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The level of expenditure by cruise passengers in the various cities visited during their journey is a crucial variable for the key stakeholders involved in this industry. Promoting higher spending by cruise passengers in non-overnight stay ports is a challenge led by the destination manager. This study aims to shed light on the effect that different phases in the cruise passenger's travel cycle have on their propensity to spend during their stay. Our case focuses on the city of A Coruña, a non-overnight stay port on Europe's Atlantic arc routes, where the average spending per cruise passenger during their visit is quite low. The analysis considers the impact of passenger profiles and the cruise product consumption phases on the average spending per passenger. From a methodological perspective, we have applied logistic regression. The results indicate that the profile of the cruise passenger, variables related to the onboard journey, and the experience of the city are the factors with the greatest potential to increase cruise passenger spending during their visit to the city. This has allowed the areas of greatest impact and where actions should be focused to be identified for both the destination manager and key stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines sustainability in tourism, with a particular focus on enhancing destination management through comprehensive visitor monitoring. Precise data on visitor volumes constitute an essential prerequisite for the sustainable planning and management of tourism-related services and infrastructure. This research investigates the correlation between destination attendance and the utilization of visitor centers, employing regression analysis and the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to quantify these relationships. The study specifically addresses the distribution of domestic and international visitors in the city of Prague and their engagement with municipal information centers, enabling the identification of key visitor behavior patterns. The results offer a robust foundation for forecasting future trends in international visitor flows, which is critical for strategic planning and the sustainable development of tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While sustainability is widely recognized as necessary for managing heritage sites, balancing preservation demands with tourism development pressures presents significant challenges. A critical gap in the existing research relates to understanding the recurring issues that undermine the long-term sustainability of prominent archaeological destinations in Egypt and visitor well-being. Specifically, more research is needed to identify the specific sustainability and visitor experience problems that persist across Egypt's major archaeological sites despite ongoing management efforts. Addressing this knowledge gap could help inform strategies for these destinations to balance conservation priorities with tourism in a more sustainable manner that enhances visitors' cultural exploration. This study contributes a novel multisite content analysis of over 4423 online reviews from TripAdvisor pertaining to three of Egypt's premier archaeological destinations—Giza Pyramids, Al Mu'izz Street, and Saqqara. Using established text mining methodologies and algorithms within Voyant Tools, critical challenges were identified through word frequency, concept network, and trend analyses. Recurring issues documented included uncontrolled commercialization undermining the ambiance of historic locales, environmental degradation from inadequate waste management and tourism overflows, and overcrowding compromising visitor comfort, health and safety. Deficiencies in signage, transportation, and other tourist services were also prominent themes. The holistic evaluation of cross-cutting concerns faced at the diverse yet interrelated sites advanced the theoretical knowledge on cooperative governance models and competencies necessary for integrative heritage management. The recommendations center on collaborative stakeholder partnerships to reform commercial practices through licensing and enforcement, upgrading aging infrastructure to support sustainable tourism volumes, and implementing zoning and carrying capacity policies tailored to local community contexts. The proposed solutions aim to safeguard Egypt's irreplaceable cultural treasures by addressing recurrent problems that undermine environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability if left unresolved, positioning its archaeological wonders for appreciation and study by present and future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a narrative perspective review of the state-of-the-art of destination marketing and management. The past 15 years of developments, stretching from technological advances enabling methodological progress and new consumer behavior to climate, health, and financial crises, require a reassessment of previous academic contributions and current practices. Referring back to the social origins of destinations, this article conceptualizes destinations as a heterogeneous space of flows and proposes future research linked to tourist demand and tourism supply, sustainability and resilience, technological shifts, and institutions. Finally, six broader streams of conversations suggest how to advance the marketing and management of destinations related to a destination ontology grounded in flows, with a focus on processes and action, stewardship and collaboration, resilient destinations, transient and permanent residents, as well as new instrumental technologies and augmented experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local Authorities have significant tourism planning responsibilities and can benefit from evidence-based approaches. Qualitative interviews with 28 Local Authorities identified impediments to adopting indicators. Key barriers included more knowledge of indicator systems, training in using systems, and understanding sustainability value and governance issues. However, transitioning to sustainable tourism through monitoring requires efficient resourcing of Local Authorities. Statutory adoption of indicators may be needed to enable evidence-based planning and policy making. More informed planning approaches can help destinations respond to tourism issues and sustainability threats. Findings have implications for facilitating indicator implementation and