Tourism Governance Research Articles

Public tourism policies in the Brazilian Amazon: Participation and networks

The aim of this study is to analyze the tourism network in Marajó, PA, Brazil. To do so, we sought to elucidate the concept of participation, networks and public policies so that the mechanisms of their organization in this region can be understood. This work is an excerpt from the dissertation entitled “Tourism governance on Ilha do Marajó, Pará, Brazil: An analysis of the relationship networks established in public tourism policies” (Farias, 2018). This analysis uses an interdisciplinary approach in tourism, seeking to interpret it from theoretical perspectives on participation in public policies. The study follows several steps which in the end could be connected and interpreted based on the assumptions of qualitative research. The bibliographical deepening, documentary analysis, the elaboration and application of semi-structured interviews directed the study to reach the proposed objective. Thus, the analysis revealed that the participation of agents in the decision-making process in tourism does not aim to disregard the State, but seeks to confirm the importance that institutions represent. Some examples are civil initiatives and organizations such as the Women’s Association of Pesqueiro (Associação das Mulheres do Pesqueiro - ASMUPESQ), as evidenced in the study.

DEVELOPMENT OF KAMPUNG WISATA LAWAS MASPATI SURABAYA AS TOURISM HERITAGE IN GOOD TOURISM GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE

The Surabaya City Government is developing a tourism program, namely Kampung Wisata. Kampung Lawas Maspati is one of the tourism potentials to be used as leading heritage tourism in the city of Surabaya. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the decline in tourists. This study aims to describe and analyze the development carried out so that tourism can continue to run in the midst of a pandemic by using the concepts of good tourism governance principles, Bambang Sunaryo (2013). This type of research is qualitative research with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, and documentation. The research location is in the Kampung Wisata Lawas Maspati Surabaya. The focus of the research is the application of the principles of good tourism governance in the development of Kampung Lawas Maspati. Research data sources, primary data and secondary data. The results of the study indicate that in the application of the ten principles of good tourism governance, there are two principles that have not been achieved and implemented properly, namely the principle of environmental carrying capacity and the principle of Program Monitoring and Evaluation.

The interaction mechanism of rural housing land transition and rural development: A spatial governance perspective

AbstractAs a significant material carrier of rural production and life, rural housing land transition (RHLT) is an important field of rural spatial governance, and the transition process of its utilization is closely related to rural development. Applying the “matter‐ownership‐organization” perspective to the governance of rural space, this study constructs an analytic framework of the interaction between RHLT and rural development. Taking the case of Tangjiajia Village, a tourist village in the suburbs of Nanjing, this study analyzes empirically the interaction mechanism between RHLT and rural development. On the basis of the findings, the challenges of rural spatial governance of suburban tourism are discussed, and the process of multiple‐subject participation in rural spatial governance is clarified. This elucidation of the interaction mechanism between RHLT and rural development in the suburbs of big cities will provide a point of reference for rural development in underdeveloped areas.

NEW MODEL FOR LOCAL POST DISASTER TOURISM GOVERNANCE: Evidence from Indonesia’s Merapi Volcano

This article examines the dynamics of local post-disaster tourism governance in areas on the foothills of Merapi Volcano in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which is one of the world’s most intensively active volcanoes. In this research, the author invites the readers to discuss the success achieved in local collaboration through transforming disaster life into a profitable tourism site. They face difficult situations amid government limitations in handling this post-disaster development. Using qualitative descriptive analysis, this study offers a new local-based collaboration model, especially for the post-disaster tourism governance in developing countries. Result of the study showed that local collaboration cannot be achieved in an instant, rather involves a process that is influenced by local wisdom. This article makes positive contribution to public policy literature and is essential for policymakers at the lower level and concerned about local-based development and empowerment

Government Collaborative Efforts Supporting Tourism Development in Lesotho

Many countries strive to establish solid collaborations between the tourism industry players with the belief that knowledge brought by diverse stakeholder team will spill-over across the industry to boost collective productivity. This study focuses on exploring the current established government organisations collaborations geared towards tourism development in Lesotho. The study utilised the interprevististic paradigm using the qualitative research approach. The content analysis based on qualitative interviews with various government tourism related organisations reveal that to some degree, there are existing collaborative efforts among local government organisations, local government and international governments, local government and international bodies, and, local government and the local community. The study also identified that current collaborations are geared towards improving tourists’ safety and security, curriculum and skills development, road and air transport infrastructure development, and funding tourism development-related activities. Recommendations for collaborations improvement were presented. Keywords: Tourism, Government Organisations, Tourism Collaborations, Tourism Development, Lesotho

Economic, Cultural, and Political Requirements for Medical Tourism Development in Iran: Insights from a Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process Method.

