Planning considerations for cultural tourism: a case study of four European cities

Utilising the information gathered in four European cities, this paper discusses and tests a framework of reference for visitor-friendliness, a complex concept that encapsulates the main dimensions of the urban tourism product such as its quality, accessibility and image projection. This concept is particularly relevant to assess whether investments in culture and hospitality genuinely respond to the impulses coming from the market. The case studies highlight how specific soft elements of the urban tourism product are the ones that matter most in determining the attractiveness of a city for international visitors, and yet they are often overlooked by city planners. The paper also identifies a number of “best practice” in tourism management.     

Regeneration in a mass-tourism resort: The changing fortunes of Bugibba,Malta

International images emanating from Malta’s tourism authorities are of a tourism product typified by quality accommodation, attractive aesthetics, urban environment and design, and the proximity of cultural attractions.     

Residents,their use of a tourist facility and contribution to tourist ambience: Narratives from a film tourism site in Beijing

Any tourist site open to local residents represents a point where residents and tourists become a back drop for the experiences of the other. This paper examines a specific Beijing film tourism attraction, Grand View Gardens, and the manner in which the site is used by local residents, the meanings attributed to it, and residents' role in creating an ambience for tourists. Residents have a daily connection with the site, and form audiences for events held at the Gardens. They often interact with tourists, becoming a source of information for tourists. The paper examines residents' motives for using such attractions, their attitudes towards tourists and suggests they possess a role in the creation of a sense of place that is valued by tourists. The paper fills a gap in an under-researched area, where, in the Chinese context, both residents and visitors form backdrops to each other's experience of place.     

Strategic foresight for (coastal) urban tourism market complexity: The case of Bournemouth

This paper discusses an approach to evaluate and analyse strategic planning in multi-functional complexities of coastal urban areas with conflicts regarding leisure space which restricts the diversity of tourism segments using an urban locale. The paper proposes a holistic and multi-faceted systems approach to analysing such multi-purpose use of urban spaces with a case study of Bournemouth where the needs of overseas language students and high spending tourists can present an interesting challenge to urban planners. The systems approach advocates integration and alliances in investment incentives to help identify alternative urban use strategies in tourism and leisure contexts which allows for re-branding of an urban area whilst extending the product offer.     

Differentiated price loss aversion in destination choice: The effect of tourists’ cultural interest

This article looks into the differentiated effects of loss aversion depending on whether individuals show cultural interest when choosing a destination. Based on the fact that perceived value implies not only sacrifices but also the expectations of a certain level of quality and prospects of satisfaction, together with the idea the Prospect Theory applies to tourism prices, the article states the hypothesis that interest in culture when choosing a destination lowers people’s loss aversion. By incorporating the reference-dependent model into a Multinomial Logit Model with Random Parameters – which controls for heterogeneity – the empirical application shows that culture-interested tourists are less loss averse; i.e. the negative effect of finding a higher than expected price diminishes with cultural interest. The expectation of enjoyment of these attributes and the more conscious attitude toward maintenance/restoration activities of cultural sites are hypothesized to lead prices to be evaluated differently when selecting a destination.     

Using a Choice Experiment (CE) to Value the Attributes of Cruise Tourism

Recently, cruise tourism has drawn public interest in the Republic of Korea. In this study, we attempt to analyze people’s preferences regarding the attributes of cruise tourism, such as duration, accommodation, services, and cost. Thus, we applied a choice experiment (CE) to measure the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for each attribute. The results show that the coefficients of the attributes of onboard activities are positive and statistically significant. MWTPs for increasing the cabin level from an inside to an ocean view and for increasing the level of onboard services from 4-star to 6-star are South Korean Won (KRW) 1,095,760 (USD 954.8) and KRW 671,264 (USD 584.9) respectively. Comparison of all the MWTP estimates indicates that people prefer onboard activities rather than visiting foreign ports of call above all other attributes. This study is expected to provide tourism managers with useful information for designing cruise tourism products that meet travelers’ needs.     

