Catalysts for transformative learning in community-based ecotourism

This paper illustrates how community-based ecotourism (CBET) is a site of experiential learning which may encourage transformative learning for visitors. An experiential CBET curriculum is identified which is centred on ecotourists' nature, adventure and cultural experiences. In this curriculum, Nature Shock, Adventure Shock and Culture Shock serve as Concrete Experiences in Kolb's [1984. Experiential learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall] experiential learning cycle, and may potentially act as disorienting dilemmas to stimulate transformative learning. These three types of disorienting dilemmas are discussed with reference to literature on wildlife and nature tourism, adventure tourism and outdoor education, and international volunteer tourism, respectively. Three empirical case studies of CBET in Southeast Asia are used to provide context to the discussion. Finally, the paper provides an elaboration of six pedagogical themes pertaining to how the transformative learning of visitors to CBET projects might be enhanced.     

Valuing natural heritage: park visitors' values related to World Heritage sites in the USA

The World Heritage Convention rests on the assumption that World Heritage sites hold value for people globally and that these values promote protection of sites. This study focuses on natural sites, selected for environmental significance. All World Heritage sites are also supposed to be of ‘outstanding universal value’, with a variety of values attributed to them in World Heritage and other documents, including aesthetic, cultural and spiritual values. This study investigates via a survey whether such values are recognized by visitors to natural sites in the USA, and how useful they are for generating support for sites. Most visitors appreciated sites primarily for their environmental importance; a minority recognized other values listed in World Heritage documents, even though most visitors had little understanding of the Convention itself. In general, recognition of World Heritage status did not translate into greater protection or support for sites beyond what they already receive as national parks, even though most visitors and park personnel were supportive of World Heritage goals. For a minority of visitors, the global framework in which the World Heritage Convention operates had negative connotations, owing to questions of how ultimate responsibility for sites should be divided between national and international scales.     

The effectiveness of environmental interpretation at resource‐Sensitive tourism destinations

The process of appropriate visitor management is an integral part of sound tourism management. Visitor management includes the development and implementation of rules and regulations with respect to visitor activity, which in turn provides the guidelines for visitors. On the other hand, it also aims to create enjoyable visitor experiences in the hope that visitors will appreciate the value of the site. Environmental interpretation in a resource‐sensitive tourism destination is considered to be an effective visitor management strategy that helps to encourage visitors to adopt more appropriate behaviour in order to sustain the development of tourism. This paper aims to examine the processes and purposes of visitor management and environmental interpretation, including relevant definitions and functions. The characteristics of visitor management and environmental interpretation, and how to increase their effectiveness, also are addressed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring the experience value of museum visitors as a co-creation process

Museums’ visitors can play an active role both during and after the visit that will allow them to shape a significant experience. The present work explores this role of the visitor as co-creator of experiences. Prior knowledge and interest enable visitors to participate and interact during the visit, all of which basically allows them to build a more intense experience in those areas that require their involvement. It is these more active experiences, and only these, which drive the individual’s intention to continue participating actively after the visit, seeking information and revisiting the museum, following it on social networks and making recommendations on opinion pages.     

Visitors’ diversified motivations and behavior – the case of the pilgrimage center in Krakow (Poland)

The article presents the visitors’ motivations and behavior at the pilgrimage center in Krakow (Poland). Here, the relation between these elements, i.e. whether their motivations have a correlation with what buildings they visit, is emphasized for the first time. The most important motivations for visits were religious and tourist ones, often rated equally high by the same respondents. They visited religious, cultural and tourist buildings and facilities. The stay of visitors with religious motivations was not limited to religious practices, but was extended by tourist behavior. Similarly, visitors with tourist motivations visited religious buildings and participated in religious practices. However, they visit tourist and cultural facilities more often. Additionally, the three groups of respondents were categorized and, on the basis of importance of the religious and tourist motivations, three types were distinguished, i.e. pilgrims, religious tourists and tourists. Their characteristic has been expanded by the analysis of their behavior. Nowadays, visitors’ motivations and behavior at pilgrimage centers include those typical for pilgrims and tourists in the traditional meaning. In addition to their religious function, these sites offer cultural and tourist facilities. The article highlights the dedifferentiation approach to visitors’ motivations and behavior, and in respect of the spatial organization of pilgrimage centers.     

