Urban Destinations Research Articles

Response and recovery from Covid-19 in historic urban destinations (cases from Belgium and the Netherlands)

Covid-19 affected tourism in a particularly hard way, forcing stakeholders at all levels to work on recovery while a number of experts pointed out that the pandemic constituted a momentum to change the future face of tourism. This paper focusses on a potential implementation gap, researching the question how local stakeholders handle the Covid-19 pandemic in practice, both in the short run and in longer term recovery strategies. Is a “business as usual” approach prevalent or can the pandemic be a catalyst for (major) transformations? The cases researched are historic cities in Belgium and the Netherlands. Although these countries lack a dominant tourism industry, especially their cities, as destinations, suffered considerably. Short-term crisis management as well as the vision, strategy and actions on how to recover in the long term, were the subject of a number of online workshops with tourism planning and management officials. These online workshops used an interesting software (MURAL) to fuel the interactive exchange of information and discussion.

Tourist-resident interaction affects mutual understanding but defined by social distance

ABSTRACT This paper examines the interrelationships of social distance, tourist-resident interaction and mutual understanding between mainland Chinese tourists and residents in an urban destination of Hong Kong. Social distance affects tourist-resident interaction that predicts their mutual understanding for both tourists and residents are tested. A total of 416 tourist questionnaires and 315 resident questionnaires were obtained. The results show that quality of interaction is a major factor in predicting mutual understanding but negatively affected by social distance for both tourists and residents. From tourist perspective, only quality of interaction predicts the understanding but negatively affected by their social distances. From resident perspective, both quality of interaction and focused interaction positively affect the understanding but defined by their social distances. Co-presence does not affect residents’ understanding but is positively related to their social distance. Overall, tourist-resident interaction may contribute to mutual understanding, but only when the social distance is small to start with. The research findings have significant implications for sustainable development of tourism destinations.

Depicting urban multi-scale tourist activity spaces using digital footprints for smart destinations

ABSTRACT Given the complex characteristics of city structure, the analysis of tourists’ activities in urban space is challenging. Previous studies on urban tourists’ activities were mostly limited to official administrative units, such as attractions, blocks, and administrative districts, and rarely considered the multi-scale characteristics of urban tourism space. This study offered insights into urban tourism by depicting multi-scale tourism spaces from the perspective of tourists’ activities. Based on a spatial conceptual model, the urban destination was divided into multi-scale spaces, including tourist areas of interest (areas of intensive tourist activity), attraction-community complexes (comprising tourist attractions and supporting service facilities), and tourism districts (subregions with different tourism types). The Geographic Information System field and spatial interaction models were combined to identify multi-scale tourist activity spaces using digital footprints from geolocated social media data. The proposed framework was verified in Suzhou, a typical urban destination in China, which confirmed that the systematic and comprehensive methodology could be used as a tool for smart urban destination management and planning based on tourists’ demands.

Investigating travel motivations for visiting urban destinations in the Republic of Serbia

The aim of this article is to examine travel motivations for visiting urban destinations in the Republic of Serbia. Differences among the travel motives according to tourists’ demographic characteristics were also analyzed. The research was conducted from June 2018 to July 2019 on tourists who visited urban destinations in Serbia (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac). The analysis included 390 valid answers from respondents. The research results, which are presented in the article, have shown that tourists visit urban destinations in Serbia for business, education, family and sightseeing. The contribution of this study is reflected in the identification of key travel motives for visiting urban destinations in Serbia and this can help those preparing a tourist offer to adjust their services to the needs and requirements of such tourists.

The affective impact of sightseeing bus tour experiences: using Affective Events Theory (AET) to examine length-of-stay and electronic word-of-mouth

ABSTRACT This study investigates the key components and influences of positive affect and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on tourist visits at two developing urban destinations, namely Birmingham, United Kingdom and Valencia, Spain. These two data collection sites yielded evidence gathered from 615 and 627 sightseeing bus tourists, respectively. Through the analytic lens of Affective Events Theory (AET), data were examined, and results verify the significant mediating role of affect in two regards: (1) tourists’ decision to extend their visits and (2) eWOM of sightseeing bus tour experiences. The moderating role of past sightseeing experiences in these relationships was also supported by the data analysis. This paper further strengthens the role of affect in tourism management scholarship as well as expands AET from the work-setting into the tourism context thus marking a new research trail. Practical implications for tourism destination management organizations (DMOs) are also discussed.

