Why strategic networks often fail: Some empirical evidence from the area of Naples

The literature on inter-firm collaboration primarily concentrates on successful cases and tries to explain why and how they obtained their success. On the other hand, there are fewer contributions that study the reasons for inter-firm relationships failure. This paper responds to that deficiency by providing evidence as to why inter-firm collaboration fails, and identifies processes where it is possible to pass from a difficult and complex relationship (where mutual trust is not notably present) to situations of recovery and re-positioning. Empirical evidence is presented from two specific areas in the Campania Region (Italy) to test a proposed theoretical model that identifies the importance of partners' previous experience and their awareness of the importance of inter-firm cooperation as determinants of the survival and success of the collaboration.     

Networks,Conflict and Collaborative Communities

This paper develops critical understandings of the theoretical and practical implications of local tourism policy networks on collaborative planning. Application of the network concept in tourism has increased in recent years but has largely been focused on the competitive advantages of network organisation for small and medium size tourism enterprises. Critical discussion and development of the theoretical and operational dimensions of networks as a management approach beyond economic development has been limited. It is argued that network theory provides a useful lens for understanding the structures and social interrelations between government, tourism producers and civil society and, as such, has the potential to inform collaborative destination management policy and practice. This paper examines the contributions that networks can make in understanding collaborative planning, and how this knowledge may be able to improve collaborative planning practice.     

Conventions,Festivals, and Tourism

Abstract

The link between conventions and tourism has often been assumed, and to some extent has been researched, and yet little research has been undertaken to study the relationships between organizations staging an event. The aim of this paper is to highlight the links between convention, festival, and tourism organizations using a case study in Lismore, Australia. The Lismore Chamber of Commerce has used an agricultural convention in conjunction with a community festival to share resources and attract wider audiences. This paper demonstrates the outcomes of this relationship in terms of innovation, cooperation, and regional development. Where previous attempts to coordinate the herb industry had failed, the case shows how coordinated events can serve an important purpose. The case also demonstrates the use of a network analysis methodology as a potential tool for researchers and managers in identifying and understanding industry relationships. The results demonstrate the success of this event and highlight the importance of developing and maintaining network relations.     

Community-based tourism and networking: Viscri,Romania

This paper raises questions concerning the complexity of the term “community” when dealing with community-based tourism initiatives. It highlights the difficulty of translating into practice the paradigm of “community-based tourism”. Through a case study of tourism in the multi-ethnic village of Viscri, Romania, the paper discusses the operational role that a network of both internal and external actors may play in piloting tourism initiatives that produce benefits for communities that are unaccustomed to participatory development processes due to various barriers. The study highlights the key role played by a local leader and an external foundation in building a network that, thanks to the bonding and bridging relations activated, led the community towards a form of sustainable tourism development and a broader amelioration of the social conditions. The network described can be replicated in other geographical contexts, provided there is strong local leadership and also international interests and donors. In the long term, however, the network needs to be strengthened by involving other actors, above all local authorities. They are needed to assure the basis for long-term empowerment, participation in decision-making and progressive diversification of economic activities.     

Hotel attribute performance,eWOM motivations,and media choice

The objectives of this study are to match the motivations for posting about hotel experiences with the online media chosen and to identify the electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) motivations that are affected by hotel attribute performance. The results show that altruism and platform assistance motivations were positively correlated with consumer opinion sites. Extraversion, social benefits, and dissonance reduction were positively correlated with social network sites. Economic incentives did not improve the likelihood of posting eWOM on consumer opinion sites but reduced the likelihood of posting on social network sites. Finally, hotel attribute performance had a significant effect only on extraversion and dissonance reduction motivations.     

Policy communities,networks and issue cycles in tourism destination systems

This paper demonstrates how concepts derived from policy community, policy network and issues management theories can be used to understand the roles, activities and interactions of government, corporate and pressure group stakeholders engaged in tourism policy, planning and management in destination contexts. It shows the relevance and utility of an “integrated issue lifecycle approach” to trace the evolution of tourism policy, planning and destination management within specific destination contexts. The application of this approach is demonstrated through a case analysis of the tourism policy and planning system that underpins the destination system of Byron Bay, a significant domestic and international destination on the East Coast of Australia. The underlying premise adopted for this study is that the examination of the antecedents of tourism policy and planning processes, within particular destination contexts, can lead to an understanding of the driving values and ideas that have led to contemporary tourism policy issues and problems.     

