Visitors’ learning for environmental sustainability: Testing short- and long-term impacts of wildlife tourism experiences using structural equation modelling

Wildlife tourism experiences have the potential to positively impact tourists’ awareness, appreciation and actions in relation to the specific wildlife they encounter and the environment in general. This paper investigates the extent of such impact across multiple sites, and uses Structural Equation Modelling to identify factors that best predict positive long-term learning and environmental behaviour change outcomes. Three sets of variables were measured – visitors’ entering attributes (including pre-visit environmental orientation and motivation for the visit), salient aspects of the experience, and short- and long-term learning and environmental behaviour change outcomes. Although attributes such as pre-visit commitment and motivation to learn were among the best predictors of the long-term impact of the experience, there was evidence that aspects of the experience were also important. In particular, reflective engagement which involved cognitive and affective processing of the experience was found to be associated with short- and long-term environmental learning outcomes. The implications for wildlife tourism managers are discussed.     

Dimensions of Chinese culture values in relation to service provision in hospitality and tourism industry

Factor and reliability analyses were employed in this exploratory attempt to investigate and refine the structure and dimensions of Chinese cultural values (CCVs) in relation to service provision. Based on the results of factor analysis, CCVs could best be conceptualized as a five-component construct that influences the attitude or behavior of employees in providing service. These five factors were identified as follows: Integration 1 (attitude towards work); Integration 2 (attitude towards people); moral discipline; status and relationships; and moderation. The identification of these dimensions has two major implications to human resource development and service management practice in the hospitality and tourism industry. First, Chinese cultural values play a critical role in determining specific interventions, challenges and barriers in service organizational management. Second, given the profound influence of Chinese cultural values on service provision, international tourism and hotel managers, particularly in human resource development, should realize the importance of ensuring that Western management practices are adopted critically in Chinese organizations. Given the limited amount of research on this topic, the findings generated from this study are very important in guiding future research and providing insights into an area that deserves more academic attention.     

Factors affecting hotel human resource demand in Taiwan

This study explores the factors affecting hotel human resource (HR) demand and focusing on the organizational, industrial and macroeconomic factors of the hospitality industry. A prediction model was built with eight independent variables and four dummy variables. Secondary data was collected via a governmental statistic database, and regression analysis was performed using the Generalized Least Squares (GLS) method. The results show that the HR demand of international tourist hotels is more likely to be affected by industrial factors and macroeconomic factors, while the HR demand of standard tourist hotels is less complex, and is mainly affected by organizational factors.     

Motives for a secular pilgrimage to the Gallipoli battlefields

Pilgrimage is a journey to a non-substitutable site embodying the highly valued, the deeply meaningful, or a source of core identity for the traveller. Secular pilgrimage is an important yet under-researched sector of the tourism industry. Where the motives for religious pilgrimage are well documented, little is known of the motives for secular pilgrimages. This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation of one case of secular pilgrimage, the journey of Australians and New Zealanders to the Gallipoli battlefields in Turkey. Five distinct motives for visits to the pilgrimage site are identified – spiritual, nationalistic, family pilgrimage, friendship and travel motives – and differences in their importance noted across seven visitor groups. These motives share some commonality with the motives for religious pilgrimage, and conversely, with the motives for leisure tourism; yet, other motives are unique to the secular pilgrimage. Suggestions for future research on secular pilgrimage are provided.     

中国区域旅游规模的空间结构与变化

文章运用GIS环境下的空间分析技术,探讨了近年来中国区域旅游规模的空间结构及变化,其总体特征也在区域之间及区域内部的不同空间层级得到了进一步体现。中国旅游规模的空间分布总体上具有较强的正空间集聚性,且存在不断增强的趋势。局部区域的空间集聚表现了较强的规律性,并以人口地理分界线为临界区域,沿主要铁路干线发展,且空间扩散作用具不断增强趋势。东中西部及主要城市地区之间的空间差异明显,但区域之间及其内部的空间差距在不断缩小,区域旅游规模的空间结构不断得到优化。这在一定程度上体现了中国区域旅游规模的空间结构受旅游资源条件、交通条件及经济发展水平等影响因素的作用明显。进而通过文章的分析可为国家旅游空间规划与开发及相关政策的制定等提供理论上的借鉴。     

