Scanning,perceived uncertainty,and the interpretation of trends: A study of hotel directors’ interpretation of demographic change

This paper examines how scanning can affect the interpretation of a specific trend and the uncertainty related to this interpretation. Based on a two-stage interpretative process, this study tests a series of hypotheses linked to scanning, trend interpretation and perceived environmental uncertainty, using survey data from the Swiss hotel industry concerning the ageing population trend. The study uncovers considerable evidence to support the main propositions, and in particular, shows how general scanning relates to positive interpretations of change and builds confidence in managers, whilst lowering perceived uncertainty. It is further found that high performance hotels engage in more scanning and experience lower uncertainty related to specific issues than do low performance hotels. This paper is innovative in examining how general scanning, not just issue-specific scanning, can reduce two types of issue-specific uncertainty, as well as influence interpretations.     

The mediation of information technology on visitors’ experience at a cultural heritage site

This study identifies perceptual differences between the experiences of using an interactive ubiquitous access tourism service (U-tourism service) at a cultural heritage site and on-site participation-driven services. An interactive U-tourism service, “Hwaseong Haenggung Histour”, a smart phone application, was developed and implemented for this study. The study found (a) visitors who experienced the U-tourism service showed higher recognition on such dimensions as education, novelty, entertainment and fellowships, regarded as important components of on-site experiences, than those who joined on-site participation-driven services and (b) young visitors who used the interactive U-tourism service recorded higher in the dimensions of both education and novelty than those who joined on-site participation-driven services and showed higher satisfaction. These findings provide strong justification for the introduction of U-tourism services, particularly for young visitors. This study contributes to the understanding of a fast-growing and influential electronic tool for cultural heritage sites.     

Performing heritage: the use of live ‘actors’ in heritage presentations

This paper investigates the phenomenon of ‘living history’ presentations of heritage, using live ‘actors’ to portray historical characters. Its aim is to discuss these presentations in the context of what may be understood as ‘heritage’, and of the nature of ‘performance’. Four case studies of heritage sites, each important as a tourist attraction, have been selected for detailed study, together with a number of other examples of heritage performance. It is clear from the empirical work that different performance strategies are employed within the heritage industry and by individual ‘actors’. Most of the performers take part as a leisure activity, and many do not consider themselves to be ‘performing’ at all. The greatest concern of participants lies in the degree of authenticity of the performance. Through ‘living history’, the ‘actors’ are drawn into an experience of heritage which has real meaning for them, and which may contribute both to a sense of identity and to an enhanced understanding of society, past and present. The popularity of such presentations with visitors also indicates that similar benefits are perceived by the ‘audience’.     

The future of the past: Sustainable management of archaeological tourist sites – The case study of Israel

The objective of this study is to examine the management strategies for archaeological heritage sites and to identify optimal managerial strategies for such sites. The study is primarily qualitative in nature and consists of two main stages: a) development of a conceptual framework based on measures for site evaluation; 2) application of the methodology to four case studies. The findings indicate that in addition to the realms of Environment and Economy, heritage sites have three other significant realms that are relevant to archaeological sites: Values and Culture, Organization and Legislation, and Society and Community. These three realms were found to hold significance for the long-term management of archaeological tourism, although they are currently under-developed in the four case studies investigated. The study also proposes a model called the Sustainability Index for Archaeological Sites (SIAS), which can serve as a basis for operative decisions in the management process.     

Tourists’ consumption and perceptions of red heritage

Although tourism suppliers project the positive changes visits wrought upon tourists, the latter do not mindlessly consume the information they receive. A research gap exists in understanding how tourists consume political heritage and read the embedded nationalistic discourses from an emic perspective. This paper adopts the framework of social situation analysis to explore how tourists consume and perceive Chinese communist heritage and how those visits can impact their attitudes towards and support for the CCP. The results suggest that tourists were driven by a variety of motives, participated in various activities, and had split opinions about the effectiveness of “red tourism” in enhancing their nationalism. Comparisons of people’s motivations and perceptions between activity-based clusters were conducted. Managerial implications are discussed.     

Hit close to home: the moderating effects of past experiences on tourists’ on-site experiences and behavioral intention in post-earthquake site

Echoing calls for further empirical research of exploring complex mechanism of dark tourism experiences, as well as following the series of studies on post-disaster recovery (Wenchuan earthquake in China), it takes an earthquake-ruined country town Beichuan as a study case to explore relationships between dark places, on-site experiences, and behavioral intentions. By using structural equation modeling, it proves that the framework of aroused memory, cognition-affection, satisfaction, and behavior intention (place protection) is an effective new approach to understand visitors’ psychological experiences in the contest of dark tourism. Most importantly, it innovatively proves in quantitative way that aroused memory (either firsthand or secondhand) is the antecedent factor that influences the on-site cognition and emotion, and past experience plays the moderating role affects both the extent and the inner relation of dark experiences between visitors who were exposed/not exposed to a specific dark event. The findings are also beneficial in guiding post-disaster site planning and management.     

