Visitor Perceptions Research Articles

Zoo Visitors' Most-Liked Aspects of Elephant Encounters and Related Perceptions of Animals' Emotions and Welfare States: A Pragmatic Approach.

Zoos strive to provide excellent welfare for resident animals, including those belonging to endangered species involved in captive breeding programs while addressing visitors' concerns regarding the ethics of captivity. Zoos also rely on income and support from visitors to provide exceptional care for their animal residents. It is essential, therefore, that zoos consider how visitors perceive their animals' well-being, including physical and psychological welfare. This pragmatic, qualitative research explores the aspects of training-focused enrichment activities provided for a resident herd of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) that visitors liked/disliked, and it assesses perceptions of the animals' emotions and welfare. Data were collected via surveys following live encounters at Zoo Tampa, Florida (USA). Reflexive Thematic Analysis generated key themes related to visitors' most/least-liked aspects of the encounters, including proximity, elephant-caregiver relationships (ECRs), educational content, and teaching/learning opportunities for the elephants themselves. Participants in the research perceived the elephants as happy, content, calm, comfortable, engaged, excited, good, playful, and safe (among other emotional descriptors) and as having excellent welfare. Expressions of dislike referred to visitors' inability to have contact with the elephants, such as via touching or feeding. While focused on one case-study zoo and a charismatic species, this study nonetheless provides zoos with insight into the impact that animal-caregiver interactions can have on visitors' perceptions, and it offers a model that could be applied to other species and at other zoological institutions. These visitor experiences and visitor perceptions of animal welfare drive future visitor actions, including support for zoos.

Nation-branding Opportunities Through Sport Mega-events: Tourism Impact from FIFA World Cup in South Africa 2010 and Qatar 2022

Sport mega-events can be powerful agents in the imaging, re-imaging and branding of places, especially for emerging mega-event host nations. South Africa was the first African country to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and is a good case of how nation-branding opportunities were leveraged to showcase its global engagement, re-emergence post-apartheid, and its competence as a tourism and mega-event host. Similarly, Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is a region-first for the Middle East. Hosting the World Cup is aligned to Qatar’s strategic leveraging of sport to build a new image, acquire global recognition as a world-class venue for major events, sport sponsorships, and state-of-the-art stadiums. Yet Qatar, like South Africa, was confronted with significant detractors and negative media coverage in the lead-up to its hosting. This paper compares nation-brand perceptions collected from international visitors to the respective mega-events. The studies aimed to identify any changes to these brand perceptions because of their visit to these nations. It utilises the same instrument and method; with the survey instrument for 2010 adapted for Qatar to increase its relevance. A total of 561 (South Africa) and 421 (Qatar) international visitors were interviewed at event and tourist locations, using a spatially based, purposive sampling approach. The findings reveal how visitor perceptions changed in both instances. It reveals nuances in profiling mega-event sport tourists and contrasts expected nation-branding legacies for host nations, especially in emerging nation contexts. 

Visitor Perception of the Degradation of Bar Reef Kalpitiya Sri Lanka

Bar Reef is a complex marine ecosystem with over 120 coral species living in the reef and over 300 fish species reported from the surrounding sea. It was declared a marine sanctuary in 1992. Despite efforts for conservation, the Bar Reef ecosystem is at risk of degradation due to overexploitation of extractive uses, namely, edible fish, other seafood species, and aquarium fish. In addition, destructive fishing practices are also responsible for damaging the reef ecosystem. The designation of Kalpitiya as a significant tourism promotion area has created additional pressure on the system. Further, the worldwide incidence of coral bleaching in 1998 has severely affected a major part of the Bar Reef. However, the amount of degradation persistent in the bar reef has not been valued so far. This research has attempted to value the extent of degradation prevailing in the Bar Reef from the perception of the visitors. It has used Choice Experiment Method to assess the visitors’ perception of the degradation. Randomly selected 250 visitors were interviewed and the conditional logit model has been used to investigate the visitor preferences towards the habitat quality and analyze the significance of their preferences. According to the results obtained reduction of plastic and polythene by 50%, reducing the crowding in the beach area by 15%, and paying Rs. 1000 has become significant. Hence it is expected by this research to provide a signal to the relevant stakeholders on the extent of degradation prevailing and the importance of protecting this habitat.

