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6th EATSA 2020 PROGRAM |
AbstractsA Study of the Current Retention Strategies Followed by Employers for Satisfying Employees of Travel Agencies/Tour Operators of Pune City, India[code #A12]Contact:Dr Madhuri Sawant drmadhurisawant@gmail.com AbstractThe tourism industry being a people centric industry is highly dependent on human resources. The challenge today faced by the industry is not only to get the best human resource but also to retain them. Apart from the various sectors travel agencies/ Tour operator companies too are finding it difficult to recruit and retain quality staff. This research paper aims to study the current retention strategies followed by employers for satisfying employees of travel agencies/tour operators of Pune city which is in the state of Maharashtra in India. Primary sources comprised of data collected from 47 human resource managers of travel agencies/tour operators using structured questionnaires. One-way ANOVA test was applied for doing the analysis. The results show that retention strategy namely having anti-discrimination / anti-harassment policy for employees need to be developed and implemented. Apart from the other suggestions, an important suggestion given by the researchers is that application of Rules/Regulations pertaining to the harassment / discrimination of employees in terms of caste, religion and gender as prescribed in the relevant government Acts and Ordinances must be strictly followed. Research focus:Travel Agencies and Tour Operation companies in India are experiencing difficulty in hiring staff with the challenge greatest for higher skilled and more professional roles. The travel agencies are finding it difficult to recruit and retain quality staff due to shortage of qualified and skilled manpower, training infrastructure especially qualified trainers, working conditions and improper implementation of policy. The present Research is focused on analyzing the retention strategies followed by employers for satisfying employees of travel agencies/tour operators of Pune city. Keyword- human resource - retention strategies - employees - travel agencies - tour operator companies. - Author(s):Dr Madhuri Sawant - International Centre for Buddhist Tourism under,Department of Tourism Administration, Adolescents’ Influence Tactics in Family Travel Decision Making: an East Asian Perspective[code #A58]Contact:Che-Jen Su 040084@mail.fju.edu.tw AbstractWe aim to present a cross-societal comparison of the influence tactics that adolescents use with their parents in family travel decisions by investigating 1,302 usable responses of senior high school students across four East Asian societies (China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan). Through multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA), adolescent influence behavior emerges in a refined and validated model of four subscales reflecting bargaining, persuasion, emotional, and request strategies. These subscales indicate the measurement invariance of adolescent influence behavior across societies. On the basis of the subscales identified, we performed a one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The four societies were our predictor variable. The four strategies of influence behavior were the dependent variables. The five demographic variables were entered as covariates. Next, if the MANCOVA was significant, univariate analyses for the dependent measure dimensions were conducted. The univariate analyses were ANCOVAs, using as covariates only the demographics identified in the MANCOVA as making a significant contribution to the model. If no covariate was significant, the analyses were run as ANOVAs. Finally, for the univariate analyses found to be significant, Duncan multiple comparison tests were conducted to identify group differences among the adolescents from the various societies. Our findings show significant between-society differences for all four dimensions of adolescents’ influence tactics with their parents. Furthermore, respondents from all four societies have similar priorities of choosing their influence tactics, as reported in recent studies on family purchase decisions. We also found that respondents from the Greater-China cluster (GCC) are more likely to apply various influence tactics except request tactic than their counterparts from the Northeast-Asia cluster (NAC). We conclude with a discussion of these differences and why they may have occurred. Research focus:family travel decisions Keyword- adolescent Influence tactics - East Asia - family travel decisions - measurement equivalence - Author(s):Che-Jen Su - Fu Jen Catholic University An Analysis of The Travel Experience of Chinese Tourists in Central Portugal[code #A51]Contact:Zélia Breda zelia@ua.pt AbstractThe purpose of this research is to analyze the travel experience of Chinese tourists in Central Portugal. For this purpose, on the one hand, the characteristics of the region and how it is promoted in the Chinese market are analyzed, and, on the other hand, what is the opinion of this market on this region. To this end, the study was based on an analysis of the comments collected on Chinese travel websites, as well as interviews with entities responsible for the tourism development in the region. The results allowed us to conclude that the Center of Portugal region has been developing over time in terms of tourism infrastructures, enabling it to be more prepared to meet the requirements of the Chinese market. In addition, it has a number of features valued by the chinese tourists, which together with the strategies developed by the destination management organizations, will contribute to the attraction of more chinese tourists. Research focus:Tourism is an important economic sector, contributing to the development of several countries. In Portugal, it is equally relevant, both economically and strategically, due to its ability to create wealth and jobs. There are, however regional asymmetries, with destinations where the level of development is below their tourism potential. In order to tackle these asymmetries it is necessary to invest on these regions and develop strategies to promote them and attract visitors. This need, coupled with the rapid growth of chinese outbound tourism, motivated the development of this work, which contributes to identify the potential of the Center of Portugal region to attract the chinese market. Keyword- Destination attractiveness - chinese outbound tourism - Center of Portugal - Author(s):Zélia Breda - GOVCOPP, University of Aveiro Applying Values of Success and Competitiveness Focused on Culture – Based on the Nation Brand Hexagon of Anholt[code #A4]Contact:Marica Mazurek marica0011@yahoo.ca AbstractCompetitiveness and success are closely interrelated, where competitiveness could be understood as a mean to achieve success. The implementation of tools of competitiveness becomes one of major preconditions of successful performance. In territorial or regional context, successful destinations are places, which are able to use more effectively their means of comparative advantage. Especially in the time of economic crises such regions or places are able to benefit from the positive influence of so called soft and more sustainable values created by the improvement of image, reputation and the quality of destination services, using of local cultural resources and heritage. Simon Anholt (2007) explained main components of competitive identity by defining factors, which can influence the image of a country. These factors, which have an enormous impact on image and reputation, are not only marketing and branding strategies, but also policy, investment, culture, people, and tourism. Slovakia and Canada are countries, which were able to achieve success and improve their potential as tourist destinations with a rich cultural and heritage content. Several examples and case studies will be used to demonstrate this statement. Our study will be focused at the segment of culture interwoven especially into the wine tourism routes in both countries and their comparison how both countries were able to combine wine tourism and cultural heritage. The qualitative research has been prepared, especially focused on product development and the innovative promotion strategies. These two countries were chosen due to a personal experience, former research and interest in this topic. Research focus:Competitiveness and success are closely interrelated, where competitiveness could be understood as a mean to achieve success. The implementation of tools of competitiveness becomes one of major preconditions of successful performance. Our study will be focused at the segment of culture interwoven especially into the wine tourism routes in both countries and their comparison how both countries were able to combine wine tourism and cultural heritage. The qualitative research has been prepared, especially focused on product development and the innovative promotion strategies. These two countries were chosen due to a personal experience, former research and interest in this topic. Keyword- : Competitiveness - Success - Innovative aproach to Marketing of Places - Image - Reputation - Quality - Author(s):Marica Mazurek - Žilinská univerzita v Žiline Contexts of Political (Un)Stability in Asia and the Chinese Instrumentalization of Outbound Tourism[code #A50]Contact:Zélia Breda zelia@ua.pt AbstractTourist flows between countries are very much dependent on their political relations, being conflicts and insecurity a major cause of their drastic reduction. This work aims to study how some regional political conflicts are reflected in the development of Chinese outbound tourism. China is involved