Influence Of Visitors Research Articles

The Influence of Visitors on Heritage Conservation: The Case of the Church of San Juan del Hospital, Valencia, Spain

One of the greatest challenges in heritage management is to find a balance between the demands of visitor access and heritage conservation. The income generated prevents decay and benefits the conservation of buildings. At the same time, cultural tourism can accelerate the deterioration of buildings from increased use and an increase in agents harmful to conservation. This unique research analyses the influence of building use at San Juan del Hospital, the oldest church in the city of Valencia. Its architectural characteristics and the climate of the city mean that visits to the building put the conservation of its heritage assets at risk. Monitoring data from the summer months were put into a digital twin generated from a heritage building information model (HBIM), and the modelling of visitor numbers and the impact on indoor environmental quality was conducted. Monitoring and simulations confirmed that visitor numbers need to be reduced or mechanical conditioning systems need to be installed to prevent damage to the heritage artefacts within the building. This research provides building managers with information to make informed decisions about the preventive maintenance of heritage buildings. This research also demonstrates for the first time the value of using monitoring and a digital twin for conservation management.

What Influence Could the Acceptance of Visitors Cause on the Epidemic Dynamics of a Reinfectious Disease?: A Mathematical Model

The globalization in business and tourism becomes crucial more and more for the economical sustainability of local communities. In the presence of an epidemic outbreak, there must be such a decision on the policy by the host community as whether to accept visitors or not, the number of acceptable visitors, or the condition for acceptable visitors. Making use of an SIRI type of mathematical model, we consider the influence of visitors on the spread of a reinfectious disease in a community, especially assuming that a certain proportion of accepted visitors are immune. The reinfectivity of disease here means that the immunity gained by either vaccination or recovery is imperfect. With the mathematical results obtained by our analysis on the model for such an epidemic dynamics of resident and visitor populations, we find that the acceptance of visitors could have a significant influence on the disease’s endemicity in the community, either suppressive or supportive.

THE INFLUENCE OF RECREATION ON THE PROCESSES OF SOIL EROSION IN THE FORESTS OF THE WEST KAZAKHSTAN REGION

The relevance of the topic is determined by the increasing demand for forest recreational resources of the West Kazakhstan region. The forests of the West Kazakhstan region are under the influence of recreational activity, which is growing every year and leads to the transformation of the natural environment. The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of recreation on the processes of soil erosion in the forests of the West Kazakhstan region. An increase in the recreational load and the steepness of the slopes leads to degradation of the forest floor and grassy cover. The remnants of these materials move downhill under the influence of visitors, and the soil surface is compacted. The porosity coefficient of the upper soil layer decreases as recreational loads increase. This leads to a decrease in soil water permeability and an increase in surface water runoff. The study showed that the runoff coefficient, the air-dry mass of the forest floor and the porosity coefficient are closely related. These relationships characterize an increase in the water runoff coefficient with a decrease in the air-dry mass of the forest litter and the porosity coefficient. In the field in 2023, based on the morphological description of the profiles, the degree of soil erosion in the selected woodlands was determined.

Visitor Behavior in Museums in Times of (COVID)-19

This research aims to better understand the circumstances of museums in times of COVID-19 and investigate the reopening of museums as physical spaces for visitors??? experience. The influence of visitors??? sociodemographic and tripographic characteristics on visitor behavior, safety measures implemented by museums, and visitation experience were examined in two major art museums in Catalonia (Spain): the Dal??-Theatre Museum and the Picasso Museum. Participants (879) were selected following systematic random sampling at the museum exit gates. A quantitative analysis of the data was performed using Pearson and ANOVA and the participants??? profiles are presented. Findings indicate significant relationships between visitors??? characteristics and visitor behavior, safety measures, and visitation experience, with place of residence showing a positive influence on all three. Museums complied with specific safety regulations due to COVID-19, and in this context, the findings revealed that visitors slightly changed their visitor behavior in museums. Most visitors positively evaluated the key aspects of museum management relating to health and safety and social distancing. Age, nationality, and personal experience were found to influence visitor behavior in museums. Specific effects of each characteristic are further analyzed. Theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for future research studies are also discussed. Marketing activities will benefit from knowing, in detail, the visitors??? characteristics–information that can be used to target niches. Finally, the cultural industry has a social function and supporting the digitalization of museum organizations is crucial to the dissemination of culture.

