Search Results (54)

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted Japan’s inbound tourism, but recent recovery trends highlight the growing importance of Chinese tourists. Understanding their motivations is crucial for revitalizing the industry. Building on our previous framework, this study applies Transformer-based natural language processing (NLP) models and principal component analysis (PCA) to analyze large-scale user-generated content (UGC) and identify key motivational factors influencing Chinese tourists’ visits to Hokkaido. Traditional survey-based approaches to tourism motivation research often suffer from response biases and small sample sizes. In contrast, we leverage a pre-trained Transformer model, RoBERTa, to score motivational factors like self-expansion, excitement, and cultural observation. PCA is subsequently used to extract the most significant factors across different destinations. Findings indicate that Chinese tourists are primarily drawn to Hokkaido’s natural scenery and cultural experiences, and the differences in these factors by season. While the model effectively aligns with manual scoring, it shows limitations in capturing more abstract motivations such as excitement and self-expansion. This research advances tourism analytics by applying AI-driven methodologies, offering practical insights for destination marketing and management. Future work can extend this approach to other regions and cross-cultural contexts, further enhancing AI’s role in understanding evolving traveler preferences. 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

After the end of the COVID-19 epidemic, the global tourism market is continuing to recover, and tourism is once again becoming a significant part of the national economies of many countries. This study used panel data from 31 provinces and cities in China between 2011 and 2019 for empirical testing, aiming to understand the contribution of new infrastructure investment in China to the international tourism industry. The research findings indicate that infrastructure investment in China had a positive impact on the development of international tourism. Infrastructure investment in China increased by 1%, with the number of inbound overnight tourists and international tourism revenue increasing by 0.373% and 0.570%, respectively. Mechanism analysis shows that transportation accessibility and information technology levels influenced international tourism; that is, new infrastructure investments improved the regional transportation environment and enhanced the level of information technology, which was beneficial for international tourism. In addition, there was apparent regional heterogeneity in the impact of new infrastructure investments in China on the international tourism industry. Overall, the conclusions drawn in this article are novel and provide vital policy implications for promoting the sustainable development of China’s tourism industry. Full article

Spatial distribution is a critical factor influencing the success or failure of hotel management. This study examines the spatial distribution patterns of foreign star-rated hotels in China from 2000 to 2015 based on 27 typical city cases, using global and local spatial autocorrelation methods within GIS spatial analysis. The research explores the evolution of these patterns, analyzes key characteristics, and combines these insights with a stepwise regression method. Pearson correlation analysis is used to identify factors that influence the evolution of the spatial pattern. This study reveals that, first, the Z-value of global spatial autocorrelation of foreign star-rated hotels in China decreases from 2.38 to 1.63, indicating that the spatial distribution of foreign star-rated hotels in China has shifted from imbalanced to balanced, transitioning from economically developed regions such as areas with overseas Chinese populations, provincial capitals, and municipalities directly under central government control, toward tourist cities. Second, star-rated hotels hold a critical position within the spatial pattern, highlighting their central role in shaping the hospitality landscape. Third, the spatial distribution of foreign star-rated hotels is primarily influenced by the number of inbound tourists, followed by the presence of scenic spots rated 4A and above. The influence of other factors is found to be less significant. Fourth, the correlation coefficient between tourism demand and foreign star-rated hotels increased by 0.004, whereas the correlation coefficient between tourism supply and foreign star-rated hotels decreased by 0.036, indicating that market factors are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the evolution of foreign star-rated hotels in China, reflecting broader market dynamics. This study provides practical guidance for local Chinese hotels facing competition from foreign-funded establishments and offers theoretical insight into the strategic implementation of transnational operations. It points out the expansion direction of local Chinese hotels across different developmental stages. Full article

