfalls, and others have the potential to become tourist attractionsthat attract tourists to visit. Suban Air Panas is a touristattraction managed by the Rejang Lebong Regency Culture and Tourism Office. Suban Air Panas is one of themainstay attractions of Curup City which is the main destination for visitors on holidays and weekdays. The study aims to examine what factors are related to touristinterest in visiting tourist destinations in the city of Curupusing the Social Exchange Theory by George C. Homansas the basis for analysis. Homans as the basis for analysis. The type of research conducted in this study is quantitativeresearch method. Data obtained through literature study, documentation and questionnaires, observation andutilization of secondary data. Informants were selectedusing purposive sampling technique and using accidentalsampling method where the sampling technique wascarried out by chance from visitors to Suban Hot Springstourist attraction. The analysis model used in this researchis multiple linear regression with tourist interest as thedependent variable, while there are three variables as independent variables, namely tourist attraction, facilities, and accessibility. The results of this study indicate that thethree independent variables in the regression equationhave a significant effect on tourist interest in visiting. So, these variables greatly affect the number of tourists whocome to Suban Hot Springs. The tourism sector shouldcontribute to PAD can be increased again by consideringsupporting factors such as accommodation facilities (hotels and tourist lodges), restaurants, travel agencies, tourism, tourism attractions, and tourism educationinstitutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provisions on spatial planning regulations and building regulations regarding the regulation of the development of local architectural potentials and characteristics. Traditional Balinese architecture is one of the many contributions of Indonesian architecture to the building sector. Bali has a diversity of forms and varieties of traditional architecture. Likewise, East Bali can display Balinese architecture and further enrich traditional architecture in Indonesia. An architectural work consists of various aspects such as mass composition, shape, proportion, scale, ornamentation, and other elements. Ornaments, better known as decoration, are one of the components of architectural work and are commonly used in traditional Balinese architecture. East Bali, part of the Karangasem kingdom (now Karangasem Regency) during the Central Bali era, has preserved several unique architectural masterpieces. The uniqueness of this ancient building in Karangasem is an essential component in developing world tourism and cultural tourism. By conducting field studies and identifying the uniqueness of historical buildings in Karangasem, this paper attempts to identify the unique characteristics of Karangasem architecture. In the future, this uniqueness will become one of the components of tourism attraction. Therefore, it is essential to learn more about the potential and quality of buildings, especially those related to their decoration, so that they can be used as a guide for creating new buildings in the East Bali region, especially Karangasem, as well as as a component of tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This interdisciplinary study integrates insights from sociology, anthropology, economics, and cultural studies to investigate the potential of community products and culture as catalysts for fostering creative cultural communities in Central Thailand. Drawing upon case studies from Sampran, Photharam, Yi San, and Tha Chalom communities, this research aims to identify effective strategies for marketing cultural attractions and promoting sustainable community development. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions with local residents, and questionnaires. The data analysis was informed by relevant theoretical frameworks from cultural sociology, sustainable development, and destination marketing. The findings reveal that elevating the culture of local communities as a community brand can drive commerce and development in Central Thailand. Local participation is identified as a key factor in fostering organic and sustainable community development, as it empowers residents to preserve their cultural heritage while ensuring long-term viability. The study contributes to the interdisciplinary discourse on community development by offering practical recommendations for harnessing cultural resources in promoting sustainable growth. The results hold implications for policymakers and local stakeholders alike, while also providing a foundation for future research in other cultural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Vietnamese cinema industry today, state-sponsored (formerly known as revolutionary cinema) and commercial cinema (held by private entertainment groups) are the two cinema mainstreams that dominate the film market. The third, but lesser known, mode is a diverse range of new independent films. With an aesthetics of socialist realism, governmental cinema often shows less “dream” in the ordinary, personal, and secular sense. However, it often turns to grand visions and symbols that impress upon the whole community concepts like “a brighter tomorrow.” Meanwhile, commercial cinema follows the capitalist model of cultural reproduction, presenting pragmatic dreams about a prosperous, successful, and beautiful life to stimulate viewers to work, consume goods and services for tourism and entertainment, and accumulate wealth. Meanwhile, young independent directors of the 1990s generation in Vietnam today are deploying the cinematic language of black comedy and magical realism to resist the pragmatic consumerist and “land of tomorrow” ideologies of the two mainstream tendencies. In the movies of the independents, dreamlike and fanciful elements occupy equally