Does authenticity exist in cultural theme parks? A case study of Millennium City Park in Henan,China

ABSTRACT

Authenticity has always been a salient concept in tourism studies. Most previous studies focused on cultural heritage sites while much less research was conducted on man-made attractions. Given the importance of authenticity in the tourism industry, this research investigates different authenticity concepts in a unique context: a Chinese cultural theme park. Millennium City Park is a typical cultural theme park in Kaifeng, Henan, China, and was chosen as the case study. This study identifies the perception of authenticity from the perspectives of both park managers and park visitors. It is found that visitors value authentic experience in the experience economy. Authenticity plays an important role in the tourism industry, in which activity-related authenticity is more important to visitors than object-related authenticity in cultural theme parks since visitors prefer more participation and involvement during their visits. It is suggested that park planners emphasize cultural elements in various products in cultural theme parks.     

Call for Papers: Special Edition of Current Issues in Tourism

Many national parks around the world are major tourist attractions. While increases in national park tourism provides business opportunities, there are several economic, social and ecological aspects that need to be monitored in order to sustain high quality visitor experiences. This paper reports findings from visitor surveys at Fulufjället National Park, Sweden–one year prior to and one year after the national park designation in 2002. The purpose is to monitor short term changes in park use. Data from on site visitor counters show a 40% increase in the number of visitors, while follow-up mail surveys reveal several changes in visitor characteristics, use patterns, expenditures and attitudes.     

Giving voice to heritage tourists: indicators of quality for a sustainable heritage experience at Petra,Jordan

ABSTRACT

The tourist experience should be placed at the heart of management and planning process to achieve the goal of sustainable heritage tourism. The concept of indicators and standards of quality, which emerged in the field of natural resources and outdoor recreation management as a conceptual framework for understanding visitors’ experiences, has been widely applied in nature-based parks rather than cultural heritage sites. This study applies the concept of indicators to heritage experience at Petra Archaeological Park in Jordan. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 29 tourists to understand the tourist experience at the park, and to formulate indicators of the tourism experience. Results suggest that cultural and natural scenic value, crowding, attractions accessibility, vendor persistence, and odor of animals waste are potential indicators for the tourism experience at the park. Related management implications and recommendations are also discussed.     

Managing heritage attractions: marketing challenges at sensitive historical sites

Historical sites now feature strongly as sites of visitation. However, such sites are often connected with historical events, which are sensitive to visitors and thus highly contentious when utilised in the development of tourism. The paper, from the perspective of the visitor, examines some of the critical issues that generally determine the nature of visitation at sensitive historical sites. The issues identified are the visitor's emotional state at the site, prior expectations of the site and what is to be learnt and perception of site presentation and interpretation. They also include the primary visitor objective to learn about the site, the ease with which access to the site can be obtained and the existence of social experiences between relevant visitor groups that may be extended to the site. The issues identified place significant challenges on how marketers communicate with potential visitors and other stakeholders of the site and require the marketing function to take cognisance of the different emotional states of visitors. Similarly, the nature of the packaging of the site, the channels of visitor access to be encouraged and how pricing is to be used as a marketing tool in a way that it is appropriate for the different groups of visitors to the site, all present unique marketing challenges. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diverse socializing patterns in rural tourist experiences – a segmentation analysis

Tourism is a social phenomenon and host–guest interaction has been identified as particularly relevant in the rural tourism experience. This paper extends previous research on social interaction, rural tourism and experience marketing, by analysing, via visitor survey (N?=?819), the contacts that visitors of three Portuguese villages establish with (a) residents and (b) other visitors during their stay. A cluster analysis based on interaction patterns identifies three distinct visitor groups: those showing little interest in interaction with others, those mainly interacting with other visitors and those intensely interacting with residents. Significant differences between segments reveal distinctly lived rural tourism experiences and a positive impact of socializing on these experiences. Destination management and marketing implications as well as suggestions for future research are also presented.     

