Understanding tourists' itineraries in emerging rural tourism regions: the application of paper-based itinerary mapping methodology to a wine tourism region in Michigan

In recent years, many rural areas have turned to tourism as a way of reviving their communities. One challenge to such efforts is that community leaders in these areas often have limited experience with tourism and consequently lack the knowledge and resources to best facilitate sustainable tourism initiatives. Moreover, an influx of tourists to an area puts new demands on infrastructure. Information about tourists' itineraries can help communities to address new challenges that result from tourism, however using emerging technologies such as GPS and Internet-based map surveys can be expensive and require expertise many rural tourism planners do not have. Paper-based itinerary mapping methodology can be a cost effective way of providing local officials, tourism planners, and businesses with important information to inform decisions about how to invest limited resources. This study applies paper-based itinerary mapping to an emerging wine tourism area in a rural county in the US state of Michigan. Because it involves tourists travelling from place to place within a region, wine tourism is particularly well-suited for itinerary mapping. Results provide specific recommendations to local officials, tourism planners, and businesses. Moreover, the study offers an example to researchers interested in conducting studies that use paper-based itinerary mapping methodology.     

Extending the theory of planned behaviour: testing the effects of authentic perception and environmental concerns on the slow-tourist decision-making process

Despite the importance of slow tourism, studies on slow tourists' decision-making processes are rare. The current study extends the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) by including authentic perception (AP) and environmental concerns (ECs) to explain the formation of behavioural intentions. The study also contributes by comparing its extended model with the original TPB and identifying salient belief items through a focus group and literature review. The results of a structural equation analysis revealed that the data fitted the extended model well and that the inclusion of the critical new constructs in a slow-tourism context significantly enhanced the prediction of behaviour intentions. The results also indicated that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behaviour control, and AP significantly contributed to forming the intention to participate in slow tourism. However, the influence from ECs to behavioural intentions was demonstrated to be insignificant. This study advances our understanding of tourists' decision-making processes in that these slow tourists are more likely to choose an “authentic”, rather than “environmental”, destination.     

A model of wine tourist behaviour: a festival approach

The study constructs a temporal model of wine tourist behaviour on the basis of the social psychologist' theory of consumer attitudes and related concepts with regard to past behaviour, satisfaction, perceived value and behavioural intentions. More importantly, this study added two dimensions to this model by proposing that satisfaction and perceived value had an impact on the attendees' intentions (i) to visit a local winery and (ii) to buy local wine products. Using a path analysis approach and data collected from the attendees at a regional wine festival, the study examined the above relationships. The results of this path analysis can be summarised as: (i) past behaviour influenced the intention to revisit and the level of perceived value, but had no effect on the level of satisfaction; (ii) perceived value strongly affected the level of satisfaction; (iii) satisfaction had a strong impact on future intentions to revisit and also an effect on intentions to visit local wineries and to buy local wine products; and (iv) perceived value affected the intentions to revisit the festival and to visit local wineries but did not influence the intentions to buy local wines. It is believed that the results of the present study will be useful to organisers of wine festivals and/or wine tourism developers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing the impact of co-branding of island destination and tourism activities on tourists’ reactions

The aim of this study is to examine the status and images of certain islands based on specific tourism activities. A total of 385 valid samples were obtained from tourists at the islands' main transportation facilities. The results are as follows: (1) different island destinations are promoted differently, which significantly affects the perceptions of tourists. (2) Tourists' familiarity with various tourism activities and the rate of participation in these activities vary significantly between the islands; in addition, tourists display greater familiarity with beach/water activities and participate in these activities in higher proportions. (3) Greater consistency in the matching of island destinations with tourism activities helps produce a co-branding effect, which positively affects tourists' perception of these destinations. From a co-branding perspective, this study demonstrates that the empirical market positioning of island destinations must be consistent with the tourism activities that are possible to produce an optimal experience for the tourists. This comparison of different islands explains why the development of island tourism on such locations should involve the provision of information on rankings and tourism activities.     

