Famous Tourist Attraction Research Articles

Predicting Tourists Decisions to Adopt Mobile Travel Booking

This study aims to investigate the factors that predict tourist intention of using mobile travel booking with the technology acceptance model (TAM) as a base model. Variables such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, mobility and cost are used to examine the adoption intentions of tourists. The proposed model is empirically tested using data collected from a survey of tourists from Guangzhou and Shenzhen famous tourist attractions. The structural equation modeling technique is used to evaluate the causal model and confirmatory factor analysis is performed to examine the reliability and validity of the measurement model. The results show that all variables except perceived enjoyment significantly affect tourists’ usage intention. Among them, the perceived usefulness has the most significant influence.

Vulnerability, pressures, and protection of karst caves and their speleothems in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

This paper presents the results of morphological and microclimatic surveys and speleothem analyses of ten karst caves located in different isles in Ha Long Bay, a famous tourist attraction in Vietnam. Characteristically, the caves have enormous entrances, roomy interiors, but short length, typical of karst caves in tropical climates. The cave microclimate was found to be significantly dependent on the outside atmosphere and human activities. There was a clear spatial variation in macro features and fabrics of speleothems from entrance (porous, microcrystalline) to rear (solid, macrocrystalline) of the caves. Microstructure analysis with the use of an environmental scanning electron microscope shows a gradual decrease of biological activity and microclimate instability from outside to the innermost parts of the caves are the causes for this spatial variation. Past and present deterioration of caves and speleothems directly due to tourist activities and vandalism has been observed. On the other hand, there are signs of speleothem regrowth in the caves where tourism has been stopped. This study has proved that caves and their speleothems in Ha Long Bay are highly dynamic and understanding of their environment requires immediate methodological attention. Based on the analytical results, it is recommended that regulation of visitor frequency and removal of lamp-flora are necessary for sustainable development of the show caves and their speleothems.

MAPPING THE UNDISCOVERED OBJECTS AND SITES IN LITHUANIA

Forlorn, uncared-for cultural or natural objects and sites fail to be included into lists of touristic attractions due to their obscurity, poor condition and communication and are usually visited by certain social groups (extreme adventure travellers, members of various subcultures and etc.). The analysis revealed a wide array of such objects and sites, which are unknown and not in very good condition, can be very different starting with manor houses, historic parks and gardens and finishing with airfields, open courses or dumping grounds. The goal of a pilot research project carried out at the National Centre of Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics “GIS-Centras” was to collect information on diverse objects and sites that are typically not included into official information sources and fall outside the tourist infrastructure network. The collected information will be published as a map service. The inventory of such undiscovered objects and sites and visualisation is one of the ways to encourage the interest of visitors, especially in regions that lack famous tourist attraction objects or beautiful landscapes. The paper describes solutions for the structure of the database, object acquisition technology, cartographic visualisation and publication of collected data as an online map at www.nemasinis.lt ...

Politics of Cultural Marking in Mini-Europe: Anchoring European Cultural Identity in a Theme Park

Mini-Europe—a theme park in Brussels morally supported by the European Commission and the European Parliament—consists of around 350 models of different buildings and heritage sites from all the member states of the European Union. In addition the park includes an exhibition named the Spirit of Europe. The article explores how the European cultural identity is constructed and ‘sold’ in Mini-Europe, and how history, geography and local and regional traditions are intertwined into a politics of cultural marking, an ideology of European integration and a creation of shared symbols. European cultural identity has often been generated through appeals to an ancient or classical past, which is produced by stressing certain themes or ‘parts’ of Europe. Representing these ‘parts’ as common European culture is a profoundly exclusive strategy: heritage of a particular temporal or spatial unit is narrated as shared by the contemporary citizens in Europe. Mini-Europe can be interpreted as an indication of this kind of pan-Europeanist ideology. In addition, in Mini-Europe the European culture and identity is represented through signs, which do not refer to Europeanness as such, but function as signifiers of famous tourist attractions of particular member states in the European Union.

