Tourism Bureau Research Articles

Management of Calabar Carnival and the Socio-Economic Development of Cross River State, Nigeria

The research examined the management of Calabar carnival and the socio-economic development of Cross River State, Nigeria. Specifically, the research work explored the effect of Calabar Carnival strategic planning, private sector participation initiatives and quality security coordination on social and economic progress of Calabar. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of officials of the Cross River State Carnival Commission, officials of Cross River State tourism bureau, office of the special adviser on Tourism/carnival and representations of the private sector, making a total of 121. A sample of121 respondents was used using the census method. Regression analysis was used to test all the research hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance using the appropriate degrees of freedom. The results revealed that all the research hypotheses were significant. That is, government strategic planning in Calabar carnival, private sector participation in Calabar carnival and Calabar carnival security management all have significant and positive effects on socio-economic development of Cross River state, Nigeria. The study concluded that when the Calabar Carnival is properly managed it would generate revenue, create employment opportunities, improve infrastructural facilities, enhance the wellbeing of the citizenry, among other socio-economic benefits. Based on the findings, it was recommended that festival organizations should plan ahead of time on how to raise the present status of Calabar carnival festival to international status. This could be achieved through appropriate policies and programmes and by continuing to put in place the necessary infrastructure and enabling environment that would sustain the festival. Also, there should be private sector participation. Besides, festival organizations should take strategic sustainable development approach to address security challenges in the study area.

Developing sustainable development indicators for low-carbon tourism itinerary

ABSTRACT The tourism industry has commenced the promotion of low-carbon tourism to combat climate change and reduce carbon emissions. This study focused on low-carbon tourism itinerary planning and sustainable development indicators, which are based on the theoretical perspective of tourism experience value. These insights were gained through interviews with government tourism bureau managers, academic researchers and managers of industry sustainable tourism development associations. The results indicate that among the dimensions of sustainable development indicators, ‘sustainable management mechanism’ and ‘environmental education and training’ had the most significant impact. The order of importance in the attributes was ‘green energy promotion’, ‘low-carbon production and marketing mechanism’, ‘asset protection monitoring’ and ‘carbon reduction education’. This indicates that these attributes play a crucial role in ensuring sustainability and environmental protection. This study thus provides a valuable integrated tool for sustainable development and low-carbon tourism itinerary management.

Innovations in Short Video Marketing Strategies for Tourism: The Case of The Director of Garzê Culture and Tourism Bureau

Innovations in Short Video Marketing Strategies for Tourism: The Case of The Director of Garzê Culture and Tourism Bureau

A Hitherto Unattested Ethio-Sabaean King in a Woman's Altar Dedication from Ṣ́ǝrḥan (Tǝgray/Ethiopia)—Discovery and Context

An inscription stone was found by peasants in a site at Ṣ́ǝrḥan in the Aḥfärom wäräda of the Tǝgray region. The author examined the site and carried out an archaeological outline of it for the Tǝgray Culture and Tourism Bureau. The original condition of the inscription, however, had been affected by the peasants’ handling of the stone, which in the same time offers an instructive insight into local traditions. Furthermore, the high resolution photography taken of the inscription has been lost due to looting during the recent war. However, lower resolution photography has survived.

Examination of Operational Strategy of International Tourist Hotels

To gain a competitive edge in the dynamic landscape of the global tourist hotel industry, strategic development is important. Thus, we scrutinized the strategic management plans to diversify hotel business models, focusing on the role of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). We conducted qualitative research with a snowball sampling method and interviewed ten experienced CEOs who were engaged in the industry. All interviewees possessed a minimum of 14 years of expertise and experienced a minimum of two types of business models. They experienced the industry as entry-level employees and various tasks such as room or food and beverage (F&B) management. Four used to work for six hotels and four for globally franchised hotels. The research result revealed that CEOs must have self-learning and a proclivity to undertake challenges in diverse regions and distinct systems. Moreover, CEOs need to align their operational strategies with the eight indices specified by the Tourism Bureau. The business model of the global hotel franchise is attributed to its cost-effectiveness, profitability, and autonomous decision-making capabilities. The management team with industry expertise is advantageous for the hotel. Eight operational strategies were proposed to mitigate potential damages arising from external factors. Franchise hotels exhibited commendable accommodation rates and profitability compared to their independent counterparts. To alleviate interdepartmental conflicts, well-organized supporting systems must be implemented.

