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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]

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 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.)

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

The medical tourism industry, seriously affected by the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), must effectively communicate its online promotional messages to boost the sector. Given that the medical tourism sector is a global one, cultural diversity is also essential. Studies on cultural heterogeneity, however, have only looked at one type of discourse, primarily the linguistic mode. Previous research failed to consider the multimodal approach, which could have hindered anticipated promotional messages from reaching potential foreign medical tourists. This study examines how 12 hospital web pages from Malaysia and Singapore combine several modes to provide marketing messages to foreign medical tourists. From a Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) standpoint, linguistic analysis was conducted using Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2004) model of metafunction theory, while visual analysis was conducted using Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) framework. The multimodal data were further analyzed using Hall’s cultural dimension of context-dependency, which classifies cultures into high-context and low-context cultures. The selected Malaysian and Singaporean hospital web pages primarily exhibit characteristics commonly found in low-context cultures, including detailed code systems, clear and explicit messages, highly structured content, information focus, and linear organization. These findings were inconsistent with the existing intercultural communication literature, which typically associates Asian countries with high-context cultures. The study’s contribution in the form of a multimodal communicative framework aims to help stakeholders and copywriters in medical tourism understand potential cultural sensitivity and communicative strategies while designing successful medical tourism websites for international promotion. It is crucial for medical tourism websites to effectively deliver promotional messages to prospective medical tourists during this COVID-19 recovery phase as it can be one of the ways to establish trust and reliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is one of the emerging branches of the economy, playing an important role in the development of specific economies within local communities. In this context, the perspectives of exploiting historical monuments, seen as raw material in the tourism industry, represent a desirable goal worth considering at the locality and territorial administrative unit level. The purpose of this study is to highlight the relationship between historical monuments, viewed as factors generating tourist motivation and tourism. This was made possible by conducting a spatial analysis (at the level of territorial administrative units and localities) of the defining criteria for historical monuments and tourism in Bihor County, Romania. The research methodology involved the use of multicriteria analysis to identify and establish the types of relationships between historical monuments and tourism, at a spatial level. The results of the study aimed to present an image of the spatial distribution of the characteristics of historical monuments and tourism, as well as to establish and depict spatial relationships between them, thus partially confirming the working hypothesis that the number and importance of historical monuments influence and determine tourist activity within a given area. Thus, although the studied area has 455 historical monuments, they are not exploited from a tourist point of view, with there being no strong relationships, except at the level of 19 territorial administrative units (18.8%), respectively, in 15 localities (3.3%). Among them, the obtained values stand out for the territorial administrative units of Oradea and Biharia, respectively, in the localities of Oradea and Beiuș. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to explore the relationship and interaction between humans and nature in specific areas. Latent Dirichlet allocation topic recognition and SnowNLP sentiment analysis were used to extract the topics and analyze the sentiments from visitors' online reviews of Wuyishan National Park. The conclusions were as follows: (1) The tourists mainly expressed positive emotions toward Wuyishan National Park, and the tourists acknowledged its ecological environment and natural and cultural heritage value. (2) The tourists' comments focused on four themes: tourism activities and facilities, natural and cultural heritage value, characteristic tourism products, and tourism management and services. Natural experience was the main tourism activity in Wuyishan National Park, while cultural activities were related to the tea culture. (3) The tourist facilities, ticket and reservation mechanism, and management and services of Wuyishan National Park were the main concerns of the tourists. The study suggested that Wuyishan National Park could be transformed from a tourist destination into a comprehensive national park that provides recreational experiences and environmental education. This should be conducted by (1) developing detailed natural and cultural education and experience products and (2) improving public service functions and enhancing the public welfare of the national park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the positive coupling between the sports industry and tourism, exploring the ways to promote their interconnection. Under state guidance, the integration of sports industry services is facilitated to attract sports culture and tourism fairs, leveraging regional economic development advantages to enhance the industrial market appeal. The emerging leisure consumption mode of sports tourism injects vitality into the economy, fostering the core sports service industry. The coupling of the education and tourism sectors is strategically aligned with long-term national policies. Using IoT technology, this paper employs a grey relational analysis to assess the coupling between the sports industry and tourism, revealing a significant correlation. Experimental results demonstrate a positive coupling trend, likened to conjoined twins with a natural material basis and technical support. This coupling not only aligns with industry trends but also resonates with the "environmental protection era," "green era," and "ecological era," marking a pivotal aspect of industrial development. The study contributes valuable insights into the symbiotic relationship between the sports and tourism