Exploring the constraint profile of winter sports resort tourist segments

Many studies have confirmed the importance of market segmentation both theoretically and empirically. Surprisingly though, no study has so far addressed the issue from the perspective of leisure constraints. Since different consumers face different barriers, we look at participation in leisure activities as an outcome of the negotiation process that winter sports resort tourists go through, to balance between related motives and constraints. This empirical study reports the findings on the applicability of constraining factors in segmenting the tourists who visit winter sports resorts. Utilizing data from 1,391 tourists of winter sports resorts in Greece, five segments were formed based on their constraint, demographic and behavioral profile. Our findings indicate that such segmentation sheds light on factors that could potentially limit the full utilization of the market. To maximize utilization, we suggest customizing marketing to the profile of each distinct winter sports resort tourist segment that emerge

Somatic Education and Mind-Body Disciplines: Exploring the Effects of the Pilates Method on Life Satisfaction, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

This study was aimed at exploring the potential of the Pilates Method of somatic education as a tool for enhancing factors influencing wellbeing. Specifically, the study focused on investigating whether Pilates Method mat-based and equipment practices affects mindfulness, self-compassion and life satisfaction among adults. A total of 129 adults (16 men and 113 women) participated in this study. Participants completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Self-Compassion Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale, and provided additional information regarding the frequency of participation in Pilates practices and demographics. Correlation analysis indicated strong relationships between variables. One-way multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine differences in mindfulness, self-compassion and life satisfaction, and revealed significant differences between Pilates subgroups. Bonferroni post hoc tests showed that participants who practiced Pilates as many as five times per week scored higher than those participating once or twice. Regression analyses indicated that mindfulness and self-compassion were good predictors of life satisfaction. Pilates positively correlated with factors that enhance positive psychology processes and wellbeing. The major finding was that Pilates practitioners can enter into a different relationship with bodily movement, transcending the physical body, fitness and exercise techniques. Further empirical research is required to explore how the Pilates Method shapes somatic experiences. Implications of the Pilates technique as a somatic and mind-body method in physical and dance education are presented. © 2022 Aglaia Zafeiroudi and Charilaos Kouthouris

Segmenting visitors of a Greek recreational theme park using factors that motivate attendance

Purpose: This study aims to segment visitors to a Greek theme park using factors that motivate attendance. Research methods: Three hundred and twenty-two young and adult visitors of an outdoor recreational theme park, located in the midlands of Greece, completed a questionnaire that measured four dimensions: motivation, service quality perceptions, intention to revisit, and word-of-mouth communication. Results and Findings: A principal component analysis of the motivation items revealed a clear five-factor structure. Thereafter, a cluster analysis of the five factors was performed. This classified participants into three psychographic segments: “incurious to activities and social life”, “recreation and nature oriented”, and “outdoor activities enthusiast”. An analysis of variance test successfully validated the three segments relative to visitors’ perceptions of service quality and future behavioural intentions. Practical implications: Theme park management can use this study’s newly developed visitor segmentation to better understand, commercialise, and personalise their services. Managers can more effectively execute visitor management strategies to attract customers and develop marketing techniques to create new competitors’ advantages. Research contribution: The study successfully developed three validated psychographic theme park visitor segments: “incurious to activities and social life”, “recreation and nature oriented”, and “outdoor activities enthusiast”. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Increasing customers' loyalty in a skiing resort: The contribution of place attachment and service quality

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is three-fold: first, to propose a model for measuring service quality in a skiing resort; second, to investigate the contribution of place attachment on the prediction of customers' loyalty, and third, to examine the influence of service quality on the development of place attachment. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 264 (n=264) recreational skiers participated in the study, and filled the two-dimensional place attachment questionnaire and a service quality questionnaire, which was based on Brady and Cronin's three-dimensional service quality model (physical environment quality, interaction quality, outcome quality). Findings - The results of the study indicate that skiers' loyalty was significantly predicted by both the place attachment dimensions (place identity and place dependence). Furthermore, place attachment was significantly predicted by the interaction and physical environment service quality dimensions. Research limitations/ implications - The research was limited because it was based on one skiing resort. Testing it on many would give a more accurate result. Expansion of the theoretical model in other tourist destinations would also provide a more accurate result. Practical implications - Strategies to develop customer loyalty and for the development of place attachment are discussed. A model of measuring service quality in skiing resorts is presented. Originality/value - The paper proposes a model for measuring service quality in skiing resorts. It also introduces the construct of place attachment and its value for predicting customer loyalty. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Predicting intention to participate in outdoor recreation programs from behavioral variables

This study aimed to investigate the degree to which specific behavioral variables can predict future intentions to participate in outdoor recreational programs. One hundred and eighty seven (N=187) individuals (98 men and 89 women) from 19 to 40 years of age (M=26.6, SD=6.6) took part in an outdoor recreation program including lake canoeing /kayaking, orienteering, and archery activities. Information was collected about participants' perception of service quality, satisfaction, motives fulfillment, and future behavioral intentions. Perceived service quality was measured by Parasuramant et al's (1988) scale, satisfaction was measured by Oliver's (1980) scale, motives fulfillment was measured by a three-items scale, and behavioral intentions were measured by Ajzen's (1988) scale. Positive correlations existed between all variables of the study. The results indicated that service quality predicted very low amount of variance in future behavioral intentions. In contrast, customer satisfaction and motives fulfillment variables appeared to be effective marketing tools for predicting participation in outdoor recreational programs. The implications of these results for the management of outdoor recreational market are discussed

Investigating the relationships among motivation, negotiation, and alpine skiing participation

