Exploring Perceptions of US State Tourism Organizations' Web Advertising Effectiveness

This article adopts, modifies and tests the Interactive Advertising Model as a potential tool for evaluating website advertising effectiveness in US state tourism organizations. The adopted model is referred to in the study as the Modified Interactive Tourism Advertising Model (MITAM). The model is tested using data gathered from an independent evaluation by 31 Korean natives on five state US tourism organization websites. The data are analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The study found that the proposed MITAM model should be considered as a tool for improving the advertising effectiveness of travel websites. The article concludes with a discussion on the study findings along with recommendations on how state tourism organizations can improve their website advertising effectiveness.     

Website Evaluation in Tourism and Hospitality

SUMMARY

Millions of dollars have been invested in Website development, often without much thought of how to evaluate the effectiveness of sites. This paper reports on the past, present, and likely future of one of the recommended approaches for evaluating tourism and hospitality Websites, the modified Balanced Scorecard approach. It traces the use of the approach from its beginning in 1999 to the present time. A thorough review of other approaches to Website evaluation is also provided. The article suggests that Website evaluation approaches can be classified into four groups based upon why and when the evaluation is done (formative vs. summative evaluation) and whether efficiency or effectiveness is being measured. It concludes with a call to action for industry leaders, academics, and consultants to develop a unified procedure for Website evaluation in tourism and hospitality.     

Cruise ship industry — patterns in the Caribbean 1880–1986

This article examines the historical development of the Caribbean cruise-ship industry from 1880 to the present. Cruise-ship itineraries from the New York Times and other sources were used to derive potential passenger statistics by ports of call and embarkation. The spatial development and growth of this sector in the Caribbean since World War II are shown and discussed in the accompanying figures and text. The highly dynamic nature of the industry, particularly with respect to changing ports of origin is revealed. Major influences in the patterns include legislation, external economic factors and political developments, as well as market shifts.     

Beyond Sun,Sand and Sea: The Emergent Tourism Programme in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Mass tourism began in the Caribbean in the 1960s with the advent of low cost air travel. Jamaica, Barbados, and the Bahamas were among the first places to develop a resort-based tourism programme. Within 20 years, these locations began to experience the problems that are now typically associated with unplanned growth. For emergent tourist destinations, these older islands can serve as a model of what not to do. One location that has taken some lessons to heart is the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in the lower Bahamian archipelago. While TCI offers itself as a sun, sand and sea destination, tourism officials seek to attract upscale visitors with a long term investment in the islands. The problem they are wrestling with is how to develop an island image based not only on the sea-based amenities but also the local history, natural attractions and expressive culture. In response, a diverse heritage group has begun a dialogue about how to do this. This paper describes the current state of tourism in the TCI within the context of new directions in Caribbean tourism.     

Measuring Serious Leisure in Chess: Model Confirmation and Method Bias

The serious leisure inventory and measure (SLIM) was tested with 348 chess players to confirm the factors, assess the effects of method bias, and propose a set of the best-performing items for the 18 factor SLIM. The 54-item SLIM demonstrated acceptable fit and reliability values. The effect of method bias was evidenced in the sample and explained one-third of the variance. Inspection of factor loadings, when controlling for method bias, yielded one best-performing item per factor. Findings indicate method bias continues to be problematic for self-report measures such as the SLIM.     

Promoting Gondwana: presentation of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area in tourist brochures

An 800 km stretch of the Eastern coast of Australia contains some of the last remnant fragments of the sub-tropical rainforests that once covered much of the region. This natural resource – declared as World Heritage in 1986 as the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia, but now known as the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia – serves as an important drawcard for tourist visitation to the region. Using a content analysis of 343 tourism brochures collected across one section of the Gondwana Rainforests area, this study examined the extent to which ‘rainforest’, ‘World Heritage’ and the ‘Gondwana Rainforests’ are present within text and imagery. Findings reveal a low prevalence of this ‘branding’; indeed only 3% of brochures mention ‘Gondwana’ or ‘Gondwana Rainforests’. As presentation is a key component of World Heritage-listed forests like Gondwana, the study's results reveal the importance of building awareness of the brand in the minds of users and the community.     