industries, emphasizing their interconnectedness and the positive implications for economic and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-tourism has become a key component in the tourism industry and allows travelers to easily access information about destinations and services via the Internet, facilitating their travel planning process. Through e-tourism, travelers can research destinations, plan trips, book accommodations, purchase transportation tickets, and explore tourist attractions through online resources. Also, this area helps tourism businesses to effectively promote their services, communicate with clients and manage reservations. E-tourism represents the integration of information and communication technologies in the tourism sector. This concept encompasses the application of digital technologies such as the Internet, mobile applications, online reservation systems, web platforms and social media to improve aspects of travel and tourism. The legal foundation of educational procedures utilizing artificial intelligence algorithms in e-tourism holds significant importance because of the multitude of potential legal complexities and obstacles that could emerge. The Republic of Serbia, like many other countries, is working on improving its regulations in order to enable the development of e-tourism and at the same time ensure the protection of the interests and safety of travelers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourist flows, crucial information within online travelogues, reveal the interactive relationships between different tourist destinations and serve as the nerve center and link of the tourism system. This study takes Hangzhou, China, as a case to investigate the spatial network structure of its tourist flows. Firstly, a BERT-BiLSTM-CRF model and pan-attraction database are built to extract tourist attractions from online travelogues and create the tourist flow matrix. Then, this study uses social network analysis (SNA) to examine the structure of the tourist flow network from a county-level perspective. Additionally, GIS spatial analysis methods are applied to analyze the evolution of the tourist gravity center and standard deviation ellipse (SDE) of the network. The results reveal that the identification performances of the tourist flow extraction model this study proposed are significantly better than those of previous mainstream models, with an F1 value of 0.8752. Furthermore, the tourist flow network in Hangzhou displays a relatively sparse and unbalanced distribution, forming a "Core–Semi-Periphery–Periphery" structure. Lastly, from 2020 to 2022, the network's gravity center experienced a shift towards the southwest, paralleled by an initial expansion and subsequent contraction of the SDE in the same southwest direction. These findings provide valuable insights into the spatial network structure of tourism in Hangzhou and can serve as a reference for policymakers to promote the "all-for-one" tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research endeavours to explore the intricate dynamics of microeconomic factors that significantly influence the evolution of the sharing economy within the vibrant landscape of Lithuania's tourism sector. By harnessing an extensive dataset comprising diverse tourism metrics and online platform activities, advanced regression analysis techniques are employed to uncover the intricate interplay between tourism employment and key determinants such as tourism output, accommodation infrastructure, internet accessibility, and other pertinent variables. The empirical insights gleaned from this analysis reveal compelling correlations, shedding light on the pivotal role played by these factors in shaping the burgeoning sharing economy within the tourism realm. Moreover, this study provides nuanced insights into the potential implications for future research endeavours. By elucidating the complex relationships between various economic variables and the sharing economy, this research lays the groundwork for further empirical exploration and theoretical refinement. The ramifications of this research extend beyond academia to encompass practical implications for industry practitioners and policymakers alike. By gaining a deeper understanding of the microeconomic drivers of the sharing economy in the tourism sector, stakeholders can devise more informed strategies to leverage its potential for sustainable growth and development. In conclusion, this research represents a significant contribution to the burgeoning field of sharing economy studies within the context of the tourism sector. By revealing the intricate web of microeconomic factors underpinning its development, this study provides valuable insights that can inform both academic discourse and practical decision-making processes. Ultimately, it is hoped that this research will catalyse further exploration and innovation in the field, driving continued growth and prosperity within Lithuania's tourism sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyse how a model of tourism planning from a rural community, endogenous and participatory approach can become a strategy for the appropriation and defence of the territory in the municipality of Sibaté. The methodological horizon was oriented from a qualitative approach Páramo (2013) and the method used was the ethnography of places Vergara (2013). The information was systematised and analysed using the qualitative analysis software ATLAS.ti. The findings indicate that municipal development plans can be instruments of territorial defence, to the extent that the communities, their needs and goals are integrated. It is concluded that tourism as a development model can generate significant transformations in rural territories as long as they are inclusive, concerted and participatory, in order to achieve consensus between society and nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Electrónica Interuniversitaria De Formación del Profesorado is the property of Asociacion Universitaria de Formacion del Profesorado (AUFOP) 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 assessment of suitability is the cornerstone for the development of ecotourism in nature reserves. This paper adopts the Delphi method to invite 30 experts to score and screen a series of indicators and then calculates the weight of each indicator through the hierarchical analysis method (AHP) to establish a comprehensive evaluation index system for the suitability of ecotourism development. The AHP method includes four constraints layers (tourism resources, socio-economic environment, ecological conditions, and tourism market), in addition to eleven element layers and thirty-eight indicators. It establishes overarching criteria for evaluating ecotourism