Why the tripartite relationship of place attachment,loyalty, and pro-environmental behaviour matter?

The tripartite relationship among loyalty, pro-environmental (PEB) behaviour, and place attachment (PA) was explored to capture the variability and complexity of both loyalty and PEB dynamics. Further, the tripartite model was extended to another precedent variable of destination image to more broadly explain the process of tourist behavioural change in nature-based tourism (NBT) destinations. The study found that PA is the critical factor beneficial to sustainable management of NBT context and cognitive destination image increases the psychological attachment to destinations. Particularly, this study suggests that the reciprocal synergy between loyalty and PEB intentions can be achieved by strengthening PA for the destination.     

“Couchsurfing has made me a better person and the world a better place”: the transformative power of collaborative tourism experiences

ABSTRACT

Presented as an alternative form of tourism, Couchsurfing is a predominantly non-commercial accommodation type where hosts offer a “couch” to travelers through a hospitality network. Couchsurfing.com is considered as an icon of the sharing economy and more specifically of shareable tourism. This article provides a deeper understanding of couchsurfers’ motivations and shared values. Through an empirical qualitative study, we discuss the transformative power of Couchsurfing experiences, the underlying transformational processes, conditions, and socio-psychological and behavioral consequences. We also discuss the findings’ implications for society, businesses, and tourism in general.     

A place for visual research methods in the field of leisure studies? Evidence from two studies of older adults’ active leisure

Few researchers have explored perceptions of the local environment as a potential precursor to older adults’ active leisure participation; fewer still have employed visual research methods as a tool for examining the modalities of environmental influences on leisure behaviour. This article introduces leisure researchers to the visual research techniques of Q method with photographs and photovoice and highlights the opportunities and challenges resulting from the use of visual techniques with populations of older adults. Data obtained in two visual research studies undertaken in 2008 and 2011 reveal the importance of home and local environment as a nexus for leisure participation and identify conditions that may facilitate activity participation in later life. Environmental conditions that are particularly significant in the case of older adults include the home garden, natural and aesthetically pleasing settings, the local social network and functional neighbourhood facilities. Visual research methods were used to generate these findings. Such research methods provide rich and nuanced data in studies concerning environment-behaviour interactions, which may be difficult to attain using conventional research methods.     

Perceptions of place,modernity and the impacts of tourism – Differences among rural and urban residents of Ankang,China: A likelihood ratio analysis

This paper reports results from a survey of urban and rural residents’ of the perceived impacts of change induced by tourism in Ankang, China. The paper will initially indicate the literature that informed the research and the geographical context of the study. Second, results derived from a questionnaire that incorporated both open-ended and closed questions will be presented. The concepts that informed the research were derived from past similar studies, place attachment and senses of modernity. Initial analysis showed no differences between urban and rural residents, both on impact assessment scales and categorical data derived from the coding of responses to open-ended questions. Overall it was found that residents had favourable attitudes toward tourism. The use of comparison based likelihood ratios did reveal some nuanced differences between ‘high’ and ‘low scorers’ relating to the issues of economic development and pollution independent of place of residence but based on a sense of that place of residence being ‘special’. The total number of respondents was 474. Implications for future studies are discussed and include comments on the need for direct contact and observation.     

Tourist experience of slow tourism: from authenticity to place attachment – a mixed-method study based on the case of slow city in China

ABSTRACT

This study connected slow tourism with the concept of authenticity and place attachment using a mixed-method approach. Different factors were seen as likely to influence the behavioral intention. Yaxi town (the first international slow city in China) was chosen as the research site. Results show that authenticity in the context of slow tourism include objective authenticity, constructivism authenticity and existential authenticity. Authenticity partly influence place attachment and behavioral intention; two dimensions of place attachment have significant effect on behavioral intention. Findings of this study can be applied to slow tourism marketing and slow destination management.     

Impacts of urban renewal on the place identity of local residents – a case study of Sunwenxilu traditional commercial street in Zhongshan City,Guangdong Province,China

ABSTRACT

This paper studies the impacts of urban renewal on local residents’ place identity by examining the changes in local residents’ place identity in Sunwenxilu, a traditional commercial street in downtown Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China, which carried out urban renewal relatively early in modern China. Applying Breakwell’s [(2015). Risk: Social psychological perspectives. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Elsevier] identity process model and using the renewal process as a starting point, data concerning local residents’ place identity in Sunwenxilu were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and literature analysis. The results reveal that local residents had established a strong place identity on Sunwenxilu before it changed to be a community of “incompetents” in the 1990s. In the late 1990s, Sunwenxilu was transformed into a cultural tourism pedestrian street. Right after the transformation, local residents regained their self-esteem with the improvement of the physical environment and intensification of cultural symbols, and re-established their place continuity by maintaining their collective memories. However, a failure to improve the local residents’ self-efficiency of place during the “superficial” renewal had resulted in vulnerability of the local residents’ place identity in terms of self-esteem, continuity and distinctiveness, thus causing another crisis of place identity. Obviously, the construction of place identity results from the interaction of all elements, so too much emphasis on only one element may trigger a new identity crisis.     