Visitors' perceptions of the use of cable cars and lifts in Wulingyuan World Heritage Site,China

This paper examines perceptions and attitudes towards the use of cable cars with specific reference to Wulingyuan World Heritage Site in China. A total of 45 respondents were interviewed using open-ended questioning and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis suggests six motives for the use of the lift: (1) tight schedules generated by travel agents and tour operators, (2) lack of physical strength to walk to the summit, (3) group membership influences, (4) the saving of time, (5) lack of information about alternative approaches and (6) novelty of the lift. However, when questioned about sources of satisfaction, respondents tended to refer to other aspects of their visit. This raises questions of managerial significance, as in the past the construction of such lifts and cableways has been based on a premise of enhancing visitors' satisfaction with their visit, and this perceived advantage has been seen as outweighing possible adverse environmental impacts     

西部地区民族旅游开发与民族文化保护

随着西部旅游大开发战略的实施,西部地区以少数民族文化为主要吸引物的民族旅游开发也将进入一个新阶段。民族旅游资源开发给当地少数民族地区带来经济发展的同时,也将不可避免地给当地民族文化带来一系列的负面作用。本文分析了民族旅游开发对民族文化的消极影响,探讨了西部民族旅游开发中民族文化的保护问题。     

Pro-environmental behaviours of visitors to Thailand’s national parks and factors discriminating the behaviours

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to classify types of pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) and to investigate factors discriminating PEBs of visitors to national parks in Thailand. The questionnaire was used to collect data from 800 Thai visitors. Data was analysed using factor analysis and discriminant analysis. The findings demonstrated that PEBs were classified into three groups. Perceived controllability represented the key variable discriminating the PEBs of visitors. The recommendations for provoking PEBs are 1) improving basic facilities to encourage PEBs of visitors, and 2) creating effective interpretive messages, which address the beneficial consequences when action is taken with appropriate behaviour.     

Risk Perception and Buying Behavior: An Examination of Some Relationships in the Context of Cruise Tourism in Jamaica

Cruise tourism continues to grow substantially, even as many other forms of travel stagnate. In this era of increasing worldwide violence against tourists, safety, security, and risk abatement are becoming principal components in travelers' decision-making processes. This work examines the issue of perceived risk and safety and what impact these perceptions have on shopping behavior. The research takes place in Jamaica, a country with a reputation for aggressive vendors. Findings indicate that those visitors who traveled with others spent more time shopping and purchased more. Additionally, it was found that first time visitors express higher levels of discomfort with their surroundings than did repeat visitors, thus inhibiting purchase behavior. Finally, it was found that levels of perceived risk and security did have an impact on a traveler's intention to return to Jamaica.     

基于因素分析的区域旅游竞争力评价模型研究

竞争力评价是近年学术研究的热点.本文首先回顾了我国区域旅游竞争力评价的相关研究,然后从分析区域旅游竞争力的影响因素入手,构建一个评价区域旅游竞争力的多层次指标体系,并利用因子分析法对指标体系进行定量分析,建立相应的综合评价模型.     

Segmenting Visitors to Battlefield Sites: International Visitors to The Former Demilitarized Zone in Vietnam

Paradoxically, part of the appeal of Vietnam as an emerging destination lies in the commodification of images, artifacts, and battlefield sites of the Vietnam War. While studied from the supply-side, little research has been undertaken yet in terms of the patterns of demand for battlefield tourism. Based on a survey of 481 visitors to the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), this article uses factor analysis and cluster analysis to segment then profile battlefield visitors based on their motivations. Three groups of visitors to the DMZ were identified: the Battlefield Tourism Enthusiast, the Opportunist, and Passive Tourists. Significant differences were found between the three segments with regard to various sociodemographics and trip characteristics. However, results from the study also emphasize that analyses of demand based on site visits should be contextualized in terms of visits to the country as a whole and that care must be taken in distinguishing specialist visitors from generalists.     