suitability. Our research focuses on Dinghushan, Xilin Gol Grassland, Hongze Lake Wetland, and Jiuzhai valley, and the results are as follows: (1) Ecotourism suitability evaluation level is divided into five levels, level I (0 ≤ S < 30) ecotourism development suitability is the lowest, meaning an area is extremely unsuitable for ecotourism development. Level V (90 ≤ S < 100) has a very high ecotourism value, meaning an area is highly suitable for ecotourism development. (2) Jiuzhai valley scored the highest ecotourism suitability evaluation score of 87.63, and Xilingol Grassland scored the lowest score of 81.27. However, the composite scores of all the nature reserves were above 80, placing them at Suitability Level IV, and thereby indicating a high suitability for ecotourism development. (3) Divergences in ecotourism suitability emerge among various nature reserve types, with grassland and meadow reserves exhibiting lower suitability levels. Addressing this, a robust management and monitoring system is imperative, alongside intensified efforts in ecological restoration, vegetation protection, community engagement, education, awareness, and increased policy support and tourism capital investment. (4) The results of the expert questionnaire showed that the maximum weight of the indicators affecting the evaluation of the suitability of ecotourism was the satisfaction of tourists (0.120), and the minimum weight was the accommodation facilities (0.002), which illustrated the important role of tourists in the ecotourism development carried out in the nature reserve. (5) Through empirical analysis of numerous cases, the study validates the practicality and effectiveness of the index system and provides scientific guidelines for the suitability of existing nature reserves for further ecotourism development. This contributes to the research theory on the suitability evaluation of ecotourism development and serves as a valuable reference for the future ecotourism development of diverse nature reserves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the use of social media, particularly Facebook, by destination management organizations (DMOs) for promoting tourism destinations has become increasingly significant. However, the particularities of using this powerful tool in promoting ecotourism destinations have not been sufficiently debated in the literature. To fill this gap, the present study brings a new perspective with the aim of understanding how the Facebook communication strategies of ecotourism destinations in Romania affect user reactions. This research was based on secondary data obtained by examining Facebook posts from seven Romanian ecotourism destinations during a period of six months. The initial step was to analyze the Facebook posts of the selected destinations and to extract major themes present in the posted content. These posts are categorized into themes such as nature, leisure, culture, and hospitality, providing a comprehensive view of the content strategy adopted by these destinations. The findings reveal that posts related to culture and nature are predominant and receive higher user interactions in the form of likes, comments, and shares. Most user reactions were expressed in the form of likes, while the number of comments and shares was quite modest. The analysis of factors influencing user reactions reveals that only the number of posts has a significant impact. Moreover, the post content and post format do not have a significant influence on users' reactions to destinations' posted content on Facebook. This study concludes that for the effective online promotion of ecotourism destinations, DMOs should focus on increasing the number and frequency of posts, and on creating content that aligns with audience preferences, particularly emphasizing the main features of the destination. These insights are crucial for DMOs in strategizing their online communication to enhance user reactions and promote their destinations effectively in the competitive sphere of global tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, particularly focusing on digital tourism. It highlights the use of AI-assisted learning to personalize educational content and enhance learning experiences for students. Specific examples include AI-powered platforms for designing cultural travel blogs and personalized learning paths for cultural tourism education. The paper also emphasizes the role of AI in supporting self-learning, adaptive learning systems, intelligent tutoring systems, and natural language processing. It showcases case studies from the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" and explores AI's potential to improve accessibility and provide tailored educational experiences for learners with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regardless of its distinction for touring and tourism communication, the subject of machine translation has not been dealt with regarding tourism investigation. This study aims to bridge this gap in knowledge by exploring machine translation (MT) technology in the development of tourism translation from the perspectives of translators and translation experts in Saudi Arabia. To attain the three objectives of the study, the researcher applied the quantitative approach. For data gathering, a 12-item opinion poll was disseminated among a random sample group that consisted of 80 translators and translation experts who were selected at random from several Saudi universities, top translation services companies, and tourism organizations during the current academic year 1445/AH/2024 CE. The findings of this study discovered that many translators and translation experts had positive perspectives on utilizing machine translation (MT) technology in the development of tourism translation around the world today in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. Moreover, the perspectives of these translators and translation experts on the difficulties and intricacy confronted in applying machine translation (MT) technology in the tourism translation industry were highly positive. Over half of the participants (51.42%) perceived that machine translation (MT) can help overcome obstacles encountered by translators in the field of tourism. The findings revealed that translators and translation experts in the realm of the tourism industry have a promising future thanks to the relationship between machine translation (MT) and tourism translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sport & Tourism Central European Journal / Sport i Turystyka Srodkowoeuropejskie Czasopismo Naukowe is the property of Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa 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 Sport & Tourism Central European Journal / Sport i Turystyka