Strategic travel planning toward future emission targets—A comparative analysis of 20 Swedish municipalities applying the CERO model

Organizations displaying best practices for attaining proactive sustainability targets at local level are of major importance as role models in the transition toward a sustainable transport system. This study summarizes results and conclusions from 20 municipalities in Sweden that have implemented the so called CERO analysis in order to adapt to future emission targets for travel. The overall aim of the study is to identify factors explaining why some municipalities are more successful than others in a benchmarking comparison.

The results indicate that commuting by car is by far the most dominant source of emissions, constituting on average 76% of total annual travel emissions (including both commuting and business travel). In order to reduce these emissions, travel planning programs within organizations must address both commuting conditions and business travel conditions to reduce car dependence for work travel, e.g., employees using private cars for business trips most likely also use their own cars for commuting. To identify potential success factors as regards emissions-efficient travel, three comparative statistical analyses were conducted: grouping municipalities with low emissions in relation to the total average; analysis of car commuters' willingness to change travel mode; and before-and-after analyses of municipalities implementing specific action plans. The results revealed that municipalities conducting follow-up studies 2 years after implementing travel planning programs all lowered their total CO₂ emissions, by on average 10% during a 2-year period. Overall, these municipalities achieved redistribution to alternative travel modes but also reduced total travel mileage.     

Do institutional structures matter? A comparative analysis of urban carbon management policies in the UK and Germany

The paper addresses the important question of how institutional structures matter to the delivery of climate change policy for urban transport. It examines the strategic goals, policy tools in operation and initial progress towards carbon emission reduction in seven cities across the UK and Germany where different institutional structures exist. The UK has the presence of a strong national carbon target and strong hierarchical national–local government relationships whilst Germany has a more integrated system of local transport provision in a context where local and regional government is stronger. Our findings show that the carbon agenda has made very little difference to what is happening on the ground in the cities. Across all sites, progress is being made but largely through technological improvements which are being almost completely offset by population growth. Even in the more integrated city environments there has not be an additional stimulus to manage the demand for travel.Contrary to previous research therefore, we cannot conclude that institutional structures are paramount in delivering effective carbon reduction policies. The institutional structures in the UK and in Germany are not perfectly aligned to carbon management but, given the cross policy impacts of most transport interventions, this is perhaps inevitable. We can clearly conclude however that “better” structures are not sufficient to achieve the implementation of more effective carbon policies. Whilst institutional structures must matter, it is the broader governance environment and the resources and politics involved in transport policy that currently seem to dominate the importance of the carbon agenda and implementation paths that emerge.     

Can stopovers be induced to revisit transit hubs as stayovers? A new perspective on the relationship between air transportation and tourism

This research examines the potential of transit hubs and affiliated airlines to stimulate future stayover visits by stopover passengers, thereby securing new market opportunities for the host destination and a new relationship between the transportation and tourism sectors. Data were obtained from 694 stopovers who transited with Singapore Airlines through Singapore Changi International Airport but had no prior stayover visit. ‘High influence’, ‘low influence’ and ‘selected influence’ clusters indicated how nine selected services and facilities differentially stimulated their interest to revisit Singapore. Especially influential are generic services such as the Singapore Girl service style, and specific facilities such as the airport Butterfly Garden. These therefore no longer situate as simple facilities that only provide utilitarian transport services for passengers; occupying the blurred boundaries between the transit and destination regions, they frame Singapore's hub airport and national carrier as a type of ‘quasi-destination’. Appropriate strategic considerations are recommended to maximise their conversion potential.     

Is tourism just another staple? A new perspective on tourism in remote regions

According to recent research, countries may have a positive image from a tourism perspective, but they may be seen as lacking from an economic or political viewpoint. As governments and destination management organisations spend large sums of money in promoting tourist attractions, the question of whether these activities also influence other aspects of a country's image becomes relevant. The objective of the research is to determine the effect of tourism promotions on the image of the country and that of the destination as two separate concepts, in the case of Israel, a country subject to continuous conflicts. A 2?×?2 quasi-experimental design is utilised to investigate the influence of tourism promotional brochures. Additionally, a comparative perspective is used to determine whether people from diverse countries and backgrounds may be affected differently by the same information. The findings confirm that tourism brochures influence not only the image of the destination, but also that of the country. These effects are found to be different for respondents from the two different countries compared. The article focuses on understanding how tourism communication strategies may also be used to improve the image of a country, with potential benefits for international marketing and international relations.     

