Alternative Forms Of Tourism Research Articles

Chinese voluntourist gaze: a self-reflection perspective

ABSTRACT Voluntourism, a contested form of alternative tourism, has received limited scholarly attention regarding the agency of voluntourists, particularly in non-Western contexts. This study investigates the self-reflections of young Chinese international volunteers through netography and thematic analysis of online narratives. Utilizing Urry's gaze theory as a ‘lens’, it examines how these voluntourists reflect not only on the destinations but also on themselves during their pre-trip, onsite and post-trip experiences. Three phases of the voluntourist gaze are identified: an initial ‘othering’ gaze, an evolving onsite gaze that challenges romanticization, and a post-trip reflective moral gaze. While similarities exist between the gazes of Chinese and Western voluntourists, the Chinese voluntourist gaze is uniquely nurtured by an inquiring intratourist gaze and by traditional Chinese philosophies such as Confucianism and Taoism. Notably, Chinese voluntourists exhibit a greater capacity for self-reflection compared to conventional Chinese tourists, positioning them as ‘moral pioneers’ in promoting Chinese ethical tourism by demonstrating more empathetic and humanitarian gazes.

Creative Strategy Analysis of SWJ Ambassador Tourism Village Promotion Content (Case Study of Creative Strategy Analysis of Tourism Village Promotion Content by Instagram Account @_nikenaf)

<p><em>Tourism in West Java is very diverse, ranging from massive tourist destinations and alternative tourism. One form of alternative tourism is a tourist village. The presence of a tourist village is an alternative for people who want to visit the beauty and uniqueness of a particular place. Various kinds of tourist villages in West Java have been widely exposed on social media through various kinds of creative content of ordinary social media users and content creators. The West Java Provincial Government formed a community tasked with reaching out to tourist villages and promoting them through social media, the community was named Smilling West Java Ambassador (SWJ Ambassador). The mechanism carried out by SWJ Ambassadors in carrying out promotional activities for tourist villages in West Java is by creating creative content in the form of videos or photos through each ambassador's Instagram. The conceptual framework used includes Creative Content Promotion Strategy in SOSTAC Analysis, social media, SWJ Ambassador program. This research uses a constructivist paradigm with a case study method on creative content promotion of tourist villages by the Instagram account @aqqiki_. Data collection techniques used in-depth interviews with informants and observation of tourist villages that became objects in the selected content. The results found that SWJ Ambassador @_nikenaf carried out a creative content strategy with the SOSTAC model (Situation, Objective, Strategy, Tactics, Actions, Control) and with limited capabilities and the absence of a creative team, sometimes the results and consistency of making promotional content were less massive.</em><em></em></p>

Digital Technology-Based Marketing For Neglasari Tourist Village Bogor Regency

Tourist villages are currently becoming an alternative form of tourism by promoting the concept of interaction between nature, culture, and local wisdom. Bogor, as one of the regencies in West Java province, has various interesting tourist destinations to visit, both by local and international tourists. The location of Bogor Regency, surrounded by mountains such as Gunung Gede Pangrango, Gunung Halimun, and Gunung Salak, has various natural tourism potentials. One of the tourist villages in Bogor Regency that offers nature tourism is the Neglasari tourist village. The Neglasari tourist village is traversed by the Cisasa River. The flow of the Cisasa River is utilized by the managers of the Neglasari Tourist Village to offer water tourism packages such as body rafting and river tubing. This river tourism business has been operating since 2021. The Neglasari tourist village is not yet very popular and is not frequently visited by tourists. The average visitation rate is only 4-5 groups of visitors or 20-50 people each month. This is due to the lack of massive promotion and marketing. To increase tourist awareness, digital marketing needs to be carried out with a good concept and done sustainably by utilizing digital marketing platforms such as websites and social media. The community service team from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Pakuan University, conducted training and mentoring programs related to digital marketing for Neglasari Tourism Village. The results of this community service activity include the Neglasari Tourism Village website, social media promotion flyers, content marketing guide modules, and promotional videos for Neglasari Tourism Village.