Place Attachment, Cultural Involvement, and Residents’ Attitudes towards Tourism Development: The Case of Novi Sad, the European Capital of Culture 2022

The purpose of this study was to determine how residents in Novi Sad (The European Capital of Culture 2022) perceive the influence of cultural involvement and place attachment on their attitude toward tourism, and how this affects their support for tourism development. In order to investigate the relationships between these factors, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. The proposed model was tested, and the findings show significant relationships between residents’ cultural involvement, place attachment, perceived positive and negative impacts of tourism (economic, socio-cultural, environmental), and support for tourism development. The findings of the study could assist tourism planners not only in Novi Sad but also in other urban destinations.

The end of participatory destination governance as we thought to know it

In response to rising anti-tourism movements, the role of residents in destination governance has experienced a revival in tourism research. Participatory destination governance approaches have been advocated as problem-solvers for increasing conflicts, yet their implementation is still lacking. Besides a considerable amount of positivist research drafting the best participatory governance model, the socially constructed perspective of those who are supposed to participate has been widely neglected until now. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to reveal residents’ views on participating in tourism activities and destination governance processes. In pursuit of this, a mixed qualitative research method of focus groups and photo elicitation has been deployed in Copenhagen and Munich in 2020 following a social constructionist epistemology. The findings confirm that residents are not willing to participate in destination governance per se due to a lack of time, access, awareness, prioritization, knowledge, qualification, and opportunities. At the same time, residents were interested in a socio-cultural exchange with like-minded tourists and are generally proud to share their city. Ultimately, the perspectives of residents on tourism should be considered for the implementation of an inclusive urban destination governance. Via psychological, political, and social empowerment, destination governance should foster residents’ (1) motivation to connect with other city users (including tourists); (2) opportunity to influence local tourism development if they are affected by it; and (3) ability to benefit from local tourism (at least indirectly). Ultimately, by understanding how and to what extent residents’ are actually willing to participate in tourism and its governance enables tourism professionals to proactively realize a more resilient destination development while mitigating potential social conflicts caused by the renaissance of (over)tourism.

Planning Development of Creative Park in JungleFest Bogor

A lot of people who need a short escape with full experience make a theme park always wanted to visit. Located in Bogor city, nearby the capital city of Indonesia makes Junglefest is one of the urban destinations to be visited. In order to increase the number of visitors, they planned to add more attractions inside their territory, and will be called “Creative Park”. This paper is giving a short review regarding the planning development of this Creative Park in a form of a theme park. Starting with mapping the potential analysis, planning steps, development steps, and evaluating steps by looking into the impact arising from the activities done in the park

Tourism policy, spatial justice and COVID-19: lessons from a tourist-historic city

In many historic and post-industrial cities, tourism is often positioned as an important component for urban regeneration. Yet, the promise of sustainability and social transformation is often empty as policymakers focus on sustaining tourism over supporting greater social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the pandemic has drawn attention to the unsustainable nature of the neoliberal model of tourism engagement. Due to the paucity of research exploring spatial injustice in urban tourism, this study examines the impact policymaking and governance structures have on urban destinations and the potential inequalities this creates. Drawing on Edward Soja's approach to Lefebvre’s The Right to the City (1968), this research explores how lessons learned during the pandemic in the tourist-historic city of York, UK, could transform tourism in historic urban spaces. Taking an interpretive case study approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with leading stakeholders to understand the spatial dimensions of the lived experiences of policymaking. The hopeful signs emerging from York’s response to the pandemic demonstrate how communities can reclaim voice to build sustainable and purposeful models of engagement. This paper contributes to our understanding by demonstrating the transformative potential that future policymaking could have for reducing the negative impacts of tourism.