Inbound digital marketing strategies play a vital role in the tourism industry, significantly influencing visitors’ decision-making processes, enhancing tourist experiences, and ensuring post-consumption satisfaction. This study explores the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies in shaping tourists’ perceptions of service quality and sustainability and their subsequent impact on overall satisfaction and behavioural intentions. This paper developed a conceptual framework and hypotheses through a comprehensive literature review to assess the causal relationships between digital marketing effectiveness, perceived destination service quality, perceived destination sustainability quality, tourist satisfaction, and behavioural intention. The empirical analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) on data collected from 195 international tourists in Thailand’s coastal regions. The results reveal that while digital marketing effectiveness directly influences tourists’ perceptions of service and sustainability quality, it indirectly influences tourist satisfaction and behavioural intentions through these perceptions. The findings highlight the critical role of aligning digital marketing strategies with service quality and sustainability initiatives. Moreover, the developed construct serves as a valuable tool for assessing and maintaining the destination image, helping tourism providers to improve their offerings and continuously foster long-term customer relationships. Full article

This study examines the dynamics of inbound tourism in China, utilizing a mixed-effects gravity model to analyze data from urban clusters around China’s three major airports. The research methodology of the study includes applying advanced econometric techniques, such as the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood estimation, to ensure robust and accurate results. The study focuses on international tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings, identifying key drivers such as tourism resources, transportation safety, and service quality. Our findings indicate a 10% increase in per capita GDP correlates with a 0.88% rise in inbound tourist numbers. Additionally, proximity to major urban centers like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou significantly influences tourist arrivals, with every 100 km increase in distance resulting in a 5.56% decrease in tourist numbers. The study also explores the impact of environmental factors on tourism, suggesting that improvements in green coverage and reductions in industrial waste and traffic fatalities could enhance tourist arrivals. Conversely, environmental protection measures can both positively and negatively impact tourism. This research provides a strategic blueprint for policymakers and professionals in tourism and environmental sustainability, emphasizing the importance of integrated environmental sustainability in tourism development strategies. The model accounts for up to 79% of the variability in inbound tourism flows, offering robust evidence that economic and policy dimensions impact tourism. Full article

Many smaller coastal towns that rely on tourism for their economic survival have been badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have since rebounded, and in some, inbound migration has soared. Unfortunately, this influx of tourists and new residents brings with it increased development and associated environmental and social changes that often negatively impact the distinctive character and sense of place many of these places possess, which makes them attractive destinations in the first place. Protecting features in the landscape that define the character of these settlements and preventing future changes that would be incompatible with it will be crucial for the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of these ‘sea change’ settlements. Once the distinctive character of these places is lost, it is nearly impossible to recapture. This paper reviews the findings of a suite of studies previously undertaken by the author that explored the perceptions of residents in ten ‘sea change’ settlements, nine in Australia and one in Thailand, regarding how they perceived the character of their towns and what features they felt were compatible or incompatible with that character. In comparing the findings from these studies, a clear pattern emerged in that similar types of landscape features were consistently identified as supporting or detracting from the character of these towns. This allowed a typology of features salient to the character of these types of ‘sea change settlements’ to be formulated, providing insights into this intangible yet highly valuable resource of place character within the context of these types of settlements and establishing a basis for further research in other similar tourism-intensive coastal settlements. Full article

The Glasgow Declaration called for scientifically based measurements of CO₂ emissions in the tourism industry to monitor progress toward the achievement of the goals of the Paris Agreement. Despite the economic and employment downturn caused by COVID-19, there are limited cases of environmental assessments related to tourism. In this study, we estimated the CFP of the tourism industry in the G20 countries before and after COVID-19. By combining the MRIO and Tourism Satellite Accounts, we clarified the different impacts on the markets for domestic tourism and inbound tourism, aiming to provide a quantitative basis for setting scientifically grounded goals towards the transition to sustainable tourism. The GHG emissions from tourism mainly stem from transportation, but souvenirs, accommodations, and food and beverages also result in significant differences among countries. The pandemic has greatly impacted the tourism industry. In 2020, the GHG emissions from both domestic and inbound tourism significantly decreased due to the decrease in the number of tourists. In some countries, measures against COVID-19 influenced these figures, and although signs of recovery were observed in 2021, the degree of reduction varied by country. These emission reductions should be the goals pursued by the tourism industry in the post-COVID-19 era, and efforts should be made to achieve sustainable tourism. Full article

