Search Results (2,792)

This study evaluates how digital transformation can reshape communication effectiveness in the context of cultural tourism through the restructuring of the technology value chain role. Through the support of technology, cultural values are reinforced and conveyed authentically and engagingly to enhance personal and social experiences, thereby improving communication effectiveness. Through multiple surveys with 393 participants, 380 responses were collected, ultimately yielding 368 valid responses in Da Nang, Vietnam, of which domestic tourists accounted for the majority at 54.6%, with the remainder being international tourists. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel, SPSS, and AMOS, with hypotheses tested. The results show a positive but uneven impact of digital transformation on the quality of digital cultural content (greatest impact), digital engagement (second highest), and digital cultural experience. These results challenge some assumptions that role-playing experiences are the central strategy in creating digital value. It also shows that digital technology effectively supports the quality of media content while enhancing the inherent role of digital media in sharing, interaction, and personal immersion. Furthermore, perceived risks weaken the power of digital transformation on personal digital experiences but do not impact content quality. This result reflects the digital trust paradox, demonstrating both the effectiveness in increasing value for both customers and businesses, and the cautious attitude of tourists towards the potential risks from digital platforms. The distinct role of travel purpose in shaping travel behavior also reflects the contextual nature of the study. This research expands on implications beyond purely technology-accepting models by reflecting how technological infrastructure drives the creation of social value in terms of meaning and cultural tourism experiences. In practical terms, destination managers need to evaluate digital transformation as a strategic tool in creating human-centered content, fostering social–emotional connection and experiences to enhance sustainable destination communication effectiveness. Full article

Planetary health recognizes that human health, well-being, and sustainable development depend fundamentally on the integrity of natural ecosystems that regulate climate, maintain biodiversity, secure food and water resources, and protect populations from environmental risks. As environmental degradation increasingly threatens this life-support system, there is a growing need for economic indicators that explicitly recognize the value of natural capital alongside conventional measures of development. Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) has emerged as comprehensive metric for quantifying the monetary value of ecosystem services and informing evidence-based policy. This study estimates India’s GEP for the period 2011–2012 to 2020–2021 using an ecosystem accounting framework aligned with the System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA). The analysis integrates provisioning services (timber, non-timber forest products, fuelwood, and fisheries), regulating services (carbon sequestration), and cultural services (nature-based tourism) using market price, replacement cost, and benefit transfer methods based on secondary data from national and published sources. India’s total GEP is estimated at US$207.05 billion, highlighting the substantial but under-recognized contribution of ecosystems to the national economy and societal well-being. Regulating services dominate GDP, with carbon sequestration alone accounting for US$166.73 billion, followed by provisioning services, while cultural services contribute a relatively smaller share. These findings reveal a significant gap between ecosystem contributions and their representation in conventional metrics such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), underscoring the limitations of growth-centric development frameworks. By integrating ecosystem values into national accounting, GEP provides a practical tool for advancing planetary health, strengthening climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, supporting ecosystem-based management, and guiding policies that align economic development with ecological sustainability and long-term human well-being. Full article

Cultural heritage serves as a vital driver for achieving sustainable development goals, and the application of virtual reality (VR) technology in this domain can effectively advance these objectives. However, the rapid development and iteration of VR technology have spawned diverse VR types, yet no research has clarified the advantages and disadvantages of different VR technology types when applied to cultural heritage. Misuse of VR technology may negatively impact the development of cultural heritage. Therefore, this study provides application guidance by evaluating the performance of three mainstream VR technology types—depth-image VR (DVR), panoramic VR (PVR), and 3D reconstruction VR (3DVR)—across five dimensions in cultural heritage contexts: user engagement, intrinsic motivation, presence perception, creativity, and learning outcomes. Findings indicate that DVR, with its superior operability and high fidelity to the real world, is recommended for tourism applications. PVR, characterized by higher attention retention compared to other VR forms, is better suited for educational sectors focused on learning outcomes or skills training. For cultural heritage contexts prioritizing creativity development, both DVR and PVR are more appropriate. The findings of this study provide a reference guide for cultural heritage practitioners and VR technology developers, helping researchers understand the strengths and weaknesses of different VR technologies across various metrics to achieve the sustainable development of cultural heritage. Full article