Pre-Transit Oriented Development Assessment Guidelines for Assessing Metro Station Dependent Component Area

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) assessment models are commonly used to assess existing and planned metro station catchment areas. Elements like diversity, density, design, destination, distance, and demand management are considered in the 6Ds TOD assessment model. Assessment of these elements in the designing stage depends on the TOD expert’s involvement to ensure the effectiveness of the model. The aim of this research is to develop novel pre-TOD assessment guidelines that consist of Spatial Analysis, Virtual Function of Transit Station (VFTS), and Estimated Spatial Analysis, which can improve the reliability of the assessment conclusion according to the 16 planning elements. The research applies three methodologies: (1) analytical approach to evaluate the TOD concept and its assessment model; (2) development of pre-TOD assessment guidelines using the Delphi technique; and (3) conduct a case study of the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center metro station in Qatar to validate the developed model. The findings are a new concept, called the Dependent Component Area (DCA) of the metro station, and VFTS classifications of the metro station include an urban connector, suburban connector, destination, and destination connector. The newly developed pre-TOD assessment guidelines can enhance TOD assessment methods, especially in emerging cities. Moreover, these assessment guidelines will provide TOD and planning experts with more precise data and information related to the DCA.

URBAN BRANDING WITHIN THE SCOPE OF TOURISM DIPLOMACY: HOW DO MUSEUMS CONTRIBUTE TO URBAN BRANDING IN THE DIGITAL AGE?

Kent markalaşması, kentin tüm pazarlama süreçleri sonucunda oluşan markaya işaret etmektedir, yani bir kentin ilgili kurumlarının tasarladığı tüm iletişim süreçlerini de kapsamaktadır. Turizm ise bir ulusun, ülkenin ya da kentin uluslararası imajı üzerinde büyük etkisi olan başka pek çok alanı da biçimlendirebilen bir sektördür. Dijital dönüşümle birlikte bir marka, kentin bilinirliğini arttırmak ve ziyaretçi erişimini genişletmek amacıyla sosyal medya pazarlaması; kullanıcıların çeşitli sosyal ağlarda paylaştıkları içerikleri üretmeyi hedeflemektedir. Bu hedef kentlerin olumlu bir izlenim yaratması ile turizm potansiyellerini arttırarak turizm diplomasisinin bir parçası haline gelmesinin de gerekçesi olmaktadır. Kentler, ülkenin ve halkın yararına olacak şekilde kültür ve sanata ilişkin sahip olunan kaynakları korumak, sergilemek ve kente ziyaretçi çekmek misyonu ise müzeleri ön plana çıkarmaktadır. Bu çerçevede turizminin rekabet gücünü arttıran kurumlar olarak müzelerin sadece değerli eserlerin korunup saklandığı mekanlar olmadığı, tanıtma, eğitme, öğretme, deneyim sunma olanakları da sunduğu göz önünde tutulmalıdır. Kentlerle özdeşleşen müzelerin, sanal tur deneyimi sunması, müzelerin sosyal ağ paylaşımlarına konu olması, müzelerde yapay zekâ ile gezilebilen dijital eserlerin gösterilmesi gibi çeşitli yenilikçi uygulamalar, müzelerin kentlerde gezilebilecek destinasyon olarak belirlenmesini ya da müzelerin kentleri gezilebilecek yerler olarak işaret etmesini, kentin dikkat çekmesini ve ziyaret edilme potansiyelini arttırmasıyla önemlidir. Bu doğrultuda çalışma içinde yumuşak güç kaynağı olarak turizm ve kent markalama kavramları açıklanmış, müzelerin dijitalleşmesinin kentlerin turizm potansiyeli ile ilişkisi ortaya konulmuştur. Turizm diplomasisi içinde kent markalama ve müzelerin konumuna ilişkin öneriler getirilmiştir.

