Dimensions Of Tourism Research Articles

Forest bathing and tourism: A bibliometric analysis

The shinrin-yoku activity, or forest bathing, is inspired by a Japanese therapeutic tradition that involves spending time in the forest to improve health. This activity offers various applications for scientific research in different fields such as health, therapy, psychology, or tourism. This work aims to analyze both the current state and the evolution of scientific research on forest bathing activity. Specifically, to discuss the potential of this activity in the dimension of sustainable tourism. For this purpose, using the VOSviewer software, papers published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases between 2008 and 2023 were analyzed. The main results of this research support that forest bathing activity is experiencing progressive growth in the scientific literature, especially from the perspective of health and medicine. However, it is an activity that is little explored from the tourism perspective. The above would be especially interesting in those natural spaces located in rural areas where good tourism management of this activity could be another business opportunity that combats depopulation, socioeconomic underdevelopment, and natural disasters such as fires.

Investigating the growth trends of LGBTQ Travelers in Thailand's Tourism Industry

This research identifies the growth trends of LGBTQ travelers in Thailand's tourism industry, trying to fill the important gap in the empirical knowledge about the impact this demographic and their preferences have. This study used an interpretive field study approach within a qualitative paradigm with interviews and participant observation in assessing motivations, behavior, and experiences of LGBTQ tourists within Thailand. This research answers some key questions about the scope of LGBTQ travel, growth patterns, how organizations are responding for inclusivity, and strategies to attract this market segment. Useful insights for stakeholders in the tourism sector will be sought from this study by analyzing the travel behavior and preferences, as well as emerging trends in tourism. These findings will contribute to the academic discourse on tourism inclusion but will also have real-life implications for the development of marketing strategies, improvement in destination management, and the development of a more tolerant society. This research, once and for all, is supposed to bring into focus a substantial opportunity lying in LGBTQ tourism in Thailand and is going to accentuate the pressing need for providing tailored inclusive travel experiences that would impress diverse desires and aspirations among LGBTQ people. Given that this exploration is necessary, it will foreground the economic, social, and cultural dimensions of LGBTQ tourism within the entire Thai tourism milieu. Conversely, by investigating the motivation for travel among the LGBTQ market segment, this research study will also highlight the unique experiences and viewpoints of LGBTQ tourists while adding to the increasingly complex understanding of this growing market segment. This study will also examine the barriers and challenges that LGBTQ visitors face while traveling in Thailand, and it will also investigate what can be done to make them feel welcome. Practical recommendations for effective targeting and catering to the vibrant market segment will be made by analyzing recent tourism trends and preferences of the LGBTQ traveler. Therefore, tourism by LGBTQ people can have economic impacts, cultural exchange, and tolerance of society. Additionally, extra insight into special needs and desires of tourists will be needed to complement fulfilling and inclusive experiences with which Thailand is establishing its reputation as an LGBTQ-friendly destination. This study will delve deep into the nuances and complexity of LGBTQ tourism in Thailand through an in-depth interview and participant observation study. A study of this nature would add to the growing body of knowledge in terms of the impact and preferences of this demographic and facilitate a more responsive and responsible tourism industry that would have great benefits for LGBTQ tourists and society in general.

The Impact of Tourists’ Perceived Value on Environmentally Responsible Behavior in an Urban Forest Park: The Mediating Effects of Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being

Urban forest parks serve as significant venues for tourists’ leisure and recreation. The experiences and perceptions of tourists in these parks considerably influence their attitudes and behaviors. While numerous studies have investigated the functions and values of urban forest parks at a macro level, the mechanisms influencing tourists’ perceived values and their environmentally responsible behavior at a micro level remain under explored. This research used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the association between tourists’ perceived values and their environmentally responsible behavior, including the mediating functions of tourists’ satisfaction and their subjective well-being. 502 valid questionnaires in total were obtained from Changpoling National Forest Park in Guiyang City, Guizhou, China, for this case study. The results show that there are some variances in the impact of the dimensions of tourists’ perceived value on environmentally responsible behavior, in which service quality, resource quality, and emotional value impose a pronounced positive effect on environmentally responsible behavior, tourism costs impose a pronounced negative effect on environmentally responsible behavior, and the activity experience does not exert a pronounced effect on environmentally responsible behavior. Satisfaction and subjective well-being have a mediating function during the process of positive influence of tourists’ perceived value on their environmentally responsible behavior and serve as partial mediators, and the significant positive influence of satisfaction on subjective well-being as well as subjective well-being on environmentally responsible behavior are verified. This research can help better explain the mechanism of the effect of tourists’ perceived value exerted on environmental responsibility behavior in nature-based tourism destinations, and also has a guiding and reference significance for the sustainable development of urban forest parks.

