Culture, People and Technology: The Driving Forces for Tourism Cities Proceedings of 8th ITSA Biennial Conference 2020

This is the proceedings of the 8th Biennial Conference of the International Tourism Studies Association, held in Jakarta and Singapore, 2nd December 202

Proceedings of 8th ITSA Biennial Conference 2020

Over the past few decades, hotel guests’ service expectations grew from services such as check-in and check-out (Cobanoglu, Corbaci, Moreo & Ekinci, 2003) to expecting hotels to, amongst others, provide services relating to tourist attractions (Adler & Gordon, 2013; Yeh, Leong, Blecher & Hu, 2005). Despite these developments, South Africa (SA) is amongst the countries confronted by the minimal utilisation of tourist attractions (National Department of Tourism, 2012) and the tourists’ lack of awareness of tourist attractions within major destinations, such as Cape Town (City of Cape Town, 2013) and Durban (eThekwini Municipality, 2014). By providing tourists with services relating to tourist attractions, hotels are likely to contribute towards addressing the minimal utilisation and lack of awareness of tourist attractions. Guest orientation (Lee, 2014), self-efficacy (Jaiswal & Dhar, 2015), motivation (Hon & Leung, 2011) and effort (Marić, Marinković, Marić & Dimitrovski, 2016) are constructs that impact on the service performance of hotel staff. However, studies have not been conducted to determine the impact of these constructs on the performance of hotel staff relating to tourist attractions. This paper forms part of a PhD study in progress which explores the constructs (Guest orientation, Self-efficacy, Motivation and Effort) that impact on hotel staff’s performance of services relating to tourist attractions. The PhD adopted a qual-QUANT research method to, in phase 1, qualitatively identify emerging themes from each construct, which will be quantitatively investigated in phase 2. This paper stems from phase 1 and aims to identify via qualitative research the key themes that emerge in each of the four constructs that are associated with hotel staff’s performance of services relating to tourist attractions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four certified hotel concierges belonging to Les Clefs d’ Or in SA. Thematic coding was used to identify the themes emerging from the qualitative data. Eight themes emerged from Guest orientation, five from Self-efficacy, seven from Motivation and ten from Effort

Environmental Information Systems and Community-Based Resource Management in Ghana: An Investigation of Institutional Policy and Implementation in Context

