Community Participation as a mediating factor on residents’ attitudes towards sustainable tourism development and their personal environmentally responsible behaviour

This pioneering study explores the powerful mediating effect of community participation on both residents’ attitudes toward sustainable tourism development and their personal environmentally responsible behaviour. It establishes residents’ attitudes when the concept of sustainable tourism development is introduced, measures its influence on their participation in public affairs, and the importance of their own environmentally responsible behaviour. It explores the complex relationships between attitude, community participation, and environmentally responsible behaviour involved, using a survey of 362 residents from 5 eco-tourism communities in Taiwan. Results show that residents’ attitudes towards sustainable tourism development positively and significantly affect both community participation and environmentally responsible behaviour. The degree of residents’ community participation also positively affects environmentally responsible behaviour. Residents’ attitudes toward sustainable tourism development also directly affected environmentally responsible behaviour as well as indirectly affect behaviour via the mediator, “community participation”.

Five mechanisms are suggested to encourage these changes: (1) Institutions develop community sustainable tourism civic education, (2) cohesion and insight for consciousness events to promote sustainable tourism development attitudes, (3) lively public hearings should be encouraged to turn passive into active participation, (4) mechanisms for reporting environmental damage should be created, and (5) community environmental clean-up days should be held.     

Community Participation in Tourism at a World Heritage Site: Mutianyu Great Wall,Beijing, China

Community participation is crucial for successful heritage tourism and community development. Levels and ways of participation vary, depending on nature and context of heritage sites. This paper explores community participation in tourism at Mutianyu Great Wall, China. General positive perceptions toward World Heritage, tourism development and tourism impacts are held by different groups of the local community. Between‐group differences indicate that local opinions are influenced by different levels of impacts from and participation in tourism. Community members receive benefits with minimal participation in decision making. This study provokes reflections on community participation theory and management practices in the Chinese context. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Process innovation capability and subsequent collaborative team performance in travel planning: a knowledge exchange platform perspective

Purpose: Backpacker tourism is flourishing in this century as the high development of Internet technology which enables travellers to search for resources they need easier. The research goal of this study was to exam how virtual skill and collective efficacy affect process innovation capability and subsequent team performance of collaborative design team in a virtual community. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, we formulated the virtual team model from the perspectives of open innovation paradigm and virtual competence, and we collected virtual community participation samples from the online communities. Invitation emails were delivered to numerous trip plan initiators in two well-known online travel communities for filling survey questionnaires for this study. In total, 3000 invitation messages were mailed, of which 373 were returned completed. The model and hypotheses were tested by structural equation modelling. Findings: Virtual competence, including collective efficacy and virtual media skill, is the essential key to facilitate process innovation capability and subsequent team performance success. Besides, knowledge sharing significantly moderates the relationship between process innovation capability and the team performance. Originality/value: Backpackers in the online travel communities have to have not only the willingness to collaborate, but also the abilities of using the correct tool to help with their tasks. When a self-efficacy gets into collective efficacy, it enables the collaborative team to develop with good virtual competencies. Accordingly, trip plan initiator and participants of a virtual team are as expertise contributors between conformity in online communities and online compulsive control tendencies.     

Understanding the residents’ social impact perceptions of an African Cultural Festival: the case of Macufe

ABSTRACT

The Macufe is one of the Africa’s largest cultural festivals, and takes place annually in Bloemfontein, South Africa. This 10-day event attracts approximately 140,000 attendees, meaning that the residents have to share facilities and services with tourists. The effects of such interactions can be both positive and negative. Community members are stakeholders in any tourism ventures that take place in their area, meaning that their goodwill is of utmost importance. Therefore, the social impacts of this event should be well managed to foster community support. For this reason, a quantitative study was done to determine residents’ social impact perceptions towards the event. A total of 425 questionnaires were completed by willing residents who lived in proximity to festival activities. From an exploratory factor analysis, four factors were extracted, namely community enhancement, community degradation, tourism growth and increased public spending and interaction. It was found that the event does not generate significant levels of positive social impacts, and that the negative social impacts are viewed almost equal to the positive social impacts. This was one of the first social impact perception studies done on an African arts festival, which contributes to the sustainable management of such crucial events.     

