Tourism and its Contribution to Regional Development: Three Case Studies

Fast growing tourism industries have provided a focus for policymakers and academics concerned with regional and national economic development in periphery areas. General and, in the context of this paper, event tourism, comprise an important development platform for both periphery rural areas facing a bleak future due to depressed agriculture conditions, and for post-industrial and urban areas seeking new industries to replace traditional employment in manufacturing and slow growth service industries. The promotion of tourism and leisure service industries as a regional growth driver, particularly in peripheral regions, may ignore certain underlying industry characteristics. Often tourism features low wages and unskilled labour, lessening income-related demand effects, and, further, militating against the development of a highly skilled workforce. Moreover, external ownership of large tourism concerns, together with an underdeveloped local tourism infrastructure can limit the contribution of new tourism activity to regional growth prospects. This paper compares and contrasts the impacts of three very different cases of tourism development in Wales. The first case is the now well-established annual Brecon Jazz festival in mid-Wales. This internationally renowned event attracts 50,000 visitors per annum to a rural setting which faces increasing difficulties in traditional agricultural activities, and is searching for diversification opportunities. The second case examines the sustainable visitor related impacts of Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, an exceptionally well-preserved industrial heritage site in the South Wales coalfield. The area has recently received World Heritage Site status, and is to undergo significant preservation works and development of visitor facilities in the next few years. The third case examines the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The event was hailed as the world''''s fourth biggest sporting event and was hosted by Cardiff, the capital of Wales in the autumn of 1999. The local economic effects (forecast in the case of Blaenavon) of each development are examined and compared within the framework of Input-Output tables for Wales, augmented by tourism sector data. The paper examines the very different patterns of visitor spend associated with each case activity, and how far the effects of the activities being promoted square with local economic development needs. Implications for tourism development policy are examined in the context of the research findings. Bibliography: Department for Culture, Media and Sport (1999) "Tomorrow%27s Tourism: A growth Industry for the new Millennium" HMSO Fletcher, J. E. (1989). Input-output analysis and tourism impact studies. Annals of Tourism Research, 16: 514-529 Hill, S. & Roberts, A. (1998) %22Welsh Input-Output Tables for 1995" University of Wales Press National Assembly for Wales (2000) "Objective 1 Single Programming Document: West Wales and the Valleys" HMSO

Early Social-Emotional Functioning and Public Health: The Relationship Between Kindergarten Social Competence and Future Wellness

A new 20-year study shows a link between children's social skills in kindergarten and their well-being in early adulthood.Researchers from Pennsylvania State and Duke Universities analyzed what happened to nearly 800 kindergarteners from four locations after their teachers measured their social competency skills in 1991. The children were evaluated on a range of social behaviors, such as whether they resolve peer problems, listen to others, share materials, cooperate, and are helpful. Each student then received a composite score representing his or her overall level of positive social skills/behavior, on a scale from ("not at all") to 4 ("very well"). The research team monitored these students and the positive and negative milestones each obtained until they turned 25.Using a variety of data sources, including official records; reports from parents; and self-reporting by the participants, researchers recorded whether the students obtained high school diplomas, college degrees, and full-time jobs. They also kept track of whether students developed a criminal record or substance abuse problems, among other negative outcomes

An investigation of key growth industry sectors in Wales using Multi-Sectoral Qualitative Analysis

This paper examines the problem of key sector identification in regional economies. Whilst the paper questions the desirability of policy focusing on the promotion of key sectors, it suggests that tools are generally underdeveloped to identify these sectors. The paper suggests that multi-sectoral qualitative analysis provides one means of forming conclusions on sector potentials.

Barriers to, and Recommendations for, Sustainable Water Usage: The Case of the Malta Tourism Policy (2015-2020)

Water scarcity, limited natural aquifer recharge and high abstraction levels pose policy management challenges within regions of concentrated tourism development in the Mediterranean Basin. Focusing upon water scarcity in Malta, this paper seeks to examine the barriers and recommendations for sustainable water usage within the Malta Tourism Policy (MTP) (2015-2020). Drawing upon a systematic literature review and interviews with government officials, NGOs and private sector stakeholders, the dichotomy of supply and demand is deemed a key influence upon Maltese water scarcity, alongside a sustainability rhetoric adding political legitimacy to resource-intensive water usage. The MTP (2015-2020) prioritises economic growth and short term tourist numbers, limiting the sustainability of water usage upon Malta, with future augmentation of tourism policy requiring a greater emphasis upon integration between the environmental, socio-cultural and economic pillars of sustainability

Investigation of Sequential Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Effect on Run Performance