Exploring the on-site experience of slow tourists from an embodied practice perspective

The rise of slow tourism reflects tourists' high-quality needs under the accelerated pace of contemporary life. However, the on-site slow tourism experience remains underexplored despite its importance to both tourists and destinations. This study aims to explore how on-site experiences are created and identifies the features of the on-site experiences of slow tourism. From the perspective of embodied practice, the study finds that two patterns, slow-moving-and-pausing in the context of the local landscape environment and consuming-and-engaging in the context of local life and culture, account for the slow-tourist-oriented individuals creating their autotelic tourism experiences. Intra-personal and inter-personal experiences are found in the two different patterns that indicate the existential experience is, in essence, the slow tourists' emotional quest. Further, this study argues that slow tourism can be seen as an extension or intensification of daily routine experience.     

Goodbye maps,hello apps? Exploring the influential determinants of travel app adoption

With the increased market penetration of smartphones and the emergence of high-speed wireless network technologies, the tourism industry's interest in using mobile applications as a means to enhance the tourist experience is rising. However, despite the growing number of companies and organizations that are investing in travel-related apps, there is limited academic research on consumers' intentions to adopt these technological innovations. In this study, the technology adoption model, innovation diffusion theory, and social cognitive theory are utilized to investigate the factors that could affect travel app adoption by tourists visiting rural tourism sites in China. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and compatibility are significant antecedents of the intention to use travel apps. Further, self-efficacy indirectly influences the intention to use travel apps through the mediation of outcome expectations. The results do not support social norms as significant predictors of behavioural intention. A discussion and implications are also provided.     

The role of destination personality in predicting tourist behaviour: implications for branding mid-sized urban destinations

The purpose of this study was to explore urban tourists' perceptions of the personality of a mid-sized city destination in Greece and to assess the effect of destination personality on the city's overall image and tourists' behavioural intentions. Experience with the destination was taken into account as the sample consisted of three distinct groups of urban tourists: local residents, past visitors of the city and non-visitors. Through a mixed-methods approach, excitement and sincerity were found to be the predominant personality characteristics of the destination across all respondents. Further analyses offered support for the significant role of personality in influencing overall destination image and predicting tourists' intention to (re)visit the city or recommend it to others. Differences among the three groups as well as implications of the findings for branding small or mid-sized urban destinations are also discussed.     

Study of the major supply factors and business choices affecting the growth rate of wine tourism in Greece

Wine tourism is considered one of the alternative forms of tourism internationally. Wine tourism combines wine production with tourism activities, mainly in agricultural areas, as it embraces the tourism interest for wine production and the enjoyment of vineyard activities by the tourists. Greece, as a well-known tourist destination, is actually a new wine tourism area that has still a long way to go before claiming that it can render high-quality services in this very competitive sector. The objective of this paper is to examine and present the extent of wine tourism development in Greece, the characteristics as well as the main business choices related to wine tourism supply, aiming at highlighting the necessary key elements that can play a decisive role in its further growth. In terms of this paper, we attempt to examine the Greek wine producer's viewpoint of wine tourism by setting out data related to the development of the product, the satisfaction of businessmen involved, the means used to promote the product, the difficulties faced by and the expectations set by wine producers. In order to achieve the aforementioned goals, a research was conducted by means of a constructive questionnaire sent to all major Greek wine producers from April to June 2007. The participants in the wine tourism industry in the country were considered a major source of information.     

‘Scary … but I like it!’ Young tourists' perceptions of fear on holiday

This paper explores young tourists' perceptions of fear on holiday. The work on which this paper is based is important because it sheds light on tourists' emotional experiences on holiday, which are central to increase our understanding of tourist behaviour. The importance of investigating perceptions of fear has been recognized within a number of different disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, criminology, and marketing. Indeed, it has been argued that fear may provide significant information concerning an individual's motivations, preferences, and patterns of behaviour. Despite this, perceptions of fear within the tourism experience have remained relatively unexplored. It is often assumed that perceptions of safety and security may influence individuals' destination choice. However, there is a paucity of studies concerning tourists' perceptions of fear during the tourism experience. This paper is based on three months of qualitative fieldwork conducted on the island of Ios, Greece in the summer of 2007. More specifically, participant observation and semi-structured interviews were methods employed for data collection to explore young tourists' perceptions of fear. The possibility to develop a rapport and build a relationship with young tourists on Ios was crucial to collect valuable information concerning tourists' background, their emotions, expectations, perceptions, and the context in which perceptions of fear were experienced and expressed. The study found that most holidaymakers on Ios participated in activities perceived as risky in order to experience fear. In this respect, young tourists deliberately sought fear and thrill to increase their levels of pleasure and enjoyment during the tourism experience. The results suggest that fear may play a positive role in the tourism experience of young tourists, which should no longer be ignored by tourism scholars.     

