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“We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2023) | Viewed by 29536

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jun (Justin) Li

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Guest Editor

School of Tourism Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Interests: tourism sharing economy; big data analytics in hotel industry; social media marketing and digital strategies; human resource management; STARA (smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms) usages in the hospitality industry

Dr. Mang He

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Guest Editor

School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 510275, China
Interests: health tourism and big data; leisure and sports management

Prof. Dr. Wei Tao

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Guest Editor

School of Geography, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Interests: urban planning; tourism sustainable development; human geography

Prof. Dr. Amy Siu Ian SO

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Guest Editor

Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Macao, SAR, China
Interests: sustainable tourism development; tourist behavior; tourism and hospitality education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At time of writing at the beginning of 2022, the global economy is still facing an unprecedented situation caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has spread with alarming speed and is having a tremendous and deleterious effect on the travel and tourism sector worldwide. Numerous studies have analyzed the impacts of COVID-19 on the daily life of citizens and the global travel and tourism industry. Most of these studies focus on the current effects and the negative consequences that the pandemic is having on the tourism economy. These studies deeply examine the implications of supply-side from a medium and long-term perspective, estimating the significant reduction in tourism, forecasting employment loss, and profiling new tourists and new offers. However, very few empirical papers explore the emerging signs of tourists’ renewed needs, preferences, new motivations for traveling during the pandemic, the new normal in relation to travel, etc. Given the evident importance of tourism for the economy, there are some questions that need to be answered with regard to the future. How can we travel in the new normal? What can we expect in the new normal with regard to travel? What changes can be expected in travel patterns and tourists’ behavior? How is COVID-19 affecting tourists’ motivation and preferences? How can the tourism sector recover after COVID-19? In the context of the above discussion, this Special Issue comprises papers that facilitate the tourism businesses in modifying offers to meet changing demands in the face of COVID-19 and adapting their marketing strategies to respond in real time. We hope this Special Issue (qualitative and quantitative analyses) could assist in preparing comprehensive tourism recovery plans, rebuilding destinations, encouraging innovation and investment, and rethinking the tourism sector in a post-pandemic world.

Prof. Dr. Jun Li
Dr. Mang He
Prof. Dr. Wei Tao
Prof. Dr. Amy Siu Ian SO
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2522 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Short Video Marketing on Tourist Destination Perception in the Post-pandemic Era

by Han Chen, Xiaowei Wu and Yiyao Zhang

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10220; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310220 - 28 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3551

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the world’s social development, especially tourism development, and has also spurred the industry to update its marketing model. In the post-pandemic era, traditional offline marketing cannot meet the needs of the industry and tourists, highlighting the urgent need to change marketing methods. Short video social media platforms, represented by Douyin, have become an important means for short video marketing and tourism destination marketing. This study aimed to analyze the impact of short video marketing on tourist destination perception in the post-pandemic era. The study collected comments on short videos on Douyin about the theme park Xiyou Paradise using crawler software (version 8.6.2). The ROST CM6 software (version 6.0) was used for word frequency, social network semantics, and sentiment analysis of the crawled data. The results revealed shortcomings in short video content and short video marketing effects, for which the study proposed solutions. The findings are expected to provide suggestions for tourism destination marketing and enrich the research on tourism short video marketing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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13 pages, 600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Mediating Role of Place Attachment in the Link between Tourists’ Authentic Experiences of, Involvement in, and Loyalty to Rural Tourism

by Ge Wang, Liman Huang, Changliang Xu, Kai He, Kang Shen and Peiyu Liang

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12795; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912795 - 07 Oct 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2314

