The destination competitiveness of Kinmen's tourism industry: exploring the interrelationships between tourist perceptions,service performance,customer satisfaction and sustainable tourism

Based upon an empirical investigation, the study draws upon the responses of 1623 tourists in Kinmen to explore the notion of destination competitiveness and how it is related to customer satisfaction with tourists’ perceptions, service performance and destination competitiveness. It also considers the question of destination competitiveness and sustainable tourism development. Variables such as tourists’ pre-visit perceptions, post-visit satisfaction toward destination attractions and resources, willingness to recommend and revisit, and competitiveness with foreign destinations are tested. The results of the study suggest that there is no correlation between tourists’ overall satisfaction and destination competitiveness. Implications of the study outcome illustrate that a destination's unique tourism characteristics can be the most important variables for destination competitiveness. In Kinmen's case, battlefields, historic relics, beautiful scenery and travel security gave it a competitive edge, despite high prices. In addition, developing the destination's brand image was found to be critical for tourism marketers and authorities in the context of increasingly global tourism competition.     

Last chance tourism and the Great Barrier Reef

The publically documented decline in health of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has led to its labelling, in media and academic literature, as a last chance tourism destination. That is, a place tourists travel to experience before it is gone. While the GBR has been labelled as such, no empirical evidence has identified that this is actually occurring. This article explores if tourists are motivated to visit the GBR to see it before it's gone, and examines the level of concern tourists have about the range of issues that are threatening the GBR. Drawing on 235 questionnaires with on-site tourists, the results indicate that tourists are seeking travel to the GBR in a bid to see the reef before it's too late. These tourists – identified as “seeking a last chance experience” – were also found to be more environmentally conscious, and have a higher level of concern about the overall health of the GBR. In terms of threats to the GBR, respondents indicated that they were mainly concerned about coral bleaching/disease and climate change, with tourism only considered as a moderate to low concern. The implications of this are discussed.     

Understanding the impact of culinary brand equity and destination familiarity on travel intentions

This paper explores determinants of brand equity and the role of destination familiarity for travel intentions in culinary tourism from the perspective of foreign tourists. This analysis advocates four elements for brand equity (brand loyalty, brand image, perceived quality and brand awareness) for culinary travel intentions in Taiwan. Building on extensive literature, this study developed and empirically tested a model of the relationship using survey data collected from 407 foreign tourists from ten regions. The results indicate that there is a direct positive relationship between brand equity and travel intentions in culinary tourism. Moreover, the study recognizes the moderating role of destination familiarity, which positively moderates the effect of brand loyalty and perceived quality on travel intentions.     

Persian literary heritage tourism: travel agents’ perspectives in Shiraz,Iran

Literature is a cultural component and literary niche tourism is a novel strategy for preserving and transferring literature heritage. This research has four major purposes: (1) to discover why Shiraz can be a destination for promoting literary tourism in Iran; (2) to identify strategies for stimulating this niche tourism; (3) to measure travel agents’ awareness of literary tourism; and (4) to investigate the attitude of travel agent managers towards this niche market. The results illustrated that travel agents are interested in the literary tourism development and they have a high interest in offering and organizing literary tours for tourists, but they are not familiar with this concept.     

旅游网站品牌化现状研究：以中国5A级景区为例

因特网在中国的快速普及给目的地营销组织带来了巨大的市场机会。目的地官方网站是一个重要的品牌化途径,而从品牌化角度研究我国旅游官方网站的信息内容,即如何使用品牌这一工具建立独特清晰的目的地形象,当前尚属于未探求的领域。该研究运用规范的内容分析方法评估我国5A级旅游网站品牌化现状,把我国5A级旅游网站划归为高品牌化、中品牌化和低品牌化三种类别,发现了目的地官方网站的品牌化有助于建立积极正向的目的地形象,并由此提出了重要的管理启示和未来的研究方向。     

Development Characteristics and Implications of Mainland Chinese Outbound Tourism

This paper provides a thorough examination of the Mainland Chinese demand for outbound travel. It analyses the impacts of the Mainland Chinese outbound tourism market according to factors such as policy, economy and socio-political issues. The origins, destination perceptions and organization of Mainland Chinese outbound tourists are also explained, together with the negative impacts of tourism on Mainland Chinese travellers, travel agencies, national image and economic loss. Finally, the marketing policies for Mainland Chinese outbound tourism in travel agencies, government tourism offices and destinations are examined.     

Justice motivation and place image influences on volunteer tourism: perceptions,responses, and deliberations

In the growing area of alternative tourism, tourist motives have been discussed but there is little consensus about what drives volunteer tourists. This paper explores the salience of justice motivation to the travel decision and deepens this understanding by contextualizing the volunteer tourism decision within the destination place image. Interviews were conducted during a Kenyan expedition. Results show justice motivation theory contributes to the explanation of trip participation as perceived injustices aligned with poorly perceived dimensions of the country’s image.     