Whether agricultural cultural heritage (ACH) tourism supports sustainable heritage development depends partly on whether visits sustain the communication and internalization of heritage knowledge rather than merely produce favorable consumption evaluations. Drawing on experience economy theory, social identity theory, and tourism learning theory, this study constructs a mechanism model linking ACH experiences to tourists’ cultural learning. To reduce conceptual overlap, experience quality is defined as visitors’ perceived distinctiveness, novelty, and memorability of the visit, whereas perceived value is defined as a utilitarian assessment of gains relative to the money, time, and effort invested. ACH experience is therefore divided into three analytically distinct dimensions: experience quality, perceived value, and knowledge transfer. Cultural identity is introduced as a mediating variable and is understood as a layered psychological construct including cognitive recognition, affective attachment, and evaluative commitment. Income level is introduced as a moderating variable and is interpreted as a within-sample socioeconomic boundary condition after controlling for education and other demographic characteristics. In this study, sustainability is defined narrowly as the sociocultural continuity of ACH from the visitor side and is operationalized through perceived knowledge transfer, cultural identity, and self-reported cultural learning; income is used to examine whether this pathway differs across socioeconomic groups. Based on 430 valid questionnaires collected from visitors to ACH sites in Fujian Province, this cross-sectional study conducts empirical tests using structural equation modeling (SEM), Bootstrap mediation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis. The results show that experience quality and knowledge transfer are positively associated with tourists’ cultural learning, with knowledge transfer showing the stronger association. Perceived value has no significant relationship with cultural learning, indicating that a consumption-level perception of value for money does not necessarily correspond to deeper cultural learning. Cultural identity fully mediates the statistical relationship between knowledge transfer and tourists’ cultural learning, revealing a dominant pathway linking knowledge transfer, cultural identity, and cultural learning. Income level positively moderates the relationship between cultural identity and tourists’ cultural learning. Because the data are cross-sectional and self-reported, these findings indicate theoretically consistent associations rather than definitive causal effects. The study contributes to sustainability research by offering a quantifiable visitor-side framework for monitoring knowledge communication, cultural connection, and learning-related outcomes. Repeated measurement of these indicators may support adaptive heritage management and inclusive cultural participation, but they should be combined with ecological, economic, and community-based indicators rather than treated as a complete sustainability index. Full article

Sustainable rural cultural tourism requires effective approaches to improving the visibility, accessibility, and decision feasibility of dispersed cultural resources, particularly in destinations where service information is fragmented across online and offline channels and tourists face substantial uncertainty in coordinating transport, accommodation, and cultural experiences. This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) agents can support the sustainable digital transformation of rural cultural tourism by alleviating information asymmetry, releasing latent tourism demand, and facilitating calibrated human–machine trust. Drawing on human–machine trust theory and the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, this study conceptualizes AI agent functionality through three dimensions: AI Information Quality (AIQ), Information Extensibility (IE), and AI Planning Autonomy (APA). Travel Planning Risk Awareness (TPRA), Human–Machine Trust (HMT), Planning Satisfaction (PS), Rural Cultural Tourism Attractiveness (RCTA), and Rural Cultural Tourism Intention (RCTI) are further incorporated into an integrated model comprising four pathways: information empowerment, autonomy–risk awareness tension, trust boundary, and demand release. Using the Ctrip AI Travel Assistant as the research context, 413 valid questionnaire responses were analyzed through a hybrid Structural Equation Modeling–Artificial Neural Network approach. The results support 12 of the 14 hypotheses. AIQ significantly influences IE (β = 0.530), PS (β = 0.304), and HMT (β = 0.380). HMT functions as a central mechanism connecting AI empowerment with tourism decision-making and exerts the strongest effect on RCTA (β = 0.485), reaching 100% normalized importance in the corresponding ANN model. TPRA positively affects HMT (β = 0.262), indicating that risk awareness can facilitate rational and calibrated trust rather than simply inhibiting AI acceptance. RCTA (β = 0.281) and PS (β = 0.218) jointly promote RCTI through the complementary mechanisms of destination pull and planning push. The findings demonstrate that AI agents can contribute to the sustainable development of rural cultural tourism by improving information accessibility, strengthening responsible human–AI collaboration, and transforming fragmented cultural resources into credible and actionable travel-planning options. This study provides implications for sustainable destination marketing, responsible AI travel-service design, rural revitalization, and the long-term development of rural cultural tourism, while clarifying trust as a psychological gate in AI empowerment. Full article

Animal material culture is most often discussed in relation to tool use and foraging, while non-foraging object use remains poorly documented in many taxa. This study reports opportunistic observations of a novel object-directed behavior in the critically endangered pygmy raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus), an island-endemic species restricted to Cozumel, Mexico. During fieldwork on tourism effects between January and February 2026, researchers used direct observation, site assessment, photography, videography, and interviews to document raccoon behavior at several sites. At one beach club, two juvenile female siblings were observed retrieving paper waste, dipping it in water, rolling and compacting it with sand, and using the resulting balls in play. One juvenile first performed the full sequence while the other observed and then attempted the behavior; the second juvenile later completed the sequence independently after her sister had been removed from the site. However, at a comparable tourism site with juvenile raccoons and access to paper and water, this behavior was not observed. These observations provide potential evidence of socially mediated material engagement in pygmy raccoons. The findings expand the known behavioral repertoire of the species and support continued field-based behavioral monitoring, especially where tourism, waste exposure, and juvenile development overlap. Full article

Event-based tourism in coastal communities has primarily been studied through economic indicators such as visitor numbers, tourist spending, and multiplier effects, while research on small-scale recurring events driven by non-economic motivations remains limited. This study aims to uncover the meanings behind tourism event practices in coastal fishing communities in Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi, Indonesia. A qualitative approach with an interpretive ethnographic design was employed, with data collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation of four annual events, namely Sandeq Race, Malauyung, Pammunuang, and Mallampei, held across three coastal villages. The findings reveal that event-based tourism in Polewali Mandar takes two primary forms: competition-based and religious-activity-based tourism. Neither form is driven by economic calculation; both are sustained by communal pride in maritime cultural heritage, institutionalized spiritual obligations, and binding social norms. These events function simultaneously as arenas for affirming maritime cultural identity, mechanisms for reproducing social solidarity, spaces for intergenerational knowledge transmission, and vehicles for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH), most notably through the close interdependence between the Sandeq Race and its underlying traditional boat-building practice. The study further finds that these events attract a distinct typology of visitors, ranging from local residents and domestic tourists with kinship ties to the host villages, to a modest but consistent stream of international tourists, and that their sustainability reflects a form of informal Community-Based Tourism (CBT) rooted in intrinsic social capital rather than institutional or industry-driven development. This study proposes the concept of pride-driven small-scale event tourism, referring to small-scale event tourism sustained by communal pride in cultural heritage and religious tradition rather than economic orientation, thereby expanding event tourism, religious tourism, and the CBT literature by foregrounding non-material dimensions as central to understanding coastal community-based tourism practices. Full article

Industrial heritage tourism depends on more than the preservation of visible structures; it also requires visitors to perceive historical and cultural meaning. This study examines public perceptions of eight representative industrial heritage tourism sites in Wuhan. Drawing on Scene Theory, we developed a three-dimensional framework encompassing physical, social, and cultural scenes. We collected user-generated content (UGC) from Dianping.com and evaluated 12 perception elements using semantic network analysis and a modified Importance–Performance Analysis based on topic salience and satisfaction. Public perceptions were dominated by visual aesthetics and social-media engagement. Ecological atmosphere received favourable evaluations despite its lower salience, whereas homogeneous commercial offerings weakened the visitor experience. Era memory and industrial heritage combined relatively high salience with low satisfaction, revealing a gap between visible physical remains and the communication of industrial history and collective memory. A hierarchical analysis further showed that only 8.40% of culture-related reviews contained deep industrial narratives. We therefore propose strategies that improve spatial interpretation, embed site-specific industrial identity in commercial and social experiences, and connect heritage objects with historical processes and workers’ memories. These findings provide an evidence-based framework for strengthening cultural interpretation in the revitalization of Wuhan’s industrial heritage. Full article

