Sustainable Tourism Destination Research Articles

Sustainability orientation and sustainability performance in response to hostile environments in cultural tourism destinations

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how sustainability orientation influences economic, environmental and social sustainability performance and the moderating role of environmental hostility on these relationships. This study aims to deepen the consequences of the strategic commitment to sustainability of tourism firms located in the World Heritage Cities of Cusco, Lima and Arequipa in Peru.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical analysis was conducted on a sample of 238 tourism firms. The authors implemented structural equation modelling technique to contrast the hypothesis.FindingsThe results shows that sustainability orientation has a positive effect on social and environmental performance mainly, but also on both financial and non-financial economic performance. The authors also detect a significant negative moderating effect of environmental hostility, which is accentuated in the case of social and economic-financial performance.Practical implicationsThis study provides interesting practical implications in the tourism sector. Firms should develop a strategic commitment to sustainability, even in hostile environments, to improve their competitive position while reducing the negative impact of their activity on the natural and social environment. Institutions should encourage firms to commit to sustainability to achieve more sustainable and competitive urban tourism destinations.Originality/valueThis study advances the controversial debate on whether sustainability orientation of tourism firms leads to better economic performance. Moreover, from triple bottom line approach, it provides a holistic view of how sustainability orientation affects sustainability performance in all its dimensions. Finally, this paper delves into the complexities and challenges of sustainable urban tourism.

Stakeholder Perception of Sustainability Attitudes Among Responsible Travellers for Sustainable Tourism Destinations

Sustainability has become an important consideration for the tourism industry. An online focus group discussion is made with five panels of tourism stakeholders that represent the local tourist perspectives to discuss the attributes of sustainability attitudes among responsible travelers for tourism destinations. The sustainability attitudes reflect the tourist attitudes toward sustainable practices at the destination. The findings highlight the sustainability attitudes that focus on economic, social, and environmental attributes. This study can be used as a preliminary understanding of the potential of sustainable tourism destinations and it can be used as a tool for developing the surveys on Sustainability attitudes of tourists. The practices can give benefits the destination’s marketing and tourism stakeholders in planning and developing a sustainable tourism destination.

Deep Analysis of the Homogenization Phenomenon of the Ancient Water Towns in Jiangnan: A Dual Perspective on Landscape Patterns and Tourism Destination Images

Attractiveness plays a key role in the marketing activities that promote the sustainable development of tourist destinations. Many researchers have acknowledged that regional tourist destinations face challenges in attracting tourists due to homogeneity. Achieving sustainability of the ecological landscapes of tourist destinations, creating a unique image that differentiates them from other destinations, and fostering cooperative relationships among regional tourist destinations remain significant challenges. To investigate the reasons behind this and potential solutions to the homogeneity of tourist attractions in regional tourist destinations, our research team employed methods including landscape pattern analysis, tourist destination image analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), clustering algorithm (K-means), text analysis, word frequency analysis, sentiment analysis, and semantic network analysis. Through an in-depth examination of the homogenization phenomenon in the ancient towns of the southern Yangtze River, our research confirms that the spatial form of these ancient towns has become increasingly simple and scattered over time, with a concentration of the same land use types. Half of the sampled ancient towns had exhibited homogeneity in landscape patterns by 2020, with pronounced homogeneity observed in cultivated land, water networks, and hand-made land. Excessive commercialization has further contributed to the loss of local characteristics, resulting in homogeneity issues in the image of tourist destinations in the Jiangnan water towns and ancient towns. This article discusses the characteristics of homogeneity in the ancient towns of the Jiangnan water towns and their practical implications, offering valuable insights and experiences to tourism planners, designers, researchers, and other stakeholders engaged in the study of sustainable regional tourism destinations.

