Accessible tourism futures: the world we dream to live in and the opportunities we hope to have

© 2015, Eleni Michopoulou, Simon Darcy, Ivor Ambrose and Dimitros Buhalis. PurposeAccessible tourism is evolving as a field of academic research and industry practice, set within a dynamic social context. The field is interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary. The purpose of this paper is to examine key concepts and global initiatives that will shape accessible tourism futures. Design/methodology/approachThree of the authors have extensive academic experience in the area and the fourth author is the Managing Director of the pre-eminent European Network for Accessible Tourism. In taking a limited Delphi approach to canvassing key areas likely to shape accessible tourism futures, the following concepts and policy initiatives were examined: motivations, dreams and aspirations of people with disability; demography; UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; destination competitiveness; universal design (UD); and the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. FindingsA discussion of each of the above areas was placed in context to accessible tourism futures and to contextualise the papers that were selected for the special issue. The latter part of the paper outlines the contribution of each empirical paper to the issue discussing the approach, findings and implications. Stakeholder collaboration was identified as the key common theme of the papers and the factor for developing accessible tourism solutions, recognising the value of the market and capitalising on it. A collaborative approach is required to recognise the complementary nature of the different paradigms; to re-shape and transform the future of the accessible tourism industry. To assist in the development of accessible tourism futures, UD principles should provide a foundation to enhance the future competitiveness of tourism destinations and organisations. Originality/valueThe paper’s examination of the concepts and global policy considerations provides a strong academic and practitioner foundation for considering accessible tourism futures. In doing so, accessible tourism futures are shown to be affected by key concepts related to core tourism considerations and major policy initiatives on accessibility and sustainability. Yet, accessible tourism futures also have the potential to create their own momentum and contribute unique learnings on the diversity of tourism markets that will shape tourism concepts and global policy initiatives in their own right

Computer assisted characterization of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration in MRI

A texture-based pattern recognition system is proposed for the automatic characterization of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration from saggital magnetic resonance images of the spine. A case sample of 50 manually segmented ROIs, corresponding to 25 normal and 25 degenerated discs, was analyzed and textural features were generated from each disc-ROI. Student's t-test verified the existence of statistically significant differences between textural feature values generated from normal and degenerated discs. This finding is indicative of disc image texture differentiation due to the degeneration of the disc. The generated features were employed in the design of a pattern recognition system based on the Least Squares Minimum Distance classifier. The system achieved a classification accuracy of 94{%} and it may be of value to physicians for the assessment of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration in MRI

Perspectives on experiences of tourists with disabilities: implications for their daily lives and for the tourist industry

This study attempts to understand how people with disabilities (PwDs) interpret the dimensions that they consider important when on holiday. By understanding these dimensions, it becomes possible to identify and remove barriers to holiday-making and improve customer satisfaction. In particular, the study focuses on (a) what having a holiday means for PwDs and how travelling affects their lives; (b) the process of decision-making when PwDs organise a tourist experience; and (c) the roles played by travelling companions, associations and tourism companies. To that end, rich qualitative data were collected through 25 in-depth interviews with people with reduced mobility. Findings suggest that tourist experiences had a decisive impact on the perspective that PwDs have of their disability in their daily lives, with the feeling of independence being a crucial aspect. Factors such as limited negotiating scope, necessity of a care assistant, knowledge of the destination language or availability of state aid influence the decision-making process. Due to a particular service provided at Spanish stations, It is found that the train is the most valued transport for PwDs within Spain. This study contributes to accessible tourism theory by providing insights into the complexity of travelling with a disability and its impact on people’s daily lives

Artificial intelligence for diagnostic and prognostic neuroimaging in dementia: a systematic review

Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroimaging offer new opportunities for diagnosis and prognosis of dementia. Methods We systematically reviewed studies reporting AI for neuroimaging in diagnosis and/or prognosis of cognitive neurodegenerative diseases. Results A total of 255 studies were identified. Most studies relied on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset. Algorithmic classifiers were the most commonly used AI method (48%) and discriminative models performed best for differentiating Alzheimer's disease from controls. The accuracy of algorithms varied with the patient cohort, imaging modalities, and stratifiers used. Few studies performed validation in an independent cohort. Discussion The literature has several methodological limitations including lack of sufficient algorithm development descriptions and standard definitions. We make recommendations to improve model validation including addressing key clinical questions, providing sufficient description of AI methods and validating findings in independent datasets. Collaborative approaches between experts in AI and medicine will help achieve the promising potential of AI tools in practice. Highlights There has been a rapid expansion in the use of machine learning for diagnosis and prognosis in neurodegenerative disease Most studies (71%) relied on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset with no other individual dataset used more than five times There has been a recent rise in the use of more complex discriminative models (e.g., neural networks) that performed better than other classifiers for classification of AD vs healthy controls We make recommendations to address methodological considerations, addressing key clinical questions, and validation We also make recommendations for the field more broadly to standardize outcome measures, address gaps in the literature, and monitor sources of bia

A quantitative approach for sex estimation based on cranial morphology

Objectives: This paper proposes a method for the quantification of the shape of sexually dimorphic cranial traits, namely the glabella, mastoid process and external occipital protuberance. Materials and methods: The proposed method was developed using 165 crania from the documented Athens Collection and tested on 20 Cretan crania. It is based on digital photographs of the lateral view of the cranium, drawing of the profile of three sexually dimorphic structures and calculation of variables that express the shape of these structures. Results: The combinations of variables that provide optimum discrimination between sexes are identified by means of binary logistic regression and discriminant analysis. The best cross-validated results are obtained when variables from all three structures are combined and range from 75.8 to 85.1% and 81.1 to 94.6% for males and females, respectively. The success rate is 86.3–94.1% for males and 83.9–93.5% for females when half of the sample is used for training and the rest for prediction. Correct classification for the Cretan material based upon the standards developed for the Athens sample was 80–90% for the optimum combinations of discriminant variables. Discussion: The proposed method provides an effective way to capture quantitatively the shape of sexually dimorphic cranial structures; it gives more accurate results relative to other existing methods and it does not require specialized equipment. Equations for sex estimation based on combinations of variables are provided, along with instructions on how to use the method and Excel macros for calculation of discriminant variables with automated implementation of the optimum equations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Stakeholder Requirements And Value Co-Creation In Events

The festival and events sector comprises a wide range of stakeholders across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. In order to achieve stakeholder satisfaction it is necessary to understand what is important to stakeholders, what they consider constitutes project success and what the factors and measures of that success may be. Once identified and effectively managed, meaningful evaluation can then be undertaken to assess success on stakeholder’s terms.&lt;br&gt; This approach also provides an opportunity to consider value creation for stakeholders in relation to their measures of success. The purpose of this research is to develop a robust framework that enables success factors and measures to be identified and effectively measured as part of a holistic evaluation process which contributes to the identification of stakeholder value. Whilst research is regularly undertaken to assess impacts of festivals and their benefits to stakeholders, there can be competing agendas, project success can be interpreted in different ways with tensions and disagreements in relation to expected outcomes. It is therefore necessary to clearly understand stakeholder expectations, community dynamics and visitors and residents’ perceptions of impacts of festivals. &lt;br&gt; A multi‐method inductive approach was used to capture the motivations and influences of the stakeholders as social actors during the Tour de Yorkshire (TdY) event. Using this event as a longitudinal case study over an 18-month period, the methodology comprised of qualitative questionnaires and interviews to engage a wide range of stakeholders and used the conceptual Stakeholder Sandwich as the core model to produce a framework and methodology to generate richer data. &lt;br&gt;Results indicated that this model, framework and methodology proved to be effective for the understanding of stakeholder success factors and contributes towards the understanding of value co-creation for stakeholders in events and festivals. With the immense challenges currently facing the sector, such a framework could prove to be of significant value for practitioners and researchers alike. </jats:p

Gamified Mobile Applications in Tourism

The Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing is, quite simply, the definitive reference work in the field. Carefully curated by leading tourism scholar Dimitrios Buhalis, this is the largest tourism management and marketing ontology that has ever been put together and offers a holistic examination of this interdisciplinary field. Use the Search within Book (below right) or browse the list of entries alphabetically to navigate over 1200 entries from leading international scholars. An invaluable resource for academics, students and practitioners providing an ideal starting point for any research journey. The concise entries present an accessible and condensed overview of each topic and the selected references that follow each entry suggest directions for further detailed exploration