An overestimated relationship? Violent political unrest and tourism foreign direct investment in the Middle East

Although the tourism industry is increasingly globalising, empirical research on the accompanying foreign direct investment (FDI) is surprisingly lacking. Furthermore, the nexus of political risk, violent political unrest and tourism FDI has been relatively neglected. Using Egypt as a heuristic case study and adopting a qualitative methodology, this paper explores the question of how political risk and violent political unrest influence tourism FDI. Surprisingly, the results are not able to corroborate a clear relationship between the two. In contrast, these results indicate that the role of stability and security for tourism FDI in developing countries has largely been overestimated in the past. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How does weather affect bikeshare use? A comparative analysis of forty cities across climate zones

This study examines the effect of weather on bikeshare use. We employ data from forty Public Bicycle Sharing Programs located in forty cities (16 countries) across five different climate zones, spanning tropical to boreal climates. Our curated dataset is longitudinal and consists of nearly 100 million cycling trips. Key findings include: (a) the most significant variable, particularly on weekdays, is the time of day, followed by precipitation; (b) in most cities, usage increases on weekdays and weekends up to a point around 27 to 28 °C, before declining; (c) usage by hour usually follows a bimodal or trimodal daily pattern on weekdays, except for schemes which are too small to serve a commuter function (weekend and weekday usage is similar in small schemes); (d) weekend usage peaks at around 2 to 3 pm in most schemes, except those in hotter climates where the peak is around 5 pm; (e) precipitation negatively affects female ridership more than male ridership; and, (f) a changing climate is likely to affect cycling by boosting ridership in cold climates and lowering ridership in warm climates, but the effects will likely be small. In the spirit of reproducibility, all data and R code are publicly available.     

“Ideal” decision-making processes for transport planning: A comparison between Europe and South East Asia

In a recently completed research project on the decision-making process of sustainable urban transport planning issues for the European Union (EU) – entitled PROSPECTS (Procedures for Recommending Optimal Sustainable Planning of European City Transport Systems) – an “ideal” decision-making process for sustainable transport planning decisions in the European context was identified. A further EU-funded networking project (SPARKLE (Sustainability Planning for Asian Cities making use of Research, Know-How and Lessons from Europe)) considered the relevance of the PROSPECTS process to South East Asia, through seminars and workshops in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. This paper summarises various conclusions reached in these events. Whilst it was generally found that the basic element of the PROSPECTS approach transferred reasonably well to South East Asia, various key factors require revisions to be made to the approach. The most important of these factors are: differing traditions in planning; different weights in the transport-related objectives, use of only a limited set of potential policy instruments, fast growth rates (in both economic and travel terms); differences in types of vehicle used; and lack of data for use in assessment and modelling. These factors could be addressed in more detail in future research projects.     

Grid–group analysis and tourism: tipping as a cultural behavior

Cultural bias, or grid–group theory, was developed by Mary Douglas in the 1980s to explain individual behavior within a particular society. In this paper, grid–group theory is adapted to show how it may be used in a tourism context. The advantages of this approach are that the same typology can be used for both hosts and guests, not only in general terms, but also for given types of behavior. Grid–group theory shows how the same individual may exhibit different behavioral patterns in different situations. The example used to illustrate this approach is tipping. The literature on tipping provides mixed and conflicting results. By using grid–group theory, it is possible to explain why these mixed results may occur.     

Do gender and nationality affect attitudes towards tourism and the environment?

This study examines whether gender and home economy influence attitudes towards tourism and the environment. Students enrolled in senior undergraduate and first‐year postgraduate tourism and hospitality subjects from eight economies are studied. Previous research on environmental attitudes has focused on either gender or home nationality, but has rarely examined the interrelationship between the two, and none has focused explicitly on attitudes to tourism and the environment. The study concluded that nationality mitigates attitudes among women much more than it does among men. The authors also conclude that general environmental attitudes are well formed, but tourism‐related environmental attitudes are often contradictory. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Does personality predict tourism information search and feedback behaviour?

There is little research on how personality traits influence information search and feedback behaviour of tourism information consumers. Using various online and offline information and feedback sources, this study contributes to the literature by considering how personality influences Taiwanese view pre-trip and on-site information sources’ ability to provide desired information before and during the trip and whether post-trip feedback channels are suitable feedback instruments. Even though personality alone may not fully explain tourism information search behaviour, hierarchical regression analyses showed the usefulness of Big Five personality traits in this aspect. Openness to experience and conscientiousness traits particularly stood out. Openness to experience significantly affects perception of word-of-mouth-related sources and conscientiousness for less accessible sources. Extraversion and neuroticism negatively predict popular culture sources. These outcomes might be due to the attributes of information sources or feedback channels.     