Digital Technologies for Sustainable Tourism Destinations: State of the Art and Research Agenda

This study explores the adoption of digital technology in sustainable tourism destinations and provides insights into current research. Using a bibliometric analysis approach, it comprehensively evaluates research outputs, identifies trends, and highlights key themes and collaborative networks. Employing a bibliometric analysis approach, this study utilizes the Scopus database and bibliometric software. After rigorous data cleaning, bibliographic coupling maps, collaboration networks, and keyword maps are generated using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer for comprehensive analysis. Analyzing 559 papers, the study reveals a consistent growth in publications, indicating increasing research interest in digital technology adoption in sustainable tourism destinations. Europe, Asia, and North America are the primary regions of research activity. Interdisciplinary collaboration is high, emphasizing the multidimensional nature of the field. While valuable, the bibliometric analysis is limited by data availability and quality in the Scopus database. Relevant research outputs may be excluded. The study focuses on overall trends and patterns rather than individual paper content. The study’s findings have practical implications for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in sustainable tourism. The identification of key themes and collaborative networks can guide future research and foster interdisciplinary collaborations. This study contributes to the existing literature on technological innovations in sustainable tourism destinations through its bibliometric analysis approach. Through providing an overview of the research landscape, identifying trends and collaborative networks, it offers valuable insights into the current state of research. The findings serve as a foundation for further exploration and advancement in sustainable tourism and digital technology.

Impact of perceived environmental restorativeness on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior: Examining the mediation of place attachment and the moderation of ecocentrism

Guided by attention restoration theory and stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory, we developed an integrated model to investigate the impact of perceived environmental restoration on forest park visitors' pro-environmental behavior through the mediation of place attachment. We further tested the moderating role of eco-centrism to provide theoretical and practical implications for the sustainability of tourism destinations and positive human-nature interactions. Using a sample of 504 visitors to a national forest park in China, our study indicated all three dimensions of environmental restorative perception (compatibility, extent, and away) positively influenced place attachment. Place attachment promoted pro-environmental behavior. Place attachment was an important mediator of the relationship between environmental restorative perceptions (compatibility, extent, and away) and pro-environmental behavior. Eco-centrism has no moderating effect.

Coordination of complementary tourism supply through a destination card: The pursuit of profitability in the presence of a foreign tour operator

A destination card has been widely used by destination management organizations to coordinate the complementary tourism supply. Such coordination, which involves pricing a destination card, is challenging when a foreign tour operator is present. Though the literature shows that cooperative pricing between a destination management organization and a tour operator increases total profits, the most advantageous profit sharing for a destination has not been addressed. With a theoretical model of base and add-on products, this paper identifies the arrangement between a public destination management organization and a foreign tour operator that will accrue the highest profits for a destination. It is found that the most profitable option for a destination is a cooperative agreement in which the foreign tour operator is offered the same profits as a price leader under non-cooperation. This result comes from the fact that non-cooperation entails an unstable situation in which the tour operator is not willing to relinquish price leadership. The findings are of practical interest to help achieve economic sustainability in tourism destinations that rely on foreign tour operators and seek to coordinate their complementary tourism supply.

Sustainable resort-related tourism growth: Identifying challenges and opportunities in Montalban, Rizal

Purpose: This study aims to identify the challenges and opportunities related to sustainable resort-related tourism growth in Montalban, Rizal, and the Philippines. Research Methodology: This study collected data from resort managers/operators and employees in Montalban using thematic analysis. The data were analyzed using systems theory to identify the interconnection of the economic, social, and environmental components of sustainable resort development. Results: The study found that resorts in Montalban are commercially viable, but environmental and social sustainability has been compromised since their founding and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The overexploitation of natural resources by resorts has led to concerns about groundwater level and water quality, while employees are subjected to precarious work and low income. Limitations: This study was limited by the sample size of the resorts in Montalban. Contributions: This study contributes to the current knowledge of sustainable resort-related tourism growth in rural destinations, particularly tourism destinations in the Philippines. This research seeks to educate policymakers, other tourism stakeholders, and local tourism communities on the need to shift their focus to more sustainable development. Novelty: This study pioneers the investigation of sustainability in resort-related tourism growth in the Philippines using the case of Montalban Rizal and the use of the system model in the qualitative study of sustainability in tourism destinations.