Memory work versus memory-work and its utility in heritage tourism

This paper advocates researching the diverse, unstructured, idiosyncratic personal and autobiographical memories of individuals – visitors, tourists, local residents and geographically dispersed patrons associated with heritage resources and heritage tourism attractions. ‘Memory-work’, conceptualized by Frigga Haug and her collaborators in the 1980s as a feminist constructionist method, is differentiated from ‘memory work’ (without hyphen) as defined in the scholarly literature from different disciplines in the past three decades. For the purposes of this paper, memory work is then conceptualized as a qualitative, interpretivist research approach focused on memories, which employs a range of methodologies and techniques to elicit and ‘process’ memories, and draws on memory theory for analysis. It is argued that memory work can provide useful insights for academic knowledge production and applied research in heritage tourism. A few examples of specific research techniques are presented to illustrate the diverse spectrum of how memory work can be carried out in practice. It will moreover be discussed how memory distortion and ‘false memories’ are to be treated, how memory work differs from other qualitative modes of enquiry, and what its benefits and limitations are.     

Community development using a sustainable tourism strategy: a case study of the Jordan River Valley touristway

This paper presents the results of a 10‐year collaboration among Yarmouk University, the University of Arkansas and the Jordanian government to develop a sustainable tourism strategy against the backdrop of political and economic uncertainty. It reports our efforts to develop a touristway through the Jordan River Valley that integrates the valley's heritage, archeology, and Christian and Islamic religious sites. It also analyses our community development work in Umm Qais, the touristway's northern anchor, and how our plan contributes to Northern Jordan's economic development. We conclude with a discussion of the specific insights gained from our experiences that may serve others addressing similar issues. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of community attachment on cultural festival visitors' satisfaction and future intentions

This paper explores the characteristics of multicultural festival visitors on the basis of their attachment to a certain culture or a cultural community, and examines the influences of this attachment on levels of overall satisfaction and future intentions. Two distinctive types of visitors to cultural festivals are recognised based on their attachment to the culture of the festival. A total of 420 valid questionnaires from three multicultural festivals in Korea were collected. This study found that community attachment, defined as an attachment to a certain culture or a cultural community, had significant impacts on intention to revisit and positive word-of-mouth (WOM). Visitors who are attached to an ethnic culture or a cultural community are more likely to revisit and spread positive WOM than people who are not attached. The paper concludes that community attachment influences cultural festival visitors' future intentions, and can be used as a predictor of the relationship between satisfaction and future intentions. From the results of the study, strategic marketing and management implications, based on community attachment, are suggested to increase repeat visitation and attract more visitors through positive WOM.     

Tourism and Pilgrimage: Paying Homage to Literary Heroes

By exploring the experiences of visiting the grave of famous authors, this study highlights the place of literary tourism in the tourism pilgrimage literature. It is based on an observational study of visitors to the grave of Jean‐Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir in Paris. Analysis reveals that visitors were motivated by a desire for closeness, a wish to pay their respects and to acknowledge the influence on their life of the two writers. The study notes a strong parallel between the religious and the literary pilgrim and contributes to knowledge on the phenomenon of the secular pilgrimage. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing visitor preferences in the management of archaeological and heritage attractions: a case study of Hadrian's Roman Wall

Managing archaeological and heritage sites requires information on visitor preferences to guide displays of cultural exhibits. A choice experiment is used to investigate visitor preferences in the management of Vondolanda Roman fort, within Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. It assesses visitor preferences, utility and value of attributes of the site: excavation and research, interpretation information, museum displays, reconstructions, visitor amenities and admission price. Interaction effects between attributes are analysed. The analysis reveals a preference for the status quo and greater choice uncertainty associated with alternative hypothetical attribute bundles. Neighbouring substitute Roman forts affect the price that visitors are willing to pay for entry. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tourism: a sacred journey? The case of ashram tourism,India