Heritage authenticities – a case study of authenticity perceptions at a Danish heritage site

Authenticity in reconstructions of the past is essential to heritage management, and new technologies have made this a highly pertinent dilemma. Demands for new interpretation offers and experiences raise questions of the extent to which such demands can or should be met. New technologies have already made their way into the heritage industry as a means of innovation for interpretation offers, among these is augmented reality. New technologies have made a limited break-through arguably rooted in conservatism among heritage managers. This raises a question of managers' understandings and perceptions of authenticity and effects on heritage and new technologies. Based on an exploratory case, Lindholm Høje Viking burial and museum in Denmark, this paper proposes that different conceptions of authenticity can co-exist within the tourist setting, whereby new technologies can be implemented to strengthen heritage sites as tourism attractions while still paying attention to authenticity and ongoing authentication processes. Abstract, conceptual discussions of authenticity often stress the extremes, but it is here argued that a combination can exist in practice. The paper also suggests that understanding levels and patterns of authenticity among various groups of actors is central to discussions of authenticity and its role in tourism settings.     

The effect of historical nostalgia on tourists’ destination loyalty intention: an empirical study of the world cultural heritage site – Mahabalipuram,India

Many studies on destination loyalty intention of the heritage tourists have failed to examine the influence of historical nostalgia. This paper examines the effect of historical nostalgia generated during the trip to a cultural heritage site on destination loyalty intention of the heritage tourists through perceived value and satisfaction. A survey was conducted at one of the world cultural heritage sites – Mahabalipuram, India. A conceptual model was developed and the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling technique. The results revealed that the historical nostalgia had a significant positive effect on the perceived value, satisfaction and tourists’ destination loyalty intention. The paper contributes to the tourism studies by revealing the antecedent role of historical nostalgia and suggests tourism managers to use historical monuments and structures to evoke historical nostalgia in order to attract heritage tourists.     

A Review of “Raj Rhapsodies: tourism,heritage and the seduction of history”

Many researchers have used stage-based and life cycle models to describe destination development and local residents’ changing reactions to tourism. Typically, they report that resident attitudes towards tourism, and its perceived outcomes for host populations, worsen with increasing experience and involvement in tourism. However, stage-based models traditionally focus on mature destinations in developed countries. In contrast, scholarship on ecotourism derives largely from developing countries and suggests that increased participation leads to more favourable outcomes and attitudes towards tourism. This paper breaks new ground by exploring attitudes to tourism in an emerging destination in a developing country and linking that exploration to a revised stage-based model. It uses ethnographic data to evaluate responses to recent tourism development in Nicaragua. While findings are complex and do not support a linear relationship between the level of experience in tourism and the attitudes of local residents, they do indicate a relationship between these two theoretical perspectives that can be used to inform one another. Notably, workers in tourism are more critical of the tourism industry than residents are. Important amendments to stage-based models are suggested that will assist tourism planners with the creation of more sustainable, community-centred development.     

Monster mines,dugouts, and abandoned villages: a composite narrative of Burra’s heritage

In a bid to join recent efforts to develop innovative approaches to heritage, this article argues that adopting a collaborative mode of inquiry is a useful way of coming to terms with the plurality of ways heritage landscapes are enlivened by their visitors. It also points to some of the advantages of incorporating researchers’ personal experiences into academic research. With a focus on the Burra Heritage Trail in South Australia (geared around the Burra Heritage Passport), the article brings together four sets of research experiences, each informed by different (though cognisant) disciplinary backgrounds: art history, anthropology, heritage studies, and tourism planning. The result is a form of experimental autoethnographic writing in which four voices reflect upon their embodied, sensuous, and mobile experiences as ‘tourist’ moving through the same places, thereby offering multiple ways of knowing and telling about a single setting.     

Efficacy of the theory of communication competence and personality traits in predicting tour guides’ income

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explain the extent to which communication competencies and personality types influence tour guides’ performances, as measured by two livelihood indicators: earned tips and overall income. Data were collected from a sample of 387 professional tour guides via self-report survey. The study results suggest that some verbal and non-verbal communication competencies play a role in predicting tips earned. Moreover, the study has found that three of the Big Five personality traits are useful predictors of tips and general income. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed within the realm of Theory of Communication Competence and Big Five Personality Traits.     