The role of intermodal transport on urban tourist mobility in peripheral areas of Hong Kong

Public transport is used extensively in urban destinations, even though tourists are often unfamiliar with the variety of local means of transport. This study focuses on the role of intermodal transport on tourist visitation to peripheral attractions that are not directly connected to the metro system. A discrete choice experiment conducted in Hong Kong allowed the analysis of i) tourist preferences toward transport services, ii) perceived level of ease for intermodal transport, and iii) the influence of direct transport access on switching behaviour. The estimates of a latent class choice model revealed two segments of tourists with different preferences toward intermodal transport usage, price sensitivity and information provision. From a management perspective, the investigation provides valuable information for attractions, destination marketing organizations, and transport companies. In this regard, a what-if analysis is conducted to estimate the change in the probability of attraction visitation associated with different policies. Furthermore, the analysis of the potential demand for direct transport access indicated a significant increase in the intention to visit secondary tourist attractions. The results allowed to derive implications that help to decongest tourism flows, thereby eventually leading to a more competitive, sustainable and inclusive transportation network system for tourists and residents alike.

Tracking discrepancies between expected and actual flows of tourists in an urban destination: An application of user-generated data

In tourism studies, new means of data collection (e.g., smartphone and Internet) have opened up new opportunities for unveiling spatial patterns at various scales. This paper aims to analyze the discrepancy between actual and expected flows between scenic spots in an urban destination at different distance ranges, on an urban scale, based on the individual travel tips data extracted from online sources. The results based on Nanjing, China, indicate that scenic spots with a high degree of centrality are more important in the network of expected flow compared to actual flow. Actual and expected flows of scenic spots are the consequence of the interaction among various factors, including inflow degree, outflow flow, and distance. Moreover, these flows are distance-sensitive at a low level, with a higher sensitivity of the actual flow. Because of the actual situation during the travel, tourists may adjust the itinerary from the expected flow and avoid the trip between two distant scenic spots due to various constraints. Lastly, implications are provided for destination planning and marketing.

GIS-based analysis of green space in urban Himalayas and modelling the effects on destination business performance

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the changes in the extent of the green space in the city of Srinagar, a unique urban Himalayan destination, and examine whether the difference in the green space has a significant effect on the destination business performance measured in terms of loss of ecological attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach This study was carried out in two phases in the study area. In phase I, the changes in the extent of the green space area were analysed using Landsat TM and Sentinel Images for classification. The study has used the period from 2001 to 2018 to understand changes in the green space. The Post-Classification Comparison technique was used to investigate the variation in the green space zones in the city of Srinagar. In phase II, the paper evaluated the impact of change in the green space on the destination business performance. The data was collected from the tour operation companies through a questionnaire survey, and the impact path was examined using structural equation modelling. Findings Results reveal that the green space in the city of Srinagar has decreased over the past 18 years, and the decreasing green space has a significant effect on the destination business performance. Research limitations/implications Identifying the impact of decreasing green space on the destination business performance of the study area under investigation is essential for tourism development both in terms of new product development and resource preservation. Developing a measurement scale showing the impact of decreasing green space on destination business performance could offer destination managers a means of identifying the essence of the green space in the destination regions. These findings add to the growing literature on the attributes of tourism destinations, providing scholars with new insights into the role of green space in destination performance. The current study offers evidence of the impact of decreasing green space on the destination's performance. This provides a new perspective for future studies on visitor satisfaction as a potential mediator of the relationship between reducing greenspace and destination business performance. The main limitation of this study is that the researchers have only analysed the impact of decreasing green space on the destination business performance in terms of its ecological competitiveness. Other destinations business performance verticals, such as hotels, restaurants and grocery stores were not considered by this study and can be taken up for future investigation. Practical implications This study provides empirical insights that can have significant implications for researchers, policymakers, destination management organizations, academia and practitioners and further enrich the existing literature by establishing an empirical argument in the context of urban destinations positioned with a fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Originality/value This study aims to assist the urban administrators in improving the green space ecosystem in the region, which can help attain the sustainability of the city environment and assist in economic regeneration in urban settings.

