European holiday-taking surveys—problems of method,measurement and interpretation

“So reisten die Europäer 1982”, ITB Berlin 83. Report on the conference, held in Berlin in March 1983, by Gillian Gardner-Smith of the British Tourist Authority.     

Tour-guiding as a pious place-making practice: The case of the Sehitlik Mosque,Berlin

The Sehitlik Mosque in Berlin, led by the second and third generations of ethnically Turkish Germans, has risen as an exemplar of public engagement through its tourist enterprise. Drawing from ethnographic research in this mosque, driven by questions on the potential social impacts of piety, I analyze how the tour becomes itself a pious place-making practice: an innovative way of “doing religion” for the post-migrant generations in Berlin. I center on how two key aspects of religious place-making in diaspora are accomplished through the tour: the management of difference and belonging, and the embodiment of faith. This research demonstrates the ways in which tourism in sacred spaces provides unique opportunities for tour guides to have agentive and transformative experiences.     

黑色叙事对旅游目的地引致形象的影响机制

"讲好故事"已成为塑造和传播国家和地方形象的重要手段。以"讲故事"为手段打造旅游目的地形象是一种国际通行的旅游目的地营销方式。现有旅游目的地叙事研究开展还很不充分,关注的叙事偏重于正面叙事材料,对负面叙事的关注还很不够。文章着眼于黑色叙事对旅游目的地引致形象的影响机制,以德国首都柏林作为研究案例,以著名历史游记《柏林:一座城市的肖像》(Berlin:Imagine a City)中关于柏林的系列黑色叙事和柏林旅游局在微信公众号发布的图片作为实验材料,通过招募志愿者参与包括4个阶段的混合研究设计,验证黑色叙事对柏林旅游目的地形象(认知、情感及意动)的复杂影响。研究的主要理论贡献在于:首先,验证了黑色叙事对旅游目的地形象具有显著影响,实证该影响主要透过"叙事主角-游客-自我形象一致性"这一主线发挥作用,明确了黑色叙事主角形象对黑色叙事引致旅游目的地形象的影响机理,丰富了叙事传输理论相关结论。其次,验证了黑色叙事引致情感形象在黑色叙事影响旅游目的地形象过程中的影响效应,发现黑色叙事引致情感形象(而非认知形象)是黑色叙事最终能够影响游客动机的关键。最后,在黑色叙事这一特定研究情境中,验证了目的地认知形象对"情感形象影响意动形象"具有"增强调节效应",丰富了现有旅游目的地形象"认知-情感-意动"三联结构理论。文章在此基础上提供了相应的管理和营销建议。     

Visitor perceptions of European Holocaust Heritage: A social media analysis

This study presents a netnographic discourse analysis of social media content generated around three high profile European Holocaust heritage sites: Ann Frank's House in Amsterdam, The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland, and the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany. It identifies four salient discourses under the headings of Holocaust heritage as social memory, reactions to Holocaust heritage, obligation and ritual, and transgressive visitor behaviour which frame the values, existential anxieties, emotions, priorities and expectations of visitors. The findings will be of interest to stakeholders involved in the planning and management of Holocaust heritage since they provide unique access to a synthesis of unmediated visitor feedback on European Holocaust heritage experiences.     

Differences in the city branding of European capitals based on online vs. offline sources of information

This study analyzes city branding in five European capitals and compares the brand equity generated through online and offline media. Specifically, this study is intended to fill this gap by proposing a multi-group analysis that presents the differences in brand generation and destination preference. The study focuses on divergences in the backgrounds, components, and consequences of brand equity based on the use of online or offline media. The empirical application is performed on the basis of a sample of 225 visitors who have traveled to the following five European capitals: London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and Madrid. To evaluate the measurement model and contrast the hypotheses, we use partial least squares regression. The results of the study reveal relevant recommendations for tourism managers regarding city brand recognition, loyalty, and the equilibrium between offline and online tools to maximize brand equity.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Abstract