Srodkowoeuropejskie Czasopismo Naukowe is the property of Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa 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 Pasos: Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural is the property of Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Politicas y Sociales 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 rural B&B industry is a key component of rural tourism, local economic development, and the wider rural revitalization strategy. Despite the abundance of tourism resources in Yunnan, the B&B sector faces significant challenges. It is therefore imperative to accurately identify the most pressing issues within the current B&B industry and formulate appropriate solutions to advance Yunnan's rural revitalization efforts. This study uses recent reviews of rural B&Bs on Ctrip.com and employs machine learning techniques, including Bert, CNN, LSTM, and GRU, to identify the key management challenges currently facing Yunnan's rural B&B industry. An analysis is then conducted to identify the key stakeholders involved in the process of improving the management of Yunnan's B&Bs. To assess the willingness of each stakeholder to support the improvement of the rural B&B industry, this paper establishes a three-party evolutionary game model and examines the dynamic evolutionary process of management improvement within Yunnan's rural B&B industry. Two scenarios of evolutionarily stable strategies are analyzed, and parameters impacting stakeholders' strategy choices are simulated and evaluated. The results show that: i) Improving the "human factor" is the top priority for the current management improvement because tourists are most concerned about the emotional experience. Operators need to focus on improving service attitude and emotional experience; ii) The main stakeholders in the current management optimization process of Yunnan B&Bs are the local government, B&B operators, and tourists. Under appropriate conditions, the evolutionarily stable strategy of (1, 1, 1) is reachable. iii) variables such as additional costs, tourists' choice preferences, and government penalties significantly affect the strategy choices of stakeholders, especially B&B operators. This paper offers effective strategies for improving B&B management that can benefit the government, B&B operators, and tourists, and ultimately contribute to the promotion of quality rural revitalization. The paper not only identifies focal areas for improving B&B management in rural Yunnan, but also provides an in-depth understanding of stakeholder dynamics. As a result, it provides valuable insights to further the cause of quality rural revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Agro", "agri", and "rural" tourism have gained significant attention as emerging forms of tourism that provide unique experiences rooted in agricultural and rural settings. Beyond their economic and cultural contributions, these forms of tourism have been found to have a profound impact on individual happiness and well-being. This piece of work delves into the mechanisms underlying the relationship between "agro", "agri", or "rural" tourism and happiness, drawing from research in sociology and environmental science. By understanding the science behind this connection, we can further promote the development and implementation of "agro", "agri", and "rural" tourism initiatives that foster happiness and well-being. This study aims to examine existing research on "agro", "agri", or "rural" tourism and happiness, assess the implications of relevant scientific articles, and identify potential areas for future research. A systematic process was employed to identify articles related to terms such as "agrotourism", "agro tourism", "agro-tourism", "agritourism", "agri tourism", "agri-tourism", or "rural tourism" and happiness in the Scopus database. The selection criteria focused on articles that explored the above terms in their titles, abstracts, and keywords. The findings equally rely on qualitative and quantitative assessments, predominantly from the demand side, followed by the supply side and residents' views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While traveling, people need to utilize smart tourism service systems based on the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance their journeys' convenience. However, existing IoT-based smart tourism service systems still possess certain shortcomings. In light of this, this paper delves into the integration of IoT and machine learning (ML) technologies to improve the design of smart tourism service systems and establish a platform for intelligent tourism services. Simulated datasets are employed to evaluate the performance and functionality of the smart tourism service system. The primary contributions, as inferred from the test results, are as follows: In area 1, the model achieves a congestion recognition rate of 92.6% with an error rate of only 1.5% in congestion judgment. In area 2, congestion is accurately identified 93.5% of the time, with a misjudgment rate of just 1.2%. In area 3, the model achieves a congestion identification rate of 94.2% along with a 1.3% misjudgment rate, effectively identifying congestion situations in scenic spots. When comparing the research and design system with the system based on the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm, the results demonstrate that the smart tourism service system designed in this paper, leveraging IoT technology and ML algorithms, achieves higher prediction accuracy than the SVM-based system. These findings can serve as a valuable guide for designing future smart tourism service systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information systems offer major contributions to the establishment of accessible tourism conditions. However, these solutions need to be correctly developed, which often implicates approaches based on user-centered methodologies. To improve information flow within the accessible tourism market, an accessible tourism information system was prototyped. The development of this solution, named access@tour by action, involved a rigorous testing process, to evaluate the acceptability and mainly the difficulties of interaction with specific needs. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore the results obtained from usability testing of the prototype, involving people with special needs, social organizations, and caregivers. The results showed that some improvements were needed namely in the registration process, evaluation of tourism offers, and on the layout of information. Notwithstanding, the overall perception of ease of interaction, and accessibility was good. This user feedback will be used to obtain the final version of the platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Architecture, often regarded as a three-dimensional art form, relies on a multitude of abstractions during the design process. In this context, architectural elements are effectively represented through vector-based data processing techniques, offering a canvas for creative exploration. To further our understanding of spatial configurations and generate multiple design insights, mathematical structures known as graphs come into play. Graph theory, a fundamental component of this process, it is a mathematical field that studies relationships and connections between objects using vertices and edges, finding applications in computer science, network analysis, and more finds application in architectural design. This study delves into the application of graph theory in the analytical exploration of urban networks, with a focus on tourism parameters in the picturesque town of Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, India. Traditionally, urban network analysis seeks to determine the shortest distance between origin and destination, a metric rooted in accessibility. However, in leisure destinations, a novel approach involving an optimized distance-based algorithm is introduced. This innovative methodology aims to facilitate efficient access to all tourist destinations within the spatial extent while minimizing discrete physical distances. To illustrate this concept, we take the iconic French Quarters in the White Town of Pondicherry as a case study. By applying the optimized distance-based algorithm, we endeavor to uncover the most efficient route for tourists to navigate and leisurely explore the area. The outcome of this analysis reveals a path graph structure, which, when compared to a circular graph structure, demonstrates superior efficiency in guiding tourists through the space. The implications of this tourist route extend beyond the realm of tourism itself. It has the potential to enhance the organization of tourist activities, allowing stakeholders to manage and regulate the flow of visitors. Additionally, it presents an opportunity to promote and develop the region's often-underestimated tourist destinations, which can, in turn, have a positive impact on the local economy. In summary, the integration of graph theory into architectural and urban design methodologies enriches the approach to tourism and offers a holistic perspective on spatial optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pilgrimage tourism, among the earliest forms of tourism with a tradition spanning centuries, stands as a steadfast global attraction. This article delves into the significance, diversity, and historical roots of this tourism type, recognizing the contemporary surge in interest in pilgrimage sites. Offering an overview of globally prominent pilgrimage destinations and highlighting key locations in Slovakia, the article emphasizes the country's considerable potential for the utilization and development of these sacred sites, despite its compact size. It stresses the need to foster this historically significant tourism sector and the necessity for attention and support from the government sector to maximize its potential. The relevance of pilgrimage became particularly apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, with observable visitor participation despite challenging conditions at various pilgrimage sites. The article examines the pilgrimage's evolution before, during, and after the pandemic, using Levoča and Šaštín in Slovakia as illustrative cases. One of the main objectives of this study was to clarify the development of pilgrimage tourism in Slovakia over the past decades and the factors influencing it. The attendance analysis unmistakably reveals a significant upward trend at these specific locations, emphasizing the need to establish collaborative efforts to support this sector. Such collaboration is crucial for ensuring the sustainability of historically significant sites, fostering local development, and increasing the visibility of less-visited pilgrimage destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of escalating global concerns surrounding environmental sustainability and the preservation of cultural heritage, this research explores the intricate connection between residents' environmentally responsible conduct (ERB) and tourists' sustainable involvement with cultural heritage sites (SU). Highlighting the pivotal importance of destination identification (DI) as a mediator and self-congruity (SC) as a moderator, our study utilizes a quantitative data approach to investigate the nuanced relationships inherent in the domain of tourism destinations. The data were collected from 324 tourists (visiting Luxor heritage city in Egypt) and analyzed by PLS-SEM, and the results showed a positive correlation between residents who strongly identify with their local environment and an increased dedication to environmentally responsible actions. Moreover, tourists who demonstrate elevated levels of self-congruity with the cultural heritage destination are inclined to embrace more sustainable behaviors, thereby making positive contributions to heritage preservation initiatives. This study enriches the evolving domain of sustainable tourism by providing insights into the intricate interactions between residents and tourists, fostering environmentally responsible behavior, and promoting the sustainable utilization of cultural heritage. Practical applications encompass the formulation of community-based interventions, the design of destination marketing strategies, and the proposal of policy recommendations. These initiatives aim to enhance the engagement of both residents and tourists, fostering the long-term preservation of cultural and environmental assets. Ultimately, the research seeks to guide sustainable tourism practices that strike a balance between the economic advantages of tourism and the essential preservation of cultural heritage and natural environments for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional reconstruction is a key technology employed to represent virtual reality in the real world, which is valuable in computer vision. Large-scale 3D models have broad application prospects in the fields of smart cities, navigation, virtual tourism, disaster warning, and search-and-rescue missions. Unfortunately, most image-based studies currently prioritize the speed and accuracy of 3D reconstruction in indoor scenes. While there are some studies that address large-scale scenes, there has been a lack of systematic comprehensive efforts to bring together the advancements made in the field of 3D reconstruction in large-scale scenes. Hence, this paper presents a comprehensive overview of a 3D reconstruction technique that utilizes multi-view