Social capital in Malaysian homestays: exploring hosts’ social relations

This paper explores social capital among Malaysian homestay providers. More specifically, this work focuses on the social relationships between (a) the homestay providers and their family members; (b) the homestay providers and other accommodation providers; and (c) the homestay providers and other members of the community not involved in the homestay business. Despite the conspicuous body of knowledge on social capital in the social sciences and the increasing number of studies on social capital in tourism, little is known on whether and how homestays contribute to increase levels of social capital among the host families and between the host families and other members of the community in Malaysia. In an attempt to fill in this gap in knowledge, a qualitative study was conducted in a Malaysian homestay programme to explore hosts’ social relationships. One of the findings of the study is that homestay contributes to strengthen social capital among certain groups of the host community. However, as communities are constituted by heterogeneous groups with diverse interests, the dynamics of social capital and conflict vary according to the different groups of the host community.     

Distributed Fascinating Knowledge Over an Online Travel Community

The research goal of this study was to investigate how website design quality and website service quality affect participation behavior in the online travel community by moderating tacit knowledge and commitment. The design of the questionnaire linked it to the invitation message on the three travel communities, of which 235 were returned completed. The finding of the study shows that an online travel community that allows quick manipulation capabilities is likely to attract its members. To succeed, online travel communities have to rethink the way in which they embrace a new art of dialog and collaboration with their members. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) Pilgrims

The purpose of this research is to analyse the motives and segment the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) pilgrims to the Zion City of Moria in South Africa during Easter according to these motives. Seven motives were identified: spiritual fulfilment, inner peace, inner healing, faith exploration, congregational togetherness, personal fulfilment and religious participation. Based on these motives, pilgrims were grouped into three distinctive clusters namely devotees, explorers and seekers. These clusters differ significantly based on their motives, socio‐demographic and behavioural characteristics, thereby showing that these pilgrims are not a homogeneous market. This research contributes to the knowledge base regarding characteristics and behaviour of these specific and distinctive pilgrims in South Africa. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Innovations in well-being tourism in the Nordic countries

Since the development of community-based tourism (CBT) governments, development agencies and NGOs have placed considerable emphasis on this development model. However, CBT has been strongly criticized with respect to low economic impact in terms of jobs and income, the result of small-scale interventions, its low life expectancy after external funding ends, the monopolisation of benefits by local elites, or the lack of business skills to make it operational.

This article explores the viability of the CBT model to support socio-economic development and poverty alleviation via a Nicaraguan case study. The characteristics and effects of different modes of organising community tourism were examined, based on an impact assessment and lifecycle analysis of the CBT Nicaraguan Network. The results showed how traditional top-down CBT, created and fully funded by external organisations, reflected the general criticisms of the approach, while bottom-up CBT, borne as a result of a local initiative, demonstrated longer life expectancy, faster growth, and more positive impacts on the local economy. The findings suggest a shift is required in the attention of donors and policy-makers towards redistribution policies that strengthen the skills, resources, and conditions of micro, community-based and family entrepreneurship, together with a stronger orientation towards the domestic markets.     

Not a ‘museum town’: discussions of authenticity in coastal Denmark

ABSTRACT

This article investigates community perceptions of authenticity in connection to the fishing and tourism sectors and the relationships therein. Inspired by fieldwork in three Danish coastal communities, the article attends to discussions on fishing, tourism, and change, in which residents referred to ‘museum’ or ‘museum town’ as shorthand for an undesirable transformation. The article answers: (1) what are the underlying concerns of becoming a ‘museum town?’ and (2) how is authenticity employed by community members in connection to desirable and undesirable outcomes of transition? The analysis probes the ‘museum town’ expression as a means to understand host communities’ relationship to the fishing and tourism sectors and their expressed interest toward authenticity. Empirical material from semistructured interviews and ethnographic field observations initiates the thematic analysis, which then continues with a theoretical reflection on authenticity. Coastal community members understood authenticity through demonstrations of realness, waterfront and community activity, and a desired independence for the fishing industry. Being authentic required a working fleet, which carried deeper implications for transformation and the complementarity of tourism, as opposed to its suitability as a substitute for the fishing industry. Calls for the fishing industry to remain independent highlight the importance for cross-sector dialogue for local development.     

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.     

