Tourism,tourist learning and sustainability: an exploratory discussion of complexities,problems and opportunities

Learning is often a central element of tourism. Tourists can learn actively, i.e. with a specific purpose, as well as passively through the comparison of values, norms and customs. It has been argued that travel supports active learning that has positive outcomes for sustainability, for instance, in the context of conservation. Yet, the complexity of active and passive learning processes and their outcomes for environmental sustainability and sustainable lifestyles remain insufficiently understood. Against this background, the paper discusses selected learning outcomes for transportation (air travel), accommodation (hotels) and activities (theme park visits). Findings suggest that “desirable” learning (defined as pro-sustainable development learning) in tourism may be very limited, while in particular, passive learning processes which redefine social norms frequently have outcomes that are largely detrimental to sustainable lifestyles. They include forms of moral licensing, the diffusion of responsibilities as well as the attenuation of the negative consequences of travel. Given the economic, social and cultural importance of tourism vís-a-vís its global implications for environmental sustainability, learning outcomes in tourism deserve to be studied in greater detail, while strategies need to be devised to enhance sustainable learning effects.     

Business models among SMTEs: identifying attitudes to environmental costs and their implications for sustainable tourism

This paper examines how environmental resources and costs feature in business models of small- and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs). Several studies have pointed to the generally positive nature of the relationship between the economic and environmental performance of tourism firms. Yet, although business models act as a vector between these aspects of firm performance, they have been overlooked in sustainable tourism discourse. The paper reports findings from discussion groups of SMTE businesses in South West England during the global economic downturn. Environmental costs and cost control were afforded relatively little importance in terms of value creation; conversely, there was a strong and predictable emphasis on revenue generation. Indirect tactics emerged for dealing with guests’ environmental behaviours which reflected this prevailing commercial logic. Green credentials were routinely de-emphasized, sometimes regarded as liabilities, in a form of greenhushing. Responses were framed by reference to social media and how online reviews may negatively impact on future value capture. Conceptually, the business model emerged as an important lens for understanding how environmental resources and costs were valourized. The paper highlights the need to ensure that contemporary approaches to environmental management in SMTEs reflect the current and fast-changing conditions that frame business models.     

Impact of hotel-restaurant image and quality of physical-environment,service, and food on satisfaction and intention

This study developed a theoretical framework in which overall image, image congruence, and quality of physical environment, service, and food affect guests’ satisfaction and intentions to revisit a luxury hotel restaurant and visit other restaurants of the same hotel by considering the influence of conspicuousness as a moderator. The measurement model assessment revealed that all items included an acceptable level of measurement quality. Results of the structural analysis indicated that the research variables were in general significantly associated; quality dimensions and satisfaction had a mediating role; and the impact of satisfaction and overall image on decision formation was greater than that of other variables. Moreover, the structural invariance model assessment indicated that conspicuousness acted as a significant moderator. Overall, our proposed theoretical framework was found to include a sufficient power in predicting patrons’ intentions for luxury hotel restaurant products. Using this quantitative approach, our research objectives were wholly achieved.     

我国旅游业投资价值评价：基于资本市场角度的研究

文章借助于金融学的风险一收益理论及其经典的市场绩效评价指标,利用10年期的大样本数据,首次比较系统地分析了我国旅游业上市公司的投资价值,得出比较稳健的研究结论。研究结果表明,旅游业整体上获得了相对于市场平均水平的超额收益,旅游业的投资价值得到了投资者的肯定;从行业细分来看,市场表现最好的是景点类公司,其次是酒店类,综合类公司的市场表现一般;旅游企业的投资价值与公司质地、特别是盈利能力密切相关。     

Assessment of the Partnership Quality between Travel Agencies and Health Care Organizations on the International Medical Tourism Market in Taiwan

The medical tourism literature lacks insight into related issues of these types of partnerships. Those that integrate multiple perspectives into one research framework are especially rare. This study evaluated and compared the influence of external environment uncertainty, trust, and resource dependence perspectives on the quality of interorganizational partnerships in the international medical tourism market and quantified these elements using external environment uncertainty assessment on the international medical tourism development. The research sample was based on a survey from 161 travel agency managers in Taiwan. This study found that external environment uncertainty has direct negative impact on trust and resource dependence has a positive influence on interorganizational partnership. Moreover, trust has a significant impact on partnership quality while resource dependence does not. Therefore, medical travel agents should extend their network of trustworthy health care organization partners in order to improve performance, decrease their self-risk, collect information, and avoid missed opportunities.     

跨国公司地区总部区位分布的特征与决定因素

文章以福布斯2008年排行榜全球2000家企业在中国设立的地区总部为研究对象,对其分布的特征及决定因素进行了研究。研究发现：在分布特征上,跨国公司地区总部在我国呈现出了地区集聚（96％集中于北京、上海两个城市）和国别集聚（73．9％集中于美日等6个国家）的特点;在决定因素上,最为显著的指标是城市大小与人口规模、第三产业占GDP比重和信息传递水平。研究还表明：跨国公司在我国选择非政治、商业、金融中心的城市时,表现得极为谨慎;同时,全球仅有34．3％的跨国公司在我国设立地区总部,说明世界各国在我国的投资强度目前仍较弱。     

数字金融能够促进企业绿色投资吗？——基于中国重污染行业上市公司的实证研究

数字金融实现了金融资源的高效配置,为重污染企业实现绿色转型提供了新机遇。基于2011—2021年中国重污染行业沪深A股723家上市公司的面板数据,实证分析数字金融发展对重污染企业绿色投资的影响及其传导机制。研究结果证实,数字金融发展能够显著提高重污染企业绿色投资水平,并通过一系列稳健性检验后该结论仍然成立。作用机制检验结果表明,数字金融可以通过缓解融资约束、抑制企业金融化进而提高重污染企业绿色投资水平。进一步分析发现,环境规制、分析师关注度正向调节了数字金融对重污染企业绿色投资的促进效果;数字金融仅对重污染行业中国有企业和大规模企业的绿色投资水平存在显著作用。最后,基于研究结论,提出推动数字金融发展与企业绿色投资的相关建议。     

广西矿产资源开发与生态环境保护

本文基于可持续发展的目标与要求,阐述了矿产资源开发与生态环境保护的对立统一关系.指出了广西矿产资源开发中存在的主要问题以及它们产生的主客观因素.在此基础上,提出了促进广西矿产资源可持续开发利用和环境保护必须加强矿业法制建设和宣传教育、强化规划、加大科技投入等对策和建议.     

我国城市规划原则方针执行难问题与城市空间效率提升

从法制和城市建设投资的角度对城市规划原则和方针执行难的根本原因进行分析,应用不平衡地理发展原理阐述了其对城市空间效率和构建和谐社会的影响,提出了关于城市规划改革和促进城市空间效率提升的建议。     

论中国可持续发展——从跨国公司生态环境责任视角

跨国公司作为世界经济的重要经济体,对生态环境的保护与恶化负有主要的责任。跨国公司集聚中国,日益突出的生态环境问题已成为影响和危及我国可持续发展的关键因素,采取行之有效的措施遏制跨国公司所带来的生态环境的负面影响就显得至关重要。