Leveraging Nature-Based Tourism for Sustainable Community Development and Destination Marketing: A Social Capital Theory Perspective

Leveraging Nature-Based Tourism for Sustainable Community Development and Destination Marketing: A Social Capital Theory Perspective

Bandung as a Creative City in Indonesia: The Role of Community in Developing a Creative Tourism Urban Village Initiative

Bandung City Government, in collaboration with the Bandung City Culture and Tourism Office, has implemented the activation of creative tourism urban villages as a strategic measure to promote regional autonomy through the development of the creative economy. Prior studies have not extensively addressed the concept of creative tourism in urban villages as an alternative form of tourism. Therefore, this research aims to explore the involvement of communities in the management of creative tourism urban villages in Bandung, seeing them as the primary stakeholders. The objective of this study is to chart the potential and obstacles facing creative tourism urban villages in Bandung City from the perspective of tourism awareness groups as managers of creative tourism urban villages. The study employed qualitative methodologies with a phenomenological approach, specifically in-depth interviews with managers of creative tourism urban villages, as well as field observations of 8 activated creative tourism urban villages in Bandung city. The activation of creative tourism urban villages in the city of Bandung to promote the sustainable development goal is characterized by three primary themes: community dynamics, infrastructure readiness and external support. Community dynamics refers to the interactions that take place among community members as they collaborate to establish creative tourism urban villages in different regions through stories, conflicts and the active involvement of community members. The availability of infrastructure is contingent upon the presence of tangible assets that facilitate the execution of creative tourism urban village business operations, encompassing aspects such as road accessibility, parking availability, and building structures. Assistance from external entities refers to the support provided by external parties to foster the growth of creative tourism in urban villages, including mentoring, training, sponsorship, and collaboration networks. The activation of creative tourism urban villages needs to be accompanied by community independence and involvement in a bottom-up development process, not just a top-down one, so as to maintain the sustainability of creative tourism urban villages after the government no longer supports activities carried out by tourism awareness groups.

Conclusion: exploring the intersection of digital nomadism and tourism in a postmodern world

PurposeThe aim of this article is to examine in depth the digital nomad lifestyle and its effects in the context of tourism and to create a perspective for the future by taking into account the findings of the articles in the thematic issue.Design/methodology/approachThe theme question is examined through a review of the main findings and outcomes of this issue.FindingsThe digital nomad lifestyle stands out as an alternative form of tourism to traditional tourism models. Digital nomads are interested in cultural heritage and are effective in destination marketing just as social media influencers are. Gastronomic preferences and security perceptions of digital nomads play an important role in destination selection. Although digital nomads start out with a desire for independence and freedom, they want to come together with their peers in order to meet their social needs.Originality/valueThis article will serve as a significant resource for understanding the digital nomad lifestyle and for predicting future tourism trends.

Floating Market-Based Slow Tourism: Harnessing Climate-Based Entrepreneurship towards Community Development in the South-Western Region of Bangladesh

Purpose: Slow tourism is a new, alternative form of tourism competing with mass tourism, as tapping its full potential can be utilised in riverine and flood-prone countries. The key purpose of this study is to find the elements of slow tourism in the southwestern part of Bangladesh, known for its serene floating market, and assess its features that are compatible with the principles of slow tourism. 
 Methodology: This research adopted a qualitative approach. Qualitative methods such as narrative interviews, key informant interviews and FGDs were used to collect primary data. The southern region of Bangladesh, is famous for floating market and was selected as a study site.
 Findings: To incorporate the floating market through the broader lens of “Slow Tourism”, synthesising the attributes of slow tourism was significant. As the attributes of the floating market supported the characteristics of slow tourism to a certain degree, the floating markets and adjacent areas were a suitable premise for developing the concept of slow tourism.
 Originality: Since there hasn’t been ample research on slow tourism in Bangladesh, this study can transform the perception of conventional tourism into alternative tourism. It provides tourists with spiritual tranquillity in the desired destinations of floating markets and a leeway to connect with local people, history and cultural products rendering a mutual reciprocity for future research.

Alternative Forms of Tourism: A Comparative Study of Website Effectiveness in Promoting UNESCO Global Geoparks and International Dark Sky Parks

In the digital age, effective website promotion plays a pivotal role in attracting visitors to alternative forms of tourism. This study examines the websites of 177 UNESCO Global Geoparks and 190 International Dark Sky Parks, employing specific evaluation criteria essential for enhancing the promotion of alternative tourism forms such as geotourism and astronomical tourism. Our findings reveal that geopark websites adeptly promote geotourism through a diverse array of digital tools, with the potential for minor enhancements. In contrast, the majority of dark sky park websites exhibit limited visibility in the promotion of astronomical tourism. These identified criteria and results serve as crucial benchmarks for optimizing the websites of UNESCO Global Geoparks and International Dark Sky Parks, thus ensuring the comprehensive fulfillment of established promotional standards for alternative tourism destinations.

