An application of tourism carrying capacity assessment at two Italian cultural heritage sites

If not properly managed or organized, tourist flows can constitute a risk for conserving cultural heritage sites. It may therefore be important to estimate the maximum capacity a visitor site can receive without compromising its heritage integrity or visitors’ experiences. This research note formulates a comprehensive methodology to assess the carrying capacity of cultural heritage sites as a way of providing technical support for cultural development and tourism management policies. This approach proposes a combination of qualitative and quantitative indicators to assess tourist flows at a site, how tourists affect conservation and how the property itself shapes and conditions the visitor experience. This how-to study underscores the management system and suggests guidelines to improve the tourism product without generating negative impacts on the built heritage. Two museum case studies are highlighted – the National Museum of the arts of the XXI Century, in Rome and the National Gallery of Marche (Palazzo Ducale, in Urbino).     

Holding or not holding a mega-event: case of the F1 Korea Grand Prix

This study aims to estimate visitors’ consumption benefits using the double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method. The results of this study show that the per capita consumption benefit of the F1 Korea Grand Prix, a study context used in this study, were approximately US$307 and then, the total aggregated economic value generated by the event was US$49,262,301 in 2011. These results indicate that visitors of the F1 Korea Grand Prix perceive huge economic benefits from their visitation and activities during the event. In addition, the results show that prior visit experience and a sport identification are significantly associated with visitors’ perceived consumption benefits while other variables (e.g. age, gender, nationality, automotive club membership) are not. Several theoretical, practical, and methodological implications of this study are discussed.     

ITCM在我国游憩价值评估中的应用及改进

旅行费用法(TCM)是当今世界上普遍用来进行非市场资源,特别是对环境资源(包括旅游娱乐资源和各类游憩活动)经济价值评估的方法.该方法主要分为区域旅行费用法(ZTCM)和个人旅行费用法(ITCM).这种在国外应用于资源价值评估的常规方法,在直接引入我国用于旅游资源价值评估研究中表现出一定的局限性.本文在分析旅行费用法用于我国游憩资源价值评估存在的问题的基础上,针对中国旅游者出行方式的特点,应用改进的ITCM模型测算大连星海公园的游憩价值.结果表明,2007年大连星海公园的游憩价值为16.085亿元.     

The impact of interactive technologies on the social experience: An empirical study in a cultural tourism context

This article purports to explore the impact of the four types of experiences - education, entertainment, escapism, and aesthetics - proposed by Pine and Gilmore (1999) on the collective experience across a range of interactive technologies in a leading technology-empowered tourist destination – la Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. The findings reveal that passive and active technologies have different impacts on the visitor's social experience. Technologies that require visitors' active participation afford opportunities for verbal and physical interactions with other visitors. By contrast, passive technologies, providing recreational and artistic content to visitors without them having to interact with the technology, tend to preclude social interactions. This research contributes to the literature addressing the social experience phenomenon in a cultural tourism context. It also provides important implications for managers involved in the design and management of technology-empowered tourism experiences.     

Willingness to Pay for an Ecological Park Experience

The purpose of this study is to estimate an ecological park's use values and to show the statistical relationship between emotional/psychological determinants and visitors' willingness to pay (WTP). The study employs the contingent valuation method (CVM) to elicit the park's economic values. CVM, however, has been criticized due to potential exaggeration bias, so this study attempts to reduce this bias by reaffirming visitors' “yes” responses. Results demonstrate a more conservative WTP, and show that sense of place meanings did not have a significant relationship with respondents' WTP but satisfaction did influence people's willingness to pay for an ecological park experience.     

The Recreational Value of Rohtas Fort,Pakistan

This study evaluates the use value of Rohtas Fort, in province Punjab (Pakistan). Employing the Individual Travel Cost Method, the study estimated the total annual consumer surplus as US$ 8.71 million and the total recreational value as US$ 11.70 million (which is 0.05% of total GDP of Pakistan in the year 2013). The major influencing factors of visitation frequency were observed as travel cost, household income, age, household size, education and sex. Visitors were highly satisfied from the museum as against the waste disposal services. Cleanliness is a major problem faced by visitors with the highest priority index value of 0.88. Based on high willingness to pay for the entrance fee, the authority can increase the entrance fee which will add to the revenue generation for the Fort and ultimately the authority would have resources for renovation/maintenance projects. The authority should arrange the appropriate waste disposal system for the Fort.     