The influence of visitors’ specific motor actions on the perception and evaluation of museum exhibits

Background and Study Aim. An important element in the system of museum activities are approaches to attracting visitors. Among these approaches, one can single out the dialogue of the museum with visitors through specially organized active motor actions. Such actions have certain parameters (the nature of physical activity and its age-appropriateness, intensity, duration, etc.), which can influence the perception and evaluation of exhibits and the decision of visitors to return to the museum. The purpose of the study is an attempt to explain how specially organized active motor actions of visitors affect the perception and evaluation of museum exhibits and getting satisfaction from visiting.
 Material and Methods. Publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) were selected as the source of information. The search was carried out using keywords that characterize the interaction of visitors with the subject-spatial environment of the museum. The VOSviewer program was used to analyze the relationships between documents retrieved from WoS.
 Results. It is argued that the sedentary behavior of visitors, typical for many museums, does not contribute to their involvement in the museum space and the creation of meaning in museums. It is noted that an important aspect in the organization of special motor actions of visitors is the orientation to their motivation and interpretation of movements in the museum exhibits. The optimal level of physical activity has been identified. It creates a comfortable feeling and contributes to an adequate perception of the exhibits and corresponds to the main mission of the museum.
 Conclusions. Specially organized motor actions form the maximum motivation for visitors to study the museum exhibits. Such movements carry a certain semantic character of the theme of the museum.

The Influence of Visitors’ Recreation Experience and Environmental Attitude on Environmentally Responsible Behavior: A Case Study of an Urban Forest Park, China

Nature-based tourism destinations such as national forest parks have become important places for outdoor recreation. This study empirically investigates the structural relationships among the four subdivided dimensions of recreation experience (education, aesthetics, entertainment, and escapism), environmental attitude, and environmentally responsible behavior. In addition, the mediating effect of environmental attitude and the moderating effect of gender are also examined. A field survey was conducted in an urban forest park to collect data, and 468 usable questionnaires were collected. Results indicate that, in addition to the educational experience, the entertainment experience, aesthetic experience, and escape experience have significant positive impacts on visitors’ environmental attitudes and environmentally responsible behavior. In addition, environmental attitude partially mediates the relationship between recreation experience and environmentally responsible behavior. The results of moderating effect analysis demonstrate that men and women have differences in terms of recreation experience and environmental attitude. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and nature-based tourism destinations are encouraged to emphasize the four subdivided dimensions of recreation experience, especially the educational experience.

The influence of visitors’ gazing of others’ behavior, appearance, and hospitableness on their engagement and their behavioral intentions.

The influence of visitors’ gazing of others’ behavior, appearance, and hospitableness on their engagement and their behavioral intentions.

The influence of visitors’ self-protective behaviors on social carrying capacity in museums during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT The public health restrictions put into place to control the COVID-19 pandemic have greatly affected cultural and tourism institutions. Based on normative theory, this study aims to enhance the theoretical understanding of social carrying capacity by analyzing the impact of visitors’ self-protective behaviors and tourism risk perception. A visual method experiment was conducted in museum settings, which are typical indoor cultural and tourism institutions. Results show that the social carrying capacity is significantly influenced by social distancing and mask wearing. Specifically, the visitors’ crowding norm is 0.5 m∼1 m when wearing a mask and 1 m∼1.2 m when not wearing a mask. In addition, tourism risk perception has double effects on the crowding norm; ‘self pressure’ has a positive impact, and ‘group pressure’ has a negative impact. These findings can help museums manage crowding issues as COVID-19 continues to have an impact on the world.

Guided discussion or immersive play? Influence of on-site presentation platform on visitor satisfaction in a heritage attraction

ABSTRACT Extensive research has been conducted on visitor experience and visitor satisfaction at tourist attractions. Few studies have addressed the influence of different types of on-site factors on visitor satisfaction at heritage sites. This study combined observation, in-depth interview, and a survey to examine the underlying factors of visitors’ perceptions of on-site attributes and their effects on overall visitor satisfaction while considering the influence of visitors’ interest and visitor type at Iron Age Farm in Stavanger, Norway. The findings suggest four sub-categories of visitors’ perceptions of the presentation platform (technology, immersive play, guided discussion, and autonomy), in addition to one support service platform category. Guided discussion, autonomy orientation, and support service platforms have a significant influence on visitor satisfaction. The findings suggest that visitors’ perceptions of the on-site factors do not differ significantly by visitors’ interest or type. The results only partly confirmed previous research and provided a different perspective on the role of on-site presentation attributes in heritage attractions. Knowledge of presentation platforms can function as a practical framework to analyze heritage sites based on visitors’ experiences and expectations.