Motives and constraints to bike tourism in Greece: "the Go-bike" project.

Bike tourism is one of the fast-developing alternative forms of tourism since it can satisfy the main pillars of sustainability (economic, social, and environmental). The current study is part of a larger funded project (GoBike) and aims to profile bike tourists in Greece, examine the motives and constraints to tourism participation, and show the value of using technology as a means of promoting bike tourism. The data was collected through a quantitative study, with one hundred and five individuals who had experience with bike tourism activities, with the use of an online questionnaire. Items were used to measure socio-demographics, motives, constraints, involvement, and attitudes toward a smartphone application. The results indicated that "Nature", "Health", "Bike eco-friendly place" and "Interesting places" were the most important motives. On the other hand, the lack of "Guides", "Appropriate Routes" "Bike tourism Programs" and "Limited Information" were reported as the most important barriers. The bikers reported that technology can facilitate their decision to do bike tourism activities. A smartphone application should include several attributes the most important of which are the "Elevation difference", the "warnings of obstacles/risks", "the level of difficulty", "the bike distance" and the "condition of the routes".

Ecotourism Management of Green Leaves of Mangroves Perspective of Maqāṣid al-Sharī'ah Yusuf al-Qardawi

Insufficient public awareness and comprehension of coastal natural resource management limited public education, community characteristics, and economic pressures frequently lead to coastal communities causing harm to the coastal environment. The utilization of coastal resources can be achieved through the implementation of coastal tourism. Ecotourism is a novel form of alternative tourism that has emerged as a response to the traditional model of tourism. This traditional model often exploits natural resources without considering their long-term sustainability and disregards the well-being of local populations. This study employs a qualitative research methodology that utilizes a descriptive approach, drawing upon both primary and secondary data sources. This study demonstrates a correlation between the environment and religion. Ecotourism management must adhere to Islamic principles. Maqāṣid al-syarī'ah represents the fundamental principles of Islamic teachings that guide the creation of laws with a focus on the welfare and advantage of humanity. Conducting economic activities must align with the maqāṣid al-syarī'ah, which are the objectives of Islamic law, aimed at preserving al-mabadi al-khamsah, the five essential principles. The name of the place is "Green Leaf Mangrove". Ecotourism Management encompasses initiatives focused on the preservation of mangroves, coral reefs, and turtles, as well as activities promoting conservation education, beach cleaning, and garbage processing. These programs are designed to align with the concepts of maqāṣid al-syariah, ensuring environmental management in accordance with Islamic values.

Street art and creative place-making: urban tourism regeneration in Toronto, Canada

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the place-making processes of street art within the context of Toronto, Canada, and potential for street art as alternative tourism to contribute to new urban tourism and encourage urban regeneration in the city.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies reflexive thematic analysis to analyse secondary data sources such as reports, maps, videos, websites, news articles and official documents alongside photographic documentation and field research.FindingsStreet art in Toronto has been found to coincide closely with processes of creative place-making. While there is some indication that municipal street art organizations and destination marketing organizations are aware of the possibilities for street art to contribute to tourism in the city, it remains an untapped resource for new urban tourism. As a component of creative place-making, it has great potential as a form of alternative tourism to regenerate a still struggling tourism economy.Originality/valueThis paper explores the nascent research area and practical application of street art as an alternative form of urban tourism in Toronto, Canada. It also fills a gap by connecting the concept of creative place-making with street art, urban regeneration and tourism specifically; a focus that needs wider attention.

ALTERNATIVE TOURISM – AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN RURAL TERRITORIES

Alternative forms of tourism, given Bulgaria's rich tourist resources, provide an opportunity for sustainable growth in rural territories. This is of particular importance for the economically less developed. It is with them that it is necessary to use and develop the available tourist resources, with a view to profiting not only from the activities typical of rural territories (agriculture and animal husbandry). In this context, the aim of this article is to present the economic role of tourism for the development of rural territories in Bulgaria.

Винен туризъм в района на Варненското Черноморие: възможности за устойчиво развитие

The aim of the following paper is to underline the role and importance of wine tourism as an alternative form for the sustainable tourism development in the Varna Black Sea tourist region. The first part of the report examines the main characteristics of wine tourism as an alternative form of tourism. The second part of the report is dedicated to the analysis of the resource potential of the Varna Black Sea tourist region for the development of wine tourism. The largest wine cellars are presented, with a focus on the conditions for tourist visits. In the end of this paper the possibilities for development of wine tourism in the researched area are summarized.

Културен и винен туризъм – възможност за развитие на устойчив туризъм в Шуменския регион.

The paper examines the basic principles of sustainable tourism. An attempt is made to draw an analogy with the application of those principles in the Shumen region, through an analysis of cultural and cognitive tourism, and of the opportunities for the development of wine tourism. The cumulative effect of including a number of alternative forms of tourism into the general tourist mix increases the economic effect, the valorization, and respectively – increases sustainability in its various aspects. Although the region in discussion is saturated with cultural sites and represents a center of cultural tourism, that fact is not an obstacle to the development of wine tourism as well – given the socio-cultural, soil-climatic and the regional economic and demographic characteristics. It is such types of interrelations, which are in the focus of this study.

Increasing Honey Production Effectiveness in Erzincan and Van Provinces

The purpose of this research is to determine the efficiency of beekeeping enterprises in Van and Erzincan provinces of Türkiye and to make recommendations to increase production efficiency. A total of 300 well-prepared questionnaires were distributed in the research area, of which 295 were analyzed. In the study, production analyses were performed with and without the bootstrapping technique. Constant and variable returns to scale were found in the estimates of technical efficiency scores using both non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) to produce efficiency scores and a truncated regression model to link the aforementioned scores with the characteristics of honeybee enterprises and beekeepers. The research revealed that cooperative membership and veterinary benefits had a 1% level of importance for income; some cities were found to have negligible beekeeping activity. Education level was also found not to be important. While determining the efficiency limits in DEA with and without bootstrapping, it was determined that 34.3% of enterprises without it had ineffective constant returns to scale compared to 39.5% for those with it. For variable returns to scale, 28.4% without bootstrapping worked ineffectively, while with bootstrapping, 29.4% were found to be ineffective. The study found that the same level of beekeeping can be maintained by reducing costs. In addition to its economic value, honey is an important source of income for the region. Beekeeping and honey production are important agricultural activities for increasing rural development to create new jobs and increase employment. As a form of alternative tourism, rural tourism combined with apitourism and gastronomy tourism and practices are important for the development of the Erzincan and Van provinces.

PROBLEMATIKA PEMBANGUNAN PARIWISATA BUDAYA DI DESA PULAU MARINGKIK

Cultural tourism or "cultural tourism" in Maringkik as one of the strategies to reduce regional and economic development inequality, where this tourism is managed by community groups that collaborate with the government, as well as institutions outside the government. Community-based social tourism can be a tool for nature conservation and reducing cultural assimilation. This research is an activity that focuses on examining and analyzing the traditions and culture of the Maringkik people from the perspective of community tourism development. This problem is studied with the aim of increasing the knowledge of the Maringkik community regarding the management of tourism potential and its contribution to the development of new knowledge on alternative forms of tourism. The method used in this study is descriptive qualitative using a participant approach, where data collection uses surveys and qualitative methods. The survey was conducted by means of interviews with the community and village structures of Maringkik Island using the old method. The data is tabulated and processed then described. To evaluate the characteristics of “cultural tourism”, a survey is designed for tourism facility providers that will be formed by the community and providers. A survey was also conducted to determine the population and economic level of the community. With surveys and qualitative studies, data related to the potential for traditional and cultural tourism owned by the Maringkik people can be mapped quite comprehensively. The results of this study are that the tourism potential in Maringkik is related to two things, firstly discovering the traditions and culture of the local community, secondly, the tourism potential in Maringkik cannot be separated from the beach and the gills.