Technologically Mediated Experiences of Visitors to the Frederic Chopin Museum: Postphenomenological Perspective on Touchscreens Affordances

Nowadays, technology plays an important role in supporting museum visits and enhancing overall museum visit experiences. An increasing number of studies have evaluated the potential of digitally mediated cultural heritage experiences. However, there is still a lack of a deeper understanding of how mediation devices influence the museum visit experiences and visitors’ behaviours. This article focuses on the mediating role of digital screens in the museum space, examining visitors’ activity and experience through their encounters with touchscreens at the Frederic Chopin's Museum in Warsaw, Poland. This article presents and makes use of a recent approach in the philosophy of technology, initiated by the American philosopher Don Ihde, called postphenomenology, as well as the theory of affordances. By conducting observations and interviews with museum visitors, the study shows that touchscreens, and digital technologies themselves, are not only functional but also shape the visitor's perception and expectations. This study shows that touchscreens are an embodiment technique and play a role of the touch-substitute for museum visitors.

VISITOR SATISFACTION WITH MUSEUM MANAGEMENT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MALAYSIA

During the 2019 global pandemic, widespread museum closures ensued, exacerbated by Malaysia's heightened distancing measures in response to emerging Covid Omicron variants. This research addresses the scarcity of studies on visitor perception during COVID-19, explicitly focusing on evaluating satisfaction by scrutinising visitation patterns, visitor satisfaction, and initiatives by the National Museum Malaysia. Employing mixed methods, a quantitative survey involving 260 museum visitors was conducted using random sampling and analysed using SPSS. The study also incorporated qualitative interviews with two museum personnel to complement the quantitative aspect, and these were thematically analysed. The findings reveal a decline in physical visits, and noteworthy efforts by management in online engagement and collaborations with broadcasters were observed. While overall satisfaction prevails, there is room for improvement in communicating online activities. The data indicates a readiness for a virtual museum in the future.

Pengaruh Faktor Motivasi Dan Persepsi Pengunjung Terhadap Keputusan Pembelian Tiket Pada Konser Act: Sweet Mirage In Jakarta

This research aims to explore the motivational factors and perceptions of visitors influencing ticket purchasing decisions for the music concert titled Act: Sweet Mirage In Jakarta, featuring the South Korean group TOMORROW X TOGETHER. The study involved a sample of 87 respondents and utilized a quantitative analysis research method with data collected through questionnaires. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated a regression coefficient value of 0.222 for motivational factors, showing a positive and significant impact on purchasing decisions. Additionally, the regression coefficient value for visitor perception factors was 0.630, indicating a positive impact on purchasing decisions. Both variables collectively influence the ticket purchasing decision for the Act: Sweet Mirage In Jakarta concert, as evidenced by the computed F-value of 8.847, which exceeds the critical F-value of 3.11.

Perceptions on Cultural Ecosystem Services of World Cultural Heritages in Beijing: A cross-cultural Comparison of Social Media-based Online Reviews and Images

This study introduces an innovative approach combining social media text and image comments to quantify the perceptual differences of cultural ecosystem services among various sociocultural groups. For five World Heritage Sites in Beijing, natural-language processing classifies visitor perceptions using social media comments and image data, and importance-performance analysis quantifies the differences between Chinese and international visitor perceptions of these cultural ecosystem services. For the six perceived cultural ecosystem service categories, cross-cultural and local visitors exhibit the same satisfaction trends. In particular, international tourists assign higher importance scores for a given cultural ecosystem service than Chinese tourists. The proposed methods incur a lower cost than traditional methods and acquire large volumes of broad-ranging data. Additionally, the importance of‒the performance analysis data-acquisition method is improved. Moreover, World Heritage Site sustainability can be promoted by understanding the different heritage tourism perceptions of different cultural groups. Furthermore, this study provides valuable insights for decision-makers to improve tourism management and conservation strategies.