imagery from large-scale scenes. In this article, a comprehensive summary and analysis of vision-based 3D reconstruction technology for large-scale scenes are presented. The 3D reconstruction algorithms are extensively categorized into traditional and learning-based methods. Furthermore, these methods can be categorized based on whether the sensor actively illuminates objects with light sources, resulting in two categories: active and passive methods. Two active methods, namely, structured light and laser scanning, are briefly introduced. The focus then shifts to structure from motion (SfM), stereo matching, and multi-view stereo (MVS), encompassing both traditional and learning-based approaches. Additionally, a novel approach of neural-radiance-field-based 3D reconstruction is introduced. The workflow and improvements in large-scale scenes are elaborated upon. Subsequently, some well-known datasets and evaluation metrics for various 3D reconstruction tasks are introduced. Lastly, a summary of the challenges encountered in the application of 3D reconstruction technology in large-scale outdoor scenes is provided, along with predictions for future trends in development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today competitive tourism market, with the rise of the web 2.0 era, destinations have shifted their focus from the traditional means of promotion to the online process. This study examined the online marketing of 10 Romanian cities as emerging destinations for cultural tourism based on the content analysis of website content. Using Google search to select tourism websites for analysis and applying eMICA model, a review of 200 websites was made, so as to understand how each city is promoting its image and products online. The results show that only some of the analyzed cities have official tourism websites and quite frequently, they lack interactivity, which is currently seen as a must for any successful destination. Main areas for improvement regarding the online promotion of the Romanian cities are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over a decade, mobile applications are frequently used to make people's daily lives more accessible in all areas, such as commerce, tourism, education, medical care, and others. For implementing these applications, several frameworks exist that can accomplish this task, such as Google's Flutter, Microsoft's Xamarin, Facebook's React Native, Apple's Swift UI, Ionic, Django..etc. However, choosing the best framework to develop an application is not a simple enough decision for developers. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the four most widely used frameworks for implementing mobile applications: React Native, Swift UI, Flutter, and Xamarin. Furthermore, this study also aims to assist developers in choosing the most suitable framework by proposing an application that can recommend the best framework according to the needs entered by answering the questions, which are generally related to the relevant criteria resulting from the analysis of these frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of rural revitalization strategies and humans' increasing leisure pursuits, rural tourism has begun to act as a new development path of rural economic growth and industrial transformation. This phenomenon generally occurs in rural areas around metropolitan areas, manifesting as the transformation or reconstruction of rural spaces. As a result, many new types of tertiary industry spaces utilizing rural land for leisure activities have emerged. We analyze the connotations of rural spatial and industrial transformation from the perspective of spatial production and innovatively propose that the transformed space is an ecological product, which includes three types in practice: industrial space, consumption space, and residential space. This study facilitates urban–rural integration and common prosperity. Given the lack of analysis of rural ecological products, especially rural spatial ecological products (e.g., rural B&Bs and other tertiary industry spaces), this study aims to explore the value expression and driving factors of rural spatial ecological products based on geo-visual (spatially visualizing) analytical tools looking at 10361 B&Bs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces of China as typical examples. Our results show that (1) the value of rural spatial ecological products is reflected in the price that urban consumers are willing to pay for rural natural landscapes, which constitutes an ecological premium; and (2) the prices of rural spatial ecological products are strikingly different at multiple spatial scales, and this difference is related to the local ecological resources. This study provides insights into the rational allocation of the limited resources required for rural construction, which helps optimize the spatial planning of rural ecotourism and enhance the gametogenous development momentum of rural areas. At the same time, this study theoretically expands the research results of cultural ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a data-driven and machine-learning approach to design a personalized tourist recommendation system for Nepal. It examines key tourist attributes, such as demographics, behaviors, preferences, and satisfaction, to develop four sub-models for data collection and machine learning. A structured survey is conducted with 2400 international and domestic tourists, featuring 28 major questions and 125 variables. The data are preprocessed, and significant features are extracted to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the machine-learning models. These models are evaluated using metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, F-score, ROC, and lift curves. A comprehensive database for Pokhara City, Nepal, is developed from various sources that includes attributes such as location, cost, popularity, rating, ranking, and trend. The machine-learning models provide intermediate categorical recommendations, which are further mapped using a personalized recommender algorithm. This algorithm makes decisions based on weights assigned to each decision attribute to make the final recommendations. The system's performance is compared with other popular recommender systems implemented by TripAdvisor, Google Maps, the Nepal tourism website, and others. It is found that the proposed system surpasses existing ones, offering more accurate and optimized recommendations to visitors in Pokhara. This study is a pioneering one and holds significant implications for the tourism industry and the governing sector of Nepal in enhancing the overall tourism business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