Seismological Monitoring of Mount Vesuvius (Italy): More than a Century of Observations

Mt. Vesuvius (southern Italy) is one of the volcanoes that poses the greatest risk in the world because of its highly explosive eruptive style and its proximity to densely populated areas. The urbanization around Mt. Vesuvius began in ancient times, and the impact of eruptions on human activities has been severe. This is testified to by the ruins of Pompeii, which are covered by the products of the plinian eruption that took place in A.D. 79 (Sigurdsson et al. 1985), and more recently by the published reports of the eruptions that occurred from 1631 to 1944. For these reasons, Mt. Vesuvius was also one of the first volcanoes to be equipped with monitoring instruments. Pioneering instrumental observations began just before the second half of the 1800s, when the Vesuvius Observatory was founded in 1841 (Imbo 1949). At that time, Vesuvius was very active (Ricciardi 2009), and its effusive and explosive eruptions often caused damage to the surrounding areas. At the same time, it was a famous tourist attraction that drew travelers from all over the world (Gasparini and Musella 1991). Since the middle of the 1800s, at least 12 eruptions have occurred that have been superimposed on persistent intra-crater activity that has been characterized by Strombolian explosions and by the formation of small lava lakes. The last eruption occurred on 18 March 1944 and marked a change in the status of Mt. Vesuvius, as it entered a closed-conduit phase that persists today. Following this last eruption, a change occurred in the 1960s, as documented by an increase in the occurrence rate of earthquakes. Since 1972, the monitoring of Mt. Vesuvius has improved over time and become more systematic, so that there is a remarkable dataset relating to the current phase of quiescence. Over more than a century and a half …

Talklüfte im Zentralen Aaregranit der Schöllenen-Schlucht (Kanton Uri, Schweiz)

The Schöllenen Gorge in the Reuss Valley of the Central Swiss Alps (Figs. 1 and 2) is a famous tourist attraction and ideal location for the study of the properties and formation mechanisms of uplift and post-uplift unloading joints. The gorge is situated in the southern part of the Central Aar Granite, a granitic batholith which intruded about 300 million years ago. The magmatic fabric of this batholith (Fig. 4) has only been locally modified during Alpine tectonic and metamorphic overprinting, mainly in the vicinity of ductile-brittle shear zones. The up to 600 m deep gorge provides an ideal opportunity to study the complex fracture systems of the batholith, and tunnels of the Göschenen hydropower system allow the study of the fracture patterns below ground surface.Outcrop, tunnel and remote mapping of fractures in the study area lead to the recognition of two probably syntectonic (Oligocene-Miocene) joint sets (S and Q joints) and three generations of uplift and post-uplift joints (unloading joints). The frequent S joints run nearly parallel to the Alpine schistosity, i.e. striking approximately E–W and dipping steeply to the south (Figs. 5 and 7). The less frequent Q joints dip steeply to SW; the angle between the two joint sets ranges between 60 and 80 degrees. The first generation of uplift joints (called L- joints) is subhorizontal and probably related to Alpine extensional veins filled with fissure quartz (Zerrklüfte). These veins formed during the late Alpine (Miocene) uplift of the Aar Granite (Mullis 1996). A first generation of post-uplift joints (T1 joints) strikes parallel to the valley axes and dip with 30–45 degrees towards the valley bottom. This set probably formed during an earlier stage of glacial valley erosion in the Pleistocene (Figs. 9–11). The youngest generation of post-uplift joints (T2 joints) is orientated parallel to the present ground surface of the Schöllenen Gorge and to erosional surfaces with glacial striations (Figs. 9–11 and 21). The frequency and size of these joints seems to decrease with depth below the ground surface. In one tunnel, post-uplift joints could be observed within a horizontal and vertical distance from the ground surface of 150 and 80 meters. Post-uplift joints only form in granites with a primary fabric that has not been intensively overprinted by brittle or ductile Alpine tectonic deformations.Fractographic investigations, i.e. investigations of crack propagation markers on joint surfaces, confirm this relative age of the fracture sets and give valuable insights into the formation mechanisms of post-uplift joints. Post-uplift joints show intense and 5–10 meter long plumose markings and only rarely arrest lines (Figs. 18a and 20). It can be shown that sets of post-uplift joints join at pre-existing (uplift and syntectonic) fractures to form large (50–100 m sized) curved exfoliation structures (Fig. 19). The growth direction of the post-uplift joints is mainly in subhorizontal directions (Figs. 19 and 20).Fractographic markings, spatial and depth distributions as well as the relative size of post-uplift fractures are explained within the mechanical framework of uniaxial and biaxial compression tests on intact granite samples and samples with artificial flaws. Most of these experiments have been carried out in the framework of studies related to brittle failure (spalling and rockbursting) around deep mining drifts and tunnels in hard rock’s (e.g. Hoek & Bieniawski 1965, Read et al. 1998, Eberhardt et al. 1999). As suggested already by Holzhausen & Johnson (1979), post-uplift fractures form as extension fractures in a compressive stress field with small confining stress. Laboratory tests carried out on artificial Griffith cracks suggest that the macroscopic fracture size is mainly controlled by the ratio of the smallest to the largest principal stress (σ3/σ1), the so-called spalling limit. In steep slopes this ratio should increase with depth below ground surface (Fig. 24c), leading to smaller exfoliation fractures with increasing depth. The spatial occurrence of post-uplift fractures along the surface topography is a function of the deviatoric stress level (Fig. 24a) and/or the development of local tensile stresses (Fig. 24d). Preliminary numerical simulations of these failure criteria in a multistage glacial erosion model (Fig. 23) allow some of the observed patterns of post-uplift fracture distributions to be reproduced.post-uplift joints in steep glacial valleys play an important role in valley erosion and in connection with the risk of rock falls, the safety of traffic corridors, and the inflow of water to near-surface tunnels and hydropower caverns. The depth dependant sizes, frequencies and hydraulic conductivities of these fractures can be directly related to the occurrence and magnitudes of the corresponding hazards.

서남권 해양스포츠 성장거점지역의 특성화전략

This study selected the subjects involved in marine sports in southeast area in 2008 using Quota Sampling of Non Probability Sampling. The author visited local governments of Mokpo and Yeosu to investigate the current status and reports of marine sports and sum up the developmental plans to find possibility of further development. We selected 40 subjects involved in marine sports in Mokpo and Yeosu (public servants in charge of them, sea police and marine sports businessmen) and interviewed them intensively. Based on the intensive analysis of the staff in Mokpo city, field investigation and bibliographical analyses, we should approach to the specialization of marine sports it step-by-step. First, we should develop seasonless sports programs as they are centered upon summer and integrated programs in which marine sports, cultural and marine resources are combined. Second, we should develop facilities that can accept variable marine sports activities. Mokpo city should develop marina facilities, a bonder and coastwise cruise program in a gradual basis, followed by development of international cruises, through which the city becomes famous tourist attractions. Third, we should develop programs in which culture and tourism of neighboring areas such as Muan, Shinan, Haename, Jindo, and Yeongam including Muan International Airport, Shinan suspension bridge, Haenam J Project and Yeongam F1 Project are connected. Yeosu city should approach to the specialization for activation of marine sports through intensive analyses, field investigation and bibliographical analyses in the following viewpoints: First, the city should develop its own thematic tourism programs and organized programs of marine sports and improve their commercial values by building infrastructures for marine sports and tourism. Second, the city should develop programs that can reinforce its role as an advance base of marine sports in the 21st century. build infrastructures for yacht, windsurfing and skin scuba, secure basic marine facilities and equipment and mitigate strict applications of the law. Third, the city should attract international marine sports competitions, a variety of national competitions, and national and international yacht competitions and pay more attention to their promotion.

The Vocal Memnon and Solar Thermal Automata

A memnonium is a self-actuating system that generates music using solar energy. The name comes from the statue of Memnon, a famous tourist attraction in the Greco-Roman world that was said to emit sound when warmed by the morning sun. The Memnon statue inspired the design of musical automata in later periods, to which there are many historical references. Several intriguing technologies and engineering methods may be well suited for modern memnonium design efforts. However, full realization of solar thermoacoustic and thermokinetic sculpture would likely require deep collaboration between physics, music and other disciplines. In modern times, only a few simple proof-of-concept memnonia have been constructed.

Developing Sustainable Tourism

Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park, as a famous tourist attraction and the biggest freshwater marshland in Thailand, is at the crossroads. This place has already been explored for several decades but the difficulties are still in front of the tourism planners and supervisors. A lot of ideal measures have been planned out by the local authority. The problem is whether all these plans are practical and concerned with all stakeholders' interests and how can all the plans be implemented effectively and efficiently. This paper focuses on the managerial and environmental problems in this area. The first part provides a briefly overview of Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park. The second part reviews the problems threatening the sustainable tourism development in this area. The last part presents some pre-emptive and corrective measures and policy implications for combating the negative impacts in the Park.

International EMS: Austria

Austria is a federal republic in Middle Europe. It has a population of 8.1 million (98% German speaking, 91% Roman Catholic) and consists of nine federal states. The capital of Austria, Vienna, is well known for its multicultural population and is one of the world's most famous tourist attractions. The total area of Austria is 84,000km2 but only 33,000km2 are permanentely inhabitated. All of the western, as well as most of the southern and central parts are covered by the Alps where some mountains reach altitudes of 3800m.