The Effect of Individual Religiosity on Visits to Religious Tourism

This research aims to determine the influence of religiosity, the attractiveness of religious tourism and the quality of sharia tourism bureau services on tourists' decisions to visit the Gedhe Kauman Mosque, Yogyakarta. This research uses a quantitative type of research, using primary data. The sampling technique was purposive sampling with 200 respondents as the research sample. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS 3.0. The research results show that the religiosity variable does not have a significant effect on tourists' decisions to visit the Gedhe Kauman Mosque in Yogyakarta, while the variables of religious tourism attraction and the quality of sharia tourism bureau services have a positive and significant effect on tourists' decisions to visit the Gedhe Kauman Mosque in Yogyakarta.

Cooperation Between the USSR and India in the 1950-1960s: The First Youth and Student Visits

In the 21st century, the Russian Federation and the Republic of India have great scientific and educational potential. The particularly privileged strategic partnership between the two states is aimed, among other things, at the development and innovations of scientific and educational cooperation, which has stable traditions laid down in the second half of the last century. It was during this period that the first connections were established between students and youth of the two countries. The VI World Festival of Youth and Students, held in Moscow in 1957, was the starting point for building youth cooperation, the activities of the International Youth Tourism Bureau “Sputnik,” and the first tourist trips of Soviet students to India. The relevance of the article is determined by the appeal of the interuniversity team of authors of the RUDN University, MGIMO University and Lipetsk State Pedagogical P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky University to the topic that had not previously been the subject of comprehensive research either in Russia or in India. The purpose of this study is to analyze the goals, forms of organization and significance of the Soviet-Indian youth and student partnership in the late 1950s - early 1960s on the basis of materials from the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History that were not involved in scientific circulation. The authors use a constructivist approach demonstrating the connection between society and politics and revealing the impact of international cooperation on the institutionalization, development of scientific and educational partnership between the USSR and India at the interstate and interinstitutional levels. The Khrushchev “thaw” period laid the foundations for Soviet-Indian cooperation between the two states in the field of higher education, youth and student academic exchange and tourism. In the 21st century, the experience of the world festivals of youth and students, the work of the “Sputnik” bureau is relevant, since the Republic of India is one of the important and priority partners for the Russian Federation. Students of Modern Russia also face the task of establishing and developing academic and cultural ties with India, increasing the prestige of the country in the eyes of Indians and the whole world.

Examining the English Publicity Materials of the Cultural Heritage in Xi’an from the Perspective of Functional Equivalence Theory

Xi’an, one of the political, economic and cultural centers of ancient China and the starting point of the New Silk Road, has increasingly become an important window through which Chinese culture is introduced to the outside world. The publicity materials of Xi’an cultural attractions contain rich Chinese cultural elements. At present, the study of their English translation in the academic circle is still fragmented, relatively macro and insufficient in the cases, which seriously affects the communication and exchange between Shaanxi and foreign cultures. In this essay, a series of important cultural terms were selected from the publicity materials of Xi’an cultural attractions issued by Shaanxi Tourism Bureau. Then the literal and cultural meanings of these terms in Chinese and English were compared so that the problems in their translation were studied. It is found that there were three kinds of translation problems: disparity in both the literal and cultural meaning; disparity in acquired meaning; disparity in associated cultural meaning. The results of this study have some theoretical value in the translation of important cultural terms, and have certain practical value in introducing the Chinese culture to the rest of the world and improve the image of Xi’an.