in conflicts with some neighboring countries, namely Japan and the Philippines. There is an immediate correspondence between the contexts of political instability and the number of Chinese tourists. Each situation corresponds to a substantial reduction in tourist flows, being a result of not only conjunctural factors but also of the actions of the Chinese government itself, in many ways, following geopolitical guidelines to pressure these countries. Although the Chinese government has used tourism frequently for this purpose, the relative effects of these measures might tend to devalue this type of action. On a more positive note, the Chinese government seeks to intensify bilateral relations with some countries, with tourism functioning as a soft power tool. This 'administered' tourism, with Chinese characteristics, becomes unique in the context of international tourism. Research focus:Tourism is one of the most vulnerable sectors in the face of economic, political, environmental and social changes. The study regarding the relationship between political phenomena and the dynamics of international relations and tourism is still at an infancy stage. This study intends to contribute to this debate, by focusing on the Chinese case. Keyword- Tourism - Politics - International relations - Conflict - Asia - China - Author(s):Zélia Breda - GOVCOPP, University of Aveiro Creative Tourism as a Destination Experiential Marketing Strategy[code #A47]Contact:Eunice Duarte eunice.duarte29@gmail.com AbstractThis article deals with the relationship between creative tourism and experiential marketing strategy. Creative tourism has been experiencing an increase in demand, as a consequence of current tourists looking for interactive and co-production cultural experiences that involve the culture of the receiving country. In this sense, it is necessary to understand the experiential marketing strategies used in this type of tourism. Experiential marketing has been indicated as a differentiating constituent for tourist destinations in the process of creating value and retaining tourists. In addition, the development of creative tourism has presented singularities that pose challenges in the connection between supply and demand leading to the process of co-creating significant experiences. Tourist destinations have promoted an offer based on cultural reproduction, sponsoring creative tourism. This is a paradigm justified by the process of building narratives resulting from co-creation experiences integrated in creative tourism. This article aims to understand the extent to which creative tourism is important for the sustainability of tourist activity in tourist destinations and how experiential marketing strategies have contributed to its development, differentiation and tourist attractiveness. The creative tourist offers of Nova Zealandia and Barcelona will be the cases presented in this study as starting points for reflection on this reality. Research focus:Marketing Strategy Keyword- Creative Tourism - Cultural Tourism - Tourist - Experiential Marketing - Author(s):Eunice Duarte - ESCAD Determinant Factors of Participate Intention Toward Tourism Development: the Case of Young Residents in Okinawa Island, Japan[code #A5]Contact:Hirofumi Miyagi miyagi@daishodai.ac.jp AbstractThe understanding of residents’ perceptions for tourism development has been an important theme among managers for destinations, because the success and sustainability of tourism destination depends upon the goodwill of local residents. The purpose of this study is to examine how the perceived tourism impacts for the young residents determine residents’ attitude and participation and collaboration toward tourism development in the island destination. One of the originalities of this research is its integrated nature, since it includes variables related to tourism policies, economic / non-economic variable, perception of tourism impacts, attitude and participation / collaboration toward tourism development in the island destination. The study shows that the influence of variables concerning “Perception for tourism impacts,” “Community attachment” and “Residents’ attitude” is confirmed. On the other hand, unlikely to the previous studies, there are no significant relationship between “Personal economic benefit from tourism” and “Residents’ attitude.” We can show as practical implications that an understanding of how residents build their intention of participation and collaboration toward tourism development and sustainability will allow destination managers to develop marketing and management strategies. The limitation of this research is related to the difficulty in obtaining an adequate sample dealing with island. Also the study has not been covered by “State of local economy.” Research focus:The study is carried out by the modified model based on “Social Exchange Theory (SET),” using variables that measure “Community attachment” “Tourism policies” “Personal economic benefit from tourism” “Perception for tourism impacts” “Residents’ attitude” and “Participation and collaboration toward tourism development.” As analysis method, SmartPLS (version 3.2.9; Ringle et al., 2015) is used to perform the PLS-SEM analysis to assess the research model listed above. The research is conducted to young residents in Okinawa Island, Japan, which is young international destination although it remains mature destination for domestic tourists. Keyword- Perception of young residents - Tourism impact - Community attachment - Okinawa Island - Author(s):Hirofumi Miyagi - Osaka University of Commerce Determination of Characteristics of Prestige-Seeking Segments in Lithuanian Tourism Market[code #A10]Contact:Lina Pileliene lina.pileliene@vdu.lt AbstractConsidering tourism sector as having potential to provide luxury product to a market, marketing communication in this sector has to be precise and adapted to the specific customer needs. The research contributes to the existing scientific discussion in the field of tourism marketing by answering the questions: what are prestige-seeking segments in Lithuanian tourism market and what are the core characteristics of latter segments to be addressed by marketing communication. The purpose of the research is to identify the characteristics of different prestige-seeking segments in Lithuania tourism market. Questionnaire survey was provided in order to reach the aim of the research. After generalizing the research results, five different prestige-seeking segments are determined and their characteristics are described. Based on the obtained results, guidelines for marketing communication with these segments are provided. Research focus:What are the prestige-seeking segments in Lithuanian tourism market? What are the characteristics of the determined segments? What marketing communication has to be provided to attract each segment? Keyword- Market Segmentation - Prestige-Seeking - Tourism Market - Author(s):Lina Pileliene - Vytautas Magnus University Developing "Maslow's Human Needs Hierarchy Models" in Interfacing between Urban Design and Tourism Knowledge[code #A37]Contact:Mona Erfanian Salim monaerfanian@gmail.com AbstractToday, urban open spaces make a key role for meeting tourists' need while urban tourism is one of the most important types of tourism in the world. In a sustainable order, for meeting tourists' need in an urban open space, there is an essential to describe tourist needs theories in detail based on the empirical data analysis for different context. This paper attempts to develop "Maslow's Human Needs Hierarchy Models" in interfacing between urban design and tourism knowledge. From a literature survey, the study focuses on two bodies of knowledge in parallel. Pearce and his colleagues found “Travel Career Ladder” (TCL) in Mallow's theory, whereas Lang interprets the theory so as to design urban space. Subsequently, in order to establish a conceptual framework, the study applies a comparative analysis to show an intersection between both approaches. The conceptual framework in relation to the tourists’ needs is also developed based on the three major contexts: theoretical, traditional, and current. It takes Kish Island in south of Iran as the case where it is assumed to enhance the public zones due to its current plans of development. Eventually, this paper indicates some linkages between sustainable urban development and sustainable tourism in a tourism destination. It also illustrates the importance of effective collaboration between different professionals and disciplines for integrating knowledge across a sector. Therefore, the output of the research can help to apply urban design as a multi-discipline vehicle for the objectives of sustainable tourism. Research focus:This paper indicates some linkages between sustainable urban development and sustainable tourism in a tourism destination. It also illustrates the importance of effective collaboration between different professionals and disciplines for integrating knowledge across a sector. Keyword- Human needs hierarchy models - urban design - urban tourism - Author(s):Mona Erfanian Salim - Iqbal Lahoori Institute of Higher Education , Iran Dynamic Pricing and Conservation Policies of World Heritage Sites: an Optimal Control Perspective[code #A33]Contact:Malgorzata Ogonowska malgorzata.ogonowska@univ-paris8.fr AbstractThe operators of world heritage sites such as Le Chateau de Versailles, La Alhambra, and the Vatican Palace trade off visitors’ revenues against damages to these sites. We study the inter-temporal behavior of a firm managing a heritage site over time. In an optimal control model, the operator sets pricing and heritage conservation policies. Heritage attractiveness improves with conservation