evidence-based planning in other tourism destinations internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban tourism imagery is an essential factor affecting the competitiveness of cities. However, most existing studies use small data methods such as interviews and questionnaires to explore tourists' perceptions of cities without combining big data for analysis. In addition, there is relatively little research on the tourism imagery of coastal cities. Therefore, this study analyzes the data from 523 travelogues from a three-dimensional perspective of identity, structure, and meaning, using methods such as BERTopic, aiming to explore the tourism imagery of coastal cities perceived by tourists. The results show the following: (1) In terms of identity, Sanya's urban tourism imagery has the attribute of "external explicit-internal implicit", which satisfies tourists' visual and spiritual experiences. (2) Regarding structure, Sanya has a clear regional division of imagery and a core–edge diffusion distribution among regions. (3) Regarding meaning, tourists' attitudes toward Sanya are polarized. Positive emotions predominate in the overall perception of meaning, but 25% of the negative emotions require urgent attention. This study provides a reference for the sustainable development of tourism cities and the marketing management of destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to create various scenarios for returning to the path of tourism development. The search for suitable and effective solutions was at the heart of the Tourism Friendly Cities project, in which eight European cities participated. The aim is to define the challenges and tools related to the sustainability of urban tourism. The empirical research was based on the opinions of experts from eight cities involved, and concerned four thematic areas: the quality of life and tourism in the city before and during/after COVID-19, tourism dysfunctions, the sources of conflicts between local stakeholders, and the tools for the sustainable reconstruction of tourism. The results confirmed the existence of a wide range of declared tools for the development of sustainable tourism after the pandemic. The conducted research indicates key areas of conflict in the field of tourism activity. The authors also come to the conclusion that tools for regulating tourist traffic should not be universal, but should meet the individual needs of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains are perceived as places of biodiversity, as attractive places with breathtaking aesthetic views and epitomized by their unique landscape features. As mountains are the second most demanded outdoor destination category at a global level after beaches and islands, the steady growth of tourism places high pressure on sensitive mountain ecosystems. As can be observed from tourism practice in mountain environments, the distribution of tourism activities is highly uneven. In the Alps, one of the best-known regions with relentless tourism growth, a substantial concentration of tourism intensity can be traced to specific locations and valleys, whereas other parts have to cope with trends of marginalization. In this situation, many concerned stakeholders have long advocated for more balanced economic and tourism development. The initiative of "Mountaineering Villages" promoted by the Alpine Convention is one of a few respective actions to shift perspectives and persuade tourists to engage in sustainable tourism activities. The paper explores how these activities are linked to the balanced use of cultural landscapes and the narratives that are exposed as convincing development models in these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reveals the influence of word of mouth on destination reputation from the perspective of tourists' reputation judgment and explores the differentiating effect of judgment dimensions on the degree of consistency between word of mouth and reputation based on multinomial logistic regression analysis, aiming to advance the theoretical exploration of the complex relationship between word of mouth and reputation. This study finds that (1) tourists weigh word-of-mouth information that is identical or different from their views to make reputation judgments, and destination reputation is a systematic emergent outcome of word-of-mouth information that is recursively weighed and judged by tourists in the process of dissemination. (2) Tourists judge the reputation of a destination based on different dimensions, including scenic spots, local food, history and culture, natural environment, social atmosphere, activities and events, and facilities and services. (3) Tourists' reputation judgment dimensions have a differentiating effect on the influence of word of mouth on destination reputation; that is, there are interpersonal differences in the influence of word of mouth information on destination reputation by tourists based on different dimensions. This paper provides a new perspective and approach to the study of the relationship between word of mouth and destination reputation, which can contribute to destination reputation management and marketing efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overtourism has become a critical problem in many popular destinations around the world, leading to negative impacts on the environment, local communities, and the quality of the visitor experience. This article explores the potential of the metaverse, a virtual world that combines elements of augmented reality and virtual reality, and other new digital technologies for addressing the challenges of overtourism. Drawing on a systematic literature review of recent studies, the currently available technologies are listed, and their potential implications for the tourism industry and local communities are portrayed. It was found that while there is some evidence to suggest that the metaverse and its associated digital technologies such as the extended realities/XR (virtual reality/VR, augmented reality/AR, mixed reality/MR), can help mitigate overtourism, further research is necessary to investigate their effectiveness in reducing overtourism and their potential unintended consequences. This article makes an original contribution to overtourism research and adds to existing knowledge by providing a practical list of currently available technologies that could help DMOs and tourism professionals mitigate the negative effects of overtourism. The article concludes with suggestions for