Search Results (145)

The purpose of this study is to reveal the characteristics of wine tourists by determining their demographic and psychographic profiles, the effects of their travel motivations and lifestyles on their attitudes towards wine tourism, and the relationships between their demographic characteristics and attitudes. Based on a quantitative approach, study data were collected using a questionnaire. The sample consists of tourists who had visited a winery or participated in the vintage in a wine destination. Wine tourists’ principal motivations were pull factors and wine-related motivations. Their attitudes towards wine consumption had higher mean values than attitudes towards info-seeking, meaning that wine tourists preferred to taste wine and shop from wineries more than learn about wine. Regarding lifestyles, they were mostly innovators and experiencers. For destinations like Türkiye, wine tourism is a significant economic and sociocultural development tool. It is the first study to identify the wine tourists’ profile based on VALS-2, thereby providing a different perspective for the literature. Full article

Pet tourism has experienced significant growth in recent years, reflecting changes in the perception of pets as family members. This research examines the factors influencing attitude, travel intention, and payment intention in pet tourism in Chile, specifically analyzing the role of emotional attachment, perceived benefits, prestige, and novelty. Using a quantitative methodology, data were collected through an online survey of pet owners in Chile. The results reveal that perceived benefits and novelty positively influence attitudes toward traveling with pets, while prestige and perceived benefits directly impact travel intention. Surprisingly, emotional attachment did not show a significant influence, which contrasts with previous studies in other cultural contexts. This research also confirms that attitude and travel intention are relevant predictors of willingness to pay more for pet-friendly tourism services. These findings contribute to the literature on pet tourism in Latin America and provide practical implications for developing tourism services tailored to the Chilean market. This study concludes that marketing strategies in the tourism sector should emphasize tangible benefits and novel elements rather than emotional aspects to attract this growing market segment. Full article

Scarce research on inbound tourism has focused on local residents’ attitudes toward inbound tourism, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study combines social identity theory and emotional solidarity theory to explore Chinese residents’ attitudes toward inbound tourism. In particular, we explore two types of social identities (cultural and environmental identities, termed “humanistic environmental identity” in this study) and three factors of local residents’ emotional solidarity (welcoming nature, emotional closeness, and sympathetic understanding toward inbound tourists). Based on a survey of 310 local residents in Yangzhou, China, this study finds that local residents’ humanistic environmental identity significantly affects their emotional solidarity with inbound tourists, which significantly influences their acceptance of inbound tourism; this, in turn, increases their support for inbound tourism. Meanwhile, local residents’ humanistic environmental identity has an indirect effect on their support for inbound tourism through their welcoming nature, emotional closeness, sympathetic understanding, and acceptance of inbound tourism. In addition, local residents’ xenophobia significantly moderates the relationships between humanistic environmental identity and emotional closeness, between humanistic environmental identity and sympathetic understanding, and between emotional closeness and local residents’ acceptance of inbound tourism. This study extends research on factors affecting inbound tourism from the perspectives of local residents. Full article

Vietnam’s tourism sector has experienced rapid expansion, yielding significant economic gains, but also escalating environmental and socio-cultural challenges. This necessitates a shift toward sustainable tourism practices. This study develops and tests an integrative model combining the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) theory to investigate the Sustainable Consumption Behavior (SCB) of domestic travelers in Vietnam. Grounded in the country’s collectivist culture—characterized by a strong emphasis on communal values and social harmony—the research examines how rational decision-making and normative pressures jointly drive eco-friendly travel behaviors. Data were collected from 549 Vietnamese tourists through stratified sampling across three major regions, and were analyzed through a robust multi-step methodology, including Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM), supplemented by regression analysis. The SEM results indicate that the proposed model accounts for 60.8% of the variance in SCB, underscoring its explanatory power. Within the TPB framework, Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control significantly predict Behavioral Intention, which, in turn, mediates their influence on SCB. In the VBN component, Environmental Awareness shapes Altruistic and Biospheric Values, fostering the New Environmental Paradigm and activating Personal Norms, which exert a direct effect on SCB. This direct influence of Personal Norms, bypassing Behavioral Intention, highlights the role of implicit moral obligations in Vietnam’s collectivist cultural context and challenges Western-centric behavioral models. Beyond these frameworks, Destination Attributes and Consumer Innovativeness emerge as critical direct predictors of SCB, with Destination Attributes showing the strongest effect. Mediation analyses confirm Behavioral Intention’s central role, while moderation tests reveal that gender and travel experience modulate TPB-based relationships, suggesting the value of targeted interventions. Theoretically, this study advances TPB–VBN integration by applying it to a collectivist setting, revealing how cultural norms amplify normative influences on sustainable behavior. Practically, it advocates for strategies such as community-driven initiatives leveraging Personal Norms, educational campaigns to enhance Perceived Behavioral Control, and sustainable destination management initiatives in locations like Da Nang and Ha Long Bay. While the cross-sectional design limits causal claims, the findings provide a foundation for future longitudinal studies and cross-cultural comparisons, particularly in other collectivist societies, potentially incorporating digital engagement and policy incentives as novel factors. Full article