A Case Study on Culture Brokers and Their Role in Tourism Management in the Indigenous Community of Taquile Island in Puno,Peru

This study examines the role of culture brokers in the management of tourism in the indigenous community of Taquile Island. Culture brokers are individuals that have the ability to understand visitors' culture as well as their own. In‐depth interviews were conducted with culture brokers, members of the community and tourists to explore the topic from multiple perspectives. The findings suggest that their strong sense of identity has determined that culture brokers direct the course of action from inside and outside their society, while members of the community contribute from their positions, and this collaborative effort positively influences the tourist experience. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Perceptions of representatives of public,private, and community sector institutions of the barriers and enablers for physically active transport

Active transport bridges many shared concerns in the public health and transport sectors. To positively affect opportunities for active transport, public health and transport professionals are engaging with other sectors, including urban planning, housing, recreation, retail, education, and employer groups. A first step in such inter-sectoral collaboration is to understand the perceptions of key players in all of these sectors. This paper describes the results of structured interviews with senior and middle-level administrators from public, private, and community groups in a rapidly developing region in Queensland, Australia, to assess the perceived barriers and enablers to active transport. Key themes emerged relating to infrastructure delivery, public transport services, walk- and cycle-friendly community attributes, political leadership and government coordination, and societal travel norms and culture. There were also themes relating to limits due to resources and limited relevant technical expertise, institutional and practitioner cultures, and agencies not identifying with their roles in active transport. Policies and cross-government initiatives were seen to hold promise, including economic incentives and built environment guidelines, campaigns targeting public attitudes and opinions, and community participation in policy-making. These elements are potential keys to positively promoting comprehensive active transport initiatives among gatekeepers and leaders across different sectors.     

An assessment of air passenger confidence a year into the COVID-19 crisis: A segmentation analysis of passengers in Norway

The COVID-19 crisis has become the most intense and long-lasting in the history of aviation. There is already a significant literature on the immediate impact of the outbreak, as well as on speculation on the future evolution of the industry. This paper seeks to contribute to this discussion by assessing a year into the crisis the demand related aspects and passenger behavioural impacts of the pandemic. Specifically, the paper aims to identify discrete market segments of air passengers according to their shared attitudes and preferences about air travel in light of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as past behaviour and future travel intentions. To achieve this, we analyse data from a large (n = 2096) online questionnaire survey of air passengers in Norway. The cluster analysis identifies four distinct passenger segments, with each displaying varying attitudes, behaviours, and levels of concern about air travel. One of these groups, described as the ‘Apprehensive Elders’, were identified as having the highest level of concern about flying, and subsequently showed a sharp decline in their intention to travel in the future. Another group, termed the ‘Cautious Commuters’, showed similarly enhanced levels of concerns about flying, but maintained a high propensity to fly following the pandemic despite these concerns. Regarding possible interventions to increase confidence in flying in the future, across all segments the data shows a clear preference for more ‘traditional’ active interventions, including wearing of face masks and enforcement of physical distancing, over and above passive or technological interventions. Norway represents a valuable case as a possible signal for future policy and practice in relation to the recovery of air travel following the pandemic. The findings have important implications for air transport managers and decision makers in terms of managing the perceptions and expectations of different passenger groups as air travel begins to return.     

Motivational determinates of creative tourism: a case study of Albergue art space in Macau

ABSTRACT

Creative tourism is a new genre of tourism eliciting active tourist participation in learning and experiences. This study explores tourists’ motivations for participating in creative activities, as well as their perceptions of authenticity following a visit to the Albergue Art Space located in Macau, SAR, China. Empirical results indicate that vernacular heritage, service quality and participatory experience are key determinates for developing creative tourism. Sightseeing, social contact, self-improvement and escape emerge as primary motivations for participating in creative activities. In addition, tourist perceptions of authenticity in the context of creative tourism encompass objective and existential components. This study proposes to incorporate aspects of participatory experience into creative tourism products.     

Tourist–community interactions in ethnic tourism: Tuva villages,Kanas Scenic Area,China

Tourists and destination communities interact in different contexts. Such interactions play a key role in constructing a rewarding experience and cultural understanding for tourists and influence the social and cultural life of the destination community. It is particularly so at ethnic areas where tourism experiences are acquired through encounters with the ethnic community. A diagram of tourist–community interactions in ethnic tourism is developed to outline different types of interactions, factors affecting these interactions, and impacts to both groups of actors. This research explores tourist–community interactions through a comparative examination of tourists' and residents' perceptions at Tuva villages in Kanas Scenic Area (KSA), China. In-depth interviews were conducted with residents involved in tourism and tourists to KSA through two field investigations in 2010 and 2013. Research results indicate that the ethnic encounter is not perceived by tourists as a primary motivation to visit Kanas, but it contributes to the formation of a satisfactory on-site experience. Tourists and community members have diverse needs for these interactions and are impacted by these interactions to different degrees. The research also reveals that community participation influences how and to what extent these interactions occur. Practical implications for KSA are then discussed.     

Mobilizing knowledge: determining key elements for success and pitfalls in developing community-based tourism

Community-based tourism (CBT) has often been cited as an alternative to mass tourism and an approach for tourism to become more sustainable. If developed well, CBT can become a poverty alleviation mechanism and a way to access improvements in quality of life, providing empowerment and greater economic benefit to individuals in local communities. Despite the plethora of literature on CBT and evaluation of models, there is little analysis of the facilitators and barriers to achieving it. Through the use of case studies in both academic and grey literature, this paper serves as an instructive review of the CBT literature to synthesize the key elements of success and the challenges.     

Key Foresight Attributes of Tourism Companies in the City of Krakow and the Region

The purpose of this paper is to understand differences in tourism companies' potential participation in foresight projects (regional or tourism policy‐oriented) by focusing on companies' attitudes towards participation, cooperation and the culture of future‐oriented thinking. This study used an email survey sent out to tourism companies in the Malopolska region (Poland), and in particular its capital city, Krakow. The data received were statistically analysed using the cluster analysis method and the Mann–Whitney U test. The statistically significant results generated in the study made it possible to determine and understand the differences in the foresight orientation of tourism enterprises. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

If nearly all Airbnb reviews are positive,does that make them meaningless?

Peer-to-peer business models rely on interpersonal communication for their success. In this article, we focus on Airbnb – an exemplar of the so-called ‘sharing economy’ – and more specifically, on Airbnb’s reciprocal reviewing system, which enables both hosts and guests to review one another. Our study takes a computer-assisted, qualitative approach to explore linguistic patterns of evaluation in Airbnb reviews. Our findings indicate that Airbnb reviews tend to comprise a very restricted set of linguistic resources, establishing the site’s norm of highly positive commentary, which in turn makes Airbnb reviews, on the surface, appear to be quite similar to one another. However, a micro-analytic comparison of positive reviews reveals that less-than-positive experiences are sometimes communicated using more nuanced, subtle cues. This study contributes to existing literature on electronic word of mouth in the tourism industry by highlighting how evaluation is communicated, while simultaneously responding to hospitality scholars’ calls for analyses which extend beyond the star ratings and also take into account consumers’ constructions of experience in the review texts themselves.     

Singapore's image as a tourist destination

The present study seeks to examine the image of Singapore as a tourist destination. A sample of 131 tourists was collected at the Singapore Changi International Airport's two departure halls. In addition to answering a short Likert‐scale questionnaire, respondents were asked to describe in their own words the unique aspects of the country. Comparisons of response differences in respect of gender, age groups, educational levels as well as countries of origin were also conducted. Significant perceptual differences were detected with respect to the last three categories. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.     

Community Based Tourism in Namibia: ‘Reality Show’ or ‘Window Dressing’?

Since the 1970s, the African continent has experienced exponential growth in tourism, where growth in numbers of visitors has not necessarily meant economic, social or environmental benefits for the host community. A review of the literature concerning tourism development and its effects on local communities forms the basis for the investigation of the reasons behind community based tourism (CBT) being identified as a tool for development in Namibia. An assessment of the planning and implementation phases of the CBT strategy enables consideration on the role played by international and national governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in laying down policies and providing proactive support for CBT related projects. This paper presents the results of an ongoing empirical research conducted since 2003 in the Kunene region of Namibia, which is an important part of the overall Namibian tourism destination, with world-renowned resources such as Etosha National Park, the Himba culture, Epupa Falls, the desert-adapted elephant and the rhino, to name just a few. By attempting an overall assessment of the Namibian current CBT situation, a set of considerations are offered with regard to its practicalities and in terms of benefits, problems and future outlooks for this sector.