Abstract

The sustainable development of rural tourism is conducive to awakening “sleeping” resources, upgrading the industrial structure in rural areas, enhancing the revitalization ability of rural areas, accelerating the construction of cultural tourism, and promoting the strategy of rural revitalization. The loyalty of tourists has been considered as an important construct to describe the relationship between rural tourism growth and travelers’ future behavioral intentions. This study aims to integrate the relationship between authentic experience, involvement, place attachment, and loyalty into rural tourism research. The results of the study showed that tourists’ authentic experience and tourism participation have a significantly positive effect on place identity and place dependence (two different dimensions of place attachment), and authentic experience significantly positively affects involvement. Place identity and place dependence greatly and positively affect tourist loyalty. Furthermore, place dependence and place identity play a comprehensive mediating role in the relationship between authentic experience, involvement, and loyalty. The research findings provide a theoretical foundation and a point of reference for rural destinations in developing additional strategies and initiatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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18 pages, 3578 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rethinking Cultural Creativity and Tourism Resilience in the Post-Pandemic Era in Chinese Traditional Villages

by Xinxin Chen and Bohua Li

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12371; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912371 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2546

Abstract

Traditional villages constitute rural systems with rich cultural heritage resources and the potential for tourism development. Improving resilience in the tourism industry in traditional villages in the post-pandemic era must be urgently reconsidered. This study focuses on the Chinese villages of Zhang Guying and Rebala in Hunan Province and uses a qualitative analysis method. Through in-depth study of two case villages, the study finds that traditional Chinese villages, especially tourist-oriented traditional villages, are more vulnerable to the impact of the epidemic than cities and other places. However, because of their unique traditional cultural connotations, traditional Chinese villages have the potential to enhance tourism resilience in the post-epidemic era through cultural excavation and cultural creative production. The embossed patterns, couplet stories, architecture and folk culture of traditional villages can be used for cultural and creative production. The production of digital products and physical cultural and creative products, and the formation of related industrial chains, will help improve the resilience of village tourism. The joint action of villages, attractiveness (scenic spots), production, social capital, government structure, and cultural creativity helps to transform “vulnerable individuals” into “ resilient industrial structures”. This research helps to reconsider whether the past tourism concepts (cultural creativity and creative tourism) have an effect on existing tourism destinations (especially Chinese traditional villages) in the context of the post-epidemic era, and whether they can be rejuvenated. Like other small organizational structures facing the threat of the epidemic, Chinese traditional villages have problems such as insufficient costs and reduced resource advantages. This study will focus on these issues to explore how cultural creativity can help improve existing problems and enhance tourism resilience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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14 pages, 2502 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Construction of a Health Lifestyle for Older People in the Longevous Area in China

by Mengqi Yang, Hong Zhu, Xueyan Li, Weixia Gong, Xiaomei Pang and Danna Lv

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12219; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912219 - 26 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1226

Abstract

During the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has witnessed great progress in people’s health status. Both the occurrence of diseases and people’s understanding of health have undergone profound changes. Scholars are focusing on changing socioeconomic factors to maintain health lifestyles, and creating healthy “human–land” relations to prevent diseases. From the perspective of health geography, this research conducted field work in Bama, a longevous area in the Guangxi province in China, and applied the theoretical framework of health lifestyles theory to clarify the construction process of health lifestyles for older people in Bama. The roles and characteristics of different social relations in creating health lifestyles are revealed. The findings of this research can provide a new paradigm for China’s health practice research from two aspects: (1) the production of health lifestyles is a knowledge construction process, taking into account the influence of social circumstances, politics, economy, culture, policy, and values; and (2) social attributes affect health lifestyles by reconstructing and improving social relations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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18 pages, 31037 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toward Tourists–Media–Cities Tourism: Xi’an as a Wanghong City

by Tingting Fan and Zhongxuan Lin

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11806; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911806 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2733

