Tourism Supply Research Articles

Applying protection motivation theory to examine tourist’s pro-environmental behaviour: case study of Lahijan, Iran

Purpose This study aims to examine the pro-environmental behavior of tourists in one of the northern cities of Iran, Lahijan, by applying the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of a total of 180 tourists who had traveled to Lahijan city in Guilan province. Data is analyzed using descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using Smart PLS 3.0. Findings The results confirm the importance of PMT in explaining the pro-environmental behavior of tourists. The findings of this study show the significant relationship between vulnerability, severity, self-efficacy, response efficacy, response cost and maladaptive perception with tourist’s pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, rewards are not related to pro-environmental behavior. Practical implications This study provides a better understanding of how to motivate tourists toward pro-environmental behavior. It also contributes to reinforcing PMT by adding evidence from tourism research and delivers profiles for tourism providers. Originality/value The study contributes to the understanding of the predictors of pro-environmental behavior of tourists in Iran using a full PMT which encompasses three concepts of threats appraisal, coping appraisal and maladaptive perception.

An investigation into resilience strategies in the medical tourism supply chain

An investigation into resilience strategies in the medical tourism supply chain

A two-stage framework for a resilient medical tourism supply chain considering social aspects and supplier evaluation under uncertainty: a real-case study

A two-stage framework for a resilient medical tourism supply chain considering social aspects and supplier evaluation under uncertainty: a real-case study

Exploring Apulia’s Regional Tourism Attractiveness through the Lens of Sustainability: A Machine Learning Approach and Counterfactual Explainability Process

Visitor attraction dynamics lead tourism industry paths. A complex artificial neural network model was built to predict the incoming tourism flow in the Apulia region of Southern Italy as a function of the heterogeneity of the tourism supply available in this area. Open data from the Regional Tourism Observatory were targeted. Information on the distribution of facilities and activities that attract regional tourist flows was collected and grouped by municipality. An artificial neural network model was built with total tourist attendance as the dependent variable and tourist attractions as regressors. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) was used to select the optimal model using the lowest value. The final model was run with a hidden layer consisting of three neurons and a decay value of 0.01. A Multi-Objective Counterfactual model (MOC) was then constructed using a randomly selected row of normalized data frame to validate a useful tool in increasing total tourist attendance by 20% over that of the randomly selected municipality. A Garson’s variables importance plot indicated natural landscapes such as beaches, sea caves, and natural parks have a primary role expressed in terms of variable importance in the AI algorithm when used as an innovative methodology for evaluating tourism flows in the Apulia region. A further MOC model built using a randomly selected row of normalized data frame showed convents, libraries, historical buildings, public gardens, and museums as the top five features most modified to improve total attendance in a randomly selected municipality. Use of AI modeling revealed that the implementation of nature-based solutions may speed up the flow of tourism in the Apulia region while also promoting sustainable social development.

Cold tones for sincerity and warm tones for excitement: interactive effects of color tone and brand personality on brand evaluation

ABSTRACT The interior design of hospitality settings is crucial for distinguishing a brand from its competitors. Drawing on color marketing and brand personality theories, this paper posits that aligning interior color tones with the brand personality of the hospitality and tourism brand can heighten tourists’ perceptual fluency and thus their brand evaluation. Three studies support this proposition. The initial archival data analysis discovered a correlation between cold – warm interior tones and sincere – exciting brand personality in real-world hotel interior designs (Study 1). Study 2 revealed that cold tones evoke brand perceptions of sincerity, whereas warm tones elicit brand perceptions of excitement. Study 3 confirmed the effects of matching cold – warm tones with brand personality on brand evaluations and the mediating role of perceived fluency. The present research holds significant practical implications for hospitality and tourism suppliers in terms of interior design, brand personality identification, online platform promotional design, and brand marketing strategy development.

Guides’ Interpretive Techniques in Cocreation Combined with the Experience Broker Theory

In tourism, cocreation is a bilateral relationship between tourists and tourism providers to enhance tourists’ experiences. In this sense, tour guides as tourism providers cocreate experiences and play an essential role in tourists’ encounters through heritage interpretation. Among tourism providers, tour guides, through guided tours, can be considered a facilitator and a mediator of cocreative experiences. Therefore, this study explores ways to offer cocreative heritage tourism experiences through interpretation, highlighting their function as brokers within the framework of Weiler and Black’s Experience Broker Theory. The methodology employed combined in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 tour guides, and direct observation of 10 guided tours at the Royal Mosque of Isfahan. The study underscores the role of tour guides in creating a profound spiritual experience for tourists. This research demonstrates the importance of tailored interpretive strategies in enhancing tourists’ cognitive and emotional experiences, reinforcing the guides’ role as empathy brokers within the cocreation paradigm. Tour guides progressed through stages of brokering, from accommodating cultural backgrounds to explaining rituals and mystical concepts, culminating in a profound empathetic experience during the call to prayer. This process allowed tourists to deeply connect with the cultural and spiritual elements of the tour.

