Policy choices in South Asian tourism development

Government tourism initiatives in developing countries have been applauded by tourism scholars as a means of assisting a private sector that has insufficient resources and assuring public control of the industry's future. This article reviews the tourism development experience of seven South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldive Republic) on five policy options: public versus private tourism development; domestic versus international tourism; class versus mass tourism; centralization versus decentralization; and integrated versus enclave tourism. All of the governments in the region have been involved in tourism development to some degree, but they have shown considerable variation in their responses to these policy choices. Which choices are made by a specific country, it is suggested, will depend as much on political and cultural considerations as upon economic factors.     

Territorial tourism planning in Spain: from boosterism to tourism degrowth?

Abstract

Tourism saturation and unsustainability have been studied in urban political ecology. Both of these problems are inseparable from tourism planning and they have resulted in proposed solutions based on growth containment and even degrowth. These types of measures have been applied to varying degrees in mature coastal destinations in Spain since the 1990s, and they are currently being used for the country's main urban destinations due to problems generated by tourism saturation. This study examines the progressive incorporation of these measures in territorial tourism planning in Spain and it points out that the traditional emphasis on urban-tourism growth is declining and that more restrictive policies are now being implemented. This shift is illustrated through the analysis of three innovative territorial tourism planning instruments in Barcelona, the Balearic Islands and the Autonomous Region of Valencia. These ostensibly progressive processes suffer from crippling contradictions due to their inability to directly confront the capitalist accumulation model underlying the tourism growth they address. Consequently, much stronger measures capable of transcending this accumulation model in pursuit of genuine, and fair degrowth without systemic constraints are needed.     

Analysis of tourism trends in Spain

This paper studies the evolution of the international tourism demand for Spain in order to forecast its trends. The analysis is carried out within the framework of structural time series models that are formulated in terms of unobserved components stochastically specified. A measure of the underlying rate of growth of the international demand is derived in order to evaluate whether the sector is in a period of expansion or recession. The empirical results show that the worst period of the crisis suffered at the end of the 80s by the industry is over now and the future prospects are optimistic in the short run.     

Rural tourism in China

In the latest two decades, Rural Tourism (RT) has speedily developed and become an important concept of tourism in China. However, there remains little understanding in the western world about RT for its special role in China’s rural socio-economic regeneration. This paper represents an attempt to analyze six different models of RT development. More specifically, the collective imagery of “Nong jia le” (Happy Farmer Home) tourism, a Chinese version of rural tourism, is examined. The findings of this study not only highlight the widely-held beliefs about the important role of RT but also identify a number of related problems and challenges facing its sustainable and healthy development in future, which hopefully would stimulate the interest for further studies in this area.     

Academic tourism demand in Galicia,Spain

The last few decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the mobility of higher education students. When fulfilling certain conditions, this type of mobility can actually be considered a type of tourist activity. This paper justifies the choice of the term “academic tourism” to describe such a form of tourism. Further to this, its primary purpose is to identify the main determinants that drive the demand of academic tourism in Galicia. An empirical analysis has been carried out using a dynamic panel data model by a generalized method of moments (GMM). Contrary to what can be observed in other types of tourism, the results suggest that academic tourism depends mainly on determinants that are not strictly economic; namely, the relevance of the habits and preferences of students, the potential for differential attractiveness of the University of Santiago de Compostela, and the significant impact of the Erasmus programme. In light of these results, policy implications are then discussed.     

The water footprint of tourism in Spain

This study complements the water footprint (WF) estimations for Spain, incorporating insights of the process analysis and input–output (IO) analysis. We evaluate the virtual (both blue and green consumed) water trade of agricultural and industrial products, but also of services, especially through tourism, for a country in which more than 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP) derives from this activity. We use domestic and import disaggregated tables in the agro-alimentary activities, based mainly on national agrarian, industrial, services and trade statistics. In order to obtain import coefficients, water data and IO tables of the main trade partners are used to reproduce the technology of these economies. Results show that 16% of the Spanish exports are due to foreign tourism, thus the water footprint of foreign tourism in Spain is 3.7 km³. Finally, we compare reductions in total tourism expenditure and the domestic and global water footprint of tourism using four scenarios.     

The post-COVID-19 tourism recovery led by crisis-resistant tourists: Surf tourism preferences in the Canary Islands

The post-COVID-19 tourism recovery is most likely to be led by crisis-resistant tourists (Hajibaba, Gretzel, Leisch and Dolnicar, 2015). The surf tourism market is highly crisis resistant (Dolnicar and Fluker, 2003a) and has potential to expand during the pandemic (Mach and Ponting, 2021), especially with the advances in technologies for remote workers. In an attempt to answer Hritz and Franzidis' (2018) call for further research on this niche market in order to ascertain the significance of surf tourism in a particular community, we provide a baseline for surf tourism in terms of these niche preferences and satisfaction levels in Gran Canaria (Spain). The study is based on a discrete choice model that relies on preferences elicited through best-worst scaling methods. Our research demonstrates that the BWS scores can be used to develop a destination attribute quality index based on importance and satisfaction scales and provides important information to destination managers.     

