Tourism-related Businesses Research Articles

Contribution of tourism development to protected area management: local stakeholder perspectives

Ecotourism in protected areas plays an important role in establishing mutually beneficial relationships among local people, the protected area, and tourism that are essential in protected area management. However, to properly manage protected areas, local people should be major stakeholders in order to maximize local economic benefits and obtain support for conservation efforts. This study assesses the current status of local people's economic participation in tourism in the Wolong Nature Reserve using a questionnaire survey. Through evaluation of geographic origin, income, and occupational distribution of operators engaged in tourism-related business, we identified and discussed constraints and opportunities for economic participation of local people. Economic inequity was found among local people, as well as between locals and non-locals, due to limited startup capital and operational skills. At present, only a small percentage of local people receive revenue directly from tourism. In addition, economic leakage and local dependence on natural resources still exist in the study area. To promote ecotourism and sustainable development, the relationships among tourism, local people, and biodiversity conservation in the study area must be strengthened. According to the findings, some suggestions are offered to protected area managers to foster better relationships.

Working Lands and Winter Tourists in the Rocky Mountain West: A Travel Cost, Contingent Behaviour and Input–Output Analysis

Using a contingent behaviour survey approach informed by revealed travel cost data, this study explores the connection between private land use decisions and the quality and quantity of the tourism experience in Gunnison, Colorado, USA. The authors ask winter tourists about their expenditure patterns and other features of their visit. They then describe the process of agricultural land conversion to residential or commercial development and ask tourists whether they would change the duration of their visit were farms and ranches converted to second homes and tourism-related businesses. The authors infer the direct expected economic impact of private land conversion on the winter tourism industry in Gunnison County. They then use tourists' stated expenditure patterns and reported change in visitation to derive the total, direct, indirect and induced impact of private land use change on the local economy through winter tourism visitation using a county level input–output analysis. The analysis also captures the extent to which tourists view private and public lands as providing complementary versus substitute goods and services, a potential issue of concern for county planners across high natural amenity and mountainous regions where public lands play a dominant role.

Management and Policy Implications of Coastal Tourism Forecasts

One of the fastest growing segments of the world's tourism industry is coastal tourism. As interest in coastal tourism intensifies, the increasing demand on coastal resources will require local governments and private businesses to obtain information on future tourism demand. However, management agencies often fail to incorporate forecasting results into the strategic planning process. The purpose of this article is to present comprehensive forecasting information of coastal tourism demand using various tourism-related time series variables, and provide public and private agencies with a framework for integrating coastal demand forecasts into the strategic planning process. Two different quantitative forecasting techniques were used to project future coastal tourism demand in South Carolina: Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) methods for short-term and midterm forecasts and Naive 1 method for long-term forecasts. Short-term forecast results suggest accommodation taxes in coastal counties will steadily increase over the next several years, while midterm forecasts of coastal tourism-related employment indicates a significant increase in labor force requirements. Long-term forecasts imply visitation to and demand of beaches and coastal resources will continue to intensify. In the coming years, tourism-related businesses in coastal destinations will be challenged to provide satisfactory experiences due to a small labor pool of quality workers. Failure to incorporate forecasts in the strategic planning process may result in the degradation of tourism resources, resulting in a reduction of tourist visitation. Integrating accurate forecasts into the strategic planning process are essential to improving the likelihood of sustainable development at tourism destinations.

Developing a Web-Based Tourism Demand Forecasting System

Tourism demand is the foundation on which all tourism-related business decisions ultimately rest and so accurate forecasts of tourism demand are crucial for tourism industry practitioners. From the functional point of view, a tourism demand forecasting system (TDFS) is a forecasting support system capable of providing quantitative tourism demand forecasts and allowing users to make their own ‘what-if’ scenario forecasts. From the technical point of view, a TDFS is an information system consisting of a set of computer-based modules or components that support tourism demand forecasting and scenario analysis. This paper establishes a widely accessible Web-based TDFS which not only takes advantage of advanced econometric tourism demand forecasting techniques but also incorporates the real-time judgemental contribution of experts in the field. Furthermore, scenario forecasts are permitted within the system. Built on Web-based technology, the system provides advanced information sharing and communication and brings considerable convenience to various stakeholders engaged in tourism demand forecasting at different locations. In attempting to generate more accurate tourism demand forecasts, the system is designed to incorporate a two-stage forecasting methodology, which integrates judgemental adjustments with statistically based forecasts. The software architecture, detailed components and development environment of the Web-based TDFS are described in detail. A three-tiered client–server architecture is employed, which offers great flexibility, reusability and reliability. The prototype system has been developed and screen shots of interaction with the system are presented using Hong Kong tourism as an example.

Migration and tourism entrepreneurship: North-European immigrants in Cataluna and Languedoc.

