Regional Tourism Organizations Research Articles

The extent of accessibility of Indian regional tourism organisations' websites for persons with visual impairment: an exploratory study

The extent of accessibility of Indian regional tourism organisations' websites for persons with visual impairment: an exploratory study

‘Experience Norfolk! Experience Fun!’ vs. ‘Doživi više od očekivanog’ – A Corpus-Based Contrastive Study of Reader Engagement Markers on the Web

The paper investigates how reader engagement markers (Hyland 2005; Zou and Hyland 2020) are used in tourism promotion to establish interaction with potential customers on the web. The markers are extracted using AntConc software from two comparable corpora in English and Serbian compiled from the web texts of regional tourism organizations. Normalized frequencies per 1,000 words are calculated, followed by a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the most frequent markers. The results are interpreted in view of the differences and similarities in the two corpora considering the distribution and communicative functions of the markers, and the cultural aspects of this kind of interaction with the reader. The findings shed light on the implied concepts underlying reader-oriented engagement and written e-communication practices in the context of tourism discourse. The results can be used for the data-driven teaching of writing and translation studies.

Small- and medium-sized tourism enterprises and smart tourism: Tourism Agenda 2030 perspective article

Diseño/metodología/enfoque (límite 100 palabras)Revisando la literatura sobre el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en turismo, este artículo desarrolla un caso de la implantación del Turismo Inteligente en la mejora de la competitividad de las Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas (PYMES).Objetivo (límite 100 palabras)Al destacar el importante papel de las TIC en el reequilibrio competitivo entre las PYMES turísticas y las grandes empresas, este artículo sirve de llamada a la acción a los gobiernos, las organizaciones regionales de turismo y otras partes interesadas a nivel político para facilitar una difusión más ágil del turismo inteligente, contribuyendo a apoyar la agenda turística 2030 y los múltiples Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de la ONU.Resultados (límite 100 palabras)Sin un enfoque colaborativo, es improbable que las PYMES turísticas utilicen eficazmente las tecnologías emergentes para competir con sus homólogas más grandes y las plataformas en línea. Si se adopta un enfoque de turismo inteligente, los efectos de red entre las partes interesadas pueden ganar terreno, lo que permite a las PYMES competir con mayor eficacia y a los destinos promover la inclusividad y el crecimiento económico sostenible.Originalidad/valor (límite 100 palabras)Al destacar el papel fundamental que pueden desempeñar las TIC en general y el turismo inteligente en particular a la hora de abordar el desequilibrio competitivo entre las PYME y las grandes empresas, este trabajo sirve de llamamiento a la acción para que los gobiernos, las organizaciones regionales de turismo y otras partes interesadas a nivel político aceleren la adopción de los principios del turismo inteligente como medio de apoyar la Agenda de Turismo 2030 y promover los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de las Naciones Unidas.

Innovations and Tourism Regions: are Innovations Perceived as A Problem in Regional Development in European Tourism?

This article examines innovative aspects of the development of tourism regions in Europe. The article aims to determine the intensity of the perception of innovation in the tourism region as a problem in its development. The ambition of the article is to assess the problems in the development of tourism regions in Europe in the field of innovation as a possible starting point for optimizing changes in local and regional tourism policy. The research analyses the positions of 95 regional tourism experts from 17 European countries. The database was based on a databank of 150 representatives of academia and 275 representatives of regional tourism organizations. To analyse the properties of categorical data and the relationships between them, we used Gamma, Kendall’s Tau-b, Somers’ D C|R, Spearman correlation coefficient, Phi Coefficient, Contingency Coefficient, Cramer’s V and the decision tree algorithm. The maturity of the innovation environment of tourism regions and their level of development influence the perception of innovations as a problem in their development. Southern European tourism regions perceive innovation as a problem in their development most intensively. Tourism regions with stronger innovation activity have a well-established quality management system and a comprehensive and systematically addressed supply of seasonal and off-season products. Tourism regions ranked in the emerging innovator group perceive the specified problems in the implementation of innovations more intensively. This reflects the lack of coordination of the product portfolio, both in terms of range and quality, in countries where the innovation environment is poorly developed. A key recommendation to mitigate the perception of innovations as a problem in the development of Europe’s tourism regions is to focus attention on the implementation of regional policy instruments that stimulate the participation of tourism in the synergy effects of the existing innovation environment of the economy.

