Methodological and theoretical advancements in social impacts of tourism research

This lead article introduces the double special issue dedicated to methodological and theoretical advancements in social impacts of tourism research. We begin by providing an overview of five key developmental stages of research within this area: Definitions, typologies, and conceptual model development; the advent of case study-based, atheoretical empirical inquiry; scale design, development, and testing; further scale development/refinement and theoretical application; and theoretical model development and testing. Brief evolutionary histories of the methodological and theoretical advancements of research dedicated to social impacts of tourism are then discussed. This includes a review of the most pertinent predictor variables (along with a visual display of each and key studies) in explaining residents’ perceptions of social impacts of tourism and a thorough review of most frequently used theoretical frameworks. Following this, brief synopses of the articles are provided along with key themes (e.g. resident-tourist relationships, social impacts and residents’ attitudes, residents’ empowerment, overtourism, and methodologies) and salient points of each work. In closing, we suggest numerous lines of inquiry that will continue to advance research into social impacts of tourism. Though these studies were undertaken prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, we emphasize that future work should be designed with the pandemic in mind.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influences on Destination Loyalty

Dr. Asli D.A. Tasci from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management and fellow researchers have undertaken research in the popular tourist destination of Antalya, Turkey to investigate destination loyalty. The study explores whether place-oriented or people-oriented factors have a larger influence on tourists\u27 likelihood to revisit the same destinations, while also considering the differences between domestic and international tourists. The findings from this research will support tourism managers\u27 understanding of how to drive repeat visits in a market with overwhelming competition

Perceptions of attractions, residents as “more knowledgeable others” and destination image: Evidence from two destinations

Abstract: Drawing on work on the “more knowledgeable other” (MKO) and the mere exposure theory (MET), this study envisaged that visitors' engagement and interaction with key informants, along with their perceptions of the attractions visited, affect their image of and satisfaction with the destination. Findings drawn from two studies indicate that interaction with MKOs and perceptions of attractions determine cognitive, affective, and conative image along with overall satisfaction. Events held in local attractions that promote visitors' interaction with MKOs are proposed for tourists to gain better insights to the place and its locals

Employing a value-belief-norm framework to gauge Carthage residents’ intentions to support sustainable cultural heritage tourism

In light of the recent conflicts in Carthage over land use, Cultural heritage preservation, and sustainable tourism, this work utilized a value-belief-norm (VBN) theoretical framework to consider psychological antecedents of residents’ behavioral intentions to support Cultural heritage tourism. As such, personal values, cultural worldview, awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, and subjective norms were considered antecedents of intentions to support Cultural heritage tourism. Data were collected from 475 Carthage residents in nine neighborhoods adjacent to UNESCO World Heritage Sites using an on-site self-administered questionnaire. The proposed model was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (to demonstrate sound psychometric properties across all 11 factors within the model), followed by structural equation modelling. Overall, 15 of the 19 proposed hypotheses were supported, ultimately contributing to 28% of the variance explained in residents’ behavioral intentions to support Cultural heritage tourism. This work not only provides support for the utilization of the VBN model within the context of cultural heritage tourism, it also deepens our understanding of the theoretical framework through the inclusion of the multi-dimensional construct cultural worldview.N

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Perceptions of COVID-19 related Travel Risks, Government Response to the Pandemic, and Intentions to Travel to the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to seismic shifts in global travel demand. The pandemic response of the United States (U.S.) government has been panned as lacking cohesion and effectiveness at mitigating the spread of the virus. This response has likely led to a change in perceptions about travel to the U.S. that could persist into the future. In this study, we surveyed more than 1,600 potential travelers distributed evenly across the top five major inbound travel markets to the U.S. (Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom) about their perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, their perceptions of the U.S. Government response to the pandemic, and how that government response influenced their intentions to travel to the United States. ANOVA revealed significant differences between countries across all study variables. We discuss these differences in the context of Hofstede’s (2011) continuum of individualism vs collectivism in national cultures

Diverse University Students Across the United States Reveal Promising Pathways to Hunter Recruitment and Retention

Declining participation in hunting, especially among young adult hunters, affects the ability of state and federal agencies to achieve goals for wildlife management and decreases revenue for conservation. For wildlife agencies hoping to engage diverse audiences in hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts, university settings provide unique advantages: they contain millions of young adults who are developmentally primed to explore new activities, and they cultivate a social atmosphere where new identities can flourish. From 2018 to 2020, we surveyed 17,203 undergraduate students at public universities across 22 states in the United States to explore R3 potential on college campuses and assess key demographic, social, and cognitive correlates of past and intended future hunting behavior. After weighting to account for demographic differences between our sample and the larger student population, 29% of students across all states had hunted in the past. Students with previous hunting experience were likely to be white, male, from rural areas or hunting families, and pursuing degrees related to natural resources. When we grouped students into 1 of 4 categories with respect to hunting (i.e., non-hunters [50%], potential hunters [22%], active hunters [26%], and lapsed hunters [3%]), comparisons revealed differences based on demographic attributes, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Compared to active hunters, potential hunters were more likely to be females or racial and ethnic minorities, and less likely to experience social support for hunting. Potential hunters valued game meat and altruistic reasons for hunting, but they faced unique constraints due to lack of hunting knowledge and skills. Findings provide insights for marketing and programming designed to achieve R3 objectives with a focus on university students. © 2021 The Wildlife Society