Pathways for adapting tourism to climate change in an urban destination – Evidences based on thermal conditions for the Porto Metropolitan Area (Portugal)

The narrative of sustainable tourism transition in a context of adaptation to climate change is very relevant internationally. The availability and sharing of knowledge and information is a basic requirement for the successful planning of the tourism sector regarding this phenomenon. Planning adaptation in the urban tourism sector is widely regarded as a collectively-based process. However, collaborative planning is far from being the standard. This study reports the results of a Modified Delphi Approach (MDA) among experts about the future of urban tourism in a context of adaptation to climate change in Porto Metropolitan Area (Portugal), considering the outdoor thermal conditions perspective. Using an expert panel, the study gathered their opinions to analyze the degrees of responsibility of the main sectorial entities at different territorial levels, the conditions of action in the transformation agenda and the measures to be implemented in the adaptation and mitigation process – according to priority and time horizon. Two rounds were carried out to apply the methodology between January and April 2021. The first questionnaire had the participation of 47 professionals. 34 out of the 47 professionals of the 1st round participated in the second questionnaire. The evidence from different stakeholders demonstrates that there is an ambiguous process of understanding the problem, information needs, and a weak interaction between actors – resources – tasks. The effectiveness and efficiency of collaborative planning and outlined goals by 2050 for adaptation of urban tourism sector to climate change can be hampered. Experts consider the creation of structural (tangible) measures to be fundamental. Among other results, it was found that most participants consider that the intervention is dependent on the guidelines issued by the government and municipal councils when it comes to defining a proposal for adapting the urban tourism sector to climate change. Despite this, the options for more sustainable practices must be based on three axes: (i) solutions based on the energy sector in the hotel industry (e.g., energy certification, prioritization of the use of renewable energy); (ii) improvement and expansion of green infrastructure for tourist enjoyment [e.g., creation of green areas (small additional pockets), namely in the center of Porto; and pedestrianization of central areas of the city] and (iii) network participation through the collaboration of various stakeholders with relevance in tourism and urban planning.

In Search For New Urban Tourism Niche. Could European Cities Be Destinations For Urban Wellness Providing Food for Body, Mind and Spirit?

According to the United Nations Population Fund (2020) , half of the world’s population live in cities, and the number is estimated to rise to 75% by 2050. Although urbanization is seen as a major challenge from a health point of view, the development of urban wellness tourism offering would ideally benefit both tourists and locals. The growth rate of wellness tourism during the years 2015–2017 was almost twice as fast as global economic growth. Holistic wellness refers to the balanced elements of body, mind and spirit. This study argues that many European city destinations could provide the holistic wellness elements to their visitors. Tourism destinations continue competing with each other in a globalised marketplace, even more post-Covid-19. As a result, cities will invest considerable resources in their marketing activities and place branding. By recognizing and highlighting wellness tourism offering in their marketing, some urban Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) could stand out in this growing competition and get their share of wellness tourism growth. This study examines, which elements contributing to holistic wellness are currently being displayed on the visit.com websites of selected urban DMOs ( N = 32) in the European Union. This is done using qualitative content analysis methodology. The findings indicate that there are several European cities that already display elements of urban wellness in their marketing. The practical implication for the DMOs in question could be to actively start developing their place brands towards urban wellness tourism niche by highlighting the supply of urban wellness they already have, for example, at their visit.com sites.

Distance-Dependent Migration Intention of Villagers: Comparative Study of Peri-Urban and Remote Villages in Indonesia

