Literary tourism: Opportunities and challenges for the marketing and branding of destinations?

This paper revisits the phenomenon of literary tourism and explores the means by which destinations can leverage benefit in the form of destination branding and marketing strategies. The paper commences with an overview of the typologies used to categorise the phenomenon and to outline the various forms it takes in the particular geographic context of the UK. The extent to which literary tourism is a sub-set of cultural and heritage tourism is then explored with the migration from niche to mass tourism opportunity an emerging trend. With regard to literary places, the study identifies author-related, fictional-related, book and festival related forms of literary tourism. Thereafter the study critiques further the migration from niche to mass tourism, the move from cultural and heritage tourism to international literary themed development, the collaborative development of literary destination products and experiences, opportunities for destination brand development and finally broader policy and wider local visitor management issues. The study concludes by advocating a collaborative approach to future literary tourism development with collaboration needing to be consistent with the desired target markets of each stakeholder, consistent with existing brands and perhaps most importantly, sustainable in the longer term. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Leveraging nation branding opportunities through sport mega-events.

Purpose – This paper aims to indicate a shift in focus from legacy to the leveraging of event impacts, and previous papers have indicated a growing awareness of the brand-related legacies associated with sport mega-events for a host nation. However, none have explored this in relation to the strategic activities of nation brand stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – The case of South Africa and the 2010 FIFA World Cup was selected, as this host nation clearly stated its aim of using the sport mega-event to develop its brand. A qualitative study explored the insights of selected, definitive nation brand stakeholders and experts, elicited using in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n = 27) that took place two to three years post the event. Findings – A thematic analysis clustered the leveraging imperatives into seven key strategic focus areas, namely, the media, local citizens, stakeholder partnerships, the tourism experience, design, sustainable development and urban transformation and event hosting. Research limitations/implications – This paper is not an audit of leveraging activities nor does it assess the costs of leveraging. The focus on a specific case has allowed for an in-depth analysis, although, for greater transferability of these findings, it is recommended that further comparative studies be conducted, especially in emerging nation contexts. Practical implications – The paper identifies key strategic focus areas as well as examples of practical activities for leveraging mega-events to gain and sustain nation brand benefits. In particular, stakeholders are urged to plan and budget for leveraging before, during and especially post an event. Social implications – In light of the critique of mega-events linked to their social impacts and costs, this paper recommends leveraging focus areas, and especially the mobilisation of citizen support, that can assist the realisation of positive social outcomes. Originality/value – The paper adds to the emerging discourse of nation branding, highlighting opportunities derived through sport mega-events and assisting brand stakeholders to leverage such opportunities more effectively

Revenue Management for Hospitality and Tourism

xii, 255 p. ; 26 cm

Adventure or amusement? Image and identity challenges for the aerial adventure industry and implications for positioning and policy

This paper seeks to address the changing image and identity of the aerial adventure industry as it becomes increasingly commercialized, which has led to uncertainty over its positioning within either adventure tourism or amusement rides. Such a positioning is critical in order to mitigate the problems caused by an inappropriate identification and image that contributes to poor inspections, poor procedures and policies, and ultimately, poor perceived risks and safety. In an industry where one serious injury impacts all operators, it is essential for all stakeholders to have collective “buy in” to effective policies that are standardized across the entire industry. The current identity confusion has merely led to misconceptions from public stakeholders. Through a qualitative case-study, this paper finds that aerial adventure parks share characteristics with adventure tourism and amusement rides and so resembles a hybrid. This is largely due to the presence of inherent risk and the role of the participant, both of which are less present on amusement rides. The paper therefore calls for state agencies to identify the activity as a stand-alone activity and for the subsequent regulations and policies to reflect this hybrid status

From finance to adventure: using ERM as a framework in adventure tourism

Research question: Can ERM be applied as a risk management framework within adventure tourism? Research methods: The paper is supported by a single-case study into the US aerial adventure industry. Data was collected from 21 interviews of senior managers within the US aerial adventure industry. Interview participants represented public and private organisations, including state agencies, operators and builders. Findings: This paper finds that even with the fragmented and dynamic state of the industry, (IERM) could provide the comprehensive and holistic approach to risk management currently lacking. Practical implications: Aerial adventure parks are uniform, yet the risk management procedures are not, meaning the industry is split into separate groups. A need for Industry-wide Enterprise Risk Management (IERM) is therefore identified. This, in turn, will improve public safety levels, the long-term sustainability of the industry as well as provide it with a competitive advantage. Research contribution: Adventure tourism lacks a risk management framework. This paper furthers academic discussion by proposing IERM as a risk management framework. This, in turn, furthers the academic discussion on ERM, by arguing for its utilisation at an industry level, and contributes to the discussion on the management of aerial adventure visitor attractions, an area currently under-researched

Adventure tourism innovation: Benefitting or hampering operations?