This study aimed to investigate the negotiation strategies used by recreational skiers to overcome constraints' influences, and to test the degree to which negotiation acts as a mediator of the relationship between motivation and intention to continue participation. Two hundred and twenty (N= 220) recreational skiers completed the intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions of the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier et al., 1995) and a fifteen-item negotiation scale. Five negotiation dimensions were revealed by an exploratory factor analysis: "improve skiing knowledge," "adjust lifestyle," "acquire information regarding resorts," "time management," and "find partners." The results indicated that: (a) both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation had statistical significant associations with intention to continue skiing, (b) the "time management" and "improve skiing knowledge" dimensions offered significant contributions to the prediction of intention, (c) the negotiation dimensions partially (not fully) mediated the relationship between intrinsic motivation and intention. These results provide support for the negotiation proposition, developed by Jackson et al. (1993), and further explain the relationships among motivation, negotiation, and an individual's leisure behavior

Physiological and metabolic responses to hiking: A meta-analysis toward health benefits

The present study investigated hiking as a type of physical activity that takes place in natural environment and promotes humans health. In the recent years hiking has becoming very popular in individuals of different activity level, gender and age. Consistent with the recent literature, hiking is a physical activity of low to moderate intensity (40-70% HRmax) which consists of walking from 4 to 11 hours and lasts from one single or more days. Hiking produces high energy expenditure which in most of the cases is higher than participants' energy intake, therefore, producing a negative energy balance, the extent which depending on the difficulty of the hiking route (intensity, duration and severity of terrain). The negative energy balance and the high fat utilization occur during hiking have a reducing effect on participants' body mass and body fat. Generally, hiking is consistent with the recommendations for physical activity that promotes and maintains health publish regularly by international associations (ACSM, AHA and BASIS)

Yoga as Serious Leisure Activity: Socio-Demographic Differences in Mindfulness Levels Among Yoga Retreat Participants

Yoga retreats are an emerging component of international well-being tourism. This form of tourism focuses on groups with specific demographic characteristics and interests, highlights natural destinations of high tourism value, and supports the development of personal well-being through such practices as mindfulness. This study investigated the demographic characteristics of 203 Greek yoga retreat tourists in relation to their mindfulness levels. The study also investigated the effect of different yoga practices in asana, meditation, and philosophy courses on the formation of mindfulness. The 'Mindful Attention Awareness' scale (Mantzios, Wilson & Giannou, 2015), consisting of 15 items, was used to evaluate mindfulness and psychographics were successfully tested. The results show statistically significant differences in mindfulness between subgroups of participants of different marital status, financial profile, age, and number of years practicing yoga meditation and philosophy. The study concludes that yoga is a serious leisure activity with high personal and work life involvement. The findings enrich data regarding yoga retreats in Greece and establish the profile of yoga retreat participants according to mindfulness, asana, meditation, and philosophical practice participation. Tourism providers can give prominence to the concept of mindfulness as a dominant theme in the wellness tourism industry and, as a consequence, develop and improve the quality of yoga retreat services. © 2022 Zafeiroudi et al. This is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Enhancing active living and physical exercise through environmentally friendly policies in urban areas

Active living offers a substantial contribution to the mental and physical health of individuals, as well as to community wellbeing and social cohesion. Outdoor and green environments offer additional benefits and determine people's involvement in physical exercise. Environmental policies put in place by local governments affect citizens' adoption of active living and physical exercise. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between citizens' levels of exercise participation in urban open spaces and the provision of exercise-friendly policies by the local authorities. Three hundred and seventy citizens participated in the present study who took part in walking, bicycling, or jogging/ running during their leisure time in urban open spaces and outdoors. Research participants completed the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ; Shephard, 1997) and Environmentally Friendly Exercise Policy Questionnaire (Kontogianni, 2015), which consisted of three scales: "policy to enhance exercise,""environmentally friendly exercise facilities,"and "intention to change personal habits."Participants were divided into three different subgroups according to their time exercise scores: high, middle, and low. The results showed the statistically significant differences between time exercise scores and environmentally friendly exercise policy scales. Citizens with higher exercise time participation expressed significantly higher levels on the environmentally friendly exercise policy scales. Citizens' physical exercise time in urban open spaces and outdoors seemed to affect the creation of corresponding preferences, beliefs, and intentions towards environmentally friendly policies. City leaders, essential decision-makers, and stakeholders are expected to provide an enabling environment, legitimacy, and leadership that fosters the development and implementation of policies that support physical activity and green active living within urban spaces. © 2021 Charilaos Kouthouris et al., published by Sciendo

An examination of how constraints and processes of change affect stages of behavioural change for recreational sport participation

This study aimed: 1) to categorise individuals into stages of behavioural change for recreational sport participation; 2) examine leisure constraints and processes of change (which act as negotiation strategies) among individuals in different stages of behavioural change. The data were collected with on-site surveys, conducted in two public leisure/sport centres in Greece. The sample consisted of 300 married individuals, with children, who varied in age between 31 and 55 years. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed stages of behavioural change, leisure constraints and process of change. In terms of the stages of behavioural change, the results indicated that the largest proportion of respondents were in the pre-contemplation stage. In terms of the perception of constraints, individuals, who were in the three lower stages of behavioural change (pre-contemplation, contemplation, and preparation) scored higher in 'intrapersonal' and 'interpersonal' constraints, than individuals who were in the two higher stages (action and maintenance). Finally, in terms of the processes of behavioural change, significant differences were found between the behavioural stages in all ten dimensions, while, both cognitive and behavioural processes were found to increase with the advancing stages. The theoretical and applied implications of these results are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd