Residents’ views on cruise tourism in Naples Profiles and insights from a Mediterranean home-port destination

Abstract: This study aims at profiling a quota sample of 600 residents in Naples, a home port in the Campania Region (Southern Italy), based on their perceptions and attitudes toward the development of cruise tourism, and their willingness to support different tourism types. To achieve this aim, a factor-cluster analysis was applied and five clusters were identified, namely ‘indifferent’, ‘moderate lovers’, ‘moderate critics’, and ‘cautious’. Significant differences emerged between the identified groups based on their prior experience with cruise vacation and their relatives’ economic reliance on cruise activity. On the contrary, no significant differences exist based on gender, age, employment status, economic reliance on cruise tourism, education level, length of residence, geographical proximity to cruise port area. Furthermore, no significant differences between clusters were found based on residents’ attitude towards cruise tourism and their support to its further development. Hence, theoretical contributions and managerial implications are addressed, including recommendations for future research

Uncovering knowledge on travel behaviour during {COVID}-19: a convergent parallel mixed-methods study in the context of Italy

Against the background of uncertainty and crisis generated by COVID-19, academics and practitioners have struggled to envision how travelling behaviour will be transformed by the pandemic and when it will resume. Despite its relevance to both theory and practice, current research devoted to this research strand is still in its early stages. This study, reliant on Protection Motivation Theory, was conducted in order to assess the ways in which travellers’ preferences are changing as a result of the coping strategies they adopt to protect themselves from the health crisis. To do this, a convergent parallel mixed method approach (data validation variant) was applied to a sample of 4,539 completed questionnaires, collected in Italy, which included 1,577 usable qualitative answers. A factor-cluster analysis was carried out on the quantitative data. Two factors driving destination choice emerged, namely: “Personal protective equipment, sanitation, and physical distancing” and “Outdoor and under-crowded tourism attractions and destinations”. The cluster analysis divided individuals into three groups: “All-round concerned tourists”, “Middle-concerned tourists”, and “Outdoor-driven tourists”. Finally, a series of chi-square and F-tests revealed that significant differences existed between the clusters, based on socio-demographics and travel-related characteristics (i.e., preferred accommodation facilities and means of transport, geographical scale of travelling, and travel companions). Quantitative results were then merged with qualitative results, allowing us to further deepen our understanding of travel behaviours during the pandemic and the related coping strategies. Contributions to this body of knowledge and managerial implications are discussed and suggestions for further research are given

Profiling airport travellers based on their perceptions, satisfaction and intention to recommend food and beverage services

Abstract: Consuming Food and Beverage is one of the most frequent non-aeronautical activities that passengers enjoy at airports and that significantly contributes to airport profitability. Despite this, there is still limited research aimed at analysing passengers’ consumption behaviour of F&B. With the aim to contribute to this somewhat under investigated research area, this study applies a factor-cluster analysis on a sample of 1,139 airport travellers. Results from factor analysis reveal four underlying dimensions of F&B perceptions (i.e. atmospherics, staff quality, value of money, product quality) and one dimension related to satisfaction and intention to recommend airport-based F&B services (i.e. “satisfaction and intention to recommend”). Cluster analysis applied to the scores of the five factors reveal that three clusters exist (i.e. “enthusiastics”, “neutrals” and “price sensitives”). Chi-squared analysis tests show that significant differences exist based on socio-demographics (i.e. age, education level, employment status), travel-related variables (i.e. frequency of travelling) and flight-related variables (i.e. flying and check-in modality). Contributions to the theory, managerial implications and limitations to the study are discussed, and suggestions for further research are made

Sustainable tourism development and climate change: a supply-side perspective

This paper presents and discusses findings of research carried out on a sample of 141 tourism stakeholders with two tourism destinations located in Sardinia, Italy. Specifically, it investigates: (1) the priorities that respondents consider essential to attain sustainability and competitiveness for their business and the destination as a whole, (2) the main barriers to tourism sustainability and (3) their attitude towards climate change and its influence on tourism. Our contribution to the literature, along with managerial implications, is discussed and suggestions for future research are given