Can low-carbon city pilot policy boost tourism development? Empirical evidence from China.

As an environmental regulatory tool in achieving green development, the low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCP) considerably influence tourism enhancement. Using China's 261 prefecture-level cities, this paper empirically delve the implication of LCCP to tourism from two tourism dimensions of tourism revenue and tourism arrivals employing the time-varying DID methodology. Results empirically reveal that the LCCP contributes to boosting tourism development, and after undergoing numerous robustness tests, this finding stands. The "arrivals growth effect" of LCCP is stronger than the "revenue improvement effect." Moreover, the impact of LCCP on domestic tourism is more profound than on inbound tourism. Heterogeneity analyses show the boosting impact is more pronounced in third-tier and above cities and non-resource-based cities. Upon further testing its transmission mechanism, we discover that the LCCP raises tourism revenues and arrival levels through industrial structural upgrading and innovation capacity improvement. The study clarifies the theoretical mechanisms and policy effects of LCCP on tourism development, which is valuable for assessing the tourism effects of LCCP and other environmental regulations and exploring the expanding path of sustainable tourism development.

KOINONIA SEBAGAI MODEL PENGEMBANGAN PASTORAL PARIWISATA HOLISTIK DI KEUSKUPAN RUTENG

The Ruteng Diocese Church expressed social concern for the pace of tourism development in Labuan Bajo by declaring 2022 as the year of holistic tourism. Holistic pastoral tourism seeks to integrate the economic, cultural, ecological, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of tourism. The scientific article aims to explore how coinonia can be used as a model in developing holistic pastoral tourism in the Diocese of Ruteng. The research used a method, is a qualitative analysis method with a literature study approach which includes analysis of documents, articles and books related to the theme being reviewed. Based on the research results, it was concluded that the coinonia aspect has a very important role in efforts to develop holistic pastoral tourism. The application of the coinonia model can increase collaboration between pastoral sectors such as families, schools, the younger generation, children and teenagers, as well as adherents of other religions. This collaboration can support sustainable tourism development. The author offers the coinonia model of the Ruteng Diocese Church which has sacramental values, solidarity, subsidiarity and liberation in every pastoral program as an effort to develop holistic tourism pastoralism.

The Importance Level of Islamic Tourism Attributes: Will Religiosity Distinguish?

Research Originality: How Islamic attribute fulfilment may influence Muslim tourists' preferences has been widely known. Yet, the way the model is examined the other way around is relatively scarce in halal tourism literature. The originality of this research lies in the model use in testing the effect of companion type and destination choice, moderated by different levels of religiosity, on Muslim tourists’ assessment of the importance of Islamic attributes in halal tourism.Research Objectives: This study aims to examine the effect of Muslim tourists’ preferences in terms of companion type and destination choice, moderated by their level of religiosity, on their assessment of the importance of Islamic attributes in halal tourism. Research Methods: Friedman and Cochran's Q non-parametric tests were conducted on 189 data collected online to examine the direct effects of companion type, destination choice, and religiosity on Muslim tourists’ assessment of the importance of Islamic attributes. Model 1 of the Hayes Process Macro with binary logistic was employed to examine the moderating effect of religiosity.Empirical Results: The results showed that companion type, religiosity, and destination choice significantly affected Indonesian Muslim travellers' assessment of the importance of Islamic attributes. However, the moderating role of religiosity was not observed.Implications: The findings have implications for Muslim travellers' decision-making literature and may offer better strategies for tourism businesses to attract and retain more Muslim tourists.JEL Classification: C14, C83, Z12, Z32How to Cite:Suci, A., Wiyati, R., Siregar, I. F., & Nanda, S. T. (2024). The Importance Level of Islamic Tourism Attributes: Will Religiosity Distinguish? Etikonomi, 23(2), 433 – 448. https://doi.org/10.15408/etk.v23i1.34369.

