When Western hosts meet Eastern guests: Airbnb hosts' experience with Chinese outbound tourists

As the number of Chinese tourists using Airbnb for their holiday accommodation is steadily increasing, this study investigates western Airbnb hosts' experiences with Chinese outbound tourists. In an analysis of hosts' self-reported posts on the Airbnb community forum, the main issues that emerged relate to Chinese guests' daily habits and lifestyles, cultural differences, and language barriers. This research highlights the role that cultural differences and tradition play in guest–host encounters, and offers a theoretical framework on inter-cultural host–guest relationship that provides an initial understanding of this phenomenon. This study extends the knowledge on the host–guest paradigm in the peer-to-peer accommodation literature from an inter-cultural perspective. This article also launches the Annals of Tourism Research Curated Collection on Peer-to-peer accommodation networks, a special selection of research in this field.     

Host–guest authentication of intangible cultural heritage: a literature review and conceptual model

ABSTRACT

Cultural tourism and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) play a key role in tourism worldwide, and are especially important for communities in developing countries, due to the demand for authentic experiences. This article provides a review of existing literature on the authenticity and authentication of ICH. The review reveals scholarly inquiry has evolved from external-expert ‘cool’ authentication to direct host–guest on-site or ‘hot’ authentication whereby tourists participate in the process of determining authenticity. Further, existing models for authentication of ICH have focused only on either a guest’s or host’s perspectives with little attention to the inevitable mutual interaction of the host and guest in the authentication of ICH. Mutual authentication can enhance the tourist experience and improve community empowerment. This paper develops a conceptual model of the mutual (host–guest) authentication of ICH, incorporating both hosts’ and tourists’ perspectives. The model has application in ICH based tourism and emphasizes power relationships between the host and guest, and community empowerment across political, social, psychological and economic domains. Future research is needed to test and validate this conceptual model.     

Conflicting preferences among tourists and residents

In this paper we present the results of a choice modelling (CM) experiment designed to estimate preferences of residents and tourists in Alghero, Sardinia (Italy). In 2004 Sardinia’s regional government introduced a set of reforms on coastal development and environmental protection that had important consequences for the tourism industry. The CM experiment took place in 2006, and aimed to study both resident’s and tourists’ preferences regarding the 2004 reform and other tourist development alternatives. We also assess the hypothesis that the perceived social and environmental effects of tourism differ among classes of respondents. The analysis indicates that there are conflicting preferences within the host community as well as between the host community and tourists. This creates a mismatch between residents’ supply and tourists’ demand of recreational services that needs to be addressed to promote the best tourist development strategy. It also shows that the 2004 reform is not such an effective strategy as it matches neither resident’s nor tourists’ preferences.     

Use of Leisure Facilities and Wellbeing of Adult Caregivers

The current research examines leisure facility use as a moderator of the negative association of caregiving demands with wellbeing among informal caregivers. In accordance with the leisure constraints model, the study also explores the role of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural factors that may constrain or facilitate caregivers' use of leisure infrastructure. Data were collected as part of a survey conducted by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing in three communities. Results showed that greater use of leisure facilities buffered the association of greater hours of care with lower levels of mental and physical wellbeing for informal caregivers. Attitudes toward leisure, sense of community, and facility accessibility all positively predicted caregivers' use of leisure facilities. The results suggest that leisure infrastructure plays an important role in supporting wellbeing among caregivers and identify three types of constraints to consider when supporting caregivers' use of leisure facilities in their communities.     

Gambling motivation among tourists in Macau's casino resorts

The number of tourists visiting casino resorts has risen in recent years. Tourists often view gambling as a leisure activity option that they can participate in during their holiday. This study aims to investigate the motives that influence tourists’ gambling intention. A list of potential motives is derived from the extensive tourism literature, and a sample including 462 respondents was collected in Macau. The survey results indicate that benefits, learning, pleasure, costing, and socialization are all motives for tourists to engage in recreational gambling. However, adventure, relaxation, prestige, and winning are not influencing factors among tourists who gamble during their trip. The study also explores the moderating roles of gender, age, and educational level on the relationship between different motives and gambling intention. Understanding the motives for why tourists gamble is useful for integrated resort operators to formulate marketing strategies for attracting tourists.     

