Analysis of tour values to develop enablers using an interpretive hierarchy-based model in Taiwan

Tourism experiences in natural landscapes are considered an integral component of tourism value. Tourism experiences can also create a link between an individual and his or her spiritual needs. Thus, this study aims to utilize an effective approach to interpret individual, subjective human experiences in natural environments using interpretive structural modeling. This technique is used to build a hierarchy-based model and determine the mutual relationships among the enablers of tour value. In addition, this study uses the Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis to analyze the degree of influence of these factors and their degree of dependence on each other. To collect the empirical data, questionnaires were distributed to visitors at Grand Gangshan, a tourist destination in northeastern Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The results show that particular enablers (Internet marketing, the establishment of sales locations and planning for travel information services) have a high degree of influence and exhibit low dependence. These enablers require a great deal of attention because of their strategic importance to tourism development. The approach employed in this study provides a very useful tool for travel authorities to use to differentiate between the independent and dependent variables affecting tour value and to identify the relationships among those variables. Using this approach will allow the actors in this industry to focus on the most important variables for promoting the visitor experience in natural settings.     

Spatial structures of tourism destinations: A trajectory data mining approach leveraging mobile big data

The advancement of mobile technology provides an opportunity to obtain the real-time information of travelers, such as their spatial and temporal behaviors, during their visits to a destination. This study analyzes a large scale mobile phone dataset that captures the cellphone trace of international travelers who visited South Korea. We apply a trajectory data mining approach to understand the spatial structures of tourist activities within three different destinations. Through spatial clustering analysis and sequential pattern mining, the study reveals multiple “hot spots” (or popular areas) in travel destinations and spatial interactions across these places. As a result, this paper provides important tourism implications integrating spatial models with destination planning, which is the foundation of tourism design.     

旅游信息服务视阈下的智慧旅游慨念探讨

智慧旅游的丰富实践使研究者不断思考“什么是智慧旅游”的问题，而对这个基本问题虽有很多解答但仍然需要进行探索。文章试图通过对国内外有关智慧旅游的概念进行了梳理，建立起以旅游信息服务为基础的智慧旅游的基本概念，即把智慧旅游定义为旅游者个体在旅游活动过程中所接受的泛在化的旅游信息服务。该定义旨在强调智慧旅游以旅游者个体为核心、以信息服务为载体的支撑体系，以泛在化作为核心内涵，以旅游者行为方式、旅游业营销方式、管理方式和服务方式的根本性变化为主要外延，并据此对国内外智慧旅游概念进行了全面评价。文章的价值在于将智慧旅游的概念与旅游信息化（特别是旅游信息服务）有机结合，既承上启下又能开启智慧旅游发展的新思路。     

The hidden side of travel: Epilepsy and tourism

Previous tourism research has examined the barriers and travel experiences of people with physical/mobility and sensory impairments. This paper advances tourism knowledge by revealing the travel experiences of people with the invisible and stigmatising condition of epilepsy. The study employed a phenomenological approach to explore whether, and how, the hidden neurological condition affects the travel experience. Analysis of the data revealed three main themes relating to the experience of travel for individuals with epilepsy: seizure episodes; invisibility of the condition; and managing anxiety. The paper illuminates the hidden side of travel for people with epilepsy and its social stigma, and problematises the socially constructed nature of travel as mostly visible, an escape from normality, independent and authentic.     

Examining destination images from travel blogs: a big data analytical approach using latent Dirichlet allocation

ABSTRACT

In the big data era, destination images have played an increasingly important role in tourism development. However, seldom tourism research has utilised big data analytics to examine destination images from travel blogs. Therefore, this study proposes and evaluates a big data analytical approach using latent Dirichlet allocation to extract attributes of online destination images from 140,286 travel blogs about 20 cities in China. Results reveal 14 dimensions with 54 attributes of destination images of the studied cities. Interesting findings are discovered between online destination images and tourism cities. This study also summarises the implications for tourism research and practice.     

基于扎根理论的旅游幸福感构成——以互联网旅游博客文本为例

追求幸福是个体生存的根本动机,当旅游日益成为人们享受幸福生活的重要表达时,旅游研究有理由探讨旅游与幸福感的关系。以扎根理论为研究工具,以旅游博客的博主为研究对象,系统分析旅游过程中旅游者身心感受的变化。研究发现,旅游的根本动机是寻找和收获旅游幸福感。旅游者从居住地世俗生活状态进入旅游环境,通过休闲、娱乐、教育、逃避、美感和移情过程,达到消遣、逃逸、认知、审美和移情的目的;享受从生理感知、心理变化和灵性提升不同层级的生命状态,获得深刻的人生经历,再回到居住地惯常环境的历程,实现从世俗到"神圣"再归于平凡的生命状态转换。旅游前美好期待体验、旅游中福乐体验、旅游后温馨回忆体验,成为旅游幸福感的时间构成;享受闲适生活、获得旅游福乐体验、提升积极情绪、减弱不良情绪、感受人际美好,进而提升人生境界,是旅游幸福感的重要内容构成。因此,旅游服务实际上应起始于旅游行程前,绽放于旅游过程中,延伸至旅游活动后。旅游服务必须持高度的人文情怀,以发于心、形于外的贴心关照才能给予旅游者一段幸福的人生经历。     