Drawing care: the illustrated journal’s “path to place”

ABSTRACT

Naturalists argue that the greatest threat to the natural world may be our “extinction of experience” with it. We know that place matters, but what can work to restore care between people and place? In this article, I will argue that illustrated journals can reinvigorate our experience with the world. By including text and image, science and art, illustrated journals incorporate different ways of knowing. Drawing draws us into the world as we pay attention to easily missed details. Writing complements drawing by providing a space for synthesizing or imagining about the observed. Like any skilled practice, journaling transforms our understanding of the world. My illustrated field journals began when I sensed that care for today’s world demanded more tools than what my training as an ecologist, alone, could offer. Illustrated journaling can begin with a few simple drawing and writing exercises – several of which I will describe in this article. As an immersive practice in place, the process of illustrated journals matters more than the product. Page by page, illustrated journals recognize the interpretive encounters so foundational to worldmaking and, in doing so, cultivate the deep attention to, and experience of, the world that is our first step toward care.     

On the Occasion of the Publication of the 20th Volume of “Tourism Tribune”

This issue of “Tourism Tribune” in the hands of our readers is the first issue of the 20th Volune since its publication. In the past nineteen years, “Tourism Tribune”has witnessed great development thanks to the sincere trust from our readers and unremitting contributions from our writers.     

The production of spaces of the ‘good life’ – the case of lifestyle migrants in Spain

In search for the ‘good life’, the current generation of European retirees is striving to materialise a self-determined way of life by moving to locations that provide a higher quality of life, such as the Mediterranean coast. Migrants’ leisure practises and distinct spatial features, e.g. leisure infrastructures, hereby frame a production of desirable spaces.

The contribution is theoretically informed by Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space that suggests space to be a social product emerging from congruities and contradictions in a triad of practices, representations and localities. It is discussed how everyday leisure practices reproduce collectively or individually imagined representations of spaces of the ‘good life’ and how such spaces are contested.

The presented case study is mainly based on qualitative interviews depicting narratives associated with the realm of leisure. Empirical data were collected among German retirees, who relocated to a small municipality at the Costa del Sol (Southern Spain).

The analysis of empirical data reveals mostly consistencies within the realms representations, practices and localities, but depicts contestations of spaces of the ‘good life’ with regard to ongoing ageing processes. Lifestyle migrants ascribe meaning to practices of leisure in order to fulfil the desire for consuming tourist; sights that frequently represent highly symbolic places. Constructing notions of sociability with friends and acquaintances through leisure, the migrants hold meaningful social ties, which provide security through reliable networks. Nevertheless, this article points out that spaces of the ‘good life’ are deconstructed through age-related mobility constraints.     

Undergraduate students’ perceptions of the importance of English in the tourism and hospitality industry

Educators commonly promote English as beneficial to future employability, but students’ perceptions of the importance of English in the tourism and hospitality industry are often not considered. It is important that students’ perceptions are examined as gaining better insights could allow more positive attitudes to both English and the industry being fostered. This study investigated the perceptions of students (n = 71) enrolled at a university in Japan and found no statistically significant differences based on gender, country of origin, year of study, work experience, or future work intentions. However, it was indicated that communicative competence, confidence, English listening, and English speaking were the factors perceived to be most important by the students. Consequently, it is suggested that tourism and hospitality courses should incorporate components that focus mainly on these skills, but not to the detriment of English reading and writing, which were also perceived as important.     

Resident perceptions of social–ecological resilience and the sustainability of community-based tourism development in the Commonwealth of Dominica

Despite major investments in community-based tourism to diversify economies, reduce poverty and improve life quality in the Caribbean, little is known about what conditions lead to resilience and sustainability. Sustainability from a resilience theory perspective is the likelihood an existing system of resource use will persist indefinitely without a decline in social and natural resource bases. Undertaking activities to enhance resilience and sustainability improves a system's ability to persevere, adapt and learn to meet challenges from unanticipated economic, political or natural events. This study investigated six communities in the Commonwealth of Dominica, all part of a seven-year community tourism program, and examined residents' perceptions of the social, institutional, economic and ecological resilience of their community, and therefore the resilience and sustainability of community tourism development. It used a new scale using eight steps suggested by Devellis' scale development methodology. Data indicated moderate to low resilience in all four domains across the communities. This suggests that communities should invest in strengthening social bonds, developing capacity in local institutions, in diversifying the tourism product and controlling infrastructure development. Indicators measuring trust, networks, local control, flexible governance, leakage prevention and controlled infrastructure development emerged as important in assessing social–ecological resilience and sustainability.     