Visitor Perception on Urban Green Space and its Contribution for Human Well-being, A Case Study for Henarathgoda Botanic Garden


 
 
 Botanical gardens vary widely in design and purpose, but most are typically associated with Ex-situ conservation, education, or historical interpretation. Yet, few studies have shown that botanic garden visitors are often motivated by recreational and leisure interests. While visitor motivations and benefits have been the focus of a number of botanical garden and green space visitor studies. The main objective of the study was to investigate the perceptions of benefits for wellbeing of community, by visiting Henarathgoda Botanic Garden (HBG) and the Specific objectives were; to identify the range of different specialized visitors to the HBG, identify the activity patterns of community visitation associated with HBG and to examine visitor preferences/perceptions for various combinations of social, resource and management conditions, and study the different wellbeing benefits obtained by visiting the garden related to physical and aesthetics aspects. This study employed means-end theory to investigate the links visitors make between garden attributes, consequences, and values. Structured questionnaire based in-person interviews were conducted with garden visitors (n=200) and surveys took place representing whatsoever the community visiting the HBG during February to March 2022. The overall study resulted that the garden visitation has been drastically affected by COVID-19 pandemic situation before, during, and after the pandemic respectively. This study reveals that the main top two reasons for visiting the HBG of respondent were because of relaxation and pleasure. This shows HBG should provide a suitable place for recreational activities for visitors. Further, the highest percentage of the respondents (36%) were commented that HBG‘s management should consider improving the services providing and maintaining more facilities and need for the visitors. The most positive benefit wanted to gain responders by visiting HBG, which was understanding and enjoying nature in different garden sections established at HBG (42%).
 Keywords: Urban green spaces, Well-being benefits, Botanic garden, Psychological benefits, Questionnaire survey
 
 

Conservation of Endemic Birds Through the Willingness to Pay Tourists in the Manusela National Park Eco-Tourism Area

Ecotourism management requires a lot of funds, so through ecotourism activities visitors can get involved in supporting the conservation of the area through willingness to pay (WTP). The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and preferences of tourists and the willingness to pay visitors (WTP) in supporting the conservation of typical bird species in MNP. Determination of the sample using accidental sampling technique. The number of samples used was 38 tourists. The characteristics and perceptions of visitors were analyzed using qualitative descriptive, while the willingness to pay of tourists used quantitative analysis. The results showed of the calculation WTP to support the conservation of endemic bird species through the management of birdwatching ecotourism attractions obtained a value of 2,000 000, -. This value indicates that the appropriate price for birdwatching ecotourism services in Masihulan Village for tourists is 2,000,000,-.

Spatial configuration analysis of a traditional garden in Yangzhou city: a comparative case study of three typical gardens

ABSTRACT This study examines the spatial layout characteristics of three existing traditional gardens from the 18th–19th century with featured historical backgrounds and landscape designs in Yangzhou City: Heyuan Garden (1862), Geyuan Garden (1818), and West Garden of the Daming Temple (1751). Two space syntax models, i.e. visibility graph analysis and segment angular analysis, were used to clarify the characteristics of the garden spaces. A quantitative analysis was conducted using statistical programs to reveal similarities and differences in invisible space-structure relationships among the three gardens. These gardens exhibited comparable centralities in terms of their accessibility distribution characteristics. The “mean depth” and “intelligibility” values were allocated such that visitors could access the global spaces effortlessly owing to the arrangement of these gardens. Scrutinising the “connectivity” parameter revealed that the intuitive perceptions of visitors were more diverse at the knee and eye levels because of the spatial structure of the gardens. This study can help understand the effect of cultural practices and societal norms on the design of traditional gardens. The findings of this study can aid in the conservation of cultural heritage and help restore the gardens in Yangzhou City from the perspective of analysing invisible space structures.