expenditure, but decreases with visitor numbers. Visitor numbers increases with the attractiveness of the site and decreases with the entrance fee. Our results characterize the optimal pricing and heritage conservation policies over time and provide a stronger foundation for the formulation of sustainable tourism policies. Research focus:Understand tension between short term profit maximization and long term conservation of world heritage sites. Keyword- Dynamic pricing - world heritage - price-heritage attractiveness relationship - sustainable tourism - optimal control - Author(s):Malgorzata Ogonowska - Université Paris 8, LED Empirical Research on Internal Marketing in The Hospitality Organization[code #A43]Contact:Shunsaku Hashimoto shunh@tm.u-ryukyu.ac.jp AbstractInternal marketing is known as the concept of organizational activation. In particular, it has been born and developed for hospitality organizations. However, the concrete method has not been presented so far. Meanwhile, organization development is also known as the concept of organizational activation, but this has been developing, not targeting specific industries. Both of these have different names, but their objects are the same, which is exactly the activation of the organization. In this paper, we are trying to explore the concrete method of internal marketing after clarifying the commonality of both. Research methods are literature research and empirical research on real organizations. Empirical research focused on the Japanese hotel company, which is thought to be rapidly growing by allowing the concept of internal marketing to penetrate the organization, and made an interview with the staff. From the result of that consideration, the paper attempts to verify whether the concept of internal marketing has penetrated the organization. Research focus:This paper focuses on how an internal marketing is represented in the hospitality organization by analyzing interviews of staff. Internal marketing is not such a new concept. The first scene of internal marketing was shown by Berry, Hensel and Burke in 1976. Berry and Parasuraman (1991) said “Internal marketing is attracting, developing, motivating, and retaining qualified employees through job-products that satisfy their needs.” According to this concept, internal marketing does not mean creating the market, it means activating the organization by motivating working people. In this paper, the focusing is on this concept, how the hospitality organization represent this concept in the organization. Keyword- Internal Marketing - Hospitality Organization - Activating Organization - Dialogue - Respect for diversity - Author(s):Shunsaku Hashimoto - Faculty of Global and Regional Studies, University of the Ryukyus Erasmus Students as Destination Evangelists: A Cross-Cultural Comparison[code #A23]Contact:Suzanne Amaro samaro@dgest.estv.ipv.pt AbstractThe aim of this study is to apply the concept of brand evangelism to a destination (a country) and examine which destinations are more prone to have brand evangelists and which nationalities are more likely to be destination evangelists. For the purpose of this study destination evangelism is defined as the intensive communication and support of a destination, both offline and online. It is measured by 5 dimensions: Word-of-Mouth (WOM), e-WOM, WOM intensity, revisiting intentions and recommendation. An online survey with the measures of the above-mentioned variables was applied to Erasmus students. Since they live for short periods of time (from 5 to 10 months) in a country, they can be the ideal destination evangelists since they get to know the host country better than tourists. Responses from the following nationalities were used to conduct the analyses: French (N=430), German (N=921), Italian (N=761), Polish (N=258), Portuguese (N=555) and Spanish (N=420). The ANOVA tests evidence that the German are significantly less evangelists than all other nationalities. The Spanish are the most evangelists, but the difference is only significant regarding the German and the French. Regarding countries, a different sample of students was used. Students from several nationalities who had done Erasmus in France (N=361), German (N=500), Italy (N=397), Poland (N=386), Portugal (N=555) and Spain (N=782). The results clearly show that Portugal is the destination that has significantly higher values regarding evangelism, while Germany and Poland have less. The results are important for all Erasmus stakeholders, such as potential students, higher education institutions, governments and destination management organizations. Research focus:Brand evangelism is an intense and active form of brand support behavior (Becerra and Badrinarayanan, 2013) that all brands aspire. While there are many studies applying this concept to products and services (e.g. Badrinarayanan and Laverie, 2013; Becerra and Badrinarayanan, 2013), to the best of knowledge, it has never been applied to a destination. However, just as company and brand managers are interested in creating brand evangelists, destination management organizations also aspire that visitors will actively promote their destination. Keyword- Destination Evangelism - Cross Cultural - Erasmus - Author(s):Suzanne Amaro - Polytechinic Institute of Viseu Examining the Structural Relationships of Distinct Dimensions of Destination Loyalty and its Antecedents[code #A21]Contact:Francisco Dias francisco.dias@ipleiria.pt AbstractThe level of tourist loyalty to a destination is considered an important indicator when analyzing its efficiency and competitiveness. Moreover, there is a consensus among experts that loyalty is preceded by tourist satisfaction on previous visits. However, studies over the past decades have shown that there is not always a strong relationship between visitors’ satisfaction levels and repeated visits. In order to overcome this contradiction, many researchers decompose the construct of loyalty into two main dimensions: attitude and behavior. Attitudinal loyalty includes three important dimensions: cognitive (advocating the destination), affective (identification with the destination) and conative loyalty (intention to repeat the visit). Thus, it is important to assess and compare the different dimensions of loyalty and then study the factors that sometimes prevent the translation of conative loyalty into behavioral loyalty. In order to explore the relationships between the various components of the concept of destination loyalty, an online survey was conducted with a sample of 6104 Portuguese. This specific study is restricted to the analysis of data from the sub-sample of respondents who identify domestic destinations as their main favorite destinations (sub-sample of 2189 respondents). The effects of the main subjective factors influencing the behavioral loyalty (motivation, destination image, perceived quality and conative loyalty) are thus assessed, as well as the subjective hierarchy of regional and local destination brands for each of the seven Portuguese Tourism Regions (Oporto and North, Centre, Lisbon, Alentejo, Algarve, Madeira and Azores). Research focus:This study is part of a larger research programme that aims to go deep in the undertsnading of a set of factores interacting in the destination choice process. This specific study discusses the distinct types of tourist loyalty to tourism destinations, and explores their relationships. Keyword- Destination loyalty, - conative loyalty - attitudinal loyalty - tourist motivation - brand hierarchy - customer-based brand equity - Author(s):Francisco Dias - Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation (CiTUR) – Polytechnic of Leiria Experiencing Nature: Beauty and Tension in Poland'S National Parks— Analysis of Tripadvisor Reviews[code #A16]Contact:Marek Nowacki marek.nowacki@wsb.poznan.pl AbstractThe article aims to analyse and compare experiences gained by tourists visiting three of the most interesting protected areas in Poland – Tatra National Park, Bialowieza National Park and Wolin National Park. The author focuses on the following question: do the natural assets of the national parks affect visitors' unique experiences or is an environmentally valuable area not important for their experiences? The article uses mixed quantitative (Text Mining, co-occurrence network analysis) and qualitative (narratives research) methods. Data for analysis – reviews posted by users – were downloaded from TripAdvisor.co.uk. Reviews on TripAdvisor indicate that the most important for tourists in Tatras and the Bialowieza National Park were the experiences of physical activity. This confirms the trend to maintain health and the desire to regenerate physical strength. The group of reviews related to the connection to nature experiences is extremely small, which indicates that tourists probably did not come to national parks as a result of experience preferences related to ecological awareness. Some tourists feel tension, which indicates that the carrying capacity is exceeded. There is a doubt whether tourists who want to engage in a physical activity must necessarily visit the area with the highest degree of nature protection. Research focus:Research focus of this article is to to analyse and compare experiences gained by tourists visiting two of the most interesting protected areas in Poland – the Tatra National Park (TNP) and the Bialowieza National Park. Author focused on the following question: does the natural heritage of the national park affect visitors' unique experiences or is environmentally valuable area not important for their experiences? Keyword- experiences - national parks - tripadvisor - text-mining - Author(s):Marek Nowacki - WSB University in Poznan Gender and