Curacao: Building on the Power of the Past

Curaçao faces hard choices in the upcoming years. High unemployment (especially among the youth), a stagnant economy, and low confidence levels may spiral the island into dangerous socio-economic waters. These domestic challenges are occurring in the midst of the global economic uncertainties that have been triggered by a shaky Chinese economy, a weakened European Union and Euro, and the deepening economic travails and budget problems of Brazil and Venezuela. Yet, despite these challenges, Curaçao has made great strides in the tourism sector compared to other economic sectors on the island. The tourism sector demonstrated resilience against outside shocks and was able to steadily increase its prominence in Curaçao’s economy. In fact, today, its share of the island’s economy is nearly 18% of the total economy, impacting every economic sector on the island. In addition, the tourism sector has become a substantial source of employment on the island. Nearly 23% of jobs are created and sustained directly or indirectly by the tourism sector. With its buoyant growth, the tourism sector has mushroomed in the past fifteen years. It is more mature, more desired by tourists, and discloses more promise for the future. Curaçao’s tourism product has changed significantly over time with regard to the product portfolio, market segment mix, and the industry’s overall contribution to the economy. So, fittingly, the current tourism product seems to possess a composition of experiences that are evaluated by tourists as favorable. This favorable evaluation is shared by both actual tourists: those who have visited Curaçao within one year, and those potential tourists who have not visited Curaçao but have visited the Caribbean within the last five years

Optimal Tourism Development

The early days of tourism development had a naïve vision of tourism’s impacts on society in terms of economic, social, and environmental benefits. Time has passed, and we have learnt lessons regarding the success and failure of tourism development. Mass tourism development has pros and cons and is not necessarily the optimal development model. Alternative development strategies should be contemplated. This Special Issue deals with different topics concerning optimal tourism development. Destination management requires further understanding of different issues, such as carrying capacity, income-based optimal supply size, identification and development of optimal market niches, and adaptation or environmental protection strategies. Tourism planning is concerned with the role of economies of agglomeration, i.e., the advantages of spatial clusters vs scattered development. Additionally, support for and investment in innovation, accessibility, and mobility are relevant nowadays. From the stakeholders’ perspective, it is relevant to discuss ways of cooperating and sources of conflicts among different sectors and actors, governance and incentives for sustainable tourism practices, and equity and economic distribution of benefits. Finally, the development of methodological tools for the assessment of optimal tourism development is necessary for policy making, in particular the development of methods that are capable of integrating economic, environmental, and social criteria

New Trends in Development of Services in the Modern Economy

The services sector strategic development unites a multitude of economic and managerial aspects and is one of the most important problems of economic management. Many researches devoted to this industry study are available. Most of them are performed in the traditional aspect of the voluminous calendar approach to strategic management, characteristic of the national scientific school. Such an approach seems archaic, forming false strategic benchmarks. The services sector is of special scientific interest in this context due to the fact that the social production structure to the services development model attraction in many countries suggests transition to postindustrial economy type where the services sector is a system-supporting sector of the economy. Actively influencing the economy, the services sector in the developed countries dominates in the GDP formation, primary capital accumulation, labor, households final consumption and, finally, citizens comfort of living. However, a clear understanding of the services sector as a hyper-sector permeating all spheres of human activity has not yet been fully developed, although interest in this issue continues to grow among many authors. Target of strategic management of the industry development setting requires substantive content and the services sector target value assessment

Casas partilhadas monetizadas: a experiência turística e seus efeitos na autenticidade percebida, no apego ao destino e na lealdade