Development and Impact of a Mobile Application that Allows Users to Track Their Location on an Educational Institution Campus

This research study aims to solve user location issues within the campus at an educational institution. As this campus comprises a large number of places and departments, users often get confused about how to reach a specific location. To address this problem, the “Ubícate” (“locate by yourself” in Spanish) application was developed following the CDIO methodology, which encompasses four creative process steps: conceive, design, implement, and operate. The “Ubícate” app provides users with information on places of interest such as schools, departments, halls, auditoriums, and sports venues, offering a visual reference of available locations through 360-degree images. The application also uses Google Maps to track user location within the campus, thus marking a reference route between university gates and the different locations available, in addition to providing information on university-sponsored events. In this paper, Section 2 describes the methodology and each of the stages that were addressed in the following sections. Section 3 presents the development itself and the data used for the purposes thereof. Next, Section 4 reveals the results from this study. Later, Section 5 assesses these results and the findings from the study. In Section 6, our conclusions are discussed. Finally, Section 7 lists topics for future research. The application did indeed contribute to improving the attendance of the academic community at events. Where the application was used, the first-hand perception of visitors and their own was very positive and enhanced the institutional image and sense of belonging. The contribution of this study consists of presenting a mobile application as a solution from three approaches: the technical aspects for application development, the business vision to satisfy the user’s needs, and the end user’s perception. All three approaches provide a technical reader, an entrepreneur, or an end user an overview of a scalable solution to different types of implementations in different types of businesses that require indoor location through the use of technologies in mobile applications. The mobile application performs the location indoors using the Google Maps platform, allowing a more agile development in implementing the APP.

Віртуальний туризм - доступний вид туризму

Digitization effectively permeates every industry in this era of globalization and world change. The tourism industry is no exception, where elements of digitization and digitization are used and involved. As a result of the integration of technologies in the tourism industry, such a concept as "virtual or digital tourism" will appear. This is a modern full-fledged type of tourism, which is popular among all audiences of visitors. The phenomenon of virtualization is becoming relevant because the consumer of the service and the tourist service itself are changing, and it is becoming flexible to such visitors as inclusive tourists. But the formation of the service is influenced by other factors of world globalization - the development of technologies, psychological factors of the visitor's perception of the service. Virtual tourism, as a separate type of tourism, does not limit visitors either in movements, not in time, or in space. Therefore, virtual tourism is gaining momentum and popularity among all audiences of consumers of tourist services in the virtual world. One of its functions is as a prelude to a real trip. However, for the audience of inclusive tourists, it is a full-price and affordable replacement for traveling in physical space. But such tourists can apply for the definition category - "virtual tourist".

Students’ perception on preventive archaeological research in Timisoara

The research that has been carried out in recent years in the historical area of Timisoara constituted the context for conducting a sociological study regarding the perception of permanent residents and visitors of Timisoara, on these studies, both in terms of the legislative framework in which preventive archaeological investigations are carried out, their way of organization, but especially regarding their impact on the cultural heritage of the city. A separate category of subjects, individualized within the target group of the research, are the students. Our analysis follows the perception of 360 students, highlighting both their level of information and knowledge regarding the archaeological research carried out in Timisoara, but also their opinions regarding the impact and usefulness of this type of investigation for the cultural heritage and for the city of Timisoara. After analyzing the results, we could find that most students expressed themselves in favor of this type of archaeological investigation, perceived as necessary and useful, with an impact especially on local history, which should be restored and valued. The conclusions of the study are important in our opinion, as they reflect the perception of a significant category of the population, namely students (mostly young people, aged between 18-28).

Emotionally-oriented design in museums: a case study of the Jewish Museum Berlin.

This study examines the intricate interplay between architectural design and visitor emotional responses at the Jewish Museum Berlin, focusing on how specific spatial elements such as the Holocaust Tower, Garden of Exile, The Voids, and The Axis elicit varied affective experiences. The research aims to extend the discourse on environmental psychology and architectural empathy, particularly within the context of memorial museums. Employing a non-intrusive approach, the study gathered emotional response data using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) from 113 museum visitors, with 102 valid responses analyzed. Environmental conditions such as light, sound, and spatial design were quantitatively measured to correlate with emotional responses captured at the end of visitors' tours across the designated museum spaces. Findings revealed that architectural elements significantly influence emotional responses. High levels of negative emotions like fear and anxiety were markedly evident in the Holocaust Tower due to its minimal lighting and stark concrete structure. Conversely, the Garden of Exile induced more positive emotions through its use of natural light and greenery, emphasizing the role of biophilic design in enhancing emotional well-being. Statistical analysis supported these observations, with variations in emotional impact across different spaces demonstrating the profound effect of architectural design on visitor experiences. This study confirms that a variety of design elements and spatial strategies not only facilitate the presentation of historical narratives but also actively sculpt the emotional involvement and experiences of visitors. Our findings highlight the efficacy of emotionally-oriented architectural design in deepening the impact and engagement of museum visitors, emphasizing the transformative power of these environments in shaping visitor perceptions and interactions.