Soft Adventure and Spiritual Tourism: A Case Study of Khaptad National Park

Tourism for lifetime pride is adventure tourism. Khaptad National Park and its core area are the land of meditation of renounced (sage) Yogi Khaptad Baba. It is a natural beauty hub and centre of soft adventure tourism in Far West Nepal. The land is adventurous from different dimensions of tourism. Thus, to find out the elements of adventure tourism in the Khaptad area the study has been conducted. To explore the elements, the study has analyzed the attraction component of adventure tourism in the zone. It is a case study of Khaptad National Park, Nepal. The facts were collected through field observation, focus group discussion, and qualitative interviews on qualitative exploratory approach. From the review, discussion, and analysis, it was found that the land is perfectly suitable for high-altitude hiking, trekking, bird and butterfly watching, rock climbing, yoga, meditation, and snow sports. Any type of outdoor sports (Cricket, football, mountain biking, running, skiing, and many more) at cool high altitudes can be organized in the Khaptad. The land can be the milestone for Nepalese soft adventure sports tourism including spiritual, cultural, and eco-tourism. However, infrastructure tourism development in the pristine land must be as much as environmentally friendly. One ring road around the Khaptad National Park is advisable but motorable roads should be constructed upward to the plateau. It is the land like a natural heaven that must not be indulged by concretization and modernization.

The Development of Natural and Cultural Tourism in Buku Limau Island Based on Social Networking

The local authorities are promoting Buku Limau Island as an emerging tourist site. The island's distinguishing features include stunning coral reefs, picturesque white sandy beaches, and its role as a hub for the production of salted and fresh seafood. The objective of this study is to identify and describe the natural and cultural attractions on Buku Limau Island, particularly in the Manggar Subdistrict of East Belitung Regency. Additionally, the study seeks to examine social networks in order to facilitate the development and expansion of natural and cultural tourism destinations in the area. This research employs a mixed-method approach, utilizing data gathering approaches such as observation, focus group discussions (FGD), and surveys administered through questionnaires. UCINET program was used to conduct descriptive qualitative analysis and social network analysis to identify and reveal tourist characteristics. This is followed by the breakdown and study of social networks among stakeholders and interest groups. The findings of this study indicate that Buku Limau Island exhibits attributes of both natural and cultural tourism, with the predominant population of fishermen being of Bugis ethnicity. The identification and study of social networks demonstrate that stakeholders have formed networks to actively support and cultivate tourism attractions, encompassing both natural and cultural aspects. Nevertheless, there are still certain stakeholders who have not been engaged in the network throughout the process of developing and improving the tourism destination. The research limits are deliberately established to enhance the study's focus and depth. The information and data acquired are directly relevant to the fundamental issue of this investigation. The scope of this study is limited to the creation of natural and cultural tourism centered around social networks on Buku Limau Island. Theoretical implications shed light on the ideas of local government assistance, social networks, and tourist attractions. Meanwhile, the practical consequences surely affect the government, tourism stakeholders, and the community in their efforts to promote the growth of natural and cultural tourism through social networks on Buku Limau Island.

Fun or Necessity? Sex Tourism And Informality in Women of A District of San Martín