The sustainable integration of cultural heritage and tourism: a meta-study

This paper presents a cross-disciplinary thematic investigation into the relationship between cultural heritage and tourism. It systematizes evidence on concepts, policies and strategies and provides an interpretive synthesis illuminating the factors deemed critical by researchers for the sustainable integration of heritage and tourism. It seeks to find consilience to lead to a “new age of synthesis”. After an extensive literature review, 483 studies were selected and reviewed, assisted by a qualitative data analysis software (NVivo). The research followed the meta-synthesis approach, particularly meta-ethnography, of identifying findings, grouping findings into categories and grouping categories into synthesized findings, to produce a representative set of 15 synthesis factors. These include local involvement, education and training, authenticity and interpretation, sustainability-centered tourism management, integrated planning, incorporation into a wider sustainable development framework, controlled growth, governance and stakeholder participation, market and product diversification, suitable funding provision, international governance and support systems, a heritage capital approach, effective site management, destination management and a sound theoretical/methodological base. These 15 factors are suggested as the fundamental components of a more efficient theoretical frame and evidence-based policy in the fields of cultural heritage and tourism, aimed at achieving sustainability.     

Evaluation of the impact of the tourism nation promotion project on inbound tourists in Japan: a difference-in-differences approach

This study quantitatively evaluates the impact of the Tourism Nation Promotion Project on tourism demand. Data were obtained from Japan Tourism Agency’s quarterly survey from 2010Q2 to 2015Q4. Cox and zero-truncated negative binomial models and difference-in-differences approach were applied to analyze tourism demand and the project’s impact on inbound tourists’ length of stay and expenditure in Japan. Empirical results showed a positive and significant average treatment effect on length of stay and expenditure for tourists from Australia, China, Russia, and Thailand. These findings indicate that the Japanese government should use differentiated strategies considering different nationalities’ characteristics to attract foreign tourists.     

Tourism planning in a presently developing country: The case of Malaysia

Increasingly sophisticated economic studies of tourism have been undertaken in developed countries, (DCs); in presently developing countries, (PDCs), however, the paucity of reliable data often precludes such studies. However, in some PDCs there is already a relatively strong economic and industrial base, and tourism is not viewed as the motor of development, but rather as a sector of economic diversification within the development process. The planning and management of tourism in Malaysia provides an apposite case-study of what contribution tourism can make to the economies of PDCs, and how tourism may be stimulated in such cases.     

Tourism in protected areas: The case of Poland

The interrelationship between tourism and the protection of the environment plays a large part in Polish tourism and policy-making and is reflected in the extensive legislation aimed at the protection of natural resource attractions. In June 1983 a ‘Spatial System of Protected Areas’ was adopted by the General Committee for Tourism. This identified with three concomitant tourism strategies, three different regions for environmental protection: national parks and nature reserves, landscape parks and protected landscape areas.     

Visitor responses to the changing character of the visual landscape as an agrarian area becomes a tourist destination: Yilan County,Taiwan

The development of rural tourism and tourism to protected areas relies heavily on visitors' appreciation of scenery. This paper assesses visitor responses to Taiwan's changing rural landscapes, which have experienced agricultural decline, and a government-aided shift to rural tourism, with landscapes rapidly transformed from farm production scenery to recreation-oriented scenery. The study describes the changing character of the visual landscape characteristics of the Dongshan River Basin in Yilan County, and the influence of those changes on visitors' landscape preferences. Using a recognized nine landscape characteristics typology, survey results indicated participants believed that agricultural landscapes represented the qualities of historicity, naturalness and ephemera more than tourist landscapes, but showed fewer qualities of stewardship, disturbance and visual scale than tourist landscapes. Participants did not perceive the two types of landscapes differently for their qualities of coherence, imageability and complexity. They also preferred tourist landscapes to agricultural landscapes. For agricultural landscapes, when the qualities of ephemera, coherence, imageability, complexity, visual scale, stewardship, naturalness and historicity increased, participants appreciated the landscapes more. However, as the quality of disturbance increased, participants appreciated both landscapes less. Overall, when ephemera, coherence, imageability, complexity, visual scale, stewardship and naturalness increased, participants liked the landscapes more.     