The main aim of this study was to determine if IPC after a 5000 m run influences maximal effort 1600 m run performance. A secondary purpose was to determine if the level of IPC pressure used influences run performance. Nine subjects (6 male and 3 female were included in the study; 30 years±5.19 years; Height 173.72cm±8.25; Weight; 72.54±9.97 kg). These subjects were recruited to be in this study via word of mouth or social media advertisement in the Las Vegas area. Participant inclusion criteria was 18- 50 year old apparently healthy, had been running a minimum of 20 miles a week for the last 3 months, and had competed in one race that included running or had a running component to it in the last year, has not had a diagnosed injury in the last 3 months, and were not pregnant. Subjects complete an institutionally reviewed informed consent along with a running questionnaire to give a sense of their running background. The subjects were ask to perform a 5000-meter competitive run together to induce a competitive atmosphere. After subjects completed the 5000-meter run, subjects returned to the UNLV biomechanics laboratory. The IPC device utilized in this study is the Recovery Pump RPS Complete System (SKU 701A, Pennsylvania, PA) is an FDA approved intermittent pneumatic compression device that provides sequential pressure. The settings on the IPC were randomly assigned either 80 mmHg of pressure or 20 mmHg of pressure. The duration of recovery time was 60 minutes in duration. During the recovery process there was some measurements collected. Every 10 minutes all subjects had their HR and BP measurements taken. The heart rate monitor utilized was the FT1 Polar heart rate monitor (Polar Electro Oy, Professorintie 5, FIN-90440 KEMPELE). The blood pressure cuff used in this study was the Omron BP710N 3 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor (Omron Healthcare, Inc. Lake Forest, IL 60045) After the 60 minutes of recovery time in the IPC device the boots were removed. After their warm up subjects were asked to perform a maximal 1600-meter effort. After a minimum of 72 hours recovery between the initial test day, subjects returned to UNLV track for day 2 to perform Day 2 tests. Day 2 procedures were identical to Day 1 with the only difference being that they will receive a different pressure setting (i.e., if subject 1 received 80 mmHg on Day 1, they would receive 20 mmHg on Day 2). There were two sets of dependent variables collected. The performance variables were 1600 m performance and HRAvg during the 1600 m trial. The recovery variables were heart rate and blood pressure. 1600 m performance was not influenced by IPC Pressure ( p =0.495). The mean 1600 m run time following IPC pressure 20 mmHg was 366.6±53.59 s. The mean 1600 m run time following IPC pressure 80 mmHg was 364±54.26 s.HRAvg was not influenced by IPC Pressure ( p = 0.063). HRRec was not influenced by the interaction of time and pressure ( F(1,8) = 0.205, p = 0.925). HRRec was not influenced by pressure (F(1,8) = 0.169, p=0.692) but was influenced by time (F(4, 32) = 18.000, p\u3c0.001). BPSystolic was not influenced by the interaction of time and pressure ( F(1,8) = 1.1, p = 0.431). BPSystolic was not influenced by pressure F(1,8) =1.8, p = 0.215. BPSystolic was not influenced by time (F(1,8) = 0.584, p=0.689). BPDiastolic was not influenced by the interaction of time and pressure (F(1,8) = 0.200, p = 0.928). The current research differs from the related IPC literature related to performance because it was the first in the reviewed literature to utilize an over ground endurance event to test the efficacy of the IPC product for performance. The performance of the subjects in the current study did not change while using the various IPC pressures, nor did the recovery parameters explored elicit any change during recovery. There seems to be an individual response to the IPC as a recovery modality, as this product becomes more popular in mainstream athletics the amount of literature testing the IPC device must grow if researchers are to better assist coaches and athletes with the practical usage of this product

Arthropod Assemblages at the Intersection of Epiphyte and Soil Habitats: An assessment of understory level nonvascular epiphyte communities and their connectivity within a tropical montane rainforest

Canopy arthropods communities represent a disproportionate amount of global species richness (Stuntz 2001). Understanding arthropod composition and connectivity of lower epiphyte communities is important in understanding how canopy arthropods communities are formed and will respond to change (Floren and Linsenmair 1998). As such this study examined arthropod assemblages living within nonvascular epiphyte communities (epiphyte mats) living directly upon lower trunk regions of 24 trees in a tropical montane rain forest within the Santa Lucia Nature Reserve in Pichincha, Ecuador. Trees were assessed for size, epiphyte diversity, and epiphyte coverage before arthropod sampling within the epiphyte mats. Soil assessments were taken as well to compare community structure at the zone of intersection between the two habitats. No direct correlation was found between size, epiphyte diversity, or coverage on the diversity of arthropods within the mats, however this meant that population density and species richness density was very strongly negatively correlated with surface area. Arthropod communities differed significantly between soil samples and epiphyte samples, including in morphospecies present and proportional composition of arthropod orders

Energy and development in the periphery: A regional perspective on small hydropower projects

Investments in renewable energy have been identified as one mechanism for encouraging development in lagging regions, with community owned or operated facilities potentially having a relatively greater impact. The development of small hydropower installations in Wales is examined to establish the economic and community benefits of such schemes. The sector displays a number of locally beneficial economic characteristics that are absent from larger scale renewable investments. However, this is shown to be a fragile sector dependent on a small number of key individuals and institutions, and with an investment model relying on depreciating UK government subsidies. Following an introduction, the paper first examines why renewables, and small-scale, community renewables in particular, have attracted attention as a part response to declining economic, social and environmental conditions in rural communities. It then describes the Welsh energy and policy context before describing the data and the method employed in the research. The paper then examines the economic value of small hydropower developments, the nature and scale of impacts on local social capital and on communities, and then the extent to which small hydropower might be considered distinct from other local energy sectors in terms of business behaviours and inter-organisation relationships. The discussion then focuses on factors affecting prospects for the small hydropower sector, and which will limit how far development of the sector can lead to transformative outcomes for communities close to the natural resource

You Don\u27t Handle Nuff Money for Me

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/2793/thumbnail.jp

Investigating Trajectories of Social Recovery in Individuals with First Episode Psychosis:A Latent Class Growth Analysis

Background Social disability is a hallmark of severe mental illness yet individual differences and factors predicting outcome are largely unknown. Aim To explore trajectories and predictors of social recovery following a first episode of psychosis (FEP). Method A sample of 764 individuals with FEP were assessed on entry into early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services and followed up over 12 months. Social recovery profiles were examined using latent class growth analysis. Results Three types of social recovery profile were identified: Low Stable (66%), Moderate-Increasing (27%), and High-Decreasing (7%). Poor social recovery was predicted by male gender, ethnic minority status, younger age at onset of psychosis, increased negative symptoms, and poor premorbid adjustment. Conclusions Social disability is prevalent in FEP, although distinct recovery profiles are evident. Where social disability is present on entry into EIP services it can remain stable, highlighting a need for targeted intervention. Declaration of interest Non