Wellness Tourism in China: Resources,Development and Marketing

China's natural and cultural resources are the foremost offerings of the country's wellness tourism sector. Although wellness tourism in China is in its infancy, it can offer new opportunities in, and strengthen the overall competitiveness of, China's tourism industry. To achieve this, the assessment and development of wellness tourism resources in China are required. This study examines the potential for wellness tourism development in terms of resources and promotion from the point of view of wellness tourism experts. It surveys professionals working in tourism, health and education in China. The results reveal that environmental assets, including fresh air, clean water and natural features, are considered the most important attributes for the development of wellness tourism in China and that the promotion of wellness tourism can best be achieved through advertising in mass media, governmental support and organizing new regional events. The study implications and future research directions are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prospects of basket production in promoting sustainable rural livelihoods in the Okavango Delta,Botswana

This paper uses the concept of sustainable rural livelihoods and income diversification to assess the role that basket making as a cultural tourism activity can play in improving rural livelihoods in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Using both primary and secondary data sources, this paper points out that shocks and natural causes such as drought, disease and changing flood levels in the Okavango River, particularly the drying of the Thaoge (one of the distributaries of the Okavango), have contributed to a decline in livestock and crop yields and increased poverty levels in the region. Therefore, alternative livelihood options that can diversify rural incomes from agricultural production need to be identified. This paper argues that basket making has the potential to diversify rural incomes and improve livelihoods in the Okavango. Baskets are a cultural tourism product that can raise income earning and employment opportunities for rural residents in the Okavango. For this to be successful, basket making will need to be developed as part of cultural tourism. A sustainable cultural tourism sector where baskets are key products requires the sustainable use of natural resources used for basket making. These resources are at present overharvested and are threatened with depletion. There is also a need to promote the empowerment of basket weavers particularly in entrepreneurship and managerial skills in the tourism business, attract young and educated people and promote the preservation of traditional basket making skills, which are important in the development of cultural tourism. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tourism as sustainable development? The Albanian experience of ‘transition’

Despite significant increases in international tourist arrivals and tourism receipts since the fall of communism in central and eastern europe as a whole, in the rural southeastern corner of the continent, a region well‐endowed with a range of natural and cultural tourism resources, instability and uncertainty have constrained international tourism development in the 1990s. This regional context for tourism development and the specific issues which surround a tourism‐led development model in a small developing country are addressed with particular reference to the recent experience of Albania. As part of a sustainable rural development programme, rural tourism's role as a counterbalance to rejuvenated mass coastal tourism is evaluated. Potentially an important vehicle for cultural expression and employment regeneration, the adoption of rural tourism as a development vehicle is faced with a number of obstacles, which national, and perhaps international, development programmes need to address. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The cooperation model between tourism development and traditional culture: new perspectives on regional context

This study provides new insights on regional context that culminate in a proposed model of the elements determining the development stage of regional cultural tourism. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 regional participants, collecting data on tourist arrivals, investors, and residents' attitudes in the Sanyi region, Taiwan. Responses, especially those who are not economically dependent on the tourism industry, had negative attitudes toward the increase in tourists. Even so, most responses support cultural tourism development and are willing to participate in tourist festivals. Overall, investment responses preferred preserving traditional culture and less commercial activities. Results expressed the sense that developing tourism can also help preserve and allow more visitors a chance to experience the traditional culture. It is shown that Sanyi is in the third stage, advanced commodification, of the process of creative destruction, with signs that it is moving into the fourth stage, early destruction. The model emphasizes that the increasing number of tourists and positive attitudes of the residents can stimulate the introduction of investors and the development stage of regional cultural tourism. Managerial implications are provided for cultural tourism driven economic development and planning.     