Urban resilience provides the foundation and guarantee for the tourism economy, and the development of the tourism industry provides new opportunities and impetus for urban resilience. The coordinated development of urban resilience (UR) and the tourism economy (TE) contributes to the high-quality development of the regional economy. This study takes 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration as an example. Various analytical techniques, including the entropy method, coupling coordination degree model (CCDM), kernel density estimation, Theil index, and obstacle degree model, are employed to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and influencing factors that affect the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between UR and TE. The findings indicate that: (1) The urban resilience and tourism economy exhibited an increasing trend denoted by “N” and “M”, respectively. (2) The coupling coordination level has undergone a development phase of “Moderate disorder–Bare coordination–Moderate disorder”. (3) The level of coordination has been enhanced, with intra-regional differences identified as the primary source of variation. (4) The number of Internet users, the number of students in institutions of higher learning, per capita public financial expenditure, science and technology expenditures as a share of fiscal expenditures, urban per capita disposable income, foreign exchange earnings from tourism, and the number of inbound tourists is the main factors affecting the CCD of urban resilience and tourism economy. Full article

Why was this research undertaken? Because in some tourist destinations the number of international tourists has a greater impact on the number of overnight stays at hotels compared to domestic tourism. The aim of this study was to analyse the main tourist market segments in destinations in Andalusia from 2004 to 2022, to demonstrate the relevance of, and dependency on, the tourism industry in this territory. The methodology used in this research collected secondary data from Spanish and Andalusian public organizations (IECA, INE, SAETA and AENA), and information related to this topic from researchers and organizations (primary data) to select specific indicators and to draw the appropriate conclusions. The findings of the current study reveal that English, German, French, Italian, Belgian, and American tourists are the main markets of the Andalusian provinces and their hotel establishments. In addition, these three segment markets depend on the air accessibility and connectivity provided by Andalusian airports. Moreover, it should be remembered that domestic tourism generates 35.1% of the overnight stays at Andalusian hotels. Domestic tourism helped the hoteliers of Andalusia to survive the pandemic crisis when inbound tourism dropped to zero. Andalusia constitutes an interesting case of study because it attracts a large amount of tourism demand. Although English, German, and French markets monopolize the number of overnight stays, DMOs need to attract tourists from other countries to diversify the tourism demand. Full article

This study aims to examine the determinants of destination loyalty toward World Heritage Sites (WHSs) along Silk Road tourism in Uzbekistan. It could enable the profiling of inbound tourists visiting WHSs and identification of the important determinants of destination loyalty. The results of this study could present valuable empirical evidence of Silk Road tourism among inbound travelers in Uzbekistan. An online survey was conducted to collect data from U.S. residents who experienced Silk Road tourism in Uzbekistan. A total of 419 questionnaires were used for this study. The present study explored the determinants of destination loyalty among inbound travelers who had visited WHSs along Silk Road destinations in Uzbekistan. Regarding the effect of length of stay on destination loyalty, travelers who visit for 7–13 days are inclined to show higher destination loyalty than the other groups. Free independent travelers to cultural and heritage sites showed a higher level of destination loyalty than other traveler types. The results indicated that travelers who reported visiting the Historic Centre of Bukhara in the Province of Bukhara and Western Tien-Shan in the Province of Tashkent showed higher destination loyalty. The proposed model consists of travel characteristics, WHS destinations, and demographic characteristics. This study provides several important theoretical and managerial implications. Moreover, this study can contribute to knowledge regarding WHSs and increase sustainable destination management to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). Full article

The number of inbound tourists in Japan has been increasing steadily in recent years. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of inbound tourists decreased in 2020. This is particularly worrisome for Japan, as the number of inbound tourists is expected to reach 60 million per year by 2030. In order to help Japan’s tourism industry to recover from the pandemic, we propose a method of identifying elements that attract the attention of inbound tourists (focus points) by analyzing reviews on tourist sites. We focus on Hokkaido, a popular area in Japan for tourists from China. Our proposed method extracts high-frequency n-gram patterns from reviews written by Chinese inbound tourists, showing which aspects are mentioned most often. We then use seven types of motivational factors for tourists and principal component analysis to quantify the focus points of each tourist destination. Finally, we estimate the focus points by clustering the n-gram patterns extracted from the tourists’ reviews. The results show that our method successfully identifies the features and focus points of each tourist spot. Full article

