Mountain Tourism Destinations Research Articles

Tourism-generated energy use characteristics and sustainability transitions

Mountain tourism destinations are characterized as significantly impacted by their remoteness, seasonal climatic variations, and fragile ecosystems. These factors greatly influence the development, distribution, and consumption of energy sources in the tourism sector. With the increasing popularity of mountain parks and protected areas as tourism destinations, it is critical to understand the interplay between tourism development (e.g. expansion of tourism facilities), patterns of energy sources (diversity and consumption levels) in the tourism sector, and overall sustainability of resources use at the destination level. Current literature reveals a dearth of research on energy issues in mountain protected areas, which is somewhat surprising as energy and resource consumption issues are becoming more important from a climate change perspective. This paper examines contemporary energy use patterns in the Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park of Nepal. A mixed methods is applied to analyze development trends and transitions in energy use. Data were collected based on questionnaire surveys of tourism facilities, complemented by semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that energy sources used in the facilities have gone through a significant change, from a firewood-dependent tourism center to increasing use of alternative sources including liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and hydroelectricity. About one-third of the facilities did not use firewood. The heterogeneous geographic distribution of the facilities affects the spatial use of energy sources. Furthermore, we argue that the coordination efforts between the national park administration and local communities, the growth of tourism, the construction of hydropower plants, and the advancement of transportation are the leading causes of the changes in energy use patterns. Knowledge of the energy use characteristics and drivers influencing the energy transitions can inform future policies that promote a low-carbon economy in mountain destinations.

Framework to Development of Disaster Mitigation Model in Mountain Tourism Destination

The geographic position of Indonesia provides both disaster threat and natural resources potential. Indonesia is an archipelagic country located between three major tectonic plates, namely Indo-Australia; Pacific; and Eurasia. Consequently, numerous of active volcanoes and faults are spread across the islands. Indonesia’s unique landforms are often utilized as a unique tourism spot. Along the mountain ranges of Bogor and Cianjur, Bandung, and Garut to Tasikmalaya, various volcanic tourism spots exist side-by-side with the threat of volcanic eruption, mass movements, and earthquake. Therefore, disaster mitigation had to be properly planned to guarantee the sustainability of businesses and investments, as well as for tourists’ safety. This research aims to develop the mitigation model for mountain tourism destinations in West Java Province. Three of currently developing mountain tourism spots are Gede-Pangrango Mountain, Tangkuban Parahu Mountain, and Guntur Mountain. Design of this research is R&D through the 4-D model, consists of Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. Disaster mitigation model planning involves research subjects consisting of tourism destination management and local communities. Research instruments used include interviews and observations. The data obtained consists of information regarding disaster perceptions and severity measurements through observations. The developed mitigation model is subsequently validated by experts and research subjects to assess its suitability. The output of the development is a “Conceptual Model”, which is a participative mitigation strategy between tourism destination management and local communities. This conceptual mitigation model can be utilized by policymakers as a foundation for monitoring the spread of tourist destinations in facing natural disaster threats.

Framework to Development of Disaster Mitigation Model in Mountain Tourism Destination

Framework to Development of Disaster Mitigation Model in Mountain Tourism Destination

Airbnb and Mountain Tourism Destinations: Evidence from an Inner Area in the Italian Alps

Starting from this decade, peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation has witnessed a valuable growth that has interested both urban and rural environments. With reference to the Italian context, the Airbnb platform represents the main platform used by tourists, contributing to reshaping tourism offerings and to the “drive” of the image of tourism destinations. The aim of this study is to present insight into the Airbnb phenomenon in a marginal mountain destination in the Italian Alps, for a better understanding of how the environmental dimension is considered by both guests and hosts. In order to reach this goal, 727 guests’ reviews in 35 Airbnb accommodation facilities of the municipalities of Soana Valley were analyzed through a qualitative sentiment analysis performed with NVivo 14 software. The evidence was compared with the hosts’ viewpoint, thanks to semi-structured interviews with three local actors. Preliminary considerations of the guests’ reviews reported positive comments (79.5%) for both the accommodation per sé (perfect, excellent, beautiful, welcoming, and clean) and the mountainous area as well, particularly appreciated for its natural characteristics. These were confirmed by the hosts’ interviews, who underlined how nature represented one of the main guests’ highlighted aspects. Moreover, visitors’ needs and expectations have increased over the years, forcing the need to improve the quality of offerings. This contribution concludes with a reflection on the opportunities that second home tourism can represent for Italian inner mountainous areas.