Object: determine the relationship between sexual tourism and informality in women between 18 and 30 years old in a district of San Martín. It allowed us to know the economic situation and obtain a record of data on women's informality in order to reduce the gaps that exist with poverty, improve opportunities through scholarships and municipal programs and little by little make society recognize this activity as any other, without discriminating against whoever exercises it. Theoretical framework: focuses on two topics that may be worrying because they talk about sexual tourism and the informality of the work carried out by women, preferably, with the purpose, topics that are apparently critical; However, they are realities that occur in many places, one of them being in the San Martín region, where these people put their health at risk due to contagion and diseases to which they are exposed. Method: basic research, non-experimental - correlational. The population and sample consisted of 50 women who are dedicated to providing sexual services. The technique was the survey and the instrument was the questionnaire. Results and conclusions: the level of sexual tourism dimensions: work condition, high at 60%; type of work, medium at 62% and personal fulfillment, high at 80%. The level of informality dimensions: taxes, medium at 70%; social protection, medium at 86% and labor regulations, medium at 54%. It was concluded that there is a very low, but non-significant positive relationship between sexual tourism and informality in women between 18 and 30 years old in a district of San Martín, with a Spearman's Rho coefficient of 0.037 and p-value of 0.79; also only 1.4% variability. Implications of the research: proposed to resolve the issue of informality, the dangers that the lifestyle they have and the control of sexually transmitted diseases entail; also provide solutions that try to eradicate the violence that in some cases sex workers experience, labor exploitation, human trafficking and, if possible, try to locate these people in a strategic place where they can carry out this work, with the purpose to control this activity.

Evaluation of Urban Traditional Temples Using Cultural Tourism Potential

This study examines the potential of religious facilities to enhance urban tourism by evaluating urban traditional temples as cultural tourism resources and identifying key tourism indicators. An evaluation framework was developed, encompassing five attributes—historicity, accessibility, inter-connectivity, convenience, and publicity—each with three sub-factors. The research question focuses on what factors distinguish successful urban traditional temples like Bongeunsa and Jogyesa from others. Seven traditional temples in Seoul were selected for comparison. Bongeunsa and Jogyesa, functioning as major tourist attractions, were compared with five other temples with potential but fewer visitors. The findings indicate that Bongeunsa and Jogyesa scored higher for all of the attraction attributes and the majority of the sub-factors. Differences in the correlation between each factor and visitor numbers were also observed. The research methodology included literature reviews, deriving cultural tourism attributes, and evaluating selected temples. This approach highlights underdeveloped factors in other urban temples and suggests strategies for enhancement, providing valuable insights for urban tourism policy and development.

Rural tourism perception factors: A case study in the Zhengzhou region

Rural tourism serves as a pivotal catalyst for rural revitalization, with its trajectory influenced by diverse factors within tourist destinations. This study aims to refine the analysis of tourists’ engagement in rural tourism dimensions by leveraging perceived value theory. Focusing on the rural tourism unit of Zhengzhou, this paper employs a four-dimensional approach encompassing service perception, ecological perception, product perception, and tourists’ participation. Utilizing a Likert five-level scale questionnaire distributed in June to July 2023 and employing structural equation modelling (SEM), the study examines the interplay between tourists’ perceptions and their contribution to rural tourism participation. Findings underscore the importance of integrating perceived value theory into rural tourism analysis, enhancing understanding of key influencing factors. Notably, tourists exhibit a heightened perception of environmental quality, with service perception significantly influencing participation. Conversely, while a positive correlation exists between product and ecological perceptions, its impact on participation is comparatively weaker. These insights carry practical implications for enhancing rural tourism services and fostering greater tourist participation, thus bolstering rural revitalization efforts. This study addresses a gap in prior research by developing and validating a comprehensive model that explores the perception-participation dynamics in rural tourism contexts.

The attributes of heritage, cultural, and creative tourism in the context of sustainability before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A comprehensive review

The activities and characteristics of heritage, cultural, and creative tourism are notably distinct despite the fact that they are frequently confused and misunderstood. Moreover, these types of tourism have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This review article aims to explore the characteristics of three types of tourism, both pre- and post-pandemic, and seeks to propose sustainable solutions with new opportunities for the tourism industry. The article adopts a PRISMA flow diagram and VOSviewer to perform a systematic literature review, ultimately selecting 179 articles from the Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases and grouping them into five clusters: 1) heritage, cultural, and creative tourism; 2) co-creation; 3) creative city; 4) sustainability; and 5) technology and innovation. Consequently, this review article proposes a final framework presenting five related clusters suggesting sustainable solutions for creative tourism. It may aid the tourism industries in their transition to creative tourism, which is more sustainable and broadly focused while ensuring safety and enhancing income for local communities in the post-pandemic period.