Background: According to the World Bank, the medical tourism industry in 2016 generated more than $100 billion revenue turnover for the destination countries. This study aims to investigate the developmental requirements of medical tourism industry in Iran to identify sustainable development strategies within this sector. Methods: The present study was an applied-analytical study performed in a cross-sectional manner. A total of 25 experts, including policy experts, decision-makers, and managers with over 10 years of experience in the health system and familiar with the process of attracting medical tourists from foreign countries were asked to compare options for the development of the medical tourism. Expert opinions were analyzed using a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process using the open-source R Studio software. Results: Out of the 5 items included in the questionnaire, the criterion of "government policy making and related entities" was ranked the first in terms of importance and prioritization for medical tourism development (0.249) through attracting domestic and foreign investments followed by advertising and marketing (0.241). Also, the criteria of "destination characteristics" and "facilities and status of service capacities with 0.111 and 0.185 weights had the lowest weight among the 5 items, respectively. Conclusion: In general, governments play a key role in marketing and promoting the nascent medical tourism industry. Experts in the field believe that the role of government, policy and decision-makers in medical tourism can be an advantage for its prosperity and development.

Factors Affecting the Success of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) in Homestay Form

Homestay is one of the government tourism policy for community to operate and promote the strength of a community and generate additional income. Not all communities are succeed. Thus, this study attempt to determine which factors affecting the success of homestay operating. The objectives of this article are to analyze the management of homestay, to identify the behavior of consumer, and to determine the factors affecting the success of homestay. The analysis is based on the theory of sustainable tourism management and uses the Homestay Standard Thailand Assessment Principles of the Department of Tourism as the frame of reference. The primary information was obtained by interviewing leaders and representatives of all 123 homestays that applied for the assessment and certification of the Homestay Standard Thailand in 2017–2018. The analysis is performed upon the results of descriptive statistics and mean analysis using t-test. The results show that the community-run homestay businesses in Thailand of 123 homestays mostly have been in operation for more than 3 years and they are located in 50 provinces with a total of 895 homestay units capable of accommodating 8,832 tourists per day. Thai tourists averagely 215,327 in number each year stay overnight at homestays, generating a total of 24,617,140 baht of local income. Most of them come in a group (5 or more persons) and their main travel objective is to get an understanding about the community way of life or to participate in the tourism/cultural activities/events organized in the community. As for foreign tourists, 51,947 in total number each year spend the overnight stay the certified homestays, generating 7,354,126 baht of local income. Most of them are traveling alone or with an acquaintance/family to learn about culture, traditions, ways of life, and wisdom. The success of homestay depend on: (1) the good homestay management and arrangement, apart from the homestay having been in this business for a long time, in terms of adequate accommodation units, the serving of local foods and dishes, a standard security system in place, friendliness of the host and his/her family members, and the availability of interesting organized tours, which have led to an increase in the number of lodgings in this community enterprise; (2) the arrangement of learning activities, performing arts and cultural shows, and story-telling through various interesting forms of presentation, which have attracted more tourists to visit the community; and (3) the reasonable price for tourism and homestay services, for example, an averagely 747 baht per person for one overnight stay, three meals, and attending the learning activities, considered worthwhile for tourists’ traveling to visit the community. The key factors contributing to the highly successful homestays are the more of accommodation units which means they have a good management in operations, the variety of tourist attractions, and the high number of tourists staying which means the popularity of that homestay. Keywords: Community Tourism, Homestay Standard Thailand, Community-Based Tourism, Homestay Management, Homestay Guests

Smart Tourism Development Post Earthquake and Covid 19 Pandemic in West Nusa Tenggara

One of the strategies that can be used to increase tourist visits after the earthquake disaster followed by the COVID-19 pandemic to West Nusa Tenggara is to utilize and apply information technology which is also known as the concept of smart tourism. This article aims to discuss smart tourism programs and applications in NTB. SWOT and Pest analysis method used to determine the relationship between external opportunities and internal strengths as well as internal weaknesses with external threats. Data was collected from interview with government tourism officer, observation and documentations. The results of the analysis can be used by the government or related parties in determining the direction of tourism development in NTB.