Which type of tourism matters to the regional economic growth? The cases of Spain and Italy

Recently, the attention given to the importance of tourism in economic growth has significantly increased. However, research in this area mainly refers to international tourism and to the national level. This paper focuses on the influence of tourism on the economic growth of Spanish and Italian regions. Both international and domestic tourism are analysed and geographical location criteria are considered. Dynamic panel data techniques are applied. The results reveal that both international and domestic tourism have a significant and positive role for regional economic growth in Spain and Italy, although the pattern of these effects differs among different types of region. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impacts of innovation,productivity and specialization on tourism competitiveness – a spatial econometric analysis on European regions

Tourism is clearly a place-based activity, while in many advanced economies it is increasingly becoming a knowledge-based activity, with a high potential for the development of practice- and place-based innovation strategies. This study analyses whether and how regional systems of innovation influence the competiveness of tourism destinations in Europe. Impacts of both traditional production factors (physical and human capital), productivity, specialization and other contextual variables – related to the territorial capital of each region – on regional tourism performance of 237 European regions (NUTS 2) are analysed over a period of 8 years, using advanced techniques for spatial econometric analysis. The results reveal lower levels of productivity in those regions where tourism services are more labour intensive, while regions where education, innovation and productivity demonstrate higher levels are those where gross value added in tourism is less important for the regional economy. Policy implications are discussed, taking into consideration the principles for smart specialisation strategies in European regions and the possibility for cross-border regional cooperation. This work also confirms the research potential of spatial econometric analysis – and in particular spatial autocorrelation techniques – for tourism studies.     

A mobilities approach to tourism from emerging world regions

Increasing numbers of people from the emerging world regions, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East engage in tourism practices at domestic, intra-regional and long-haul international scales. In this article, we deploy an innovative application of the mobilities approach, which we argue moves beyond the Eurocentrism implicit in modernist tourism studies, in a comparative analysis of tourism in and from these regions and those in the ‘West’. Our analysis opens up the systematic study of tourism in emerging world regions in terms of the mobilities paradigm, and concludes: one, travel had a multiplicity of origins in societies in the emerging regions, but most did not possess an equivalent emic term to ‘tourism'. Two, tourism at domestic and intra-regional levels tends to be entangled with other discretionary mobilities, whereas the long-haul level is more differentiated. Three, the development of domestic discretionary travel in emerging regions can be represented by four overlapping ‘mobility constellations’. Four, there are significant historical differences between the regions in their long-haul mobility constellations, although their kinetic hierarchies are all still steep. Five, forms of movement and associated practices of discretionary travellers from the emerging regions and Western countries became increasingly similar under the impact of socio-technological, economic and cultural globalisation. Six, differences between the emerging regions, particularly Asia, and the West are most salient on the emic level of representations of international travel: the specific cultural motive forces for tourism do not centre on authenticity-seeking, but are instead bound up with prestige and markers of modernity.     

The economic impact of the lifting of sanctions on tourism in Iran: a computable general equilibrium analysis

The imposition of sanctions on Iran, after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, resulted in economic hardship. Many problems were experienced, such as increased unemployment and high inflation, currency fluctuations and economic instability. One area that was hard hit was the tourism sector. With the lifting of United Nations sanctions on 16 January 2016, there is an opportunity for an increase in international tourists to experience the natural attractions and cultural heritage that Iran has to offer. This research employs a single-country multi-sector computable general equilibrium model to estimate the economic impact of the lifting of sanctions to tourism and the wider economy in Iran. The findings reveal that tourism provides a boost to the economy; however, there are redistributive effects that draw resources away from other export sectors. However, just as in the past where there has been a heavy reliance on oil and natural gas, expanding tourism too quickly will also cause problems. Moderate tourism growth would be the appropriate sustainable path to take.     

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.     

A Panel Cointegration Analysis of the Impact of Tourism on Economic Growth: Evidence from the Middle East Region

This paper examines the contribution of tourism industry to the GDP of three selected destinations in the Middle East region: Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. We introduce a quadratic functional form and apply the advanced panel cointegration dynamic model with robust estimation to test our hypothesis. Our analysis is based on a comprehensive set of panel data of tourism receipts, education investment, foreign direct investment and fixed capital formation over the period of 1981–2008. The results show a long‐run relationship between tourism growth and GDP. We also show that tourism has a stronger impact on the economy than other related sectors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cultural technology district: a model for local and regional development

The urgency to cope with the international economic crisis has led to efforts to identify innovative tools and frameworks that are capable of regenerating local and national economic development. The enhancement of the cultural heritage sector can be a strategic factor in improving the competitiveness of country systems. In Italy, the nation's rich cultural heritage is not managed in an efficient and effective manner, even though it embodies a tremendous opportunity to enhance local economic growth, especially in light of the role of new cultural technology districts (CTDs). This article intends to present the CTD business model aimed to promote local and regional development in Italy, to attract domestic and international tourist flows and spread them out more evenly across all regional territories and to verify the CTD's opportunity through the Lazio Region experience.     

