Post-disaster tourism: building resilience through community-led approaches in the aftermath of the 2011 disasters in Japan

Abstract

Post-disaster tourism is often perceived as a form of Dark Tourism associated with death, loss and destruction. In Japan, the term Dark Tourism has gained prominence following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. This paper focuses on a community-led approach to post-disaster tourism development, initiated in the coastal area of Minamisanriku and labelled by the locals Blue Tourism. From its inception Blue Tourism incorporated non-dark activities which concentrated on the beauty of nature, social and environmental sustainability and the development of an enriched tourist experience. Its co-creational ethos helped transform some of the negative narratives of loss associated with Dark Tourism into positive accounts of communal renewal and hope. The paper highlights the limitations of Dark Tourism to post-disaster recovery and contributes new insights to the community-based tourism literature. We argue that Blue Tourism is not a type of Dark Tourism but a form of resilience which builds around local place-based practices and traditional community knowledge. Consequently, it is capable of achieving sustainable disaster recovery and tourist satisfaction simultaneously.     

Services specialization (a possible index) and its connection with competitiveness: the case of Romania

In the authors' opinion, specialization stands for both an expression of competitiveness, and a continuity and attention paid to some activities, thus reflecting the positive evolution of a national economy. By increasing the specialization of service functions, qualitative changes occur in the evolution of an economy. In this study, the authors emphasize the importance of specialization implications by reference to services development in Romania, since the Romanian economy requires an increase in services activities. Finally, a formula is proposed to determine the specialization degree, which is exemplified by calculating a specialization index in tourism.     

Cournot–Nash equilibria in continuum games with non-ordered preferences

In the usual framework of continuum games with externalities, we substantially generalize Cournot–Nash existence results [Balder, A unifying approach to existence of Nash equilibria, Int. J.Game Theory 24 (1995) 79–94; On the existence of Cournot–Nash equilibria in continuum games, J. Math. Econ. 32 (1999) 207–223; A unifying pair of Cournot–Nash equilibrium existence results, J. Econ. Theory 102 (2002) 437–470] to games with possibly non-ordered preferences, providing a continuum analogue of the seminal existence results by Mas-Colell [An equilibrium existence theorem without complete or transitive preferences, J. Math. Econ. 1 (1974) 237–246], Gale and Mas-Colell [An equilibrium existence theorem for a general model without ordered preferences, J. Math. Econ. 2 (1975) 9–15], Shafer and Sonnenschein [Equilibrium in abstract economies without ordered preferences, J. Math. Econ. 2 (1975) 345–348], Borglin and Keiding [Existence of equilibrium actions and of equilibrium: a note on the “new” existence theorems, J. Math. Econ. 3 (1976) 313–316] and Yannelis and Prabhakar [Existence of maximal elements and equilibria in linear topological spaces, J. Math. Econ. 12 (1983) 233–245].     

The link between personality,aggressive driving,and risky driving outcomes – testing a theoretical model

This study tested a theoretical model of the relationship between the Big Five Personality Factors, aggressive driving and ‘risky driving outcomes’ (accidents, traffic tickets, and license suspension). It also tested the mediation effect of aggressive driving in the relationship between the five factor personality model and risky driving outcomes. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the 293 participants’ responses. Bivariate correlations showed that aggressive driving was negatively related to emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness and positively related to risky driving outcomes. Agreeableness was negatively related to accidents, tickets, and license suspension. Conscientiousness was negatively related to tickets. The structural model was supported by data in which agreeableness predicted risky driving outcomes. Emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness predicted aggressive driving, which in turn predicted risky driving outcomes. Aggressive driving was shown to be a mediator in the relationship between agreeableness and risky driving outcomes.     

Harmonization in auditing profession

The globalization process is affecting a lot the economical environment and in many spheres has characterized the last decade of the twentieth century; accounting and auditing as information tools of the real economy are no exception. This paper introduces the analysis of the ongoing process of harmonization of the qualification to audit at a global level. The aim of the paper is to throw light on the processes of harmonizing auditing and accounting on a global basis, an issue that is of considerable debate at the current time both in the accountancy profession and in academia. The paper is structured is several chapters. In the first chapter entitled ＂Process of globalization and accounting evolution＂ the authors are presenting the steps in the main harmonization process and its major players during the last decades. The engine of internationalization seems to be the Anglo-Saxon accounting systems where the globalization issue was always very important. In the second chapter ＂Literature review＂ the authors are presenting some articles linked with the subject of our paper. In the third chapter ＂Harmonization of the qualification to audit＂ the authors are presenting need of ＂global qualification＂ in accounting and audit profession. In the fourth chapter ＂The field of global accountancy education＂, the authors are presenting the history of the adopting by the international organizations sustainable global education curricula in the field of accounting and audition profession. There the authors are underlying the role of Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting International, which is considered to develop a ＂model curriculum＂ for a global accountancy qualification. Also is presented the IFAC＇s Education Committee＇s results and also the ACCA program in educational field. The chapter ＂Forces which are ruling the regulation process＂ is presented the IASC/IASB and the European directives in harmonization process. On the chapter ＂Global accountancy education＂ the authors are presenting the threats of using the need of ＂international qualification in audit＂ by developed countries as a tool of exploitation, using it as ＂cultural capital＂ for sale to developing countries （See the ACCA mechanism）. Also the authors are presenting the IFAC role on building up international accounting curricula, which can be implemented through its members all over the world. The conclusions are trying to emphasize the steps which the accounting education needs to be followed in Romania due to the international evolutions.