The extent of accessibility of Indian regional tourism organisations’ websites for persons with visual impairment: an exploratory study

The extent of accessibility of Indian regional tourism organisations’ websites for persons with visual impairment: an exploratory study

How Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Functional Relationships in Activities between Members in a Tourism Organization? A Case Study of Regional Tourism Organizations in Poland

A key research question that fits within the main objective is to identify the negative and positive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the functional relationships between members of regional tourism organizations (RTOs) in Poland. The study consisted of three stages: desk research, a diagnostic survey, as well as qualitative, and statistical analyses. Empirical data from all 16 Polish RTOs (regional DMOs) on 19 variables were collected. No significant symptoms of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the functional relationship between RTOs and their stakeholders were found, except for the observed increased number of limitations of RTOs’ activities aimed at benefiting their members. As part of the study’s secondary objectives, key variables and methods were indicated. They identify the functional relationships of RTOs with member entities, with the environment, and are useful in building the effectiveness of the organization at the regional level in crisis situations. As the pragmatic goal of the study, a research tool was proposed that can be implemented to evaluate relations with the environment in other tourism destination management organizations at various levels of the tourism economy.

The Impact on Well-being of Experiences at Cultural Events

Major international cultural exhibitions, often referred to as touring "blockbuster" exhibitions (TBEs), are arguably among the most stimulating and engaging event experiences. The role of orchestrating an experience that is meaningful and memorable has captured the attention of scholars in the events literature over recent decades. The aims of this article are to reconceptualize major international cultural exhibitions as special events, present a framework of the experiences these exhibitions generate for visitors, and explore the roles such experiences play in visitor well-being. The study draws on the findings of qualitative research conducted in Australia and New Zealand. Semistructured interviews were conducted with representatives of art galleries and museums in Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, and Wellington involved in hosting "blockbuster" exhibitions, as well as representatives of regional cultural, tourism, and events organizations. This article presents a "3Es" experience realms framework, which comprises the key experiences that a major cultural and arts event generates for visitors: entertainment, enrichment, and emotional engagement. The first realm of the 3Es framework, entertainment, has encountered skepticism in the museum field; however, research findings here corroborate the arguments of those scholars who hold that entertainment may help to engage visitors and facilitate education. Enrichment comprises the creation of a favorable environment for new knowledge to be processed, and the enhancement of knowledge. The third realm is an emotionally engaging experience that results from social interactions, activities, and contemplation of and learning about unique exhibits. The framework demonstrates an interplay of these three major experiential dimensions and visitors' hedonic and eudaemonic well-being. Exhibition and event organizers can utilize this framework to plan the delivery of memorable experiences for visitors and explore the ways in which their event can be made enjoyable, enriching, and emotionally engaging.

Becoming Vincent: Using the “hero’s journey” to connect and design (digital) tourist experiences along Vincent van Gogh’s heritage locations

Abstract This case describes a research and design project, commissioned to Breda University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) by several regional tourism organizations in Brabant, a province in the south of the Netherlands. The aim of the project was to draft a narrative concept and storylines that would link and upgrade the various Vincent Van Gogh heritage sites in the area in order to eventually attract international tourists to the province, especially in view of the commemoration of Van Gogh’s 125 th death anniversary in 2015. In the creative phase, we used a 12 steps storytelling model ( Bouma, 2010 ). This is based on Campbell’s “monomyth” or “hero’s journey” (1945). It applies to many great tales and chronologically orders the (metaphorical) steps that drive the “hero” in his actions. We compared the 12 steps to Vincent’s life. The first 6 steps, which took place in Brabant, we placed under the overarching narrative concept of “Becoming Vincent”. At various locations in the province, tourists can experience how the events in Vincent’s early life led him to become the tormented yet brilliant artist so well-known from his time in France (which we defined as “Being Vincent”), thus making a full narrative circle. VIU logo WLCE logo Information Vancouver Island University World Leisure Centre of Excellence © Licia Calvi & Moniek Hover 2022