This paper examines new North European immigration into two Mediterranean regions and identifies the characteristics of North European entrepreneurs who work in small tourist businesses. Data used for analyses were gathered from 169 questionnaires addressed to small tourism firms and other tourism-related businesses in Cataluna (Spain) and Languedo (France). Also, the North European entrepreneurs are examined within the context of new migration flows into South European regions from the north of the continent. As for the reasons for moving to these South European regions, company formation and the style of running the businesses are found to be less motivated by the need for work than by lifestyle considerations. The results suggest that international migration theory offers little to explain these new migratory flows.

Attracting Repeat Customers to Wineries

Many tourism related businesses give little consideration to influencing people to make repeat visits. Wineries are no exception. Management often spends too little time and effort trying to satisfy the visitor and encourage them to return. However, repeat visitors are valuable because they typically spend more than first‐time tourists and pass along information to others. This paper examines the importance of bringing consumers back to a winery, and the information and spending implications of doing so.

The Social Responsibilities of Environmental Groups in Contested Destinations

Multi-party consensus processes involving collaboration among a diverse group of stakeholders have been applied to land-use and environmental policy issues in Canada, but studies of such processes in environmentally sensitive tourism destinations have been lacking. This article focuses on two separate collaborations convened in 1994–5, which offer insights into addressing conflict over use and development in protected areas and other ecologically sensitive tourism destinations. The focus of this study is Banff National Park, Canada, and the communities within and adjacent to the Park.The study demonstrates that environmental groups can help as well as hinder the interests of local community residents and business interests in the destination domain. In particular, the instrumental use of science based strategies inhibited the development of joint understandings and shared meanings about the practical implications of scientific results to the everyday lives of residents and to the tourism related businesses in the Park. The crisis of modernity that challenges planetary sustainability lends further social responsibility to the role of environmental groups in ecologically sensitive tourism destinations where ‘nature’ is a contested terrain of meaning and understandings. The article concludes with practical and societal implications for ecotourism and nature-based tourism destinations.

Grading Procedures in the Tourism Industry: The Case of New Brunswick

AbstractThis paper provides a framework for the evaluation of existing and planned tourist facilities. We review a number of appraisals made by or for the Province of New Brunswick and show how they fit into our general framework. We then outline a method that allows us to measure the robustness of the evaluations.RésuméLe présent article propose un cadre pour l'évaluation d'installations touristiques existantes et planifiées. On y étudie plusieurs méthodesd'évaluation conçues par la province de Nouveau‐Brunswick, ou à son intention. On démontre comment elles s'insèrent dans notre cadre d'évaluation. On esquisse enfin une méthode permettant de mesurer la robustesse des évaluations.

Interim Report on Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Economic-Impact Study

Despite the extensive use of highway designations to promote tourism, there has been little research on the economic effects of these efforts. An interim economic-impact study was conducted as an attempt to estimate the economic effects of Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway designation on tourism-related businesses in communities along the byway routes. The study's research strategies included a review of the literature and research on the economic impacts of travel and tourism, a byways traffic analysis, and a survey of community tourism businesses. The results indicated the economic significance of the travel and tourism industry, and more specifically of byway designation. The findings suggested that byway designation may have an effect on increased visitor traffic, visitor expenditures, and total retail sales in communities along the byway routes.

Enhancing Local Planning Efforts by Supplementary Measures of Tourism Effects

Tourism is an expanding industry worldwide, but there is much disagreement on ways to define and quantify ''tourism.'' Various methodologies exist to attempt to quantify the total effects of tourism. The two most widely used approaches are inputoutput economic impact models and surveys of tourists with sample data generalized to national levels and then disaggregated to the state level in the United States. It is difficult to use these same techniques to develop in-depth tourism data for an individual city or metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Yet many cities and municipalities could benefit from such knowledge. For long-term strategic planning, infrastructure, marketing, resource allocation, and development decisions, such local level information is vital. This study proposes a methodology to supplement data from input- output models and tourist surveys. This approach examines local level travel and tourism data by surveying sectors of businesses engaged in tourism-related businesses as to revenue, employment, and expenditures related to tourism. Using techniques recommended by Baum (1989) in his study of Ireland, additional qualitative case study data is included to complete the area tourism picture. While a ''tourism'' industry as such is difficult to isolate, the combined approach of analysis at a local level of tourism-related organizations with in-depth case studies of key industry representatives accomplishes two significant goals. Meaningful planning data for the MSA can be obtained. In addition, the interconnectedness of business, manufacturing and tourism sectors is underscored. From a planning perspective, each of these results can play a pivotal role in obtaining the cooperation and commitment across sectors necessary for effective strategy formulation. The approach employed in this study is illustrated using a U.S. city example. This approach can be used by other regions, cities, or MSAs interested in supplementing other data on the local impact of tourism by surveying businesses directly involved in tourism-related activities. Suggestions for replicating this study as well as the questionnaire developed are also included.