Tourism Development, Governance and Sustainability in The Bahamas, by Sophia Rolle, Jessica Minnis & Ian Bethel-Bennett (eds.)

Tourism Development, Governance and Sustainability in The Bahamas, by Sophia Rolle, Jessica Minnis & Ian Bethel-Bennett (eds.)

The Smart DMO: A new step in the digital transformation of destination management organizations

Smart tourism development has been adopted by destinations around the world to strengthen their long-term competitiveness in light of rapid technological, societal and environmental change. Destination management organizations (DMOs) are generally endowed with smart tourism governance at the destination-level and typically see it as a great opportunity to prove their relevance. However, these organizations also face enormous challenges and often lack the capacities and competencies needed to successfully govern smart destinations. While recent literature highlights the importance of smart destination governance, it does not provide much guidance in terms of the functions and roles of smart DMOs. This paper presents a preliminary conceptualization of six smart DMO functions that support smart governance roles, namely mobilizing, match-making, managing, sensing, shapeshifting and stewardship. As such, it presents practical guidance for DMOs trying to implement smart destination governance and outlines the need for research on smart DMOs.

Ecological architecture approach to the conservation of the Ria Rio reservoir water area

Tourism is one of the important economic sectors in Indonesia. In 2009, tourism ranked third in terms of foreign exchange earnings after oil and gas commodities and palm oil. (Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2009). Based on data in 2016, the number of foreign tours coming to Indonesia amounted to 11,525,963 million or grew by 10.79% compared to the previous year. The natural and cultural wealth is a critical component in increasing tourism in Indonesia. Because of the importance of tourism to the Indonesian economic sector, several regions in Indonesia need to be considered and developed by local government tourism objects.

The Establishment of International University Campuses as a Key Factor in the Development of Local Tourism in the Turkestan Region in Kazakhstan: Economic and Legal Aspects

This article discusses legal and economic issues in the higher education and tourism industry in the context of Kazakhstan. The study revealed that the creation of international university campuses in the Turkestan region can enable to develop a local tourism and become an attractive tourist destination and international educational hub in Central Asia. It is suggested to establish these campuses in partnership with the world's leading universities based on the experience of Nazarbayev University. There is a great chance to attract international students and tourists as well as establish Kazakhstan's Silicon Valley. To create endowment funds and ensure the financial independence of universities, it is proposed to pass a special land granting law enabling regions to allocate land plots to universities on a gratuitous basis, as seen in practice in the USA. Additionally, it was concluded that this region in geographical, territorial, climatic terms as well as the historical role of Turkestan are very favourable for the development of international tourism. The research was conducted based on the documentary analysis method and secondary data analysis. Legal acts and state programs and acts launched by the government in higher education, tourism, and hospitality industries were collected from the official websites of state bodies and analyzed.

Enhancing the role of tourism governance to improve collaborative participation, responsiveness, representation and inclusion for sustainable community-based tourism: a case study

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore under-addressed issues of collaborative participation, decision-making, representation and inclusion in tourism governance in the twin cities of Bryan-College Station in Texas, USA. The study demonstrated that improved tourism governance has the potential to address underrepresented issues and contribute to sustainable community-based tourism (SCBT) success. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 40 tourism business owners/managers, key persons in cultural/community organizations, tourism associations, government officials and backstage staff (mainly ethnic minorities) to explore key issues relating to governance, collaborative participation and responsiveness relating to tourism development. Findings It was found that a collaborative decision-making process existed with significant opportunities for listening to various stakeholders with the majority being happy with how the governing agencies responded to them. However, some expressed concerns regarding participation in decision-making processes, the inclusion of their voices and issues of low job representation. These suggest the need for enhancing collaborative participation, representation and decision-making. Guided by the theory and results of the study, recommendations for more collaborative, responsive and inclusive governance have been suggested. Originality/value As one of the few studies exploring the under-addressed issues in tourism governance in SCBT operations, the study is believed to hold significance from the perspectives of sustainable tourism development.