Exploring the relationship between types of leisure activities and acculturation among Korean immigrants

Research has suggested that leisure engagement facilitates acculturation among immigrants. A dearth of information exists about which types of leisure activities are associated with acculturation among immigrants. This study focused on 434 Korean immigrants in order to determine what types of leisure activities were associated with behavioural acculturation (e.g. language usage and social context) and cultural value acculturation (e.g. collectivism, self-control and success). The results showed that participation in hobbies and indoor activities were the positive predictors of behavioural acculturation, while engagement in cultural and volunteer activities was the negative predictors of behavioural acculturation. In addition, cultural value acculturation had a positive association with social activity engagement, but had a negative association with participation in physical, cultural and volunteering activities. Overall, these findings indicated that engaging in leisure activities is positively associated with acculturation. This study suggests that leisure engagement can be beneficial in the successful acculturation process of the Korean immigrant in Western society.     

Tourist development and host–guest interaction: An economic exchange theory

Theoretical research on the impacts of tourism has a discernible bias towards residents’ perceptions. To understand the evolution and dynamics of tourism, residents’ perceptions have to be analyzed as part of an exchange process involving both residents and tourists. A conceptual framework of host–guest relations is required. This paper presents an economic model that builds on evidence that tourism involves the meeting of two populations. Their interactions and experiences influence their attitudes and opinions. This causes structural changes in individual preferences that affect residents’ perceptions of tourism and tourists’ willingness to pay. To interpret this process we use the Edgeworth Box, representing the “exchange” in terms of “resource-space” against income.     

Volunteer tourists’ perceptions of their impacts on marginalized communities

Abstract

Using a phenomenological approach, this study examines the experiences of volunteer tourists in host communities using social representations theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with volunteer tourists on perceived impacts on favela (slum) communities of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This study was developed to address a need for further research that critically looks at the social impacts of volunteer tourism in marginalized communities. It addresses the following question: How does volunteer tourism influence a marginalized community from the perspective of the volunteers? Notably, the majority of the volunteers in this study had difficulty describing how volunteer tourism has benefited the community beyond their own individual contributions, and it was difficult for them to see broader implications of volunteer tourism in general. Recommendations of management actions that will help to maintain and enhance the benefits and alleviate the negative consequences and obstacles that were perceived by volunteer tourists are given.     

Personal identity (de)formation among lifestyle travellers: a double‐edged sword

This article explores the personal identity work of lifestyle travellers – individuals for whom extended leisure travel is a preferred lifestyle that they return to repeatedly. Qualitative findings from in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with lifestyle travellers in northern India and southern Thailand are interpreted in light of theories on identity formation in late modernity that position identity as problematic. It is suggested that extended leisure travel can provide exposure to varied cultural praxes that may contribute to a sense of social saturation. Whilst a minority of the respondents embraced a saturation of personal identity in the subjective formation of a cosmopolitan cultural identity, several of the respondents were paradoxically left with more identity questions than answers as the result of their travels.     

The resilience of formal and informal tourism enterprises to disasters: reef tourism in Phuket,Thailand

This paper explores the resilience of vulnerable tourism sectors to disasters in a period of global change and interdependence. The coral reef tourism industry is highly vulnerable to natural disasters and economic and political shocks. The paper also explains why enterprise resilience is central to sustainable tourism management, for economic, socio-cultural and environmental reasons. It extends the concepts of ecological and social resilience to that of enterprise resilience. Using scenarios and interviews with key enterprise staff, the study contrasts the levels of resilience of formal and informal reef tourism enterprises, and the factors associated with the enterprise resilience in Phuket, Thailand, following the 2004 tsunami and the 2008 political crisis. Informal enterprises reported better financial condition in a crisis scenario and higher levels of social capital in the form of government, family and community support than formal enterprises. Formal and informal enterprises both enjoy high lifestyle benefits from reef tourism, which supports resilience. Most formal enterprises had part foreign ownership/management (61%); no informal enterprise had any foreign ownership or management. Management policies supporting reef tourism should consider local nuances and the importance of lifestyle benefits for both formal and informal enterprises, and take steps to enable enterprise flexibility and cost-cutting during crises.     