The (un)sustainability of rural tourism travel in the Global South: A social practice theory perspective

AbstractRural tourism transport provision makes sustainable travel challenging as evidenced by studies in the Global North. However, the nature of socio‐environmental challenges is different in the Global South, necessitating attention on resolving these different problems. Social practice theory (SPT) allows greater understanding of travel by considering the interplay between transport form and availability, the tourists' competences to make use of the provision, and the meanings associated with using it. Drawing from 31 semi‐structured interviews with tourists and destination stakeholders, this paper aims to explore and understand tourists' rural travel practices in Bali through a SPT lens to identify sustainable travel opportunities. Destination transport provision has evolved to meet residents' needs for travel and income generation, shaping the options for tourists. Motorbike and car‐rental allow tourists to achieve holiday needs and overcome travel limitations. Regional authorities need to address rural tourism provision deficiencies to tackle socio‐environmental sustainability in rural travel.

The share of faith tourism heritage in the supply of cultural tourism, the case of Mersin; an evaluation on the tour catalogs of travel agencies in Istanbul

The share of faith tourism heritage in the supply of cultural tourism, the case of Mersin; an evaluation on the tour catalogs of travel agencies in Istanbul

Collaborative Models in the Smart Tourism Supply Chain: Analysis and Implications

This paper investigates the development and collaborative models within the smart tourism supply chain, focusing on Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), scenic spots, and the roles of core stakeholders in facilitating smart tourism. It highlights the status of smart tourism development, particularly in the context of Jiangxi Province, and explores the evolution of OTAs and scenic spots towards smart tourism amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. Three main collaboration models are identified: the independent development model, the regional smart tourism supply chain collaboration model, and the holistic smart tourism supply chain collaboration model, each with distinct characteristics and implications for stakeholders. By analyzing these models, the paper identifies existing issues within the smart tourism supply chain, including the need for better integration of smaller scenic spots and the pivotal role of tourism management institutions in fostering a more inclusive and sustainable smart tourism ecosystem. The findings suggest pathways for enhancing collaboration and sustainability in the smart tourism supply chain, emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships and policy support.

IS VIETNAM'S TOURISM DEMAND MODEL COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXTENDED GRAVITY MODEL?

The purpose of this study is to use an extended gravity model to examine the factors that influence the demand for tourism from origin nations to Vietnam. Data from eleven major marketplaces were gathered for the study between 2005 and 2020. The research employs stepwise regression techniques to choose variables and testing procedures to identify the most suitable model among Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Random Effects Model (REM), Fixed Effects Model (FEM), and Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) models. The gravity model comprises variables associated with geographic features, tourism supply capacity, demand attributes, and interconnected variables. Surprisingly, geographical distance holds no statistical significance in the international tourist demand model based on the gravity model, a phenomenon bolstered by globalization. Conversely, the emerging investment factor in restaurants and hotels emerges as the most pivotal determinant influencing tourism demand. Hence, the tourism sector must devise nation-specific policies that target key influencing factors and actively appeal to potential source markets to attract visitors.

Achieving sustainable development of green tourism supply chain: the trade-off between environmental and economic performances

Achieving sustainable development of green tourism supply chain: the trade-off between environmental and economic performances