In order to achieve environmental sustainability within the tourism industry, it is vital to understand the components that encourage sports tourists to behave in an environmentally friendly way. However, the approach by which environmental aspects affect sports tourists’ behavior is not well studied, particularly the mediating role of sports tourists’ attitudes toward sustainable practices. Employing the norm activation model (NAM), this study addressed how environmental consciousness, environmental values, and environmental knowledge influence sports tourists’ attitudes toward sustainable practices and how sports tourists’ attitudes toward sustainable practices mediate these relationships in promoting sports tourists’ environmentally sustainable behavior. The data were gathered from 302 participants utilizing purposive sampling and analyzed by employing structural equation modeling (SEM). This study’s results revealed a positive association between environmental values, environmental knowledge, and sports tourists’ attitudes toward sustainable practices. Interestingly, the relationship between environmental consciousness and sports tourists’ attitudes toward sustainable practices was found to be insignificant. In addition, the relationship between environmental consciousness, environmental values, environmental knowledge, and sports tourists’ environmentally sustainable behavior was mediated by sports tourists’ attitudes toward sustainable practices. This mediating effect underlines the role of sports tourists’ attitudes toward sustainable practices in translating environmental values and environmental knowledge into actual behavior; hence, the development of positive attitudes toward sustainability is important for encouraging eco-friendly behaviors among sports tourists. These findings provide theoretical and practical insights for tourism practitioners in formulating strategies that would encourage environmental responsibility in the sports tourism industry. Full article

With increasing wind energy infrastructure developments, better understanding of its impacts on tourism is needed. This study examines international visitors’ attitudes toward wind farms in Iceland and investigates how locational factors affect their compatibility with tourism. Based on a survey answered by 1005 departing visitors, this study reveals that 92% are concerned about climate change. However, a lower proportion, 76%, support the use of wind energy in Iceland. Central European visitors are the most likely to be negatively affected by wind energy development, while Asian visitors showed the greatest interest in visiting a wind farm in Iceland. Among visitors from the leading countries of origin, French tourists were the most negative toward wind energy development in Iceland. Wind farms were perceived as most suitable in industrial, offshore, and agricultural areas, whereas their suitability was considered lowest in national parks and other protected natural areas and cultural heritage areas. Positive attitudes toward the use of wind energy positively affected the perceived suitability of wind farms in all of the discussed areas, while a lower perceived compatibility of wind farms with the tourist experience had a negative effect. The study highlights the importance of careful spatial planning and participatory approaches to improve compatibility between tourism and harnessing wind energy. Full article

Tourism has proven to be highly vulnerable to external disruptions, particularly in communities with low levels of tourism development. In this context, this study examines residents’ attitudes towards tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic and assesses the impact of public and private initiatives in the Cajas Massif Biosphere Area (CMBA), located in southern Ecuador. Employing a mixed-methods approach, 825 surveys were conducted alongside 25 interviews with key sector stakeholders. The objective was to determine whether these attitudes reflect genuine resilience or merely a survival strategy in response to the crisis. The findings indicate that, despite some collective efforts and mitigation plans, the primary focus remained on short-term income preservation, while government policies prioritised tourism promotion over addressing structural needs, ultimately proving inadequate for tourism recovery. This scenario placed the burden of adaptation on residents, with expressions of solidarity that, however, diminished as the crisis subsided. This study concludes that reactive measures may be mistaken for genuine resilience, highlighting the need for comprehensive policies and more equitable stakeholder participation to strengthen social cohesion and ensure the viability of tourism in the face of future crises. Full article