Island cruise tourism development: a resident's perspective in the context of Italy

Most studies that examine tourism impacts and community attitudes have been carried out from the perspective of the tourism sector as a whole, with very few papers focusing on specific types of tourism and/or analysing tourists' preferences for specific types of tourism segment. This paper discusses some pertinent issues in relation to cruise tourism development and community attitudes in a port of call cruise destination located in the island of Sicily (Southern Italy). Specifically, this study was carried out using a quota random sample of 1500 responses, which is representative of the population of Messina at 1% level. Findings show that residents express an overall positive attitude towards cruise tourism development even if it is not the most preferred when compared to other types of tourism (cultural tourism, sport tourism, and sun and sea tourism). Further, they highlight that significant differences based on socio-economic and demographic characteristics (age, gender, reliance on cruise-related employment, level of education, geographical proximity to tourist areas and port, length of residency and frequency of interaction with tourists) exist in residents' perceptions and attitudes towards cruise tourism development. Implications for policy-makers are discussed and suggestions for further research are given.     

Sustainable leisure life modes and rural welfare economy. The case of the Randers Fjord area,Denmark

As increasing attention has been paid to rural tourism as a specific form of tourism development, so too has the scope of research into tourism in rural areas become more diverse. Typically, studies focus primarily upon the economic developmental contribution of rural tourism, although a significant amount of work has been undertaken on the consequences of rural tourism development and attitudes/motivations on the part of visitors and/or local communities. However, no attempt has yet been made to integrate studies of both visitors and local communities within the framework of rural tourism development policy. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in the literature. Drawing on a study of tourism in the Randers Fjord, a relatively underdeveloped area of rural Denmark, it identifies and analyses three groups of tourists characterised by life modes: (i) traditionalists, (ii) peace seekers and (iii) adventurers. In each case, expectations, behaviour and future needs are revealed through qualitative interviews. The predominant (traditionalist) life mode of tourists, it is argued, closely matches that of the area's residents. This, the paper suggests, presents significant barriers to the development and enhancement of tourism, as do the prevailing economic structures and employment patterns. Thus, tourism development policy should take into account both tourists' and locals' life modes in order to progress towards sustainable rural tourism development. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energy tourism: An emerging field of study

After conceptualizing the interrelationships between energy and tourism, the authors provide a definition of energy tourism as a new niche of industrial tourism, theorize on how it overlaps with other types of special interest tourism, and discuss specifics concerning its forms, locales, and possible societal impacts. Potential directions, along with research questions, for future research in the field of energy tourism are proposed. Then, the results of an explorative pilot study of energy tourism in the Czech Republic are presented to give a first insight into the proposed questions. Questionnaire surveys completed by tourists and operators of three energy tourism attractions – so-called Coal Safaris (guided tours through surface coal mines, observing minescapes and mining machinery in full operation), a nuclear power plant information centre, and Dragon Kite Festivals under wind turbines – have focused on exploring the motivations and perceived benefits of energy tourism for organizations; tourists' motivations for, and experience from, visiting; and any changes in attitudes towards current energy development dilemmas by visitors afterwards.     

Consolidation in a wildlife tourism industry: the changing impact of whale shark tourist expenditure in the Ningaloo coast region

In this paper, we examine the expenditure of whale shark tour participants at Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia; the location of the world's first whale shark tourism industry, established in 1989. We demonstrate that in 2006, participants' expenditure in the region was $894 per trip, total expenditure was $6.0 million (all figures are in Australian dollars), and between $2.4 and $4.6 million would have been lost to the region if whale shark tourism did not exist. Our measure of participants' expenditure is substantially lower than the calculation of $2370 per participant from a previous study of whale shark tourists using data collected in 1995. We argue that this is consistent with a change in the types of wildlife tourists that participate in an activity as the industry reaches the point of consolidation. Our results also suggest that using old data to forecast wildlife tourists' expenditure needs to take into account the industry's stage of development. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Developing wine trails as a tourist attraction in Israel