Toward a resolution of the cost of equity conundrum in the lodging industry: a conceptual framework

The firm value estimate is derived from accounting and finance practices that focus on physical assets as opposed to intangible assets (Arthur Andersen Hospitality Leisure Executive Rep. 5 (1998) 2). The cost of equity estimation models used in firm valuation and capital investment decisions fall short of tapping important constructs to firm value, especially the intangible ones. The purpose of this study is to assess the present cost of equity capital determination models and provide a view of their relevancy for the lodging industry while simultaneously attempting to propose new options to meet the valuation and capital budgeting needs of the lodging industry.     

A typology of memorable experience at Nelson Mandela heritage sites

This study examines cultural heritage tourism by identifying and segmenting heritage site visitors according to the aspects they define as necessary for a memorable heritage site experience. The research focusses on visitors to Nelson Mandela Heritage Sites and emphasises that the links between the attributes of a site and the visitors themselves are essential to understanding tourists’ willingness to pay to visit the mentioned sites. A typology of visitors that the authors labelled ‘auxiliary experience seekers, convenience experience seekers and comprehensive experience seekers’ (ACC) was used. The results revealed comprehensive experience seekers as the most critical market segment regarding the much significantly higher amount they are willing to pay when visiting Nelson Mandela Heritage Sites. This leads to a better understanding of aspects contributing towards a memorable heritage site experience as well as to visitors’ willingness to pay for such experiences. This study also provides further insight into cultural heritage tourism in general. Moreover, such segmentation was found as a useful research tool for producing a distinct visitor profile as well as how a memorable experiencing can be generated by suggesting diversified pricing at such sites.     

Abroad-at-Home: Identifying domestic tourism locations for overseas-like travel experiences by leveraging concept modeling

Some countries have places with foreign-like scenery that attracts domestic visitors to enjoy overseas-like travel experiences. However, such overseas-like travel experiences have not been widely utilized for domestic tourism development. This is likely due to the lack of awareness among the scientific community and tools for effectively identifying such travel experiences. To address the related gaps and technical challenges, this paper investigates the potential of abroad-at-home as a type of domestic tourism for promoting domestic tourism. This paper also introduces a novel technique called concept modeling that identifies abroad-at-home travel experiences from travel photos taken within a country. A case study on a large-scale dataset of more than 265,000 geotagged travel photos taken in Australia demonstrated the effectiveness of this method. The proposed method and findings are valuable for tourism organizations that use abroad-at-home travel experiences for domestic tourism development.     

The Effect of Length of Stay on Travelers' Perceived Satisfaction with Service Quality

SUMMARY

Consumer satisfaction related to service quality during the vacation experience is of paramount importance to the travel and tourism industry. This study tests empirically the effects the number of nights spent on a vacation have on the levels of satisfaction recent travelers report for three service aspects of the travel destination: perceived satisfaction with tourism service providers; perceived “freedom from defects” of tourism services; and perceived reasonableness of the cost of tourism services. Differentiation in satisfaction scores between “short-term visitors” (i.e., those who stayed from one to six nights) and “long-term visitors” (i.e., those who stayed seven or more nights) were examined. Significant differences between the two groups of visitors were present for (1) perceived satisfaction with industry professionals delivering the service experience at the travel destination, (2) perceived satisfaction with “freedom from defects” of the actual services at the destination, and (3) perceived reasonableness of the cost of services at the travel destination. Suggestions for how tourism industry professionals can make use of this information are presented.     

How feasible is coastal management? A social benefit analysis of a coastal destination in SW Spain

Very few assessments of the beach recreational experience value have been made in Spain. This is both surprising and discouraging considering the importance of sun-and-sand tourism to the country. The present study applies the Travel Cost Method (TCM) to assess the non-market user value of three Atlantic beaches in southern Spain. The results reveal that there are statistically significant differences in visitor type by season and by beach. Calculations show that the socioeconomic benefits generated by one hectare of any of the studied beaches during the high season are one order of magnitude greater than the average annual amount of capital invested in coastal management projects and actions. It is apparent that expenditure on management strategies for the beaches of Cadiz is justified. Policy-makers should recognise that the consumer surplus is an important component of economic value because it represents a measure of social benefits rather than on-site expenditures alone.     

