Use and Perception of the Internet as a Marketing Tool to Promote Rural Tourism

Businesses and communities in rural areas face increased challenges to compete in the globalized tourism market. Rural areas and small communities often have rich endogenous natural resources, which may appeal to a stressed urban public, however, simply possessing these attributes is not sufficient, the must be communicated and promoted to the right people. The purpose of this study is to explore the use of Internet and online marketing tools to improve the competitiveness of small-scale rural tourism companies. The paper presents an overview of the perception, knowledge and use of Internet as a marketing toll by small-scaled rural tourism companies located in Portugal centre region and discusses the challenges and motivations involved in promoting rural tourism in a globalized market. A sample of small-scaled rural tourism companies was inquired about their attitudes toward the use of Internet marketing tools. The results show that Rural Tourism companies have limited knowledge of web marketing tools potential to support the rural tourism and highlight the need to increase the use of Internet as a marketing tool to globally communicate, promote and positioning rural tourism in order to leverage resources and create sustainability.Rural tourism, SMEs, Internet, Marketing, e-Commerce

Analyzing customer profitability in hotels using activity based costing

This paper investigates the use of customer profitability analysis (CPA) in four and five star hotels located in Algarve (Portugal). Traditional accounting systems have been criticized for focusing on product, service or department profitability, and not on customer profitability, thus failing to provide effective information to marketing-related decisions. Results are reported by operating departments, whilst marketing activities focus on customer market segments. Recognizing the growing emphasis on customer value creation, and to overcome the mismatch between the provision and use of information in hotels, CPA techniques have been suggested. Notwithstanding their benefits, namely a strategic focus, hotels still apply traditional techniques. A structured questionnaire collected through personal interviews showed that CPA is far from widespread in hotel management; instead, hotels accumulate costs in profit centers and in cost centers. None of the surveyed hotels had adopted activity based costing, despite this technique being viewed as the most appropriate to calculate individual customer profitability.Este artigo investiga a análise de rendibilidade de clientes nos hotéis de quatro e cinco estrelas do Algarve (Portugal). Os sistemas de contabilidade tradicionais focalizam-se na rendibilidade dos produtos, serviços ou departamentos não fornecendo informação eficaz para decisões de marketing. Os resultados são relatados por departamentos, sendo as atividades de marketing direcionadas para segmentos de mercado. Reconhecendo o foco na criação de valor para o cliente e o “desencontro” entre fornecimento e utilização de informação nos hotéis, a literatura tem sugerido técnicas de análise de rendibilidade de clientes. Apesar dos beneficios destas técnicas, nomeadamente o foco estratégico, os hotéis utilizam técnicas tradicionais. Um questionário estruturado recolhido presencialmente revelou que a técnica CPA está pouco difundida no setor; os hotéis acumulam custos por centros de resultados e por centros de custos. Nenhum adopta o custeio baseado nas actividades, embora seja o método mais apropriado para atribuir custos a clientes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Looking backward to look forward: water use and economic growth from a long-term perspective

Recent research has examined the relationship between natural resources and economic growth. Considered vitally important, not only for humanity’s well-being but also for ecosystem integrity, the relationship between water use and economic growth has traditionally garnered little attention by analysts. This paper studies water use trends from 1900 to 2000 throughout the world, and their main determinants. To do this, we first analyse historical water use trajectories. Second, to proceed with the determinants of water use, we reformulate the IPAT equation (Ehrlich and Holdren, 1971; Commoner et al. 1971), decomposing water use trends into changes in economic demands and in water use intensity. Finally, a simple scenario analysis is conducted, to project future water use trends under different economic, demographic and technological assumptions. The empirical evidence shows that economic and population growth have been crucial for explaining the increase in water use over the past 100 years, with significant regional differences. Nevertheless, the decline in water use intensity has been responsible for a significant reduction in the growth of total water use.Water use, environmental impacts, economic growth, IPAT model, scenario analysis

Evaluación de los aprendizajes en matemáticas

El propósito de la presente investigación cualitativa fue elaborar instrumentos de evaluación que respondan a categorías de conocimiento matemático (comunicación, representación y definición) establecidas por Moya (2008), y analizar la aplicación de tales instrumentos, en estudiantes, desde la Educación Matemática Crítica (Skovsmose, 1999; Mora, 2005; Becerra, 2005; Frankenstein, 2006). Los participantes fueron estudiantes (13-15 años) de educación media general. Este estudio se realizó en dos etapas. Para efectos de este trabajo haremos referencia a la primera, la cual consistió en el desarrollo de un proyecto factible (Dubs, 2002) que contó inicialmente con una investigación documental, seguida de un diagnóstico de necesidades para finalizar con el diseño de una propuesta (Kaufman, 1973). Entre los resultados obtenidos se encuentran: (i) Una quiebre en la concepción prescriptiva de presentar la evaluación, como un examen cerrado con preguntas desvinculadas y descontextualizadas. (ii)Reflexión de situaciones socio-culturales que suceden en la realidad

Matrix metalloproteinases in liver injury, repair and fibrosis.