РЕГІОНАЛЬНИЙ ВЕКТОР РОЗВИТКУ ТУРИЗМУ В УКРАЇНІТ

At the present stage of development of society, tourism has occupied one of the leading places as a cultural and economic phenomenon. It is constantly changing and expanding the range of species and forms, offering new motives for travel. Currently, tourism is developing in a difficult epidemic situation, complicated by political cataclysms, which brings to the problem of finding new local resources to create a relevant proposal.The article is devoted to a comprehensive consideration of the problems and prospects of regional tou-rism development in Ukraine. The development of priority areas of tourism, in particular, such as domestic and foreign is possible through the use of domestic tourist and recreational opportunities of Ukrainian regional now.Comprehensive solution of regional tourism development in Ukraine requires further study and improvement of the management system, use of local resources and infrastructure development, training of qualified personnel, creation of a unique regional tourist offer and solving funding problems. Regional development of tourism is possible with the effective use of the internal potential of the region-managerial, resource, financial. The essence of activating managerial capacity is to shift the emphasis from direct public administration and regulation of regional development of tourism and recreation to: stimulation the formation of an effective autonomous regulatory mechanism in the regions; activation of the entrepreneurial element, the activities of individuals in ensuring such development; creation of the conditions for effective cooperation between public authorities, local governments and the private sector in the development of tourism through various mechanisms. Achieving the set goals lies in the way of involving public authorities, local governments, territorial communities and private initiative to active action. Therefore, local tourism organizations and tourist information centers are being setup at the department sand tourism departments of local state administrations, and the efforts of domestic and foreign (including international) public organizations are being actively involved. The experience of the National Tourist Organization of Ukraine (NTOU) is interesting in this topic. The article highlights the experience of public and regional tourism organizations, in particular the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine, considers the possibilities of creating regional tourism product on the examples of specific types of tourism and regional resources, draws conclusions on the prospects of tourism development in the regions and solving funding problems. Keywords: touristic region (destination), regional tourism, NTO of Ukraine, regional tourism product.

Freedom camping in Aotearoa New Zealand: an exploration of stakeholder perceptions

The global COVID-19 health pandemic has shaken the most stable political systems, and left deep economic scars across industries. With global and national travel at a standstill, the tourism industry is among the most heavily hit. The gradual lifting of restrictions has already fuelled tourism demand, and previous hopes of rebuilding and transforming tourism more sustainably are vanishing. To ensure that pre-COVID-19 situations of unsustainable development do not resurface, it is of critical importance to go beyond economically driven crisis recovery. Instead, governments need to reconsider pre-crisis challenges, such as imbalances between tourists and residents, infrastructure shortages, and questions around the efficiency of regulations and policies. In New Zealand, issues related to freedom camping have fuelled these debates, with headlines relating to tourists defecating in public space, dropping garbage, and being ‘freeloaders’ with little economic value. Adopting a multiple stakeholder approach, this research note empirically explores stakeholder perceptions of challenges associated with freedom camping in the context of New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 stakeholders representing host communities, local councils, national agencies, tourism businesses, and regional tourism organisations. Qualitative data analysis reveals positive changes and reduced impacts as results of additional infrastructure funding, educational measures, and locally enforced bylaws. However, participants also noted the need for a national framework, and clear statements and messages regarding domestic demand. Considering that nature-based experiences that allow for social distancing, such as (freedom) camping, have grown significantly during the pandemic and that domestic tourists will be crucial to post-COVID tourism recovery, this original multiple stakeholder approach delivers policy-relevant insights and provides avenues for future research with regard to a responsible and sustainable tourism restart.

African tourism and air transport: the role of the African Union and ECOSOCC in SDG implementation post COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer an insight of the role of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) in implementing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for the air transport sector and the tourism industry. The objective is to show how the AU along with its advisory body ECOSOCC collaborates with regional tourism organizations and stakeholders to achieve the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on desk-based research and content analysis of documents, reports and research articles related to Agenda 2063. Findings The findings show that achievement of the SDGs necessitates collaboration between regional and international organizations. But, not all AU members are committed to implementing the SDGs. However, the COVID-19 outbreak has threatened many tourism economies, and stakeholders are now interested in finding a solution to the crisis. Practical implications The outcome of this study provides an improved understanding of the importance of SDGs while confronting tourism challenges during the pandemic crisis in Africa. Originality/value According to the authors’ best knowledge, the study is among the first to address SDG issues in a post-COVID African context.