VOLUNTEER TOURISM: A HOST COMMUNITY CAPITAL PERSPECTIVE

This study examines the impact of volunteer tourism on host communities utilising a community capitals perspective. A research design that includes focus groups, interviews and website analysis targets a cluster of communities that have hosted NGO run volunteer tourism programs in the Philippines for over twenty years. Flora’s (2004) community capitals framework is applied to delineate a broad spectrum of impacts resulting from volunteer tourism. This framework accounts for political, built, natural, financial, human, cultural, and social (bridging and bonding) capitals. The data provides strong evidence that, in this case, volunteer tourists exert bridging social capital that in turn impacts every form of community capital. The study also reveals two additional forms of capital: welfare and personal.     

旅游情境下内隐-外显地方依恋模型研究——基于心理学视角

实证主义范式的研究无法解决地方依恋形成心理机制这一理论问题。在当前旅游领域研究中,有关实证研究在地方依恋已经形成的理论预设前提下,通过编制相关量表采用自我报告的方法(问卷调查法)来探讨目的地社区居民和游客地方依恋形成的影响因素及其后果行为。至于这两种依恋有何区别、如何形成以及如何指导相应的依恋行为等相关理论问题却鲜有涉及。该研究回溯到心理学中的依恋理论,构建了旅游情境下的内隐-外显地方依恋模型,并得出以下结论:(1)内部工作模式(依恋表征)原理可用以解释地方依恋形成的心理机制;(2)内部工作模式是由一般依恋表征和特殊依恋表征组成的层级结构,前者指导社区居民依恋的形成,后者指导游客依恋的形成;(3)地方依恋存在内隐和外显两种状态。社区居民依恋由内隐状态激发为外显状态去指导其依恋行为,游客依恋从外显状态内化为内隐状态去指导其依恋行为。     

Home visit and community‐based tourism: Hong Kong's family insight tour

Formal and informal visitor welcome programmes have been identified as providing a positive step in promoting cross‐sociocultural relations and communication. Several countries now operate such programmes. Since 1990, Hong Kong has successfully operated a formal community visitor welcome programme, known as the Family Insight Tour’. This tour programme is a joint initiative offered by the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) and the Hong Kong Housing Authority. It offers tourists the chance to visit the public housing estates in Hong Kong where approximately 55% of the population lives. The tourists are able not only to visit the homes and social services provided for residents, but also afforded the chance to meet and interact with a local family. The tour has become so successful that demand from tourists now far outstrips the limited number of places the HKTA is able to offer. The paper examines the rationale behind such tours, looks at the HKTA tour in detail, and presents limitations and issues relating to the operation of the programme.     

The roots tourism experience of diaspora Africans: A focus on the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles

Ghana is one of the countries visited by diaspora Africans seeking to trace their roots and reconnect with their kith and kin. However, promoting roots tourism to the African diaspora is a delicate undertaking. There is a need to understand the factors which are of importance to the roots tourism experience as this will help to package the roots tourism product appropriately to meet the expectations of tourists. This study therefore sought to examine the factors that underlie the roots tourism experience of diaspora Africans in Cape Coast and Elmina in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey of 264 diaspora Africans within the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles was conducted using convenience sampling procedures. The study identified four factors that underlie the roots tourism experience of diaspora Africans namely, host–guest relationship, authenticity, emotion and appearance of the slave castles. It is recommended that the roots tourism product is repackaged to include welcome ceremonies, visits to communities, re-enactment of the slave trade and initiation ceremonies in order to improve host–guest interactions.     