The objective of this paper is to suggest marketing strategies for the development of wine trails in Israel as tourist attractions. Both inbound and domestic tourists were surveyed as to their motives for visiting wineries and their experiences from those visits. The expectations of tourists with regard to the wine trail experience were compared with the beliefs of winery operators. The findings showed that there was a high degree of understanding of tourist needs among the winery operators. Nevertheless, augmentation of the winery experience is necessary if wine trail tourism is to further develop. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tour guides' interpretation of the Historic Center of Macao as a World Cultural Heritage site

Literature review suggests that little attention is paid to the interpretation of a World Cultural Heritage (WCH) ensemble such as the Historic Center of Macao (HCM). The present study aims to investigate tour guides' interpretation of the HCM and how their interpretation affects tourists' appreciation and understanding of a visited heritage site within the HCM, as well as tourists' interest in other under-used HCM sites. Methodologies include in-depth interviews with tour guides, on-site observations of tour guides and surveys of package group tourists. The findings indicate that tour guides tended to interpret an HCM heritage site as an independent WCH site. In turn, this results in tourists' misunderstanding of Macao's WCH and a lower level of authentic experience at the visited heritage site. It is advocated that the interpretation of any one heritage site of the HCM should connect to the HCM ensemble and other heritage sites within the HCM. The inter-cultural relationship among the heritage sites should be further explored and highlighted in narratives.     

Tourists' perceptions of heritage tourism development in Danish‐Osu,Ghana

This paper examines the tourist perceptions at Danish, Osu‐Ghana within the dark tourism or slavery heritage contexts. Using Cohen's (1979) typology of tourist experience, we differentiate between tourist knowledge of a heritage site relative to socio‐demographic indices. The results indicate that tourists' perception of Danish‐Osu reflect their knowledge of the site in relation to its cultural heritage attributes. In addition, it was found that tourists have dual experiences of the site: those that relate to recreational pursuits of heritage sites and those that ascribe meanings based on their background. The contemporary nature and use of Transatlantic Slave Trade relics for tourism development makes the case of the Danish‐Osu more delicate considering the ethical implications of interpreting the community's past to tourists as the borderlines are unclear. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Destination food image and intention to eat destination foods: a view from Korea

Food image has begun to influence tourist behaviour, so understanding the food image of a destination is important. This study examined the relationships among destination food image, preference, and intention to eat destination foods. A total of 357 tourists in Korea participated in this study. The results of structural equation modelling confirmed empirically that image affected behavioural intention as it applied to food. Cognitive image had a stronger influence than affective image on preferences for destination foods and intention to eat destination foods. In addition, preference for destination foods predicted intention to eat destination foods. This study indicates that the cognitive image of destination foods should be identified and that image strengthened to increase tourists' intentions to eat destination foods. Marketing strategies should appeal to both authenticity and the unique cognitive image of destination foods as well as encourage tourists to experience destination foods and gain internal information.     

Insights into domestic horse tourism: the case study of Lake Macquarie,NSW, Australia

This explorative study examined the extent and potential of horse tourism in Australia, specifically in Lake Macquarie, New South Wales. The study was based on in-depth interviews with 10 stakeholders. These stakeholders ranged from tour operators to tourists, and their experience with horse tourism was then discussed against literature. The stakeholders' main concerns and challenges indicate a gap between the demand and supply side especially for domestic tourists travelling with their own horse(s), indicating an opportunity for developing and engaging existing systems and businesses in Australia into an agenda for a horse tourism strategy.     

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.     

The influence of tourists' expectations on purchase intention: Linking marketing strategy for low-cost airlines

Drawing on an integrated framework of marketing strategy, this study develops and tests a novel perspective for low-cost airline tourists that explicates the critical attributes of service quality through which Corporate Reputation (CR) and Word of Mouth (WOM) are associated with purchase intention. The study also examines the buffering role of empathy in tourists' purchase decision making processes. In a sample of 535 international and domestic tourists, this study found service quality to be related to increased purchase intention by boosting tourists' positive evaluations for airlines' corporate reputations and word of mouth received from other tourists. Additionally, the results demonstrated a positive correlation quality of service and WOM, depending on tourists' levels of empathy. Specifically, they suggested that WOM was positively related to purchase intention when high levels of empathy from tourists were perceived for the low-cost airline.