Chinese heritage tourists to heritage sites: what are the effects of heritage motivation and perceived authenticity on satisfaction?

Much of the literature on authenticity is Western-centric, while little work addresses the concept in the Asian environment. The literature relating to authenticity from Asian tourists’ point of view is even underdeveloped. This study therefore aims to fill the knowledge gap by investigating Chinese tourists’ perspective of authenticity. It also examines tourists’ perceived authenticity as a multi-dimensional construct in a consumer-based model, the relationship with heritage motivation and tourist satisfaction. Findings indicate that Chinese tourists’ perceptions of authenticity are closely related to objective and constructive authenticity. The study demonstrates that heritage motivation has a significant positive influence on perceived authenticity and that perceived authenticity has a strong ability to predict tourist satisfaction.     

Residents’ changed perceptions of sport event impacts: the case of the 2012 Tour de Taiwan

The study explores subgroups within host residents based on perceptions of the impacts of the 2012 Tour de Taiwan before and after the event. Theoretical perspectives of event impact studies considering Confucian traditions, social exchange theory and a sense of ‘feel-good’ or ‘communitas’ help to provide fresh insights. Data were collected from host residents in three competition stages, before and after the event. Twenty-two impact items divided into four factors generated subgroups of ‘neutral’ and ‘moderately positive’ (pre-event), and ‘neutral’ and ‘positive’ (post-event). The results show significant differences among the subgroups at the pre- and post-event stages in terms of gender, income, engagement in cycling exercises, levels of support and interest in the event, television watching, and event attendance. General benefits, negative impacts, the level of interest in the event and attendance were significant predictors of event support. The findings suggest that event feel-good can help the intangible characteristics of sporting events (do not entail construction and maintenance of permanent structures) to lever tangible and direct benefits for host communities.     

Usage of the concept of culture and heritage in the United Arab Emirates – an analysis of Sharjah heritage area

Under the forces of an oil-based economy and the fast paced change, nationals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf states are becoming very keen to preserve, represent and invent a distinct ‘national’ culture and heritage. Fears of ‘loss’ of identity and concerns about ‘global’ culture are powerful social forces. Heritage revival has become a significant social, cultural and political process in the UAE, the most public sign of this being the development of ‘Heritage Villages’. This analysis explores themes of heritage revival and the preservation, representation and construction of culture in the UAE with specific analysis of the Sharjah Heritage Area (SHA). It will be shown that heritage revival in the UAE is both a symbolic and practical negation of globalization. Heritage revival is also increasingly an affirmation of the fast paced development of international business and tourism in the Emirates which is the focus of economic diversification. SHA will first be examined as a museum exhibitionary complex combining museum, festival and shopping. The representation, performance, negotiation and interplay of local/global and old/new culture at the SHA will be outlined in the context of transnationalism and the oil-propelled modernization.     

The Impact of Tour Guides’ Physical Attractiveness,Sense of Humor,and Seniority on Guide Attention and Efficiency

In this study, we investigated whether tourists view attractive tour guides as more competent, humorous tour guides as more approachable, and experienced tour guides as more professional, and whether these three factors influence the effectiveness of tour guide interpretation. The results indicated that physical attractiveness and humor had additive effects on interpretation effectiveness when combined. Although some tour guides were not physically attractive, experience provided an additive effect on interpretation effectiveness. Thus, we recommend discarding stereotypes regarding physical attractiveness and improving education and training in humor for tour guides. Experienced tour guides wearing appropriate attire also increases interpretation effectiveness.     

Identity in the “Road Racing Capital of the World”: heritage,geography and contested spaces

This article explores the complex relationship between sport and landscape and their role in the expression and maintenance of identity. While discussions have typically emphasised the role taken by stadia and sporting venues in the development and expression of sporting and national identities, fewer have considered the role taken by the wider landscape. It is this landscape that provides the context in which many sports are enacted and watched and it is through the embodied actions and experiences that landscape is given added meaning, reinforcing narratives of space that are implicated in the creation and maintenance of national identities. Yet here, unlike stadia or other sporting venues, space is much less regulated; as a result, participants and observers are also implicated in the creation of “counter geographies” that destabilise “official” narratives of space. Here our focus is on the contested landscapes of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races; an event where sporting narratives have become materially and conceptually part of the landscape. Through a discussion of these landscapes and their expression in the Staying the Course exhibition curated by Manx National Heritage, we contend that geographies of sport must also reflect on the contested nature of sporting spaces.