Battlefield preservation is commonly understood as a matter of heritage management, historical education, or cultural tourism. This article argues that its origins and enduring significance lie elsewhere. Modern battlefield preservation emerged as a direct consequence of the transformation of warfare between the late eighteenth and twentieth centuries. Beginning with the French Revolution and the levée en masse, military service became increasingly associated with citizenship, national identity, and mass participation, while industrialization provided the logistical and technological foundations necessary for warfare on an unprecedented scale. As warfare expanded, so too did its human consequences, transforming military death from the experience of a relatively small warrior elite into a shared social reality affecting entire populations. Drawing upon military history, memory studies, sociology, religious studies, and heritage scholarship, this article examines how mass warfare generated new forms of collective bereavement, ritual commemoration, battlefield pilgrimage, and historical preservation. Through case studies ranging from the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars to the Crimean War, Gettysburg, the World Wars, and the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, it demonstrates how expanding mobilization, industrialized conflict, and rising casualty rates produced enduring landscapes of memory. The article argues that battlefield preservation developed through a cumulative historical process linking mass warfare, mass casualties, collective trauma, commemorative practices, and the creation of commemorative landscapes. Preserved battlefields are not merely remnants of past conflicts; they are cultural institutions through which societies negotiate memory, identity, and meaning. As traditional sources of collective authority weakened in modern societies, battlefields increasingly acquired functions associated with ritual, pilgrimage, and civil religion. The expansion of warfare produced an expansion of remembrance, and the preserved battlefield emerged as one of the most enduring cultural responses to the human consequences of modern conflict. Full article

The quantitative measurement of TCC at tourist cities involves considerable methodological complexities. Conventional evaluation methods based on fixed numerical criteria are frequently insufficient since tourism systems are characterized by unclear information, gradual shifts, and subjective experiences. To address these methodological constraints, this study develops and implements a hybrid FAHP-weighted Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) framework to estimate TCC. The framework incorporates four critical indicators, visitor density, waste generation, infrastructure load, visitor perception, reflecting the physical, environmental, infrastructural, and socio-cultural dimensions of tourism development. These indicators are assessed using a structured analytical procedure integrating fuzzification, expert-derived weighting through the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation, and centroid defuzzification. This study presents a hybrid SEM–FAHP–FCE framework, which is a multi-method integrated decision model that combines SEM (structural equation modeling) for visitor perception and behavioral drivers, FAHP (fuzzy analytic hierarchy process) for expert-based indicator weighting and FCE (fuzzy comprehensive evaluation) for final carrying capacity assessment under uncertainty. This combined methodology offers a more adaptive and empirically grounded assessment of TCC by synthesizing quantitative conditions with qualitative stakeholder perceptions within a unified evaluative model. The framework is validated through empirical application to Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s most visited destinations, across eight study sites and two seasonal conditions (normal and festival-peak). Primary data collection comprises 300 visitor count observation units and field data, i.e., visitor count, waste generation and infrastructure details. The defuzzified FAHP–FCE results for each site (W = 3.94, 3.33, 2.44, 1.95, 3.66, 1.87, 1.86 and 2.71) reveal that major pilgrimage nodes exhibit scores approaching the upper bound of the evaluation scale, indicating that tourism pressure has significantly exceeded carrying capacity during peak periods. This study establishes proof-of-concept for the FAHP–FCE framework as a standardized, replicable instrument for evidence-based TCC governance at tourism cities. Full article

This study addresses the research gap concerning how rural cultural–tourism integration contributes to regional economic resilience, a relationship that remains underexplored despite growing policy interest in rural revitalization. Using cross-sectional data for 285 Chinese prefecture-level cities in 2020, the study constructs a multidimensional ACT (agriculture–culture–tourism) indicator system and employs XGBoost regression with SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis to examine the nonlinear associations between ACT factors and economic resilience. Spatial analysis reveals significant positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I = 0.412) and pronounced regional disparities. Machine learning results indicate that traditional village numbers and primary industry value-addedness are the most important predictors, with SHAP dependence analysis revealing threshold effects and diminishing marginal returns. An illustrative micro-level case study of 140 social media posts from Guangzhou provides interpretive evidence on how low-intensity, leisure-oriented tourism experiences mediate the translation of ACT resources into economic outcomes. The findings suggest that ACT integration is associated with stability-oriented resilience buffering rather than transformative growth, highlighting the importance of functional integration, product diversification, and institutional capacity for enhancing regional economic resilience. Full article