future research and practice in the field, highlighting the importance of continued exploration and innovation in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented notes focus partially on two of the basic elements (accessibility and image) of any managed tourism destination from the perspective of basic ETL processes over open and third-party data. The specific case aims to investigate the usability of open government data on occupancy in combination with third-party data on online audiences' engagement for DMOs' potential seasonal geotargeting via utilizing Openrouteservice's APIs. For the pilot case, a Slovak (Central Europe) destination's data on occupancy, and the DMO's website and social media engagement by origin were used to determine potential audiences' accessibility by car. Testing of the pilot results on a sample of foreign markets indicates that by a partial mix of the means of transportation, the vast majority of audiences are within a 4 h long incoming trip. Although the preliminary tests indicate a linear correlation between the destination's occupancy and online audiences' share accessibility by car, for further extrapolation, the list of missing input remains long. The main addition to the field of tourism and destination management may be the partial reusability of developed techniques for data extraction, and transformation for further data overlays, which may save some time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory research aims to determine how governance is internalized in tourism destinations management organizations (DMO). Governance internalization is understood as the commitment of destination management-related organizations to the deployment of governance concepts, precepts, practices, and actions and the rolling out and exercise of their functions, responsibilities, and power. The methodology that was used is that of case studies. A total of eight organizations acknowledging different degrees of governance commitment have been analyzed through in-depth interviews and documentary reviews. For each case, two dimensions of governance—participation and coherence—have been analyzed. It has been observed how organizations with a higher or lower degree of commitment show clear equivalence between their governance vision and the level of internalization of the participation and coherence dimensions. However, a rhetorical implementation of governance concepts, precepts, practices, and actions is found among destinations with more lukewarm positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science (CS) within sustainable tourism is an underutilized tool for biocultural conservation. The aims of this research integrate conceptual and applied approaches to situate post-positivist and interpretive paradigms within CS and sustainable tourism. The aims are fulfilled by the creation of the new Civic Reporting Indicators (CRIs), developed through analysis of the 174 Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination (GSTC-D) criteria and indicators. It was determined that 114 indicators are perceivable audibly and/or visibly by untrained citizens. The rearticulation of GSTC-D criteria into the CRIs utilizes embodied perceptions and observations reportable by untrained visitors and residents. The CRIs are framed within ethical principles of research, CS, and sustainable tourism. The inclusion of interpretive paradigms within CS provides epistemological innovation that validates lived experiences and embodied knowledge, fostering agency and empowerment within sustainability narratives. The CRIs may harness end-user observations by utilizing information communication technologies (ICTs) to amass longitudinal and real-time data for smart, sustainable destination management and biocultural conservation. Engaging citizens through the CRIs has the potential to contribute valid observations that amass democratic, longitudinal, and cost-effective data. Designing accessible ICT platforms for destination management may enact civic agency and critical social reflection to democratize sustainability engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationships between tourism destination competitiveness (TDC), empowerment, and support for tourism among residents. It also examines the role of empowerment as a mediator in the relationship between TDC and residents' support for tourism. A total of 711 respondents were used. This study uses descriptive analysis, two-stage factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that seven antecedents of TDC, namely natural, cultural, contextual competitiveness, complementarity, accommodation, infrastructure, and technology, are identified. Psychological empowerment has most positive effects on five facets of destination competitiveness. The results reveal a mediation effect of empowerment between the destination competitiveness and resident supportive behaviors for tourism. The outcome of this proposed model is support for tourism, which means active supportive actions for tourism among residents. The psychological and economic empowerment dimensions are shown to have positive effects on resident support for tourism. Understanding residents' empowerment and support can be useful for those who develop political policies and action plans for sustainable tourism development. The results can suggest a model for a sustainable destination management, increasing the global reputation of travel destination, and advocacy for sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Windsports (e.g., windsurfing, kiteboarding) can contribute to important tourist experiences at destinations with suitable natural resources. In the context of future tourism decarbonization, it is expected that many distant locations will become less accessible to Europeans, which will increase the attractiveness of nearby destinations. This study provides an analysis of the natural resources of European and nearby windsport destinations, which proves to be important physical evidence for windsport experiences. The high-frequency output of a long-term, high-resolution numerical atmospheric reanalysis (COSMO_REA6) was thoroughly analyzed using a method specifically tailored to windsports. This gives us unprecedented insight into the geographical distribution of wind resources in the period from May to September. The wind and temperature analysis recognizes the most known windsport locations and identifies several potential locations for possible windsport development. The trend