Sustainability in Cruise Tourism Market[code #A13]Contact:Vincenzo Asero vasero@unict.it AbstractCruise tourism can be defined as a form of travelling, involving an all-inclusive holiday on a cruise ship, with a specific itinerary. During recent decades, the cruise market has seen an enormous growth in passenger numbers, while an increasing number of new cruise destinations around the world are emerging. The diversification of the cruise product has been accompanied by variation in the composition of the clientele relating to gender, generation group, ethnicity and income. Due to the constant increase in numbers of cruise tourists, ports and destinations play a crucial role in itineraries’ development, which are designed on the basis of market and operational considerations. In their efforts to achieve the highest level of passengers’ experience and gender preferences, cruise companies introduce itineraries including attractive destinations. For instance, with the number of female travelers growing, female centered cruises create a female empowerment community at sea through female-centered itineraries, while allowing travelers to experience the world around them, as well as famous feminist landmarks. This study examines the cruise market and its potential, with a particular emphasis on the clientele gender. To this extent, the study focuses on the various reasons behind a cruise vacation by gender and whether the length of cruise vacation differs according to the gender. In addition, the study highlights that despite the economic benefits enjoyed by the cruise host destinations, much remains to be done to balance the rapidly growing demand for cruising with its impacts and environmental values. Research focus:Cruise tourism, gender and sustainability Keyword- Cruise industry - cruise tourism - gender - sustainability - Author(s):Vincenzo Asero - University of Catania, Department of Political & Social Sciences How Do Family Businesses in Tourism Industry Adapt to Technological Challenges? The Conceptual Framework and Research Design[code #A45]Contact:Marcin Olszewski marcin.olszewski@ue.poznan.pl AbstractThe fourth industrial revolution, often referred to as a concise term Industry 4.0 and the corporate realm (Justin et al., 2019), has challenged the tactics and strategies of all actors in the contemporary economy. The ability to adapt is the most crucial determinant of business success also for micro-businesses performing in the tourism industry. Moreover, as the impacts of Industry 4.0 are felt by both businesses and humans, the family-run businesses are especially exposed to these consequences. As they are strongly dependent on the current development path and tend to inherit proven and conservative ways of behavior (Thomas et al., 2011), their adaptation of the dynamically developed Industry 4.0 is the real challenge and the crucial subject of research. Thus, the conference paper aims to identify the transformational role of technological changes specific to the Industry 4.0 by exploring the nature, strength, and scope of their impact on the functioning of tourist family businesses. The theoretical framework of the research is based on evolutionary economics (Nelson and Winter, 1982). To identify attitudes towards technologies referring to Industry 4.0 as well as the benefits and challenges of their implementation, we propose extended technology acceptance framework (Davies, 1989) including seven beliefs towards Industry 4.0 technologies: perceived usefulness, ease of use, perceived risks, costs of technology, social influence, affective response, and the experience with the technology (Ayeh, 2015). The study adopts a qualitative research design based on semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs and managers representing family firms functioning in the tourism industry in Poland. Research focus:The theoretical framework of the research is based on evolutionary economics (Nelson and Winter, 1982). According to the theory, service businesses are consistently forced to modify and update their activities (operational and strategic) to meet the changing needs of the environment (Corning, 1995). The research also draws upon the concept of dynamic capabilities, which refer to the firm’s abilities to integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external competences to address requirements of rapidly changing environment (Teece et al., 1997). The main premise of their ideas is the firm’s ability to modify the resource base that allows for adaption to change. Keyword- Industry 4.0 - technology acceptance model - service industry - family business - Author(s):Marcin Olszewski - Poznan University of Economics and Business Impact of Tourists’ Willingness & Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications Employed for Smart Destination Tourism Services in Vietnam[code #A39]Contact:Subhankar Das subhankardas@duytan.edu.vn AbstractThe study is conducted on Vietnam’s major tourist destination city, Da Nang to know the willingness of travellers in adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled service applications employed in hotels, spas, airports & city centres. The study shows that AI enabled applications for various services explain significant effect in enhancing service quality for tourist satisfaction & loyalty towards such establishments. Use of such social interactive gadgets in various tourism services from hospitality to wellness & information needs futuristic commitment of organisations that aims to generate value and to enrich the quality of whole service expectations. In this research, we have employed structural equation modelling for evaluating both structurally & empirically the willingness of tourists to avail these AI enabled service enhancing applications for smart destination tourism. Data were collected from tourists who have experience of using these devices. We observed that their willingness to use these AI enabled chatbots from effect of technology acceptance factors, service quality leading to expected value addition, human chatbot interaction (HCI) & information sharing. Analysis of these dimensions gives a deeper understanding for the novel opportunities which various tourism administrative agencies may take benefit of to position chatbot delivered services in smart destination tourism strategies. Research focus:With the evolution of web technologies & development in artificial intelligence (AI) enabled applications, commercial services for tourism are going a top notch higher for smart destination tourism sectors. These applications have become pervasive for sectorial growth all around the world. The empirical know how of tourists’ intention for such services will drive the sector to adopt better & grow more. Such service applications are the new social interactive innovations for giving sustainable service & sophisticated experience to all tourists. Keyword- Artificial intelligence - Service Quality - Chatbot - Willingness to use chatbots - Human chatbot interaction - smart destination tourism agencies Vietnam - Author(s):Subhankar Das - Duy Tan University Islands of the Silk Road: Trading Stories, Gazes and Imagination[code #A54]Contact:Desmond Wee d.wee@cbs.de AbstractNot everyone may have traversed the Silk Road, but most know of its existence through legendary myths and centuries of historical trade. When Ferdinand von Richthofen (1877) first coined the ‘Seidenstrasse’, it was based on a colonial, romanticized gaze that captured the imagination of exotic lands and people. In our age of mobilities, how would it be possible to reflect on this gaze from 'other' perspectives starting with John Urry’s (1990) tourist gaze and the many emergent, othered gazes that begin (rather than end) with imagination? There is little to imagine when considering China’s pragmatic and ambitious ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative that premises massive infrastructural development before the consideration of cultural imperatives, environmental sustainability and local empowerment. On the other hand, there is also a frequent over-imagination and commodification of sights, events and monuments in managing destinations, overlooking the stories and gazes exchanged in the place making process. This paper suggests a place mapping process involving the everyday, documenting culture through mobilities in terms of how people move and embody the spaces of tourism through everyday practice and lived experiences. Islands are employed as a metaphor to rethink the insularity of islands and imagine ‘other’ places on the Silk Road with ‘othered’ gazes as islands. EATSA serves as a powerful platform of engagement towards this endeavour as an imaginative crossroad along the Silk Road, facilitating the exchange of stories and gazes from East to West and vice versa, from West to East. Research focus:With huge transnational investments in the Silk Road in terms of infrastructure development, tourism marketing and a rejuvenation of the hospitality industry, it is vital to focus on innovative ways to rethink how we can create a sense of place for tourism through the cultivation of cultural imperatives, environmental sustainability and local empowerment. This paper suggests a place mapping process involving the everyday, documenting culture through mobilities in terms of how people move and embody the spaces of tourism through everyday practice and lived experiences. Keyword- Silk Road - Imagination - Gaze - Author(s):Desmond Wee - CBS (Cologne Business School) Religious Sites’ Use of Information and Communication Technologies[code #A25]Contact:Cristina Barroco cbarroco@estgv.ipv.pt AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of ICTs, particularly Websites, social media and apps, by ten of the most visited religious sites in the World. These religious sites represent the largest religious groups: Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism. The methodology used in this study consisted of performing an evaluation of each Religious Site’s Webpage divided in three stages. The first stage consisted of a more technical evaluation, using Webgrader (https://website.grader.com/), an online tool that evaluates the key metrics like performance, mobile readiness, SEO, and security. The second stage involved examining the website’s accessibility according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), using Achecker (https://achecker.ca/). Lastly, the website evaluation was completed with a content analysis, based on a checklist with several items divided into three main features: Informational, Communicational and Functional. After this Webpage evaluation, the Religious Site’s use of Social Media was also analyzed, in terms of active presence and engagement. Finally, the existence of mobile apps for these Religious Sites was also examined. This study contributes to the gap in literature regarding the evaluation of Religious Site’s webpages. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive overview of the use of ICTS among the most visited Religious Sites that also serves as a benchmarking tool for other religious site managers to evaluate their own use of ICTs. Practical implications are provided to help Religious tourist’s managers optimize their websites and to better satisfy the specific needs of religious tourists. Research focus:Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have changed religious tourists’ behavior in all stages of the travel process, significantly impacting their travel decisions and experiences. However, despite their importance, there is scarce literature focusing on Religious Sites’ use of ICTS. This study fills this gap by focusing on the use of ICTs in Religious Sites. Keyword- Religious Sites - Website Evaluation - ICTs - Religious Tourism - Author(s):Cristina Barroco - Polytechinic Institute of Viseu Religious Tourism After Covid-19: an Insight into the Quarantine Stories in the Holy Qur’An[code #A57]Contact:Tariq Elhadary thmelhadary@gelisim.edu.tr AbstractThe tourism sector is currently one of the most affected sectors by the outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid-19), and the effects of this have caused both supply and demand for travel throughout almost the whole world to come to a complete stop. The restrictions imposed on travel, in addition to canceling or reducing the frequency of flights, led to a significant contraction in the supply of travel services (domestic and international), while the demand gradually completely diminished. The impact of the Covid-19 virus outbreak will undoubtedly have been felt throughout the tourism value chain. Small and medium enterprises related to religious tourism are expected to be affected in particular, which calls for support and recovery measures for the tourism sector. What are we going to do in our “new normal” post-pandemic to prepare for religious tourism recovery? The paper attempts to investigate the quarantine stories in the Holy Qur’an as a way of rebuilding faith. The paper claims that faith might be an effective step stone in beginning to create a recuperation plan and outline steps for a speedy recovery and a swift rebound. The paper adopts the textual analysis method to examine the prevailing and published research in context with the pandemics, religious tourism and Qur’anic discourse analysis to combat the diseases and promote positivity. Research focus:The quarantine stories in the Holy Qur’an as a way of rebuilding faith Keyword- COVID-19 - quarantine - Qur’an - recovery - religious tourism - Author(s):Tariq Elhadary - Istanbul Gelisim University Religious Tourism as a Factor in the Development of the Territory of Fátima – From the Island of Sicily to Fátima[code #A48]Contact:João Caldeira Heitor joao.heitor@isg.pt AbstractTourism materializes through the movement of people to a destination. In this sense, this article deals with the relationship between Fátima and the island of Sicily. Religious tourism suffered an increase in demand, causing challenges in terms of the development of the territories that shelters the sanctuaries. As such, in recent decades, on the island of Sicily and throughout Italy, several journeys have taken place of the pilgrim image, in this study we will only analyze the route of image no. 8, on the island of Sicilia. In this sense, it is necessary to understand the relationship that exists between passing the image of Our Lady of Fátima , through the island of Sicily and the pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Fátima. Thus, it is important to study what impact it may have on the development of the territory of Fátima. In order to verify this relationship, a survey of statistical data on the passage of image no. 8 was carried out since 2010, as well as the number of groups of pilgrims who arrived at the Sanctuary of Fátima from the island of Sicily. As it turns out, there is an increase in group visits to the Sanctuary after the passage of the image. The economic development resulting from these pilgrimages is the only one that is easily verifiable in the territory of Fátima, and there is still no measure of social, environmental and cultural development. Research focus:Religious Tourism and development of the territory Keyword- Religious Tourism - Territory development - Fátima - Sicily Island - Pilgrims - Author(s):João Caldeira Heitor - ISG Service Through Personal Encounters or Technology; the Preferences and Privacy Concerns of Generation Z[code #A41]Contact:Kitti Hiezl kitti.hiezl@gmail.com AbstractCompanies nowadays use service personalization, both online and in the real world and most consumers have higher satisfaction with a product tailormade to their needs. Personalized recommendation systems, booking mobile applications are able to improve the guest experience and to tailor the products and experiences to the guest's needs. However, to be able to provide such service, personal data collection is inevitable. Even in the case of a satisfied consumer, privacy concerns are always present. As the hospitality service product become more digitalized, it is essential to consider if the Personalization – Privacy paradox is equally real for all age groups or target groups the hotel has. Do different age groups have different security concerns from each other? In this paper, we analyze how the newest consumer group, Generation Z, perceives the personalization privacy paradox and their willingness to share personal information in exchange for personalized service and whether they prefer these services online over face- to -face encounters. Research focus:The focus of the research is the characteristics of Generation Z when it comes to sharing their personal information. We measure the gap between their personalization needs and the wish to receive personalized service. With that we have to analyze what would be the preferred way of communication with the hotel as it is important to see if personalization should be a personal encounter or hotels should rather focus on digital tools to help promote services. Keyword- privacy - personalization - hospitality - Generation Z - Author(s):Kitti Hiezl - University of Pannonia Slum Tourism Motivations Induced by Cinema: a Structural Model[code #A31]Contact:Arthur de Araújo arthurfilipearaujo@gmail.com AbstractAs shown by previous studies, films can attract visitors to the places they depict even when the portrayal is mostly negative. Building on these contributions, more recent studies have shown that films can play a significant role in inducing motivations for slum tourism, that is, tourism to which poverty is part of the attraction. In this context, the present study aims to verify which aspects of films depicting poor urban places are responsible for attracting slum tourists. To this end, the investigation builds on previous conceptualisations of how films attract visitors to the portrayed places, as well as on a previously proposed model of slum tourists’ motivations. Quantitative Data was collected from tourists during their visits to Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, and later subjected to Exploratory (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), under the principles of Structural Equations Modelling (SEM). Results corroborate a previously proposed conceptualisation according to which slum tourism motivations include two dimensions: Learning and Experiential motivations, which are affected by two main film determinants: Place & Personality and Performance. The study is the first to quantitatively test a model of slum tourists’ motivations, as well as to corroborate films’ effects on such motivations. Findings also point to relevant insights for destination managers and other actors involved with slum tourism, particularly where it is boosted by films. Having a better idea of what exactly motivates slum tourists, stakeholders can work together to make this activity more ethical, sustainable and profitable, maximising benefits for all involved parts. Research focus:The present investigation focuses on slum tourism motivations, more specifically, in testing a model of the dimensions of such motivations, as well as the effect of films in generating them. Keyword- film tourism - slum tourism - tourists’ motivations - favela - Rio de Janeiro - Structural Equations Modelling - Author(s):Arthur de Araújo - Lusófona do Porto University The Digital Revolution: Impact on Tourism Education[code #A55]Contact:Kevser Çınar kcinar@erbakan.edu.tr AbstractDigital technology