This study employed a case-study approach and cross-case analysis to investigate the impact of Environmental Information Systems (EIS) and Local Knowledge Systems (LKS) on agro-forestry management and biodiversity conservation. Questionnaire-based interviews with service providers, resource managers and focus group discussions with farmers associated with the United Nations Capacity 21, the Netherlands Tropenbos International (TBI) and the United Nations Project on People Land Management and Conservation (UNPLEC), projects yielded in-depth information on agro-forestry practices in southern Ghana. The findings of the survey revealed that computer-based information systems have been used to identify areas of resource degradation. This has served as a sanitization tool to organize and intensify tree-planting exercises and agroforestry management activities in the affected areas. Evaluation of individual cases and cross-case analysis of EIS projects in Ghana showed parallels and divergences in the modus operandi of EIS implementation at national and district levels. The Capacity 21 project initiated the District Environmental Resource Information System (DERIS). The project procured datasets (eg. satellite images, software, computers and printers) in 8 pilot districts including Sekyere West and Assin Fosu Districts and offered training and skill development programmes under the auspices of the Centre for Environmental Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS) to equip focal district planning officers to use tools and datasets to analyze the state of the environment and the extent of resource degradation as well as other development-related activities. This fostered cooperation between the national coordinator of the project, district planners and local farmers to organize regular tree-planting exercises and workshops on alternative livelihood activities which have helped to lessen pressure on the environment to some extent. This approach exhibits a greater degree of top-down planning and implementation. The field survey revealed that PLEC used computer-based information systems during the earlier stages of the project to demarcate demonstration sites and capture spatio-temporal variations in agro-ecological conditions. However, during the subsequent phases, the PLEC project relied heavily and predominantly on local agro-ecological knowledge from a diverse group of farmers to assess resource conditions, and promoted the use of various traditional and exotic agro-forestry and agro-diversity management techniques in the Manya Krobo and Suhum Kraboa Coaltar Districts. The PLEC approach was more bottom-up in its philosophy and practice by allowing natural and social scientists to learn from farmers, and the scientists in turn offered technical advice which enabled farmers to improve their local farming techniques and maximize their farm productivity, while at the same time enhancing the capacity of the biophysical environment to support conventional and alternative livelihood activities continually. The Tropenbos International (TBI) project exhibits elements of both top-down and bottom-up implementation approaches. It recognizes the significant role of tailor-made information (computer-based systems and socio-economic studies mainly from the Forest Services Commission and the University of Ghana, respectively) and skill in forest management. The TBI GORTMAN project streamlined the capacity for information collection in the Goaso and Offinso districts. The findings revealed that farmers associated with the three projects apply various knowledge systems and techniques in agroforestry management. These include, mixed cultivation of domestic, economic and medicinal trees as well as food crops. Reasons such as windbreak, construction materials, medicine, food, fuelwood and nutrient enhancement were cited by farmers for practicing agroforestry. Common food crops found on farms include cocoyam, okro, maize, plantain and yams, among others. These crops are the mainstay of family food and income sources. Other livelihood activities include beekeeping, snail rearing and grasscutter raising and livestock breeding. The diversities of agroforestry practices have engendered decades of farm management practices and resource conservation measures. Another challenge of agroforestry management which is common to all the three projects is that farmers are victims of indiscriminate felling of trees on their farms by timber companies which destroys their crops. Farmers repeatedly cited logistical (tools, seedlings etc) challenges and financial constraints as factors that hamper effective application of knowledge systems in agroforestry management. This is a dominant problem that PLEC and TBI farmers face. Capacity 21 farmers benefited initially from logistical supplies but it was short-lived. In view of these problems, the study recommended measures for improving environmental information systems and local knowledge systems applications in agroforestry management and agrodiversity conservation in southern Ghana

Dimensions of participation. Experiences, lessons and tips from agricultural research practitioners in Sub-Saharan Africa

This book is about participation in agricultural research. It documents the experience of practitioners in implementing agricultural research projects in which participation has been a central issue. This experience is documented through case studies, and through summaries of the authors' experience. Reference is made to other literature on aspects of participation, both specific and general. The case studies give first hand accounts of the challenges and successes involved in using participatory approaches in agricultural research projects undertaking technology development and adaptation. Written by practitioners, the case studies cover many practical aspects of design and implementation that are not covered in more academic and conceptual writing on this subject, or in general manuals on how to undertake participatory agricultural research. The existing books, manuals and guidelines adequately outline the key principles and approaches in participatory agricultural research (e.g. Okali et al., 1994; Van Veldhuizen et al., 1997; Sutherland, 1998). This book is different from most others on participatory agricultural research in the following respects: it organizes and compares case-study experiences within topical chapters, rather than having case studies written as separate chapters; it embraces a wider view of participation- in addition to interaction between farmers and researchers, this view includes participation both within project teams and between the project team and other stakeholders in the agricultural research process; it is not a training manual detailing what to do, when to do it and how; however, lessons and tips are provided for the topics covered; it is rooted in project experiences rather than in development discourse, and does not advocate a particular participatory research philosophy, or claim to break new ground in terms of participatory concepts and methods. The aim of the book is to stimulate learning, primarily by presenting examples of how a range of projects handled various components of the participatory research process. These examples are given within a broader discussion of the typical challenges and issues faced by projects and practitioners when using participatory approaches to develop and adapt agricultural technology. Drawing on the case studies and other experiences, some lessons, strategies and tips are outlined in relation to particular topics within participatory agricultural research

By the Sweat & Toil of Children (Volume IV): Consumer Labels and Child Labor

By the Sweat & Toil of Children, Volume IV.ChildLaborSweatandToil4.pdf: 2691 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Bowdoin Orient v.124, no.1-23 (1993-1994)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-1990s/1005/thumbnail.jp