Constructed Wetlands as Nature-Based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment in the Hospitality Industry: A Review

The hospitality industry is increasing its awareness of how the integration of nature-based solutions can decrease its environmental impact while maintaining or increasing the service level of the sector. Constructed wetlands (CWs) constitute a promising sustainable solution for proper in situ domestic wastewater treatment. This literature review elucidates the status of CWs implementation in the hospitality industry to help foster the exchange of experiences in the field and deliver examples of approaches in different contexts to support future applications of this technology. Most of the studies reported in the literature were conducted in Europe, but studies emanating from Asia and South America are also available. The design of CWs, the horizontal and vertical subsurface flow CWs (HSFCW, VSFCW), and hybrid systems have been reported. The average removal efficiencies of the systems ranged from 83 to 95% for biochemical oxygen demand, 74 to 94% for chemical oxygen demand, 78 to 96% for total suspended solids, 75 to 85% for ammonium, 44 to 85% for ammonia, 50 to 73% for nitrate, 57 to 88% for total Kjeldahl nitrogen, 51 to 58% total nitrogen, and 66 to 99% for total phosphorus. The majority of the systems were implemented as decentralized treatment solutions using HSFCWs, with the second most common design being the hybrid CW systems in order to reduce area requirements, increase treatment efficiency, and prevent clogging. Overall, CWs are a promising sustainable solution which may support access to adequate sanitation worldwide as well as safe wastewater recycling and reuse, leading to more sustainable tourist destinations.

A New Paradigm of a Sustainability-Balanced Scorecard Model for Sport Tourism

An integration between the principles of supply chain management in sport tourism and a sustainability-balanced scorecard leads to the development of guidance and assessment criteria for a city to be a sustainable sport tourism destination. This paper aims to present a sport tourism sustainability management model (STSM) for the development of assessment indices when selecting a city to be developed as a sport tourism city. The model consists of five perspectives, namely the financial perspective, customer perspective, internal process perspective, learning and growth perspective, and sustainability perspective. By using the Delphi technique to obtain a consensus from experts, university lecturers, independent organizations/associations, and business entities in relation to sport tourism management, the researchers define elements to assess complex perspectives for the sustainable development of sport tourism. The results show that there are five perspectives and eighteen elements in relation to the sustainable development of sport tourism. All perspectives and elements have a high consensus, as measured by Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W), of 0.488. To validate the model, the researchers examined the correlation among the five perspectives using a structural equation model and found that both the absolute fit and the incremental fit are satisfactory. As the model aligns and explains empirical data, it can support decision making for management teams, be used to effectively and efficiently draft a strategy for sustainable development in sport tourism, and improve the livelihoods of residents.

Program Pengabdian Masyarakat Pengembangan Desa Wisata Makam Pangeran Benowo Di Desa Wonomerto Jombang

The strategy for developing Prince Benowo's tomb tourism in Wonosalam District, Jombang has become the focus of discussion. One strategy that stands out is the use of social media platforms such as YouTube and other platforms. In this context, interesting and informative video content, official YouTube channel, collaboration with local YouTubers or influencers, live streaming, and social media-based campaigns can be used to promote the tomb. In addition, other strategies include improving infrastructure, environmental management, providing adequate facilities and information, developing educational and cultural programs, as well as involving local communities and partnerships with related parties. Implementation of this strategy aims to create a good tourist experience, boost the local economy, and strengthen the cultural and historical identity of the village. Periodic evaluation and monitoring is required to ensure the successful implementation of the strategy and improvements where necessary. Thus, it is hoped that Prince Benowo's tomb tour will become an attractive, sustainable tourist destination, and provide benefits to the local community.