analysis identifies potential changes in future wind conditions. Detailed wind analyses are of great importance to destination managers and marketers, as these could support strategic planning at the destination level, which is necessary for sustainable development. Furthermore, the study can guide windsurfers and kiteboarders in their future destination choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaciers are attracting increasing attention in the context of climate change, and glacier tourism has also become a popular tourist product. However, few studies have been conducted concerning the image of glacier tourism destinations. To address this gap in the literature, in this study, we extracted destination images from 138,709 visitor reviews of 107 glacier tourism destinations on TripAdvisor using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling, identified destination image characteristics using salience−valence analysis (SVA), and analyzed the differences in glacier tourism destination image characteristics across seasons and regions. According to the findings, the image of a glacier tourism destination consists of 14 dimensions and 53 attributes, with landscapes and specific activities representing the core image and viewing location and necessity representing the unique image. We identified significant seasonal and regional differences in the image of glacier tourism destinations. Finally, we discussed the unique image of glacier tourism destinations, the reasons for differences in the images, and the characteristics of different glacier tourism regions. This research could assist in the scientific management of their core images by glacier tourism destinations, as well as in the rational selection of destinations and travel timing by glacier tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sharing of travel experiences through social media platforms reflects contemporary consumer culture, but it is still a phenomenon being researched in tourism literature. In this paper, we theorize that sharing travel experience through social media may operate as a distinct social communication process, and investigate how it contributes to the co-creation of destination value. A qualitative analysis of 97 travel blogs reveals three distinct themes that have the potential for co-creating destination value: motivation, memorable travel experiences, and advice. The results indicate that tourists and destination marketers interpret destination value differently in motivation. The sharing of memorable travel experiences and advice with readers and fellow tourists improves potential tourists' cognition and emotional connection to the destination, thereby increasing the level of tourist destination engagement. The extension of the consumer socialization framework provides a deeper understanding of the destination value co-creation process, and provides useful insights for destination promotion and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The willingness to pay for sustainable tourism products and services has been widely discussed in the scientific literature. However, change in the willingness to pay over time has rarely been analysed. Such studies are important for understanding the impact that the increasing debate on sustainability, including environmental, economic, and social aspects, may have had on the willingness of tourists to pay more in order to ensure the sustainability of destinations. The aim of this article is to assess how the willingness of tourists to pay for sustainable tourism services has developed in the Spanish city of Cáceres, declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. Data from surveys conducted in 2012 and 2016 were used for this purpose. Logistic regression was applied to determine whether sociodemographic characteristics of tourists who visit the city influenced their willingness to pay in each year. A Chow test was applied to elucidate whether the differences between the years were statistically significant. The results obtained indicate that only the level of education determined willingness to pay, while origin, gender and age showed no effect. No significant change in the willingness to pay for sustainability was found among tourists in Cáceres between 2012 and 2016. These findings indicate that the willingness to pay for more sustainable tourism services did not increase during the period studied. We propose some measures such as a 'municipal observatory of sustainable tourism' in order to increase willingness to pay in this type of destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although place branding in cross-border (c-b) areas is challenging, various c-b areas with common eco-natural and cultural characteristics are popular tourist brands in their own right. The emergence of c-b areas as destinations is not surprising since international borders are often natural formations, which may be popular tourist attractions. Due to historical and political circumstances, the Greek–Albanian c-b area has not experienced tourism development. It bears a weak image, and although individual destinations can be found in both border areas, they do not currently form a single place brand. Thus, place branding that aims to enhance the c-b area's attractiveness should start with building a single identity by finding common competitive characteristics upon which it can be based. This paper analyzes part of the 'Culture Plus' project, which aims to identify significant common eco-natural and cultural resources in the Greek–Albanian c-b area. The resources were documented using local visits, interviews, and consultations. The most significant ones were comparatively evaluated to identify the vital common assets that can support place branding efforts, with encouraging results regarding the potential branding of the unique hidden identity of the c-b area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, cruise tourism has increased the negative effects caused by touristification in many European port cities. Despite this, these cities are in a great competition to be a destination, a tourist-port. Cruise tourism has come to stay, and a steady growth can be expected in a post-COVID-19 scenario, but at what cost? The tourist-port demands highly effective planning answers occurring simultaneously, and the global pandemic crisis provides a buffer of time to seek best practices, combining the expected economical (re)development with social, environmental, and cultural sustainability. This