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.     

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.     

论中国出境旅游法律体系的构建

随着经济形势的整体好转，人们生活水平的提高，消费观念的转变，我国的出境旅游进入迅猛发展的新时期。与此同时，出境旅游立法的滞后又严重制约了其发展。在充分分析现阶段出境旅游立法存在问题的基础上，笔者构建了我国出境旅游法律体系。     

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.     

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。     

Innovation and the precautionary principle

Recent environmental policies favour the polluter pays principle. This principle points out the pollutant financial liability for the eventual incidents induced by his activities. In this context, we analyse the decision of an agent to invest in new industrial activities, the consequences of which on human health and the environment are initially unknown. It is not possible for him to delay investing, but the agent has the opportunity to acquire information and to reduce the cost of an accident. This allows the agent to reduce uncertainty regarding dangers associated with the project and to limit potential damages that it might cause. However, the agent's chosen level of these actions may be considered as insufficient and not acceptable by society as response in the face of a possible danger. Precautionary state regulation may then be introduced. We appreciate that this regulation may slow down innovation and may favour innovation in countries with less safety requirements. We find that the agent may get around the goal of the regulation by ignoring the information on the dangerousness of its project. We then propose some policy tools which stimulate innovation and impose a certain level of risk considered as acceptable for society to the agent. Finally, we use a numerical analysis based on the Monsanto Company for studying the agent's behaviour with different regulatory frameworks.     

基于土地差别化供给视角的资源环境承载力评价——以河北省为例

随着城镇化进程的加速,土地供给和土地需求间矛盾日益凸显,土地差别化供给是解决当前土地供给和土地需求矛盾的重要手段。从土地差别化供给角度对河北省资源环境承载力进行了研究,确定了水资源承载力、环境质量、自然灾害危险性3个领域层、8个指标层的评价指标体系,运用综合评分法评价出河北省各县域的资源环境承载力水平,将149个评价单元的资源环境承载力划分为高水平区、中高水平区、中低水平区和低水平区4个等级,并结合评价结果对河北省土地差别化供给从供给量和供给结构两个方面提出了实施建议。