江苏省院校旅游专业与旅游企业供求现状分析

院校旅游专业应培养适应旅游企业需要的旅游人才。本文以江苏省院校旅游专业为例,通过调查旅游专业毕业生总体就业状况以及旅游企业对旅游人才的需求特点,分析目前院校旅游专业教育中存在的不足,并提出初步解决途径。     

旅游调研数据处理方法和分析技术探讨--以荷兰纳米根市(Nijmegen)旅游形象调研为例

旅游调研的科学性不仅取决于调研过程的设计、调研方法的选择,更要依赖于调研数据分析技术的选择,而后期数据处理深度和准确性将直接影响到整个调研的深度和科学性。本文针对旅游调研的两类主要的调研方法论——定性方法论和定量方法论所指导的调研后期数据分析技术和方法做初步的探讨,并以荷兰纳米根市(Nijmegen)旅游形象调研为案例做具体的说明。     

基于德尔菲法的中国漂流旅游发展影响因素研究

漂流旅游作为一项新型的专项旅游已经越来越受到国内外学者的广泛关注。文章根据国内外漂流旅游文献＂词频＂进行总结,从中提炼出影响漂流旅游发展的主要类别,在此基础上进行问卷设计,采用德尔菲法,选取了42位专家进行意见征询,并进行了两轮问卷测试。研究发现,中国漂流旅游发展的影响因素根据其重要程度依次为：（1）漂流安全设施设备的可靠性;（2）流量、落差以及沿途景观等漂流旅游资源自身的状况;（3）消费者的满意度与回头率;（4）当地的交通状况与政府支持等。该研究对中国漂流旅游等专项旅游的良性发展有重要的理论与实践意义。     

Tourism,Marketing and Sustainable Development in the English National Parks: The Role of National Park Authorities

This paper examines the work of the English National Park Authorities (NPAs) in relation to aspects of the development of sustainable tourism. The NPAs have implicitly sought to achieve sustainable tourism development since the parks were first designated, striving to balance the needs of visitors and the environment within the context of living, working landscapes. Studies have revealed, however, that some NPAs are not fully championing sustainable tourism development. The paper examines the NPA's use of marketing and marketing perspectives in encouraging sustainable tourism, exploring attitudes, roles and activities. A diverse, piecemeal and sometimes underinformed approach is revealed. The paper concludes with ways forward for English NPAs and for other protected area management organisations.     

张家界旅游城市化响应强度与机制分析

文章提出旅游城市化响应强度的概念,并将旅游城市化响应强度周期划分为快速、平稳、创新和分化4个阶段,以旅游城市化响应强度系数为测度旅游城市响应强度的变量指标,利用张家界1989～2010年相关统计数据,分析了张家界旅游城市化响应强度的时序演变特征,并进一步从静态和动态分析了张家界旅游城市化响应强度的影响机制。结果发现:1989～2010年张家界旅游城市化响应强度呈现出上升趋势,并呈现阶段性演变特征;从静态来看,张家界人均GDP、人均全社会固定资产投资、人均建成市区面积和市域旅游开发强度与旅游城市化响应系数存在正相关关系,相关系数分别为0.9026、0.8841、0.8405和0.7928;从动态来看,对旅游城市化有影响的因素按照影响大小排序为:人均GDP>人均建成市区面积>人均全社会固定资产投资>市域旅游开发强度。     

Nature tourism trends in Australia with reference to the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area

Nature-based tourism has been viewed as a large and growing segment of the tourism market. Advocates of nature-based tourism argue its potential to generate income for biodiversity conservation and local economic benefit, while detractors fear a risk of “loving our parks to death”. Some recent studies have suggested that nature-based tourism may be declining on a per capita basis, especially in economically developed countries. Others have detected no such trend. Nature-based tourism is a key industry within Australia, based strongly on its unique scenery and biodiversity. We compared nature-based visitation and population growth during 1998–2012 for Australia overall and specifically for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area which is adjacent to the country's largest conurbation of Greater Sydney. We found substantial declines in domestic per capita visitation, both nationally and regionally. Because visitation provides the “political capital” for parks to survive, strategies to encourage visitation should be a target for land managers. Since children foster environmentally responsible behaviour in adults, they should be part of the focus for developing diverse experiences that encourage park visitation.