The spatial differentiation of human-environment relationship in mountain tourism destination, based on the image data of Landsat-8

Mountain is the most traditional tourism destination in China. On the basis of analyzing the particularity and its spatial differentiation of human-environment relationship in mountain tourism destination, this paper conducts empirical analysis in Yulong Snow Mountain by land use type classification. Firstly, ENVI is used to preprocess the Landsat-8 images of the research area. Then the visual interpretation is performed by ArcGIS to classify land use types. Based on the above, the differentiation status of human-environment relationship is analyzed. It concluded that: (1) Under the influence of natural factors such as piedmont, climate, altitude, gradient, slope, geological environment, and geomorphic characteristics, the uneven spatial distribution of human-environment relationship in mountain tourism destination is greatly affected by vegetation, rainfall, heat distribution, wind direction, suitability for human activities, and especially the topography; (2) The Yulong Snow Mountain forms three distinct levels of spatial differentiation in human-environment relationships between the east and west slopes, between high, medium and low elevations, and between different gradients.

Exploring travel blogs on tourism and landscape heritage: representations of the Swiss Alps

ABSTRACT Alpine tourism is one of the most popular forms of travel. Despite the prominence of information and communication technology in shaping travel perceptions and behaviour, a research gap has been identified concerning how this phenomenon is represented online. By taking the case of Alpine tourism in Switzerland, in this qualitative research we use a thematic content analysis to investigate themes and narratives about Alpine landscape and tourism in 158 blog posts. Findings show, first, that Alpine tourism representations can be grouped into six themes: Accessible Mountains, Captured Landscapes, Isolated Land, Healing Place, Cultural Discovery, and Natural Heritage. Second, representational narratives that can be ascribed to the Authorised Heritage Discourse appear to coexist with counter-narratives where the purely visual and aesthetic aspects of the Alps are combined with critical, experiential, and cultural elements. Research implications include the role of visual experiences in heritage representation and commodification, and the importance of integrating blogs in mountain tourism destination websites.

Local food heritage in a mountain tourism destination: evidence from the Alagna Walser Green Paradise project

PurposeThis paper aims at assessing the role of authenticity of local food in contributing to tourism as an ecosystem service in a small mountain tourism destination, i.e. Alagna Valsesia (North-West of Italy).Design/methodology/approachA mix method approach has been adopted. The research has been carried out by using both CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) and PAPI (Paper And Pen Interview) methodologies for surveys on the accommodation facilities managers and tourists. In addition, an analysis of electronic word-of-mouth platforms (TripAdvisor and Google) was implemented to understand more in-depth the local foodservice.FindingsFindings show that Alagna Valsesia embodies its authenticity with the tradition of the local culture, characterised by natural heritage and Walser uses. Some tools are identified to improve the attractiveness of the tourist destination.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study can be found in the study' application to a rather limited and geographically restricted area.Practical implicationsThe results provided by this study can help local policy-makers in driving local policies and public funds in implementing ecotourism based practices.Originality/valueAlthough the role of local food has been much studied in relation to the tourism sector, to the knowledge of the authors, this contribution represents a first attempt to analyse local food's role in terms of local food's crossover contribution to supporting cultural tourism.

Assessing indigenous community's perspectives and attitudes toward tourism development impacts in the northwestern Himalayas, India.

An assessment and monitoring of tourism impacts coupled with community perception have emerged as a vital tool for ensuring the sustainability of mountain tourism destinations in recent years. The present study aims to explore the indigenous community's perspectives on tourism impacts and their participation in the process of tourism development at Doodhpathri, an emerging tourist resort in Jammu and Kashmir, India. A non-probability convenience sampling method based on 344 questionnaires has been used to accomplish the research objectives. Inferential statistics and factor analysis were employed to analyze the collected data. Our assessment reveals that in general, tourism is viewed as a development industry. Its positives are better perceived than its negatives, given that it generates employment prospects, boosts household income, improves the image of the area, and raises the indigenous community's standard of living. However, a substantial portion of the population living in the area perceives tourism activities as the cause of multiple environmental and biophysical issues, such as increased waste generation leading to pollution and water quality deterioration. On the whole, most of the residents were positive about future tourism development and optimistic about tourism management practices. However, the area has recently observed a voluminous influx of both local and foreign tourists, which necessitates the formulation of a sustainable tourism planning strategy.