is an obvious driver of society and the digital transformation underway seems to increase the challenges of tourism education. The COVID-19 has changed dramatically the education system fostering online transformation process in higher education institutions. However, practice and research in the field of tourism and hospitality is still in its infancy. This study therefore aims to identify the advantages and constraints it brings to the field in the literature. It follows a literature review methodology, focusing on recently published, open-source, peer-reviewed research documents and analyzing selected documents through a content analysis. The results showed that some of the obvious benefits of using digital technologies in tourism education for students and teachers are i) flexibility in time and space, ii) the development of technical/systemic skills, iii) keeping track of students' performance and giving feedback, iv) teaching them to be self-disciplined; and (v) taking less time. Although the use of digital technology appears to have a positive impact on student engagement, there is still some way to go to fully address the development of digital literacy among students and teachers. This study makes a valuable contribution to the current debate on the need to rethink tourism education by addressing the needs not only of students but also of faculty members. Even though it is specific to tourism, the results of this document can be considered as a contribution to the state of the art of future and ongoing studies in the field of education. Research focus:The evolution of information and communication technologies influences and even changes almost all sectors of the digital era that we are experiencing together with Industry 4.0 and globalization. These rapid transformations in the world are also affecting tourism education both as a structure and as a learning environment. The Coronavirus Epidemic (COVID-19) has also fostered this digital revolution forcing many universities and other higher education institutions around the world to temporarily close their doors and have delivered their courses online. The article focuses on this digital revolution process identifying the benefits and limitations it brings to the literature. Keyword- tourism education - digitalization - COVID-19 - higher education - online education - Author(s):Kevser Çınar - Necmettin Erbakan University Smog as a factor affecting urban tourism[code #A22]Contact:Aleksandra Łapko am@am.szczecin.pl AbstractCity tourism is one of the most dynamically developing forms of tourism. Tourists' decisions regarding choosing a destination are influenced by a number of factors determining the subjective assessment of the tourism attractiveness of a given city, and one of them may be the state of air pollution as it can have a negative impact on the health of both city dwellers and tourists. The article presents the results of surveys conducted among a group of 509 respondents from Poland. On this basis, an assessment was made of the extent to which information on the condition of air quality in a given city is relevant for persons planning a tourist trip. Research focus:research on how air pollution in cities can affect their tourist attractiveness Keyword- city tourism; - tourism management - air pollution - Author(s):Aleksandra Łapko - Maritime University of Szczecin/Faculty of Engineering and Transport Economics The Importance of Fish Consumption: a Hungarian Perspective[code #A30]Contact:Csaba Kőmíves komives.csaba@sze.hu AbstractThe examination of fish consumption came again to the forefront in Hungary in connection with a healthy, balanced nutrition. The Hungarian national government has launched to increase the number and frequency of fish meals, which is limited only to the Advent period. This work, examines the role that fish consumption plays in people's eating habits, with particular reference to restaurant fish eating habits. The topic was analyzed by secondary and primary research. The primary research consisted qualitative (questionnaire) research, which was used to support the relevance of the research questions. The results of this research can be used by F&B managers, who can adjust their new restaurant offerings accordingly and support this segment with various marketing actions. The data are being processed by using SPSS 23 statistical software packages. The sampling frame was made by using a snowball method in addition to the descriptive statistical data (modus, median, standard deviation). This publication contains quantitative sorting and crosstabulation analyses and regression. Research focus:Examination of fish consumption in Hungary. Keyword- Fish consumption - Hungary - Menu - Offer - Author(s):Csaba Kőmíves - Széchenyi István University Kautz Gyula Faculty of Economics Department of Tourism The Influence of Pre-Trip Beliefs, Impressions, and Feelings on the Intention to Visit a Destination[code #A46]Contact:Carlos Peixeira Marques cmarques@utad.pt AbstractThis paper draws a structure of pre-trip destination image based on two dichotomies well acknowledged in the literature: on the one hand, the view that image is formed by perceptions (cognitive) and feelings (affective) (Baloglu & McCleary, 1999); on the other, the idea that it may be based on more concrete attributes or more abstract holistic impressions (Echtner & Ritchie, 1991). It is proposed that beliefs about attributes influence holistic impressions and both affect feelings. Then, in accordance to the Model of Goal-directed Behavior, it is hypothesized that image influences the antecedents of intentions, such as the overall attitude (Park et al., 2017) or the desire (Park & Petrick, 2009). A PLS-SEM was designed with measurements adapted from existent literature. The model was tested in a random telephone sample of 411 potential travelers living in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Oporto, Portugal. At the beginning of 2019, respondents were asked about their intentions to visit one rural inland destination during that year, and about the independent variables as well. Overall the results conform to the proposed model, the largest effects being the proximal relationships in the sequence attributes – holistic – feelings – attitude – desire – intention. Beliefs about attributes are very influencing, particularly on attitude; anticipated feelings of excitement affect attitude and desire; holistic impressions regarding charm and romance seem to be less important, but still have an effect, particularly on intention. It is suggested to pay attention to those attributes that have more potential to reinforce the holistic and affective components. Research focus:The research focus is on the structure of destination image, namely how more abstract components are affected by more concrete ones, establishing a sequence beliefs – impressions – feelings. Then assessing how these constituents of destination image contribute to develop attitude towards a destination, trigger desire, and ultimately concretize on the intention to visit. The results may thus help designing a communication strategy suited for specific communication effects, like brand attitude or behavioral intention. Keyword- Destination image - Goal-directed behavior - Visiting intention - Attitudes - Desire - Author(s):Carlos Peixeira Marques - University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro The Power of Spillover Effects: Japanese Students Reaction to Poland Tourism Advertising[code #A19]Contact:Joanna Kosmaczewska joanna.kosmaczewska@up.poznan.pl AbstractThe conceptual framework of this paper is built on the tourism commercial spillover into more positive attitudes toward a specific country, the country’s people, and its government. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, a theoretical model of spillover effect was extended on the cognitive country image (CCI), affective country image (ACI) and the product country image (PCI) in the context of tourism advertising. Second, the pre-post experimental research was conducted to measure the changes in respondents’ attitudes toward aspects which were examined. A sample of 138 Japanese students participated in a pre-post experiment evaluating the country before and after exposure to the commercial. To answer the research questions paired sample t tests was used for the constructs grouped into the main categories such as: responders’ attitude towards cognitive and affective image of Poland, Polish products image, Poles and Polish government image. The research results indicate that commercial “Poland – come and find your story” did “bleed over” to create a more positive attitude among respondents in all areas measured. Research focus:The research is focused on the spillover effect of the tourism commercial on the CCI, ACI, PCI, people and the goverment Keyword- spillover effect - advertising - country image - Author(s):Joanna Kosmaczewska - Poznan University of Life Science Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences The Role of Big Data in Tourism Destination Management: Some Empirical Evidence[code #A56]Contact:Vincenzo Asero vasero@unict.it AbstractWith the rapid development of Internet and social media, a massive amount of data is generated, recorded, gathered and stored, heralding the beginning of a new era of Big Data. The concept refers to the sources, variety, velocity, and volumes of the data available. The accelerating use of Big Data has also brought fundamental changes in tourism sectors, offering new opportunities. In particular, public data published on microblogging social platforms, like Twitter, can be exploited to improve the management of tourism destinations. Given the borderless nature of this new data, tourism statistics are on the frontline of Big Data-related innovations of statistical sources and methods. However, when considering the potential benefits of Big Data for the analysis of tourism, the many different types of variables which can be appropriately and effectively utilised need to be analysed. This study, using an inductive analysis of tweets collected in the touristic area of Catania (Sicily) and Cagliari (Sardinia) from 2010 to 2019, highlights the kind of tourism-related information that can be inferred from public online records on Twitter. Results show that Big Data can be useful for local stakeholders in decision-making processes and for planning tourism development strategies. Research focus:Useful for local stakeholders in decision-making processes and for planning tourism development strategies Keyword- Big Data - Tourism Destination Management - Twitter - Author(s):Vincenzo Asero - University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Sciences The Role of Expertise in the Wine Experience: How Far Social Representations, 4Es and Memory are Linked and Explain Behavior?