This study investigates the attitudes of local residents regarding the impacts of sustainable tourism development in two national parks in Montenegro: Skadar Lake National Park (NP) and Durmitor National Park (NP). The aim is to identify the key factors that shape these attitudes and to discern the differences in perceptions between the residents of these two areas. The research is based on the assumption that socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, and level of education, significantly influence attitudes toward sustainable tourism development. Data were collected through a questionnaire covering various attitudes toward tourism. Analyses were conducted using multiple regression analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation, with careful verification of all key statistical assumptions to ensure the validity of the results. The findings reveal significant differences in perceptions between residents of NP Skadar Lake and NP Durmitor. Respondents from NP Durmitor generally rated tourism’s positive and negative aspects higher than those from NP Skadar Lake. On the other hand, NP Skadar Lake residents exhibited more enthusiasm for tourism promotion and engagement in tourism development processes. It was concluded that socio-demographic characteristics, particularly education and age, influence attitudes toward tourism. These findings provide a basis for formulating recommendations to improve tourism development, considering local communities’ specific needs and perceptions in both national parks. Full article

Livelihood resilience research is a critical area in contemporary sustainable livelihood studies, offering valuable insights into residents’ livelihood transformation and strategies under sudden shocks or disruptions. This research analyzes 365 households from five towns reliant on tourism in the Wulingyuan Scenic range, situated in the central section of the Wuling Mountain range. The findings reveal that residents’ livelihood resilience decreased by 6.38% from the normal tourism stage (before 2020) to the epidemic disruption stage (2020–2022), followed by a 4.54% increase during the tourism recovery stage (after 2022). Despite fluctuations caused by exogenous shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic, residents’ livelihood resilience remained at a moderate level overall. Spatially, livelihood resilience exhibited a northwest–southeast dispersion trend, with a noticeable shift toward the southeast. Key drivers of resilience included increased material capital, enhanced organizational management capabilities, residents’ clear understanding of livelihood challenges, and positive attitudes. Conversely, constraints included the pandemic’s impacts, limited community participation, reduced tourist numbers, inefficient ecotourism management, insufficient financial capital, weak learning capacities, and monolithic livelihood strategies. The study highlights that those changes in the tourism development environment, coupled with interactive pathways of buffering, adaptation, and transformation capabilities, jointly influence livelihood resilience. Synergistic efforts in these areas can significantly enhance residents’ livelihood resilience. Full article

This study investigates the attitudes of local communities in Western Serbia toward tourism development, with a focus on the potential for implementing community-based tourism (CBT) as a sustainable model. CBT emphasizes local community involvement in tourism planning and benefits, fostering inclusivity and enhancing socio-economic well-being. By surveying 845 residents in Western Serbia, this research examines their perceptions of tourism’s social, environmental, and economic impacts, as well as their level of support for tourism growth and their sense of attachment to the community. Using statistical methods such as correlation, regression, and descriptive analysis with SPSS 23, this study identifies positive correlations between residents’ attitudes, support for tourism, and attachment to their communities. The findings reveal that local residents generally view tourism growth favorably, with a strong preference for economic benefits over social and environmental ones. Furthermore, community attachment plays a significant role in motivating residents to support future tourism initiatives. These insights suggest that aligning tourism development strategies with the residents’ priorities, particularly economic benefits and community attachment, is essential for promoting sustainable and harmonious tourism growth in Western Serbia. The research highlights the potential of CBT in fostering long-term socio-economic benefits for local communities while minimizing adverse impacts. Full article

Over the past three decades, numerous publications have examined the critical importance of resident support in promoting tourism development, but few of them have focused specifically on residents’ support in promoting (or not) Sport Tourism (ST) for the Sustainable Development (SD) of small islands in a climate-related context. Therefore, the aim of this article is to fill this gap by creating a quantitative model focusing on the social exchange theory adapted to this scientific object. Four specific variables have been explored, namely, positive attitude toward ST, perceptions of SD, and positive and negative perceptions of ST impacts on the SD of islands to test their positive correlation with three varied sets of intentions to support ST for the SD of La Réunion island, which is development, limitation-restriction, and taxation. This exploratory research compares data obtained from 435 questionnaires collected by convenience and snowball sampling from November 2022 to February 2023 from residents of La Réunion island. The results demonstrate that residents are divided in their intention to support ST for the SD of their island. Results also revealed that the more residents shared a positive perception of the impacts of ST and held positive perceptions of these impacts of ST on the SD of the island, the more likely they were to support the development of ST for promoting SD. Additionally, it was noted that the more residents’ held higher perceptions of SD and negative perceptions of ST impacts on SD, they were more inclined towards supporting limitation, restriction, and taxation. The results of this exploratory research may hence provide insight to drive the planning of ST for La Réunion Island by specifically contributing to the formulation of policies and regulations governing tourist activities during the higher season. Full article