Local Implications of Tourism: A Case Study from Western Norway

This article traces different types of tourism that developed in a municipality on the west coast of Norway and how these types of tourism interact with the local community. For the local community tourism represents both an opportunity, and a source of conflict. The paper shows how structures in the tourist sector changed over time and how two kinds of tourism developed - round-trip, coach based tourism in the main village, wintersports and biking in the mountains. While coach tourists hardly cause a problem for the local population, their short stay in the village at the same time makes it difficult for the local farmers to exploit the historical and cultural resources they possess.While the mountain area used to have mostly Norwegian winter tourists, over the last decade the cultural history of the railway has been used effectively to attract tourists also in summer. This traffic is the source of conflict between actors in the mountain area and the municipality in the main village, a conflict about reindeer hunting and, at the same time, a conflict about diverging identities and control over the area.     

Geographic Information Systems in the Service of Alternative Tourism – Methods with Landscape Evaluation and Target Group Preference Weighting

There is a large variety of types of rural areas and many of them are rich in landscape beauty. However, their preserved culture and traditions are revalued in today's rapid transformation of lifestyles. Alternative tourism is thus an emerging potential to economically support these areas, at the same time helps to preserve natural and cultural heritage. The methods provide sophisticated means to analyse the characteristics and the potential attractiveness of landscape and cultural attractions from the viewpoint of alternative tourism development. Homogenous tourism sub‐regions can be defined, and the most suitable development scenarios can be found to the certain areas. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tourism development — centres versus peripheries: the Israeli experience during the 1990s

Initially tourism was potentially considered as a vehicle for reducing inequalities in regional development through the spread of resources from the more developed regions of a country to its less developed areas. Later, case studies demonstrated that, although certain peripheral areas have emerged as tourist attractions, the large urban centres gained even more in terms of tourism‐generated investment and income. This study examines the Israeli situation comparing tourism development indicators in central versus peripheral areas. Although the two largest cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv appear to attract much of the country's investment in tourism hotels and enjoy a large flow of visitors, data for the 1990s reveal that peripheral areas are having higher share in tourism than their counterparts in the central areas. Furthermore, compared with their proportion in the general population, the peripheral areas location quotient related to tourism development indicators is far higher than that of the central areas. The single largest centre of tourism is now located in the town of Elat, situated in isolation in the southernmost tip of the country. The resort areas of Tiberias on the Lake of Galilee in the northeast and that of the Dead Sea area in the southeast came to be large tourism centres. Also, the most flourishing B&B industry has developed in the northern peripheral area. The study contemplates whether or not the Israeli experience is applicable to other countries and concludes with an attempt to draw broader generalisations. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of European Union funding on tourism in the Grampian Region

The European Union (EU) has no specific tourism policy. Even though there are divergent views on its involvement in regional development, there is a consensus on the fact that the EU is involved by its principle role of ‘Subsidiarity’. There is also continued participation of the EU in activities related to tourism development in the community. Undoubtedly, the EU is having an impact on regional development of members states. Research carried out shows the contribution of the EU in regional development and tourism. The EU funding has tended to focus on peripheral areas and where traditional industries are declining. Tourism related projects (such as visitor attractions) have benefited from such funding programmes, on the assumption that these projects will create employment and increase visitor numbers, as well as promote the economies of these regions. Consequently, this paper considers the contributions of EU funding of tourism attractions in the Aberdeen and Grampian region of Scotland and issues affecting the effectiveness of the attractions themselves. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring resource procurement for community-based event organization in social enterprises: evidence from Piedmont,Italy