Evaluation of air pollutants in thermal-mineral springs: a case study of Agnano (Naples, Italy) and Contursi Terme (Salerno, Italy)

Abstract Thermo-mineral springs are widely spread over the volcanic areas of Naples and Salerno, two cities of southern Italy. Their use has been known by local inhabitants since they were one of the main curative therapies in the past. The variability of microclimate conditions, contaminations, air pollution and influence of visitors could be an important parameter for conservation of historical structure and to evaluate the damage of place, since atmospheric and gaseous pollutants could affect cultural heritage. The aim of this work was the determination of air concentration of H2S, SO2, δ13CO2, chemical and microclimatic characterization of the thermal springs in Contursi Terme (Salerno, Italy) and Agnano (Naples, Italy), in order to assess their concentrations and potential effects on cultural heritage and human health.

Urban green space characteristics, visitation patterns and influence of visitors’ socio-economic attributes on visitation in Kisumu City and Eldoret Municipality, Kenya

Urban green spaces are known to generate environmental, social and health benefits that accrue to urban residents mainly through direct and indirect use. However, information on how such green spaces are used, reasons behind their use and individual factors influencing such use is not readily available especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study sought to fill this gap by examining green spaces’ characteristics, visitation patterns and reasons for their visitation in Kisumu City and Eldoret Municipality of Kenya. The study further examined the association between visitors’ socio-economic attributes and frequency of green space use. Data collected from seven public green spaces purposively selected was used. An observation checklist was employed to assess the characteristics of sampled green spaces while a questionnaire survey was used to obtain information on reasons for green space visitation and users’ socio-economic attributes. Data was analyzed descriptively to elicit green spaces’ characteristics, visitation patterns and visitors’ socio-economic attributes. Adjusted logistic regression model was employed to determine the association between visitors’ socio-economic attributes and visitation frequency. Findings reveal lack of uniformity in characteristics exhibited across green spaces. Green spaces that exhibited most attributes were also highly visited and the main reason for visitation was relaxation and ‘waiting for someone’. Being male, having been divorced, separated or widowed and having secondary or tertiary education were found to be significant socio-economic predictors of green space use. The paper recommends the need to increase density of green spaces in urban areas as well as provision of requisite facilities and amenities to enhance access and utility of green spaces for different needs by majority of urban residents.

Assessing the potential impact of zoo visitors on the welfare and cognitive performance of Japanese macaques

The influence of visitors on zoo-housed primate behavior and welfare is relatively well-studied but less is known about the possible impact of zoo visitor presence on primates’ cognition. The Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) at Lincoln Park Zoo, USA, participate in voluntary cognitive research sessions in two touchscreen testing booths adjacent to their home enclosure, which are in view of the public. As other anthropogenic influences, such as loud noise levels, have been shown to induce attention bias effects in zoo primates, we wanted to determine if visitors also created cognitive bias effects for these macaques. Therefore, we sought to evaluate if and how the macaques’ testing participation and performance changed in response to the presence and number of visitors, and what any changes might mean for their welfare. Taking advantage of the zoo’s closure in response to COVID-19, we conducted 10 test sessions when the zoo was closed and 10 test sessions after reopening. Across all 20 test sessions, we recorded ambient sound levels (dB) and, when visitors were present, we also recorded visitor numbers and their location near the exhibit. Between when the zoo was closed and open, we did not find a difference in the macaques’ participation rates (p = 0.45) or task accuracy (p = 0.62) in an identity match-to-sample paradigm. However, we found the macaques’ response latencies were significantly faster when the zoo re-opened (p < 0.001) and with visitors present, but that the macaques did not avoid the testing booth that was closer to visitors. Considering the number of visitors, we found that the macaques completed most of their trials when small crowds were present (1–20 visitors) – the most common crowd size we recorded – but the macaques’ task accuracy did not differ across crowd size categories. Based on our findings, we found no clear evidence that these macaques were impacted by the return of zoo visitors and remain confident that such voluntary touchscreen opportunities can be an engaging aspect of animal lives in zoo settings.

Influence of Visitors on the Time Budget, Ranging and Strata Use of Lowe's Monkey (Cercopithecus lowei) at Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Ghana.

