Tourist Destination Research Articles

Multilayered Borders as a Method for Studying Tourism Destinations: A Case of Northern European Border Regions

ABSTRACT The article problematizes tourism destination development in the European borderlands of Denmark–Germany, Sweden–Denmark and Sweden–Finland, where border crossing has been relatively free for decades, except for the time of Covid-19 pandemic border restrictions in 2020–2021. The research contributes to border studies and tourism studies by developing a framework for analyzing tourism destinations through the prism of the multilayered border, with a focus on destination images, attractions, and hosts. The reseach complements previous studies on tourism development and cross-border partnership in the European Union territory by investigating multiple tourism destinations in the border regions and by contemplating to what extent borders form a resource for destination promotion in the aftermath of the pandemic. The examination of regional tourism development through the prism of borders informs us about the compatibility of the idea of a “borderless” Europe with border region “realities.”

The Analysis of Regional Ice and Snow Tourist Destinations under Back Propagation Neural Network

The Analysis of Regional Ice and Snow Tourist Destinations under Back Propagation Neural Network

Geophysical and geospatial insights into surface and subsurface characteristics for groundwater potential analysis, Ras Sudr, West Sinai, Egypt

Ras Sudr has garnered significant interest owing to various initiatives aimed at expanding and developing this area. It holds considerable strategic importance, serving as a key development hub in Sinai and a focal point for tourism destination. Moreover, it has a remarkable event with flashfloods which can be utilized for groundwater or direct usage. Integrating geophysical and geospatial analyses to study the surface and subsurface characteristics as well as identify groundwater potential areas in Ras Sudr, west-central Sinai is the main objective of this study. Firstly, geophysical data including gravity and magnetic methods have a crucial importance in qualitative and quantitative interpretation of the subsurface elements. Filtering techniques were implemented to distinguish between regional and residual anomalies. Geophysical data were subjected to the radial average power spectrum technique and 3D Euler deconvolution to identify the depth of the subsurface sources. The structure pattern that characterizes the interested region was defined by employing bandpass filter and edge detection appoarches using residual anomaly maps, regional anomaly maps, tilt derivatives and total horizontal gradient maps reflecting four distinct structural trends; NW-SE parallel to the Gulf of Suez, NEE-SWW parallel to the Syrian arc system, N-S parallel to the the Nile Valley, and NNE-SSW parallel to the Gulf of Aqaba. A basement relief map was constructed using 3D magnetic modelling showing that the depth of the basement ranges from 1.6 to 6.3 km. Secondly, the remote sensing data including Sentienl-2 and SRTM datasets were employed to extract the surface analyses in the GIS environment to develop the occurrence of groundwater potentiality utilizing seven factors; LU-LC, soil, geology, slope, drainage network and lineament density and rainfall data of the study area which were ranked from 1 to 5 and weighted according to their effective contribution to the infiltration of groundwater using AHP-GIS based multi criteria method. The resulting Groundwater Potential zone (GWPZ) was categorized into five zones from poor to excellent and validated using 41 observed wells. A significant quantity of wells was identified in the areas of high potential located to the west of the region, while five wells were situated within the moderate potential zone. Thereby, the GWPZ map identifying locations with viable groundwater resources suitable for habitation, development and economic plans in Sinai for decision makers.

A Study on the Structural Relationship between Tourists' Experiential Consumption, Sense of Place, Relationship Satisfaction, and Relationship Solidarity in a Tourism Destination

A Study on the Structural Relationship between Tourists' Experiential Consumption, Sense of Place, Relationship Satisfaction, and Relationship Solidarity in a Tourism Destination

STRUCTURAL BREAKS AND VOLATILITY PERSISTENCE IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE

Purpose: Although Singapore has been one of the most attractive destinations for international tourists over the past 20 years, little evidence exists on the dynamics of its hotel occupancy rate. Our study aims to extend this scarce literature Design/Methodology/Approach: The present study employs time-varying volatility processes (e.g., GARCH process) and models the uncertainty associated with the hotel occupancy rate in Singapore. Findings: The main results indicate that shocks to the occupancy rate have a long run persistence and that there are asymmetric impacts in the occupancy rate. Further analysis suggests that structural breaks emanating from extreme news or shocks exert substantial impacts on the level of uncertainty for hotel occupancy rate. Originality/Value: Managers in the hotel industry could benefit from our findings while adopting active measures to reduce risk in tourism demand and hotel occupancy and attract more international tourists.