Genetic diversity of <i>NRAMP1</i> 3'-UTR microsatellite in cattle breeds reared in Sardinia

The aim of this study was to compare the allele frequency of 3'-UTR NRAMP1 (Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Protein) microsatellite between local and specialized dairy cattle breeds reared in Sardinia, Italy. Blood samples were collected and DNA was extracted from 97 Sarda, 55 Italian Brown and 36 Italian Friesian cattle and analysed by means of PCR and PCR-SSCP. On the whole, three alleles were found, GT13, GT14, and GT15. GT13 showed the highest frequency in all the breeds: 0.874 in the Sarda, 0.973 in the Italian Brown and 1 in the Italian Friesian. For the Sarda, both GT14 and GT15 showed a frequency of 0.063, while for the Italian Brown 0.018 and 0.009, respectively. Homozygous GT13/GT13 was the unique genotype for the Italian Friesian and the most representative for the Italian Brown (0.964) and Sarda (0.823). The other genotypes for the Sarda were: GT14/GT14 (0.042), GT13/GT14 (0.010), GT13/GT15 (0.094) and GT14/GT15 (0.031); as regards the Italian Brown, both GT14/GT14 and GT13/GT15 showed a genotypic frequency of 0.018. The observed heterozygosity was lower than the expected value both for the Sarda and the Italian Brown. Sarda showed a higher genetic variability than Italian Brown and Italian Friesian

Collaboration and Learning Processes in Value Co-Creation: A Destination Perspective

Value co-creation has emerged as an important competitive strategy leading to value innovation. In tourist destinations co-creation results from the participation of multiple actors synchronously and contextually in value realization. Yet value co-creation remains highly theoretical and lacks empirical operationalization, especially in destination contexts. Are tourism destinations able and sufficiently mobilized to exploit the potential offered by co-creation theory? This paper operationalizes two fundamental dimensions of the value co-creation process, collaboration and learning, by developing and testing a measurement scale to evaluate the perceived impact of these dimensions on the market performance of actors at a tourist destination. Contributions to the literature on value co-creation and learning as well as managerial implications are discussed and suggestions for further research are made

Sustainable Tourism Development and Climate Change: A Supply-Side Perspective

This paper presents and discusses findings of research carried out on a sample of 141 tourism stakeholders with two tourism destinations located in Sardinia, Italy. Specifically, it investigates: (1) the priorities that respondents consider essential to attain sustainability and competitiveness for their business and the destination as a whole, (2) the main barriers to tourism sustainability and (3) their attitude towards climate change and its influence on tourism. Our contribution to the literature, along with managerial implications, is discussed and suggestions for future research are given

Sustainable Tourism Development and Climate Change: A Supply-Side Perspective

This paper presents and discusses findings of research carried out on a sample of 141 tourism stakeholders with two tourism destinations located in Sardinia, Italy. Specifically, it investigates: (1) the priorities that respondents consider essential to attain sustainability and competitiveness for their business and the destination as a whole, (2) the main barriers to tourism sustainability and (3) their attitude towards climate change and its influence on tourism. Our contribution to the literature, along with managerial implications, is discussed and suggestions for future research are given

Arthritis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: From 2022 International GISEA/OEG Symposium

Musculoskeletal involvement is one of the most common manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with a negative impact on both quality of life and overall prognosis. SLE arthritis can be classified into three different subtypes, with different prevalence and characteristic biomarkers and MRI findings. Identifying the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying musculoskeletal manifestations' development is crucial to develop therapeutic strategies to suppress synovial inflammation, prevent erosions and deformities, and improve SLE patients' quality of life. Hence, here we discuss the main pathogenetic mechanisms and therapeutic approaches of musculoskeletal manifestations of SLE from the 2022 International GISEA/OEG Symposium