Wildlife tourism could be a conservation tool; however, it may disrupt the natural behaviors of wild animals. We examined how wildlife tourism affects Lowe's monkeys (Cercopithecus lowei) at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, central Ghana. We examined and compared the time budget, aggression patterns, home range size and strata use of two C. lowei groups-one with a high level of provisioning by visitors/tour guides (HP group) versus one with a low level of provisioning by visitors/tour guides (LP group). We found evidence that the HP group fed less and rested more than the LP group. The HP group significantly increased the time spent feeding and decreased their time resting, but no significant differences were recorded for moving or socializing either in the presence of small or big groups of visitors (i.e., 1-10 visitors or > 10 visitors). In the presence of one to ten visitors, the HP group monkeys increased the use of ground by 22.10% and decreased the use of medium and high tree strata by 15.43% and 11.6%, respectively. Agonistic behaviors (i.e., threat, chase, and attack) were three times higher in the HP group (e.g., open-jawed gaze gesture or head-bobbing). In the presence of visitors, aggression in the HP group increased from 12.81% to 30.18%. The home range size of the C. lowei HP group was smaller (4.68 ha) compared to the LP group (14.25 ha) (i.e., 50.56% difference). The LP group spent significantly less time socializing and more time moving. They fed more on fruits and insects. On average, the daily travel of LP group was 0.58 km more than the HP group (i.e., 22.80% difference), and the former group also spent significantly more time in the mid strata of the canopy. Our results showed that continued provisioning of the monkeys with human foods is detrimental to their natural behavior of the monkeys and could have negative long-term effects on the conservation efforts for the species.

"지역특산물축제 방문객 소비성향이 브랜드 태도 및 구매의도에 미치는 영향 연구 -영주풍기인삼축제를 중심으로-"

본 연구는 특산물 축제마다 방문객 소비성향을 분석해 각각의 스타일에 맞춤형의 축제 기획 및 운영 전략 수립이 필요하다는 판단에서 특산물축제인 영주풍기인삼축제를 대상으로 방문객 소비성향이 브랜드 태도와 구매의도에 미치는 영향관계를 규명하고자 실시하였다. 연구 결과 방문객 소비성향은 브랜드 태도인 행동적 태도, 인지적 태도, 감성적 태도 모두에 부분적으로 유의미한 영향을 미쳤으며, 상품추구와 문화체험추구는 모두에서 유의미한 요인으로 나타났다. 다음 방문객 소비성향은 기분전환추구를 제외한 4개 요인 모두가 구매의도에 유의한 영향을 미쳤으며, 그 중에서도 상품추구성향이 가장 큰 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 브랜드 태도는 3개요인 모두가 구매의도에 유의미한 영향을 미쳤으며, 행동적 태도가 가장 큰 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 연구 결과는 최근 축제의 재정자립도가 중요시되고 있는 상황에서 축제 수익창출의 방법론 중 하나인 축제 상품판매를 위해 지역축제들이 방문객 소비성향을 분석하고, 브랜드 태도와 구매의도로 연결시켜야 한다는 주장에 근거가 되며, 영향관계 규명을 통해 방법론을 실무적 차원에서 살펴볼 수 있게 하였다. 또한 축제 소비성향을 지출 항목으로 분석한 기존의 연구에서 나아가 축제 소비성향을 5개요인으로 구분해 브랜드 태도와 구매의도를 살핀 것은 지역축제 방문객 행동론 연구에 기여할 것으로 기대한다.

Simulated tsunami evacuation behavior of local residents and visitors in Kamakura, Japan

Currently, it is believed that evacuation is the most effective method of protecting lives from tsunamis, in particular after the events of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Tsunami. In many coastal areas tsunamis pose a threat not only to local residents, who know the area well, but also to visiting tourists, and thus it is important to consider both these groups when preparing evacuation plans. However, while numerous studies and simulations on tsunami evacuation have been made, research focusing on the influence of visitors on evacuation processes is limited. To clarify this the authors developed an agent-based tsunami evacuation model which considers the different behavior of local residents and visitors, which can estimate the evacuation time, number of individuals reaching each evacuation area, the location of bottlenecks and the number of casualties. The model was applied to study the case of Yuigahama Beach, Kamakura, Japan, with results indicating that the behavior and number of visitors have a significant impact on evacuation processes, especially the location of bottlenecks and the number of casualties. Results also show that heavy congestion will occur during evacuation in places where there are many visitors and thus, in such a situation, the decrease of the moving speed owing to the congestion needs to be appropriately taken into account to simulate the evacuation process. It can be concluded that reducing congestion (i.e., widening roads, guiding visitors to less congested roads) is a crucial countermeasure for a sight-seeing location to reduce the casualties that can result from a tsunami.