An Investigation into the Impact of Social Media on the Promotion of Sustainable Tourism in the Tourist Destinations of Kashmir Division

An Investigation into the Impact of Social Media on the Promotion of Sustainable Tourism in the Tourist Destinations of Kashmir Division

Examining the Tourism Development in Bulacan Province, Philippines: Assessing Factors Shaping Tourism Growth

This research endeavors to assess the current state of tourism in Bulacan Province in the Philippines, examining the factors that influence its growth. It aims to provide valuable insights for local policymakers, stakeholders, and industry practitioners. Employing a quantitative approach, data is collected through surveys and statistical analyses to gain a comprehensive understanding of tourism dynamics in Bulacan. Key factors affecting tourism expansion, such as landscape, accessibility, and hospitality, are closely examined. Challenges faced by tourists, particularly in transportation and accommodation, are highlighted as significant factors influencing their experiences. Strategies to address these challenges are explored, offering practical recommendations to enhance the province’s tourism potential. The study’s findings contribute to the existing knowledge on destination management and regional tourism development. They offer guidance to policymakers, tourism planners, and industry stakeholders in devising effective strategies to leverage Bulacan’s unique attributes, promoting sustainable tourism growth and establishing the province as a prominent tourist destination.

Priority Strategy Of Tourism Development Of Siau Tagulandang Biaro Island Regency

The recovery of the tourism industry requires the Siau Tagulandang Biaro Islands Regency to reevaluate its strategy by identifying critical development priorities. That is the aim of the study, which applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and fuzzy-AHP methods. The analysis would serve to identify the key factors and establish strategic recommendations. The results show that facilities are the highest criterion (thirty-four point seven per cent AHP; thirty-four point four per cent Fuzzy-AHP). The global weight calculation shows that Maintaining the ecosystem and cleanliness of beaches/lakes/hot springs are priority elements (eight point six per cent AHP; eight point five per cent Fuzzy-AHP). The sensitivity analysis shows that the results could be more robust, consistent, and stable. These results indicate no significant difference between the AHP and Fuzzy-AHP methods. The tourism development strategy for Siau Tagulandang Biaro Regency must prioritise improving the cleanliness and health of tourist destinations. This research answers an essential problem for the Siau Islands Regency government, Tagulandang Biaro.

‘제주환경보전분담금(관광세)’ 제도 도입과정 분석 : 정책흐름모형(PSM)의 적용

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has been reviewing the introduction of a tourism system related to a Tourism Tax for the environmental conservation of tourist destinations since 2012. However, the system, now referred to as the ‘Environmental Conservation Contribution,’ was ultimately postponed in May 2024 due to legal issues, political interests, negative public opinion regarding the system’s introduction, and a lack of supporting evidence. This study analyzes the process through the application of Kingdon(1984)’s Policy Streams Model(PSM), noting that discussions surrounding the ‘Jeju Environmental Conservation Contribution’, which faced long-standing challenges, did not follow a rational policy process due to differences in stakeholder opinions and the fluid nature of the system’s details. The anaylsis identified two main factors congributing to the difficulty in introducing the Jeju Environmental Conservation Contribution System. First, the window for policy decision-making did not open because the problem stream, policy alternatives stream, and political stream were not aligned, largely due to the insufficient formation of the political stream. Second, the policy leader who held significant influence in aligning these three streams, were unable to strongly lead the introduction of the system to it’s conclusion. Based on the research results, the practical implications of this study are as follows. First, for the successful implementation of the system, political efforts to persuade the public and shape public opinion are essential. Additionally, effective policy PR strategies are needed to foster social consensus through negotiations with multilateral consultative bodies and to enhance public awareness of the system. Second, it suggests that a logical and reasonable design that can change and persuade public perception is necessary when designing policy alternatives. Third, policy leaders should lead changes in the national atmosphere and public opinion formation based on professional knowledge and resources, and combine the three streams of the policy formation process with innovative strategies. The academic contribution of this study is that it lies in its application of empirical research using policy theory in the field of tourism studies, by clearly identifying the complex factors and problems involved in the introduction of the tourism system. Furthermore, this study enhances the clarity and objectivity of the analysis by refining the factors analyzed in the existing Policy Streams Model.