Sport tourism quality and its influence on visitor satisfaction and revisit intention: an empirical study of Mandalika MotoGP

Sport tourism has been proven as a special interest tourism that contributes positively to the economy and the destination image of the event’s host. MotoGP is an international motorcycle racing championship in the premier class of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing series. This study aims to measure the influence of visitor perceptions on the quality of sport tourism from the Mandalika MotoGP event on satisfaction and intention to visit and attend the same event again in subsequent years. The online survey was distributed to 200 respondents who attended the Mandalika MotoGP in 2022 and stayed at one of the accommodation facilities around the area during the event. This study uses SEM-PLS for primary data processing. The results of the study show that perceptions of the quality of sport tourism have a positive effect on the level of satisfaction which then also encourages tourists to return to the same event in the future. In relation to the four dimensions that determine the quality of sport tourism, contest quality and venue quality are two dimensions that most contribute to shaping tourist satisfaction.

Total Quality Management in the Archeological Museums of Greece

A widely accepted method of measuring the quality of services is SERVQUAL, introduced by Parasuraman, Zeintham, and Berry in 1985. SERVQUAL measures the gap between the expectations and the perceptions of the customers about the efficiency of services based on five dimensions: (1) tangibles, (2) reliability, (3) responsiveness, (4) assurance, and (5) empathy. Subsequent studies have examined the effectiveness of this model in various fields, such as retail trade and tourism (Finn XXABSTRACT Lamb, 1991; Maher et al., 2011). Various critics of this tool state that there is greater focus on customer perceptions than on customer expectations, so that the gap between expected and actual service performance cannot be accurately determined (Daskalaki et al., 2020). In addition, the use of SERVQUAL in measuring the quality of services in museums is quite ineffective. For this reason, Frochot and Hughes (2000), based on the service quality model SERVQUAL, developed another specialized model for evaluating cultural services, the HISTOQUAL scale. The main approach of HISTOQUAL is based on the comparison between visitor perceptions and their expectations. The article analyzes the HISTOQUAL in the Archeological Museums of Greece.

An investigation of socio-spatial equality in blue-green space at the Setu Babakan Area, Jakarta

This research focuses on the dynamic interplay between blue-green public spaces, urban food environments, and cultural place branding in the Setu Babakan area of Jakarta, home to the Betawi Cultural Village. While the area functions as a multi-faceted public asset, encompassing both Green Open Space (GOS) and Blue Open Space (BOS), the actual utilization of these spaces reveals disparities. Employing mixed methods, this study aims to holistically capture the complexities surrounding utilizing Setu Babakan’s blue-green spaces from the vantage points of visitor perceptions, street vendors, and governmental policies. The study found that both visitors and street vendors were highlighting the need for equitable access to this vital public amenity. Factors such as accessibility and population density of vendors within the neighborhood area complicate the quest for socio-spatial equality. The presence of 6 (six) distinct types of warungs or street vendor stalls, which spontaneously emerge in the transitional zones between blue-green public spaces and private community lands, underscores the local government’s challenge in crafting policies that achieve legal and inclusive socio-spatial fairness. This study suggests that Setu Babakan embodies a unique confluence of cultural, social, and environmental values, offering a blueprint for how multifunctional public spaces can cater to diverse urban needs while fostering community well-being. As such, it calls for regulatory clarity, suggesting implementing formalized guidelines like temporary permits or designated zones to harmonize the competing demands of the informal economy and environmental sustainability.