Crossing the Cultural Divide: Western Visitors and Interpretation at Ayutthaya World Heritage Site,Thailand

In 1991, Ayutthaya, the former capital city of Thailand and now an archaeological park, was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Currently, it receives some one million international visitors a year, mainly day-trippers from Bangkok. Despite this, the on-site interpretation put in place in 1992 (largely signage in Thai and English) has never been assessed in terms of the content of the signs and the reactions of visitors. This paper pertains to one part of the first extensive study of the interpretation employed at Ayutthaya, a study that included a visitor survey that was both a demographic study and an initial investigation into the cross-cultural dimension of interpretation at Ayutthaya. The international visitation to this World Heritage Site is overwhelmingly Western and, therefore, a critical issue arises: what do non-Asian, non-Thai and non-Buddhist visitors gain from the experience? If the visitor is not of the same culture being experienced, and if cross-cultural translation itself is a highly complex and sometimes contentious and problematic process, then it is likely that the deeper cultural significance of the site cannot be well understood in a one-day visit. If the deeper meanings of Ayutthaha remain elusive, does it follow that appreciating the cultural and heritage values of the site is, in direct proportion, an unattainable goal? The study points towards what may be possible when heritage interpretation, in an age of unprecedented global travel, is regarded as a negotiation of a cultural divide.     

Sacred site experience: A Phenomenological Study

This paper attempts to broaden the subject of sacred site experience by presenting the findings of a study on the experiences of an exclusive male sacred shrine in Greece, Mount Athos, also known as the Holy Mountain. The study involved a phenomenological approach undertaken through initiating conversations with visitors, participant observation and reviewing narratives on visitor books kept in monasteries. From the analysis five core elements of authentic experience emerged, namely spiritual; cultural; environmental; secular; and educational. These elements were discussed in relation to the methodology adopted and the findings of past research.     

Experiencing culture in attractions,events and tour settings

This paper develops a measurement scale for cultural experiences across different contexts, including attractions, events and tours, in Hong Kong. Four dimensions of experience (cognitive, conative, affective and novelty) are identified through structural equation modelling. The scale is applied to compare visitor- and context-related influences on the experience and on subsequent behavioural intentions. We find that the conative dimension of experience elicits the highest experience scores from visitors, but affective experiences are more significant in distinguishing between different experience contexts and visitor groups. The strongest experiences were attributed to event contexts, followed by tours, and finally permanent attractions. The experience is also enhanced when various sites are combined by visitors to provide a ‘destination journey’.     

南京熙南里历史文化街区体验价值增值路径分析

游客体验及其体验价值是历史文化街区旅游开发研究的重要内容之一。以小红书App分享的熙南里历史文化街区照片为研究数据，采用质性研究方法提取照片隐含的价值要素，并基于凝视心理活动分析框架构建游客体验价值的增值路径。研究表明：（1）熙南里历史文化街区的体验价值体现在功能价值、享乐价值和符号价值3个层级；（2）历史文化街区可以通过游览体验和视觉选择两条路径实现享乐价值和符号价值的增值，进而间接提升其功能价值；（3）节庆活动、文化演艺活动和娱乐体验活动的参与程度与享乐价值直接相关，符号价值则主要通过打卡和探店等行为提升社会声望价值，游客视觉选择的网红符号形象强于历史文化符号。基于此，研究从功能价值、享乐价值和符号价值三方面为历史文化街区提出具有普适性的提升策略。     