The emergence of the shared peer-to-peer accommodation (SP2PA) has attracted the attention of practitioners and academics, given this new business model’s increasing popularity amongst travellers. It is therefore suggested that this type of accommodation can offer a differentiated, eventually more authentic, experience to its guests, introducing new values and meanings to the hospitality provided at destinations. To sustain this argument, it is important to enhance the understanding of guest experiences while staying in such a SP2PA, while also the impact of these new tourist behaviour patterns on destinations is worthwhile exploring. Taking into account the relevance of understanding the tourist experience associated with the SP2PA, this study aims to gain theoretical and empirical understanding of the SP2PA guest experience by proposing and testing a theoretical model that estimates the relationships between the dimensions of the tourist experience (the SP2PA guest experience) and the constructs of ‘destination attachment’, ‘perception of authenticity’, ‘destination attitudinal loyalty’ and ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’. To achieve this goal, two complementary methodology stages were undertaken: (i) an ‘exploratory qualitative approach’ by conducting focus group discussions and passive netnography; and (ii) a ‘quantitative approach’ by applying a survey to a convenience sample of SP2PA guests. Statistical analysis of data used descriptive and inferential methods, with the Partial Least Squares (PLSSEM) as the main method for testing the hypotheses. A total of 409 valid responses were used to test the proposed conceptual model. Findings confirm the ‘aesthetic’, ‘escape’, ‘entertainment’, ‘educative’, ‘affective’, ‘social interaction’, and ‘sharing experience’ dimensions as appropriated dimensions to analyse the SP2PA guest experience. Amongst these dimensions, the ‘educative’, ‘social interaction’, ‘aesthetics’, ‘sharing’, and ‘affective’ are, in this order, the dimensions that most influence the SP2PA guest experience. Regarding the influence of the SP2PA guest experience on the tourist experience outcomes, this study demonstrates that this experience positively influences the ‘perception of destination authenticity’ and ‘destination attachment’ formation. In turn, destination attachment mediates the relationship between the ‘SP2PA guest experience’ and ‘destination loyalty’, while the SP2PA guest experience predicts the ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’. Besides, the ‘perception of authenticity’ positively influences ‘destination attachment’ formation and ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’. The results contribute to the tourist experience theory by providing an empirically-based insight into its dimensionality in the hospitality sharing economy context. This study also provides an analytical framework to understand the effects of the SP2PA guest experience on constructs such as the perception of authenticity, destination attachment and tourist loyalty. Furthermore, results may help design management strategies for both SP2PA platforms and SP2PA hosts to develop and implement an experience-oriented service strategy in order to achieve a memorable experience for SP2PA guests and create positive future behavioural intentions. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research complete the picture.O surgimento do alojamento partilhado pessoa para pessoa (SP2PA) tem vindo a atrair a atenção de profissionais e acadêmicos uma vez que esse novo modelo de negócio tem ganho crescente popularidade entre os viajantes. Sugere-se, portanto, que esse tipo de alojamento ofereça aos seus hóspedes uma experiência diferenciada, eventualmente mais autêntica, introduzindo novos valores e significados à hospitalidade proporcionada nos destinos. Para sustentar esse argumento, é importante melhorar a compreensão das experiências dos hóspedes durante a permanência em um SP2PA, ao mesmo tempo em que vale a pena explorar o impacto desses novos padrões de comportamento turístico nos destinos. Tendo em vista a relevância de compreender a experiência turística associada ao SP2PA, este estudo tem como objetivo desenvolver uma compreensão teórica e empírica da experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA, propondo e testando um modelo teórico descritivo que estima as relações entre as dimensões da experiência turística (a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA) e os construtos de ‘apego de destino', 'percepção de autenticidade', 'lealdade atitudinal ao destino' e 'lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA'. Para atingir esse objetivo, duas etapas metodológicas complementares foram realizadas: (i) uma "abordagem exploratória qualitativa", conduzindo as técnicas de grupos focais e netnografia passiva; e (ii) uma "abordagem quantitativa", administrando uma pesquisa a uma amostra conveniente de hóspedes do SP2PA. A análise estatística dos dados utilizou métodos descritivos e inferenciais, sendo o principal método para testar as hipóteses a modelagem de mínimos quadrados parciais - PLS-SEM. Assim, 409 questionários foram utilizados para testar o modelo conceitual proposto. Os resultados confirmam a "estética", "escape", "entretenimento", "educativa", "afetiva", "interação social" e "experiências de partilha" como dimensões apropriadas para analisar a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA. Entre essas dimensões, "educativa", "interação social", "estéticas", "partilha" e "afetivas" são, nessa ordem, as dimensões que mais influenciam a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA. Com relação à influência da experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA nos resultados analisados da experiência turística, este estudo demonstra que a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA influencia positivamente a ‘perceção da autenticidade’ do destino" e a formação do ‘apego ao destino’. Por sua vez, o ‘apego ao destino’ media a relação entre a "experiência dos hóspedes do SP2PA’ e a "lealdade ao destino", enquanto a experiência dos hóspedes do SP2PA condiciona positivamente a “lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA". Além disso, a "perceção da autenticidade" influencia positivamente a formação do "apego ao destino" e a "lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA". Os resultados contribuem para a teoria da experiência turística, especificamente em contexto de alojamento turístico partilhado, monetizado, fornecendo uma visão baseada empiricamente em sua dimensionalidade no contexto da economia da partilha na hospitalidade. Este estudo também fornece uma estrutura analítica para a compreensão dos efeitos da experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA em constructos como a perceção de autenticidade, o apego ao destino e a lealdade do turista. Além disso, poderá auxiliar o gerenciamento de plataformas SP2PA e aos anfitriões do SP2PA a desenvolver e implementar uma estratégia de serviço orientada à experiência, a fim de obter uma experiência memorável para os hóspedes no SP2PA e criar intenções comportamentais futuras positivas. Limitações do estudo e sugestões para futuras pesquisas completam o quadro.Programa Doutoral em Turism

An exploratory study of stakeholders' perspectives of a mega event in Barbados: The Golf World Cup 2006

