Strategic impact of social media in tourism

The main objectives of this dissertation are to find out if Social Media has any impact in Tourism, to determine what tourists’ perceived benefits of using social media when taking trips are, and to ascertain if there is any strategic opportunity for value creation for the tourist. A Social Media value-creation model is created in order to find out if any of the functionalities applied to tourism and any of the perceived benefits of using Social Media in tourism contribute in any way to the tourist’s value-creation or if it has an influence on tourists when planning and taking trips. Through a survey answered by 236 respondents, the most influential attributes of the usage of Social Media in tourism are ascertained, the travellers’ perception of social media is analyzed, the important functionalities and benefits are determined and an analysis of the strategic impact of Social Media in tourism is conducted. After analyzing the strategic impact of Social Media in tourism and applying the RBV model, it is concluded that Social Media does indeed have an impact in tourism. It can even be used as a source of sustainable competitive advantage if tourism firms develop a positive reputation and focus on the personalization of their services as the key element for their value-creating strategy.Os principais objectivos desta dissertação é descobrir se a Social Media tem algum impacto no turismo, para determinar quais os benefícios que os turistas consideram mais importantes quando usam Social Media quando planeiam viagens, e para perceber se há alguma oportunidade estratégica para a criação de valor para o turista. Um modelo de criação de valor de Social Media no turismo foi desenvolvido para descobrir se alguma das funcionalidades ou algum dos benefícios contribuem, de alguma maneira, para a criação de valor do turista ou se tem influência nos touristas quando planeiam viagens ou quando viajam. Através de um questionário respondido por 236 pessoas, são determinados os atributos mais influentes no uso de Social Media no turismo, é definida a percepção que os turistas têm do Social Media, as funcionalidades e benefícios mais importantes são explicados, e é feita uma análise do impacto estratégico de Social Media no turismo. Depois de analisar o impacto estratégico de Social Media no turismo e de aplicar o modelo de RBV, é concluído que o Social Media realmente tem impacto no turismo. Pode até ser utilizado para desenvolver uma vantagem competitiva sustentável se as empresas turísticas desenvolverem uma reputação positiva e se concentrarem-se na personalização dos seus serviços como elemento-chave para a criação de uma estratégia de criação de valor

Determinants of Travel Participation and Experiences of Wheelchair Users Traveling to the Bodrum Region: A Qualitative Study

Although the number of people with disabilities and types of disability increases day by day, a sufficient point has not been reached regarding accessible tourism. The participation rate of people with disabilities (PWDS) in tourism activities is low, and there is a big gap in the travel and accommodation sector in this regard. Studies of previous scholars have concluded that the accessible tourism market is a significant and profitable area, but determinants of participation to travel and process of travel, such as wheelchair user expectations, are consistently ignored by the tourism industry. The main purpose of this study is to determine the determinants of travel by examining the motivations, expectations, processes and experiences of PWDS using wheelchairs to participate in tourism. Research was performed in Turkey’s Bodrum district; 25 wheelchair users were included in the study. The keywords that emerged in the theoretical framework in light of the answers given to 39 open-ended questions online were coded in the Nvivo program. The results showed that wheelchair users intended to go on vacation but were less motivated to participate due to the lack of travel conditions. Wheelchair travelers argued that a companion was required for an enjoyable holiday that could meet their needs. In addition, the results revealed that the types of wheelchairs used by disabled passengers differ. The disabled stated that the wheelchairs they use in daily life are not suitable for use on the beach, sand or water. Despite the economic, social and technological change opportunities, basic tourism service expectations of PWDS are not met. This research project is a comprehensive study that makes determinations in terms of examining the social status of disabled people in terms of social sciences, examining the place and importance of disabled tourists in the market and eliminating the deficiencies of facilities serving in tourism.publishedVersio

Augmenting the field experience: a student-led comparison of techniques and technologies

In this study we report on our experiences of creating and running a student fieldtrip exercise which allowed students to compare a range of approaches to the design of technologies for augmenting landscape scenes. The main study site is around Keswick in the English Lake District, Cumbria, UK, an attractive upland environment popular with tourists and walkers. The aim of the exercise for the students was to assess the effectiveness of various forms of geographic information in augmenting real landscape scenes, as mediated through a range of techniques and technologies. These techniques were: computer-generated acetate overlays showing annotated wireframe views from certain key points; a custom-designed application running on a PDA; a mediascape running on the mScape software on a GPS-enabled mobile phone; Google Earth on a tablet PC; and a head-mounted in-field Virtual Reality system. Each group of students had all five techniques available to them, and were tasked with comparing them in the context of creating a visitor guide to the area centred on the field centre. Here we summarise their findings and reflect upon some of the broader research questions emerging from the project