Human resources management as a factor determining the organizational effectiveness of DMOs: a case study of RTOs in Poland

Purpose This study aims to investigate the human resources management of regional tourism organizations (RTOs) in Poland as a condition for organization effectiveness and presents a model of RTO operation in destination management organizations for improved effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach The study was of qualitative nature because of the scope of the examined features and analyses of RTO effectiveness (here in relation to human resources). The research involved the following stages: desk research of secondary sources, pilot diagnostic survey and diagnostic survey proper, qualitative and statistical analyses. First, an analysis of secondary sources regarding conditions of RTO operation effectiveness took place. Next, a questionnaire was used to collect empirical data from 137 respondents from the same 13 group types, in equal numbers from each organization in the entire population of 16 RTOs. Findings The research identified 197 organizational effectiveness variables, in four feature groups: the effectiveness of statutory and economic objectives, stakeholders’ benefits from cooperating with RTOs and general characteristics of RTO operation effectiveness. The findings suggest that the characteristics of RTO employees influence organizational effectiveness, especially from the perspective of the organization’s stakeholders. There is a need for strong support for RTO employee structures as a measure to raise organization effectiveness. Practical implications Specific human resources practices are identified for the effectiveness of non-enterprise organizations (employee character and structure) that constitute an essential component of the management system at regional and national levels. New directions for RTO operations are also proposed. Originality/value The study fills a substantial and identified knowledge gap in assessing organization effectiveness level against the quality characteristics of RTO human resources. The analysis allowed the creation of a multidimensional and universal model of RTO effectiveness investigation, which facilitates comparative analysis of organizations despite their strong diversity. It can be implemented in assessing the effectiveness of other non-enterprise organizations in the context of tourism.

Geotourism—Examining Tools for Sustainable Development

From the middle of the 1990s, geotourism was introduced through the first geotrails, their evolution, and the first geopark worldwide in Gerolstein/Vulkaneifel, Germany. The latter is one of the founding members of the European Geoparks Network, which was established in 2000 at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin. The main goal of the first geopark was to link geological heritage with tourism in a rural area that was trying to create new perspectives to inspire young people to stay in their home territory. Geotourism was initiated as part of sustainable tourist development and for future sustainable development at that time in the Gerolstein region. The first steps to implement the Gerolstein/Vulkaneifel Geopark, Germany, were taken in 1992. The core aspects included geological heritage, science transfer, and education as tools for developing geotourism in the broad sense and integrating local people and municipalities in the geopark activities of the rural region. Close collaboration with the local and regional tourism organizations highlighted the need to both define tools and demonstrate their success. Up to now, practice has shown that such success can be demonstrated by the infrastructure created, as well as adjacent measures and activities. A network of factors was determined to play a significant role in ensuring the successful sustainable development in a geopark across the field of geotourism. There are many activities and publications on geological heritage, geosite assessment, significance, and use, but there are fewer which reflect on the network of factors highlighted in this contribution which were first presented in 2002. In many publications and investigations, one factor in particular is emphasized, e.g., infrastructure development, such as panels or other items. Not all of the mentioned factors, however, are being addressed. As a result, a selection of good practice examples of UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGP) working on the network-oriented conceptual basis has been studied here, in line with the conceptual principle set forth about 25 years ago. The geopark examples in this study include Lesvos Island UGGp (Greece), Naturtejo UGGP (Portugal), Vulkaneifel UGGp (Germany), and Hong Kong UGGP (China), as well as the example of the Messel Pit World Heritage Site (WHS) (Germany). The latter was integrated to present an example which is not a geopark, showing that this concept can also be transferred to a WHS as a tool for sustainable development according the UN 2030 Agenda. The information on the development of the selected examples was obtained by visiting the geopark territory and from the geopark’s websites and published material as a combined methodology.