The close complementarity of museums and theme parks as a tourist package in European capital cities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse museums and theme parks as a tourist package and how the proximity of airports to the city and public transport influence the development of this tourist package to stimulate tourism demand in cities.Design/methodology/approachQualitative and quantitative indicators have been applied in our methodology to measure the most visited European theme parks and museums from 2012 to 2022. Moreover, the localisation of airports has allowed us to address the importance of theme parks and museums in cities and their regional economies.FindingsThe results suggest that the location of the city, entertainment complementary activity, airport proximity, intermodal passenger transport, air and train accessibility, tourism demand and supply, and a high concentration of population in cities have a high influence on the development of a tourist package that includes museums and theme parks to stimulate the tourism demand in European urban cities. London and Paris are two of the most visited cities in the world, and these are the most attractive European cities for tourists in terms of efficiency because tourists can optimize much better their space and time to visit the city’s tourist attractions during their holidays. Another important finding is that the public transport service plays an important role in museums and theme parks’ visits and the optimization of space-time for tourists when they are visiting a city and its tourist attractions on holidays, especially subways, trains and buses. Although time-space measures of accessibility in public transport in cities must be improved to optimize the time of the native population and tourists.Originality/valueThis research shows the complementary role of museums and theme parks as an attractive tourist package and an entertainment, cultural and educational activity to improve the quality of tourism supply and redistribute tourist flows in European countries. Moreover, there are limited studies that tackle the theme of parks and museums in a tourism context.

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.

A Multi-Level Deep Neural Network-Based Tourism Supply Chain Risk Management Study

With the rapid advancement of the tourism, the capital demand of tourism enterprises has gradually risen, but the confusion of market management has increased the difficulty of risk assessment of tourism enterprises by financial institutions, which has led to difficulties in financing tourism enterprises and seriously hindered their development. On this basis, this research first analyses the risk structure of the tourism supply chain (TSC) from the financial aspect and establishes a relevant risk assessment system. After confirming the assessment indexes, the data is dativized and normalized, and finally a multi-level deep neural network (DNN) is used to construct a TSC risk prediction model to calculate the transformed indexes and assess the risk degree of the enterprise according to the results. The experimental results indicate that the model has the best performance when the H-Net hidden layer is 3 layers and the L-Net hidden layer is 4 layers, and its accuracy reaches 93.35%, sensitivity reaches 84.13%, convergence starts at 25 iterations, the final loss value is only 0.8, and the predicted and the real value error is within 2.5%. Therefore, the multi-level DNN model constructed in this experiment has certain application value in TSC risk management.

The Adoption of Mobile Augmented Reality in Tourism Industry: Effects on Customer Engagement, Intention to Use and Usage Behaviour

The purpose of this study is to examine the consumer adoption of mobile augmented reality (AR) in the tourism industry in Malaysia. Drawing on the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), interactivity, vividness, and information content factors are examined in relation to perceived usefulness (PU). and perceived ease of use (PEOU). Subsequently, both PU and PEOU are hypothesised towards customer engagement (CE), behavioural intention to use (BIU) and usage behaviour (UB). The study consists of 500 samples from consumers who have experienced the usage of mobile AR in the tourism industry in Malaysia. Using a quantitative approach, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to analyse the collected data. The findings revealed that interactivity, vividness, and information content have positive effects on the PU and PEOU. PU and PEOU have positive effects on the CE, BIU, and UB. In theoretical contributions, the study contributes to the extension of TAM by adding interactivity, vividness, and information content as antecedents to PU and PEOU. This research also validated CE as the new dimension for consumer behavioural engagement that affects BIU and UB in the extended TAM. In practical contributions, the findings will assist tourism providers in strategic marketing planning and formulation to enhance mobile AR.

Daya Tarik Wisata Musik dalam Meningkatkan Kunjungan Wisatawan ke Kota Bandung

Today, music tourism is multiplying due to a shift in tourism trends from mass tourism to more personalized tourism activities or special interest tourism. This shift in tourism trends has a positive impact on the city of Bandung, which is famous for the creativity of its young people and produces many famous musicians and music festivals in Indonesia. This study aims to identify the influence of music tourism attraction on the motivation of tourists visiting Bandung. Mixed methods through in-depth interviews with music tourism providers and distributing questionnaires to 100 respondents who have attended music performances in the city of Bandung were used to collect comprehensive and in-depth data. The results show that the city of Bandung has fulfilled the four components of tourism. Meanwhile, the results of the quantitative analysis show that music tourism has the potential to influence the motivation of tourists visiting Bandung City.