Elucidating the relationships among destination images,recreation experience,and authenticity of the Shengxing Heritage Recreation Area in Taiwan

A destination's image and on-site recreation experience can be regarded as precedents of the authenticity perceived by heritage tourists. Historic images attract tourists to experience the authenticity of a heritage destination. This study examines the linear relationships among destination images, recreation experience, and the perceived authenticity experienced by tourists at the Shengxing Heritage Recreation Area in central Taiwan. In total, 536 usable questionnaires were collected. Analytical results indicate that the cognitive and affective images of a destination directly and significantly affect the recreation experience of tourists at a heritage recreation area. Additionally, recreation experience directly and significantly affects perceived authenticity. Moreover, recreation experience has a significant mediating effect on the relationship between cognitive image and perceived authenticity. We conclude that when tourists visit a heritage-based tourism destination, such as the destination under consideration, these tourists gain tourism image and recreation experiences, which strengthens their perceived authenticity of heritage tourism; as a result, these tourists are more likely to contribute to the development of heritage tourism. Applying this theoretical framework to research on heritage tourism further extends our understanding of the behavioural model of heritage tourists. Finally, this study provides a valuable reference for managers striving to develop heritage tourism.     

Who is a tourist? Classifying international urban tourists using machine learning

A key issue in tourism management relates to the lack of consensus regarding a theoretical and practical definition of the term “tourist.” In turn, this results in a range of methods for counting tourists and measuring tourism. This paper presents a novel non-linear model for classifying international tourists in urban settings, based on machine learning classification methods. These methods utilize innovative feature engineering derived from photos posted on the Flickr social media platform combined with the specific urban destination street structure. The data science model that we developed for identifying international tourists produced an overall accuracy of 69% for Manhattan and 94% for Vienna and Prague, offering new tourism indicators such as repeat visits, travel distances, and short stays. The outcome of this study offers a better understanding of travel patterns among international tourists, which could improve international tourism management and promote a more practical and adaptable model for measuring and analyzing international tourism using machine learning and user-generated content.     

In pursuit of a more just international tourism: the concept of trading tourism rights

Research on sustainable tourism mainly focuses on incoming tourism, and destination perspectives and impacts, and less on the focus of this paper – outgoing tourism. In this context, direct and personal access to tourism represents an equal right to all world citizens. Because this right has not been exercised equally, the world is divided into two parts, excess and deprived, tourism citizens and their nation-states. This paper proposes a more just tourism system to balance the rights of tourists to travel, with the right to development, equal tourism participation, and consumption of world resources. It draws on theories from Nozick and Rawls on rights and justice to ground our model, backed by the work of other writers including Hultsman, Higgins-Desbiolles, Jamal, and Camargo. It expands the definition of just tourism to activate tourism's potential to become a developmental force in the existing socio-economic global order. This potential is realised through the use of market-based economic instruments for the implementation of a just tourism system. It suggests how to create financial flows towards third world states for their development and modernisation, using the concept of tradable tourism certificates, a concept tested in emissions control, population, and land use planning.     

Tourists’ happiness: are there smart tourism technology effects?

The purpose of this study is to develop a research model demonstrating tourists’ value-seeking processes through the tourism services and travel experiences of a destination. The model suggests that tourist happiness is assessed by tourists’ perceived experiences, which are formed by two motivational values: smart tourism technology (STT) and destination value. Despite a large quantity of research attention on destination tourism, the relation between tourists’ destination experience and STT has been less enthusiastically studied. Therefore, this study proposes to test an integrated model with attributes of STTs and destination values that contribute to tourists’ life happiness. The results of this study, from a survey of 191 foreign tourists in Seoul, South Korea, indicate that tourists are likely to put more value on what they perceived from their destination travel experiences than what they perceived from their experiences with STT services when they evaluate their overall happiness. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

中国出境旅游变动趋势分析

为了把握中国作为新兴的全球旅游业重要出境客源地的发展前景和变动趋势，本文从出境旅游市场发展规模、决策类型和价格影响、目的地偏好、旅游方式、消费能力等方面作了详细的分析，并提出了相应建议。     

Effects of Gender Differences on Perceptions of Destination Attributes,Motivations, and Travel Values: An Examination of a Nature-Based Resort Destination

This study examines the perceptions of the potential tourist market to a nature-based resort destination from the gendered perspective. The research reveals that significant gender differences exist about the perceived importance of destination attributes and travel values when potential nature tourists consider destination choices. After controlling for demographic and travel behaviour variables, such as age, marital status, education, household income, preference of price quote and length of stay, most gender differences remain significant. In addition, more significant distinctions between men and women are demonstrated after controlling for age and income level. The study provides insights into gendered perceptions of nature-based tourism settings. Specific marketing implications are discussed in an attempt to successfully attract nature tourists and provide a high-quality nature destination experience.     