INNOVATION AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN TOURISM: CREATING SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE (FIRST EDITION). Edited by Bibiana Walder, Klaus Weiermair and Amparo Sanco Perez. Erich Schmidt Verlag GmbH & Co., (Genthiner Strasse 30G, 10785 Berlin, Germany), ISBN 13-978-3-503-09079-2, 2006, viii + 170-pp. (tables, figures, references, authors, index) ε(D)34.00 (paper). Reviewed by Linda Roberts

MARKETING TO WOMEN: HOW TO UNDERSTAND, REACH, AND INCREASE YOUR SHARE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST MARKET SEGMENT (SECOND EDITION). By Marti Barletta. Dearborn Trade Publishing. (30 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481, U.S.A.), ISBN 1-4195-2019-9, 2005, xxi + 316 pp. (tables, charts, photographs, appendix, endnotes) U.S. $23.00 (paperback). Reviewed by Ingrid Y. Lin     

文化创意旅游需求及其差异性分析——以上海世博会为例

大众对文化和精神的消费需求为文化创意产业的发展提供了广阔的市场前景,世博会就是文化创意旅游产业在特定空间高度集聚而成的产物.文章基于旅游者的问卷调查,从核心内容和衍生产品两方面对上海世博会文化创意旅游需求及其差异性进行分析.结果显示,旅游者对文化创意旅游需求呈现多元性、娱乐性、符号性、实用性和虚拟性体验的趋势.在核心内容的需求方面,旅游者需求较高的依次为:展馆、文化演艺活动和论坛;在衍生产品的需求方面,旅游者对特许旅游纪念品中的世博护照、海宝和世博纪念徽章的需求较大,对出版发行服务中地图的需求较多,对网络文化服务的需求度正逐步提高.分析发现,基于不同的人口统计学特征和旅游行为特征,旅游者文化创意旅游需求存在显著差异,主要体现在年龄和月均收入因素的影响,而性别、职业、文化程度、进园次数和出游方式的影响较小,文章并据此探讨未来文化创意旅游的发展方向.     

When competency-based pay relates to creative performance: The moderating role of employee psychological need

Although competency advocates argue that competency-based pay (CBP) can facilitate the implementation of business strategies and improve organizational performance, few empirical studies on the effectiveness of CBP have been conducted in the workplace. This study examines employees’ perceptions of CBP and their creative performance, along with the moderating role of psychological needs in this relationship. A survey design with a sample of 219 Hong Kong Chinese employees from the hotel and service sectors was adopted. The results support that employee creativity is predicted by both CBP (reward for knowledge and reward for skill) and individual characteristics (need for achievement, need for power). In addition, need for power moderates the relationship between CBP (reward for knowledge and reward for skill) and employee creativity. The implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

Energy use and maintenance costs of upmarket hotels

Aimed at examining the relation between energy use and maintenance costs of hotels, face-to-face interviews were conducted under a study to collect reliable energy and cost data of 30 upmarket hotels in Hong Kong, including those in the 4-star and 5-star classes. Analyzing the data revealed that for both normalized energy consumptions and maintenance costs, they were not significantly different between the two classes of hotels. Charts for benchmarking energy performance and maintenance costs were established. Electricity accounted for most of the energy used by the hotels and, among the maintenance cost elements, capital project cost dominated. Neither the cost for capital projects nor that for routine repair and maintenance was correlated with the total energy use. Causes for such missing links between energy use and maintenance costs, which are crucial information for formulation of energy reduction measures, require further investigations.     