Analysis of Discrepancies Between Destination Image and Tourists' Perceived Image: Taking Fuzhou as a Case

Taking Fuzhou as a case study, this research analyzes tourist network travel notes, online comments, and official website reports of the tourism bureau, and uses the word frequency statistical function of semantic analysis software to extract high-frequency words of tourist perception and official website projection of tourism image, and constructs social relations and semantic networks to compare and analyze tourist perception and official website dissemination of tourism image. The research results show that the Fuzhou tourism image perceived by tourists can be summarized into four dimensions: tourist attractions, tourism environment atmosphere, tourism facilities and services, and tourism experience. Tourists perception of tourist attractions is consistent with the official projection, and Sanfang Qixiang and hot springs have become representative resources of Fuzhou. The key points of official propaganda are inconsistent with the focus of tourist perception. The Fuzhou Tourism Bureau should pay more attention to tourism hotspots such as historical buildings in the city and Pingtan Island scenery, and actively create an ecological leisure city, focusing on parent-child study tours and rural revitalization. Tourists prefer historical buildings in the city and Pingtan Island scenery. Finally, based on the research conclusions, targeted suggestions are proposed for Fuzhous tourism promotion.

FINANCING OF THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE KOMSOMOL IN THE 1960S-1970S

In the 1960s the Komsomol began to give particular attention to its international activity, which was not only limited to participation, but also involved the organization of many different events for foreign youth and students - international friendship camps, forums, trips of foreign delegations. The creation of the Committee of Youth Organizations of the USSR (KMO USSR) and the Sputnik International Youth Tourism Bureau (BMMT) contributed to the intensification of the tourist exchange between Soviet and foreign youth. Both organizations were subordinate to the Central Committee of the Komsomol and received funding from the Komsomol budget. In 1962, additional funds started being allocated for international activities, as evidenced by a new item of expenditure that appeared in the budget of the Komsomol. Most of this money was spent by the Central Committee, with excessive expenditure on the reception of foreign delegations and gifts, which was repeatedly noted by audit checks. Twelve to thirty committees with international youth camps (out of 86 regional Komsomol committees) received money under the framework of this funding item. During the period under study, the Komsomol actively helped with the payment of organizational fees to the funds of the World Festivals of Youth and Students, and then began to provide direct material assistance to the youth organizations in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa, which regularly applied for it. It is important to note that the annual increase of spending on international activities occurred in the context of the termination of state funding for the Komsomol, which in 1959 became fully financially self-sufficient. Based on a wide range of archival documents introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, the article presents an analysis of the financial activities of the Central Committee of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, its sources of funding and directions for spending the funds allocated for international activities. The relevance of the study is determined by the lack of serious scholarly investigation of this problem and the need to study the financial support of international activities in order to give a comprehensive assessment of its impact and efficiency.

Research on Marketing Strategies of Macao Parent-child Tourism under the Influence of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

The increasingly close communication between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao has brought funds and opportunities to the tourism industry in Macao. With the continuous development of tourism, the drawbacks of gambling being the dominant industry and the potential of other industries are also constantly emerging. The Macao Tourism Bureau proposed the "tourism+" concept and advocated for the diversified development of the tourism industry. This article adopts the PESTEL model to analyze the marketing strategies of Macao's parent-child tourism industry under the influence of the Greater Bay Area. There were four basic issues, including the negative impact of the gambling industry, resource scarcity, the need for improvement in tourism technology innovation, and similarities with Hong Kong. To solve the above problems and promote its advantages, some solutions have been proposed, including improving the image of Macao, preferential policies, making good use of local cuisine and cultural heritage, increasing the utilization of space, innovating tourism technology, and distinguishing itself from Hong Kong. These suggestions can utilize the opportunities brought by the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and develop the marketing of Macao's parent-child tourism industry.

