Tourists’ representations of coastal managed realignment as a climate change adaptation strategy.

In coastal destinations climate change adaptation is needed to address coastal erosion due to a combination of sea level rise and more frequent extreme weather events leading to loss of natural features and tourism infrastructure. Managed realignment is increasingly adopted as a strategy to address coastal change; however, this has often proved a contentious strategy with stakeholder groups. This study explores tourists' representational framework of managed realignment and how this frames understanding of the concept, understanding of how coastal resources might change and implications for future visitation. Data compiled using a questionnaire adopted a social representations theory perspective to analyse how collective tourists’ ideas may serve to mobilise the public in various ways. In general tourists have a poor understanding of managed realignment anchored to historic coastal management strategies and contextualised by use values with consequent implications for tourism planning and coastal management decision making

You’re welcome? Hong Kong’s attitude towards the Individual Visit Scheme

This paper used a mixed-method approach, combining cluster analysis and member-checking interviews to understand Hong Kong residents’ attitudes towards the “Individual Visit Scheme” (IVS) policy for mainland Chinese tourists. Three distinct clusters were identified, which grew significantly more positive with advancing age and higher income levels of the respondents. Interviews showed that these two factors substantially position residents’ attitude towards IVS through social exchange and social representations. Younger, lower-income Hong Kongers tended to rely largely on social representations, such as values and preconceptions, while older and higher-income earning residents were found to build more widely upon more rational social exchange principles

Social representations and resident attitudes: A multiple-mixed-method approach

Resident attitudes towards tourism are well researched, but related approaches vary. Social Representations (SR), a set of ideas, values, knowledge and explanations forming the social reality of a community, are one of the most misunderstood concepts in regard. This study demonstrates a practical way to identify, characterize and understand SR through a proposed multiple-mixed-method approach, taking the case of Vietnamese residents’' attitude towards Chinese inbound tourism in Vietnam. Cluster analysis, member-checking interviews and expert interviews are combined for this purpose. Findings show that attitude clusters within the study population are heavily intertwined with relevant SR of Chinese tourism from China. The method offered permits a contextual understanding of SR, providing a better comprehension of historical and socio-political factors for resident studies. It is thus hoped that the proposed method opens the door for a better understanding of the social psychology of residents, but also of other stakeholders and groups of interest

Visitor expectations of contact with staff at a protected site

The importance of managing visitor expectations has been highlighted in natural and protected areas. However, minimal research has been completed on visitor expectations of contact with staff in national parks and protected areas. Staff can play an important role in delivering information and in interpreting significant natural and heritage attributes. This research aims to address this gap by examining visitors\u27 expectations regarding staff contact at one protected site, Cape Byron State Conservation Area (CBSCA) in New South Wales, Australia. A mixed method approach including interviews with staff and a survey of park visitors was implemented to achieve the research aim. Results indicate that visitors have a diverse range of expectations of park staff regarding when, where, and how staff are expected to provide services and information. Peak-season visitors were more likely to want information about European heritage and the lighthouse than were off-season visitors. Visitors over 25 years of age were significantly more likely to expect information about wildlife, native plants and vegetation, the marine environment, whales and whale watching, Indigenous heritage, European heritage, and recreation opportunities within CBSCA than visitors under 25. Visitors between 36 and 45 years of age were the most likely to participate in activities involving staff. Overall, visitors were no more likely to participate in activities involving staff than in self-directed activities. Finally, some implications for the management of CBSCA and avenues for future research are proposed

Model based, modular configuration of cyber physical systems for the information management on shop-floor

Many of the current manufacturing systems are still implemented as sequential inflexible production lines. This creates difficulties to fulfil the customer request for customized products. The production of customized products is accompanied by major changes in the production infrastructure. To support more flexible production, the sequential production lines nowadays start to change to workshop production. In that case all production systems will be grouped by their tasks, e.g. all drilling machines are located in the same place. A manufacturing system stands for the different involved hardware and software components at the manufacturing process. Each manufacturing system is connected with the help of the shop-floor IT. The term shop-floor indicates the productive area of a factory and includes the operative work. Shop-floor IT includes the information processes and IT solutions that control, secure and record product activities. Therefore the shop-floor IT supports d irectly the execution on field level. The model based view of a production process simplifies the understanding of the product lifecycle and planning. To optimize and speed up building and changing of product processes, the modular shop-floor IT has been developed by technologies derived from cyber physical systems and internet of things. However, interoperability issues such as different implementation of controls and process variations are a major challenge

Enjoying sunset: successful ageing and the grey nomad community

Grey nomads, an Australian term for older recreation vehicle travellers, are bound together by a set of common characteristics. This chapter initially identifies a number of issues associated with successful ageing; this discussion provides a somewhat novel perspective on the group’s commonalities and mobility. Next, and as a basis for providing insights at a group level, the authors briefly review both social representations theory and social practice theory as ways to explore the value and significance of the grey nomads’ extended holiday journeys. Studies of the behaviours and attitudes of members of the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA), and its magazine, are used as the empirical basis for the commentary. From multiple data sources, the researchers examine the common concerns of grey nomads, and the language and normative behaviours which build in-group belonging. Both social practice theory and social representation theory, with their power to focus on the commonalities and key guiding metaphors of interacting parties, are employed to help finesse the discussion. Findings support the elements of the positive psychology framework known as PERMA –the acronym summarising the psychological elements of ageing successfully