Young tourists visiting strip clubs and paying for sex

Little is known about young adults’ use of strip clubs and prostitution during their holidays abroad. This study examined this issue with a sample of 1125 Danish tourists between the ages of 16 and 34, and sought data about the frequency with which they paid for sex and attended strip clubs while they were on holiday. The tourists were surveyed at a Bulgarian airport before their return trip home. The incidence of strip-club patronage during holiday was 48% for men and 8% for women. Of the men, 12.5% reported paying for sex during their holiday. Among the men paying for sex, 47% reported having done it for the first time. Among the men who attended strip clubs, 32% reported having done it for the first time. Strip-club patronage and paying for sex were both associated with higher levels of drinking, use of Viagra^®, and with having done the same thing before the holiday. Paying for sex was uniquely associated with non-use of condoms with one or more sexual partners. The results of this study can be interpreted as part of a wider culture of commodified debauchery, which predominates many nightlife resorts.     

When dessert comes close: The effects of anticipating indulgent consumption and dietary restraint on healthy food preference at restaurants

When dining in restaurants, diners often anticipate indulgent consumption, such as enjoying a dessert. This study examined the effects of anticipating such indulgence on preferences for healthy food among restrained and unrestrained eaters. Two experiments revealed that anticipating indulgent consumption reduced restrained eaters’ preference for the immediate consumption of healthy food. Conversely, unrestrained eaters’ expectation of indulgent consumption increased or did not change their preference for a healthy option. The interactive effect of indulgence anticipation and dietary restraint on healthy food preference held regardless of availability of nutrition information. The findings suggest that, despite increasing concern for healthy eating, restrained consumers ironically show a preference for unhealthy food options when anticipating a dessert consumption opportunity. The present study provides theoretical implications for consumption anticipation, sequential consumption, and dietary restraint, and practical implications for restaurateurs as well as for consumers, health professionals, and policymakers regarding healthy eating.     

Challenges for Competitive Strategy in Public and Private Sector Partnerships in Electronic National Tourist Destination Marketing Systems

Abstract

There are challenges and issues in the business environment for sustainable public and private sector partnerships in electronic national tourism destination marketing systems (DMS). These challenges and issues for partnerships, and their implications for the competitive strategy of the DMS, have been neglected in the research literature to date. The article documents the evolution of the need for, and trend to, public/private sector partnerships in electronic national DMS and explores the challenges and issues for their successful development. It then analyses the implications of such partnerships for the competitive strategy of the electronic national DMS and concludes with suggestions for further research regarding partnership, strategy and electronic national DMSs.     

Motives for a secular pilgrimage to the Gallipoli battlefields

Pilgrimage is a journey to a non-substitutable site embodying the highly valued, the deeply meaningful, or a source of core identity for the traveller. Secular pilgrimage is an important yet under-researched sector of the tourism industry. Where the motives for religious pilgrimage are well documented, little is known of the motives for secular pilgrimages. This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation of one case of secular pilgrimage, the journey of Australians and New Zealanders to the Gallipoli battlefields in Turkey. Five distinct motives for visits to the pilgrimage site are identified – spiritual, nationalistic, family pilgrimage, friendship and travel motives – and differences in their importance noted across seven visitor groups. These motives share some commonality with the motives for religious pilgrimage, and conversely, with the motives for leisure tourism; yet, other motives are unique to the secular pilgrimage. Suggestions for future research on secular pilgrimage are provided.     

Quantitative approaches for economic use of emerging technology in the tourism industry: unmanned aerial vehicle systems

As technological innovations develop, new categories of services are emerging. In the tourism industry, one of the limelight technologies is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for virtual tourism systems, monitoring, and patrol activities for safety and security. However, for the successful application of a UAVs system, it is important to construct the system in an economic and efficient manner. In this study, quantitative approaches for a UAV system are introduced to support the economic establishment and its efficient operation. Two mathematical models are developed to construct and operate UAVs systems for recreation and safety purposes in the tourism industry. The validity of the proposed models is demonstrated via numerical experiments for both cases. To our knowledge, this is the first approach to address the issues of a UAV system design for tourism purposes. This study is expected to be the theoretical basis for future use of UAVs in the tourism industry.     