供应链视角下旅游者权力研究

文章借鉴渠道权力的定义,对供应链中旅游者权力进行了定义。在社会权力、渠道权力和消费者权力研究的基础之上,进一步将旅游者权力分解为奖惩权、合法权、被赋权、信息权和专家权,并根据权力行使机制和权力来源对其进行了分类。由于行权障碍等因素的存在,旅游者实际的影响力不仅受旅游者基础权力影响,还受到行权能力与行权意识的影响。由此得出旅游者实际权力公式,并分析了旅游者权力的影响因素。最后,提出应该突破以往供应商—中间商的二元分析结构,将旅游者纳入旅游供应链的研究中。     

旅游研究中的“去旅游化”现象及反思——基于国家自然、社会科学基金旅游类项目的分析

国家自然科学基金（1987～2010）、社会科学基金（1993～2010）已立项资助了243项与旅游相关的项目,这些项目及其研究成果一定程度上代表了中国旅游研究的状况。文章对这些项目所关注的旅游现象、研究问题及其学科归属进行统计、分析,试图勾勒出中国旅游研究的发展脉络,并从学科发展的视角进行评价。统计发现,地球科学部（80项）、管理学部（23项）为自然基金旅游类项目的主要学科归属;＂旅游影响＂、＂旅游开发＂和＂旅游行为＂为主要研究领域;应用经济（60项）为社科基金的主要学科归属,选题集中于＂可持续发展＂、＂开发与保护＂、＂潜力与竞争力＂等方面。对项目的研究问题分析发现,两大基金项目的选题方式均存在＂去旅游化＂现象,即借助其他学科的理论分析框架,提炼出旅游现象所蕴含的理论问题。换言之,旅游现象仅成为其他学科的剖析对象,研究贡献表现在验证、完善、补充已有学科的理论、方法,而非旅游理论的提出或完善。表面看来,这一现象的形成与旅游现象的复杂性和综合性、旅游理论基础薄弱以及基金的评价标准有关。对旅游研究群体的调查却发现,＂去旅游化＂的研究思路是研究者已经意识到并且自觉遵循的学术取向。旅游研究中的＂去旅游化＂现象对旅游研究及学科发展产生正负两方面影响：在提升旅游现象理论解释深度的同时也导致旅游的学科性愈加模糊,研究间的对话与交流更加困难。     

国外网络旅游信息搜寻研究进展与启示

文章通过对国外近15年来相关文献的分析,发现国外关于网络旅游信息搜寻的研究起步较早,研究视角较宽泛,理论研究与方法应用较为成熟。研究重点主要集中在网络旅游信息需求与搜寻动机、搜寻内容偏好、搜寻行为特征、搜寻者特性和网络旅游信息源等5个方面。研究方法上,注重定性与定量方法的有机结合,并借助先进的网络软件和技术,研究结论更具科学性和说服力。最后,基于国外研究现状,展望未来研究方向,以期为国内相关研究与实践提供借鉴。     

旅游个性化推介服务的未来发展：时空一体化

文章在问题解决策略剖析基础上,指出了旅游个性化推介服务的未来发展方向：时空一体化,并认为旅游网站、LBS网站和ESNs3种平台的整合会成为发展的突破点。以携程网、人人网、切客网等20多个代表性旅游网站、ESNs和LBS网站统计数据为基础,分析了3类平台当前的发展状态,发现3种平台具有趋向融合的发展态势,阐明了旅游个性化推介服务向时空一体方向发展的信息化基础。设计了“信息检索、个性旅行计划辅助决策、动态结伴同游、商务推介、景区导航、导游实时到岗服务、会员口碑推介、旅游预警”等8项时空一体个性化服务内容,是对旅游电子商务、旅游信息化未来发展方向的前瞻性思考。     

积极心理学在旅游学研究中的应用

积极心理学是心理学研究的一个新思潮。它关注人类的积极品质,探索人类的美德,主张用开放的、欣赏的眼光去看待人类的潜能、动机和能力等。积极心理学不仅契合社会发展背景,而且迎合民众追求幸福的心理,因此其在学术研究和普通民众中的影响力日渐增加。在澳大利亚旅游心理学家菲利普·皮尔斯等(Philip Pearce,et al.)的引荐下,旅游学,一门致力于提升个人和社会的和谐发展与幸福指数的学科,也开始关注积极心理学的应用。文章首先阐述积极心理学的基本主张,注重条理化归纳,然后对积极心理学与旅游学的融合研究做重点述评,注重客观的应用性拓展研究介绍,最后结合国内外的研究现状和国内实情,认为积极心理学在旅游学研究中具有广泛的应用和提升空间,创新的核心是融合中国传统与当代文化,做有深度的研究。结合国内外研究现状,文章提出三个创新提升方向:关注旅游社区的居民福祉,聚焦旅游与游客个人发展、社会和谐的关系,关注日益庞大的老年旅游群体。