Implementasi Geointerpretasi berbasis Kearifan Lokal di Destinasi Wisata Minat Khusus Gua Cerme, Bantul, Yogyakarta

One of the Gunung Sewu Geopark's three main pillars, geointerpretation of landscape duality, is implemented by special interest tour guides who possess the knowledge and abilities necessary for the job site and who must be proficient in cave exploration methods and cave science. With the primary tourist attraction being a cave with a tunnel length of 1200 meters and an underground river, this study was conducted at the Cerme Cave Tourist Destination, specifically in Srunggo Village, Imogiri District, Bantul Regency, to observe how the Pokdarwis Cerme tour guide implements interpretation in tourism spaces. The research was conducted utilizing a logical approach and qualitative approaches. Data gathering methods included cave and surface area mapping, cave photography, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. The research findings show that there are two tourism spatial zonings that are related to the content of geointerpretation, and the second finding is interpretation activities of geological objects that are mixed with local wisdom through the story of the spread of Islam by the Wali Songo in Cerme, which is believed to have occurred in the past by the local community. This tale has been passed down through generations and is part of the material given to guests by Cerme Cave tour guides. These beliefs impact the destination's toponymy, ornaments and places within the cave, as well as geointerpretation activities carried out in the Cerme Cave Tourist Destination's dual landscape.

Meningkatkan Potensi Kampung Wisata Pengolahan Susu Samar sebagai Destinasi Wisata Digital melalui Pemanfaatan Aset MOOC

The aim of this community service is to develop the Samar Milk Processing Tourism Village as a digital tourism destination through the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) assets. This implementation focuses on efforts to utilize MOOCs as an important tool to improve education, development and marketing of dairy farming-based tourist destinations in Samar Village through the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) method. Media expert validation results show an approval level of 89.5% for the concept of using MOOCs in marketing tourist destinations. Meanwhile, the material expert validation results reached an agreement level of 92.5%, indicating that this approach was received positively by experts in the field of milk processing. Furthermore, the implementation of this activity also recorded a significant increase in the learning outcomes of participants who took part in the MOOC related to the dairy industry. This confirms that the use of MOOCs in digital tourism destination-based education and training can provide real benefits. Keywords: MOOC; Asset; Tourism; Digital; Samar’s Milk

Food tourism as a driver of economic and cultural development in Nueva Ecija, Philippines

This study explores culinary tourism in Nueva Ecija, focusing on visitor perspectives and identifying unique culinary gems that make the province an attractive destination for foodies. It used quantitative research design to understand tourists' preferences, motivations, and challenges in food tourism in Nueva Ecija. It aims to promote culinary delicacies and enrich the province's culinary offerings. The study reveals that 54% of respondents aged 18-22 are employed with an average monthly income of 5,000-10,000 pesos. Most are college graduates and know local food in Nueva Ecija through social media. Most have visited Gabaldon, Cabanatuan City, Laur, Muñoz, and Bongabon, using public vehicles and staying for at least one day. Puno's Ice Cream & Sherbet is the top ice cream provider in Nueva Ecija, while Tokneneng/Kwek-kwek, a street food with hard-boiled quail eggs and flour, is the most popular. The study found that Nueva Ecija offers a wide variety of local food establishments, with delicious and tasty options, and a satisfied rating for cost, sanitation, and safety. The data indicates that demographic factors like age, sex, and income do not significantly influence the motivation to visit Nueva Ecija's tourist destination. The data indicates that demographic factors such as age, sex, and income do not significantly influence the gastronomy tourist market experience. The study surveyed local and foreign tourists, providing insights into the state of food tourism in Nueva Ecija. Most tourists were interested in food-related activities, recognizing its importance in travel experiences. Locals played a crucial role in assessing this potential.

