An Integrated Model to Explain Inter-Relationships in Travel Behaviours

This study focuses on the decision making process of international tourists traveling to Tanzania. An integrated approach is proposed to understand the interrelationships among tourist motivations, expectations, place identity and place dependence. Specifically, travel motivations directly affect tourist’s expectations and these expectations have impact on place identity and place dependence. Finally, place identity affects place dependence, both being components of place attachment. The model is based on the theory that potential tourists form their experiences in a path order that is at the start or even stage of planning the itinerary, during their stay and finally when building their attachment as well as future choices towards destinations. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data in which a convenience sampling method was  employed. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis in which out of 700 collected questionnaires, 504 responses were retained for analysis. The empirical findings of this study recognize and account for the fact that travel motivation can only be understood by focusing on several underlying factors. Also, the empirical findings recognize that different experiences release and stimulate identification processes, which further strengthen the attachment of tourists to the site they visit. Other  researchers can make use of theories developed in this study to come up with more lucid models in different contexts.Keywords: travel motivations; travel expectations; place identity; place dependenc

The impact of external factors on ICT usage practices at UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the external factors influencing ICT usage at UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS), focusing on exploring practices Tanzania. The study proposed and tested two hypotheses: a) there is a significant relationship between perceived pressure from competitors and ICT usage in WHS, and b) there is a significant relationship between perceived pressure from customers/visitors and ICT usage in WHS. Methods: Data for this study were collected from 238 UNESCO World Heritage Site decision-makers in Tanzania. These respondents were stratified into three strata, based on UNESCO's categorization of site type (nature, mixed, and culture). Systematic random sampling was used to select respondents from each stratum according to their ratio in the total population. Testing of the hypotheses involved structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. Chi-square/Degree of freedom (CMIN/DF), Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) were used as criteria for estimation of goodness of fit indices. Results: The findings indicated that perceived competitive pressure and perceived pressure from customers had a positive influence on ICT usage at WHS. This study confirms the T.O.E theory by Tornatzky and Fleischer (1990), which postulate that decision to use a new ICT system within the organization is determined by environmental factors which include features in which the firms conduct business such as competitors and its customers. Implications: For the success of any tourism business, particularly UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ICT usage is inevitable for their site's performance. For destination management organisations, the current study is important for policy formulation, particularly in relation to ICT usage by the tourism industry at the destination to create a conducive business environment that may assist tourism growth related to World Heritage Sites

Testing Mediation Effects of Information Communication Technology Usage on Technological, Organizational and Environmental Factors and World Heritage Sites Performance

This study seeks to explain the mediation effect of Information Communication Technology (ICT) usage on the relationship between the technological (i.e., perceived relative advantage, perceive compatibility and perceived complexity), organizational (i.e., ICT support infrastructure and ICT support skills) and environmental (i.e., perceived competitive pressure and perceived pressure from customers) factors and world heritage sites performance. The study proposes the mediation model of ICT usage and world heritage sites in Tanzania. Methodology: The proposed order of the model is that ICT usage depends on technological, organizational and environmental factors and ICT usage may further predict world heritage sites performance. These measures capture our research questions. Respondents included decision makers off all the seven UNESCO sites of Tanzania. Data were collected from August to February 2018; 353 filled questionnaires were gathered and 238 were usable for further analysis. Final questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Main Results: The findings support that world heritage sites’ decision makers may consider perceived relative advantage, perceived complexity, ICT support infrastructure, ICT support skills, perceived competitive pressure and perceived pressure from customer to be the main determinants of ICT usage toward influencing performance of the world heritage sites. Originality of the research: The paper strengthens theoretical arguments by indicating the mediation effect of ICT usage on the relationship between the determining Technological, Organizational and Environmental (TOE) factors and world heritage sites. Thus, this study adds to the literature as it has confirmed both TOE and Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) theories. &nbsp

Knowledge sharing and communication tools for dialogue issues on productivity of water in agriculture: case study of Mkoji Sub Catchment in Usangu Plains, Tanzania