Inherent complexity: Disability,accessible tourism and accommodation information preferences

Studies have identified constraints with the way that accessible accommodation information is documented and marketed. Yet, no research has investigated the criteria that people with disabilities determine as ‘important’ to selecting accommodation and their preference for presenting this information. This paper presents the results of a survey (n = 566) to determine the relative importance of room selection criteria through the development of a 55-item Hotel Accessibility Scale. Four information formats were then presented to ascertain the preferences of the respondents. The results suggest that while sociodemographic variables offered some insight into criteria selection, the most significant explanation for criteria selection and information preferences were the dimensions of disability and level of support needs. The preferred format of accessible accommodation information provision was based on a combination of textual, floorplan and digital photography. The management implications suggest that detailed information provision using this format has benefits for accommodation stock yield and social sustainability.     

The contribution of social tourism to sustainable tourism: a case study of seasonally adjusted programmes in Spain

Recent policy from the European Union has attempted to justify social tourism initiatives on the basis that they lead to a more sustainable tourism industry. However, the majority of latest research in the field has been focused on the benefits for participants, with the addition of some evidence on the economic impacts of such programmes on destinations, which have pointed towards sustainability outcomes including: a longer tourism season, more even spread of demand, and longer periods of employment for tourism workers. Yet there is a lack of direct evidence linking such programme to these outcomes. This paper aimed to explore this important disconnect between policy assumptions and evidence-based outcomes through an analysis of the deseasonalising effects of the Spanish social tourism programme for older people. The research found that this programme does have an effect on the seasonal nature of employment and economic activity in most regions studied, but that the huge volume of demand from international tourists in the high seasons masks the quantitative effects in the regions with the highest seasonal concentration of international tourists. Recommendations for policy and practice in sustainable tourism are made that are transferable to many countries and regions that adopt social tourism programmes.     

Rural tourism and gendered nuances

Research findings on rural residents’ attitudes towards tourism are often contradictory, in part due to a lack of data examining the often divergent perspectives of particular subgroups. Regional survey data from the Intermountain Western United States is used to provide an improved understanding of rural tourism attitudes as they are linked to community involvement and changes, while also exploring both intragender and intergender differences. Group differences in levels of community involvement, perceptions of tourism and various other issues are observed. While differences emerge, there is also widespread agreement on the importance of preserving local culture and the opposition to sale of agricultural land for development.     

Impacts of COVID-19 on Chinese nationals' tourism preferences

This paper examines the impacts of COVID-19 on Chinese nationals' tourism preferences. Employing a mixed-method research design, two rounds of nation-wide online surveys were conducted, one in February 2020 when COVID-19 cases started to peak in China and another one in June 2020 when COVID-19 was a global pandemic; both survey studies were accompanied with semi-structured in-depth interviews and altogether 37 interviews were conducted in two stages. Based on both quantitative survey data and qualitative interview data, the research identified that: 1) COVID-19 significantly reduced Chinese nationals' preferences to travel to countries with high infection numbers, and geographically faraway, administratively and culturally distant outbound destinations; 2) Chinese nationals reduced their preferences in all travel modes and most of the tourism forms, but most of them would prefer nature-based, rural, and cultural destinations after COVID-19; and 3) shortened trips in short travel distance are preferred after COVID-19. The findings offer rich insights and practical implications for governments, industry organisations, and tourism operators to formulate tourism recovery strategies toward Chinese tourists.     

Tourist preferences for rural house stays: Evidence from discrete choice modelling in Spain

Although the appeal of rural houses for tourists lies mainly in the natural surroundings and their intrinsic rural characteristics, there are other factors which are also important such as their size, type of building, quality of equipment, services and activities offered. To evaluate the tourists' preferences for these potential or effective attributes, a stated preference experiment was conducted in the Northwest area of the Region of Murcia and the data are analysed using discrete choice modelling methodology. Consistent specifications for multinomial logit and mixed logit models that consider variations in tastes within tourists' preferences are found. The results could be of use to promoters and owners of rural houses when planning marketing and promotional campaigns or when taking effective investment decisions.     

Prospective tourist preferences for sustainable tourism development in Small Island Developing States

Tourism development is crucial for economic growth in Small Island Developing States, but its management involves trade-offs between ecosystem services and social and cultural identities. This paper aims to contribute to the debate around the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through an investigation of the sustainable management of tourism and coastal ecosystem services. The paper presents a choice experiment and latent factor analysis to disentangle relevant aspects of sustainable tourism in Small Island Developing States for potential visitors. Willingness to pay is reported for the different factors revealing preferences variability for previous and prospective visitors. Pro-environmental attitudes influence individual tastes and policy makers should consider these traits in order to attract visitors and private funding. Our findings show that prospective tourists are interested in the wider aspects of the tourism experience which in turn require the careful management of social and environmental resources in Small Island Developing States.     