—The relentless growth of the tourism sector is fostering an increasingly pronounced demand for the translation of tourism websites. Nevertheless, the translation quality of tourism websites has garnered criticism attributed to inaccuracies in translating cultural references, leading to potential cultural losses in conveying cultural references. Despite the growing demand for accurate translation, a lack of research exists to address cultural losses and in the translation of Chinese cultural references into English. This study investigates the categories of cultural losses in the cultural references’ translation on tourism websites; specifically, Trip.com was selected as the case. Moreover, this study examines how the overall translation method, at a macro-level, is influenced by the specific translation strategies identified at a micro-level and how this, in turn, impacts cultural nuances and potential losses. The current study adopted a qualitative approach and unveiled five distinct categories of cultural losses encompassing historical background, rhetorical devices, local customs, religion, and aesthetic images. The findings revealed that foreignization emerged as the prevailing macro-level translation method, significantly influencing the incurred cultural losses within the context of cultural references. This study’s findings emphasized the necessity of addressing cultural losses in cultural references’ translation on tourism websites. The identified cultural losses and the dominance of foreignization highlight the imperative for nuanced translation strategies. This study shed light on the equilibrium between cultural preservation and effective communication. By striking this equilibrium, the tourism industry can effectively accomplish its objective of nurturing profound cross-cultural interactions that resonate with a diverse global audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalized recommendation plays an important role in many online service fields. In the field of tourism recommendation, tourist attractions contain rich context and content information. These implicit features include not only text, but also images and videos. In order to make better use of these features, researchers usually introduce richer feature information or more efficient feature representation methods, but the unrestricted introduction of a large amount of feature information will undoubtedly reduce the performance of the recommendation system. We propose a novel heterogeneous multimodal representation learning method for tourism recommendation. The proposed model is based on two-tower architecture, in which the item tower handles multimodal latent features: Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) is used to extract the text features of items, and an External Attention Transformer (EANet) is used to extract image features of items, and connect these feature vectors with item IDs to enrich the feature representation of items. In order to increase the expressiveness of the model, we introduce a deep fully connected stack layer to fuse multimodal feature vectors and capture the hidden relationship between them. The model is tested on the three different datasets, our model is better than the baseline models in NDCG and precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the importance of interrelationships between cultural and creative industries (CCIs) and tourism for cross-industry innovation and sustainable local development. The purpose of this study is to deepen the understanding of the role and relevance of the CCIs-tourism nexus for innovation-driven socio-economic transformation of territories through regional policy design and implementation in Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3). To this end, a thematic analysis has been conducted to explore the links between CCIs and tourism in RIS3 prioritization choices and whether and how it has been revisited from the previous programming period (2014-2020) to the current updates of strategies (2021-2027). The findings provide insights into the focus and evolution of this nexus to address the role of CCIs in enabling innovationled regional development for the triple transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism in small islands is usually prioritized over fishing on the assumption that marginal fishers will eventually benefit from the multiplier effects of tourism activities. This leads to the difficult coastal tourism and fisheries nexus (CTF) conundrum, however, since the natural balance in small islands has been disturbed. Thus, to compare how locals and visitors perceived sustainability in small islands with the entry of tourism activities, Delphi surveys of 395 fishers and 113 tourists were conducted in Boracay, Gigantes, and Guimaras islands, Philippines. The indicators used were based on the UN sustainability framework and measured through a five-point Likert scale. Sustainability status was determined using the IUCN sustainability barometer, whereas sustainability ratings were compared (a = 0.05) for respondents and study sites using standardized Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis H-tests, respectively, with Games-Howell multiple comparison tests as post hoc. Results show that, overall, the three small islands are in potentially sustainable status (i.e. acceptable performance). In specific terms, both ecological and institutional dimensions are also in potentially sustainable status, whereas the socio-economic dimension has a sustainable status (i.e. desirable performance). Gigantes, however, has a significantly lower sustainability score (p < 0.05) compared to Boracay and Guimaras, which were not significantly different. Interestingly, tourists rated all small islands as sustainable with a perception rating significantly higher (p < 0.05) than fishers who perceived that their islands have only a potentially sustainable status. These findings suggest the difference in how fishers and tourists may look at programs and initiatives with long-term viability, and this needs to be addressed to attain a better and stable CTF so it can be used as a CRM strategy that can contribute to the sustainability goals in small islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The recent health crisis has created a new scenario where rural tourism stands out as a beneficiary of the post-COVID era. The results of this research, based on the conducted surveys, show that agrotourism is an attractive and interesting activity for tourists, offering a diversified experience with livestock-related and pastoral activities in Andalusia (Spain). Agrotourism, a form of rural tourism, has the potential to align with emerging tourist interests, while reactivating the economy of livestock farming families and recognizing the important environmental, social, and economic role of extensive livestock farming. However, based on the findings of this study, specific areas of focus include (i) developing marketing strategies that encourage tourist participation throughout the year; (ii) integrating theoretical and practical content into educational training pro-grams to raise awareness of agrotourism projects and foster interest among future professionals in both the tourism and livestock sectors; and (iii) providing training and support for livestock farmers interested in diversifying their activities through agrotourism (considering such aspects as investment, time commitment, dedication, tourist engagement, forming alliances with companies, etc.). This support could be facilitated by public administrations, fostering synergies between the public and private sectors. This study aimed to analyze the interest, willingness to pay, and profile of tourists participating in specific agrotourism activities linked to extensive livestock farming in order to encourage the development of those activities that are most demanded by tourists, as well as to support the proposals for improvements to promote this kind of tourism in the region of Andalusia (Spain). For this purpose, a survey was conducted, which was organized into six sections: (i) sociodemographic data, (ii) general aspects of tourism, (iii) rural tourism, (iv) livestock farming and tourism, (v) benefits of extensive livestock farming, and (vi) tourism activities linked to livestock farming. A total of 892 responses were received, out of which 753 were analyzed. The results show that the respondents are interested or motivated by the proposed activities. The most attractive activities are those related to livestock farming, which involve some kind of workshop on the production of handicrafts. Despite tourists having low-to-medium knowledge of extensive livestock farming, they all express a highly positive perception of the associated attributes. Developing strategies to enhance the willingness to pay for agrotourism activities is crucial, with the overall experience being a key element of their success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to advancements in technology and digital connectivity, travel patterns have changed. Technological developments have increased the amount of information and inspiration available to consumers, and big data analytics allows for the creation of innovative insights. When it comes to implementing cuttingedge technologies, small businesses typically lag behind larger ones. In light of the above, this study aims to examine the extent of usage and challenges SMEs face concerning e-marketing. SMEs in the tourism sector have demonstrated that they are drivers of economic growth through the development of entrepreneurial skills and job creation. In this study, data was qualitatively collected from 14 SME service providers, through a purposive sampling method. The findings revealed that SMEs struggle with the adoption of e-marketing. Moreover, the findings revealed that SMEs are also faced with the challenge of easy access to funding, this was found to affect their flexibility towards digital transformation. Lastly, this study found that SMEs are faced with the challenge of lack of expertise to implement digital transformations. This study concludes that, although in South Africa government funding provided to SMEs through grants plays a critical role, it is still not enough. The government can further their SME development initiatives through public sector and private sector partnerships. By increasing SMEs access to funding, joint SME development programs offer a substantial chance to promote entrepreneurship in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasping the concerns of customers is paramount, serving as a foundation for both attracting and retaining a loyal customer base. While customer satisfaction has been extensively explored across diverse industries, there remains a dearth of insights into how distinct rural bed and breakfasts (RB&Bs) can effectively cater to the specific needs of their target audience. This research utilized latent semantic analysis and text regression techniques on online reviews, uncovering previously unrecognized factors contributing to RB&B customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that certain factors wield distinct impacts on guest satisfaction within varying RB&B market segments. The implications of these findings extend to empowering RB&B owners with actionable insights to enhance the overall customer experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more individuals are realizing the need to take time away from their regular lives to recharge their bodies and minds by visiting new places. That's why we reasoned that drinking tea while on holiday would be the most significant element in promoting the growth of the tea tourism sector. We want to bring attention to how, via the medium of tastescape, the ritual of drinking tea may help one better understand the notion of unconventional tourism in India. A tastescape is a combination of physical elements, social norms, and geographical settings. One kind of nature tourism that includes visits to tea plantations is an example of a niche market. Without a question, if you're looking for a place to visit that serves excellent tea, you should make your way to India. If the right marketing campaigns are launched to attract eco-travelers, and if the necessary efforts are made to enhance the quality of the area, the Indian Tea Estates have the potential to become a leading destination for tea tourism. The novelty of this study lies in its exploration of tea tourism prospects in India and the investigation into how the fascination with tea influences the decisions of foreign tourists visiting the country. The research aims to promote travel to India so that more people may learn about and appreciate the tea culture there. Both primary and secondary sources are used in this qualitative study. Features and advertising tactics for luring tourists are described in this research. At this point, we analyze the research data and use it to inform a set of preliminary marketing strategies. The study also found that enhancing a customer's overall impression of a company is one of the most effective ways to encourage repeat business. It is difficult to advance plans to combine the tourism and tea industries due to a lack of personnel and expertise. The difficulty may be overcome if the two parties can work together to mutual benefit. Achieving future achievements will require strengthening the connection between tea and tourism, establishing collaborations, encouraging a higher degree of local engagement, and highlighting local benefits as a way of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]