Despite its recognised importance to tourism, very little is known about innovation and innovative practices within the sub-sectors of tourism, such as adventure tourism. Further, despite the known benefits of innovation, not all innovations are adopted and the ones that are do not always have a successful outcome. Through a qualitative case study of the US aerial adventure industry, this paper highlights the advantages and disadvantages innovation may have on operational risk management as well as understanding why seemingly critical innovations are not adopted. Unlike tourism in general, the industry is relying heavily on radical innovations as it continues to grow. Numerous benefits are highlighted, yet also indicate a resistance to adopt innovations. The study demonstrates how adventure tourism, in its adaption and managerial processes, seeks balance by using well-tested safety technologies and measures against the incentive to enhance such thrill effects that will appeal to customer. Management implications: • This paper documents the advantages and disadvantages of innovation within adventure tourism, in particular the US aerial adventure industry, and it demonstrates the managerial ambiguities. • The paper finds that whilst innovations have had positive implications upon the industry, they have also led to further challenges in terms of changes in competitions. • The adventure tourism industry seeks to balance its cycles of innovation, and safety is a contributing factor that stimulates innovative activity, alongside the concern for customer thrill experiences

Creating Dementia-Friendly Destinations in Scotland

This edited text, intended to support a research-informed approach to learning and teaching, presents an array of concepts, collaborations and in-depth cases related to managing events, festivals and the visitor economy

How do event zones influence visitor behaviour and engagement with host destinations? : A longitudinal study of the Cambridge half marathon (2017–2020)

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)This work identifies important influencing factors that affect event visitor behaviour in and beyond event zones, utilising a four-year, mixed-method, longitudinal study (n=6212) of the Cambridge Half Marathon (2017–2020). We counter a commonly held view that visitors naturally spill out into local cultural and business precincts, arguing that event zones represent cities within cities that spatially segregate visitors from the host destination; only 7% of the sample engaged in longer and deeper cultural stays. Quantitative data reveals statistically significant demographic and tripographic factors that increase the likelihood of visitors venturing beyond the event zone, whilst qualitative data reveals the behavioural and organisational factors that encourage or discourage engagement. Managerial tactics and strategies for encouraging visitors to venture beyond event zones, across host destinations, to optimise local economic benefits across the host destination are presented.Peer reviewe

Motivating stakeholder collaboration within the aerial adventure industry

The aim of this exploratory study is to address motivations behind the formation of stakeholder collaborations within the U.S. aerial adventure industry as it seeks to improve risk management procedures and, in turn, reduce the number of accidents. The aerial adventure industry is faced with a conundrum in a bid to sustain its long-term sustainability: How does it create an exciting and thrilling yet ultimately safe activity? The main contribution can be found in the creation of the relational resource dependency theory, a reflection of the key motivational factors behind stakeholder collaboration within the U.S. aerial adventure industry. The authors call for leadership within the industry to motivate industry-wide collaboration

Leveraging accessible tourism development through mega-events, and the disability-attitude gap

Able-bodied, and increasingly people with disabilities, represent a key audience for mega-events; occasions that act as crucibles where social problems endemic to host destinations can be exposed and tackled through targeted social policy. Drawing on the social model of disability, the paper examines how Japan utilised Tokyo 2020 as a field configuring event to disrupt systems of ableist thinking and tackle physical and attitudinal barriers restricting Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to accessible tourism. Qualitative evidence reveals national commitments to relegitimise, improve accessibility for - and acceptance toward - PwD in Japanese society, through transformations to the built environment, national awareness, and educational campaigns in the build up to Tokyo 2020. An over-emphasis on physical as opposed to social structural change mean negative attitudes often persist, where disability remains stigmatised, leading to PwD immobility and social exclusion. Our policy recommendations and managerial implications, alongside research directions attend to this disability-attitude gap