Present State and Trend of Development of the World's Tourism

The World Tourism Organization has tecently announced a survey on the golbe's tourism in the past 30years     

Estimating the impact of showroom entertainment on the gaming volumes of Las Vegas hotel–casinos

Increases in showroom headcounts are found to increase casino gaming volumes in two Las Vegas Strip casinos. This study examines long-standing assumptions regarding the indirect contribution of investment-intensive showroom entertainment. Such contributions are difficult to measure and the literature contains no rigorously derived estimates of gaming contributions from in-house entertainment venues. Despite the paucity of research, gaming companies are willing to invest staggering sums in showroom entertainment, based in large part on the belief that traffic from these venues will increase gaming volumes. Using estimates produced by time series regression models, the two showrooms produced average gaming win contributions of $11.28 and $19.32, per paid showroom attendee. Based on these estimates alone, extravagant investment in showrooms would have to be justified by other means. Future studies aimed at understanding the showroom contributions to non-gaming profit centers and the role of showrooms in the high-roller's patronage decision are both recommended.     

An integrated model of travelers’ pro-environmental decision-making process: the role of the New Environmental Paradigm

This study integrated Value-Belief-Norm and Modified Norm Activation Model into a theoretical framework to identify the role of the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) in tourists’ pro-environmental decision-making process. Results of the structural model from 484 sample travelers provide a comprehensive view of travelers’ pro-environmental decision-making process. Findings highlight that the integrated model captures a conceptual foundation by better-predicting travelers’ pro-environmental behaviors with the NEP playing a critical role in facilitating predictive power improvement. This study expands the literature on the NEP in the environment and tourism research and suggests destinations for incorporation of the concept into developing promotional campaigns.     

Cyprus — management of the tourist sector

A. Andronicou, Director-General of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), describes how measures have been taken in accordance with policy decisions approved by the Cyprus government in 1983, to control development in the tourism industry and harmonize it with the environment. Implementation of credit and fiscal policies has drastically reduced the amount of hotel construction, and legislation has given the Cyprus government and CTO greater control over development resulting in today's more environmentally conscious approach.     

Students’ perceptions of the educational usage of a Facebook group

ABSTRACT

The arrival of digital native students and the omnipresence of Internet access and mobile devices have motivated professors to reflect on their teaching practices. The educational usage of Facebook includes communication, collaboration, and sharing. Different research designs and the lack of baseline data made it difficult to compare research findings and conclude students’ perceptions of the educational usage of a Facebook group. The findings from this research showed even more positive attitudes towards the educational usage of a Facebook group after the experience. Specifically, positive significant differences were found in “improves communication between teacher and students”, “provides rich multimedia resources and media support to improve the educational experience”; and a negative significant change in “encourages the creation of academic groups (communities) of people with the same interest and needs”.     

On the Validity of the “Importance Minus Performance” Construct—A Genuine Contribution of the Tourism Literature or a Mishap?

Measuring service quality in a reliable and valid manner is crucial. Accordingly, this study explores whether the tourism-oriented Importance-Performance construct is a theoretically sound measure of service quality. The conceptual analysis is followed by an empirical test of the construct's prediction capability within the realm of service quality/satisfaction framework in the tourism context of a large festival. Both the conceptual and empirical results clearly indicate that the validity of the Importance-Performance construct should be strongly doubted, and that tourism and hospitality managers as well as researchers would be better off avoiding the use of the Importance-Performance construct.     

‘Time-out’ with the family: the shaping of family leisure in the new urban consumption spaces of cafes,bars and restaurants

In many north-western European countries, the family practices of drinking and eating used to be largely located in the private domain of the home. This situation has recently begun to change, particularly in gentrified urban areas where middle-class families are growing in number and family outings in bars and restaurants are becoming more widespread. This paper examines the new practices of family consumption from two perspectives: the providers and the consumers. Entrepreneurs shape family-friendly spaces by reducing boundaries between eating, drinking and playing and by offering out-of-home pleasures in home-like environments for both parents and children. They balance between accommodating the families and retaining their childless clients. Families that consume in the food and drink spaces are primarily local middle-class families, and fathers and mothers equally participate. This study further reveals that leisure time spent with the family cannot always be classified as leisure time as a family. Parental involvement with the children differs. We distinguish leisured caring time with high parental involvement, own leisure time mainly directed at parents’ personal activities and social leisure time mainly directed at maintaining social relationships beyond the family. We discuss earlier research on the complicated character of family leisure related to the caring duties of parents. Empirical evidence comes from an exploratory study of ten consumption spaces in the inner city of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.     

Trust and outsourcing: Do perceptions of trust influence the retention of outsourcing providers in the hospitality industry?

The global trend toward outsourcing necessitates unprecedented symbiosis between client-based organizations—purchasers of these services—and their multiple suppliers. Building on existing empirical work that suggests that the level of trust that exists between a purchaser and a supplier is fundamental in determining the strength of such a dyadic relationship, we examine how an organization's outsourcing efforts can be influenced by trust, and how perceptions of trust influence buyer retention of outsourcing providers. The resulting causal model suggests that communication, benevolence, and trust are vital to developing and maintaining productive, enduring relationships between purchasers and suppliers.