The liver is a large highly vascularized organ with a central function in metabolic homeostasis, detoxification, and immunity. Due to its roles, the liver is frequently exposed to various insults which can cause cell death and hepatic dysfunction. Alternatively, the liver has a remarkable ability to self-repair and regenerate after injury. Liver injury and regeneration have both been linked to complex extracellular matrix (ECM) related pathways. While normal degradation of ECM components is an important feature of tissue repair and remodeling, irregular ECM turnover contributes to a variety of liver diseases. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the main enzymes implicated in ECM degradation. MMPs not only remodel the ECM, but also regulate immune responses. In this review, we highlight some of the MMP-attributed roles in acute and chronic liver injury and emphasize the need for further experimentation to better understand their functions during hepatic physiological conditions and disease progression

MANAGEMENT OF THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA: AN APPLICATION OF C-GAMES

This paper considers the prospects for cooperative multilateral management of the North Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries in accordance with the United Nations (UN) Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks signed in December 1995. A three-players characteristic function game (c-game) is used to analyze the cooperative agreements. The analysis focuses on the sharing of total net returns from cooperation. Three sharing rules are calculated; namely, the Nucleolus, the Shapley value, and the Nash bargaining solution. The analysis is based on simulation and optimization results from a multi-gear, age-structured, bioeconomic model developed for the North Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries, East and West stocks. The results show, as expected, that significant gains can be attained from cooperation. The different sharing rules for the distribution of gains provide different returns to each player. Nonetheless, the basic transfer payments structure is rather stable. This case study points out some particular situations where these solutions are not enough to guarantee cooperation between all the coastal states.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Publicidade em Portugal 2006: da catarse mediática dos grandes eventos às experiências intimistas com o consumidor

[Excerto] Em 2006 a publicidade olhou mais para o umbigo. Não no sentido habitual de criatividade exuberante para auto-satisfação, mas no sentido de reflectir sobre si própria e também de se dar a conhecer, numa atitude promocional, instrinsecamente publicitária. A declaração de intenções da nova direcção da APAP - Associação das Empresas Portuguesas de Publicidade assumiu como prioridade “demonstrar a importância desta indústria para a cadeia de valor dos anunciantes”, mas também face aos consumidores, posicionando a publicidade como um direito adquirido dos mesmos.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

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Análisis de los problemas detectados por profesores de matemática en formación

Este estudio se enmarca en la formación inicial de profesores de matemática del nivel de Educación Media General (LOE, 2009). Nos situamos en el contexto de una asignatura de la Licenciatura de Educación Mención Matemáticas de la Universidad Nacional Abierta, que forma parte de las prácticas profesionales. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar los problemas descritos por profesores en formación. Debido a que, es importante indagar y cuestionar los diferentes componentes del conocimiento profesional que tienen los profesores en formación con relación a un concepto matemático al momento de enfrentar situaciones de enseñanza concretas (Badillo y Azcárate, 2005). Se realizó un análisis de contenido (Krippendorff, 1990) de las producciones realizadas por los futuros profesores que cursaron la asignatura mencionada, durante los períodos académicos 2010-2012. Se detectó una inclinación hacia temas aritméticos, inquieta el proceso de aprendizaje que siguen los profesores en formación sobre la caracterización de los problemas propios de la matemática escolar y las capacidades que finalmente desarrollan. Esta situación ocurre a pesar de contar, en el pensum de estudio, con asignaturas referidas a didácticas específicas

Port Wine and lusophony : the “ex-libris” portuguese product as discourse : a case study

A partir da análise de rótulos de Vinho do Porto da marca Cálem lançados nos mercados latino-americanos na viragem do século XIX para o XX, (circa 1894-1912) verificou-se que são criadas marcas específicas para exportação (Brasil, Argentina, Uruguai, etc), com nomes adaptados afectiva e culturalmente aos locais de consumo. Esta característica de adaptabilidade parece muito típica da maneira de estar e ser da "lusofonia" e, quiçá, uma das razões da sua sobrevivência. A análise e contextualização deste percurso passado e o seu paralelo com a actualidade, — sendo que os mercados evoluiram para outras latitudes e a atitude também se modificou —, deixam transparecer as estratégias comerciais a partir do discurso do produto, eventualmente influenciadas pela evolução da política de protecção estatal ao Vinho do Porto. Os rótulos veiculam alegadamente um certo conceito de portugalidade, “exportando” mais que um produto, uma cultura e o seu património identitário. Hoje, independentemente das especificidades de cada mercado, até que ponto a lusofonia sobrevive ou se esfuma perante a globalização?Port Wine and Lusophony: the “ex-libris” Portuguese product as discourse. A case study. Studying the Cálem Port Wine labels created with the special purpose of conquering the new South American markets during the turn of the 19th to the 20th century (circa 1894-1912), we found names and images culturally and emotionally adapted to get the local consumer attention and affection. This adaptability seems to be a typical lusophony way and, probably, one of the reasons for its survival. 1059 The analysis of this past path and the coincidence with the present — markets moved to different latitudes and attitudes — show the business strategies behind the product messages, probably influenced by the political, economic and social evolution as well as by state protection laws of Port Wine. The labels under study communicate a certain concept of “portugality”, exporting thus not only a product, but a culture and its identity. Under the pressure of globalization and each market special needs, will lusophony sink or rise