important, essential, organic places. Dreaming becomes a way of escaping the politics of the space or the ideologies embedded in dreams of the future that influence people consciously and subconsciously. This paper also explores the possibility that Vietnamese independent films can create new narrative potentials and interpretations of people’s inner lives in the postsocialist era through a unique and anti-traditional cinematic aesthetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic review update regarding mindfulness theories applied to tourism, complemented with a bibliometric analysis. Scientific studies listed in the WOS, SCOPUS, PubMed and PsycInfo databases were analysed using PRISMA guidelines. Twenty-five studies were selected for review from 670 records identified. In recent years, mindfulness has proved to be a promising area of research in tourism, and the number of published studies is increasing. The findings reveal a positive association between mindfulness and tourism experiences, suggesting that tourists who adopt states of mindfulness during their travels benefit from increased pro-environmental behaviours, satisfaction levels, and memorable experiences, leading to destination loyalty. This study provides an in-depth overview of the literature, and helps redress the lack of bibliometric studies in this field. It also identifies common areas of current research interest, offers insights into commonly studied themes, and seeks to raise awareness about the relevance of the concept of mindfulness in tourist experiences and well-being by suggesting implications for research and tourism management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arid Land Geography is the property of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this rapidly changing world of digitalization, the role of ecotourism in Malaysia is pivotal in the effort of tourism development. This study aims to determine the created and supporting resources and their impacts on tourism destination competitiveness based on the perspectives of domestic and international tourists. The questionnaire was completed by 189 respondents and the model produced was evaluated using WarpPLS 7.0. The findings showed that supporting resources (destination accessibility and quality of tourism services) are positively and substantially associated with competitiveness in ecotourism destination. Surprisingly, the absence of significant relationships between created resources (tourism infrastructure and range of activities) and ecotourism destination competitiveness was revealed. These findings enable tourism practitioners to better understand the impacts of resources on the sustainable development of ecotourism competitiveness, specifically from tourists' perspectives. In addition, the outcomes of the present study can be meaningful especially during the stage of revitalizing ecotourism industry post-COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The continuous expansion of the domestic tourism market has driven the development of the hotel related industry. It is a key focus of the hotel industry to provide accurate supporting services to tourists based on their preferences. However, the current recommendation model mainly considers tourist factors and lacks consideration for hotel factors. In order to address the concerns of recommendation services, a bilateral collaborative recommendation model is proposed, which first analyzes tourist feature data through comprehensive similarity calculation. Firstly, the comprehensive similarity calculation is used to analyze tourist feature data, and the K‐means Clustering Algorithm (K‐means) is introduced to improve the clustering effect between data. And to better distinguish tourist preferences, the Gale Shapley (G‐S) bilateral matching model is introduced to achieve preference matching of consumer features. In the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) analysis of the model, the User‐based Collaborative Filtering (UBCF) model performs the worst. When the k value is 90, the minimum MAE value is 0.7896. The Item‐based Collaborative Filtering (IBCF) model is 0.7776, with the best performance being the improved G‐S model of 0.7325. In the performance testing of three models' preference recommendations, the improved G‐S model achieves an accuracy of over 90% in all three types of feature data recommendations, with the lowest accuracy of 62.5% for UBCF and 71.3% for IBCF. It can be seen that the proposed improved G‐S model can accurately identify tourist and hotel preference data and accurately recommend corresponding projects. The research content provides important technical references for the digital transformation and development of the tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to investigate tourist marketing within the embryonic context of the metaverse in order to comprehend the building blocks and the primary technologies employed in the sector. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted on 386 articles, with an overall qualitative approach that included 86 references, all of which dealt with the topic of the metaverse and had direct or potential implications for the tourism sector (hotels, restaurants, means of transport, leisure activities and destination itself). The articles are taken from: Science Direct, Taylor & Francis, Emerald, Springer and Google Scholar. The SLR was carried out according to the PRISMA search protocol. The results indicate the technologies that have been most thoroughly studied at the confluence of marketing, tourism, and the metaverse (AI, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, blockchain, tokens (NFTs) and digital twins). Moreover, they establish the foundational components of tourism marketing in the metaverse for the first time (tourism products, the metaverse as a distribution and branding channel for tourism and, tourist customer as protagonist). Finally, the study exposes research gaps and recommends future directions for exploration (monetization of products in the metaverse, promotion and marketing strategies in the metaverse, new profiles for marketing professionals, policy development that regulates commercial activity in the metaverse). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media is commonly used by governments to disseminate information related to transparency and institutional promotion, but its potential for the dissemination of cultural resources is often overlooked. This research proposes a strategy for adopting social media to achieve cultural dissemination in the municipality of Lamas, Peru, which has tourism potential and has been awarded the "Best Tourism Villages" seal of the World Tourism Organisation. Methodologically, we propose a case study at a propositional exploratory level. We start by determining the current state of dissemination of tangible and intangible resources, as well as the practical use of social media, through a survey of 20 officials. The results reveal that crafts are the most widely disseminated tangible resource in the municipality (according to 55% of officials), and intangible resources are occasionally disseminated (50%). We also find that Facebook is the only digital channel used to disseminate cultural information. In this context, we formulate a strategy for adopting social media to improve cultural dissemination, which consists of six phases: (i) forming a work team, (ii) preparing a budget plan, (iii) strengthening capacities, (iv) taking inventory of cultural resources, (v) coordinating community interests and (vi) preparing a cultural dissemination plan. The findings can contribute to formulating public initiatives for the institutionalisation of social media in governments for the purposes of preserving, promoting and guaranteeing the accessibility of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural routes are a composite set of heritage sites that refer to historical routes of human communication. As key products of cultural tourism, they provide visitors with rich cultural experiences across regions. We systematically review reports and studies related to the tourism development of 38 cultural route cases worldwide, with a special focus on their distribution, typology, planning patterns, and tools for cultural tourism. We summarized eight tools and found some differences in how often these eight tools are used by the different types of routes and different planning patterns for route tourism. This study also developed an evaluation system based on the conservation principles of cultural routes to determine how different tourism tools affect the conservation and development of historical regions. Although tourism decision-makers have made numerous efforts to protect and develop cultural routes, there are still many problems and challenges in the process of tourism development along cultural routes. We conclude the paper by making recommendations for decision-makers and researchers concerning future route tourism planning and study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to add to the debate on the negative externalities of tourism-related megaprojects. It examines the policy adoption and implementation of two contentious airport projects in two tourist-heavy regions, Heraklion (Kastelli), Greece, and Cusco (Chinchero), Peru. In the context of destination competitiveness and commitment to neoliberal economic growth, national and regional governments in both countries became attracted by the idea of regional economic development and further increasing the number of international tourists and tourism investments. Deciding whether building a new airport serves the public interest or not is a complex policy problem with technical uncertainties and conflicting interests, which entails both a technical and political process of expressing and pairing policy actors' goals and means. The aim of the paper is to identify similarities and differences between the tactics adopted and arguments used for and against the two airport development projects by the respective advocacy coalitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholder‐led coral reef restoration efforts, aimed at locally retaining or rebuilding coral populations, have rapidly grown over the last two decades. However, the cost‐effectiveness—and in turn viability—of coral restoration projects remains rarely reported. We therefore evaluated coral planting (often termed "outplanting") cost‐effectiveness across the first 3.5 years of the Coral Nurture Program (CNP), a coral restoration approach integrated within tourism operations on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. CNP operator activity reporting forms (63,632 corals planted, 5 tourism operators, and 23 reef sites) were used to opportunistically calculate coral planting costs (PC; US$ coral−1 trip−1) for "routine" planting versus when additional stewardship activities—that regulate planting effectiveness—were undertaken (e.g., nursery maintenance). Mean PC (±standard error) was US$2.34 ± 0.20 coral−1 trip−1 (ranging US$0.78–6.03, 5th–95th percentile), but increased 2‐ to ‐6‐fold on trips where nursery propagation, site maintenance, or staff training was conducted to support planting efforts. The "realized" cost (PCR) of establishing coral biomass was subsequently determined by evaluating survivorship of planted corals across space (9 sites, single survey timepoint, n = 4,723 corals up to 3 years old) or over time (2 sites, over 9–12 months, n = 600 corals), resulting in costs increasing from PC to PCR by 25–71%. We demonstrate how integration of practices into tourism operations creates potential for cost‐effective coral planting at "high‐value" tourism reef sites, and discuss important steps for improving cost‐accounting in stakeholder‐led restoration programs that may be similarly positioned to routinely determine their cost‐effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]