The state-of-the-art in sport tourism geographies

The geography of sport offers valuable theoretical and conceptual frames to inform the study of sport-related tourism. While all sports share fundamental aspects such as rule structures, elements of competition and aspects of physical play, the manifestations of these dimensions of sport are enormously diverse. Sport and tourism are socially constructed phenomena. The constant evolution of sports in different societies raise a spectacular array of opportunities – and challenges - for tourism development. This review paper explores the development of the field of sport tourism over time, tracing the academic study of sport tourism to two seminal pieces of work that were published in 1989. It reviews current and emerging avenues of research in this dynamic field, highlighting gaps in the literature that focus particularly on the environmental and technological dimensions of sport tourism. We conclude that the social, economic, technological and political forces of change in our societies will continue to reshape (and be reshaped by) the geographies of sport and tourism.

Virtual tourism attributes in cultural heritage: Benefits and values

The rapid development of virtual tourism is an opportunity for cultural heritage sites. This study combines the means-end chain theory with the Kano model to explore cultural heritage sites' virtual tourism attributes, benefits, and values. We obtained 29 attributes, 23 benefits, and 14 values of virtual tourism, then discussed the hierarchical relationship among the attributes, benefits, and values. Also, the 29 attributes were classified according to their impact on user satisfaction. The results show that virtual tourism attributes can be divided into four aspects. In addition to the technical attributes, people often attach more importance to the content attributes as their basic requirements. Convenience is the core value of virtual tourism, followed by learning, entertainment, immersion, uniqueness, the sense of novelty,comfort and the sense of participation. It expands and deepens the theoretical framework of virtual tourism and provides theoretical guidance for developing and marketing virtual tourism products/services in cultural heritage sites.

PERCEPTION OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM IN THE VISION OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THE WESTERN SIERRA MORENA (ANDALUSIA, SPAIN)

Rural spaces take into account the multifunctionality of uses and economic diversification as adaptive strategies for development, while becoming areas for new socio-economic activities. Tourism is regarded as a tool for generating local development processes in this context. The goal of this study is to investigate the local development processes triggered by tourist activity in the three westernmost Nature Parks of Sierra Morena: Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche (Huelva), Sierra Norte de Sevilla (Seville) and Sierra de Hornachuelos (Cordoba). A mixed methodology was applied: (1) conducting interviews with stakeholders so as to ascertain the perception of those who participate in the development processes or influence them; (2) using secondary data to evaluate the impact of tourism on local development. The results of the work indicate that: (1) turning the areas into Nature Parks has repercussions on the tourist supply and demand; (2) the economic dimension of tourism in local development is prevalent in the dominant discourse, while expectations are not found; (3) socio-cultural impacts on the community are barely perceived by stakeholders, with few positive impacts of tourism on the local community; (4) the environmental dimension is regarded as a personal, rather than a collective matter, underestimating environmental impacts; (5) tourism development in the different municipalities and Nature Parks is irregular. In conclusion, the effect of tourism on local development processes in the study area is limited, although there are differences between municipalities and Nature Parks.

Optimizing Route and Speed under the Sulfur Emission Control Areas for a Cruise Liner: A New Strategy Considering Route Competitiveness and Low Carbon

In order to reduce pollution caused by ship emissions, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented sulfur emission control areas (SECAs). In comparison to ordinary vessels, cruise ships with dual attributes of transportation and tourism generate a greater amount of marine pollution, which poses a significant threat to the marine environment in both berthing ports and the sailing area. In light of the fierce competition of the cruise tourism market, cruise lines are looking for strategies, such as designing more attractive cruise routes, to maintain their core competencies under the emission control policy. In order to achieve this goal, this paper presents a mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINP) model with two objectives and is derived from the traditional route optimization problem. The primary objective is to optimize the route and speed of a cruise liner, while simultaneously enhancing route competitiveness and minimizing carbon emissions both within and outside the SECAs. Subsequently, the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm was used to reach the objective, and simulations were carried out to verify the effectiveness of the model and method. The results show that speed and sailing route optimization can affect carbon emissions. This paper has a certain application value and guiding significance for cruise line decision makers that will be beneficial for the environment.