Discovering highly profitable travel patterns by high-utility pattern mining

Travel diaries have been widely used by tourism researchers to gain insights into the travel behaviors of travelers because of their rich information. However, their potentials have not been fully utilized due to the unawareness of the utility information hidden within. Existing works have mainly focused on identifying popular travel patterns in the travel diaries, while overlooking their potential profitable benefits. To fill this gap, we introduce the concept of “utility” into the analysis of travel diaries and present high-utility pattern mining technique for the effective discovery of highly valuable travel patterns. We demonstrate the benefit of this approach through a case study using a large-scale travel diary data set constructed from venue check-in data. The findings are useful for tourism managers to develop valuable travel packages. The presented approach is general and can be applied to various tourism contexts to explore highly profitable travel and purchasing patterns.     

Analyzing travel mobility patterns in city destinations: Implications for destination design

Understanding the features of travel activities is important in elaborating travel behaviors and segmenting travelers based on the similarity of activity patterns. This research applying mobile big data analytics suggests a novel method to classify travelers by considering the sequences of travel activity with individuals' trajectories. The result revealed five distinct travel types visiting city destinations and demonstrated dynamic travel flow among different mobility types. Recognizing that different types of travel patterns present important information in understanding destinations’ roles (or functions), this study attempts to characterize the functionality dynamics of city destinations based on travel activity types. As a result, the findings of this research provide insights into the demand-driven construct (or flow-based) of destination planning, which is the foundation of smart destination design. In addition, important methodological and practical implications that could be useful for city destination planners/designers are suggested.     

Move fast,travel slow: the influence of high-speed rail on tourism in Taiwan

High-speed rail (HSR) and tourism are closely related economic activities because improved mobility is perceived to facilitate tourist behavioral changes. This study examines the influence of HSR on the travel patterns of individual tourists in Taiwan in relation to time, space and carbon emissions. A framework is first provided to discuss how changes in the speed of intercity transportation will affect visitors’ choice of the journey, behavior at destinations and trip quality. In addition, HSR is expected to influence five general aspects of travel decisions relating to mobility and trip emissions, including mode selection, travel distance, length of stay per trip, annual travel frequency and total travel days. In the example of Taiwan, information by onsite sampling of 400 domestic travelers found that HSR had a weak influence on travel distance and length of stay per trip, but was observed to facilitate extended time at each stop, a deeper engagement with the locality, and an approximate 10% reduction in transport carbon emissions through intermodal substitution. These phenomena are in line with the slow travel concept of sustainable tourism consumption.     

Involvement and opinion leadership in tourism

Nature-based tourism, science tourism, and ecotourism are some of the emerging and growing trends in special-interest tourism. This study utilized a southeastern sample of the United States who had an interest in travel and the environment. A modified Dillman total design method survey was used to collect the data. The study demonstrated that widely used concepts of marketing are applicable for nature-based tourism. Results indicate that highly involved nature-oriented travelers tend to be more receptive to information concerning the travel product or destination and spread that information willingly. Findings of this study suggest that opinion leaders take more trips and use slightly more information sources.     

Tourism strategy development and facilitation of integrative processes among brand equity,marketing and motivation

With the absence of heavy industry and pollution from intense commercial development, Kinmen is a significant source of additional value for tourism in Taiwan. This calls for in-depth studies on tourism marketing, brand equity and travel motivation in Kinmen. This study attempts to identify the important attributes of Kinmen tourism and extend the related literature on marketing strategy, brand equity and travel motivation by employing a combination of the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and analytic network process (ANP) approaches to demonstrate the interactions and relations among critical criteria. The FDM identified the critical attributes, which were used in DEMATEL analysis to demonstrate that brand equity has direct and indirect influences on marketing strategy and travel motivation. The use of the ANP with global weighting further reveals that travel intention is the most critical element of Kinmen tourism.     

Which accessible travel products are people with disabilities willing to pay more? A choice experiment

Despite the rapidly increasing number of tourists with disabilities, which is known to have a strong nexus with senior travel market, tourism industry has paid little attention to the distinctive preferences of these tourists for accessible travel products. Using a sample of Koreans with mobility disabilities, this study aims to better understand how they make decisions to choose optimal accessible travel products. The results of the choice experiment indicate that respondents place the heaviest weight on the accessibility of accommodation facilities for their maximization of travel satisfaction. The results also suggest that tourists with disabilities show higher willingness-to-pay values on particular tour buses equipped with more accessibility devices. Based on study findings, this study provides several management implications that help tourism professionals develop appropriate accessible travel products for their clientele with disabilities.     

Ecotour Guide Training in Less Developed Countries: Some Preliminary Research Findings

This paper presents a critical discussion of the internationally prevailing understanding of the concept 'sustainable tourism'. It is argued that the current focus on stationary activities and local, intensive environmental issues is too limited both in relation to the concept of tourism and the concept of sustainable development. There is no tourism without travel. And, as shown in a Norwegian research study, tourist travel is a major source of serious environmental problems. The paper emphasises that sustainable tourism should be linked to a concept of sustainable mobility. However, this mobility would imply not only a change in the means of transport but also a reduced level of mobility in the rich part of the world. As this would entail new forms of tourism, other than those solely based on auto- and aeromobility, it represents a major challenge for the future development of tourism.     