Recreation, tourism and nature in a changing world : proceedings of the fifth international conference on monitoring and management of visitor flows in recreational and protected areas : Wageningen, the Netherlands, May 30-June 3, 2010

Proceedings of the fifth international conference on monitoring and management of visitor flows in recreational and protected areas : Wageningen, the Netherlands, May 30-June 3, 201

Backpackers’ perceived risks towards smartphone usage and risk reduction strategies : a mixed methods study

Abstract: Backpackers' travel ideology and experiences are increasingly being mediated by mobile phones (i.e. smart- phones). This study explored their risk perceptions towards smartphone usage and consequent risk reduction strategies. Importantly, this paper proposes an integrated model of perceived risk combining technology and destination related risk factors. Employing a quantitative-dominant concurrent nested mixed methods approach, 567 surveys (Study A) and 15 in depth, semi-structured interviews (Study B) were conducted in Ghana. Evidently, backpackers’ perceived risk towards smartphone usage is a function of both information technology and destination related risks. Their risk concerns are inhibited by trust in smartphones, innovativeness and familiarity. Levels of trust had a significant positive impact on their intentions to reuse the device, as did their satisfaction levels with the device and travel. Backpackers used a mix of both cognitive and non-cognitive measures to manage their risk perceptions. The theoretical, practical and methodological contributions of the study are discussed

Situated navigation support for heterogeneous large crowds via augmented signage

PhD ThesisNavigating unfamiliar places is a common problem people face, and there is a wealth of commercial and research-based applications particularly for mobile devices that provide support in these settings. While many of these solutions work well on an individual level, they are less well suited for very crowded situations, e.g. sports matches, festivals and fairs, or religious events such as pilgrimages. In a large crowd, attending to a mobile device can be hazardous, the underlying technology might not scale well, and some people might be excluded due to not having access to a mobile device. Public signage does not suffer from these issues, and consequently, people frequently rely on signage in crowded settings. However, a key disadvantage of public signage is that it does not provide personalised navigation support. We have therefore investigated augmented signage as a navigation support system for use in large crowds. This thesis investigates the issues of guidance by augmented displays and how this can be made more suitable for people who navigate in groups in unfamiliar areas. In this context we have undertaken three studies as examples to explore how augmented displays can provide aid to people in crowded places. In the first study, we investigated the question of whether the use of dynamic public signage can help pilgrims count or remember the Tawaf rounds while walking around the Ka’bah. We analysed the current situation in Mecca based on a literature review and a series of interviews with pilgrims, who had completed at least one pilgrimage (already visited Mecca). We then presented a prototypical dynamic signage and reported on a user study we conducted in a realistic setting in order to evaluate the system. The results suggest that dynamic signage may be a feasible option to improve the safety of pilgrims in Mecca. In the second study, we introduced a scalable signage-based approach and present results from a comparison study contrasting two designs for augmented signage with a base approach. The results provide evidence that such a system could be easily useable, may reduce task load, and could improve navigation performance. In the final study, we developed public displays (static and dynamic signage) and investigated the ability of using such displays to assist pilgrims of Mecca to find each other after becoming separated while performing rituals inside the Haram (e.g. Tawaf pillar). Once again here we have addressed the issue through a series of interviews with people who had experienced pilgrimage before. Then we constructed a full idea that allowed us to design the initial system and presented it in a focus group session to gain feedback and redesign the system. Afterwards, we conducted a lab-based user study. The results we obtained suggest that a person can extract information (by reading the dynamic signage), also results showed that users were able to remember their information (whilst completing some distraction tasks), and then they completed the static signs tasks successfully. Generally results showed that the system can indicate people to the right place where they can meet again after becoming separated. In general, these results provided good evidence that augmented signage supported by colour and visual codes might provide considerable help in situations with large and heterogeneous crowds. It might be developed and used in different settings for provisional navigation information and allow multi-users to extract their personalised information individually

BESTEN Think Tank XV: the Environment-People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: finding the balance