Cooperation between Municipalities and the Private Sector in the Field of Tourism (Case Study)

The public sector very often encounters a lack of the financial resources needed to finance tourism projects. In this context, different models of public - private partnerships are proving to be appropriate solutions. The fact that the private sector is more efficient than the public sector in implementing large infrastructure projects that need to be implemented in the field of tourism can be mentioned in favor of using such a partnership, and moreover the use of public-private partnership models does not have an immediate impact on public budgets. The private sector is more efficient than the public sector in implementing big infrastructure projects, which need to be implemented in the field of tourism. In addition, the use of public-private partnership models does not have an immediate impact on public budgets. The aim of the paper is the analysis of a selected model of public - private partnership (PPP) in the field of tourism at the local level in the conditions of the Slovak Republic. Municipalities enter into PPP projects with tourism enterprises in order to create Regional Tourism Organizations (RTO). RTO is a legal entity established under Act No. 91/2010 Coll. on the promotion of tourism. It supports and creates conditions for the development of tourism in its territory and protects the interests of its members. The data for the analysis were data obtained from the Register of Regional Tourism Organizations in the Slovak Republic and the FINSTAT database. We used multiple regression and correlation analysis to test the established hypotheses. The results of the analysis show that in 2018 there were 953 RTO in Slovak Republic, in which 269 municipalities were involved. At the same time, a statistically significant dependence of selected economic benefits resulting from this PPP model was demonstrated.

Supplemental tourism activities: a conceptual framework to maximise sport tourism benefits and opportunities

ABSTRACT Theoretical integration has been called for in sport tourism research in order to capture the synergies of existing contributions. In response, this article proposes a conceptual framework of supplemental tourism activities, which are motivated by secondary and/or tertiary tourism attractions that complement or reinforce tourism benefits and opportunities bestowed by a primary tourism attraction. This is achieved by integrating the sport and non-sport interactions into Hinch and Higham’s (2001) sport tourism attraction system. The conceptual framework presents three types of supplemental tourism activities that interplay not only within the four categories of sport tourism attractions (spectator-based events, participation-based events, active sports, heritage sports), but also across non-sport tourism attractions. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the specific context of Japan, and future directions for research are identified. A clear appreciation of supplemental tourism activities will help regional and national tourism organisations and businesses to understand and maximise the tourism benefits and opportunities associated with sports.

Regional tourism organizations from management to marketing to knowledge-based development

As reasoned in the invitation for this special issue, tourism management has been taught as ways to control and design nature and culture as resources that fit commercial use (Hockert et al., 2019)...

Regional tourism organizations in Poland: models of operation and cooperation with the environment. relation systems and features

W artykule zaprezentowano wyniki identyfikacji cech wyrozniających regionalnych organizacji turystycznych (ROT) i potwierdzających ich przynaleznośc do systemu organizacji oraz oceny modeli funkcjonowania i wspolpracy ROT-ow w Polsce z ich otoczeniem na tle roznych koncepcji systemow i typow relacji organizacji z interesariuszami w otoczeniu blizszym i dalszym. Dokonana analiza wskazuje, ze zasady, formy i stopien nasilenia wspolpracy ROT-ow z ich otoczeniem mogą miec wplyw na skutecznośc dzialania tych organizacji.