生态旅游影响下女性居民社会网络的规模、连接与结构——以武陵源世界自然遗产地为例

以武陵源世界遗产地社区女性居民社会网络作为研究对象,通过问卷调查法和半结构访谈法,对武陵源区袁家界村、龙尾巴村和马儿山村女性居民采取抽样问卷、滚雪球式访谈等方法,进行定量数据与定性分析相结合的研究,对网络规模、网络中心性和网络密度的数据进行分析发现,武陵源世界自然遗产地不同位置社区女性居民的社会网络规模、社会网络连接和社会网络结构均存在明显差异,表明生态旅游的参与程度与女性居民的社会网络存在高度相关性,直接影响社会网络规模、连接和结构。生态旅游影响下女性居民的社会网络存在以下特征：（1）女性居民社会交往范围逐步扩大,社会网路规模明显增加;（2）女性居民社会关系逐渐多元化,社会网络关系连接日益丰富;（3）女性居民获得了异质性信息和资源,社会网络结构渐趋稳定;（4）女性居民旅游增权权益明显,推动女性社会网络不断优化。     

区域旅游线路的复杂网络特征——以福建省为例

区域旅游线路呈现出的空间几何特征及其地理拓扑关系可以运用复杂网络工具进行剖析。该研究在国内外相关研究的基础上,以福建省为例,分别对省内出发和省外出发两种不同空间尺度的旅游线路进行定量分析,利用从出发地到各个旅游目的地形成的地理拓扑关系建构区域旅游网络,在此基础上从空间平均距离、形态指数、点度分布、中间性、匹配性、鲁棒性等统计量来分析旅游线路的空间网络结构。研究表明,多重区域旅游线路组合形成的网络整体上呈现出无标度网络特征,知名旅游目的地在网络中占据着核心位置;区域旅游线路的空间网络结构反映出福建省各旅游目的地的跨区合作已初见端倪,但仍需要深化推行产业集群区的跨区域合作经营;从点度的分布方面,省内旅游市场中的旅游线路在空间尺度上对旅游目的地的覆盖范围更加广泛,且各目的地的点度分布较为均衡,而省外旅游市场则仍需要继续与区域旅游的非核心目的地进行深度整合。     

大陆居民赴台湾自由行旅游流网络分析及演化研究

随着人们旅游消费能力逐渐增强,对旅游品质的要求越来越高,自由行已经成为人们主要出游方式之一。文章以大陆居民赴台湾自由行为对象,采用数据挖掘技术采集我国最大旅游分享社区网站2009年以来的台湾自由行行程信息,构建了细粒度的旅游流有向网络,并使用社会网络理论进行分析。研究表明,该网络属于无标度网络,网络规模为2656,但平均路径只有4.3,网络密度较低,节点的度分布满足幂律分布,网络核心区与边缘区互动较少。按照时间顺序构建旅游流网络,研究网络的演化并分析其演化动力,发现网络规模、连接数量都与行程数量近似于比例增长,网络演化过程中新增加的节点优先链接网络中的明星节点。文章首次从网络演化的角度使用社会网络理论研究旅游流,丰富和拓展了旅游流研究内容。     

A network perspective of knowledge transfer in tourism

Efficient transfer of knowledge is the prerequisite for innovation and competitiveness of tourism destinations. This paper uses network analysis to examine inter-organizational knowledge transfer in Western Australian tourism. The findings indicate that Western Australian network has low connectivity and is highly centralized around public bodies with a hierarchical pattern. The network also exhibits few reciprocal relationships with limited boundary spanners. The findings improve the understanding of the Western Australian tourism knowledge network, its weaknesses and strengths, which can be used to make policies to have a more efficient and innovative destination. In addition, this research provides a model for future research of how to explore and analyze the inter-organizational transfer of knowledge within a tourism destination.     

Local tourism governance: a comparison of three network approaches

There is an absence of knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of different local tourism governance approaches. Consequently, experimenting with different modes of local tourism governance is increasingly common. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by investigating the ways in which three different local tourism governance networks operate, and the effects of this governance on local tourism policy. The three local tourism networks examined are a council-led network governance structure, a participant-led community network governance structure and a local tourism organisation (LTO)-led industry network governance structure. The study found that these governance arrangements were underpinned by four key trade-offs and that these tended to shape the effectiveness of local tourism governance. The significance of this paper is that it opens up discussion about local tourism governance, highlights the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches and reflects on their relevance to sustainable tourism management. The findings can inform local councils interested in improving their local organisation of tourism, and spur further research.     

An application of network analysis on tourist attractions: The case of Xinjiang,China

This study constitutes a novel application of network analysis to explore the underlying mechanisms of tourist attraction network informed by tourist flows. Using survey data collected from a sample of 456 tourists visiting Xinjiang, China, the study applies the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) to test the relationships between region proximity, grade proximity, and tenure proximity, and the attraction network determined by tourists' free choice movements. Results show that while region proximity and tenure proximity among major attractions in a destination were positively related to attraction network, grade proximity was negatively related to the attraction network, indicating that same grade attractions were mostly competing with one another for tourists. The study contributes to the methodological development of social network analysis in tourism and advances understanding of demand-driven network relationships among tourist attractions in a destination. Destination management implications are discussed.     

Network,knowledge and relationship impacts on innovation in tourism destinations

We combine network structure and firm-level relationship measures to explore the association between innovative behavior, firm position within the network of a destination, and the knowledge and relational trust characteristics of a firm's innovation-oriented relationships. We find current collaboration, shared knowledge and trust are associated with innovative behavior with partner firms, but that betweenness centrality indicates which partners are the most prominent innovators in a population. That is, relationship-level characteristics facilitate innovation partnerships, but network structure characteristics identify the most successful innovative partners. To theory, our findings contribute to efforts in the tourism, innovation and network literature to evaluate the differential effects of knowledge stocks and flows on innovation. For practice, our results suggest that promoters of innovation within a destination should leverage brokerage positions to improve the in-flow of ideas while encouraging the firms that share knowledge and trust to collaborate to apply those ideas.     