paper proposes five different strategies that contribute to finding a sustainable coexistence between tourist ports and their cities. To this end, trans-scalar strategies developed in previous research from different disciplines have been studied and categorized in a port-city context, in order to provide a holistic viewpoint on the measures carried out to maximize the benefits and limit the negative impacts of cruise tourism on cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural destination management organizations (DMOs) are faced with considerable challenges as they attempt to promote economic prosperity through tourism. This study sought to identify rural destination management challenges in Tucker County, West Virginia; identify the roles and activities of the destinations DMOs in addressing these challenges; and develop a perceived destination management framework. DMO challenges include maintaining authenticity and sense of place; economic diversification; seasonality, low wage jobs, and lack of employees; connecting resorts to small businesses and communities; and establishing a common vision, identity, and coordination of activities. While the majority of tourism literature calls for DMOs to play a dual marketing and management role, this paper makes an important contribution by identifying the need for a Convention and Visitors Bureau and a separate organization with a specific mission to sustainably develop and manage tourism and coordinate activities of the stakeholder network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revenue generated from tourism taxes constitutes an important financial resource for local governments and tourism authorities to both ensure tourism sustainability and enhance the quality of tourist experiences. In order for tourism policy makers to create an efficient and fair tax system in tourism destinations, it is crucial to understand travelers' perceptions concerning willingness to pay (WTP), tax rates, and their optimal allocation. The objectives of this paper, therefore, are to evaluate tourism taxes as a compensation tool to cover the costs of tourism and to measure tourists' WTP. The paper also suggests a fair allocation of tax revenues based on tourists' perceptions. A qualitative approach was used and data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with international travelers to Istanbul, Turkey. The findings suggest that tourists are more likely to pay an additional amount of tax when this is earmarked for improvements in their experiences, but they are reluctant to take on liability concerning matters relating to destination sustainability. Based on the travelers' perceptions, the paper also identified areas that need investment to improve tourist experiences. An interesting highlight of this paper is that the majority of surveyed respondents reported that their travel decisions would not be negatively affected even if the total cost of their vacation increased by one third. The findings are expected to offer fresh and much-needed insights into tourist taxation for tourism policy makers and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of pro-sustainable behavior and its true economic implications is an important subject for tourism destination marketers and policymakers, especially given that limited research has focused on the economic implications of tourist preferences for more sustainable destinations. Following the identification of three different demand segments using the concept of "sustainable intelligence" (level of commitment, attitude, knowledge and/or behavior with regard to sustainability), this study hypothesizes that the tourist segment with high level of "sustainable intelligence" (called "pro-sustainable tourist") is willing to pay more to visit a more sustainable destination. The main aim of this paper is to use the logistic regression model to estimate the premium price that each segment is willing to pay to visit a sustainable destination. This paper reports the result of a willingness to pay study using data from 1118 respondents visiting the Western Costa del Sol (Andalusia, Spain), a mature sun-and-sand destination that is currently facing several developmental challenges supposedly associated with sustainability. The results obtained from this research study indicate that the tourist segment with high levels of "sustainable intelligence" is willing to pay more to visit amore sustainable tourism destination. However, there is little willingness to pay if the destination's commitment to sustainability increases the price of the tourism product (26.6% of respondents). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitiveness of a tourism destination depends on the sustainability of its economic and environmental resources. The aim of this paper is to determine the key factors in achieving the sustainability of a tourism destination in relation to the performance obtained. A methodology based on the opinions of stakeholders is developed to determine the sustainability factors and performance in the tourism destination of Gran Canaria. The variables used in the study are related to the environmental resources, the principal agents in the tourism supply chain, the governance of the destination, and the complementary characteristics that improve the competitiveness of the tourism destination, as well as the dimensions that determine security. Performance is measured by stakeholders from two perspectives, the destination and the customers, in order to establish the main variables that will influence the destination’s sustainability. The key sustainability factors were identified, and a regression analysis determined that there was a positive influence on long-term performance. The results showed that the key factors that have a direct and significant relationship with performance are the key resources and supply chain, security, alternative leisure, and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various scholars have endorsed contemporary visitor management strategies broadly categorized as hard or soft approaches. The hard strategies like area closure, penalties, patrols, or limiting access have been deemed punitive and restrictive to visitors seeking escape into natural environments. On the other hand, nature interpretation (NI) and general conservation information, christened as soft strategy, are pushed as complementary or alternative non-obstructive visitor management tactics. However, these arguments notwithstanding, questions linger about the choice of appropriate NI strategies, their application, and their effectiveness. This study sought to establish which NI and visitor information approaches can be used be to manage visitors by target group effectively at the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Data was collected by surveying n = 570 respondents that constituted visitors (n = 413) and tour guides (n = 157) participating in wildlife tourism at MMNR over six months. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to present and analyze data with spearman's correlation used for testing the relationships to answer the research question. Study results established mixed results with different NI attributes comprising a few weak, some very weak, and the majority no correlations with the respondents' demographics. The month of the visit and type of vehicle used had very weak negative correlations with attributes of NI, generally implying inverse relationships. Nationality and gender had the least correlations, while the month of visit and the purpose of the visit had the highest number of correlations with, the latter having slightly stronger correlations. Display boards and orientation signage had the highest number of very weak and weak correlations with nearly all the respondents' demographics except nationality and gender. Visitor codes/do's and don'ts followed with tour guiding with no correlations with almost all the demographics. The study recommends continuous improvement of all NI approaches at the MMNR, with urgency being given to display boards and orientation signage followed by visitor codes and tour guiding, as evidenced from findings. The study further recommends research on contemporary trends in NI and conservation education and information dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destination management is an important instrument in promoting tourism as a factor of economic development. Its usefulness in planning and developing infrastructures and services especially dedicated to tourism, such as holidays, sports, or balneal resorts, is well established. In the context of increasing the mobility of people at a national and international level, the flows of visitors whose trips are related to jobs, business, studies, conferences have constantly increased, and—as a result—the importance of large cities among tourist destinations is increasing. The management of destinations must also contribute in such cases to the creation of a greater attractiveness for potential visitors, the facilitation of their activities, and the production of culturally enriched and pleasant experiences. There is still a need to better understand how big cities are perceived as a destination by visitors, especially when it comes to longer stays. As a result, this paper proposes an approach to explore the visitors' perception of their own experiences with the destination city. The subjects of the study are Erasmus students, while the destinations considered are university cities where the mobility programs were carried out. The aim of the research carried out by the focus-group method was to identify the elements that contributed to the coagulation of the experience associated with a certain destination city, in the sense of a more favorable or less favorable image of the destination in question. The results highlight that where visitors interact for a longer period of time and at deeper levels with the host community, they share the conditions of local life. The more pleasant these conditions are for the residents, the more open and welcoming they are to foreigners, and the more appreciated one's personal experience of that city is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism has been negatively impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, making it even more important for tourist destinations to focus on their brand equity from the perspective of their customers—visitors. The aim of this paper is therefore to verify and modify the model of customer-based brand equity for a tourism destination (CBBETD) and its attributes for the destination of Croatia from the perspective of Czech tourists, among whom primary research was conducted using the CAWI method (n = 451). The main CBBE dimensions were extracted using factor analysis and a model with four dimensions (awareness, image, quality and loyalty) was created. The identified attributes explain between 55% and 82% of the variability of a given dimension. Although the study's results follow the published models of CBBETD, the attributes in each dimension and the subdimension in the image dimension reflect the specificities of the destination of Croatia. Thus, the results of this paper extend the economic theory with another model and are also applicable in the field of destination management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a long history of using various strategies and policies for diversification and seasonal adjustment in the face of the challenges of achieving economic, social, and environmental sustainability, sun and beach destinations should also consider targeting the wellness tourism market as a post pandemic opportunity and long-term solution. Salou is a mature sun and beach destination in the Mediterranean, but one which, for some time, has had an increasing commitment to family and sports tourism as a result of a strategic renewal process. Now, with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the destination management organization is considering the evolution of the model, the internalization of sustainability as a fundamental value, and the impact of different markets. In this study, we examined the challenges the Salou Tourist Board has faced during the development of a post pandemic model for sustainable tourism and what strategies it has adopted in response. We also considered the opportunities and competitive advantages that Salou has in the field of wellness tourism. The results obtained should encourage the continuation of work that promotes the environmental axis of sustainability and adds value to the natural resources on which it depends, including the sea and the landscape, while maintaining the environmental quality of the resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While protective measures in response to infectious diseases may reduce the freedom of tourists (regarding their behaviors), few studies have documented the effects of destination protective measures on the self-protective behaviors of tourists. By applying the protection motivation theory, this study examines the effects of perceived destination protective supports on the social distancing intentions of tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results reveal significant relationships among perceived destination support, coping appraisal, threat appraisal, and the social distancing intentions of tourists. Moreover, two cognitive appraisals-toward the pandemic-partially mediate the relationship between perceived destination support and social distancing intention, and this mediational process is 'intervened' with by social norms. This has implications on whether tourist destinations apply more rigorous social distancing polices during the COVID-19 pandemic, to enhance the coping confidence behaviors of tourists, without causing anxiety and fear, and to achieve the goal of enhancing tourists' intentions to protect themselves.