Sustainable Tourism Consumer: Socio-demographic, Psychographic and Behavioral Characteristics

Purpose: This study aims to uncover socio-demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics of sustainable consumers as a means to advance the demand for sustainability practices by the tourism and hospitality industry. Socio-demographic and psychographic variables were tested for their influence on an individual\u27s self-assessment as a sustainable consumer, which was then tested for its influence on behavioral outcomes in the form of environmental and social sustainability concerns, objects of sustainability concerns, subjects considered responsible for sustainability and tourism choice vis-à-vis mass vs alternative forms of tourism. Design/methodology/approach: Because of the paucity of a well-established and robust theory on the characteristics of sustainable consumers, both content analysis of the literature and quantitative analysis of survey data were used to identify the socio-demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics of consumers. Plausible variables identified in the literature were filtered through principal component analysis and ordinary least squares regression analysis to fine-tune the variables a priori to develop a suitable model, which was subjected to partial least squares-structural equation modeling to further trim variables a posteriori by testing their reliability and validity. Findings: Understanding who sustainable consumers are and what they are likely to believe and do is imperative for increasing sustainable practices by the industry. The study shows that people who consider themselves to be sustainable consumers are likely to have higher levels of ethical views, be more feminine and more liberal in personality, demonstrate concern with environmental and social sustainability issues, consider all pertinent parties responsible for sustainability and chose alternative forms of tourism over mass tourism. The study implies that general American consumers have the potential to buy into sustainability practices. Originality/value: Despite researchers\u27 sporadic attempts to describe different characteristics of sustainable consumers and sustainable tourism consumers, past research has not substantiated a comprehensive description of who is a sustainable consumer in terms of socio-demographics, psychographics and behavioral characteristics. The literature on sustainable consumer characteristics is scarce and atheoretical; thus, the current study sets the stage for the development of this area of work across all sectors of the global tourism and hospitality industry. The model test results provide a clear profile of sustainable tourism consumers in socio-demographic, psychographic and behavioral domains for the industry to respond to

From virtual to actual destinations: do interactions with others, emotional solidarity, and destination image in online games influence willingness to travel?

The line between fantasy and reality has become blurred in online gaming, whereby tourists are willing to visit associated real-world destinations they have experienced within virtual worlds (e.g. online games). This study investigates the impact of gamers’ interactions with non-player characters (NPCs) and other gamers on their in-game emotional solidarity, destination image and willingness to visit associated real-world destinations. Data were collected from 538 Grand Theft Auto 5 gamers and analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM). Results reveal that both gamer-NPCs and gamer-gamer interactions were positively associated with emotional solidarity with NPCs and gamers, respectively. Also, emotional solidarity with NPCs and emotional solidarity with gamers were positively associated with in-game cognitive image. The in-game cognitive image was further confirmed to be positively associated with affective image and conative image. The in-game conative image was confirmed to be positively associated with the willingness to visit associated real-world destinations. These findings make a novel contribution to the literature on online gaming and tourism. Game developers need to develop activities that promote interactions between gamers while also designing NPCs that resemble locals and their customs to facilitate increased visitation to real-world destinations

Residents' Support for Sustainable Tourism Development in Rural Areas: The Case of Karuizawa, Japan

The present study aims to examine residents' support for sustainable tourism. Karuizawa town was selected due to the increasing number in both domestic and foreign visitors, as well as the existence of seasonal residents. Residents' participation in tourism and their support are vital for sustainable tourism. In doing so, this study primarily used the theory of reasoned action, social exchange theory, and emotional solidarity to examine residents' support for sustainable tourism. Data were collected using qualitative approach, and semi-structured interviews were adopted to explore the relationship between theoretical frameworks. Twenty participants were selected by non-probability sampling to examine differences among residents in tourism-related businesses and those who are not, and among permanent and seasonal residents. Deductive thematic analysis was chosen because of the ability to produce themes from theoretical frameworks. Lastly, an in-depth discussion, as well as theoretical and managerial implications are offered along with the limitations and avenues for future studies

Fatores que predizem as intenções comportamentais dos indivíduos para a escolha do turismo cultural: um modelo estrutural

Drawing from the theory of self-regulation and a model of goal-directed behaviour, this study examines the determinants (i.e., attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, desire, negative WOM coping strategies, and avoidance coping strategies) of visitors’ intentions to engage in cultural tourism within Sicily. Based on a sample of 469 visitors, the results revealed that 12 of the 14 proposed hypothesised direct effects were significant in explaining behavioural intentions to choose a cultural holiday. As for indirect effects, negative WOM coping strategies served as a more salient mediator in the model, as opposed to avoidance coping strategies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio