High Tourist Season Research Articles

Climate change impacts on the tourism sector of the Spanish Mediterranean coast: Medium-term projections for a climate services tool

The Mediterranean Sea is a climate change hotspot since it provides a magnified warming signal. Heavily populated areas (e.g., Spanish Mediterranean coasts) are vulnerable to negative socio-economic impacts. This is particularly important for climate-related economic sectors such as coastal tourism, the focus of this paper. To promote a sustainable development of these activities and provide key information to stakeholders, it is necessary to anticipate changes in climate. Thus, it is fundamental to use climate modelling tools which account for air-sea interactions, which largely determine the climate signal of the Mediterranean coasts. In this paper, a set of regional air-sea coupled climate model simulations from Med-CORDEX are used to (i) study the climatic conditions on the Spanish Mediterranean coasts in the next decade(s) and (ii) to assess the possibility of extending the coastal tourist season towards spring-fall. We show that climate conditions are getting warmer and drier in the area, especially in summer. Heat waves and heavy precipitation will become more frequent. Thermal discomfort will increase in summer and summer conditions are extending towards spring and fall. Our work remarks the urgent need of adaptation measures of the sector, including the extension of the high tourist season to spring-fall, especially in the long term. We make a special effort to compile a set of adaptation measures for stakeholders. This study is part of the project ECOAZUL-MED, which aims to create a climate service tool to optimize the management of relevant sectors of the blue economy in the Spanish Mediterranean coasts.

Physiological changes in captive elephants in northern Thailand as a result of the COVID-19 tourism ban-stress biomarkers.

The international travel ban instituted by the Thai government in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected how tourist camp elephants were managed, with reductions in exercise opportunities, longer chaining hours, and diminished food provisioning. This study was conducted to determine how those changes affected health and welfare biomarkers in individual elephants over the 2 years of the countrywide lockdown (April 2020-April 2022). Blood and fecal samples were collected from 58 elephants at six camps (monthly in Year 1, quarterly in Year 2) and analyzed for stress biomarkers - fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM), serum oxidative stress [malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)], and stress leukograms. Overall, fGCM concentrations increased within the first few months and remained higher than pre-COVID levels, as did the H/L ratio, a measure affected by cortisol. Serum 8-OHdG, an indicator of DNA oxidative damage, also increased over time, while monocytosis and lymphopenia further suggested alterations in immune function as a result of stress. By contrast, another marker of oxidative stress, serum MDA, declined, possibly in response to reduced roughage and supplement intake. A notable finding was a seasonal pattern of fGCM that was significantly different from previous studies. Whereas higher fGCM during the rainy season were observed in this study, previously, concentrations were highest during the winter, high tourist season. Thus, ironically, both the presence and absence of tourists have been associated with increased fGCM concentrations, albeit for different reasons. Camp management factors negatively affecting stress outcomes included shorter chain lengths, longer chain hours, lack of exercise, and reduced roughage and supplements. Overall, it was clear that camps struggled to maintain adequate care for elephants during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of tourist income and need for contingency plans to cope with potential future disruptions to tourism.

Acute gastroenteritis outbreak associated with multiple and rare norovirus genotypes after storm events in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Norovirus is a major cause of acute diarrheal disease (ADD) outbreaks worldwide. In the present study, we investigated an ADD outbreak caused by norovirus in several municipalities of Santa Catarina state during the summer season, southern Brazil in 2023. As of the 10th epidemiological week of 2023, approximately 87 000 ADD cases were reported, with the capital, Florianópolis, recording the highest number of cases throughout the weeks. By using RT-qPCR and sequencing, we detected 10 different genotypes, from both genogroups (G) I and II. Some rare genotypes were also identified. Additionally, rotavirus and human adenovirus were sporadically detected among the ADD cases. Several features of the outbreak suggest that sewage-contaminated water could played a role in the surge of ADD cases. Storm events in Santa Catarina state that preceded the outbreak likely increased the discharge of contaminated wastewater and stormwater into water bodies, such as rivers and beaches during a high touristic season in the state. Climate change-induced extreme weather events, including intensified rainfall and frequent floods, can disturb healthcare and sanitation systems. Implementing public policies for effective sanitation, particularly during peak times, is crucial to maintain environmental equilibrium and counter marine pollution.

Influence of built environment features on Airbnb listing price and the spatio-temporal heterogeneity: an empirical study from Copenhagen, Denmark

ABSTRACT With the emergence and development of sharing economy, Airbnb has established a global impact. Relatively low price is a major factor of its popularity, but the special pricing mode leads to risk of irrational decisions. Understanding the mechanism is of great practical significance, while existing research is limited in investigation into multidimensional built environment features and heterogeneity analysis from both perspectives of space and time. Based on Hedonic Price Method, combining Ordinary Least Squares and Geographically Weighted Regression, this research explores the influence of built environment features on Airbnb listing price and the spatio-temporal heterogeneity using datasets from December 2022 (low tourist season) and June 2023 (high tourist season) in Copenhagen. It is found that six indicators in three dimensions present statistically significant influence at the local scale, which exhibits great spatial dependence as well as certain temporal non-stationarity. The framework proposed provides methodological reference for subsequent research, and the findings will facilitate more targeted regulation of the pricing of Airbnb by authorities, promote the grasp of the attributes of listings for smarter pricing by hosts, support more reasonable choices by consumers, and contribute to more refined built environment practices by urban designers.

Equilibrium and efficiency in the first aid services market: The case of the emergency department of Sorrento

The emergency department (ED), the heart of first aid services, is confronted by both long queues of patients waiting for treatment and limited resources to treat them. Since efficiency plays a key role in the proper functioning of an ED, interest in the measurement of ED efficiency has increased considerably. The aim of this study is to explain the dynamics of ED efficiency through a first aid market equilibrium scheme. To this end, we conduct a two-step analysis of the city of Sorrento's daily ED data. First, we implement a data envelopment analysis (DEA) to study the efficiency dynamics of the Sorrento ED. Then, we apply a Hodrick-Prescott (HP) filter to verify whether changes in ED efficiency are affected by the slope of the first aid services' supply curve. The results show an inelastic supply curve in the low tourist season and an elastic supply curve in the high tourist season.

Spatiotemporal activity of the pine marten Martes martes: Insights from an island population

AbstractBehavioral interference and interspecific competition shape the spatiotemporal behavior of carnivores, where intra‐guild predation has been recorded as a strategy to limit competition. Very often, disentangling the effect of intra‐guild effects from other ecological processes is challenging, if not impossible. This work aimed to assess the spatiotemporal behavior of the pine marten Martes martes in an island ecosystem without any intra‐guild predation. Using an intensive camera‐trap survey on Elba Island, Italy, we estimated occupancy, detection probability, and locomotor rhythms of the species. The pine marten occurred throughout the study area, showing a tendency to avoid urban areas during the high tourist season. Occupancy was higher in colder months and lowered in autumn, following opposite fluctuations of recorded human presence. Conversely, the detection probability remained low throughout the year, confirming the pine marten elusiveness. With other studies conducted in sympatry with other carnivores or predators, Elba Island martens showed locomotor ground activity mostly at dawn and dusk throughout the year, with an increasing diurnal locomotor activity in spring, when cubs are present. The spatiotemporal behavior of the pine marten in Elba island did show little variation across seasons. It was similar to those reported where potential predators were present, suggesting the intra‐guild predation not playing a significant role in shaping the spatiotemporal activity of pine martens.

Environmental concerns about the effects of effluents from wastewater treatment plants in tourist areas of the Alps: toxicity in aquatic microorganisms

Are the effluents of wastewater treatment plants in high mountains of concern for aquatic biodiversity? To answer this question, we carried out an experimental study testing the short-term toxicity of some Pharmaceutical Active Compounds (PhACs) in the effluents of a plant in a mountain valley of the Italian Alps sampled during the high tourist season (i.e., the ski season) when PhACs contamination is higher. We used different tools, taking as a model the bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri: the “whole-mixture approach” (Microtox test), “component-based approach”, predictive models “Concentration Addition (CA)”, “Independent Action (IA)”, and Combination Index (CI)”. We investigated the nature of interactions potentially occurring among seven selected PhACs (clarithromycin, naproxen, acetaminophen (paracetamol), ibuprofen, diclofenac, carbamazepine, and amoxicillin). This study showed that anti-inflammatory ibuprofen and diclofenac have higher short-term toxicity (IC50 <100 mg L-1) for A. fischeri compared with antibiotics, whose toxic effects are expected to become visible in the long term. Furthermore, based on the CI method, the seven PhACs seem not to interact in a synergistic or antagonistic way, but the final effect of their mixture seems to be equal to the sum of their individual effects. Notwithstanding the high tourist pressure, the Microtox test reported an overall toxicity of only 21%, which drops to 7% in the receiving water body, the Vermigliana stream. These values, besides the predictions by CA and IA, are not alarming per se, i.e., the treated effluent of the plant in the period of maximum tourist pressure can be considered no harmful to aquatic microorganisms. However, based on other studies highlighting negative effects of the diluted treated effluent of the same plant on macroinvertebrate community structure, we suggest that other model organisms be considered, including algae, insects, and fish, to assess the real ecological risk to wildlife of an effluent. The experimental tests on A. fischeri are useful for fast, preliminary information on the level of risk for freshwater ecosystems, but they should be combined with field studies and experiments on the wild populations to increase the ecological realism.

Tourist satisfaction: an analysis of tourists visiting historic centres in Portugal

Achieving tourist satisfaction is one of the main goals of destinations, companies and managers in the field of tourism. To better understand this key concept, we have studied other associated constructs that we call antecedents and consequences, such as tourist motivations, quality of experience and loyalty to the destination. It was decided to achieve the proposed goals by conducting questionnaire surveys with non-resident tourists in Portugal over the three high tourist season months, which are regarded as June, July and August. The sample was collected in five of Portugal’s main historical centres, namely, Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon, Évora and Faro. With this study it was possible to confirm that the level of satisfaction of tourists, who visit historic centers in Portugal, is very high. It was also possible to verify the existing connection between the various constructs developed in the research, through the hypothesis test. Keywords: Tourist satisfaction; Tourist motivations; Quality of the experience; Loyalty to the destination.

Emission and ecological risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products affected by tourism in Sanya City, China.

In recent years, concern around the impact of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) on the environment has grown. In order to investigate the influence of tourists on emissions and ecological risk of PPCPs, the concentrations of thirty PPCPs were measured in influent and effluent from the four largest wastewater treatment plants, as well as surface river water at six sites in a famous tourist city (Sanya City, China). Substantial increasing trends on PPCPs levels were observed from low to high tourist season (ng/L to µg/L, or µg/L to mg/L). Caffeine (CAF) was dominant with concentrations as high as 185µg/L. Emission load per capita was estimated to explore the contribution of different populations. Tourist migrant population might be a dominant contributor, as they were mostly elderly people who took long-term medication. The predicted no-effect concentration was derived using the species sensitivity distribution method to calculate the ecological risk quotient (RQ) of the dominant PPCPs. Additionally, RQs of seven dominant PPCPs in rivers were > 1, indicating high chronic ecological risk for freshwater ecosystems. The results of this study will assist in raising the awareness and improving management of emerging pollutants in less industrialized regions.

The generation of marine litter in Mediterranean island beaches as an effect of tourism and its mitigation

The Mediterranean Sea and its coastal systems are threatened by intense anthropogenic pressures including rapid accumulation of marine litter by diverse human activities. The region, which is the world’s leading touristic destination, has to face a seasonal increase of waste generation due to the seasonal influx of visitors. The beaches, extremely crowded during the summer, are particularly vulnerable since they are proven to be concentrated accumulation zones and one of the main gateways of litter to enter the marine system. We found that the accumulation rates of marine litter on Mediterranean island beaches follow a seasonal pattern, increasing up to 4.7 times during the high season, representing a daily load of (40.6 ± 11.5) 106 items/day extrapolated to all the islands of the region. We developed an accumulation index to assess the dynamics of marine litter and support efficient mitigation strategies by local authorities. To limit marine litter production attributable to recreational activities, a series of pilot actions implemented during the high touristic season, demonstrated a substantial reduction (up to 52.5%). The implementation towards an efficient and sustainable tourism business model is urgently required.

Benthic macrofauna as an indicator of Ecological Integrity at an ocean beach with touristic purpose; Playa El Rivero, Punta Del Diablo, Rocha, Uruguay

The concept of Ecological Integrity (EI) refers to the capacity of a place to sustain and maintain the biota in such conditions that allows it to function as a balanced, integrated and adaptive system, and can be derived by comparing present vs. past or spatial reference baseline conditions. Here we assess the EI of Playa El Rivero (34°2’29.35”S, 53∘32’21.14”W) in Punta Del Diablo resort, Uruguay. This 600 m-length, previously unstudied sandy beach is one of the main attractions of the resort, receiving thousands of tourists during summer. Accordingly, conspicuous human impacts are concentrated in the more dissipative end of the beach. In order to derive EI values, a large number of indicators (n=20), including population and community level univariate descriptors for benthic macrofauna, as well as direct indicators of EI (AMBI, M-AMBI and Buckland indices) were assessed and integrated. The distribution of population and community level variables were compared across the along-shore axis with the expected distribution under the Swash Exclusion Hypothesis (SHE) and the Habitat Harshness Hypothesis (HHH), which predict a decrease in richness, biomass and abundance from reflective to dissipative conditions. To derive a global value, an EI value was calculated for population and community levels as well as according to direct impact indicators. EI thus ranged from 1 (no measurable or significant impacts) to 0 (completely dysfunctional system). Integrating all types of indicators, a value of 0.76 was obtained for the beach under study. This value integrates both chronic and putative “press” disturbance occurring during the high tourist season in the period under study and suggests a sub-optimal state (ca. 20% reduction) of the health of the system studied, probably related to the sum of chronic anthropogenic impacts that the beach arc presents. This value is considered as an objective (but probably conservative) reference point in order to evaluate the effectiveness of future management measures.

The impact of tourism on marine litter pollution on Santa Marta beaches, Colombian Caribbean

Tourism is an important socioeconomic activity in coastal communities, which deteriorates marine-coastal ecosystem quality when poorly managed, increasing litter pollution on beaches during the main tourist seasons. This study aims to assess the tourism impact on litter pollution on eleven Santa Marta beaches, Colombian Caribbean. During high and low tourist seasons, people on the beaches were counted, macrolitter and microplastics were sampled, and perception surveys about litter on beaches were conducted. During the high tourist season, the number of people and macrolitter pollution increased, compared to the low tourist season. Plastics accounted for 30%–77% of macrolitter and microplastics ranged from 1 to 355 items/m2. Respondents identified tourism as a main litter source and plastics as the most common litter type. All assessed beaches are impacted by tourism causing litter pollution, therefore, stronger controls, educational, and awareness strategies are needed to reduce litter pollution and prevent ecological and socioeconomic impacts.

Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals at a seasonal holiday destination in the largest freshwater shallow lake in Central Europe

The presence of pharmacologically active compounds (PhACs) in surface waters poses an environmental risk of chronic exposure to nontarget organisms, which is a well-established and serious concern worldwide. Our aim was to determine the temporal changes in ecological risk quotient (RQ) based on the concentrations of 42 PhACs from six sampling sites on seven sampling dates in the water of a freshwater lake in Central Europe preferentially visited by tourists. Our hypothesis was that the environmental risk increases during the summer holiday season due to the influence of tourists. Different experimental toxicological threshold concentrations and seasonal measured environmental concentrations of 16 PhACs were applied to ecological risk assessment. RQs of 4 dominant PhACs (diclofenac, estrone [E1], estradiol [E2], and caffeine) indicated high ecological risk (RQ > 1) for freshwater ecosystems. Additionally, our results confirmed the assumptions that the high tourist season had a significant impact on the calculated RQ; however, these results are mainly due to the concentration and temporal change of particular PhACs, including diclofenac (5.3-419.4 ng/L), E1 (0.1-5.5 ng/L), and E2 (0.1-19.6 ng/L). The seasonal dependent highest RQs changed as follows: 9.80 (June 2017; E2), 1.23 (August 2017; E1), 0.43 (November 2017; E1), 0.51 (April 2018; E1), 5.58 (June 2018, diclofenac), 39.50 (August 2018; diclofenac), and 30.60 (October 2018; diclofenac).

PM10 levels at urban, suburban, and background locations in the eastern Mediterranean: local versus regional sources with emphasis on African dust

PM10 levels were determined at different locations in a coastal site in the eastern Mediterranean to assess the relative contribution of local versus regional sources. Two campaigns were conducted: during the first, PM10 was monitored at three urban locations (kerbside/traffic/background) at different sampling periods, whereas during the second one, PM10 was simultaneously measured at two locations (urban/suburban). Both campaigns have shown that African dust transport was a major carrier of coarse particles. Daily PM10 concentrations of 547 μg m−3 and 234 μg m−3 were measured during the first and the second campaigns, respectively, both of them associated with severe dust storms. However, some dust episodes influenced lesser PM10 levels. The contribution from dust episodes to the measured concentration was estimated at 2–527 μg m−3 during the first campaign and 4–218 μg m−3 during the second campaign. Classification into dusty and non-dusty days has shown that local anthropogenic sources also influence ambient PM10 concentrations; however, few exceedances of the daily limit of 50 μg m−3 occurred during both campaigns. Particularly, it was found that domestic heating during cold months was a major contributor to PM10 levels followed by emissions from traffic with higher contribution of the latter during summer months (high touristic season) as well as non-traffic emissions (road dust resuspension). Hourly average PM10 concentration during the second campaign has shown that traffic-related emissions and/or road dust resuspension were associated with up to 40 μg m−3 whereas during wintertime late evening hours, PM10 concentration from heating reached up to 60 μg m−3 at the central urban location.

Social media engagement and organic post effectiveness: A roadmap for increasing the effectiveness of social media use in hospitality industry

ABSTRACTThe present study assessed the social media use behavior of luxury hospitality facilities and offers suggestions to improve organic post effectiveness. All five-star tourism facilities operating in Turkey were incorporated into the study and publicly available post data on Facebook accounts of 441 facilities (out of a total of 612) were examined in the high tourist season (August) for one month. Data on 2,012 Facebook posts were obtained manually and filtered down to 1,847. The collected post data were subsequently coded using a content analysis form and analyzed via ordinal regression. The results highlighted the positive effects of interactive content and vivid content as well as the significance of the content type in achieving higher interaction among followers. The facility location and category (hotel, holiday village, thermal hotel) also emerged as significant factors affecting follower interactions.

Existing policy framework to support the active mobility in Bulgaria. Strategies and regulations in Varna

Active mobility, active travel, active transport, and active transportation are synonyms of transport of people that only use their physical activity for the need to travel. The most known forms of active mobility are walking and cycling, though the skateboard, kick scooter or roller skates are also a form of active mobility. The city of Varna is the third largest city in Bulgaria and the largest seaside city in the country. In the high tourist season, the city shows much more street problems than usual. The congestion seems to be greater each and every year and this affects active transportation. As a result of the dominant character of the private car in our everyday life, it seems that the active forms of transport are being neglected. To change this trend an integrated transport policy is required where the pedestrians will be placed in the center of the daily agenda. One of the very important components to support active mobility is the policy framework. It should guarantee that all forms of active mobility have also rights as users of the streets and are not neglected in the planning process. The current study aims to analyze the existing relevant national and local (for the city of Varna) regulations regarding walking and cycling and to evaluate the degree of policy support in order to respect their rights and needs. The existences of the relevant policies and how they are implemented is a matter of the study. The collected data about the regulatory framework is evaluated using the content analysis method.

“Undesirables Entering the Town to Look for Good Times”: Banff Confronts Its Counterculture Youth Scene, 1965–1971

Small urban centres remain largely overlooked in historical studies of the counterculture in Canada. This article examines the rise and fall of the scene in Banff, Alberta—a single-industry town with an economy based on accommodating travelling pleasure-seekers, that lacked an elected municipal government. Beginning in 1965, a fast-growing number of counterculture and transient youths trekked to Banff each summer. Some used its public spaces for behaviour Banffites deemed inappropriate and also bothersome to tourists, which pushed officials, business owners, and other permanent residents to debate the nature and limits of tolerance in their community. A few facilities and services welcomed counterculture youth, but most residents remained apprehensive about how Banff’s image might be affected during the high tourist season. After years of mounting frustration and resentment, tensions reached a crescendo in 1971, following which Banff’s status as a counterculture destination abruptly collapsed.

“Undesirables Entering the Town to Look for Good Times”: Banff Confronts Its Counterculture Youth Scene, 1965–1971

Small urban centres remain largely overlooked in historical studies of the counterculture in Canada. This article examines the rise and fall of the scene in Banff, Alberta—a single-industry town with an economy based on accommodating travelling pleasure-seekers, that lacked an elected municipal government. Beginning in 1965, a fast-growing number of counterculture and transient youths trekked to Banff each summer. Some used its public spaces for behaviour Banffites deemed inappropriate and also bothersome to tourists, which pushed officials, business owners, and other permanent residents to debate the nature and limits of tolerance in their community. A few facilities and services welcomed counterculture youth, but most residents remained apprehensive about how Banff’s image might be affected during the high tourist season. After years of mounting frustration and resentment, tensions reached a crescendo in 1971, following which Banff’s status as a counterculture destination abruptly collapsed.

Land development of the Iwonicz Zdroj spa in tourists and patients’ opinions

Many components influence the quality of the spa space. It is welldeveloped and includes functional and visually interesting small architecture and botanically and aesthetically diverse vegetation. It is a showcase for the town, and its attractiveness has an impact on strengthening the treatment process and increasing tourist interest. According to the respondents, the promenade in Iwonicz Zdrój is adequately equipped with elements of small architecture and has an interesting arrangement of plants. In their opinion the current development of the space is consistent and complements the historic sanatorium architecture. This is also confirmed by field studies regarding the analysis of small architecture. Visitors to the area feel safe and rest well. The shortcomings on a fairly long walking route are the lack of sanitary installations and shade, which is particularly troublesome in the high tourist season.

Предпосылки развития гастрономического туризма в республике Крым

Following an analysis of factors which hinder the development of the regional tourism sector, for the purpose of the regional travel industry development the article justifies the need for development of a new product of the Crimean tourism industry – food tourism. The article explores the potential of the concept of food tourism promotion and development based on prospects available for the different parties concerned. To identify the parties concerned and their motives, the article has addressed conceptual issues relating to a connection between food tourism and tourism sector development; potential of food tourism as an instrument of region development; strategy to be evolved to encourage development of food tourism. It has been established that the parties interested in the origin and development of food tourism may be grouped into four separate categories depending on geographic scope of their operations, business profile and value of their interests: 1) “state regulatory authorities” – regional and municipal state authorities; 2) “food intermediaries” that comprise a wide range of the concerned market players involved in tourism and related sectors; 3) “farmers (producers) and restaurant keepers” involved in provision of food services or production, “public concerned” – volunteers involved in surveys, the findings of which may be used for the development of strategies. It has been found out that the development of food tourism in the Republic of Crimea requires consolidation of efforts, knowledge and capabilities of all the parties interested in the diversification of tourism product, extension of time frames of a high tourist season and increase in marketability of the regional tourism product, in particular, and tourism sector, in general.