Hostility or hospitality? A review on violence,bullying and sexual harassment in the tourism and hospitality industry

The present work reviews the current knowledge about violence, bullying and sexual harassment in the tourism and hospitality industry. It indicates the high prevalence of these aggressive behaviours, and identifies structural reasons, insufficient managerial skills and/or common beliefs as their causes. The negative impacts of bullying, violence and sexual harassment on employees include intentions to leave and psychological upset. These personal negative feelings and attitudes contribute to negative organizational performance indicators, such as high staff turnover rate and low profitability. In addition, the high prevalence of violence creates a negative image for the tourism and hospitality industry in general. The review shows that intervention plans are scattered in aims and time frames, focus mainly on managerial policies, and almost completely overlook immediate actions as well as guest violence. Given its importance, the low number of appropriate intervention tools, policies and agendas clearly suggests the urgent need for more research. The final section of the work provides an overview of three core themes that can potentially contribute to the development of an effective intervention agenda, namely, corporate social responsibility, social media and comparisons to other sectors.     

Universal tenets or diametrical differences? An analysis of ecotourism definitions from China and abroad

In recent years, there has been increasing attention afforded ecotourism development in China. However, a national ecotourism framework has yet to emerge. This has forced planners, managers, policy‐makers and researchers to look abroad for guidance. And, this raises sensitivity concerns related to Chinese cultural values, perspectives, and expectations regarding nature‐based tourism experiences. This study analyzes contemporary Chinese ecotourism definitions with the objective to identify a set of common definitional themes. These themes are them compared to a set of ecotourism tenets established through antecedent analysis of definitions from abroad. A discussion of universal tenets, cultural values, diametrical differences, and the achievement of sustainable ecotourism ensues. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tourism and the ‘dry law’ in Kerala – exploring the nexus between tourism and alcohol

ABSTRACT

On the 24th of August 2014 the state of Kerala announced that alcohol will be progressively banned through different phases, with a plan of implementing a complete ban by 2025. The ban was eased in July 2017; yet, it sparked heated debates about its impacts on the tourism industry, which highlighted the strong nexus between alcohol and tourism. Despite animated discussions continued online for months after the announcement of the ban, there have not been studies assessing the impact of the ban on tourism/tourists. Through a thematic analysis of online texts published on TripAdvisor, this paper explores tourists’ perceptions and opinions of the implementation of the ‘Dry Law’ in Kerala. Moreover, this work also investigates whether the ban discouraged potential tourists to visit Kerala. Overall, our analysis reveals that the ban did not discourage potential tourists to visit Kerala, although many regarded the possibility of having moderate amounts of alcohol on holiday as pleasant. Importantly, our study also contends that the narratives about the ‘Dry Law’ produced and propagated online were often representative of political structures of power, which linked tourism to alcohol irrespective of the real impact of the ban on tourism.     

A new take on an old structure? Creative and slow tourism in Krakow (Poland)

The contemporary tourism market trends indicate an increasing need for the individualisation of tourist experience and necessitate a move away from the standardisation of tourism products, including those offered within the cities that primarily market their cultural heritage. The concept of creative tourism as a way of practising cultural tourism is a response to the changing needs and expectations of tourists. This is because it offers non-traditional uses for the cultural potential of cities. This article attempts to embed creative tourism in the overall tourist product using an example of a historic city – Krakow. The authors examine the development of tourism products in Krakow, focusing primarily on cultural and historical heritage tourism and secondarily on new forms of tourism that have emerged, such as creative tourism and slow tourism. They analyse this issue in terms of districts – traditional and new tourist areas, indicating the potential for tourism growth.     

Volunteer tourism: at the crossroads of commercialisation and service?

Volunteer tourism as a phenomenon and as a market has come a long way since its ideologically driven early days. It is now an established and ever commercialised market that meets the demand for a different travel experience for the more morally conscious traveller, while at the same time it provides opportunities for economic gain for the organisations that act as brokers of such experiences. This interaction raises several ethical issues in terms of serving a mission while making economic gains. In general, there is an acceptable relationship between monetary gain and altruistic service, within the context of enlightened self-interest provided that the beneficiary of economic gains diverts profits into serving their mission. This paper examines the supply for volunteer tourism for evidence of commercialisation and profit-driven behaviour and investigates a relationship between monetary gain and serving a mission by creating public goods.     