Medical Tourism—Attracting Japanese Tourists For Medical Tourism Experience

This study aimed at examining the intention of Japanese tourists to travel to Korea in a medical tourism context by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A total of 237 responses were analyzed via structural equation modeling to test two dimensions of medical tourism models. A total of 14 salient belief items in the health treatment model and 16 salient belief items in the beautification model were identified. Reshaping dimensions of medical tourism and the proved applicability of the TPB extends the knowledge of medical tourism and understanding of Japanese tourists' travel intentions in a medical tourism context. The findings indicate the industry practitioners should put effort into attracting Japanese medical tourists. This research has shown that authorities should influence word-of-mouth information exchange and should seek feedback to develop marketing strategies. Publicity should be coordinated with professional bodies in the originating and destination countries. The research further indicates that regulatory and safety regulations must be in place with easy access to information.     

旅游型海岛游客与居民时空间行为研究——以辽宁省长海县为例

旅游型海岛承担着生活和旅游的双重功能,明晰游客与居民的时空间行为特征,对海岛空间优化、基础设施配置等具有现实意义。辽宁省长海县是典型淡旺季分明的旅游型海岛,本研究基于实地调研和空间分析方法,分类刻画游客与居民活动行为模式及其活动-移动时空特征。结果表明：（1）受旅游淡旺季影响,海岛年内活动群体空间集聚区域明显分异,形成了旺季围绕景点、浴场等场所,淡季围绕家、村镇中心等场所的游客与居民时空间行为模式;（2）游客和居民活动行为的时空特征明显,游客出行频次更多,行为空间范围更广,大长山岛镇中心和广鹿岛镇中心是游客前往景点和浴场的集散地之一,也是居民日常活动的集散地,是游客和岛民行为空间重叠区域,也是海岛共享度最高的空间。（3）游客时空间行为受行为目的、偏好和活动组合影响,居民时空间行为主要受社会角色、个体社会经济属性影响,群体时空间行为影响因素存在显著差异。本研究可针对旅游型海岛的基础设施空间优化配置、海岛社会空间效率提升、海岛国土空间规划等方面提供参考依据。     

Wellness tourism and spatial stigma: A case study of Bama,China

This study focused on the stigmatisation of an emerging wellness tourism destination due to patient travel for tourism. The concept of spatial stigma was adopted to explore how local residents perceive, experience and manage the particular negative effects of wellness tourism. The study investigated Bama Yao Autonomous County, colloquially known as ‘Bama’, in China, to which many tourists with cancer and other chronic diseases travel. The results showed that the influx of wellness tourists brought significant challenges in this area. The residents reported ambivalent experiences of and feelings about wellness tourism in local communities, and disagreed with the vilification of wellness tourists. However, they were concerned about the potential consequences of wellness tourism. To manage and resist spatial stigma, the residents deliberately separated themselves from the places occupied by wellness tourists. The theoretical contributions and managerial implications of the study are discussed.     

Tourism demand forecasting models: Choice of appropriate variable to represent tourists' cost of living

Price is generally regarded as a major determinant of demand. Tourism has two price elements - the cost of travel to the destination and the cost of living for tourists in the destination. Previous studies where econometric forecasting models have been developed for international tourism demand usually take the consumer price index in a country to be a proxy for the cost of tourism in that country owing to lack of appropriate data. This article attempts to evaluate the performance of proxy variables compared with a specific tourists' cost of living variable within the context of tourism demand forecasting models.     

A proposed measurement scale for mixed-images destinations and its interrelationships with destination loyalty and travel experience

The purpose of this study is threefold; to develop a destination image scale for mixed-images destinations; to investigate its impact on destination loyalty between first-time and repeat tourists; and to explore the moderating role of tourist's travel experiences in the relationship between destination image and destination loyalty. Data were collected based on a quota sample from 400 international tourists in Egypt and were analyzed using exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and multi-group analysis. The results show that the proposed destination image scale has good reliability, validity, and predictability. It also supports the argument that tourists' cognitive and affective evaluations of the destination have significant effects on destinations' overall image. Additionally, while all destination image components have a significant impact on destination loyalty, those effects are significantly higher for repeat tourists than for first-time tourists. Finally, the study highlighted many practical implications for tourism marketers.     

Visiting probability model: a new method for tourist volume forecasting

ABSTRACT

Tourist volume forecasting is an ongoing theme in tourism research. Current methods rely too much on the previous tourist arrivals data. Based on tourism system perspective, we propose a visiting probability model composed of five independent variables: the attractiveness of a destination, the travel time from a origin to the destination, the traffic expense to and from the destination, the physical fatigue travel time and the per capita disposable monthly income of the origin. The model provides a new method for forecasting the number of tourists from a specific origin without historical tourist arrivals data.     

Developing a new Multi‐Nation tourism region: Thai perspectives on the Mekong initiatives

This article examines Thailand's recent tourism policy and its attitudes towards international tourism development collaboration in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Thailand is the major tourist destination country and gateway for international tourists visiting the region, and is a leader of Mekong tourism developments. This paper considers the Thai perspective on its tourism development, and examines current co‐operative activities in the Mekong region in the context of its own tourism industry. A number of research needs are sketched out as a proposed framework for future studies.