Evaluating ecotourism: The case of North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Ecotourism can contribute to both conservation and development and involves, as a minimum, positive synergistic relationships between tourism, biodiversity and local people, facilitated by appropriate management. This paper applies a framework for the development and evaluation of ecotourism to three protected areas in North Sulawesi. Due to its spectacular endemic biodiversity, the potential for providing quality nature experiences in North Sulawesi is high and tourism development is occurring rapidly. Site-level evaluations of ecotourism in three protected areas were performed to illustrate the application and the utility of the framework as a tool for evaluation and to assess the status of tourism in North Sulawesi. It is revealed that current relationships between people, resources and tourism in North Sulawesi have yet to provide the mutual benefits necessary for successful ecotourism. The approach and framework used to arrive at these conclusions have wide applicability for assessing the achievements of ecotourism at specific sites and for directing appropriate management strategies for ecotourism in protected areas.     

Thoroughbred racing: Backstage at the Sport of Kings

Thoroughbred racing is a global industry that provides numerous benefits, notably income from wagering, and the demonstration of social status, which form the basis for leisure experiences for thousands of racegoers. The paper applies the theory of front and back stage to conceptualise the human and animal performances on Race Day. Data from a sample of 66 race meetings revealed that injuries were reported for racing thoroughbreds on a regular basis, at almost all of the meetings sampled including the internationally recognised Melbourne Cup. The reality for thoroughbreds on the back stage is therefore inconsistent with the impression on the front stage. The study calls for further research regarding the use of domestic animals for entertainment.     

A GIS-based fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) for ecotourism suitability decision making: A case study of Babol in Iran

Managing ecotourism through appropriate zoning is critical for land use planning. This study is the first to integrate a geographic information system (GIS) with a Fuzzy-Analytic Hierarchy Process (F-AHP) to evaluate the relative importance of physical, natural, environmental, and socio-economic factors for determining the suitability of ecotourism sites. Eleven factors were selected through questionnaire-based surveying of 35 ecotourism and land management experts. F-AHP was applied to weight these factors in order to index and map the suitability of an Iranian case study area for ecotourism using GIS data. A reliable model for the identification of zone suitability was developed which revealed that landform and distance to stream, followed by temperature and elevation were the most important factors for calculating the suitability index. This paper provides useful insights into this novel application of a GIS-based F-AHP for ecotourism planning relevant for policy-makers, planners and practitioners.     

Challenges and potential improvements in the policy and regulatory framework for sustainable tourism planning in China: the case of Shanxi Province

A sound policy and regulatory framework is essential in planning for sustainable tourism development. The paper examines opportunities and challenges for China's planning for sustainable tourism development from both policy and regulatory perspectives. Despite the enthusiasm for sustainable tourism, China's existing relevant policy and regulatory frameworks are generally fraught with contradictory objectives, and they are also often incoherent, have ambiguous legal provisions, and many organizations have duplicate responsibilities, unclear definitions of responsibilities, interlocking activities, and weak coordination due to the complicated institutional structure. Based on Shanxi Province, the paper explores the policy and regulatory issues affecting tourism and its sustainability, and it also assesses the possible options to foster an improved policy and regulatory framework for China's sustainable tourism development. A much stronger political will from all levels of government will be required to overcome a prevalent mindset for short-term economic growth and deep-rooted practices in pursuit of departmental benefits. It is also necessary for China and Shanxi under the new national tourism law to articulate and coordinate its laws and regulations with much improved supportive bylaws. Finally, more rational and effective institutional arrangements are needed, with clearly defined functions and responsibilities for government at varied levels.     

Transnational corporations and tourism issues

Partners for Livable Places has, for the last 15 years, seen tourism as a resource of great importance for community economic development with tremendous impact on shaping future growth. Robert McNulty and Patricia Wafer of Partners for Livable Places, comment on transnational corporations. Their standpoint is that of an organization interested in tourism as an economic development strategy at the local level in the industrialized West, and as the most important economic argument for protection of endangered flora and fauna, and preservation of historic, cultural and archaeological resources in the Third World.