Nowadays, following the increased interest and need for the issue of sustainability, tourist destinations are called upon to promote sustainable tourism development through the implementation of investments and initiatives. Despite the investments by the destinations, how are these perceived by tourists and residents? Based on this, this paper aims to assess the perception of sustainable investments in a coastal area located in Tuscany, through the administration of a questionnaire among 750 people, including both tourists and house owners. The study adopted statistical logit and probit models to detect the perception of sustainable initiatives in relation to beach satisfaction. Moreover, this research developed a model for understanding if there are substantial differences in perception between Italian and foreign beach users and at the same time between residents/house owners and tourists. The findings reveal that those who perceive investments in sustainability are more than satisfied with beach and facilities. The model shows that foreigners and residents/house owners perceive sustainable investments implemented in the destination more than tourists and Italian respondents. This research can provide support to local operators and policymakers in defining the destination image in relation to sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular culture tourism destinations are made up of constructed realities transforming local communities into fictional servicescapes. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how the unpacking of a key concept (servicescape), applied to destination management, can support the transition to sustainable destination development in the face of popular culture tourism. The aim is to unpack the servicescape concept by exploring how it is constructed focusing on Twilight Saga representations and production processes at four destinations. The data consists of photographs and video clips of the servicescapes and interviews with key stakeholders. The findings support previous servicescape research dimensions and elements but also identify critical areas of power, control, and conflict when introducing a process approach to the servicescape concept. The study provides insights into the complex exchanges that take place in the development of servicescapes at popular culture tourism destinations. The study thereby contributes to an elaborated and holistic servicescape model, stressing the importance of strategic design and local stakeholders' early involvement in the preproduction of popular culture tourism phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we introduce the themes and approaches covered in this special issue on Sustainable Tourism Marketing. Its objective has been to analyze the main contributions made as a result of research related to sustainable tourism-marketing management and current trends in this field. This issue has gathered articles about the marketing of destinations and the marketing and communication management of companies and tourism organizations from a sustainable tourism perspective. This editorial piece provides a useful introduction to the relationship between tourism and sustainable marketing management that can be used by researchers and practitioners to develop tourism marketing strategies from a sustainable perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper follows-up ongoing research focusing on the potential of machine-readable data as additional knowledge in the governance of local tourism and destination management organizations (DMOs) in Slovakia. The current focus is on one classic social media (Facebook), one location-based social media (Foursquare), two hybrid travel-related platforms with partial attributes of reservation services (Google Places, TripAdvisor), and two online reservation services (Booking, Airbnb). The global aim is the usage of extracted data for the identification of additional entities with the obligation of local occupancy taxation, which is the financial backbone of Slovak (DMOs). A set of simple and globally reusable scripts constructed in Python and PostgreSQL were used to extract data on lodging providers from the Google Places application programming interface (API), the Facebook Place Search API and the Foursquare Venue API over grid overlays of districts' spatial representation. For pure scientific purposes in the case of Tripadvisor, Booking, and Airbnb, with no suitable access to open APIs, web scraping methods were used for data extraction. The pilot case was applied in the boundaries of Kosice city (Slovakia), and the aggregations of processed data were compared with official open statistics. Results indicate that the automated continuous monitoring of online platforms could help local public administrations in decreasing occupancy tax evasions and even widen knowledge about online audiences and visitors' satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular tourism destinations based on specific attractions along with coastal and island destinations have been considered potential candidates to suffer from overtourism. In this context, in-depth knowledge of the determinants of tourists' choices of attractions can be used to improve policies against crowding. This paper analyzes why tourists decide to visit certain attractions instead of others in the context of an island destination with sustainability concerns. To do so, discrete choice models are used to determine if a set of 96 variables can explain why 11 attractions are visited on the island of Lanzarote. The results show that 86 variables