Abstract

This study investigated the phenomenon of wanghong cities in China to illustrate the dynamic relationships between media, tourists, and cities in the new normal of the post-COVID-19 era. Specifically, this study proposes the innovative analytical framework of tourists–media–cities (“ToMeCi”), which is grounded in tourism studies, media studies, and urban studies, but goes beyond the traditional concepts and previous studies of media and city, tourism and media, and tourism and city. Based on a case study of Xi’an, one of the most famous wanghong cities in China, this study attempted to answer the following research questions: how can the deployment of creative media practices create new digital tourism patterns in the specific Chinese context of wanghong cities; moreover, why is this reasonable and possible, and what are the implications? For the purpose of this study, we employed a qualitative research method and conducted online and offline ethnographic fieldwork, textual analysis, and in-depth interviews with 22 tourists and 26 short-video producers or live streamers. The findings reveal that the city of Xi’an was transformed into a wanghong city to attract tourists, who interact with the city through specific media practices of clocking in and live streaming, with a new digital tourism model of the cyberflaneur emerging against the specific backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, we discuss the possible contributions and limitations of the phenomenon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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15 pages, 654 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Segmentation by Motivations in Sustainable Coastal and Marine Destinations: A Study in Jacó, Costa Rica

by Mauricio Carvache-Franco, Ana Gabriela Víquez-Paniagua, Wilmer Carvache-Franco, Allan Pérez-Orozco and Orly Carvache-Franco

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8830; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148830 - 19 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1329

Abstract

Coastal and marine tourism offers a wide variety of activities that can be sustainable due to the characteristics of its natural and cultural attractions. The present study was carried out in Jacó, a sustainable destination with coastal and marine characteristics of Costa Rica, with the objectives (i) of identifying the motivations of tourist demand; (ii) segmenting the tourist demand; (iii) establishing a relationship between the segments and sociodemographic aspects; and (iv) determining the relationship between segments of demand and satisfaction and loyalty. This quantitative study collected a sample of 304 valid questionnaires on-site in June 2021. For data analysis, a factorial analysis and non-hierarchical K-means segmentation were performed. The results show five motivational dimensions: “Learning and coastal experience”; “Nature”; “Rest and safety”; “Water sports”; and “Nightlife”—and three segments of tourists: “Multiple motives”; “Passive tourists”; and “Eco-Coastal”. The “Eco-Coastal” segment was the most satisfied in terms of enjoying the coastal nature of the destination. The “Multiple motives” group showed the highest intentions to return, recommend, and spread positive word of mouth. These findings will serve as management guides for coastal and marine destination managers and will help adapt these tourism sites to the new demand instigated by the global health crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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25 pages, 2769 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heritage Tourism and Nation-Building: Politics of the Production of Chinese National Identity at the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor

by Hongni Wei, Yi Yu and Zhenjie Yuan

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8798; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148798 - 18 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2444

Abstract

As an important embodiment and carrier of Chinese traditional culture, the rituals and ceremonies in heritage tourism not only carry profound spiritual and cultural connotations, such as respecting nature and worshiping ancestors, they also enable people to gain a sense of identity. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the relationship between heritage tourism and the politics of identity-building from the perspective of critical toponymy based on the case study of the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor. Drawing on five years’ of fieldwork at the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in Shaanxi Province, China, this paper unfolds how heritage tourism has evolved into a certain kind of political agenda and a social engineering of nation-building. Relying on in-depth interviews and R language text analysis, this paper examines how Chinese national identity is produced, performed, and established through landscape naming and ritual performance in heritage tourism. This paper finds that (1) the naming and interpretation of ancestral roots cultural landscapes, as well as ritual performance in heritage tourism, are closely associated with cultural representations and reproductions of national identity. (2) The naming and interpretation of landscapes, as well as the performance of ritual practices in heritage tourism, are closely associated with national history and mythology. The tourists’ behaviors and emotions, as well as their performance and experiences during the ritual practice at the heritage tourism site, help to construct national identity. The cultural production and invention are combined with actions enacted by governments and local residents, as well as visitors from different backgrounds. (3) The mausoleum creates cultural links for Taiwanese tourists to understand their ancestral roots culture and thus to enhance their connection with the mainland. This paper tries to explore the relationship between heritage tourism and identity-building from the perspective of critical toponymy, which has implications for place branding and marketing projects when promoting ancestral roots culture and place-named tourism. This research not only helps the individuals to realize and reappreciate the value of traditional culture and heritage, it also motivates the individuals to rethink their responsibilities in cultural inheritance and the innovative development of culture. It also helps to enhance the consciousness of the people on both sides of the strait as a community of the Chinese nation, as well as to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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17 pages, 1052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Travel Motivation during COVID-19: A Case from Nepal

by Kumar Bhatta, Prakash Gautam and Toshinori Tanaka

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7165; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127165 - 10 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4173