Medical tourism is a rapidly growing sector of economic growth and diversification. However, data on the demographics and characteristics of the traveling patients are sparse. In this study, we analyzed the common demographic properties and characteristics of the inbound medical tourists seeking orthopedic medical care in Germany for the years 2010 to 2019 compared to a domestic group. At the same time, we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak of 2020 changed the field of medical tourism in Germany. Calculations were performed using administrative hospital data provided by the Federal Statistical Department of Germany. Data were analyzed from the years 2010 to 2020. A total of six elective orthopedic surgery codes (bone biopsy, knee arthroplasty, foot surgery, osteotomy, hardware removal, and arthrodesis) were identified as key service indicators for medical tourism and further analyzed. Factors including residence, sex, year, and type of elective surgery were modeled using linear regression analysis. Age and sex distributions were compared between patients living inside Germany (DE) or outside Germany (non-DE). Between 2010 and 2020, 6,261,801 orthopedic procedures were coded for the DE group and 27,420 key procedures were identified for the non-DE group. Medical tourists were predominantly male and significantly younger than the domestic population. The linear regression analysis of the OPS codes over the past years showed a significantly different slope between the DE and non-DE groups only for the OPS code “hardware removal”. With the COVID-19 pandemic, an overall decline in performed orthopedic procedures was observed for the non-DE and the DE group. A significant reduction below the 95% prediction bands for the year 2020 could be shown for hardware removal and foot surgery (for DE), and for hardware removal, knee arthroplasty, foot surgery, and osteotomy (for non-DE). This study is the first to quantify inbound medical tourism in elective orthopedic surgery in Germany. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected many—but not all—areas of orthopedic surgery. It has to be seen how this negative trend will develop in the future. Full article

This study was conducted to propose and identify suggestions for pathways to maintain the sustainability of the pearl industry, a cultural value asset rooted in the region, and to revitalize coastal communities through the pearl industry. Using a qualitative approach, this study sought the opinions of relevant stakeholders based on key themes from the literature review and compiled an agenda for further research and discussion. Specifically, focus group discussions were held with pearl industry stakeholders, local residents, the pearl industry and organizations, tourists, and the public sector, and the views among the four stakeholder groups were analyzed. As a result, the following factors were identified as likely to contribute to the sustainability of the cultured pearl industry: (1) co-creation of value through collaboration between the local stakeholders and local communities (satoumi), (2) efforts to pass on and innovate traditional cultured pearl technology seeking global markets, and (3) enhancement of industrial support measures in coastal areas through collaboration between residents, industry, and government to create an ecology-focused inbound tourism strategy. Stakeholders are strongly aware of the need to promote to the world the value of unique cultured pearls and gemstones that rely on traditional Japanese technology and to attract tourists, along with the development of the next generation of pearl industry leaders, but further systematic intervention is required to achieve this goal. The results of this study are expected to serve as a basis for the next steps in presenting further suggestions through integrated analysis with quantitative economic data. They may also provide guidance for the development of pathways to regional development through the revitalization of local industries and tourism innovation in other coastal regions of the world. Full article

This study aims to explore tourism changes in coastal tourism destinations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of regional resilience. A mixed method of a social network and spatial analysis was used to evaluate inbound tourists’ geotagged photos of Indonesia on Flickr from 2018–2022 as metadata. The DBSCAN algorithm and Markov chains were used to comprehensively analyze the hotspot areas and the patterns of tourism movement trajectories amid a complicated recovery. The results demonstrate that: (1) The distribution of geotagged photos before and during the pandemic generally exhibited stage and regional unevenness. The main clusters were Java and the Nusa Tenggara Islands, with the rest displaying a scattered distribution. (2) The tourism flow network was unevenly distributed, and the nodes had obvious core and edge areas. Owing to the crisis, the tourism flow network realized a change in form from network to line and point. (3) Its impact on Indonesian inbound tourism may persist in the short term, and the volatility of national anti-pandemic policies influences the resilience of tourism flow during COVID-19. The dominance of the core nodes highlights the network’s resistance to disruptions due to the prominence of the location of network connections during the pandemic, and marginal nodes reflect the vulnerability to pandemic shocks owing to the hypocentricity of the nodes and the thinness of the connections within and outside the islands. These results provide marketing and promotion policies for the sustainable development of coastal areas. Full article