Host community acceptance of foreign tourists: Strategic considerations

The reported empirical study assessed anticipated reactions to foreign visitors in an area being considered for a tourism development program. Although a generally high level of acceptance was predicted by the residents, over 11% of the 846 respondents anticipated negative reactions within their residential community. Analysis of the possible relationships between twelve demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents and their expectations concerning host community acceptance of tourists from foreign countries disclosed only one statistically significant relationship. Survey participants who reported living in urban areas assessed the community's probable reaction to foreign travellers most positively, while a movement away from urban centers was associated with more negative expectations.     

Health club use and ‘lifestyle’: exploring the boundaries between work and leisure

In this article I investigate the relationship between work and leisure for professional employees. Drawing on qualitative research I explore the motivation behind premier club use – a sector within the wider health club industry – to show that rather than being an activity firmly located within the domain of ‘leisure’, it is a complex activity, influenced by a person's occupation and experience within the workplace. Through the empirical discussion I show that professionals working within the city are often committed to a ‘project of the self’, fuelled by a desire to create a professional identity whereby the development and maintenance of a fit and healthy body symbolises characteristics that are valued within the professional workplace. Accordingly I propose the concept of a ‘workstyle’ as opposed to ‘lifestyle’, to suggest that the motivation behind premier club use is defined according to the social and cultural experience of working in the city and in turn, certain individuals may be consuming premier club membership for the benefit of their overall career. To this end, premier club use is portrayed as an activity defined according to the principles of work rather than as a definitive ‘leisure’ pursuit, thus blurring and mediating the boundaries between work and leisure.     

Spanning across the boundary of Airbnb host community: a network perspective

The success of Airbnb has not only provided people with an alternative way of managing their living spaces but also created a rapidly growing number of Airbnb host communities. Guided by boundary spanning theory, this study examines how Airbnb host online communities evolve through novel organizational forms. Data for this study were collected from an online Airbnb host community from which two stages of analysis were performed. These included social network analysis and content analysis. The findings indicate that the online community functions as an informal specialized sub-unit of Airbnb and that hosts’ roles in the organization involve a number of boundary spanning aspects. The research contributes to an evolving understanding of hosts in the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation literature as well as extending the theory of boundary spanning in its application to the sharing economy context.     

大型主题公园发展与城市居民就业——对华侨城主题公园就业分配的考察

传统城市旅游就业研究侧重总体效应评估,忽略了具体的就业分配,也缺乏对就业者生活境况的实际考察,这正是旅游就业研究的"断层"。文章通过对华侨城主题公园这一典型城市大型旅游项目的探索性案例研究,围绕城市大型旅游项目开发能否为本地居民创造就业,改善就业者生活境况展开讨论。文章首先指出,中国城市大型主题公园与欧美主题公园在就业分配及就业者生活境况方面存在较大差异,欧美国家的研究结论并不能直接借鉴到中国。案例研究的结果表明:第一,主题公园这类城市大型旅游项目所创造的就业具有结构性(包括正规部门就业和非正规部门就业),不可等同视之;第二,这类具有结构性就业的分配呈现明显的"外向型"特征,主要面向外来务工者。在没有其他干预的情况下,这类旅游项目开发所带来的就业将主要面向外来务工者;第三,就业者的实际生活质量并不乐观,旅游就业在改善就业者生活质量的积极效果不宜夸大。该研究为反思传统城市旅游就业评估提供了新思路和新证据。     

Shared parent–child leisure time in four countries

The relative influences of resource and cultural differences on leisure behaviour and orientations in a pair of new towns, one in the United States (Reston) and the other in England (Telford) are compared. Three kinds of data were obtained: (a) the investigator lived in Telford for six weeks and participated in formal and informal leisure activities, supplementing observation with informal interviewing; (b) the planning department of Telford Development Corporation supplied materials on residents and their backgrounds, recreation provision and participation, and plans for the future; (c) the survey instrument used with 215 adults in the Reston study was revised and administered to 40 Telford adults.