Assessing the Impacts of Nature-Based Tourism: Host and Guest Perspectives

Nature-based tourism is one of the most popular forms and fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry. Tourism could potentially be a boon as well as a burden to nature-based tourism destinations (Newsome, Moore, and Dowling 2012). The impacts of tourism largely depend o

Exploring the Roles of Tour Guides in Trekking Tourism

Trekking is a popular form of ecotourism in the Himalayas. Tour guides has very important roles in trekking tourism as they help not only to make the travel experience enjoyable but also to educate the visitors through interpretation that contribute to sustainability of local environment. The purpose of this study was to explore the roles of tour guides in trekking tourism to develop a role structure model. Field data were collected from Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal using survey method. Results indicated that group leader, tour leader, teacher, organizer, interpreter, and organizer were the six major roles of tour guides. The roles of trekking guides can be organized into a 3X2 matrix where the rows represent the types of roles (social, instrumental, and educational) and the column represents the orientation of roles (inside the group or outside the group)

Poverty Alleviation in Third World Countries through Tourism Development: A Comparison Study of Costa Rica and icaragua

Tourism can be used as a tool to reduce poverty in developing countries by giving locals the opportunity to be employed or indirectly participate in the tourism sector. The economic, environmental and socio-cultural values were compared in Costa Rica and icaragua in order to determine the variables that are the most effective in developing tourism in the third world. Data was collected from questionnaires given to tourists visiting these areas and by interviewing locals and tourism business managers and owners in the community. This information was used to analyze the expenses that affect tourism. This investigation focuses on how tourism helps to reduce poverty in Costa Rica and icaragua, and how the balance between attracting tourists and creating a low impact on the native cultures and environments can be maintained in Costa Rica and icaragua

Public Awareness and Perceptions of Heritage Buildings in Arizona, USA

This study aims to examine public awareness of heritage properties in Arizona, USA. Data for this study were collected from a random sample of 1238 general public in Arizona using a telephone survey. The study proposes a four-cell matrix based on heritage awareness and visitation to historic buildings. The four cells represent: 1) aware/visited, 2) aware/not visited, 3) unaware/visited, and 4) unaware/not visited. When four types of residents were compared on demographic variables, attitudes toward preservation, preservation criteria, and importance of feature and facilities, most of these variables were significant. The findings of this study provide important information for heritage preservation managers and policy makers. Unlike heritage preservationists’ view, opening heritage sites to the public and tourists can help to create awareness

Expectations, outcomes and attitude change of study abroad students

As universities prepare students for the 21st century, the value of a globalized education is increasing. Study abroad programs are increasingly important means for students to gain the global education that they will need to be successful in international settings. Many universities now offer students the ability to integrate a study abroad program into already intensive academic programs by offering shorter study abroad programs (2–8 weeks) during break periods between academic sessions in winter and summer. This study is based upon a larger dataset collected from students participating in several international study abroad programs offered by a US university’s tourism program. This study builds upon two previous studies conducted by the authors, by examining the extent to which students’ expectations were fulfilled and attitudes changed after participating in a short-term study abroad program using a large dataset collected from four study abroad programs

Bhutan’s Low-volume, High-yield Tourism: The Influence of Power and Regionalism

This paper examines the unique tourism policies established by the Royal Government of Bhutan to control tourism in the country. The paper is conceptualized using the power relationship framework developed by Foucault and regionalization theory to analyze Bhutan’s tourism policy. The paper is based on interviews that were carried out with high-level tourism officials, local business owners and managers, international tourists, regional tourists, and domestic tourists (Buddhist pilgrims). The number of tourists to Bhutan has been controlled not by an annual visa quota, but by a daily minimum tariff, required guided tour, certain spatial restrictions, and the general perception of inconvenience associated with the process of getting a visa. The controlled tourism policy, however, is limited only to western tourists, which represent only a quarter of the tourists visiting the country. Although Bhutan has been able to minimize the environmental and cultural impacts of western tourists through its low-volume, high-yield tourism policy, this is more related to power and regional politics than simply a quest for sustainable tourism

Understanding Tourist Environmental Behavior An Application of the Theories on Reasoned Action Approach

This paper examined the explanatory power of the theories on reasoned action approach: the theory of reasoned action, the theory of planned behavior, and the reasoned action model in predicting environmental behavior. Data were collected using survey method from 230 tourists visiting Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal over one month period from mid-December, 2009 to mid-January, 2010. Results showed that the theories on reasoned action approach accounted for considerable amount of variation (39.2% to 44.2 %) in environmental behavior. Among the three models, the reasoned action model explained the highest amount of variation (44.2%) followed by the theory of planned behavior (40.7%), and the reasoned action model (39.2%)

A TYPOLOGY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE ATTRACTION VISITORS

The purpose of this study was to expand the typology of cultural heritage tourists. Cultural heritage tourists are either compared with other types of tourists, or are segmented based on cultural experience and activities. However, these tourists are not compared within the existing tourists typology framework including other tourists who visit cultural sites and events. . This study is based on a survey conducted with a randomly selected 1,938 tourists visiting 17 cultural heritage sites and three events in Arizona, USA. This study segmented the cultural heritage tourists into two groups and five sub groups based on their most influential reasons for taking the trip. This study suggested that tourists visiting cultural heritage attractions can be divided into two groups, “true cultural tourist” and “spurious cultural tourist.” Further, true cultural tourists can be sub grouped into two types, “cultural site”, and “cultural event” tourists. Similarly, spurious cultural tourists can be further divided into three sub-groups, “nature”, “sport”, and “business” tourists. Comparisons among these groups in terms of demographics, importance of attractions, and motivations suggested that two types of cultural heritage tourists are different from each other

TOURISM AND ATTITUDE CHANGE: THE CASE OF STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS

Tourism is believed to be a peace industry based on the contact theory. However, not all interactions between tourists and hosts have a positive outcome. The purpose of this study is to test whether or not prior expectation and trip experience would impact the post-trip attitudes in multiple destinations. This study is based on the surveys conducted with two groups of students: 1) prior and post trip of a group of 66 students who went on study abroad program to the South Pacific (Australia and Fiji) or Europe (Austria and the Netherlands) , and 2) a control group of 80 students who did not participate in the study abroad programs. The results show that attitude changes were positive towards the Dutch and Australians,, negative towards Austrians, and mixed towards Fijians. Further investigation of experience during the trip shows that non-tourism related services experienced played an important role in changing the attitude towards Australians. This study supports the expectation theory, but contradicts the cultural distance theory of attitude change