[code #A24]Contact:Roxane Corbel corbel.roxane@gmail.com AbstractWine tourism becomes a global phenomenon since the mid-90’s and is an essential component of rural tourism, especially in France due to its cultural heritage. The economic contribution of wine tourism in France raises more than 5 billards per year since 2016 (Atout France, 2016). Wine tasting is seen as the core of a multi-level experience in which wine tourism includes more than wine tasting (Madeira and al., 2019) and is seen as a holistic experience including multifactorial assets (Sigala, 2019a). This research tries to understand the wine tasting experience as an embeddedness in Wine Tourism through the 4Es’ framework (Pine and Gilmore, 1999; Quadri-Felitti and Fiore, 2016; 2012, Thanh and Kirova, 2018), also through the approach of the Social Representations Theory (SRT). SRT is seen as a useful framework in tourism (Dickinson and al., 2009; Lebrun, 2014, 2015) in which level of expertise is a determinant variable in its own structuration, especially in the wine context (Lo Monaco and Guimelli, 2008). Indeed, experts refer more on their own experience and knowledge than novices who focus on context to grab clues in order to establish familiarity (Honoré-Chedozeau and al., 2019). Thus, practice and sharing enhance the modification of SR through the wine experience, but also the evaluation of people towards lived experience according to their own level of expertise. Furthermore, we find 1/ that novices and experts have different representations’ structuration which lead to different experience living and 2/ that SR explain memorable experience and behaviour. Research focus:This research tries to understand the wine tasting experience as an embeddedness in Wine Tourism through the 4Es’ framework (Pine and Gilmore, 1999; Quadri-Felitti and Fiore, 2016; 2012, Thanh and Kirova, 2018), also through the approach of the Social Representations Theory (SRT) and expertise. We find 1/ that novices and experts have different representations’ structuration which lead to different experience living and 2/ that SR explain memorable experience and behaviour. Keyword- Wine Experience - Expertise - Social Representations - 4Es - memory - Author(s):Roxane Corbel - Université de Bourgogne Tourism Ambassadors as a Destination Image Inducers – Savoie Mont-Blanc Case[code #A28]Contact:Jean-Claude Morand lucyalves.lucilia@gmail.com AbstractThe image of destinations is a key factor when it comes to positioning and attracting the attention and interest of potential tourists. Today, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) are part of virtually all areas of society, being also useful and fully adopted in tourism image projections (mainly through social networks). Therefore, this article focuses on the figure of the ambassador as a diffuser or enhancer of the image of a tourism destination, particularly through the use of a dedicated web platform created by the French tourism destination authority – the Savoie Mont-Blanc Ambassadeurs. To understand the repercussion of this initiative, a content analysis of its Facebook page is made, studying variables such as fans, content and engagement. Research focus:Savoie Mont-Blanc Ambassadeurs Facebook content analysis is made, studying variables such as fans, content and engagement. Keyword- Destination Brand Image - Tourism Ambassadors - Destination Imagery - Brand Awareness - Savoie Mont Blanc Ambassadors - Author(s):Jean-Claude Morand - Savoie Mont Blanc Ambassador Tourism and Sustainability: Possible Communion? Truths and Uncertainties in the Current Context[code #A32]Contact:Eunice Duarte eunice.duarte29@gmail.com AbstractTo understand tourism as a lever for development is relevant to realize its economic importance. The 21st century presents us the status quo that economic activity achieved, is one of the largest activities in the world. With this importance, some concerns emerge. There is an urgent need to alert to the fact that there are both sides of the coin: on one side the positive impacts; on the other side the negative consequences when there is no planning. At the same time that it improves the view on the environment, defends culture, preserves history, brings people together, in line with sustainable development, it can also bring harmful effects to places. The basic pillars of sustainability cannot be ignored. It is necessary to think about the viability of tourism with the combination of sustainability and profitability in harmony and consonance. That communion is possible and necessary for the success of sustainable tourism. The purpose of the article is to understand these two concepts: tourism and sustainability. In that sense we make a bibliographic review of them to understand their evolution through history and to identify the moment that they got together to obtain success, because sometimes they seem to be on opposite sides. It was possible to conclude that the concept of tourism and sustainability are complex concepts that evolved and were added by pressing need, leading to thinking about tourism sustainability from different levels of meanings and in a flexible way, adapted to the current realities. Research focus:Tourism and Sustainability Keyword- Tourism - Sustainability - Sustainable tourism - Sustainable development - Author(s):Eunice Duarte - ESCAD Towards a Happy Island: Developing Tourists’ Needs for Urban Open Public Space in Kish[code #A17]Contact:Ali Afshar alafshar@gmail.com AbstractThis paper studies the assumed relationship between tourists’ needs and the concept of happy city in the urban open public space (UOPS) in Kish Island as the most favourite tourism destination of Iran in Persian Gulf. The main research question is “how answering to the tourists’ needs in UOPS can directly affect the happiness of Kish Islanders and visitors?”. The literature review is employed to establish a conceptual framework for the paper. For this purpose, various theories and definitions have been reviewed to have a better understanding of the two groups of key concepts including the tourists’ needs for UOPS and the factors affecting the tourists’ needs. These theoretical findings are also developed in the traditional context and the current context of Kish. These help to enhance the theoretical findings and to justify the claim and the direction of the research towards the concept of happy city. This paper also describes the methodological approach utilized and adopted in this study to find the logical answers to the main question of the research. Therefore, it employed an exploratory case study approach that found data from comprehensive literature review, field observations and semi-structured interviews. The outputs will guide the design of UOPS of the island as tourism has priority over other development strategies. Thus, this paper is meant to attend to and identify the needs in this tourism area and consequently create a novel link between the three bodies of knowledge, namely, tourism industry, urban design and happy city. Research focus:Kish Island is a coherent social structure in the context of an extraordinary nature in the northern coast of Persian Gulf, a network of sympathetic local communities and groups of tourists. The island can be a place where infrastructure and facilities are provided, through the awareness, place attachment and popular companionship, satisfaction of all tourists. So, Kish Island has to be a place where daily life, leisure and tourism go beyond the boundaries of private spaces and are formed in the realm of urban open public spaces responding to the tourist’s needs. Keyword- Tourists’ Needs - UOPS (Urban Open Public Space) - Happy City - Author(s):Ali Afshar - Eqbal Lahoori Institute of Higher Education TRevPAR as Hotels Performance Evaluation Indicator and Influencing Factors[code #A44]Contact:Luís Lima Santos llsantos@ipleiria.pt AbstractIn a global competition current scenario, measuring the performance of hotels is increasingly important for managers who, to take decisions, need management indicators and tools. The most common indicators are occupancy rate and RevPAR. The goal of any hotel is to be as profitable as possible, so they must work on increasing revenues and decreasing costs. To increase revenues the focus has been on revenue management practices, and there is already several software that help hoteliers to define the most appropriate price for each customer. Therefore, managers mostly seek to increase accommodation revenue, however, from a total revenue management perspective, revenue from other departments must also be considered. The TRevPAR (Total Revenue Per Available