Power Relationship in the Governance of Regional Tourism Organizations in Brazil

Objective: The development of tourism is one the main objectives of managers seeking a greater competitive advantage for destinations. To achieve this objective, the political-institutional structure related to public and private organizations involved in the Brazilian scenario of tourism activities deliberately operate in the format of Regional Tourism Organizations—RTOs, which started in 2004. In this context, the aim of this study arose, which is to analyze the power relations of Regional Tourism Organizations of tourist regions. Design/Methodology: This research adopted a qualitative and quantitative approach, with data collection through documents, laws, reports and information about the RTOs and questionnaires in forms applied to 27 representatives of the public sector, 14 representatives of private sector and six representatives of the third sector, from a total population of 89 active members of the Regional Tourism Organizations: Costa Verde e Mar (state of Santa Catarina), Hortênsias (state of Rio Grande do Sul), and Costa das Dunas (state of Rio Grande do Norte). During the application of the forms, interviews were carried out, totaling 47 interviews with members of the RTOs. Quantitative analyses were generated by mean, mode, absolute and relative frequencies, multiple responses and dispersion graph, with the use of descriptive analyses. The qualitative analyses involving documents were descriptive, and those involving oral information were carried out using analysis of content of Bardin (1977). The different methods that were used in an interrelated manner and helped in the analysis of the data coming from the application of forms (quantitative), official documents (laws/decrees, regulations and statutes), and interviews with actors of the regional tourism organizations (qualitative), enabled the measurement of the effectiveness of the process of management of RTOs in relation to the dimension Power Relationship and the variables analyzed Representativeness, Harmony, Trust and Decision-Making Power. Results: As a result, it was seen that the regional tourism organizations of the tourist regions operate in an effective manner in the public or private sectors and that they involve the management of shared practices by the regional tourism organizations in the destinations studied in terms of representativeness, harmony, trust and decision-making power. Novelty/Value: This research theoretically deepened for the academy the theme of regional governance and power relationship between public and private actors in tourism who are important for the competitive performance of a tourist destination. It also analyzes how the management and governance of regional tourism organizations behaves in terms of power relationships.

Model of cooperation in the network of non-enterprise organizations on the example of Regional Tourism Organizations in Poland

Zdaniem autorow, w obliczu radykalnych zmian w turystyce, a z drugiej osiągnietego wysokiego poziomu dojrzalości organizacyjnej, w tym poziomu kompetencji merytorycznych nalezy szukac nowej misji dla regionalnych organizacji turystycznych (ROT-ow). Problem badawczy nalezaloby zatem zdefiniowac jako ustalenie jaki model funkcjonowania (wspolpracy) ROT-ow jest adekwatny wzgledem uwarunkowan wewnetrznych i zewnetrznych oraz cech dzialania wplywających na mozliwośc skutecznego funkcjonowania organizacji. Celem opracowania jest sformulowanie propozycji nowego modelu funkcjonowania ROT-ow opartego na sieciowej organizacji wspolpracy z interesariuszami. W pracy wykorzystano spojny i zarazem wszechstronny zbior metod badawczych ilościowo-jakościowych, w tym wielowymiarowy, autorski sondaz diagnostyczny i wieloetapową i nowatorską metode oceny skuteczności dzialania ROT-ow. Autorzy wyznaczają i wartościują katalog cech wplywających na poziom skuteczności funkcjonowania ROT-ow, a odnoszących sie do charakteru wspolpracy organizacji z jej otoczeniem. Pomimo ujawnionych rozbiezności poglądow na temat kierunkow i celowości modyfikacji systemu regionalnych organizacji turystycznych, autorzy proponują ewolucyjny model funkcjonowania ROT w formule sieciowej organizacji wspolpracy, wskazując cechy, dzialania i zadania pozwalające na wdrozenie tego modelu do praktyki organizacyjnej, a w konsekwencji sluzące wzrostowi skuteczności dzialania organizacji, a dalej implikujące zmiany w logistyce i jakości zarządzania promocją turystyczną regionu. W opinii autorow przyjeta metoda badania skuteczności ROT-ow w sferze wspolpracy sieciowej z interesariuszami powinna byc implementowana do praktyki oceny skuteczności dzialania innych organizacji nie bedących przedsiebiorstwami, a dzialających w sferze zarządzania i promocji turystyki.

Tourist Destinations as Integrated System: A Khorezm Region’s Perspective on Achieving Competitiveness

The paper deals with the analysis of the role of regional tourism organizations as integrated for the perspective on achieving competitiveness of tourism industry in the Khorezm region. Also actual problems of integration of tourist enterprises in the region and the main problems, tendencies of development of the tourist industry in the region are studied. In contrast to traditional production, determining the degree of dependence of the tourism industry on non-productive sectors on any internal or external factors can be the basis for the development of the industry's future strategy. In keeping with the above, it is essential that the focus should be on linking a particular aspect of innovation management to the industry in the proper organization and effectiveness of strategic planning in the economic sectors.