Discursive Construction of a Destination. Urban Transition Through Tourism in Ticino Between 1980s and 2010s

Mass tourism is a fundamental phenomenon of the second half of the 20th century, and contributes to urbanisation processes. In order to uncover the evolution of the institutional perspective on urban issues, we mobilise two main conceptual tools: the regulation of capitalism, and the production of space through tourism. Our paper positions itself as an example of “thinking through tourism”, where tourism is used as a means of analysing social change rather than as an object in itself. We ask how institutional discursive destination construction has changed in the Swiss canton of Ticino between the1980s and the 2010s. Our results show a progressive change towards a merely economic and hotel-centred understanding of tourism governance over this period. It exemplifies an increasingly economic and sectoral vision, which abandons a more organic understanding of the touristic phenomenon and neglects its social role. It is an exemplary case of institutional neoliberalisation.

Impact of Digital Transformation on the Competitiveness and Added Value of the Tourism Sector

This study aims to highlight the importance of digital transformation on the development of the tourism product and its impact on the development of the Egyptian tourism sector in order to find a proposed framework for the impact relationship between digital transformation and the development of tourism product management in order to increase the competitiveness and added value of the tourism sector. The study relied on the descriptive approach, in addition to the deductive approach: where the researcher used the field survey to derive the proposed development elements for the digital transformation system. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the study community consists of all stakeholders and planners of tourism and travel activity in government tourism authorities, marketing and tourism managers in travel agencies, as well as some official in charge of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, who have specialized information of the study, in addition to experts in the field of information and communication technology. A simple random sample of 150 individuals was selected from the study population. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the study sample members and the results showed that the majority of the opinions of the study sample members see the importance of having the infrastructure and basic strategies necessary to implement Digital transformation and working to spread targeted digital services in tourism institutions, in addition to the importance of working to remove the difficulties facing the application of digital transformation in Egyptian tourism and the development of tourism product.

The digital traveller: implications for data ethics and data governance in tourism and hospitality

PurposeBig data and analytics are being increasingly used by tourism and hospitality organisations (THOs) to provide insights and to inform critical business decisions. Particularly in times of crisis and uncertainty data analytics supports THOs to acquire the knowledge needed to ensure business continuity and the rebuild of tourism and hospitality sectors. Despite being recognised as an important source of value creation, big data and digital technologies raise ethical, privacy and security concerns. This paper aims to suggest a framework for ethical data management in tourism and hospitality designed to facilitate and promote effective data governance practices.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts an organisational and stakeholder perspective through a scoping review of the literature to provide an overview of an under-researched topic and to guide further research in data ethics and data governance.FindingsThe proposed framework integrates an ethical-based approach which expands beyond mere compliance with privacy and protection laws, to include other critical facets regarding privacy and ethics, an equitable exchange of travellers’ data and THOs ability to demonstrate a social license to operate by building trusting relationships with stakeholders.Originality/valueThis study represents one of the first studies to consider the development of an ethical data framework for THOs, as a platform for further refinements in future conceptual and empirical research of such data governance frameworks. It contributes to the advancement of the body of knowledge in data ethics and data governance in tourism and hospitality and other industries and it is also beneficial to practitioners, as organisations may use it as a guide in data governance practices.

Tourism governance during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: A proposal for a sustainable model to restore the tourism industry

