Search Results (16)

The research contributes to developing and implementing four tourist hubs in Salamanca, León, and Zamora (Spain) territories and the District of Guarda (Portugal). These hubs will act as innovation pivots promoting innovative, sustainable, and inclusive rural tourism and creating specific territorial ecosystems in each region. The main objective is to boost new economic activities and generate employment, especially for priority groups, through smart specialisation and strengthening local economies. The research also focuses on strengthening tourism value chains, making them more competitive and resilient, emphasising accessibility and inclusion. Within a focus group methodology, a SOAR analysis was undertaken. Three stakeholder groups from Portugal and Spain participated in this study: consumers, distributors/marketing professionals (tour operators, tourist offices), and producers (hotels, restaurants, and museums). They participated in collaborative activities within the SOAR framework to understand the needs of tourists, especially those with reduced mobility, and to identify barriers and opportunities for innovation in the sector. The results offer a framework for tourism providers to develop Accessible and Inclusive Rural Tourism Ecosystems by enhancing understanding and improving accessibility for groups with specific needs. It outlines actionable methods for creating inclusive tourism hubs as “innovation pivots,” establishing performance metrics, and fostering stakeholder collaboration to guide evidence-based policies. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a disruptive technology that is being used by smart tourist destinations (STDs) to develop new business models and marketing services to increase tourists’ experiences and sales, revenue, productivity, and efficiency and STDs. However, the adoption of AI applications and platforms requires a high economic budget for STDs that want to integrate this digital tool into their future agenda and tourism development plans, especially when they set them up for marketing plans and operational processes. This iterative technology needs regular maintenance as well, leading to recurring costs and specialised crews in advanced technologies and marketing activities. This study aims to show the impact of AI advancements on STDs’ tourism marketing to enhance the quality of services and illustrate their future agenda to improve tourists’ experiences. A comprehensive literature review on AI technology and STDs has been conducted to illustrate new tourism marketing in their future agenda. Moreover, this study presents real examples of AI technology in a tourism context to better understand the potential of this digital tool. The findings of the current study support the idea that AI is a multipurpose tool that helps manage, monitor, and analyse sales information; revenue management; minimise prediction errors; streamline operations; and develop better marketing strategies, optimising economic resources, reducing marketing costs, and responding dynamically to changing needs for tourists and residents in STDs. Furthermore, the investment in AI technologies by STDs helps enhance the quality of products and services, and attract new investments, which benefit the regional economies and population’s quality of life. This study is the first to address the use of AI to improve tourist marketing in STDs, which is its primary uniqueness. Also, this study identifies new opportunities and initiatives through AI that can be developed to help tourism marketing in STDs. Full article

The paper looks at the potential benefits of mushrooms in terms of health, recreation, and tourism. Mycotourism is an innovative, specialised tourism product that has been successfully introduced in some regions of the world, helping to combat seasonality and promote economic development in rural areas. The aim of the study was to analyse the development of mycotourism in Poland in comparison with other countries. As a method, a questionnaire on the cultural significance of mushrooms was developed and disseminated via social media. It was found that there are strong mycophilic tendencies in Poland, leading to a strong interest in mushrooms, both in terms of cultural and culinary traditions. They are also a factor that attracts tourists to the forest areas. In contrast, the UK and Germany are more mycophobic, resulting in a lower interest in mushrooms, limited culinary use, and a lower awareness of their role in the ecosystem and their potential health benefits. The low average score for knowledge of mushrooms in countries such as the UK indicates a need for increased mycological education that can contribute to a better understanding of the conservation of these important components of the forest floor. The high proportion of people who see mushroom picking in Poland as a form of recreation emphasises its role as an important cultural and potential nature tourism asset. In Poland, where long traditions are associated with mushrooms and mushroom picking, they have a strong influence on the choice of mycological tourism, especially in regions with a rich tradition of mushroom picking. The high percentage of mushrooms used for culinary purposes, especially in Poland, emphasises their value and influences the health component of the diet, which is rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Research has shown that mushroom consumption and its effects on health are perceived positively. This is evidenced by higher ratings in Poland than in the UK and Germany, indicating a general awareness of the health benefits of mushrooms, even though their use in medicine remains limited. The low level of awareness of the role of mushrooms and their potential health benefits suggests that educational and promotional activities should be increased to sensitise the public to mushrooms. Full article

Until recent decades, labour-intensive subsistence farming was a way of life and livelihood in the hill communities of Uttarakhand, India. However, the nature of agriculture falls far short of the expectations of the main labour force, the rural youth, leading to their mass migration to non-agricultural occupations. The large-scale youth migration has left many hill farming landscapes depopulated and farmlands abandoned. As youth have special stakes in food systems, they must be included in the sustainable transformation of food systems. By doing so, the migration-prone hill region may be transformed into a place where rural youth have more options for work and income. Therefore, the agriculture sector needs to change and develop into a more engaging and youthful workplace. There are opportunities to explore and barriers to be removed. Besides identifying priority research areas on local food systems, in this exploratory research, we investigate opportunities to involve rural young people in the transformation of the food system. We document information by conducting focus group discussion (FGD) meetings in about 100 villages in the Uttarakhand hills, representing all major farming landscapes. This study mainly focuses on improving the production and consumption aspects of local food, which not only benefits the health and wellbeing of local communities but also has many positive economic, social, and environmental effects. In addition, we explore opportunities for reviving mountain agriculture through agri-ecotourism, which is a symbiotic relationship between tourism and agriculture. Making home- or farm stays in agri-ecotourism a subsistence strategy for local youth will contribute to a more prosperous rural economy. Recognising Uttarakhand’s rich culture and heritage while exploring the culinary travel opportunities in homestays will provide opportunities to focus more on traditional food systems, exposing various tangible and intangible aspects of the host region’s food culture to tourists. The findings of this study will aid in identifying specific policy issues for consideration by planners and policymakers at the local and state levels. Additionally, this exploratory study will assist young, motivated researchers in conducting follow-up, in-depth investigations and producing empirical data in their specialised fields. Full article