Religious tourism — tourism that is motivated by faith or religious reasons — has been in evidence for centuries. In more recent times, however, it has been suggested that modern tourism has become the functional and symbolic equivalent of more traditional religious practices, such as festivals and pilgrimages. In other words, it is claimed by some that tourism is a sacred journey. To date, however, little work has been undertaken to explore this position; the purpose of this paper, therefore, is to contribute to this debate. Based on an exploratory study, it considers the motivations and experiences of Western tourists visiting the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the nearby utopian township of Auroville in Pondicherry, south east India. It identifies two principal groups of visitors, namely ‘permanent tourists’ who have immersed themselves indefinitely in a spiritual ‘Other’, and temporary visitors. The latter are categorised into sub‐groups which point to a variety of spiritual and non‐spiritual motives. The paper concludes that there is a continuum of spirituality inherent in tourism, though this is related to tourists' experience rather than initial motivation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Service Quality Perception and Satisfaction: Buying Behaviour Prediction in an Australian Festivalscape

The study was conducted on 358 attendees at a major wine festival in Australia. A positive relationship between quality perception and overall satisfaction constructs exists. New insight to festivalscape knowledge is provided through the first‐time and repeat visitor dynamic as predictor of actual buying behaviour. Higher percentage of repeat visitors correlates with higher likelihood of (wine) buying. Overall satisfaction is a stronger predictor of buying behaviour than any individual service quality dimension and of these quality dimensions overall. Repeat visitors, 35 years and older, are the highest yielding visitor group from a financial viewpoint. First‐time visitors are more short‐term oriented in their planning when making the final decision to attend the event. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In search of heterotopia? Motivations of visitors to an English cathedral

This paper explores visitor motivations at an English cathedral, and the role that heterotopia plays in their motives. More than a third of visitors to Chichester Cathedral appear to be motivated by a subconscious search for a spiritual experience, hidden by rational motives such as interest in history. It concludes by examining the management implications that arise from a potential lack of understanding about visitors' motivations. Cathedral managers should acknowledge their visitors' intrinsic sense of spirituality and recognise their spiritual motivations through interpretation, which should encourage them to explore their personal narratives around the emotional dimension of visiting a cathedral. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Site-specific encounters,norms and crowding of summer visitors at alpine ski areas

Operating chairlifts at alpine ski areas during the summer to accommodate tourism and recreation activities (e.g. hiking and mountain biking) is increasing in popularity. Increasing summer use, however, may affect the ability of ski areas to sustain acceptable social conditions (e.g. crowding). In addition, little is known about encounters, crowding or acceptable use levels at ski areas during the summer. This article addresses these issues using data from surveys of summer visitors (n = 548) conducted at five separate sites in the Whistler Mountain ski area in British Columbia, Canada. Photographs and Likert-type scales measured visitors' encounters with others, perceived crowding and acceptance of use levels. Results showed that: (i) crowding and encounters differed among the sites; (ii) visitors at the backcountry sites rated encounters as less acceptable and possessed greater agreement regarding acceptable encounter levels compared with visitors at the more accessible sites; (iii) crowding and encounters were important indicators of summer use at each site; and (iv) visitors who felt more crowded encountered more people than their normative tolerances. Explanations for these findings and implications for managers and researchers are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Palestine's International Visitors Barriers: Case Studies of Bethlehem and Ramallah

This study investigated the demographic characteristics, the travel experiences and the intentions to revisit of international tourists to the cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah, which are located in Palestine. The study conducted a survey to collect data from 293 international visitors, 8 years after the second Palestinian uprising called ‘intifada’ began. The results revealed that the majority of the foreign tourists were Europeans who traveled for religious and spiritual purposes. Moreover, most of the tourists were willing to revisit Palestine. This study resulted in a comprehensive understanding of tourism characteristics under the current political circumstances of Palestine, leading to significant implications for tourism policy‐makers. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.