Irrigated farmingProductivityVillagesFarmers

Testing a model of destination attachment - insights from tourism in Tanzania

Purpose – Transforming experiences is in this paper approached as a destination choice process for adventure tourists. This study seeks to explain conditions that support place identity and place dependence development in Tanzania. The study proposes a testable destination choice model of international visitors to Tanzania. Design/Methodology/Approach – The proposed order of the model is that perceived constraints and satisfaction depend on expectation and travel motivation and that these two may further predict place identity and place dependence. These measures capture our research questions. Visiting tourists to Tanzania were confronted at airport. During August and September of 2010, 700 filled questionnaires were gathered and 504 was usable for further analysis. Final questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS and SEM (AMOS). Main results – The findings support that tourism policymakers and other stakeholders may consider tourists’ behaviors, such as expectations, motivations, perceived constraints and satisfaction with place identity, to be related to destination attachment. Originality of the research – The paper strengthens several theoretical arguments. First, indicating the amalgamation of different tourists’ behaviors formed in a path-dependent order. One stage is planning the travel, another is during their stay and finally when building their attachment. Furthermore, attachment relate to future choices

Factors Influencing Implementation of Environmental Management Practices among Hotels in Tanzania

This study aimed to identify factors that influence implementation of environmental management practices among hotels in Tanzania. Basing on previous studies, five factors that were vital in the implementation of the hotel Environmental Management Practices (EMPs) were acknowledged as management commitment, business competitiveness, governmental regulation, employees training and hospitality industry awareness. The study wasconducted in two cities Arusha and Dar es Salaam whereby structured questionnaire with likert scale range from 1 to 5 was used to collect information from the sample size of 400 managers and supervisors of hotels. SPSS software was used for data entry and AMOS software version 23 was used to analyze multivariate analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated that, management commitment affects positively implementation of EMPs in hotel, with significance p<0.05; likewise business competitiveness effects positively the implementation of EMPs in hotel with significance p<0.05. In addition, employees training on EMPs has significant positive effects on the implementation of EMPs in the hotel at p< 0.001; also, implementation of hotel EMPs hassignificant positive effects on hotel business sustainability at p< 0.001. Therefore, the implications to industry managers and expertise are: first, hotel managers’ commitment is vital for the successful EMPs implementation. Second, training of employees on implementation of EMPs is crucial in achieving business sustainability. Third, there is relationship between business competiveness and implementation of EMPs. Fourth implementing EMPs is crucial for sustainability of hotel business. This contributes to body of knowledge by coming with guiding framework on how the hotel could implement EMPs.The main limitation of this is lack of generalizability of the finding in TanzaniaThe study recommends future research in game parks and beaches, as these are visitors’ main attraction in Tanzania

Knowledge sharing and communication tools for dialogue issues on productivity of water in agriculture in Mkoji sub-catchment, Tanzania

River basinsIrrigated farmingProductivityAgricultural extension

Participatory involvement of farming communities and public sectors in determining malaria control strategies in Mvomero District, Tanzania

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Spatial Clustering of Porcine Cysticercosis in Mbulu District, Northern Tanzania

Taenia solium is a tapeworm that causes two different disease conditions. In its adult stage, it inhabits the small intestine of human, a condition known as taeniosis, which is characterised by mild symptoms including abdominal disconfort. In the larval stage, T. solium can infect humans and various animal species, mainly pigs, causing cysticercosis. Taeniosis is acquired through consumption of inadequately cooked infected meat, while cysticercosis is acquired through ingestion of tapeworm eggs in foodstuffs contaminated with faeces from a human tapeworm carrier. Cysticercosis of human central nervous tissues (neurocysticercosis) causes serious syndromes such as epilepsy. Transmission of T. solium is facilitated by several factors such as presence of tapeworm carriers, poor sanitation and poor pig husbandry, which allow pigs to access human faeces. Nevertheless, the role of these factors in parasite transmission may vary with different cultural settings. Following an incidence and a prevalence studies in a rural area of northern Tanzania, there was a significant spatial clustering of porcine cysticerocis, suggesting focal distribution of transmission risk factors, which could be targeted for interventions. The study also revealed that despite the low sensitivity of the lingual examination method to detect porcine cysticercosis, it could highlight the potential ‘hotspots’ of the infection