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Purpose: The paper suggests goal modelling as a method for the strategic analysis in tourism destinations. Destination management is quite complex and challenging and requires deep understanding of the intentions, the roles and the strategies of the various stakeholders. Methods: This paper identifies the challenges and major issues of destination management, evaluates the capacity of goal modelling to address them and demonstrates the use of goal modelling for stakeholder and strategic analysis. Results: The paper provides a holistic, multi-level modelling approach that begins with stakeholder analysis, continues with the analysis of strategic dependencies between stakeholders and ends with the analysis of the strategic alignment of the Destination Management Systems. Goal modelling is used for the analysis of the roles and functions of stakeholders, the analysis of the interdependencies between stakeholders in terms of goals, tasks and resources, the selection between alternative business configurations, and the business model and strategic analysis. Implications: Three important issues of destination management are addressed: stakeholder analysis, strategic dependency analysis, and strategic alignment of information systems. The formalism of goal modelling can provide rigor and visualization in the analysis of the complex relationships in destination management.

Tourism offers a means of promoting a local development strategy capable of harnessing the resources available within a territory. In order to do this, we must know the potential for tourism development in each territory, as well as the factors that would condition it. In this article, a methodology (based on the design of a system of indicators, the construction of composite indexes, and segmentation by means of cluster analysis) is proposed to measure tourism development within an emerging country and segment its different territories. The case study chosen to validate this methodology is Ecuador, a country with interesting tourist potential, where individual cities have very different levels of tourism development. The results highlight the factors that drive or constrain the degree of tourism development presented by the cities analysed, thereby facilitating decision-making for major stakeholders in each of them.

Fast development in tourism results in changes in the creation of tourism products. Tourism as a sector has been the one belonging o he most affected sectors in the recent period (Covid-19 pandemic) and many business entities in tourism had to close their operations. Strong players and allies, on the other hand, proceeded to reassess their strategies and create tourism products. Destination management organizations represented entities that created strong alliances in the region, stimulated the creation of new and re-evaluation (modification) of existing tourism products offered within Slovak destinations. The aim of the study, which was carried out on destination management organizations in Slovak destinations, was to find out how destination management organizations perceive quality and sustainability in the creation of products within tourist destinations in Slovakia. The main method of data collection was a questionnaire, in which the questions were designed using a Likert scale. The obtained data were evaluated for descriptive statistics and established hypotheses used the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. The main findings include that destination management organizations perceive the quality of tourism products as essential and the demand an automatic part of tourism products. This finding also confirms the acceptance of the hypothesis, which proved the connection between the process of creating the quality of tourism products, which should be long-term, and the requirement for their sustainability. However, it is interesting to note that sustainability in tourism is not understood in the same way by business entities in tourism. This not only points to the importance of the presented study, but also gives it direction for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative tourism has been approached from several points of view: products and processes, enabling elements, marketing, sustainability, etc. However, to our best knowledge, there is no integrative model that brings together all its dimensions and enables a 'bird's eye' perspective of creative destination competitiveness. As such, this article aims to present a competitiveness model for a creative tourism destination. The model presents four essential dimensions: core elements (products and processes, travellers and entrepreneurs), enablers (community engagement, stakeholders competences, and creative atmosphere), and developers (marketing and communication). Avenues for future research are presented based on the identification of areas to expand existing knowledge on creative tourism research, mainly by proposing measurement instruments which may contribute to operationalize the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, information will be explored that will contribute to increasing tourism income in destinations with low tourist expenditure per person. For this purpose, the souvenir expenditure of tourists in Turkey is examined. Souvenir stores in Sultanahmet and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul were investigated using a qualitative case study research design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 souvenir sellers and 778 online comments of tourists shopping in souvenir stores were analyzed by netnography. As a result of the research, it has been determined that the efforts made to transform products based on the natural, historical and cultural richness of Turkey into brands, and thus increase local product diversity, play a critical role in increasing souvenir expenditure. On the other hand, the importance of the selection of high spending tourists as the target market and increasing the employment of qualified workers in the tourism sector has emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to conceptualise the organisational framing of tourism management in touristified cities, focusing on the assessment of participatory processes of tourism planning. A grounded theory approach is used to analyse and discuss the role of the newly created consultive Tourism Council of Barcelona. An analysis of in-depth interviews undertaken with representatives of local stakeholders led to Common Pool Resources and policy cycle theories as conceptual framework to support a precise characterisation of tourism-related conflicts in Barcelona. The results reveal difficulties to obtain consensual strategic views for tourism development, although working groups contribute to cooperation between stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented article focuses on examining two important areas within the framework of tourism development in the region, namely development management and cooperation of the interest groups in the tourism industry in the region. The main goal of the presented article is threefold: (1) identifying and measuring the perceived rate of problems in development management in the tourism industry, (2) identifying and measuring the perceived rate of problems of cooperation between the interest groups in the tourism industry, (3) examining connections between problem rates of development management and cooperation between interest groups in tourism. Based on professional literature, key factors (problems) in these areas were identified. Subsequently, tools to measure the rate of development, the reliability of which was verified based on McDonald's omega, were created. The article is supported by a primary survey in which 95 experts on the topic of regional tourism from Europe participated. The results indicate an average to above-average perceived rate of problems within the examined areas. An examination of the relationships between the problems of development management and the cooperation of interest groups in the development of regional tourism can be considered significant, where significant positive connections were confirmed. The results add to the knowledge base of the issue in question. At the same time, it is possible to identify practical benefits within the framework of identification, quantification and comparison of individual problems within the framework of tourism development. [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]

Change processes always go through various stages. Regarding political change projects, there are specific continuative aspects that influence the decision-making behaviour of local politicians. This also applies to specific decisions relating to issues of inter-municipal cooperation. The intended gain in knowledge of this article is to determine how council representatives decide towards inter-municipal destination management organizations as a form of inter-municipal cooperation, to what extent experiences already exist in this field, how open they are towards them, and which possible influencing factors have an impact on this decision behaviour. Mixed-methods research is the chosen research strategy for this study. Semi-structured focus group interviews are followed by constructing the initial research model, and a written survey of council representatives was conducted. Based on this the present study finds that the openness of local politicians on inter-municipal cooperation, using the example of destination management organisations, is significantly dependent on location issues, legal form, and information about weighing up the advantages and disadvantages. Finally, also the origin of a specific destination management initiative, meaning internal or external to the respective local parliamentary group, was found as significant independent variable for political decisions about intermunicipal destination management organizations. As last step of this study and building on these findings and relevant theoretical framework models, a six-phase change management model was constructed as support for the decisionmaking behaviour of local politicians regarding inter-municipal projects. This model includes the phases of initiation (1), persuasion (2), political decision-making (3), implementation (4), evaluation (5), and resolution amendment (6). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is an inseparable element in the process of curating tourism products that contributes towards creating memorable experiences. Organised mass tourism lags in delivery of such experiences which is based on the contributions of local innovations. The paper tries to document traveller's memories, particularly those that are easily remembered as happy experiences. The study identified the tourist preferences related to international destinations visited, followed by the identification of social innovations that are crucial for the design of tourist experiences. According to the study, a well-planned tourism experience at a place can promote entrepreneurship and create jobs. The decisions made by tourism business owners might be influenced by both the visitor's experiences and the innovations found. The ability to integrate similar experience designs into product innovation systems will allow managers to create destinations with a competitive edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study uses the methodological tools of network theory to investigate the spatial movements of tourists in the sample area, which is the South Transdanubian tourism region of Hungary. The basic idea of the study is that tourist movements across settlements in a larger tourist destination make a coherent network. As long as the approach is correct, this network can be measured by properties that are characteristic of networks, such as centrality or degree. A review of the methodology of similar studies previously published on the subject has been used to supplement the method of analysis used below. As a result, the study not only characterised the sample area municipalities in terms of network characteristics, but also classified them into clusters for strategic planning purposes on the basis of the mobility propensity of the tourists staying there.

This work combines the fuzzy best-worst method for assigning weights of indicators and the fuzzy simple additive weighting method for evaluating performance, along with the TALC model, in generating a single-valued index that would holistically describe the performance of a destination (e.g. small islands). Grounded on a real-world application, the evaluation process proved useful in evaluating the performance of Bantayan Island (Philippines), with a high degree of flexibility in dealing with variations of domain applications with different groups of decision-makers in different settings. The findings, although highly case-specific, offer starting points of discussion in managing small island destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question: why do two destinations with extremely valuable cultural heritage gain attractions have completely different tourism traffic results? The main aim of this paper was to find the various causes of this inequality. The comparative method was used and Lednice and Dolní Kounice in Southern Moravia were selected as case studies. Statistical data and strategic documents on regional and local levels were analysed. The study showed significant differences in the strategic conceptual plans. Dolní Kounice was a more popular destination for suburban tourism for the inhabitants of Brno, the historical heritage was only an added value. In the case of Lednice, the use of its heritage for tourism was one of the main development priorities. This paper further noted that cultural tourism is often seen as a sector of the economy rather than a part of the culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Institute of Social Sciences Cankiri Karatekin University / Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi is the property of Cankiri Karatekin University, Institute of Social Sciences 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.)