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the BEST Education Network (BESTEN) Think Tank XV entitled The Environment People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: Finding the Balance. The event was held in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, June17-21, 2015, in conjunction with the Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences; Division of Tourism Management; University of Pretoria, South Africa. BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. The organization's annual Think Tank brings together academics and industry representatives from around the world to discuss a particular theme related to sustainable tourism and push the research and education in this specific field forward. The concept of sustainability in tourism is a challenging one; it is subject to much critical debate, especially with regard to finding an appropriate balance between the different dimensions of sustainable tourism. The location of the 2015 BEST EN Think Tank, Kruger National Park, offers an opportunity to explore the challenges of managing the relationships between people and places that are, or may become, subject to tourism development, including balancing social and economic needs with environmental considerations. The proceedings present work by academics and practitioners worldwide, who research various aspects of the conference theme. They include the abstracts and papers accepted by the scientific committee following a double blind peer review process

BESTEN Think Tank XV: the Environment-People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: finding the balance

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the BEST Education Network (BESTEN) Think Tank XV entitled The Environment People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: Finding the Balance. The event was held in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, June17-21, 2015, in conjunction with the Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences; Division of Tourism Management; University of Pretoria, South Africa. BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. The organization's annual Think Tank brings together academics and industry representatives from around the world to discuss a particular theme related to sustainable tourism and push the research and education in this specific field forward. The concept of sustainability in tourism is a challenging one; it is subject to much critical debate, especially with regard to finding an appropriate balance between the different dimensions of sustainable tourism. The location of the 2015 BEST EN Think Tank, Kruger National Park, offers an opportunity to explore the challenges of managing the relationships between people and places that are, or may become, subject to tourism development, including balancing social and economic needs with environmental considerations. The proceedings present work by academics and practitioners worldwide, who research various aspects of the conference theme. They include the abstracts and papers accepted by the scientific committee following a double blind peer review process

Co-creation of tourism experiences and the use of social media (ICTS) as key tools for innovation and value creation in the tourism industry

Portugal is an emerging tourism market, being worthy of attention. Besides, the tourism industry has been connected to fast changes due to the influence of social media (Web 2.0) on the lives of consumers and the shift in the economic value from products and services to the staging of experiences. This study aims to analyze the effect that several types of social media platforms (as mediators) have on the co-creation of tourism experiences (before, during and after) and the consequent satisfaction, happiness, memorability and motivation to share it online. For that effect, an online survey was developed and conducted on a sample of 410 national and international tourists. The findings showed that the use of social media has a more significant effect while planning the trip, serving as a source of inspiration for the next trip and of information about the chosen destination. Moreover, it also leads to a substantial increase in the satisfaction that tourists feel towards the trip, since the expectations are met by what they experience during the trip, which generates a greater level of happiness and memorability. This is crucial since it leads to a greater perception of value, a positive image of the destination, a bigger willingness to recommend and share the experience with followers. This makes it important for Portuguese tourism service providers and tourism department to understand how Portugal is being represented on social media pages and the reasons that motivate tourists to share their experiences online, thus influencing their followers to visit.Portugal é, atualmente, um mercado turístico emergente, sendo uma área importante a analisar. Além disso, a indústria do turismo tem estado ligada a mudanças rápidas devido à influência das redes sociais (Web 2.0) na vida dos consumidores e à mudança no valor económico, de produtos e serviços para a criação de experiências. Este estudo pretende analisar o efeito que vários tipos de redes sociais (mediadores) têm na cocriação de experiências de turismo e a consequente satisfação, felicidade, memorabilidade e motivação para as partilhar online. Assim, foi realizado um inquérito online a uma amostra de 410 turistas nacionais e internacionais. Os resultados mostraram que o uso das redes sociais tem um efeito mais significativo no planeamento da viagem, servindo como fonte de inspiração para a próxima viagem e de informação sobre o destino escolhido. Além disso, também leva a um aumento substancial na satisfação que os turistas sentem em relação à viagem, uma vez que as expectativas correspondem ao que eles vivenciam durante a viagem, o que gera um maior nível de felicidade e memorabilidade. Isto é crucial porque leva a uma maior perceção de valor, uma imagem positiva do destino, uma maior disponibilidade para recomendar e partilhar a experiência com os seguidores. Isto torna importante que os prestadores de serviços de turismo e o departamento de turismo português compreendam como Portugal está a ser representado nas redes sociais e as razões que motivam os turistas a partilhar as suas experiências online, influenciando assim os seus seguidores a visitar o destino

An investigation of how specific social backgrounds shape the characteristics of young Chinese travel bloggers within the mobilities paradigm

Using the mobilities paradigm, this thesis aims to try to explain the uniqueness of a certain group of young Chinese travel bloggers, who were also tourists. It considered that the characteristics of young Chinese travel bloggers, both in their motivations and behaviours, do not appear in the realm of tourism only. This thesis explores where their characteristics come from and how to interpret them in contemporary China