Model of Stakeholder Engagement in Halal Tourism Ecosystems in Rural Areas

This study aims to explore stakeholder engagement models in halal tourism ecosystems in rural areas. The research focuses on understanding how stakeholders’ involvement in production, services, infrastructure, and human resources (HR) in the field of halal tourism in rural areas contributes to building an ecosystem. The analysis, based on the concept of Halal in the tourism industry, aims to provide clarity to the Halal ecosystem within hotel, culinary, and tourist destination businesses. The urgency of this research lies in identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the involvement of each stakeholder as a component of the halal tourism ecosystem, with particular emphasis on government regulations. The research adopts a qualitative method using a case study approach within a constructivist paradigm. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) are conducted to gather data. The primary objectives of this research are to develop a model of the Halal Tourism Ecosystem and provide recommendations for synergizing and optimizing the potential of halal tourism from each stakeholder. Four villages in West Java, namely Dayeuh Kolot Village, Alam Endah Village, Cisayong Village, and Sukalaksana Village, were selected as research locations using purposive sampling. Informants representing various sectors, such as hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, halal centers, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), regional governments, and elected village heads, were involved in the research. The findings reveal that the construction of a halal tourism ecosystem involves six stakeholder components that interact and relate to each other during implementation. These stakeholders include the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia as the ”leading sector” responsible for regulating tourism development in various regions. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issues Fatwas to align tourism activities with the principles of the Qur’an and Hadith. Regional leaders play a vital role in policymaking, providing infrastructure, and supporting human resource development and funding for halal tourism initiatives. Tourism business actors, such as hotel owners, managers, tourist attractions, restaurants, and tourism bureaus, commit to capitalizing on halal tourism opportunities within their business operations. While the ideal halal tourism industry ecosystem relies on active involvement and proper execution of roles by all stakeholders, the study identifies challenges. Awareness and achievement of the vision and mission among stakeholders in developing halal tourism remain low due to suboptimal communication, coordination, and collaboration. Therefore, the government’s role is vital in acting as a conductor, harmonizing the efforts of stakeholders in the development of Indonesia’s halal tourism industry.
 Keywords: engagement model, halal ecosystem, tourism stakeholders

Psychological capital as a source of career adaptability, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction among tour operators and guides during a global crisis

This study tests a model that predicates building career adaptability and psychological capital would lead to increased job and life satisfaction during a global crisis. The proposed model is supported by a sample of tour operators and guides participating in the talent cultivation training programs sponsored by the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan during COVID-19. A quantitative research method was employed in this study. A total of 329 valid surveys were obtained. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for testing research hypotheses. It was also found that marital status has a moderating effect on the relationships of PsyCap, CA, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction. These findings offer ample theoretical and practical implications.

STRATEGI PENGEMBANGAN AGROWISATA KOLAM PANCING P4S KARYA AGRI DI KELURAN BATUPLAT KECAMATAN ALAK KOTA KUPANG

This study aims to determine 1.) the driving and inhibiting factors for the development of P4S Karya Agri fishing pound agrotourism, 2.) Karya Agri P4S fishing pond agrotourism development strategy.
 The method used in this study is a descriptive analysis method. The respondents in this study are the owners of the P4S Karya Agri fish ponds, the fish pond workers, the fish pond visitors from a total of 85 people obtained with the Slovin approach formula, the head of the departement of tourism destinasions of the Kupang City Tourism Bureau, the Head of the Tourism Destinasions Departement of the Kupang City Tourism Bureau, the area cultivation of the Kupang City Fisheries Service. Data analysis tools used in this study 1.) IFAS and EFAS analysis 2.) SWOT analysis. This research is qualitative, the results show that 1.) the driving factors for the development from within (strengths), wich receive the highest category, are beautiful, cool and untouched natural panorama with an average of 3.76, inhibiting factors for the development from within (weaknesses) the highest category is given to the tourism development program, which is still simple 1.64, the driving factor for external development (opportunity) the highest category is a given to the area that offers the flexibility to develop tourism potential 3.68, the inhibiting factor for development of outside (threats) which received the highest category, was the 1.45 implementation of restrictions on community activities. 2.) Karya Agri P4S fishing pond agrotourism development strategy based on SWOT analysis is an SO strategy, as the cut – off point in quadrant (2.23 : 1.68) is in a growth position that has the strengths should make optimal use of it and it has possibilities.