Planning Development of Sustainability Tourism of Jikomalamo Beach in Ternate City, North Maluku Province

The tourism sector is a mainstay of Indonesia to increase revenue, both from the national level to the regional level. the level of development and optimal management of tourism has significant potential to increase the economic growth of a region, therefore, it needs proper planning, especially in the context of decision-making and policy. One of the areas that are developing this tourism area is the city of Ternate, north Maluku province, which is developing jikomalamo beach tourism using the guidelines of the regional long-term development plan and the vision and mission of Ternate city. This research uses a quantitative approach that is analyzed using SWOT, \ intending to determine the order of priority for planning the development of the jikomalamo beach tourism area based on the Tourism Development Master Plan document. The results of this study indicate that all the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that have been owned by the tourist destination are quite good if analyzed comprehensively. This can be seen from the results of the analysis which reveals that the strengths and opportunities possessed by Jikomalamo beach tourism have a higher average value than the weaknesses and threats. However, in the development of the beach tourism area, there is no cooperation between the government and the local community so the development process does not guarantee sustainability in the development of these tourist destinations

Beyond Illumination: Stakeholder Perspectives on Urban Lighting Master Planning for Chiang Mai Old City, Thailand

Chiang Mai Old City, a cultural heritage site and major tourist destination in Thailand, has significant cultural capital but lacks a well-designed urban lighting system, limiting its nighttime development potential. This issue arises from the absence of an urban lighting master plan, a crucial tool for guiding the city’s growth. The challenge lies in reconciling the diverse perspectives of stakeholders to create a comprehensive lighting master plan that meets shared goals. This research proposes a system dynamics approach to analyze stakeholder complexity. A qualitative, multi-stage method was employed, through in-depth interviews and focus groups with 60 stakeholders from three groups: government, professionals, and end users, to prioritize critical factors. Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) were used to illustrate the interrelations among those factors, leading to alternative scenarios for the lighting master plan’s development. The findings demonstrate that safety and security is the top priority, followed by cultural and economic factors. Eleven reinforcing loops and two balancing loops are proposed through CLD visualization. This framework highlights the importance of a participatory process, advocating for a systematic and holistic approach where all stakeholders with diverse perspective collaborate side-by-side in the development of the urban lighting master plan for Chiang Mai Old City.

Mapping the Distance: An Analysis of Visitor Travel Distance to German National Parks and Biosphere Reserves

The ecologically valuable and unique natural and cultural landscapes of protected areas are popular nature tourism destinations. From a spatial perspective, travellers visit protected areas by moving from their place of origin to the destination for a temporary stay. This paper analyses the travel distances of day visitors and overnight guests to German national parks and biosphere reserves. National parks position themselves as both regional and national destinations. In contrast, biosphere reserve tourism is more regionally concentrated due to the proximity of biosphere reserves to urban centres, which are the primary places of origin for visitors. On average, visitors travel 278.6 km by car to visit a national park, taking 172.1 minutes (02:52 hours). Opting for public transport increases the average travel distance to 312.5 km, with a travel time of 284.5 minutes (04:43 hours). Visitors to German biosphere reserves travel 208.7 km by car, requiring 134.7 minutes (02:15 hours). When using public transport to visit biosphere reserves, the average distance increases to 234.0 km, with a travel time of 239.1 minutes (03:59 hours). The automated, GIS-supported distance analyses offer an innovative approach for assessing nature tourism catchment areas and the accessibility of protected areas, serving as a basis for effective spatial planning, development, and regional marketing.

Socio-economic transformation follows environmental change on Svalbard

The European Arctic, which includes the Svalbard archipelago, is situated in one of the areas showing most notable changes due to global warming and associated cascade events and processes. The main driving factor, temperature rise, is continuing to cause a large-scale overall decline in ice, from glacier retreating, less coastal land-fast ice to thinning and shrinking of open-sea pack ice. This, together with increased inflow of Atlantic waters, is causing profound changes in the local fauna, food web and biodiversity. In parallel, changes in landscape are also notable, mainly due to increasing coastal erosion and glacial melt. Over the past decades, both the traditional hunting-trapping lifestyle and mining have declined almost to the point of non-existence. At the same time, destination tourism and scientific research have become the major industries, both associated with an increase in the size of the main settlement of Longyearbyen, and thus also service jobs and local administration. Along with the shrinking of the glaciated Arctic landscape, the archipelago exemplifies the broadest level of nature protection in Europe. Strict environmental regulations that restrict and even prohibit human activities in large areas contribute to Svalbard being one of the best formally protected wilderness environments in the entire Arctic. Thus, as Svalbard marine ecosystems continue to change, they also are becoming more accessible to humans, and so also anthropogenic pressures are both changing and increasing in extent. We provide a compilation of both ecosystem components and human activities, together with indications of how these are, in parallel, changing. This forms the basis for future ecosystem and societal valuation assessments.