Sustainable Rural Tourism Practices From the Local Tourism Stakeholders' Perspectives

Purpose: The paper presents empirical evidence of sustainable practices adopted by rural tourism stakeholders. It explores the concept and meaning of sustainable practices and what motivates rural tourism stakeholders to adopt sustainable tourism practices as well as recommendations to enhance sustainable rural tourism practices. Design/methodology/approach: This paper describes an exploratory qualitative research project designed to investigate sustainable tourism practices of the rural tourism stakeholders. An inductive approach was adopted to address the research objectives. Specifically, this paper focuses on individuals' subjectivity and understanding of sustainable tourism practices in terms of meaning, motivations, and areas of improvement. The respondents' opinions were collected through semi-structured interviews. A total of 29 rural tourism operators participated in the data collection from the two rural tourism associations in Sabah, Malaysia. The data collection was held at Kota Marudu and Kuala Penyu from April to May 2022. Findings: The findings revealed that sustainable tourism practices relate to conservation and preservation, economic benefits, collaboration and protection, environmental impact, future growth, awareness, knowledge, and improvement. Interestingly, the meaning of sustainable tourism practices is strongly connected to the term “fairness”, to competitive products and quality attractions, and to meeting tourists' needs. This implies the meaning of sustainable tourism practices is not limited to economic, environmental, and sociocultural impacts; it also relates to quality tourism products and the needs of tourists. Key drivers for sustainability practices include economic, social, environmental, and government support. Relevant approaches for improving sustainable rural tourism practices include greater participation and collaboration among rural tourism operators, conservation and preservation, destination uniqueness, long-term growth, and 3Rs practices (reduce, reuse, and recycle). Research limitations/implications: Findings implicate sustainable rural tourism destination management and the rural tourism stakeholders to adopt and enhance the sustainability of the rural sites and destination. It also extends the scope of existing literature on the meaning, motivation and sustainability practices of rural tourist destinations. Originality/value: This study focuses on the importance of sustainability in rural tourism in Sabah, Malaysia, an area on which limited empirical research has been done. The study provides an in-depth understanding of the meaning and drivers of sustainable practices from the rural tourism operators' perspectives. Additionally, it proposes sound strategies for sustainable rural tourism practices. Such practices and development are attributed to an individual's understanding of the concept of and motives for adopting sustainable development practices, government support, and core infrastructure. Finally, this study offers practical implications for sustainable development of rural tourism.

SULTAN'S WISDOM IN PRESERVING CULTURE AS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

From the perspectives of economic, social, politics, and cultural preservation, the sultan's wisdom can have an impact on the entire ecosystem in the implementation of policies toward sustainable tourism destinations in the Jeron Beteng Region - Yogyakarta. The Jeron Beteng neighborhood, which is inside the palace fortress, is currently dealing with global phenomena like population growth, declining public service quality, decreasing availability of residential areas, traffic congestion, a lack of parking, rising levels of energy consumption, garbage buildup, and rising crime rates. As a result, the Jeron Beteng region can continue to be sustainable thanks to palace culture, which has been described by the sultan's knowledge in formulating policies, along with standards and principles for managing the quality of life.The Yogyakarta Palace, which is the de facto owner and authority of the land and the culture inside it, as well as other supporting papers are used in the research's descriptive qualitative methodologies to gather both primary and secondary data from government officials, community members, and other sources. The methods of gathering data include interviews, observation, and documentation. The study's findings demonstrate the sultan's wisdom toward environmentally friendly tourist attractions in Yogyakarta's Jeron Beteng district, which is deeply concerned with cultural preservation. However, the sultan's position is still crucial in encouraging people to adhere to legal requirements.

Local Branding: Imperative Strategy Towards Competitiveness of Sustainable Destinations Through the Role of Social Media