Heritage tourism has become an important driver of tourism development, particularly in Asia, where countries actively promote national and cultural identities to attract visitors. Although individual studies have examined heritage identity in relation to tourism, existing reviews have not systematically synthesised the theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, and empirical evidence on how tangible and intangible heritage identities are utilised as tourism development resources across South and Southeast Asia. Accordingly, this systematic review addresses three questions: (i) how research on heritage identity in heritage tourism has evolved in South and Southeast Asia, including its publication trends, theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches; (ii) which forms of tangible and intangible heritage identity are most utilised in South and Southeast Asia; and (iii) what conceptual and practical challenges and future research directions emerge from the literature. This study presents a systematic literature review with narrative synthesis of 44 publications to analyze how tangible and intangible heritage identities are used to promote heritage tourism in the region. The findings indicate that most studies focus on tangible heritage such as monuments, archaeological sites and colonial architecture, while intangible heritage, including cultural festivals and living traditions, remains comparatively underrepresented. The review further shows that heritage identity plays a significant role in strengthening national identity, enhancing visitor experiences and supporting local economic development across South and Southeast Asia. At the same time, several challenges remain, including the underutilisation of heritage resources, limited recognition of intangible heritage and the need to improve visitor management and sustainable tourism practices. The study concludes that Asian countries have significant untapped potential to further integrate heritage identity into tourism strategies, particularly through more innovative uses of intangible cultural heritage and improved heritage governance and management. Full article

Black tourism, a specific type of interest tourism, is defined as traveling to places that are associated with death, tragedy, and history as a form of suffering. In India, black tourism includes memorials, battlefields, and sites of socio-political conflict reflecting its complex history. The purpose of this study was to examine the growth and development of black tourism in India, focusing specifically on destinations related to historical tragedy and memory. The study uses a mixed-methods approach with primary data from structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews at black tourism destinations in India, supported by secondary data. The study finds that tourists at India’s black tourism sites seek historical learning and emotional engagement, while highlighting challenges like infrastructure issues and limited local participation. Major challenges facing black tourism in India are inadequacy of infrastructure; limited interpretation of the site; ethical concerns; and lack of participation from the local population. The study found that preserving authenticity, respecting locals, and incorporating cultural rituals are essential for tourism. The study concluded that planned and sustainable development of black tourism in India will enhance historical awareness and socio-cultural understanding. Full article

Aesthetic perception of rural streetscapes reflects individuals’ cognitive responses to their surroundings and is central to understanding how landscape preferences are formed. Existing studies using Scenic Beauty Estimation (SBE) are constrained by incomplete indicator systems and overreliance on linear approaches. This study proposes an interpretable machine learning framework that integrates multi-source data to examine the nonlinear influences of streetscape features on SBE. Using Sanguan Village, a water-networked settlement in Jiangsu, we developed a 24-indicator system spanning color, spatial, natural, artificial, and cultural dimensions. Based on 523 panoramic images and aesthetic ratings from 1175 respondents, we compared OLS, DT, MLP, SVR, RF, and XGBoost models. The best-performing XGBoost, combined with SHAP analysis, revealed threshold effects and interaction patterns among variables. Green visibility, architectural aesthetics, building visibility, sky visibility, environmental coordination, and water are the top six feature variables most strongly associated with rural streetscape aesthetic perception, and each exhibits threshold effects. The saturation threshold for green visibility is 0.153, and architectural aesthetics can only make a positive contribution when its score exceeds 3.815. The appropriate range for building visibility is below 0.452, while the optimal value for sky visibility is approximately 0.194. We also explored the context-dependence of these threshold effects across urban and rural settings. This study proposes streetscape optimization strategies focusing on screening key factors, controlling their thresholds, and coordinating the allocation of streetscape features. The interpretable analytical framework for rural scenic beauty established in this research can facilitate evidence-based landscape optimization and provide scientific support for sustainable rural development and tourism in this case. Full article

The digital transformation of cultural tourism has increased interest in understanding how technological innovation and sustainability influence destination choice among younger travellers. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study examines the relationship between Smart Technologies, Sustainability, and Generation Z’s intention to visit digitally enhanced cultural destinations. Data were collected from 354 Generation Z respondents and analysed using SmartPLS4, complemented by mediation analysis, Importance–Performance Map Analysis, PLSpredict, and the Cross-Validated Predictive Ability Test. The findings reveal that Smart Technologies exert a strong positive effect on Visit Intention (β = 0.575, p < 0.001) and Sustainability (β = 0.437, p < 0.001), while Sustainability also positively influences Visit Intention (β = 0.194, p < 0.001). Sustainability partially mediates the relationship between Smart Technologies and Visit Intention (β = 0.085, p < 0.001). The model explains 46.6% of the variance in Visit Intention, while IPMA identifies Smart Technologies as the most influential managerial priority. The study contributes to smart tourism literature by providing an integrated TPB-based framework linking technology, sustainability, and destination intention. The findings suggest that technological innovation is the primary driver of Visit Intention, while Sustainability plays a complementary role among Generation Z travellers. Full article