Nonconstant reputation effect in a dynamic tourism demand model for Spain

Following the ideas of the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) theory, we propose a dynamic econometric model for tourism demand where the reputation effect (the effect of the lagged demand on the current tourism demand) is not constant, but dependent on congestion. We test the model using panel data from Spanish regions during the period 2000–2013. Two estimations are performed depending on whether the tourists' origin is domestic or international. The results show that the reputation effect is not constant in both estimates, supporting the idea that tourism congestion influences tourist arrivals in Spain.     

Rural poverty,tourism and spatial heterogeneity

The intent of this research is to explore changes in US rural poverty rates from 1990 to 2000. Using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) I focus on spatial variations in the role of tourism and recreation in changing poverty rates. Results suggest that tourism and recreation as I have measured it play a small role in explaining changes in poverty rates and there is limited spatial variation. This result challenges the notion that the promotion of tourism and recreation as a rural economic development strategy results in low paying inferior job opportunities.     

Rural tourism demand by type of accommodation

This paper develops a methodology which will enable the determination of the tourist profile which corresponds to the different types of existing accommodations in a certain destination of rural tourism. This is accomplished through the use of a two-stage method (a correspondence analysis followed by a cluster analysis) to classify the accommodations in a reduced number of groups, so that each group constitutes a type. The estimation of a Multinomial Logit model determines the characteristics of tourist who is most likely to opt for each type of accommodation. Results from a study in Murcia indicate that the wide variety of accommodations with respect to size and type is a suitable form of attracting individuals of different profiles.     

Rural tourism: Marketing strategies for the bed and breakfast industry in Taiwan

Market segmentation based on consumer motivation has proven to be one of the most valuable marketing tools for business promotion. The current study segments the bed and breakfast (B&B) market to better understand the different characteristics and demands of visitors to B&Bs in Taiwan. Our findings can assist B&B operators to determine resource allocation in developing marketing strategies.This study methodology utilized a questionnaire survey. Four clustered segments were identified based on five motivational factors. Based on our findings, most B&B visitors were repeat customers from nuclear families. They were well-educated with low to mid-range median family incomes. Though websites and travel guidebooks were expected to be the dominant sources of information on B&Bs for such visitors, word-of-mouth was found to be the most effective advertising channel for B&B accommodation choices.     

The inter-relationship between rural and mass tourism: The case of Catalonia,Spain

In certain regions of Southern Europe, mature coastal resorts are currently coexisting with rural tourism areas several kilometers inland. This paper analyzes the inter-relationship of these two types of tourism and the conditions for sustaining both in Mediterranean destinations. To do so, common and uncommon characteristics of the tourist product in rural and mass tourism are identified. The case study focuses on the region of Catalonia, Spain. By applying a hedonic price model, the valuation of some traditional mass tourism characteristics in rural tourism is tested. The results show that rural and mass tourism in the region share several attributes, some of them with opposite effects. The general conclusion is that both types of tourism are compatible, but should be developed and promoted independently to preserve the attractiveness of the destination. Some managerial recommendations for rural tourism in Catalonia are also derived from this analysis.     

Effects of power and individual-level cultural orientation on preferences for volunteer tourism

This study examined whether individual-level cultural orientation and psychological feelings of power interact to influence preference for volunteer or self-indulgent holiday packages. Results from a study involving 466 participants revealed that intentions to purchase a holiday package were greater among those who had been primed to feel powerful, supporting the notion that power increases an individual's tendency to take action. Nevertheless, the holiday packages that powerful participants chose varied as a function of their individual-level cultural orientation. Specifically, when primed to feel powerful, vertical individualists exhibited a distinct preference for a self-indulgent holiday package whereas horizontal collectivists preferred a volunteer holiday package. These findings indicate that preference for volunteer or self-indulgent holidays arises from the confluence of individual-level cultural orientation (which shapes goal meaning) and power (which influences goal pursuit).     

The responsibility of tourism in traffic congestion and hyper-congestion: A case study from Mallorca, Spain

This paper explores the relationship between tourism and traffic congestion and hyper-congestion using the case study of Mallorca (Spain), one of the most important resort destinations in the Mediterranean. After discussing different proxies to capture the associated problems to road traffic congestion, different time series models are estimated including considering the days of the week, holidays and meteorological determinants jointly with a daily indicator of tourist population pressure. Results show how the tourist pressure variable is an important determinant in explaining the different alternative indicators of traffic congestion and hyper-congestion, for different roads. Hence it is possible to classify the roads in terms of usage by tourists in order to anticipate the levels of traffic intensity, especially during peak periods.