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University on behalf of Buckinghamshire New University.Although much has been written on the benefits of hosting 'mega events' including the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup, smaller but still significant sport events of global significance such as the Golf World Cup have received hardly any attention by researchers. This dearth in knowledge has inspired the direction of this study, that is, to explore the stakeholder perspective of the Golf World Cup which was hosted in Barbados in 2006. This event was part of a national development strategy aimed at diversifying the tourism product in the light of the increasing competitiveness of the tourism industry. Consequently the research methodology adopted for this study was eclectic in nature as it sought to obtain a holistic understanding of the issues associated with hosting mega events on a small island microstate. An approach to data collection and analysis was therefore utilised including semi-structured interviews, participant observation and the examination of documents and promotional materials in order to understand the expectations and perceptions that specific stakeholder groups (including local tourism officials, international tourists and local residents) have of the Golf World Cup. The 85 participants in this study highlighted a diversity of views. From the tourism authorities' perspective, the reasons for staging the Golf World Cup were rather cliched. These included using the Golf World Cup as a tool to promote the island as an upmarket golfing destination. The authorities also expected that the Golf World Cup would stimulate tourism demand during a traditionally slow period and provide the island with much needed publicity in overseas tourism markets. However, the fieldwork revealed that the event was unsuccessful due to the poor attendance by both international tourists and local residents. From an international perspective many participants felt that the event was poorly attended due to a lack of awareness in overseas markets and the 'lack of atmosphere' and auxiliary attractions at the golf course. From the local perspective many participants felt that the event lacked appeal and cultural relevance to the host society. Locally, a significant finding is that the event projected an image of catering to an elitist clientele. This image created the perception among local residents that the event was socially exclusive and only served to perpetuate social divisions in society rather than to ameliorate them. Furthermore, many felt that the failure of the event authorities to solicit local participation was because local residents were not part of the decision-making process. This finding further augments the argument that events cannot be successful without local support and participation. The findings in this study can make a worthwhile contribution to the marketing, management and design of future events and the direction of policy formulation for sport events on the island of Barbados. It has illuminated many issues that direct the perceptions, expectations and subsequent purchase behaviour of international tourists and local visitors regarding a mega event on the island of Barbados

Sustainable Economic Development

This book is a pivotal publication that addresses the contemporary challenges of globalization and elaborate policy responses to environmental pollution, climate change, economic disruptions, poverty, hunger, and other threats to sustainable economic development. Many parts of the world, territories, and societies are now changing at an unprecedented pace in ways that fundamentally affect the markets, people, the environment, and biodiversity. Such changes are primarily driven by rapid social and economic developments, economic disparities between countries, the internationalization of production and value chains, and industrialization. Increasingly frequently, business interests are interfering with sustainable development goals. The issue is how to converge the economic benefits with the urgent need for establishing resilient production chains, social networks, sustainably-operating markets, and environmental protection. This publication highlights the need for the balanced economic development and comprehensive coverage of many sustainability–business areas. Economic, production, financial, and social factors of sustainability are discussed by over 90 contributors representing 40 universities and research institutions from seven countries. Their findings are translated into workable approaches and policies for the benefit of the global economy, people, and the environment

How do Current Economic and Cultural Criteria for Assessing the Effectivity of the Liverpool Biennial Impact Upon its Planning, Strategies, and Resourcing?

This thesis focuses on the evolution of the Liverpool Biennial through the use of their evaluation methodologies. Throughout, I will show how evaluation and impact research has shaped the development of the Biennial and how the methodologies have influenced their policy and structure. I will discuss how the implications of these decisions have been governed from the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods of data gathering and how the language has been used to develop the marketing to describe their cultural output and impacts. The research begins with investigating the cultural valuation techniques that have been applied to the Liverpool Biennial Festival’s research, and impact reports. This research investigates the methodologies applied to evaluate the cultural value of the Biennial’s programme of cultural activity to determine the efficiency and validity of the Festival’s cultural impact studies. I will show how the Biennial’s extensive demographic research has been used to enable them to develop from a niche trade Festival. Furthermore, I will illustrate how each successive Festival (1999 – 2012) has developed, its increasing economic impact to the city, as well as increasing its popularity to a more inclusive audience under the tutelage of Lewis Biggs, Paul Domela and Paul Smith. Through in-depth analysis of their approach to evaluation, the thesis also reveals how the language of their marketing and visitor profile information has enhanced the intrinsic impact, cultural experience, or customer satisfaction of the service provided within the Festival. The research shows how the finding from the evaluation and impact research has been implemented into the decision-making, planning and curation of the Liverpool Biennial organisation so that they produce significant cultural impact

Contributo do turismo de saúde e bem-estar para a felicidade e qualidade de vida: estudo comparativo entre Portugal e a Hungria

