Lessons learned from pilot testing an experimental communication intervention: Generation Y and park benefits

This paper reports a series of lessons learned from pilot testing an experimental intervention that aimed to shift Gen Y\u27s perceptions of the cultural and heritage benefits of parks. Designed in collaboration with the Office of Environment and Heritage in NSW and delivered via the OEH website, the intervention took respondents on a controlled virtual tour of two national parks, Ku-ring-gai Chase in the Sydney metropolitan area and Mutawintji in outback NSW, both rich in Australian culture and heritage. Overall, the intervention was viewed as successful in impacting respondents\u27 perceptions of the benefits of parks, and will be used in a subsequent on-line study on a broader sample of NSW respondents. The series of methodological decisions and associated consequences for the interpretation of findings presented in this paper are designed to help foster best practice experimental design in fieldbased tourism research

Visitor attitude to tourism destinations: A critical review and future research agenda

Visitor attitude is fundamental to destination selection in the tourism literature. Yet, there remains a notable dearth of critical reviews to assess the current status of knowledge on the topic. This study, therefore, seeks to map and critically evaluate the state of visitor attitudinal research to set the agenda for future scholarly enquiry. A review of journal articles on the topic in four leading tourism journals was undertaken. To critically explore the literature and identify research trends, a paradigm funnel approach was used. The findings demonstrate that most studies on the topic are based on empirical research and specific theories, most notably the contact model and theory of planned behaviour. However, few publications apply analytical methods and innovative ontological and epistemological approaches. This paper provides recommendations for future studies to advance visitor attitudinal research, advocating for the use of innovative methods and theoretical approaches in parent sub-disciplines, particularly psychology

Re‐thinking tourist wellbeing: An integrative model of affiliation with nature and social connections

Research on positive psychological outcomes of tourism has experienced exponential growth. However, a critical dimension of tourist wellbeing, affiliation, remains underexplored and conceptually underdeveloped. This study draws on 26 in-depth interviews with international tourists to Fiji to explore the influence of affiliation with nature and social connectedness on tourist wellbeing. Findings demonstrate the integral role of travel companionship, tourist affiliation with nature and connection with local people as critical determinants of positive psychological outcomes. An integrative model across the domains of gaze, practice and reflection is developed to demonstrate how affiliation with nature and social connectedness influence tourist wellbeing. Future research should explore the multi-sensual character and the therapeutic potential of tourist social encounters and interactions with nature and subsequent implications for tourist wellbeing

Mitigating the impact of ChatGPT: cultivating professional identity through interactive oral authentic assessments

Interactive orals are emerging in prominence as an authentic assessment method, accelerated by an increase in online learning from the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited studies have considered the potential of interactive oral assessments to cultivate professional identity through reflective processes. This paper explores how interactive orals stimulate students to engage in reflective practices and in turn, how critical reflective practices influence the formation of professional identity. Findings revealed interactive oral assessments stimulate high levels of engagement in reflective practices. Goal relevance is critical for encouraging engagement in reflective processes through interactive orals. Reflective processes were stimulated through a double loop learning approach, whereby encouraging students to critically identify their desired identity as a professional in the tourism and hospitality sector, encouraged deeper reflective processes. A conceptual model is proposed along with pedagogical suggestions for further assessment of the efficacy of interactive orals for enhancing graduate outcomes in tourism and hospitality education

Towards a typology of virtual events

Despite the mounting prominence of COVID-induced virtual substitutes to face-to-face events, the boundaries and terminology between different types of virtual events have not been clearly defined. Theoretical misconceptions exist surrounding the diffusion of virtual reality and existing virtual events into the tourism, hospitality and events sectors, with conceptual ambiguity generating contention. Consequently, this paper develops a typology of virtual events designed to clarify theoretical misconceptions and establish clear limits whereby all virtual events can be classified. Integrating the three dimensions of social presence, virtuality of environment, and location, the SPEL cube is presented as a conceptual model. This paper contributes to understanding the extant literature and practices of virtual events, providing implications for the management of events in the tourism, hospitality, and events sectors; and delivering a foundation for future research into optimal adaptations of immersive technologies

VALUTAZIONE DI BILANCIO TRIBECONOMICHE

Transformation theory attempts to understand the long-run process of structural shifts that occur in an industry and economy as a result of institutional change. While transformation theory is being advanced and tools have emerged to measure institutions, these innovations are yet to be applied to consider institutional change across the development spectrum. This is critical for developing institutional theory to underpin the tourism transformation process. Consequently, this paper aims to: - 1) assess the institutions of the tourism industry in three regions at different stages of transformation, and; - 2) compare tourism to other industries within the regions. The results indicate that as the tourism industry matures it becomes smarter, more adaptable, and takes its own trajectory by departing from the institutional norms of non-tourism organizations in the region. The tourism management implications are that learning, research capabilities, adaptability and collaborative marketing plans should be fostered in the early stages of transformation

Managing outdoor recreation: case studies in the national parks

Book review of: Manning, RE & Anderson, LE 2012, Managing outdoor recreation: case studies in the national parks, CABI International. ISBN: 97817806418