Unsustainable models of governance belonging to a widespread neoliberal mindset in developed countries have commonly been applied in the tourism industry. The management of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has provided exemplary lessons regarding the application of sustainable models of governance. Through a participatory research, guidances are provided to tackle the COVID-19 effects in the tourist sector, namely in the Spanish southwestern region of Sierra de Gata. Seventeen indicators are proposed to enhance the safety measures, commitment of tourist authorities, communities empowered and protection of common resources among tourism industry, tourist authority and communities to spread cooperative awareness, mutual trust and shared objectives. Using a sample of 161 tourism companies, we tested a model of tourism governance with two focus groups during May and October 2020. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilized. Based on the data attained from a questionnaire and interviews, a sustainable tourism model to recover the threatened tourism sector is proposed. Indeed, our results can be used to draw theoretical and practical conclusions such as 1.) connecting private and public interactions to tackle the spread of the virus and strategies to recover the damaged tourist sector, 2.) to develop corporative values among the tourist industry and communities, 3.) to enhance governance models (trusts, consortia, tourist boards, clusters) to promote cooperation, 4.) to improve the local participation of companies, communities and associations in decision-making, and 5.) to prioritize qualitative development goals over quantitative ones, in the touristic territory. These conclusions are applicable to other regions suffering from the damaging consequences of the pandemic.

The Governance and Tourism: A Case of Developing Countries

Tourism is a rapidly growing industry globally and it is contributing a significant part in the GDP of the economies. In the literature, a variety of determinants of tourism are discussed theoretically and empirically but the effect of national governance on tourism is rarely discussed. This study investigates the effect of governance on tourism development in a panel of 65 developing economies for the time period of 2000-2015. Tourism development is measured by an index of three components, i.e. spending by international tourists, spending by local tourists and tourism’s share in total employment in the economy. For governance an index is constructed based on indicators of government effectiveness, political stability, regulatory quality, rule of law, and voice and accountability. Data has been taken from World Development Indicators (WDI), Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) estimation indicates that governance positively influence tourism development and its components, i.e. foreign visitors spending, domestic tourist spending and contribution of tourism in employment. The indicators of governance, i.e. government effectiveness, political stability, regulatory quality, rule of law and voice and accountability also positively affect tourism development. Terrorism, environmental degradation and corruption have shown adverse effect on tourism development as well as components of tourism development. The economic growth and trade openness have encouraging effect on tourism development and its comments. It is concluded that through good governance tourism may be developed but terrorism and corruption are needed to be eliminated.

Gaps between International Tourists’ Attitudes and Behaviours towards Japanese Heritage Tourism and Government Policymakers’ Views - Opportunities for Tourism Innovation Post COVID-19

Around the world, people travel to explore natural beauty, different cultures and social traditions. Much of this involves heritage tourism and this has become an important motivation for international travelers and contributes huge economic benefits to many countries. Besides, it can also bring positive impacts to the society, culture, and environment conservation of the country involved. The Japan Tourism National Promotion Basic Law (2006) states that culture and heritage are “the most important components of Japan tourism” and that Japan will emphasize its abilities to attract more international travelers and support conservation of cultural heritage [1]. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese tourism has been damaged significantly and is forecasted to take a long time to recover. The local government shows its concerns about how to reduce the pandemic impacts on the society and economy and encourage international visitors to return. The “new normal” situation requires an insight of the changes in international tourists’ attitudes, traveling behavior and motivations. The experience of Japan could provide a model which other countries in the Asia and Pacific area might study. The research was conducted through in-depth interviews with Japanese government tourism policymakers and a quantitative survey of 211 responses from 43 countries and territories which was conducted from July 2019 to June 2020. From the findings, some recommendations for Japanese tourism innovation are proposed.

Migration, tourism and social sustainability

In practice, the distinctions between tourism and migration are blurred. Tourism often drives various forms of mobility, and an international workforce is central to maintaining functioning tourism economies. This piece sketches out some critical themes and issues concerning intersections of tourism and migration, considering their relationships with and impacts on social sustainability. It highlights the contradictory ways in which tourism and migration are approached as political, social and economic phenomena. Whereas tourism is often viewed more positively, migration is recurrently politicised, and seen to challenge social systems and cultural values, despite the reliance of tourism on migrant labour. The discussion outlines the relevance of social sustainability to studies of migration and tourism. These include the need to assess how tourism planning, development and governance of tourism impacts on the sustainability of communities, which consequently influences attitudes towards migrants and tourists. It also reflects on how migrant-local connections may evolve, creating opportunities for positive, symbiotic co-existence, alongside exploitative relationships. It concludes by inviting further studies examining new forms and interactions between migration and tourism, which considers how research can contribute to greater social sustainability.