Who takes part in film tourism? The analysis of determinants of visiting film locations

Film tourism is one of the fastest developing sub-segments of creative tourism in the 21st century. Many studies investigated tourists' motivation and behavior towards film tourism in the context of psychological and emotional motives and their involvement and experience. However, we still know very little about the structure of visitors of film sites. Utilizing primary data collected in Slovakia and adopting the econometric approach, the aim of this empirical study is to estimate the relationship between preferred trip parameters and the decision to include a visit to a film location in the travel plan. The results suggest that visits to film sites occur to a significant extent by chance, film tourism is additional, mainly to other segments of tourism, characterized as adventurous and explorative experiences. Visits to film locations occur mainly as trips by younger age groups and longer stays, mostly as self-organized trips, regardless of budget, frequency of travel, or gender.     

A literature review of tourism management (1990–2013): a content analysis perspective

Tourism activities can refer to an extension of a brand–consumer relationship. While growth in many industries is flat, worldwide tourism revenues continue to grow. A literature review is not only a crucial endeavour for any academic research, but also the foundation and inspiration for substantial, useful research. Among extant studies on tourism management (TM), few are on literature review while most are concerned with specific issues or countries/areas. This paper aims to draw up an integrated framework of TM. Little effort has been made to systematically examine the vast TM-related literature so as to facilitate better understandings of TM. To eliminate the gap among the extant studies and develop the TM trajectory, a content analysis was undertaken using keywords “TM” in 5 online electronic databases from 1990 to 2013. Based on 773 articles, we discovered the number of publications on TM has significantly increased since 2000 and a steady growth since 2008. While 773 articles are scattered across 196 journals, most appeared in 11 academic journals. We also categorize articles into 10 conceptual groups based on a proposed conceptual framework. The main contribution is to provide a conceptual framework incorporating keyword indexes to operationalize the coverage of TM.     

Disentangling the tourism sector’s fragmentation: a hands-on coding/post-coding guide for interview and policy document analysis in tourism†

Qualitative tourism research is inevitably multidimensional. The fragmentation of the tourism sector across policy domains, scales, space and stakeholders leads to ‘blurry’ and aggregated datasets. Yet, tourism studies have a weak record in describing how results emanate from raw qualitative data. This paper presents a coding/post-coding scheme that proved robust in disentangling multidimensional tourism datasets in a middle-range research project that necessitated reflecting on the position of the researcher and the literature study during the data analysis. It describes the pragmatic decisions taken to organise the qualitative data from a research project on cross-border tourism and regional development processes. The paper also functions as a reflexive account of how this scheme came into existence. It contributes to the tools available to practically acknowledge the fragmentation of the tourism sector and the resulting multidimensional qualitative data, and calls for a more open accounting of the data analysis process and the underlying research values in tourism studies.     

Reviewing Thailand's master plans and policies: implications for creative tourism?

This article contributes to an understanding of how creative tourism is perceived on a national level, by using Thailand as a case analysis. The primary objective of this article is to investigate Thailand's plans and policies for the creative economy at both national and ministry levels in relation to creative tourism. It also identifies how a national strategic plan can provide a blueprint for individual agency master plans to provide policy support for the development of the creative economy in the tourism sector. Thailand is chosen as an example of how government and related agencies can contribute to a national creative tourism movement in the country, especially in the light of the Tourism Authority of Thailand branding campaign to stimulate creative tourism to the destination. The qualitative research methodology through content analysis is used to scrutinise the plan and policy contents from the selected government agencies. The results demonstrate a better view of how creative tourism is positioned in the Thailand context and contribute to a policy study on the creative economy in the tourism sector as well as in creative tourism.     

The difference between hub and non-hub airports – An airside capacity perspective

Airport airside capacity is limited by the runway system capacity or apron capacity, whichever is more constraining. Sometimes, taxiway system can also impose constraint to airside capacity, but in the case of fully developed taxiway systems (involving parallel taxiway, high speed exits, etc.) that is usually not an issue. To determine which airside element is more constraining it is not always as simple as comparing runway system and apron capacities directly one to another. It is important to understand and take into consideration their relationship. Runway-apron relationship depends on demand characteristics e.g. dominant market segments (e.g. scheduled, charter, low-cost, general aviation, cargo), and/or specific traffic patterns (hubbing or point-to-point services, seasonality in demand, etc.).The paper brings up the issue of available airside capacity under different traffic characteristics, faced by hubs vs. non-hub airports, and the necessity to understand runway-apron interdependency in order to properly identify the bottleneck on the airside. Referring to earlier findings related to apron capacity analysis, the paper summarizes various factors that affect apron capacity at non-hub and hub airports and uses them to define the runway-apron relationship, as well as its role in the process of analyzing airside capacity under various demand characteristics.The main finding is that functional relationship between the runway system and aprons is much stronger in the case of hub airports, and should be carefully considered when analyzing airside capacity. Besides runway capacity, few other variables that affect apron capacity at hub airports are discussed. Generic examples are used to support the discussion.