ISU Dairy Farm Open House 2022 - An Opportunity for Education and Engagement

The month of June is known as 'June Dairy Month' and therefore, the Iowa State University (ISU) Dairy Farm Open House took place on June 10th, 2022. The purpose of the ISU Dairy Farm Open House was to invite the public, free of charge, to come and visit the ISU Dairy Research and Teaching Unit in order to learn more about the dairy industry's commitment to animal care, to observe how a modern-day dairy operation functions on a daily basis, and to celebrate and learn about all things dairy. Hence, throughout the event, visitors were able to: consume a variety of safe, wholesome, and nutritious dairy products; learn about cow comfort and the various management practices that are in place on dairy farms to assure that all dairy animals are cared for with the utmost care, view a live milking parlor demonstration and learn about the proper steps dairy farms follow in order to harvest milk properly and safely from dairy cows, and participants received a driving tour of the dairy farm. Tours of the ISU Dairy Farm were provided by research faculty and graduate students who have a deep understanding of dairy production and management and therefore, they were able to further enlighten guests on common feeding strategies used for the dairy herd, discuss the dairy industry's commitment to sustainable farming practices, and environmental stewardship. At the end of the driving tour, guests were transported to the 'Ag Discovery Center' to learn more about agriculture throughout Iowa from a variety of commodity groups within the state. An optional, post-even survey (Table 1) was distributed to gauge visitor perception of the dairy industry. Of those who completed the survey (81 respondents), 94% of visitors indicated having a positive or very positive perception of the dairy industry. Also, 98% of respondents indicated they would attend this event in the future, and respondents unanimously indicated they would recommend this event to someone else. Thus, moving forward, there is a continued desire by the public for ISU to continue planning and hosting the ISU Dairy Farm Open House. Due in part because this event is an excellent opportunity for all in involved to continue educating and promoting dairy to the public in order to ensure a thriving dairy industry in the years to come.

A Gecko-eye View of Naturalistic Enclosures

Naturalistic enclosures have become a popular exhibition technique for zoos, and reptiles and amphibians are regularly housed in these exhibits. While a considerable sum of research indicates that visitors prefer naturalistic exhibits, there are fewer studies documenting the behaviour and welfare of animals housed under these conditions. This study investigated the impact of a naturalistic enclosure on the behaviour of the turquoise dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi), and the welfare perceptions of visitors. When kept under naturalistic enclosures, dwarf geckos were seen to bask (p = 0.022), and engage in inactive behaviours (p = 0.001) significantly less frequently. A non-significant decrease was also seen in locomotion | (p = 0.074). While time spent hidden remains a confounding factor for behavioural analysis, the study indicates that when provided with hiding opportunities, L. williamsi may spend a considerable amount of time hidden from the public. Questionnaire analysis revealed that 84.6% of individuals believed that naturalistic enclosures demonstrated better welfare. Additionally, individuals who had previously owned a reptile were more likely to identify that areas to hide, enrich, and mimic the natural environment were important aspects of enclosure design. While the actual benefits of naturalistic enclosure design cannot be fully addressed by this study, this work suggests that visitors tend to inherently believe that naturalistic enclosures facilitate better welfare, even if they are not aware of the natural environment of the species being housed. This requires keepers to consider both aspects of functionality and enclosure relevance when designing exhibits for herptiles.

Assessment of the Economic Value of Mangrove Resources

Mangrove resource that people often visit, has characteristics that are quite vulnerable to environmental disturbance. Maroon Mangrove Edupark is a mangrove resource in Semarang, located close to Maroon beach and Ahmad Yani International Airport. The presence of mangroves in Maroon Mangrove Edupark, is expected to protect Maroon coastal area and the airport from the coastal disaster, as well as to make it as a new sustainable ecotourism site. This study assessed the benefits of mangrove resource in Maroon Mangrove Edupark according to visitor perception, and provide the economic valuation toward mangrove plantation in there. Economic valuation measurement employed was TCM (Travel Cost Method). The economic surplus value per individual per visit is Rp 173.010,00. The value indicates the benefits of environmental services greater than the cost incurred. Besides that, only 35,54% of mangrove forest has been utilized. For optimalizing the values, increasing the number of mangroves were planted along with maintenance should be done.