旅游专业本科生择业标准及其对旅行社的就业认知

旅游专业学生在本行业就业率低的问题一直困扰着旅游学术界、教育界和旅游行业,不少学者从不同角度研究并试图解决这一问题,但却很少从学生择业标准的角度去考虑.文章运用并检验里查得森(Richardson)择业影响因素量表,测量旅游专业本科生的择业标准及其对旅行社的就业认知,结果表明:学生认为旅行社不具备其择业时最看重的因素(“融洽的同事关系”、“喜欢的工作”、“良好的晋升机会”)；并且学生认为旅行社具备的主要就业因素是其择业时最不看重的(“出国旅行的机会”、“专业对口”、“职业流动性”)；学生认为旅行社存在超工作时间、超工作量、晋升机制不合理、起薪不理想等行业不规范现状,但学生也认为旅行社具有锻造高技能、有责任感人才的就业优势.根据学生择业标准与旅行社的就业认知IPA分析结果,文章提出了相应的对策来改善旅游本科生行业就业率低的问题.     

The impacts of climate change on tourist mobility in mountain areas

This study investigates the effects of climate change on tourist mobility in mountain areas, distinguishing between infrastructure, transport operation and travel demand. We examine change in tourist travel demand by proposing a two-step approach to forecast its future development. A multi-origin, multi-destination model for tourism demand quantifies the variation in overnight stays within a given region, and a linear, deterministic model determines the traffic-related implications. The method, tested on the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol (Italy), exhibits expected variations in winter and summer travel demand up to 2080 under different scenarios. Results reveal that average summer traffic can be more than twice as intense as average winter traffic, contributing to significantly increasing the peak days of congestion along the Provincial road network. Despite this evidence, all stakeholders seem to be at an early stage in incorporating this information into their strategic planning. The need for adequate transport policies and measures is considered essential to obtain the optimal balance of transport modes that will be required in the near future.     

Domestic tourism expenditures: The non-linear effects of length of stay and travel party size

The independent variables length of stay and travel party size are recurrent determinants of expenditures in micro level tourism studies. In most of this research it has been tacitly assumed that these variables have linear effects on tourism spending. This study, situated in a Norwegian setting, questions this approach by explicitly scrutinizing the possible non-linearities in the relationships between tourism expenditures on the one hand and length of stay and travel party size on the other. The empirical results suggest a positive but diminishing relationship between length of stay and tourism expenditures and a convex (i.e. U) relationship between travel party size and tourism expenditures. The study also considers how a number of other key independent variables affect tourism expenditures. Finally, some managerial and scholarly implications are discussed.     

Short-haul city travel is truly environmentally sustainable

With rising interest in and concern about climate change and environmental sustainability, and the significance of the tourism industry worldwide, the impact of tourism-related activities and behaviors on the environment has become a key area of research. In particular, transport related to tourism has come under scrutiny for its contribution to the ecological footprint of tourism of a destination, mostly accounted for by the dominance of air travel. This study contributes to research in this area by identifying the types of travel situations in which tourists make environmentally friendly choices about travel modes and, consequently, which types of tourism destinations should seek to develop and promote in order to minimize the environmental impact of the tourist sector on both an individual destination and global scale.     

Abroad-at-Home: Identifying domestic tourism locations for overseas-like travel experiences by leveraging concept modeling

Some countries have places with foreign-like scenery that attracts domestic visitors to enjoy overseas-like travel experiences. However, such overseas-like travel experiences have not been widely utilized for domestic tourism development. This is likely due to the lack of awareness among the scientific community and tools for effectively identifying such travel experiences. To address the related gaps and technical challenges, this paper investigates the potential of abroad-at-home as a type of domestic tourism for promoting domestic tourism. This paper also introduces a novel technique called concept modeling that identifies abroad-at-home travel experiences from travel photos taken within a country. A case study on a large-scale dataset of more than 265,000 geotagged travel photos taken in Australia demonstrated the effectiveness of this method. The proposed method and findings are valuable for tourism organizations that use abroad-at-home travel experiences for domestic tourism development.     

To go or not to go: travel constraints and attractiveness of travel affecting outbound Chinese tourists to Japan

The fast growth of the Chinese economy has transformed Chinese outbound tourism into one of the major players in the tourism industry worldwide. However, Chinese outbound tourists may still encounter travel constraints in some countries, such as Japan, which has had a close and complicated relationship in history with China. This study adopted the qualitative approach by applying focus group and in-depth interviews to investigate and triangulate the travel barriers affecting Chinese outbound travel to Japan. The findings indicated that domestic nationalist sentiment played a key constraining role in influencing Chinese outbound travel decision-making, followed by current political factors, while quality products and service, as well as social environment encouraged tourists to travel. This research also found that visitors and non-visitors have perception differences in terms of travel barriers and attractiveness of travel.