The aim of the research is to form the Competitiveness of Sustainable Destinations to realize tourism marketing through Local Branding. The variables tested are Local Branding and Destination Image. Social Media is expected to moderate the influence of Local Branding on the Competitiveness of Sustainable Destinations. The population is visitors to tourist attractions, while the sample is 152. Respondents are determined using the Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling technique. SEM as an analysis tool with the smartPLS.3.0 program application The results of the Sustainable Destination Competitiveness test results can be manifested through optimal management of Local Branding and Destination Image. Local Branding can be applied through Local Culture and Destination Image. Local Branding significantly affects the Competitiveness of Sustainable Destinations, while Local Culture significantly influences Local Branding. Destination Image significantly influences Local Branding and significantly influences the Competitiveness of Sustainable Destinations. Social Media is able to function as a pure moderator of the influence of Local Branding on the Competitiveness of Sustainable Tourism Destinations in Semarang City. The R - Square value in the Local Branding construct is 0.758536, meaning that Local Branding is influenced by Local Culture and Destination Image 75.85%. The Q Square value > 0 (0.575377) on the Local Branding variable indicates that the model has strong predictive relevance, meaning that the research model has relevance in predicting Local Culture and Destination Image with Local Branding in Tourism Objects. R-Square on the construct of Sustainable Destination Competitiveness 0.817528 means that the Competitiveness of Sustainable Destinations is influenced by Local Branding and Destination Image 81.75%. The Q Square value of 0.668352 (> 0) indicates that the model has strong predictive relevance, meaning that the research model has relevance in predicting Local Branding and Destination Image on the Competitiveness of Sustainable Tourism Destinations.

Analysis of Tourist Loyalty and Satisfaction Based on Destination Image of Sustainable Tourism in West Java

Sustainable tourism is not only an actualization of the resort hotel's understanding of the wishes of tourists who have attitudes and behavior oriented toward sustainability. Sustainable tourism is a form of responsibility towards the world. This research aims to analyze Loyalty and Tourist Satisfaction changes based on the Destination Image of Sustainable Tourism in West Java. The research approach uses a casual study with a randomly selected sample of 240 in sustainable tourism locations in West Java both online and offline. The results of the study show that tourists feel and realize positive impressions that are known through travel experiences affect satisfaction and loyalty. Tourist groups who have personal value preferences on sustainability have a loyal attitude towards service providers and are willing to advocate for efforts to ensure sustainability if possible facilitated by the provider. Destination image affects the level of loyalty either directly or through satisfaction. The theoretical implication is the importance of customer value preferences as a basis for the development of sustainable tourist destinations. The practical implication is that providers must understand tourist imagery processing as a complex process determining loyalty to sustainability.

ROLE OF BRAND IMAGE MEDIATION ON CONSUMER INTEREST IN CHOOSING UMRAH AND HAJJ SERVICES IN THE NEW NORMAL ERA

Lately, there has been a growing interest in undertaking sustainable global tourism destinations particularly to Saudi Arabia. The benefits can be maximized if the government is successful in attracting present pilgrims and influencing their future intentions to visit the country as tourists through service providers in Muslim countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to measure the interest buying of pilgrims for the holy land based on the influence of E-WOM, Price, and Brand Image through the mediation model at PT Andalas Jaya Wisata in the New Normal Era. With a purposive technique with two criteria, it is planned to distribute 99 online questionnaires and direct interviews, then analyze the data with the help of Smart PLS. the results of this study show E-WOM variable on Interest Buying variable has not an effect and Price variable on Interest Buying variable has not an effect.

Mối quan hệ giữa hành vi, thương hiệu điểm đến và phát triển kinh tế tại Phú Quốc

This research examines the impact of sustainable behavior of tourist and stakeholders in tourism ecology on their perception of sustainable tourism destination and regional econmic development in Phu Quoc City, using structural equation model to test the positive relationship among sustainable behavior which include sustainable economic, social-cultural and environment behavior, sustainable tourism destination and regional economic developmen. In consistent to reviewed literatures, positive correlation among the three notions is confirmed with a statistically significant at 95%. Findings from the research is the basis to suggest four solutions to strengthen sustainable economic, social-cultural, environment behavior and building the brand of sustainable tourism destination for Phu Quoc City.

Intention to Visit Sustainable Tourism Destination After Covid 19 Pandemic

This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of environmental attitude and its influence on intention to visit sustainable tourism destination, which is moderated by individual green value. Purposive sampling method was used to collect the data from 370 respondents. The data was analysed using structural equation model. Out of the four antecedents, environmental identity and enjoyment of nature positively influence environmental attitude that leads to intention to visit. Results also showed that individual green value moderates the influence of environmental attitude on intention to visit sustainable tourism destination. This research suggests sustainable tourism marketers to create message that form positive environmental attitude. This study offers a conceptual model that focusing on environmental attitude as a key variable that is widely proven to be the best predictor of intention.

Pengenalan Mental Remaja Terhadap Dunia Industri Pada Siswa/Siswi Kelas XI SMK Negeri Kudu Jombang

The strategy for developing Prince Benowo's tomb tourism in Wonosalam District, Jombang has become the focus of discussion. One strategy that stands out is the use of social media platforms such as YouTube and other platforms. In this context, interesting and informative video content, official YouTube channel, collaboration with local YouTubers or influencers, live streaming, and social media-based campaigns can be used to promote the tomb. In addition, other strategies include improving infrastructure, environmental management, providing adequate facilities and information, developing educational and cultural programs, as well as involving local communities and partnerships with related parties. Implementation of this strategy aims to create a good tourist experience, boost the local economy, and strengthen the cultural and historical identity of the village. Periodic evaluation and monitoring is required to ensure the successful implementation of the strategy and improvements where necessary. Thus, it is hoped that Prince Benowo's tomb tour will become an attractive, sustainable tourist destination, and provide benefits to the local community.

Analysis of Sustainable Tourism Destination Development for Digital Nomads (Comparative Study: Lisbon-Portugal and Canggu, Bali-Indonesia)

The digital nomad is a brand-new traveler that has emerged as a result of the digital age. These travelers are able to work while constantly travelling from one location to another and simply need an internet connection. They continue to earn money as they travel. The most popular destinations for digital nomads in the world are Lisbon, Portugal, and Canggu-Bali, Indonesia. By comparing the characteristics of digital nomads who travel to Canggu and Lisbon, this study hopes to identify differences in the standards of sustainable tourism destinations (Accessibility, Attractions, Amenities, Activities, and Accommodations). Involving sixty participants, this quantitative study was undertaken. The findings show that there are considerable differences in the two locations' features, specifically the education level of digital nomad tourists, and between the three factors, namely accessibility, amenities, and accommodation. Lisbon excels in the accessibility and amenities component of the distinctions, while Canggu shines in the accommodation component. Canggu also shines in terms of lower living costs that complement the expensive digital nomad lifestyle, which attracts travelers who are interested in it. The development of Lisbon's tourism locations must also focus primarily on the elements of facilities, activities, and accommodation. The development of tourist locations in Canggu, however, might concentrate on the elements of accessibility, attractions, and amenities.

Social Media and Influencer Marketing for Promoting Sustainable Tourism Destinations: The Instagram Case

Instagram is a critical tool for the selection of tourism destinations. Instagram travel influencers seem to play a significant role in this process, often using geo-location data to make their posts even more impactful. However, there is no evidence of them performing such a role in sustainable destinations, although these destinations are increasing and to a large extent are the future in tourism. This paper aspires to shed light in this area focusing on sustainable destinations. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to examine (a) the role of Instagram travel influencers in shaping users’ opinions of a sustainable destination and (b) the importance of geo-location data used by influencers to the users’ selection of such a destination. Thirty sustainable tourism destinations, as posted between 2017 and 2019, were selected for examination by using 10 Instagram travel macro-influencers’ power derived from their followers’ interactions on posts. The study used a mixed method approach combining cross-sectional and quantitative data analysis. Panel data and a multiple hierarchical analysis using SPSS Statistics were implemented to test the hypotheses. Finally, a regression model was used to try to identify the relationship between geo-location data and the selection of sustainable tourism destinations. The findings show that Instagram travel influencers, as social media communicators, are positively related to the selection of a sustainable destination. However, the use of geo-location data by Instagram travel influencers does not enhance travelers’ intention for such a choice.