The role of wellness spa tourism performance in building destination loyalty: the case of Thailand

ABSTRACT

Despite the considerable growth of the wellness spa tourism market, little research has examined the intricate procedure involved in travelers’ loyalty toward Thailand as a wellness spa tourism destination. This research aimed to explore such loyalty formation by investigating the relationships among performances of wellness spa tourism in Thailand, affective experiences, and overall satisfaction. A field survey methodology was used for data collection. Findings of the structural analysis revealed that product performances, affective experiences, and satisfaction were in general significantly associated, and that these variables contributed to a satisfactory prediction for destination loyalty. In addition, the adequacy of the second-order structure of the performances of Thai wellness spa tourism was demonstrated. Moreover, the relative effectiveness of satisfaction in building loyalty was identified. Both affective experiences and satisfaction were also found to have a significant mediating impact. Implications for destination researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

Tourism in difficult areas revisited: the case of Bradford

Bradford was the first city in a “difficult area” in the UK to try to capitalise on tourism. This concept was introduced by Buckley and Witt in the 1980s using Bradford as an example. The article looks at how Bradford and its tourism policies have changed since their initial success in the 1980s. Support for tourism from Local Government has fluctuated because of funding crises, uncertainty about the benefits of tourism and changing political priorities in the City. In the late 1990s, Bradford launched a new strategy to attract leisure tourists, using support from the private sector and funds from Europe. Finally, we attempt to evaluate Bradford's success in tourism over the period and relate this to the original study of difficult areas     

Destination selection by smart tourists: the case of Isfahan,Iran

The paper is concerned with tourist behavior when selecting a tourist destination to visit in the age of smart tourism associated with modern information communication technologies. The theory of planned behavior is applied in a study of the issues with particular reference to Isfahan which is a very popular tourist center in Iran and one where technological innovations are being introduced to facilitate tourism. Results reveal that tourist attitude significantly and directly affects intention to travel to a smart destination while behavioral control does not have such an effect. Tourist beliefs and subjective norms are additionally found to positively influence visit intention and destination selection. Smartness emerges as an important force in shaping demand, to which the tourism industry must be responsive and attempt to ensure suitable provision. The research enhances knowledge and understanding of these aspects of the smart tourism phenomenon, the literature about which is still relatively limited, and further work is recommended.     

Tourists’ intention to visit a country: The impact of cultural distance

Culture has long been recognized as a possible reason why people in different countries make different decisions, but research into its impact in tourism contexts has been limited. This study addressed this gap by examining the influence of cultural distance on tourists’ destination choices. Five cultural distance measures were examined. Of the five measures, perceived cultural distance and Clark and Pugh's index were found to be most strongly related to Australian tourists’ intentions to visit a variety of holiday destinations. The perceived cultural distance measure appeared to be a better predictor and offers some advantages to researchers as it allows respondents to include relevant cultural information in tourism research. However, as Clark and Pugh's method provided similar information, cultural differences can be inferred when it is not possible to survey tourists directly.     

Fashioning a destination tourism future: The case of Slovenia

Achieving competitive advantage for any destination in times of rapid global change requires tourism stakeholders to have a clear understanding of the direction of change and its implications for business or destination management. The challenges are particularly acute for emerging destinations such as Slovenia. The paper discusses tools for measuring destination performance with particular focus on Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). Using IPA the paper develops a priority ordering for Slovenian tourism stakeholders to debate, modify and to adopt actions that can help them prepare for the challenges arising from global trends. The survey instrument used for this study asks respondents to highlight both the important areas that should be addressed by tourism stakeholders in Slovenia and also the performance of Slovenia in respect of the success or otherwise of the strategies that are currently being pursued to enhance destination competitiveness. The findings reveal that there are a number of areas in which the Slovene tourism industry considers itself to be underperforming in the implementation of strategies to eliminate drift. The paper explores some of the implications of the findings for strategic action and implementation, making some concluding comments on destination development strategy while highlighting areas for further research.     