ABSTRACT

This research contribution aims to shed light on the key role of social tourism entrepreneurship in community event management through the combination of innovative strategies for resource procurement. An exploratory qualitative case study was undertaken with 67 social tourism enterprises in Piedmont, Italy. The analysis shows that these social tourism enterprises have specific resource procurement strategies for community-based events. A business model emerges where the fundamental resource mobilization processes are based on three strategic approaches: (a) stakeholder participation and partnership; (b) sharing ideas, materials and knowledge; (c) capturing dispersed resources and assets from the local community. The identified variables provide a new perspective for the study of resource procurement in community event management.     

Distribution Channels for Cultural Tourism in Catalonia,Spain

This paper analyses the structure and functioning of distribution channels for cultural tourism in Catalonia, Spain. In particular, it seeks to identify the current structure of distribution channels for selected cultural tourism sites throughout the region; to analyse the factors that influence channel structure in this sector; and to discuss the ways in which and extent to which the channels and the factors influencing them reflect broader aspects of tourism distribution and cultural tourism. The study takes a regional perspective, adopts a predominantly supply-side approach and is based largely on the collection and analysis of information from in-depth interviews. Much of the demand for cultural tourism in the region comes from independent tourists or from excursionists, and the distribution channels are generally much simpler than those commonly found in the transport and accommodation sectors. The cultural attraction providers generally follow ‘at destination’ distribution practices and direct channels predominate. These are supported in both a passive and more proactive way by a range of promotional activities.     

Representing identities through tourism: encounters of ethnic minorities in Dali,Yunnan Province,People's Republic of China

In the current era of globalisation ȧand regional economic integration, localised concerns with cultural identity, historical memory and collective belonging are assuming a new significance. Rather than signalling the end of localised identities, however, the current period has infused processes of identity formation with elements of political economy. One central component of political economy through which these processes are being expressed is tourism. In this context, as the social sciences have begun to take tourism seriously when addressing broader issues of culture and society, this paper elaborates on new arenas through which processes of identity formation are being articulated. Drawing on a current research project focused on cultural tourism in Dali, Yunnan Province, China, the discussion emphasises the extent to which cultural identities are appropriated, constructed and traded through and around material objects of touristic exchange. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Social Capital,Tourism and Regional Development: SPCC as a Basis for Innovation and Sustainability

Traditional views of regional development have focused on economic factors and potential innovation in technical and resource exploitation processes. Similarly, regional tourism development is usually couched in economic terms, such as number of jobs and increasing land values. This approach usually ignores the social and community aspects of tourism development; thus an alternative view argues that the community needs to be factored into our planning and development strategies to balance the traditional economic view. It is argued in this paper that fostering innovation in regional development is much more than a process of community consultation. Rather, what needs to be factored in is SPCC – social, political and cultural capital. This works in both directions; tourism development depends on a level of social, political and cultural capital in order to be a successful regional development tool (even in economic terms) while at the same time tourism development can be undertaken in a way that contributes to SPCC in the region. The paper outlines the key concepts of social capital, political capital and cultural capital. It does so within the context of regional tourism development and the concepts of systems of innovation and sustainable development.     

高速铁路对民族地区旅游发展水平的影响机制研究

高速铁路的开通降低了游客出行的时间和经济成本,影响旅游活动空间集聚规律,形成同城化、网络化等现象。以黔桂云三省39个市州为案例地,采用2010—2019年的面板数据测度地区旅游发展水平并分析其时空演化动态,构建回归模型考察高速铁路影响区域旅游发展水平的效果及作用机制,明确高速铁路在区域旅游经济发展中的作用,为民族地区旅游高质量发展贡献力量。结果显示:高速铁路开通后区域内旅游发展水平普遍提高,并表现出不同的空间态势:贵州以贵阳为中心向四周扩散,云南以旅游发达地区散状分布,而广西呈现出桂林、南宁两核遥望之态;高速铁路通过改善区域旅游可达性实现旅游发展水平的提高,且旅游可达性在民族地区的促进作用中表现为完全中介效应。