Abstract

The tourism industry is one of the most affected industries by the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding travel motivation is necessary for the tourism movement, even in the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this quantitative study aimed to explore travel motivation and its determinants. We collected 181 samples through a web-based questionnaire survey of the Nepali people in January and February 2021. The data were analyzed using a probit regression model through two different travel companion perspectives, i.e., traveling with friends and traveling with family members. We found that travel motivation, attributes, travel purpose, and transport mode preferences differed in companion groups. Specifically, those who want to travel with friends are government employees, 20–29 years of age, set health and wellness purposes, choose the bike for transportation, are less willing to visit homestay and agritourism, and want to travel for around one week. Those who plan to travel with family members use the coach to travel, choose rural destinations, including villages, and spend around two weeks. Based on these findings, we suggest that the Nepalese tourism destination and public transport companies make tourism packages targeting the groups. Since both groups showed interest in visiting rural destinations, we can say that tourism in rural destinations may revive earlier than urban tourism after the pandemic. However, a low-risk travel environment should be ensured for traveling to attract more tourists during and the post-disaster. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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18 pages, 1373 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Preference Analysis for Hikers’ Choice of Hiking Trail

by Mário Molokáč, Jana Hlaváčová, Dana Tometzová and Erika Liptáková

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6795; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116795 - 01 Jun 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5291

Abstract

Leisure time and its quality use is becoming increasingly important in society. We can spend it primarily on physical activity, which offer many options, as it provides an entertainment and has a complex effect on our physical and mental health. Walking as a basis for hiking is the most accessible form of physical activity. Hiking is known as a low-level adventure activity, making it popular, and therefore, it presents an important tourism product around the world. The aim of hiking is the improvement of spiritual wealth, physical capabilities, mental resilience, and the general health of a person. An essential activity of hiking is the exploration of natural beauties and monuments. The tourist chooses a certain attractive place based on the route by which he can arrive there. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the motivations of mountain hikers and to discuss the issue in wider contexts. This study examines the individual components comprising the decision-making process when choosing a hiking trail, such as slope of a terrain, relief, hiking trail surface, difficulty level of hiking trail, natural monuments, environmental attractiveness, and hiker’s internal motivation. The study contributes to contemporary literature on soft adventure hiking. Definitively, the findings provide important data in the creation of attractive and sustainable tourism products tailored to and planning for sustainable development of the territory in terms of tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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12 pages, 1165 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Testing Convergence of Tourism Development and Exploring Its Influencing Factors: Empirical Evidence from the Greater Bay Area in China

by Hui Chen, Tianyi Chen, Long Li, Xiaoliang Chen and Jian Huang

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6616; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116616 - 28 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1780

Abstract

Inverse globalization and the spread of epidemics have affected the world economy. Promoting the convergence and resilience of the tourism industry is an important means of boosting regional economic recovery and high-quality development. Taking the nine cities in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as cases, this study measures the state of development in each city from 2010 to 2019, and it constructs a coupled coordinated model to evaluate the integration of culture and tourism development. The entropy method and the coupling-coordination-degree model are evaluated through this empirical analysis. The results demonstrate that most cities in the GBA show an upward trend in the development and integration of the tourism industry. The development and integration of the tourism industry in Guangzhou and Shenzhen has always been in a leading position. The main factors that affect the level of tourism-industry convergence in the GBA cities include the level of economic development, the scale of government spending, the level of urbanization, and the level of technological innovation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “We Can’t Return to Normal”: Rethinking Tourism Motivation, Preferences, Consumption, and Tourist Behaviors in the New Normal)

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