Rural-to-urban migration disturbs essential factors of rural development, including labor forces, land ownership, and food production. To avoid late responses to emigration, scholars have begun investigating earlier stages of rural emigration. However, prior studies have focused on a single spatial entity only while also leaning toward trends in developed countries. Therefore, this study fills gaps by focusing on the differences in migration intention between villages in less developed settings. In observing the differences, this research takes peri-urban and remote villages as cases located at different distances from their nearest urban destination. This study treats migration intention as the dependent variable while using single-indicator place attachment and multi-indicator information sources as the independent variables. This work applies the Mann–Whitney U, ANOVA, and Brown–Forsythe tests on three hypotheses. This research also uses SEM-PLS to investigate the correlation model of the observed variables for each case. The results show that information sources negatively affect migration intentions in peri-urban settings. Remote rural areas also show similar results for the information sources variable; however, place attachment in remote settings significantly contributes to migration intention. These results show that place attachment and information sources contribute differently, depending on the distance to the urban area. We argue that access to public services and infrastructure contributes to the results. The findings suggest that an increased availability of information sources impedes the formation of migration intentions. Thus, this study suggests the necessity of improving rural infrastructure and public services to improve information literacy. It helps the government control rural emigration while fulfilling its obligation for rural development. It also offers better rural livelihoods during the development progress, providing economic incentives for villagers to stay in villages.

US immigrants’ secondary migration and geographic assimilation during the Age of Mass Migration

I study the rates of, selection into, and sorting of European immigrants’ secondary migration within the United States and their geographic assimilation during the Age of Mass Migration. These phenomena are recognized as important components of the economics of immigration, but data constraints have limited prior study of them in this context. As part of the debate over immigrant distribution, they were also major issues in the broader twentieth-century immigration policy debate, which was influenced by the widely held view that immigrants in the early twentieth century were less geographically mobile and specifically more attached to urban areas than were natives and earlier immigrants. I find that immigrants throughout the Age of Mass Migration were at least as likely as natives to make inter-county moves, were more attached to urban areas, were more likely to move to urban destinations, and shared natives’ increasing attachment to urban areas over time. In spite of their mobility, immigrants experienced relatively little assimilation in their place-of-residence distributions relative to natives with time in the United States, though they did experience somewhat more convergence on natives in terms of urbanization. These results help to better understand immigrant assimilation and the effects of immigration during the Age of Mass Migration and imply that the contemporary views of immigrant immobility were either false, oversimplified, or the product of changes in the US economy.

Green consumption intention and behavior of tourists in urban and rural destinations

The current explosive growth of global consumption has caused many environmental problems, so guiding and regulating the public’s green consumption intention and behavior is an important issue. By constructing the tourist green consumption model of urban and rural tourism destinations (TAM-TPB), this paper uses the PLS-SEM method to expound the realization path and mechanism of tourists’ green consumption intention in urban and rural destinations. The TAM-TPB model provides better explanatory and predictive power for urban destinations than for rural destinations. In addition, the perceived usefulness plays a significant mediating effect, especially in urban destinations, and the green consumption attitude will not mediate or directly affect consumption intention. Finally, there is a certain gap in tourists’ green consumption intention between urban and rural destinations, but it is limited to the paths from perceived ease of use to consumption attitude and from subjective norm to consumption intention. Highlights The paper studies the realization path and mechanism of tourists’ green consumption intention in urban and rural tourism destinations. The paper first applies TAM to tourism green consumption field, constructing the model of TAM-TPB by PLS-SEM. The TAM-TPB model provides better explanatory and predictive power for urban destinations than for rural destinations. The green consumption attitude does not mediate or directly impact consumption intention. The findings will contribute to enrich the theoretical system of tourism green consumption research and provide practical references for the guidance of public green consumption behavior and the transformation of green consumption.

Contribution of Urban Destinations to Physical Activity

Past studies have investigated the association between the built environment and active lifestyle, but the environmental exposure in most of these studies was measured in residential settings with predefined boundaries. In this study, we investigated the relationship between destinations in cities and walking behaviors in national and provincial capital cities in China based on a nationwide smartphone dataset. We identified destinations that were strongly and consistently associated with walking behaviors based on geographic information systems (GIS) spatial analysis. Results from this study suggest that certain components, especially parks, rivers, running tracks, of the built environment were positively associated with walking behaviors. Parks were consistently associated with more frequent walking behaviors while rivers were associated with longer walking trajectories. Findings from this study help better understand to what extent urban destinations influence physical activities and support evidence-based urban planning and health promotion in cities.