are significant to explain visits to at least one of the attractions. The analysis also identifies both similarities and differences on the effects these variables have on the probability of visiting each of the 11 attractions. These results are useful to cluster attractions depending on the profile of those tourists most likely to visit them and to cluster variables regarding their effect on visiting attractions. Furthermore, the results provide useful information for public and private managers involved in evenly reallocating tourist flows in time and space to avoid the negative impacts of overtourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local people's perception of nature-based tourism evolution and consequent impacts on their well-being are crucial in promoting ecotourism and achieving sustainable development. This study focused on indigenous populations' attitudes concerning tourism activities taking place in the Iona National Park, located in the Namibe Province of Angola, where ecotourism is considered an anchor product and is expected to become an economic driver of major importance. To obtain information that is useful for a changing tourism management in order to increase rural communities' well-being, we conducted a survey addressing local people's perceptions about the following main topics: perception of the presence of visitors and of their activities; present and prospective positive and negative effects of the park; and government policies that should be developed in the near future. The research shows that most respondents' perceptions strongly vary according to locality. The level of urbanization and the distance to the core areas of touristic activities appear to be the main factors driving the villagers' perception polarization. Thus, conflicting interests between nature conservation and local populations' well-being should be addressed and managed according to locality profiles, with some exceptions, such as ensuring the entire population has access to pastoral lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce the themes and approaches that are covered in this special issue on tourism, governance and sustainable development. Firstly, we present a discussion of the themes and topics that have informed the creation of this special issue and, secondly, we provide an overview of the content of each paper that is included within it. This editorial piece provides a useful introduction to the relationship between tourism, governance and sustainable development that can be used by researchers as a starting point for their own research. The special issue itself helps to address the relative lack of research in this area in the context of developing countries and emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific literature and reports by international bodies recognise the importance of governance in tourism. This is a process whereby different stakeholders interact in order to solve problems and find opportunities for the different sectors involved. For the purposes of this article, different approaches have been analysed with the aim of understanding the full governance process among stakeholders. In order to validate the main findings, a panel of experts was set up to establish the characteristics a model should have when implementing the principles of good governance as a key tool for managing tourist destinations. This model is aimed at guaranteeing the sustainable development of tourism and enhancing competitiveness. There is a great consensus about how governance must be applied, establishing an open and participatory model which must be transparent and effective, capable of attracting the participation, coordination and collaboration among stakeholders using a clear methodology divided into different stages: diagnosis, planning and strategy, execution and monitoring, and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In less than two years, the concept of overtourism has come to prominence as one of the most discussed issues with regards to tourism in popular media and, increasingly, academia. In spite of its popularity, the term is still not clearly delineated and remains open to multiple interpretations. The current paper aims to provide more clarity with regard to what overtourism entails by placing the concept in a historical context and presenting results from a qualitative investigation among 80 stakeholders in 13 European cities. Results highlight that overtourism describes an issue that is multidimensional and complex. Not only are the issues caused by tourism and nontourism stakeholders, but they should also be viewed in the context of wider societal and city developments. The article concludes by arguing that while the debate on overtourism has drawn attention again to the old problem of managing negative tourism impacts, it is not well conceptualized. Seven overtourism myths are identified that may inhibit a well-rounded understanding of the concept. To further a contextualized understanding of overtourism, the paper calls for researchers from other disciplines to engage with the topic to come to new insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last years, tourism has undergone significant development worldwide, especially in developing countries. Tourism is a multi-faced activity with positive and negative impacts on the destinations, linking the economic, social, and environmental components of sustainable development. The attitude of the host community is an important factor for future tourism planning, management, and development of a tourism destination. As such, the paper analyzes the attitudes and perceptions of the local residents from the Kurdistan Regional Government, located in the northern part of the Republic of Iraq. To achieve the purpose of the research, a survey based on a questionnaire was conducted in Sulaimani and Halabja Governorates. A number of 320 questionnaires were applied in 2016. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. The results indicate that tourism is seen as a development sector during the last years. Its positive impacts are better perceived than the negative ones, mainly because it offers more recreational opportunities due to the development of new recreational parks. Tourism increases pollution, this being the most negative aspect mentioned by the respondents, but regardless, they are proud of the progress overthe last years and they support future actions for tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]