Female tourists and beach boys: Romance or Sex Tourism?

Previous studies of female tourists and beach boys in the Caribbean have defined these relationships as involving either sex or romance tourism. The objective of this study was to determine which of these definitions was more applicable to relationships in the Dominican Republic. Male and female tourists as well as beach boys and female sex workers were interviewed. Romance and sex tourism were conceptualized as the two ends of a continuum of motivations rather than as distinct categories. Although there was some gender overlap in the continuum of romance/sex motivations, more of the female tourists were located toward the romance end and more of the male tourists toward the sex end of the continuum.     

Tourism and Waste Management: A Review of Implementation of “Zero Waste” at Kovalam

According to the latest concepts, waste is a visible face of inefficiency in terms of material utilization. Waste handling is a major concern, especially since improper waste treatment causes increased environmental deterioration. The last few decades have seen the emergence of new measures to handle waste effectively, but most of them are not flawless. “Zero waste”, an innovation of the 1990s in waste handling, emphasizes planning for the elimination of waste rather than managing waste (Sheehan, 2000, cited in Connett & Connett, 2000 Connett, P. and Connett, E. 2000. Zero waste: a new vision for the 21st century. Waste Not, #463, Retrieved 25 January 2007 from http://www.grrn.org/zerowaste/articles/21st_cent_vision_zw.html [Google Scholar], Waste Not, #463, http://www.grrn.org/zerowaste/articles/21st_cent_vision_zw.html, section 3). The growth of tourism as one of the largest industries in the world calls for effective waste management measures. Kovalam, an international beach destination situated in the southwestern corner of India, has been experiencing intensive tourism activities since the 1960s. Zero waste was introduced experimentally by “Thanal”, a voluntary organization based at Thriruvanthapuram at the beginning of this century at Kovalam, to ameliorate the burgeoning problem of waste in this destination. In this paper, an attempt has been made to introduce the concept of “zero waste” and to review its implementation at Kovalam.     

Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery: Re‐enactment Event Tourism as Authentic Heritage Travel

Abstract

Heritage tourism has evolved to include study of sub‐segments who travel to attend and participate in historical event re‐enactments. In the US, the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific coast and back again is being commemorated from its point of departure to its end. This paper is an exploratory study of a sample of re‐enactment tourists who attended three of the Lewis and Clark events. The role that re‐enactment tourism plays in heritage tourism is examined and preliminary findings on perceptions of nostalgia and authenticity of the re‐enactment products and events are presented. Preliminary managerial benefits and suggestions for host communities are provided.     

Tourism experiences in motion. Mobile,visual and psychophysiological methods to capture tourists “on the move”

Experience measurement and design have become leading management objectives to ensure destination competitiveness in recent years. This paper applies the user-centred perspective of mobile video ethnography with bio-sensing and facial action coding to study journey experiences – i.e. those tourist experiences happening in motion. The use of mobile, visual and psychophysiological methods represents a novel opportunity to deeper explore physical, sensory, social and emotional shades of tourist experiences. Experience measurement and design in the field of tourist transport has the potential to shape more sustainable and experientially rich forms of mobility. Results show and compare unique features of cycling and motorcycling journeys, highlighting the interface between riding and non-riding tasks, as well as the importance of speed variation and time duration in assessing the relationship with land- and soundscapes.     

Wine and Tourism at the “Fairest Cape”

Summary

The paper gives a background on viticulture and wine making in South Africa before outlining post-apartheid developments in the supply and demand side of the wine industry. Against a sketch of recent tourism patterns in the Western Cape Province and especially the Winelands the linkage between wine and tourism is investigated by a closer look to the South African wine capital Stellenbosch and the Stellenbosch Wine Route. A new trend in wine tourism is highlighted by a case study of the hybrid wine and tourism developments at Spier Resort.     

Experiential places or places of experience? Place identity and place attachment as mechanisms for creating festival environment

Tourism theory suggests mechanisms of place are critical in the construction of tourism environments. However, contradictory place theory has created confusion as to exactly what these mechanisms are and how they affect perceived environment. Literature identifies place attachment and place identity as primary mechanisms in the construction of tourist relationships with tourist environments. An interpretive methodology is used to explore these mechanisms during a festival experience, and thematically analyzed unstructured interviews show identity and attachment do influence attendees' place-based perceptions. Within the festival context, environments become either creations of the festival or exist independently of them. The latter allows realistic place identity to form, resulting in consonance between environmental expectations and reality. The former creates abstract identities resulting in unrealistic expectations and weak/no immediate attachment to the festival environment. A Model of Festival Place provides continuity-based festival recommendations allowing for clearer theoretical and practical understanding across tourism events.     

Residents’ Perceptions of the Role of Leisure Satisfaction and Quality of Life in Overall Tourism Development: Case of a Fast-Growing Tourism Destination – Macao

The previous literature has examined leisure satisfaction and quality of life but majority of studies were conducted in Western countries. Policy makers worldwide have struggled to balance residents’ leisure satisfaction and tourism development. This study is conducted in Macao, China, a fast-growing tourism destination in Asia. Results indicated that local residents’ leisure satisfaction is positively related to their perceived quality of life while local residents’ perceived quality of life is positively associated with their evaluation of the perceived benefits of tourism. The results generated from that evaluation positively lead to residents’ support of tourism development. Results indicated that it is worthwhile for the policy makers to invest resources in local residents’ leisure satisfaction and quality of life since this will eventually help to support tourism development. The results of this study provide significant implications for policy makers.