Behaviour and welfare: the visitor effect in captive felids

AbstractThe influence of visitors on the welfare of captive animals, known as the visitor effect, may in some instances be stressful, adversely affecting animal health. Although the survival of many felid species depends on captive breeding programmes, little is known about this effect. A better understanding of the visitor effect is required to ensure the well-being of felids and the success of breeding programmes. We sought to determine whether the presence of visitors affects behaviour patterns and space use in five feline species in two Spanish zoos: Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), jaguar (Panthera onca), bobcat (Lynx rufus),ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) and, if so, whether the effect on animal welfare is positive or negative. To our knowledge, no previous research has addressed the visitor effect in these species, with the exception of the jaguar. Data on animal behaviour, enclosure use, and visitor density were collected during the spring and summer of 2011 and 2012. Changes were observed for all studied species when the zoo was open to the public: four species devoted less time to complex behaviour (ie play, walk) and spent more time resting; ocelots and bobcats made more use of hidden spaces and less use of areas closer to visitors, while the jaguar tended to do the opposite. No correlation was found between visitor density and animal activity, indicating that animals are affected by the mere presence of visitors, regardless of their number. Our findings are in line with those reported by other authors, who have suggested that these behavioural changes are linked to chronic stress. Visitor effect was classed as negative for the welfare of all studied species apart from the jaguar. We advocate the need for future research into potential solutions to mitigate the adverse effect of visitors on felids.

Influence of Visitors’ Satisfaction for Park Facilities on Revisiting Intentions - The Case of Mountainous National Parks in Korea -

Influence of Visitors’ Satisfaction for Park Facilities on Revisiting Intentions - The Case of Mountainous National Parks in Korea -

Visitor mobility in the city and the effects of travel preparation

The rapid growth of urban tourism over the last decades has led to an increasing demand to develop sustainable strategies and measures that cope better with large numbers of visitors. A good knowledge of visitors’ spatial movement patterns is key to an efficient and successful destination management. Despite a considerable body of research focusing on visitors’ spatial behaviour and practices, the influence of visitors’ travel preparation has been widely neglected in tourism research on spatial behaviour and mobility practices. On the basis of a sample of 330 questionnaires and 162 GPS tracks, we explore mobility paths of same-day visitors in Freiburg, Germany. We show that well-prepared and not well-prepared visitors are two distinct types of tourists with specific mobility patterns. The former tend to carry out a wider range of activities, while the latter stroll through the inner city. Drawing upon the concept of motility, we discuss the implications for addressing information and recommendations to both types of visitors in order to channel their activities and mobility practices during their stay. Knowledge of these specific characteristics and mobility patterns allows tourism professionals to develop and offer target-oriented services which may help to avoid overcrowding effects by fostering a slight spatial deconcentration of visitor activities. In particular, online information services and signage can help to direct visitor activities of less-prepared visitors temporally and spatially.

Influence of Visitors’ Flows on Indoor Air Quality of Museum Premises

Abstract The article considers the influence of visitors’ flows on indoor air quality of museum premises and work of ventilation and air conditioning systems. The article provides the analysis of the heat input from visitors, the results of mathematical simulation of visitors flow influence on indoor air quality. Several advice options are provided on application of variable air volume systems for provision of constant indoor air quality.

Visitor impact on rocky shore communities of Qeshm Island, the Persian Gulf, Iran

The influence of visitors on macroinvertebrates of rocky intertidal shores was investigated in southern coasts of the Qeshm Island, the Persian Gulf, Iran. Qeshm Island located at the Strait of Hormuz, with an area of 1,491 km(2), is the largest island in the region. This island consists of a number of important natural habitat types including creeks, mangroves, corals, and sandy, muddy, and rocky shores that accommodate diverse marine flora and fauna communities. Two rocky shores were selected at the touristic beaches being visited regularly, and further two control locations selected at pristine shores. Intertidal macroinvertebrates were collected from six microhabitats including rock platforms, cobbles, boulders, crevices, sea walls, and rock pools during two different periods representing high and low tourist seasons. Species richness, density, and assemblage structure in heavily visited shores were compared with that of control locations. Striped barnacles (Balanus amphitrite) were present on platforms of all locations, thus the changes in their size were used as the obvious contrast associated with visitor's impact. A total of 70 macroinvertebrate species from 11 phyla were recorded. Significant differences were detected in taxonomic richness, density, and assemblage structure of macroinvertebrates between heavily visited and pristine shores, suggesting that macroinvertebrates were adversely affected by visitors' impact at heavily visited shores. The test of changes in species richness, density, and assemblage structure from high to low seasons yielded mixed results. The significant changes in density and assemblage structure from high to low seasons were only observed in one heavily visited shore. A significant reduction in size of striped barnacles was observed only in one heavily visited shore. The opportunistic or fugitive species (e.g., small macroalgae and barnacles) were dominant macroinvertebrates on heavily visited shores indicating early succession stage. The results presented here showed that macroinvertebrates were adversely affected by human activities in subtropical rocky shore.