Modeling Spatial Patterns of Recreational Boaters: Vessel,Behavioral, and Geographic Considerations

Abstract

A regression-based framework for modeling recreational boating patterns and estimating preferred on-water destinations was introduced. A survey of 500 boaters provided model input regarding vessel, behavioral, and geographic characteristics. This information was used to construct a travel network within a Geographic Information System to identify major network intersections (pivots) and to calculate the distance traveled along network segments between intersections, as derived model input. Model estimates of preferred destinations and use intensity were compared to mail survey results for validation. The average error between reported and estimated boating destinations was 4.3 miles for a regional application and 3.0 miles for a sub-regional application. In addition to vessel and behavioral considerations, the results highlighted the significance of geographic and network variables in modeling the spatial patterns of recreational boaters and destination choice.     

Understanding tourists’ leisure expenditure at the destination: a social network analysis

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to identify spending patterns of tourists in relation to the leisure activities performed throughout their day-by-day stay at the destination. Using the methodology of social network analysis (SNA), a tourists–activities bipartite network was identified following a pattern known as core–periphery. The effect of this structure (including typology, number, and timing of performing the activities) on tourism expenditure is analysed using a multiple regression model, to which were added different sociodemographic variables and other variables related to travel. In order to better understand the portfolio of activities, four examples of networks are studied and visually represented. This study reveals that through SNA between tourists and activities, we can study the behaviour of tourists in a novel way.     

The good,the bad and the ugly on COVID-19 tourism recovery

This paper is to produce different scenarios in forecasts for international tourism demand, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. By implementing two distinct methodologies (the Long Short Term Memory neural network and the Generalized Additive Model), based on recent crises, we are able to calculate the expected drop in the international tourist arrivals for the next 12 months. We use a rolling-window testing strategy to calculate accuracy metrics and show that even though all models have comparable accuracy, the forecasts produced vary significantly according to the training data set, a finding that should be alarming to researchers. Our results indicate that the drop in tourist arrivals can range between 30.8% and 76.3% and will persist at least until June 2021.     

Women entrepreneurship orientation,networks and firm performance in the tourism industry in resource-scarce contexts

Drawing on network theory, this study examines how the entrepreneurship orientation (EO)-performance nexus is intermediated by networks firms establish with government agencies, suppliers, and resource acquisition. Structural equation modelling is used to test the model on a sample of 556 women tourism entrepreneurs in Ghana and Nigeria. Findings indicate that EO positively influences firms’ social ties, resource acquisition, and performance. The results also indicate that establishing strong ties with government agencies leads to more resource acquisition among women owned tourism businesses than strong business ties with suppliers. Furthermore, business ties are more beneficial when they mediate the effect of EO on performance and become weak and negative when the effect is sequentially mediated by business ties and network resource acquisition. Political ties negatively influenced performance. This study provides novel insights into the EO, networks and performance nexus in resource-scarce contexts. The managerial implications for supporting women entrepreneurs are critically examined.     

Characterizing destination networks through mobility traces of international tourists — A case study using a nationwide mobile positioning dataset

This article demonstrates how large-scale tourist mobility data can be linked with network science approaches to better understand tourism destinations and their interactions. By analyzing a mobile positioning dataset that captures the nationality and movement patterns of foreign tourists to South Korea, we employ a few metrics to quantify the network properties of tourism destinations, aiming to reveal the collective dynamics of tourist movements and key differences across nationalities. According to the results, the number of inbound tourists to destinations follows a log-normal distribution, which indicates a notable heterogeneity of destination attractiveness. Although this finding holds across different nationalities, we find that tourists from different countries tended to visit different places in South Korea. A community detection algorithm partitions South Korea into several tourism regions, each covering a set of destinations that are closely connected by tourist flows. The implications for transportation development and regional tourism planning are discussed.     

网络时代听力有障碍年轻群体娱乐休闲研究

随着我国休闲产业的蓬勃发展,娱乐休闲活动越来越多,但是,能够提供给残疾人的娱乐休闲活动则很少.而这一弱势群体的娱乐休闲需求长期得不到满足会直接影响其身心健康.文章选取听力有障碍年轻群体为研究对象,以这个弱势群体的沟通方式与沟通障碍、娱乐休闲对他们的作用以及网络对听力有障碍年轻群体娱乐活动的影响作为研究内容,以问卷调查、访谈和QQ聊天为手段,对北京第四聋哑学校和北京联合大学特殊教育学院的100名听力有障碍学生进行了调研.在对调研结果统计分析的基础上,依据深度休闲理论,提出针对这一弱势群体的网络娱乐和网络学习的解决方案,希望能够在满足他们娱乐休闲需求的同时,使其获得更多的就业机会.