Since its origin, health and wellness tourism has been related to the history of Portugal and Hungary, currently appearing as an undeniably strategic product for the development of tourism in both countries. The importance of this type of tourism is due to a set of circumstances imposed by contemporary life. Stress levels and working hours, as well as an increase in average life expectancy are some of the factors that converge to a greater concern with well-being issues, aided by an incessant search for happiness and for higher levels of quality of life. In this sense, health and wellness activities, promoted by the Thermal Baths and Spas, figures as means capable of meeting these current needs. The main objective of this thesis is to analyse the contribution of health and wellness tourism to the happiness and quality of life of thermal spas goers, based on a comparative study between Portugal and Hungary. The development of this thesis started from a theoretical basis, grounded on a review of the broad literature on the constructs under analysis, which contributed to the understanding of the use of the concepts of happiness and quality of life in the tourist context. This theoretical approach leveraged the construction of an investigation model and the definition of a set of hypotheses, tested through the results obtained from the empirical part developed throughout the study. The analysis was focused on the demand side, including health and wellness users and tourists in both countries, characterizing them in sociodemographic terms, observing their travel behaviour, assessing their satisfaction with the health and wellness experience, regarding the levels of happiness and quality of life obtained. This analysis is based on an empirical study developed over nine months, whose data were collected in a total of twelve Thermal Baths and Spas, six of them located in the Northern and Central regions of Portugal, and the other six located in the city of Budapest, in Hungary, providing a total of 753 valid responses. In the empirical study, a quantitative approach is made, using descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis, comparing the results obtained in both countries. This analysis allowed to demonstrate the potential of health and wellness tourism on the contribution to the happiness and quality of life of users, according to their different profiles. The main conclusions of the study allow to present a set of theoretical and practical implications for the development of health and wellness tourism in both countries, in a perspective of marketing, complemented with a set of proposals for future research in this area.O turismo de saúde e bem-estar esteve, desde a sua origem, relacionado com a história de Portugal, bem como com a da Hungria, afigurando-se atualmente como um produto assumidamente estratégico para o desenvolvimento do turismo em ambos os países. A importância deste tipo de turismo deve-se a um conjunto de circunstâncias e restrições impostas pela vida contemporânea. O stress acumulado nas jornadas de trabalho, bem como o aumento da esperança média de vida são alguns dos fatores que convergem para uma maior preocupação com as questões do bem-estar, coadjuvadas por uma busca contínua pela felicidade e por níveis de qualidade de vida mais elevados. Neste sentido, as atividades de saúde e bem-estar, promovidas pelas Termas e Spas, podem afigurar-se como um meio capaz de satisfazer estas necessidades. O principal objetivo da presente tese consiste em analisar o contributo do turismo de saúde e bem-estar para a felicidade e qualidade de vida dos seus utilizadores, baseando-se num estudo comparativo entre Portugal e a Hungria. O desenvolvimento deste estudo partiu de uma sustentação teórica, baseada numa alargada revisão da literatura sobre os construtos em análise, contribuindo para a compreensão dos conceitos de felicidade e qualidade de vida numa perspetiva aplicada ao contexto turístico. Esta abordagem teórica alavancou a construção de um modelo de investigação, baseado na definição de um conjunto de hipóteses, testadas através dos resultados provenientes do estudo empírico desenvolvido. A análise dos dados é realizada pelo lado da procura, incluindo utilizadores e turistas de saúde e bem-estar em ambos os países, caraterizando-os em termos sócio demográficos, observando-os quanto ao comportamento de viagem, avaliando a sua satisfação quanto à experiência de saúde e bem-estar, bem como quanto aos níveis de felicidade e qualidade de vida. Esta análise baseia-se num estudo empírico de caráter quantitativo, desenvolvido ao longo de nove meses, cujos dados foram recolhidos em doze Spas Termais, seis dos quais situados no Norte e Centro de Portugal e os outros seis localizados na cidade de Budapeste, na Hungria, tendo este estudo proporcionado um total de 753 respostas consideradas válidas. O tratamento dos dados assenta na utilização de métodos estatísticos de caráter descritivo, bem como análise multivariada, comparando os resultados obtidos nos dois países. Esta análise permitiu evidenciar o contributo do turismo de saúde e bem-estar para a felicidade e qualidade de vida dos utilizadores destes serviços, de acordo com os seus diferentes perfis. As principais conclusões do estudo permitem apresentar um conjunto de implicações teóricas e práticas para o desenvolvimento do turismo de saúde e bem-estar em ambos os países, numa perspetiva de marketing, complementadas por um conjunto de propostas de investigação futura nesta área.Apoio financeiro da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, no âmbito do Programa de Bolsas de Estudo de Curta Duração. Apoio financeiro da FCT e do FSE/POPH no âmbito do QREN.Programa Doutoral em Turism