Structural networks and dyadic negotiations in tourism destination ecosystems

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how and to what extent structural network properties affect dyadic negotiation behavior in tourism destination ecosystems. Specifically, this study addresses negotiation behavior in terms of problem-solving and contending, because these two key strategies reflect the integrative and distributive aspects of dyadic interactions.Design/methodology/approachThis study relies on network data and dyadic survey data from nine mountain tourism destinations in Southeastern Norway. The structural network properties the authors research are triadic closure – the extent to which a dyad has common ties to other actors – and structural equivalence – the similarities in networking patterns that capture firms’ competition for similar resources. In addition, the authors also study a possible effect of relationship duration on negotiation behavior.FindingsTriadic closure and relationship duration have positive effects on problem-solving, and structural equivalence tends to decrease problem-solving, although the effect is inconsistent; none of these three independent variables was found to affect contending negotiation behavior.Research limitations/implicationsThis study shows that a dyad’s structural network embeddedness has implications for negotiation behavior. Further research is encouraged to develop this theoretical perspective.Originality/valueThis study is a pioneering investigation of how structural network properties affect dyadic negotiation behavior in ongoing coproducing relationships in real-world destination ecosystems.

MOUNTAIN DESTINATION INNOVATIVENESS MODEL (MDIM) FOR BABADAĞ-TURKEY

Muğla is an international tourism destination in Turkey. Babadağ Mountain, located in Fethiye, is also one of the renowned paragliding destinations in the world. The objective of this study is to implement MDIM in Babadağ mountain paragliding destination. This model has already been empirically tested in Alpine mountain tourism destinations (Kuscer, 2013); a destination which is located out of Europe is tried to be focused in terms of MDIM. The rationale is to understand links among destination environment, innovativeness, and tourism development. The relations among these concepts might contribute to sustainable tourism development and create a competitive advantage. Data have been collected by gathering the opinion of paragliding pilots who work in Babadağ. Results related to MDIM were tested by using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The results may help Babadağ mountain paragliding destinations and similar destinations adapt their responses regarding mountain tourism development.

Understanding the mountainscape dynamics and its drivers using geospatial technology and indigenous knowledge in the Ado-Awaye Mountains, Nigeria

This study quantified the mountainscape transformation and identified its drivers over the last two decades in the Ado-Awaye Mountains, Nigeria, a protected mountain area in Oyo State, managed by the State government in conjunction with communal efforts. This potential mountain tourism destination is home to a suspended lake. A supervised classifier algorithm, a post-classification method, landscape metrics and indigenous knowledge (through interviews and questionnaires) were used to determine the patterns, dynamics, fragmentation and drivers of the mountainscape. The results revealed that the rock outcrop / bare ground / built-up areas and open secondary forests covered the greatest and smallest landmasses of the entire area in the study periods (2000 and 2019), both showing an increase. Mountainscape fragmentation also increased. Three categories of underlying drivers (cultural, natural and technological) contributed to mountainscape transformation and fragmentation in the Ado-Awaye Mountains. Forest restoration programmes and eco-friendly approaches are recommended to improve the destination’s serenity and mitigate the environmental impact of the underlying drivers.

Distance decay of place attachment and perceived authenticity of mountain tourism destinations in China

Place attachment has been a research focus in the fields of park and recreation management. Place attachment plays an important role in promoting sustainable development of parks and mountain tourism destination, however, there are limited studies that identified the spatial patterns of place attachment, especially in the context of mountain tourism destinations in China. Also, the geospatial spectrum of visitors is usually broad, examining the multivariate relationships among spatial proximity, perceived authenticity, and place attachment are essential for mountain tourism destinations to promote destination image and strengthen emotional bonding with targeted visitor groups. In this study, we selected an iconic and highly visited park, Jiuzhai Valley National Park in China, as our study site and conducted an on-site visitor survey to collect 557 samples. Study uses factor analysis and the structure equation model to analyze the relationship among spatial proximity, perceived authenticity, and place attachment. Results validate the two-dimension structure of place attachment and perceived authenticity. Study findings suggest that spatial proximity has significant impacts on existential authenticity and place identity, but has no significant impacts on place dependence. Perceived authenticity has a positive impact on place attachment. Study results advance the theories of place attachment and provide effective strategies to enhance emotional attachment between visitors and mountain tourism destinations.

Ecotourism spatio-temporal models to identify visitation patterns across the Indian Himalayan Region

Visitation patterns across protected areas of Uttarakhand, India reflect a unique amalgamation of natural, cultural and religious aspects of vulnerable mountain tourism destinations. These aspects act as predictors in determining visitation rates and identifying destination specific tourism models. Using the mixed methods approach based on field surveys, geotagged photographs and InVEST recreation tool, this study (1) maps the spatio-temporal movement of visitors across ten sampled protected areas of Uttarakhand (2) identifies predictor variables contributing to visitation across Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary (BWLS) of Uttarakhand (3) explores the visitors’ decision to recreate at specific locations across BWLS based on four tourism models and (4) determines the prevalent tourism model across BWLS. The visitation pattern assessment suggest Rajaji National Park as the most visited protected area in Uttarakhand, but the highest density of photographed location existed within the Corbett National Park. That, visitation to National Park outnumbers visitation to wildlife sanctuaries in Uttarakhand and preferably over the months of March–April (Spring) and October–November (Winter). Binomial logistic regression analysis on Flickr generated photographs reveals community-based ecotourism as the prevalent tourism model across Binsar. Human settlements and natural water springs of the sanctuary were key predictors affecting visitation in Binsar. The grounded nature of this research presents the ecotourism interacting variables addressing spatial movement of visitors across protected areas of critical importance, to manage tourism destinations sustainably.

Understanding the role of destination imagery in mountain destination choice. Evidence from an exploratory research

The present study explores the imagery of mountain tourism destinations. The research is based on customer-based brand equity and destination choice models, and addresses destination imagery through the concepts favourite destination (FD) and autobiographical memory. Through an online, multilingual survey, 711 responses, consisting of words, associated by a self-selected sample of European mountain tourists to their favourite mountain destinations, were collected. Such data was subjected to a deductive content analysis, and the results suggest that the imagery of favourite mountain destinations consists mostly of functional elements. Findings reinforce previous theories regarding the concept of favourite destinations, destination imagery (DY) processing, and destination choice. Future studies should apply such analysis to other tourism products, as well as to different or more representative samples, to verify whether imagery structures differ.

The role of a national park in classifying mountain tourism destinations: An exploratory study of the Italian Western Alps

Together with the main aim of preserving nature, national parks are also expected to play an important role for the local communities, driving economic activities toward the lens of sustainable development. This contribution aims to present an exploratory study on the relationship between the presence of a protected mountain area, the Gran Paradiso National Park (GPNP), in the North West of the Italian Alps, and the classification of tourism destinations, according to Weaver model of destination management. Starting from the model, the authors provide a quantitative analysis using a set of variables and indicators to comprehensively assess the differing patterns assumed by the municipalities within the borders of the GPNP and those that are not. The provisional results illustrate that the municipalities within the border of a protected area are more likely to be grouped alongside the sustainable mountain destinations. Meanwhile, research outcomes confirm that a protected area does not necessarily contrast the tourism industry but instead may boost local development by driving it within the borders of the sustainable development, switching from the area’s only preservation function to a flywheel for the local communities.

The invention of a mountain tourism destination: An exploration of Trevinca-A Veiga (Galicia, Spain)

The literature on the development of tourism destinations neglects to question their precise origins. Thus, it makes sense to research the when, how and why a particular place attracts tourists to the point of being considered an up-and-coming destination. The case of Trevinca-A Veiga (Galicia, Spain), a mountain area which is emerging as a tourism destination, is analysed through 28 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders regarding the initial phases of tourism development. Six different narratives (rather than simply one), regarding the emergence of Trevinca-A Veiga as a tourism destination, are identified. These are not mutually exclusive stories, rather, they appear interwoven and in dialogue with each other, complementing and sometimes even contradicting each other. The article shows that the origin of a destination has to be understood not only in its materiality but also through its intangible dimensions. This includes discussing the place name used by a destination and its spatial coverage and scale, and negotiating the dimension and type of demand that is desired. Therefore, the origin of a destination is a process with multiple interpretations sustained by a complex social net. The conclusions include a set of recommendations for tourism destination development in a mountain area with no previous development.