Integrating lean management into community-based tourism: Enhancing efficiency in tourism supply chains through value stream mapping concept

This study aimed to identify waste within the community-based tourism (CBT) management chain and enhance the efficiency of the CBT activities' supply chain by employing the value stream mapping (VSM) concept. Through a case study of a CBT destination in Kok Sathon, Thailand, a mixed-method research approach was utilized, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The study incorporated a literature review, field surveys, interviews with 35 key informants, and questionnaires administered to 400 tourists. The findings reveal that waste in the CBT management process manifested in nine categories: non-participation/non-community involvement; lack of identity/storytelling; unclear communication; overproduction/over-processing; waiting/delay; transportation/motion; non-organization and management; defects; and tourism marketing. Following the implementation of improvements, a reduction in staff activities was observed by 33.33% and service process time by 5.61%. The research not only provides empirical evidence of waste in CBT supply chain management but also demonstrates the impact of applying lean principles to address inefficiencies. Furthermore, it offers insights into optimizing tourism resources in CBT operations and serves as a guide for enhancing efficiency in service organizations. This work introduces a new framework that challenges traditional compartmentalized problem-solving methods in tourism and emphasizes the importance of every step in the process—from inception to conclusion—to enhance understanding of the root causes of issues and facilitate necessary changes. These reductions in waste are directly aligned with the values desired by tourists, indicating a successful alignment of operational improvements with tourist expectations.

Impact of health tourism visitor experiences on behavioral intention

PurposeThis paper examines the factors that influence behavioral intention in the context of medical tourism in Türkiye. With the growing popularity of Türkiye as a destination for medical tourism, it is essential to understand the key determinants influencing individuals’ intention to engage in medical tourism activities.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (E-PBT) variables, which include attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control, to measure their influence on behavioral intention. In addition, a customer experience scale was used to assess the influence of dimensions such as education, entertainment, aesthetics and escapism on behavioral intention. The research instrument was validated by expert review, and data were collected using purposive sampling. A total of 420 surveys were deemed suitable for analysis.FindingsThe path analysis revealed that attitudes and perceived behavioral control positively impacted behavioral intention within the domain of medical tourism in Türkiye. Conversely, subjective norms did not have a significant positive effect on behavioral intention. Furthermore, it was observed that the dimensions of entertainment, escape and aesthetics positively affected behavioral intention. However, education and aesthetics did not significantly influence behavioral intentions.Practical implicationsThe results of this paper have practical implications for marketers and policymakers in the medical tourism industry in Türkiye. Understanding the factors that drive individuals’ behavioral intentions can assist in developing effective marketing strategies to attract and serve potential medical tourists. Medical tourism providers can enhance their services by optimizing attitudes and perceived behavioral control while emphasizing entertainment and escapism for their clientele.Originality/valueThis research focuses on uncovering factors influencing individuals’ behavioral intentions in medical tourism in Türkiye. Using the E-PBT framework and exploring the dimensions of the customer experience scale, this study aimed to understand the driving forces behind individuals’ decisions to engage in medical tourism.

Optimal joint strategies of introducing live streaming and online travel agency channels in the tourism supply chain

ABSTRACT With the advent of e-commerce, online travel platforms such as live streaming and online travel agency (OTA) are increasingly developing, which has changed the way people travel and has exerted a significant impact on people’s daily life. In reality, tourist attractions face the challenge of whether introducing live streaming channel, and tour operators face the challenge of whether entering OTAs. To address these challenges, our paper develops theoretical models and presents some insights. The results show that the optimal joint strategy depends on primarily on the fixed fee and annual service fee, but is also affected by other factors such as the size of user traffic, the interactive and review experience, and the consumer's preference. Interestingly, tour operators entering OTAs is always beneficial to tourist attractions, but tourist attractions introducing live streaming is always detrimental to tour operators. Besides, when offline channel and live streaming channel coexist, the total travel package demands will not increase after adding an OTA channel. At last, when considering consumer returns, tourist attractions are more willing to introduce live streaming, but the willingness of tour operators to join OTAs is related to tourists’ acceptance of the OTA channels.

THE USE OF AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) AND VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) IN TOURISM MARKETING

Recent technological advancements have transformed the dynamics of interpersonal interaction and communication, creating novel avenues for engagement between companies and consumers. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have become pivotal innovations, offering individuals innovative tools to navigate this evolving landscape. The tourism and travel industry has notably embraced these immersive technologies. This study independently aims to explore the applications of AR and VR in tourism marketing, drawing insights from diverse sectors such as hotels, restaurants, applications, and tourism providers in Türkiye and globally. Through a comprehensive literature review, the study elucidates key concepts. Two cases, Dedeman İstanbul Hotel and Marriott International Hotels, were examined using a qualitative research approach focusing on case study analysis. The effectiveness of AR and VR technologies in promoting travel has been evaluated. These selected case studies, analyzed through inductive reasoning, serve to illustrate the varied and impactful use of AR and VR technologies in tourism marketing.