Since the announcement of the Icelandic Pledge in June 2017, destinations are increasingly turning to national destination pledges as a possible tool to address negative impacts caused by visitors. This article uses qualitative interviews with 17 stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of the full sample of national destination pledges at the time of the research (namely the Icelandic Pledge, the Palau Pledge, the New Zealand Tiaki Promise and the Sustainable Finland Pledge) as an empirical basis. It explores the catalysts for the development of national destination pledges including undesirable visitor behaviour, increasing visitor numbers and a desire to protect the destination and its people. It then demonstrates how national destination pledges are social marketing initiatives, which employ commercial marketing techniques to positively influence visitor behaviour. By analysing the social marketing strategies used by national destination pledges and linking these strategies to behaviour change literature, this paper demonstrates that pledges' use of peer pressure, emotional engagement of visitors, and positive, targeted messaging are all characteristics that hold potential to influence visitor behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to further advance the discussion regarding Local Authorities and approaches to facilitate sustainable planning for tourism. Building on previous research into tourism planning at local level in Ireland, this study employed qualitative semi-structured interviews with every senior planner in Ireland's 28 Local Authorities to identify the degree to which evidence-informed planning for tourism is encouraged. Findings point to a tendency from senior planners to rely on existing legislative procedures to measure tourism activity. Despite the legal responsibilities Local Authorities have to sustainably plan for tourism, together with substantial advancements in the development of procedures for facilitating evidence-informed planning for tourism. The absence of sufficient monitoring of several key tourism impacts at destination level by this study, questions the ability of senior planners in Ireland to plan sustainably for tourism and protect the tourism product going forward. [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]

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.

Purpose: Taking Lourdes as an en example, this paper aims at understanding the relationship amongst the main tourism and events industry stakeholders. Methods: To achieve the objective of the study, data were collected through interviews of key players. The results where then filtered through the ‘Alpha’ framework to theorise the interactions amongst stakeholders. Results: The study also provides a (1) typology of the ultimate alpha syndrome in the context of destination management; (2) typology of the delta syndrome. (3) Finally, the study argues that in destinations where there is an ultimate alpha hallmark event, or an ultimate alpha stakeholder, a situation quite similar to an anti-competitive market can arise. This situation is referred as ‘ultimate alpha tourism monopoly’. Implications: Based on the findings of this study, Destination Marketing Organisations need to ensure that there is a suitable synergy amongst all stakeholders involved in the tourism industry (and related sector), to avoid anti-competitive market ‘ultimate alpha tourism monopoly’ to arise.

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

This paper explores tourists' perceptions of English as a lingua franca (ELF) to understand the ELF phenomenon in tourist destinations by analyzing in-depth interviews with 15 Korean tourists from a phenomenological approach. The findings show that participants had awareness of the growing role of ELF in tourism and perceived English use in destinations as an opportunity for selfdevelopment and the index of social development while the dominance of English was recognized as unequal linguistic power relations such as linguistic imperialism. This study provides implications for tourist destination management and marketing on language-related issues to satisfy and attract more tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to evaluate the possibilities of evaluating sustainable tourism in Polish tourist regions, in particular, through the use of ETIS indicators and to assess for the availability of data for their calculation in the nationwide statistical system. Qualitative research methodology was used to study the availability of ETIS indicators. A diagnostic type research procedure was adopted and the desk research method was used. In a situation where the data necessary for calculating a given indicator was not found in the available sources, primary research in the form of direct interviews with representatives of branches of Statistical Offices was used. In order to quantify the availability of ETIS indicators, a system for their evaluation was adopted and aggregate indicators were proposed for the evaluation of sections and individual criteria in the section, which is the author's attempt to develop a unified system for evaluating sustainable tourism indicators. The results of the study showed that the availability of data for calculating ETIS indicators in Poland is not satisfactory. The lowest rating was given to the availability of indicators that facilitate the management of the resort, including the tourists' satisfaction survey (section A). Also rated very low was the availability of indicators of the environmental impact of tourism in a resort (section D). The results obtained confirm the results of studies by other authors dealing with the issue of the real use of ETIS in tourist regions of other countries. [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]

Geographical knowledge of the country can be one of the leading assumptions that allow the tourism development. It enables a more detailed specification of the dominant potential for its further development. Conside ring the current significant need to create a sustainable product, the natural conditions together with destination management can be key elements for the future course of the tourism sphere. The aim of the study was to find out the preferences of visitors to selected geolocations in the Spiš region, specifically within the offered geotourism products. To fulfil the goal, the questionnaire as a key method was used and subsequently tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearman's Rho test, coefficient of determination R2, F-test with Fisher's criterion. It can be concluded that the potential of the Spiš region is perceived as attractive. Based on results, the uniqueness of the main geoproduct offer is in montanistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower-Ipoly area, located in the north-central region of Hungary, has linear extension. In terms of the specific location and the unfavourable demographics tourism development faces difficulties in this heterogeneous area. The aim of the research is to identify the needs of prospective travellers and decision makers toward future developments in tourism in the indicated region. The paper summarizes the results of a survey, identifying the opinions of organizational and consumer market stakeholders, their similarities and differences in terms of expectations for tourism developments. This study covers the types of tourism and product elements that can potentially be developed sustainably. [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]

Copyright of Tourism & Rural Development Studies / Turisztikai és Vidékfejlesztési Tanulmányok is the property of CampInvest Kft. 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.)