Decent work in traditional tourism destinations: Tourism Agenda 2030 perspective article

ObjetivoAnalizando las tendencias y deficiencias del debate actual sobre la promoción del trabajo digno en la hostelería y el turismo, este estudio responde a los recientes llamamientos para avanzar en la mejora del bienestar de los empleados, proponiendo elementos de una estrategia basada en la productividad e inserta en una dinámica circular que vincule la productividad, la calidad del servicio, la rentabilidad y la calidad del empleo para mejorar el bienestar de los empleados del turismo con vistas a alcanzar el Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) 8 sobre trabajo digno.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueBasándose en recientes trabajos empíricos sobre la teoría del intercambio de regalos, este artículo de perspectiva presenta un posible escenario que debería estimular el debate entre los estudiosos y los responsables políticos locales sobre cómo se puede lograr el trabajo digno y la calidad de vida en los destinos turísticos tradicionales. Esto llenaría un vacío en el debate actual, que se centra en formas alternativas de turismo cuantitativamente marginales, para superar los problemas inherentes al turismo basado en el crecimiento.ResultadosEsta contribución propone una estrategia de desarrollo basada en la productividad y respaldada por una política de regulación de incentivos dirigida a los empresarios que prestan servicios turísticos en destinos turísticos de masas, promoviendo la calidad del empleo para aumentar la productividad y mejorar la calidad del servicio y, en última instancia, la rentabilidad.Originalidad/valorEste breve artículo propone una nueva perspectiva sobre la promoción del trabajo digno en los destinos turísticos tradicionales basada en la teoría del intercambio de regalos y analiza el alcance de la investigación esencial para apoyar un desarrollo basado en el escenario descrito por un modelo circular.

Sustainable development of destination Bulgaria through alternative forms of tourism

The idea of sustainable development of tourism is among the most significant trends in this sector globally. In Bulgaria, it is included in the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of Tourism in the Republic of Bulgaria. In the current economic, health and social situation, interest in the sustainable development of destination Bulgaria has strengthened. The current situation creates conditions to update and improve the product portfolio of destination Bulgaria, focusing efforts on using the possibilities of alternative forms of tourism, which find their interpretation in the tourist regionalization of the country and the formation of tourist routes with specialized destinations. The research aims to confirm the possibility of sustainable development of destination Bulgaria through the use of products related to alternative forms of tourism. The study object is the tourism destination Bulgaria’s sustainable development. For the needs of the research, standard scientific methods are used. The stated research tasks support the thesis that the use of specialized forms of tourism in the formation of the product portfolio of destination Bulgaria can contribute to its sustainable development. As a result, the need to use the potential of destination management organizations and the importance of sustainability certification systems is confirmed.

Hitchhiking: history, digitalisation and the future after the COVID-19 pandemic

Hitchhiking has a long history as a form of alternative tourism and has experienced significant transformations in recent years due to the overall digitalisation of travel and culture. Similarly to other forms of mobilities, it was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and non-pharmaceutical interventions aiming to stop the disease. The paper first defines hitchhiking as a social phenomenon and outlines its history from global and Polish perspectives. Then, it discusses the current developments and possible futures of hitchhiking culture. It is based first on the outline of the location of hitchhiking in contemporary popular culture, particularly Internet culture, and second on in-depth interviews with five young yet experienced lifestyle hitchhikers, performed during strict pandemic restrictions. The interviews focus on three major topics: modern challenges in hitchhiking, ITC (information and communication technologies) use, and hitchhiking during the pandemic. The results indicate the evolution of hitchhiking as a social phenomenon, where the cultural heritage of alternative lifestyles intertwines with the increasing role of the Internet and mobile communication. In conclusion, we postulate further studies, including applying new methodological approaches and asking research questions regarding, e.g. the commodification of tourism, the importance of web reputation, and interactions between hitchhikers, residents and drivers.

Leading perspectives to present Bulgaria as a destination for wine tourism

The current paper’s goal is to outline some leading perspectives for destination Bulgaria to develop wine tourism as an alternative form of tourism attracting specific tourist segment. Wine and gastronomic tours are gaining great popularity around the world. They gain significant recognition in the Bulgarian travel and tourism industry as an alternative to mass tourism practices. Wine tourism crеates new opportunities for the development of certain regions that remain off the side of the traditional tourist routes and contribute local communities’ incomes. The interest in this type of tourism is growing due to the fact that it is associated with a series of events that improve the image of destinations. All these circumstances determine the importance of the topic.To fulfil the goal set at the beginning, various research methods were comprehended, such as: research of theoretical studies; processing, analysis and systematization of statistical data; empirical methods and studying. The first part of the publication examines main definitions of wine tourism, giving a short historical review of this alternative form of tourism. The second part of the report is dedicated to the results of the analysis — revealing the resource potential and some significant wine cellars, distinct for visitors and wine professionals. The final part consists of outlined possibilities and perspectives for development, summarizing some research results.