Carrying capacity and its implications in a Chinese ancient village: the case of Hongcun.

Hongcun, an ancient village in Anhui in China, is an UNESCO-gazetted village because of its Huizhou architecture. It attracts over 1.6 million visitors per annum. Based upon a simple spatial model, the results of this study indicate that its social carrying capacity is being vastly exceeded, and the consequences are discussed in terms of the impacts on village life using data derived from a survey of residents. In terms of addressing the issues of crowding, it is suggested that a number of future choices face the village, ranging from the imposition of quotas on visitation to sustain and protect its UNESCO status by significantly reducing overcrowding, or alternatively, to embrace mass tourism to become akin to a theme park that is based on Huizhou culture.     

The motivations and expectations of international volunteer tourists: A case study of “Chinese Village Traditions”

International volunteer tourists devote not only financial support but also time and effort to conservation, preservation, or humanitarian projects outside their original countries. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a qualitative study on the motivations of ten international volunteer tourists who joined the “Chinese Village Traditions” expedition of the Earthwatch Institute in the summer of 2008. The main research question was, “Why do people join international volunteer tourism trips?” Eleven themes dealing with motivations emerged and were categorized into three groups: personal, interpersonal, and other. Four personal factors were measured: authentic experience, interest in travel, challenge/stimulation, and other interest. Four interpersonal factors were also considered: desire to help, interaction with locals/cultures, encouraged by others, and enhancing relationships. Other factors included unique style of the trip, time/money, and organization goal. The findings of this study echo previous literature reviews in different settings.     

The establishment of a rapid natural disaster risk assessment model for the tourism industry

At the current time, the Taiwan government is aggressively promoting projects, such as the so-called “Double Tourist Plan”, designed to encourage the development of the sightseeing related business. Operators in the tourist industry hope to construct facilities at or near scenic areas, which, given their special geography, are often adjacent to the mountains or the ocean. Unfortunately these are also the areas that most often experience natural disasters. This has a negative impact on the tourism industry. The centralization of tourist facilities, leading to the gathering of large numbers of visitors during the holiday seasons, can place people in danger. In other words, tourism operators in the Taiwan region face a high risk of natural disasters. It is difficult to assess such risks. Most of the existing models for catastrophe risk assessment consume huge amounts of time and are costly to use, so are more commonly applied for assessment at high-value facilities (such science-based industrial parks), rather than by the tourism industry, where economic factors are of greater concern. It is necessary to develop a simple and rapid assessment method that will allow ordinary business owners to carry out comprehensive risk analysis of tourist facilities. Thus, in this study, we explore various theories related to different kinds of natural disaster risk analysis mechanisms, with the goal of establishing a rapid risk assessment model suited to the tourism industry that can be used to quickly analyze disaster-forming characteristics and risk weaknesses in local regions. Furthermore, we incorporate an expert weighting process for assigning weightings for natural disaster risk index assessment. This method can help tourism asset owners prepare for the worst, and be capable of responding appropriately if and when such an event occurs. Good planning can effectively reduce the loss and risks associated with natural disasters and allow recovery work to commence sooner.     

The impact of product placement on TV-induced tourism: Korean TV dramas and Taiwanese viewers

This study examines of the ways in which Korean TV dramas affect Taiwanese consumers’ attitudes toward the locations where the dramas are filmed (onscreen locations). Previous studies have incorporated balance theory into product–character association models and have demonstrated that consumers tend to align their attitudes toward products with the valence of a character’s attitudes toward the products. Unlike previous studies, this article attempts to investigate the product–character association model in a cross-cultural setting where the ‘products’ considered are the onscreen locations. To account for the effect of similarity between Taiwanese culture and Korean culture, the concept of perceived cultural proximity is introduced into the balance-theory-based model. The results show that consumers’ parasocial relationships with a character and consumers’ attitudes toward the character are related to their attitudes toward the location. However, this relationship is significant only for those viewers with high perceived cultural proximity between Taiwan and Korea.