Reflections on the theme issue outcomes

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to profile the World Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue “Tourism sustainability in the Alpine region: What are the major trends and challenges?” with reference to the experience of the theme editors and writing team.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process.FindingsIt draws on a multidisciplinary approach to identify some key components of sustainable tourism for the French and Italian Alps. It reflects on research and stakeholder interaction that helped to shape the current and future thinking about how Alpine mountain resorts can enhance sustainability in relation to the destination offer, accommodation, transport and mobility and institutional, legal and socio-economic aspects.Practical implicationsThe theme issue outcomes provide lines of enquiry for others to explore, and they reinforce the value of WHATT’s approach to collaborative working and writing.Originality/valueThe work reported in this theme issue provides research-based evidence of the need for rapid adaptation to sustainable tourism development for resorts in the French and Italian Alps. Traditionally designed to facilitate skiing and snow sports, the impact of climate change is forcing a rethink to safeguard Alpine tourism – a vital economic activity to these and most mountain tourism destinations.

Alternative forms of tourism in mountain tourism destination: A case study of Bjelašnica (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

For better development of alternative tourism supply in mountain tourism destinations it is necessary to identify and evaluate tourism attractions that could be better valorised when creating tourism products. It is an essential part of the destination analysis to determine perception of local population and tourists when evaluating tourism attractiveness. Olympic Mountain Bjelasnica in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a representative case study of mountain tourism destination, whose recent phase of tourism development is characterized by a variety of tourism supply that allows practicing many forms of tourism with the dominance of the winter tourist season and the skiing tourism of mass character. The principal aim of the study is to determine the differences in the evaluation of tourism attractions of alternative tourism in tourism supply of Bjelasnica within and between group of local residents and tourists. Direct survey was conducted during the summer 2016 and sample included 98 local residents and 111 tourists. Results show: a) tourists evaluate most of attractions higher then local residents, b) some attractions are higher evaluated by younger and more educated local residents, c) older tourists evaluate cultural and historical heritage better, while tourists with college degree are most satisfied with tourism and recreational infrastructure considering the age, gender and level of education, and d) all clusters of attractions are rated as more attractive by tourists who stay at purpose-built mountain tourist resort Babin Do, compared to those in Bjelasnica's villages. Results can be applied as a guideline to raise local residents' awareness of tourism attractions and developing more specific tourism supply that will address not solely mass tourism, but also alternative forms of tourism.

Sustainable tourism development of mountain tourism destinations in Serbia

Tourism represents the fastest growing branch of economy, which is focused on the realization of economic effects. In the previous period of tourism development, no account was taken of natural resources and the environment. Contemporary trends indicate the existence of a growing demand for preserved natural resources аnd ecologically clean environment. This trend has caused sustainable tourism development, which will establish a positive relationship between the tourism development and the preservation of the environment. This paper presents the fundamentals of sustainable tourism development. Serbia’s mountain areas have a preserved potential of natural resources and the environment, which are the basis for the development of sustainable tourism. The aim of paper is to analyze the previous tourism development of mountain tourist destinations in Serbia, such as Kopaonik and Tara. The indicators of sustainable tourism are tested in this paper, and the results will show whether the previous tourism development in these areas was sustainable or unsustainable.

Residents’ environmental conservation behaviour in the mountain tourism destinations in China: Case studies of Jiuzhaigou and Mount Qingcheng

This study aimed at gaining an understanding of the formation of residents’ Environmental Conservation Behaviour (ECB) to promote sustainable tourism development in Chinese mountain areas. In particular, a theoretical framework was constructed by merging residents’ mountain attachment and their environmental values, and awareness of environmental consequences based on the Cognition Behaviour Theory. This research sampled 642 residents with convenience sampling method in Jiuzhaigou and Mount Qingcheng, and structural equation modelling analysis was conducted to identify the relationships among the above variables. Results verified that mountain attachment affected people’s awareness of environmental consequences, which then affected their ECB. Environmental values and mountain attachment directly and positively influenced ECB. Moreover, awareness of environmental consequences played the most prominent role in predicting ECB among all the predictors in this study. In all, this study derived several significant implications which can not only contribute to environmental management policies in tourism field but also help to improve the levels of the antecedents of residents’ ECB and promote sustainable tourism development in Chinese mountain areas.