Revitalization of Tourism Village Facilities as an Effort to Increase Income and Sustainability

Developing village tourism in Indonesia is a crucial government strategy to boost the local economy and increase regional income. Villages with diverse assets such as natural beauty, rich cultural traditions, traditional cuisine, handicrafts, and historical sites have the potential to become attractive tourist destinations. This research focuses on Gunung Wangi Nature Tourism, which offers attractions such as sunset views, city lights at night, and camping activities. However, constraints such as inadequate facilities and infrastructure are the main focus of this research. Through a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach, this research offers solutions to revitalize the facilities and infrastructure and a long-term revitalization strategy to increase the attractiveness of Gunung Wangi. Local community involvement is integrated into every research stage, including problem identification, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), implementation, and evaluation. Revitalization efforts at Gunung Wangi Nature Park have shown positive results, with substantial improvements reported in post-revitalization evaluations. Feedback from stakeholders, including visitors, MSME players, and Gunung Wangi Tourism village managers, showed significant improvements in infrastructure and visitor experience. While a few respondents suggested room for improvement, the overall success is evident in the increase in visitor numbers, with the majority experiencing a significant increase. This revitalization has rejuvenated this tourist spot's attractiveness and boosted economic growth in the local community

Spiritual tourism development: a comprehensive synthesis for sustainable destination planning and growth

Purpose This paper aims to explore the dimensions of spiritual tourism development, examine its current status, effectiveness and scope and analyze the knowledge landscape in terms of theories, contexts and research methodologies. The study also seeks to guide future research on spiritual tourism development. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis were used using a framework-based approach. The theories, constructs, characteristics and methods (TCCM) framework guided the SLR, whereas VOS-Viewer facilitated comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Findings The study conducted a quantitative SLR, analyzing 80 research articles published between 2003 and 2023. Using the TCCM framework, the research identified crucial factors influencing the growth of spiritual tourist destinations, such as intrinsic motivation, destination physicality, tourist experience, spiritual activities and host community support. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to theoretical advancement in spiritual tourism, provides insights into the current research landscape, offers practical guidance for stakeholders and serves as a roadmap for future research endeavors. Originality/value This research enhances knowledge by thoroughly assessing prior research, addressing gaps and offering practical managerial insights for spiritual tourism development. The managerial implications outlined in the study offer practical insights for destination planning and promotion in the context of spiritual tourism.

SUPPORTING AND INHIBITING FACTORS IN DEVELOPING GASTRONOMIC POTENTIAL AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION IN SUKOREJO TOURISM VILLAGE, SRAGEN REGENCY, CENTRAL JAVA

This research aims to determine the supporting and inhibiting factors in developing the potential of gastronomy as a tourist attraction in the Sukorejo Tourism Village. The research method used is a qualitative approach with data collection techniques through interviews, observation and documentation. The research informants consisted of managers and culinary activists in the village. The research results show that the supporting factors in developing the potential of gastronomy as a tourist attraction are destination readiness, carrying capacity, cultural attractions, agro-tourism attractions, while low public awareness about the potential and benefits of tourism, skills in processing derivative products can hinder the development of gastronomic potential and tourist attractions in addition to There are also budget limitations which can hinder the realization of tourism projects, most recently the lack of communication and community involvement creates synchronization between destination development and support from the village government. This research concludes that an emphasis on natural, culinary, cultural, agrotourism and accommodation attractions, coupled with support and expectations from the community, is the key to realizing the development of this village's gastronomic potential as an attractive and sustainable tourist destination

Smart tourism transformation of the Şi̇le district: strategic aspects through a SWOT analysis

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the smart destination potential of the Şile district by identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to smart city applications.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive SWOT analysis was conducted using data from participants and relevant documentation to assess the feasibility of smart tourism initiatives in Şile.FindingsThe analysis reveals that Şile, due to its proximity to Istanbul, has significant potential to develop into a smart tourism destination. Key strengths include its natural attractions, while challenges revolve around infrastructure limitations.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to the Şile district and may not be generalizable to other regions. Future research could expand the scope to include comparative studies with other potential smart tourism destinations.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the growing body of literature on smart tourism by offering strategic recommendations tailored to the unique context of Şile, a district with significant but underutilized potential.