Climate change has profound impacts on tourists’ travel demands, travel decisions, travel experiences, and the development of the tourism industry. Consequently, understanding tourists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards climate change is important to the future development of tourism. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the existing literature concerning tourists’ KAP towards climate change through a systematic review. A total of 76 articles were included to provide a comprehensive overview of tourists’ KAP towards climate change since the 1950s. This study identified a significant increase in relevant research output in recent years; however, it also found a noticeable geographical bias, with a concentration in Europe and North America. While tourists generally demonstrated a good understanding of climate change and its impact on tourism, they showed a lack of awareness regarding the environmental consequences of air travel and were reluctant to reduce air travel. Most tourists believed that governments should take the lead in addressing climate change, with only a minority recognizing their individual responsibility. Furthermore, the perceived threats of climate change directly influenced tourists’ travel decisions, prompting them to modify their travel plans, posing a challenge for tourist destinations. These findings can guide the development of policies related to climate education and sustainable tourism practices. Full article

This study examines attitudes toward achieving a sustainable balance in ecotourism using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, focusing on economic and environmental factors shaping sustainable practices. Data were collected from tourists, local residents, and managers in Serbia and Croatia, encompassing diverse perspectives on natural resource conservation, economic benefits, and community engagement. The results indicate that natural resource conservation significantly contributes to local participation, tourist awareness, and community engagement, with notable differences observed among respondent groups. Economic benefits also positively influence these mediating factors, emphasizing their role in achieving sustainability goals. The MGA revealed significant differences between respondent groups, highlighting that managers and local communities in Croatia demonstrated higher levels of awareness and participation compared to Serbia, while differences among tourists were less pronounced. This research contributes to the sustainable tourism literature by integrating perspectives from various stakeholder groups and emphasizing the importance of community involvement and environmental preservation. Practical implications include recommendations for policymakers and managers to develop strategies that encourage stakeholder participation and promote sustainable tourism development. Full article

This study explores the intricate relationship between the growth of medical tourism in Malaysia and its impacts on the local community, particularly focusing on residents’ quality of life. Malaysia’s status as a competitive destination for affordable, high-quality healthcare services has led to significant economic growth, including increased healthcare revenue, job creation, and infrastructure improvements. However, the influx of foreign patients has raised concerns regarding healthcare accessibility for locals and the strain on local resources. Data from 361 respondents were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that medical tourism positively affects economic performance, with a significant path coefficient (β = 0.434, p < 0.01), showing a strong correlation between economic benefits and perceived improvement from medical tourism development. Similarly, personal benefits from the industry have a positive influence on quality of life (β = 0.202, p < 0.05). However, this study also reveals that attitudes towards medical tourism do not significantly impact residents’ perceptions of quality of life (β = 0.057, p > 0.05), highlighting social disparities in how different groups experience the effects of this industry. The findings suggest that while medical tourism offers economic advantages, challenges such as reduced healthcare access for locals and the growing commercialization of healthcare must be addressed. This study concludes with recommendations for sustainable policy interventions to balance the economic growth of medical tourism with the well-being of local communities. Full article

In the face of escalating global challenges related to the climate crisis, depletion of natural resources, and growing social inequalities, tourism—one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide—must undergo a transformation toward more responsible travel planning and implementation. In this context, the concepts of the green economy and sustainable tourism provide valuable inspiration. Despite widespread consensus on the validity of these concepts, their implementation across various regions encounters numerous social, political, technological, and cultural challenges. Mobile applications used during tourist activities can play a pivotal role as widespread carriers of values and ideas aligned with the principles of the green economy and sustainable development. This article focuses on two key areas. The first outlines theoretical frameworks for leveraging mobile applications to shape travelers’ attitudes in accordance with the green economy and sustainable development principles. The second area refers to original research on user preferences and expectations regarding sustainable solutions in mobile applications. The findings of the research indicate that mobile applications possess a vast potential to influence tourists’ decisions and behaviors. In this context, they can serve as a critical factor in supporting the transformation of the tourism industry towards the objectives of sustainable development and the green economy. Full article