Escaping the Jungle

ABSTRACT

One of the most challenging, but also most interesting, features of tourism and hospitality as an area of study is that there is considerable variability in the backgrounds and training of those who are involved in its management. In some commercial sectors there is a lengthy tradition of the use of marketing as an integral component of management practice, while in public management organisations, marketing concepts are either unknown or mistrusted. This lack of application of marketing is particularly apparent in the management of tourism to protected areas such as National and State Parks and forests. An ongoing challenge in this sector is to conduct research into visitors and how they choose and enjoy their nature based leisure experiences. This article will report on a project to improve the study and management of visitors to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in the North Eastern part of Australia. The study involved a travel lifestyle market segmentation of over 1200 visitors to the area based on travel interests, activities and desired rainforest based tourism experiences. The analysis identified four core types of rainforest visitor and these groups were compared and contrasted in terms of their service quality ratings and overall satisfaction. The article concludes with links to the management frameworks for this tourism destination and the value of different segmentation techniques     

Examining Relationships among Expo Experiences,Service Quality,Satisfaction, and the Effect of the Expo: The Case of the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea

The enduring legacy of a mega-event can be the unique opportunities it provides for visitors. Thus, focusing on the visitors’ experiences should be a priority for the tourism industry. Festivals and mega-events are typical experiential products that provide high-quality experiences in the field of tourism. This study examines Pine and Gilmore's concept of the experience economy in the context of a mega-event. Specifically, the relationships among Expo experience, quality, satisfaction, and the effect of the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea are examined. This study empirically tests whether the Expo experience and Expo quality influence visitor satisfaction. It also investigates whether visitor satisfaction influences the effect of the Expo. A self-administered survey was conducted for visitors (N?=?377) of the Expo. The results of testing Pine and Gilmore's concept of the experience economy reveal that among four dimensions, esthetic experience followed by entertainment experience were the most important experiences influencing visitor satisfaction. The results also show that the effect of the Yeosu Expo was determined by Expo satisfaction. However, the findings indicate that educational and escape experiences were not closely related to satisfaction for Expo visitors.     

Estimating Congestion Costs and Segmenting Motivations for Recreational Festivals

This paper aims to evaluate the willingness to pay (WTP) of visitors to reduce congestion and to segment the market of visitors by motivations. A double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method and survival analysis are adopted to estimate congestion costs for tourists. Analysis of variance is used to test the satisfaction and the WTP of tourists among the segmented motivation groups. Exploratory factor analysis method is conducted to extract four major factorial dimensions, and cluster analysis was performed to identify the characteristics of visitors' motivations into three clusters. The average amount that a tourist is willing to pay to mitigate congestion is US$2.22. The most important market segmentation is the “pursuit of multiple goals”, which has the largest segment of the market. Festival managers need to mitigate overcrowding and identify the segmentation information to develop effective strategies and to refine advertising campaigns to attract more people.     

Analysis of tour values to develop enablers using an interpretive hierarchy-based model in Taiwan

Tourism experiences in natural landscapes are considered an integral component of tourism value. Tourism experiences can also create a link between an individual and his or her spiritual needs. Thus, this study aims to utilize an effective approach to interpret individual, subjective human experiences in natural environments using interpretive structural modeling. This technique is used to build a hierarchy-based model and determine the mutual relationships among the enablers of tour value. In addition, this study uses the Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis to analyze the degree of influence of these factors and their degree of dependence on each other. To collect the empirical data, questionnaires were distributed to visitors at Grand Gangshan, a tourist destination in northeastern Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The results show that particular enablers (Internet marketing, the establishment of sales locations and planning for travel information services) have a high degree of influence and exhibit low dependence. These enablers require a great deal of attention because of their strategic importance to tourism development. The approach employed in this study provides a very useful tool for travel authorities to use to differentiate between the independent and dependent variables affecting tour value and to identify the relationships among those variables. Using this approach will allow the actors in this industry to focus on the most important variables for promoting the visitor experience in natural settings.     

Tourist Attitudes Towards the Environment

Abstract

This article evaluates the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) as a tool for measuring the economic benefits of the provision of non-marketed tourism products. CVM was used to measure skiers' willingness to pay (WTP) for an environmentally friendly ski destination. Skiers from three different nationalities were surveyed, and although they were more likely to visit a resort that is environmentally responsible, not all of them would pay more for the privilege. Use of the CVM indicated a strong correlation between WTP and the cost of the holiday, level of income, and level of environmental conscience. The authors conclude that although CVM can provide useful data for tourism decision-makers, it does have its limitations.