Preparing for a future crisis: using DEA-based performance analysis to assess initial pandemic responses in the Taiwanese hotel industry

PurposeTaiwan’s hotel industry was adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the effect of strategic choices by Taiwanese international tourist hotels before and during the pandemic environments.Design/methodology/approachA data envelopment analysis (DEA)-based Malmquist methodology is used in this study to provide a mechanism to assess Taiwanese hotel strategy performance. Changes in the productivity and performance of Taiwanese international tourist hotels were analyzed in the periods before and during the pandemic to uncover insights useful should a similar crisis occur in the future. Panel data were obtained from the annual report of international tourist hotels published by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau from 2017–2020. Two groups of hotels were analyzed in this study: city hotels and scenic hotels.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal that chain hotels tended to perform better than independent hotels in both city and scenic areas during the global pandemic. Specifically, the crisis caused a substantial decline in productivity and profitability for international tourist hotels in Taipei City during the COVID-19 period. Compared to city hotels, findings also indicate that most international tourist hotels in scenic areas were able to maintain better productivity, including larger-sized scenic hotels.Originality/valueThe DEA-based analysis provides unique and valuable insights for hotel firm leaders on how to better identify and make strategic choices when responding to future crises.

Exploring the Sustainable Strategies to Reinforce the Benefit Awareness from Festival Events Management

<p>With international travel trending toward globalization, countries are increasingly focusing on preserving their unique local cultures while maintaining awareness about global tourism perspectives. Since 2017, Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau proposed the Taiwanese Sustainable Tourism Development Program for further development, the Program aims to encourage local governments to promote “Time for Celebration – Taiwan Tourism Events” and create tourism event highlights by promoting developments in regional tourism and related industries. This study aims to explore the role of local residents in festivals from a sustainable development perspective using survey data. It examines local residents’ attitudes and support residents toward festivals. The study details the influence of local residents on festivals, which in turn, depends on the benefits visitors gain from such participation.</p> <p> </p>

Implementation Provider Business Strategies Service Tour (Literature Study of SMEs Travel Bureau Malang City)

This research was conducted to find out the effort made by the Travel Bureau in achieving competitive advantage in its business. The focus of this research is on the MSME business strategy of travel and tourism bureaus in Malang City. The research was conducted by studying the literature listed on Google Scholar. This research uses a Systematic Literature Review with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) method. From the results of the search for articles that are considered relevant, analyzed by the author, there are 7 articles that are worthy of analysis. The results of the analysis of the literature review show that the focus of the business strategy of the UMKM Travel Bureau in Malang City is Price-oriented, Application of the Halal Tourism concept, Health Orientation, Digital Information Services, Expansion of the segment to foreign tourists,Through this study it is hoped that it will be able to make a positive contribution related to the marketing strategy that has been carried out by SMEs Travel Bureau actors and can be used as a reference by researchers who are interested in the same field so that they are more creative in identifying research from different points of view.

The impact of border control policy on tourists’ behaviors in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic

In response to the global pandemic of the COVID-19 outbreak, Taiwan barred foreign nationals from entering into Taiwan starting from March 19th, 2020. This study aims to explore the impact of lockdown policy on the length of stay, tourism expenditure, tourist satisfaction and revisit intention based on a sample of 3987 inbound visitors collected from the 2020 Annual Survey Report on Visitor Expenditures and Trends, published by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. The empirical results indicate that: (1) the border control policy increases the length of stay of around 33.4719 nights; (2) a drop of the total expenditure, F&B expenditure, transportation expenditure, entertainment expenditure, and shopping expenditure but an increase of accommodation expenditure is found; (3) the border control policy seems to reduce the level of tourist satisfaction but does not affect revisit intention.

A Story with Characters and Action

A Story with Characters and Action

Market Forecast for the Sharing Economy, Using Airbnb in US Cities and in Taipei as an Example

ABSTRACT This study aims to shed light on the prospects of the sharing economy by taking Airbnb as an example. We firstly collected listing data of Airbnb to analyze the growth patterns using the diffusion model for Taiwan and major cities in the United States. Afterward, we applied the Lotka–Volterra (LV) competition model to study the relationship between the Airbnb and local hotel industry in Taiwan with data from the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan. The study found that growth rates have been reaching their limits in both sets of markets. Moreover, the competition between Airbnb and the local hotel industry in Metro Taipei reflects a predator-and-prey relationship.