Utilization of WebGIS for Visualization of the Distribution of Tourist Destination Religious Objects in Nagari Batuhampar of Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatera Province

Nagari Batuhampar has several tourist attractions planned as object tourist destinations in the strategic plan. However, publication and presentation on social media are less effective in promoting the unique characteristics of tourist attractions. This research aims to identify the distribution of tourist destination objects in Nagari Batuhampar, followed by comprehensive information. The type of research used is descriptive survey research with the waterfall method, which consists of requirement analysis, system analysis, system implementation, system testing, system evaluation, operation, and maintenance. Data collecting techniques include observation using GPS and documentation, interviews to obtain information for web development, and questionnaires. Furthermore, the built-in data application QGIS 3.32.3” Lima” is open source. WebGIS, built using the Database Management System (DBMS) approach, is designed as software to manage big data. Big data is meant to be a collection of lots of data tailored to the project being carried out, such as mapping the distribution of public facilities and village potential. In this research, DBMS focuses on spatial data and religious and supporting tourism attributes. This is focused on data on religious and supporting tourism attributes. The result found that historical religious tourist attractions dominated the distribution of attractions in Nagari Batuhampar. The WebGIS of Tourist Destination Object was constructed using a waterfall method that was effectively created. This development was conducted through system evaluation tests, resulting in most respondents being satisfied with the process's performance.

Value-Based Market Segmentation of West Asian Medical Tourism Market: A Case of Iran.

Identifying different groups of customers and their preferences and needs enable countries to gain a competitive advantage in the medical tourism market. We aimed to segment medical tourists from West Asian countries seeking medical services in Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 596 medical tourists who sought medical services in Iran in 2021. Data were collected using a valid questionnaire. Segmentation was performed based on medical tourism attributes (medical, destination, and tourism attributes), using cluster analysis methods; wards, and K means. The segments ' evaluation and profiling were conducted using discriminant analysis, chi-square, and oneway ANOVA tests. Our study divided the market into five segments: health seekers (3.8%), health and destination seekers (8.9%), tourism seekers (17.8%), infrastructure seekers (10.23%), and perfectionism (59.45%). In all segments, the health attributes were of high importance. The perfectionism segment registered the highest score in all three attributes (more than 5 of 6). Improving health attributes and offering luxurious medical services can be the main strategy for Iran to attract the most medical tourists and achieve a good position in this marketplace. The implication of this study is policymaking for targeting the most profitable segment of this marketplace.

Tourism Platforms and the Digital Biopolitics of Nature: An Interface Analysis of TripAdvisor in Patagonia-Aysén, Chile

This article investigates how digital platforms are implicated in the neoliberalization of conservation by turning nature and protected areas into tourism commodities. We mobilize Ash et al.’s (2018) heuristic of unit, vibration, and tone to analyze TripAdvisor’s interfaces for contributing, exploring, and reviewing nature-based points of interest in Patagonia-Aysén, Chile. We contend that digital tourism platforms express what we term digital environmental biopower, which designates these platforms’ capacities to enlist digital users as agents who engage in biopolitical practices such as classifying, scoring, and raking natural areas as objects whose value is reliant on their tourism attributes. We argue that these digital modulations both sustain and are sustained by an environmental biopolitical regime in which “pristine” natural areas are “made to live” or “allowed to die” in the global digitally mediated (eco)tourism marketplace.

Analyzing the Economic Impact of Airport Expansion Projects on Local Communities

Airport expansion projects have significant economic implications for local communities, ranging from job creation and increased tourism to enhanced infrastructure and property development. However, the economic impact of such projects is complex and multifaceted, influenced by factors such as location, scale, and community characteristics. This research paper examines the economic effects of airport expansion on local communities, drawing on empirical evidence and case studies to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with these projects. By analyzing various dimensions of economic impact, including employment, tourism, and infrastructure development, this paper aims to provide insights for policymakers, urban planners, and community stakeholders engaged in airport expansion initiatives.