Room) appears as a more comprehensive indicator that takes into account all hotels revenue sources. In this research, TRevPAR influence factors will be studied and highlighted, since this information is important in the hotel managers’ decision. This analysis was carried out in 948 hotels from 2010 to 2017. This sample was obtained by crossing two databases: SABI platform and Portuguese National Tourism Registry (RNET). The tested determining factors were the hotel's location, size, number of stars and services. An exhaustive study in terms of services was the purpose, thus, the influence on TRevPAR was tested on outdoor and indoor pools, tennis, golf, spa, meeting rooms and restaurants. The results show a global increase over the years analysed (2010-2017) in TRevPAR. The location, size and number of stars influence TRevPAR, as do most services. Research focus:In this paper, TRevPAR influence factors will be studied and highlighted, since this information is important in the hotel managers’ decision. This analysis was carried out in 948 hotels from 2010 to 2017. This sample was obtained by crossing two databases: SABI platform and Portuguese National Tourism Registry (RNET). Keyword- TRevPAR - Hotel - Performance - Author(s):Luís Lima Santos - CiTUR – Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation / Polytechnic of Leiria Way of Saint James. Religion and Tourism[code #A29]Contact:Noelia Araújo Vila lucyalves.lucilia@gmail.com AbstractReligion has always played a significant role in many aspects of society, including travels and travellers’ behaviour. In fact, throughout most of human history, religion has been the main reasons for people to travel, and to this date, it is still the main motivation for many journeys. Such journeys are referred to as religious tourism or pilgrimages, which are relevant phenomena within the tourism sector. This is demonstrated, for instance, by the number of pilgrims worldwide, which has significantly increased in the last decades. One of the most widely known places of pilgrimage in the world is Santiago de Compostela (Spain), and “el Camino de Santiago”, which encompasses different routes that pilgrims take from different places in Europe, is among the main pilgrimage routes. The present work analyses “el Camino de Santiago” from three perspectives: 1) that of potential pilgrims searching for information about “El Camino”; 2) that of tourists who do the Camino, namely, their motivations; and 3) that of the academic world. Results show that “el Camino de Santiago” generates interest worldwide due to both religious and tourist aspects, which are often combined within visitors’ motivations. Research focus:The present work analyses “el Camino de Santiago” from three perspectives: 1) that of potential pilgrims searching for information about “El Camino”; 2) that of tourists who do the Camino, namely, their motivations; and 3) that of the academic world. Keyword- religion - tourism - Way of Saint James - Santiago de Compostela - Camino - Author(s):Noelia Araújo Vila - Business and Tourism Faculty Web Reputation of Protected Areas as Tourism Destinations: a Case Study[code #A8]Contact:Annalisa Stacchini annalisa.stacchini2@unibo.it AbstractThe purpose of this study is to investigate the reasons why tourist inflows in three Italian protected areas, endowed with valuable natural and cultural heritage, are below their potential. These sites participate in the European Regional Development Project EXCOVER, that aims at developing sustainable tourism in underrated Adriatic areas. To this goal, it is important to investigate the reputation of the sites among the general public, especially in the imaginary of people who have never visited it, to understand and change what keeps tourists away. This task is brought about through a semantic analysis of online reviews, that are crucial in the construction of non-visitors’ imaginary about a destination and influence travel choices. Customers’ reviews are scraped from TripAdvisor through a code written on-purpose. Topics are modelled through an unsupervised machine learning algorithm, chosen because a consolidated theoretical model of destination reputation is still missing, so reviews are allowed to tell what is relevant to reviewers, without prior constraints. Moreover, to the exploratory aim of this study, online opinions are not considered as answers to predetermined questions, but as free instances of word-of-mouth. The resulting proxies of web reputation are compared across time and space, to get the information needed to devise effective tourism development strategies and marketing initiatives. The originality of this contribution lays in the investigation of the web reputation of protected areas still to be developed into tourism destination. Moreover, it may provide some hints useful to the formulation of a solid theoretical model of destination reputation. Research focus:This study conducts a semantic analysis of customer reviews, published on TripAdvisor, about tourism-related attractions and services in three Italian protected areas, to investigate why tourist inflows are below the level that could be expected given the local endowment of valuable resources. The scientific contribution brought by this analysis consists in showing how user-generated contents can be used as proxies of destination reputation among the general public. The method employed is inexpensive, more comprehensive and less researcher-influenced than sample surveys. It can be applied to investigate the web reputation of any destination, but is especially useful in tourism development planning. Keyword- web reputation - protected areas - unsupervised topic modelling - Author(s):Annalisa Stacchini - University of Bologna What Do the Japanase Think About Portugal? An Analysis of the Tourism Destination Image[code #A49]Contact:Zélia Breda zelia@ua.pt AbstractThis work aims to study the image of Portugal as a tourism destination from the point of view of the Japanese who have travelled to Portugal and those who have not yet visited the country, in order to understand how tour operators can approach this market and increase the number of Japanese tourists in Portugal. Through a questionnaire survey it was possible to realize that there is still a lack of information about Portugal as a tourism destination in Japan. The image of those who did not visit yet Portugal is good, although many still imagine that it is a dangerous country and they will not be able to communicate with the local population in English. Those who have visited have highly praised the gastronomy and believe that this can be used as a marketing strategy. Those who did not visit, but wish to travel to Portugal, confirm that they expect to taste the local gastronomy, as they know that some of the Japanese food have an influence of the Portuguese cuisine. With the increasing worldwide popularity of Portugal as a tourism destination, the number of Japanese tourists has also increased, and is expected to grow even more with the planned direct flights, as the the lack of a direct air connection was pointed out as the biggest negative point in visiting Portugal. It is important to know how to deal with Japanese tourists so that they feel motivated to visit Portugal, or repeat the visit, the first step being to understand what is the image of the Japanese in relation to Portugal as a tourism destination and to adopt the necessary measures. Research focus:The image of the destination has a great impact on the tourist's decision when it comes to choosing the place to visit. Although Portugal was one of the first European countries to have contact with Japan, having the two countries a special historical relationship, it is not a popular tourism destination for the Japanese people, especially if compared to other European countries, such as France, Spain and Germany. Therefore, it is important to understand what image Portugal has as a tourism destination in Japan. Keyword- Japan - Portugal - tourism - destination image - Author(s):Zélia Breda - University of Aveiro How Using an Ethical Approach Facilitates the Organization of an International (Online) Conference During a Global Crisis[code #A59]Contact:Enrico Panai enricopanai@gmail.com AbstractThe 2020 Pandemic forced the informational turn in every sector around the world. For several months, our social relations, a large part of the economy, education services and much more have been transferred online. Our IT-mediated existences lost their classical point of references. In reorganising an international conference online, we had to face new problems and ethical questions. Embracing the informational ontology proposed by Floridi, we used an Information Ethics (IE) approach before the pandemic, considering all the agents as informational agents immerged in a global environment made of information, the infosphere. When the pandemic was declared and the informational turn became manifest, the IE framework adopted turned out to be the best possible choice during the global lockdown. This study shows the relevance of an ethical framework for making decisions both in safe times and during a crisis. In fact, IE can facilitate morally good actions toward respect, transparency, trust, freedom of expression, openness and fairness. Value and informational agents have been the sources and the targets of our moral actions, with the ultimate goal of decreasing the informational entropy of the infosphere. This case study confirms the importance of ethics in the decision-making process and aims to provide new tools to help organising conference ethically. Research focus:Keyword- Conference organization - Ethics of Information - Crisis management - Author(s):Enrico Panai - University of Sassari |