The fish hook is a commonly known tool used in recreational fishing, which is one of the forms of active, specialised tourism. As a component of a fishing rod, the hook is intended to be anchored into the mouth of a fish and hold the fish on the end of the line while landing it. However, in the context of the protection of living aquatic resources and Catch-and-Release (C&R) fishing, its role and significance are becoming broader. In addition to the impact of the hook type on fishing efficiency, including the Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE), the importance of hook selection in terms of minimising the resulting damage to the tissues of caught and released fish is increasing. It appears that alternative hook types, such as barbless hooks and circle hooks, are safer for fish in the aforementioned context while not significantly reducing fishing efficiency. This review study is aimed at describing the design, types, and role of the fish hook in modern C&R angling, including the impact of the hook type on both fishing efficiency and the safety and welfare of released fish, which translates into the status and protection of living aquatic resources. The issues presented in the study highlight a number of related technical, biological and social factors that are specific to inland angling in particular. Such a holistic perspective can be used to support the effective management of recreational fishing, which, as one of the most popular human activities when in contact with water, has a very significant impact on the state of the environment and, thus, on the possibility of tourism development. Full article

Tourist demands and the ensuing commodification of habitability in cities have led to the emergence of resistance movements. This study aims to define patterns in touristified cities by measuring the presence of citizen initiatives, together with tourism intensification and related socio-demographic variables. All the indicators have been tested in the Mediterranean port cities of Barcelona and Malaga as they lead the cultural offer. Both municipalities have been analysed at census-section level and show a common urban pattern: the Airbnb offer has spread out in the old town in direct competition with traditional accommodation and replacing long-term rentals. Statistical analysis reveals a significant correlation among citizen initiatives with tourism services, which are the driver mechanisms behind the movements. Cluster maps show a clear centre-periphery pattern according to the tourism intensification set with high coefficient values for tourist accommodation. Bivariate spatial autocorrelation indicates that protest movements emerge in tourism specialisation areas with a high concentration of tourist facilities. Monitoring the proposed indicator system over time may serve as a basis for local administrations to promote new urban policies dealing with overtourism. Future research may redefine and include new variables, test other tourist destinations and consider a smaller non-administrative territorial unit of analysis. Full article

The promotion of rural tourism is one of the measures that has aroused most expectations in the application of the endogenous rural development programmes promoted by the European Commission at the beginning of the 1990s. Using the case study methodology, this research aims to compare the implementation of the aforementioned measure in two regions which, according to their characteristics, could be considered as antagonistic examples: one, La Vera, has all the conditions to successfully develop its tourism sector; the other, Tajo-Salor, with an adverse climate, lacking in outstanding tourism resources and far from the main centres of demand, could be considered the opposite. The results of the research show the risks inherent in an excessive specialisation in tourism within development strategies. Paradoxically, in La Vera, the concentration of investment in the tourism sector has resulted in a higher number of failed and transferred projects, as well as the dissatisfaction of most of its tourism promoters with the viability of their businesses. In contrast, in Tajo-Salor, the results are more positive, despite the fact that this region has given less relative importance to the tourism sector. Full article

This paper presents a methodological framework aiming to support the creation of a smart-tourism destination. Specifically, the study is realised in the frame of NEST, a European Union Interreg project aiming to create a smart-tourism destination in the Adriatic–Ionian area. Therefore, the study focuses on the southeastern Adriatic–Ionian area, as a portion of the European macro-region including the Italian regions of Molise and Apulia and the Balkan countries of Albania and Montenegro. This area presents a clear vocation for tourism, with a distinctive cultural heritage, attractive natural landscapes, and old culinary traditions offering a variety of eno-gastronomic and folk craft products. In the frame of the EU neighbour policies and in coherence with the objectives of the EU smart specialization strategy, several initiatives have been promoted for innovating the tourism offering in this area. Despite this, the full achievement of the creation of an Adriatic–Ionian smart destination calls for the adoption of a multidimensional strategy able to leverage knowledge-intensive dynamics of collaboration. This paper, therefore, aims to highlight the opportunities of adoptions and implications of this methodological framework for the cross-border marketing and management of the Adriatic–Ionian smart destination. Full article

Islands are frequently characterised by an economic structure centred on tourism and the service sector. This specialisation has taken different forms and characterisations concerning the chosen or spontaneously developed model. To understand the development choices and patterns, this article analyses sixteen islands and archipelagos in the European Union over ten years from 2010 to 2019. A panel data analysis was based on critical variables identifying the tourism industry model from those that could represent a proxy of the community-based tourism model. The principal component analysis was adopted to compare the evolutionary trends of these two different ways of choosing the island’s tourism model. Findings identified before the COVID-19 pandemic crisis include two island clusters. One group of islands followed a spontaneous tourism model based on the local community and small or micro hospitality systems, with auto-entrepreneurship in tourism. The second group of islands followed a planning and industry-based tourist model with an employment system and a relevant hospitality industry. Both paradigms have limitations and identify two different tourism evolutionary scenarios useful for the EU’s future island tourism policies. Full article

As virtual reality (VR) and the corresponding 3D documentation and modelling technologies evolve into increasingly powerful and established tools for numerous applications in architecture, monument preservation, conservation/restoration and the presentation of cultural heritage, new methods for creating information-rich interactive 3D environments are increasingly in demand. In this article, we describe the development of an immersive virtual reality application for the Imperial Cathedral in Königslutter, in which 360° panoramic photographs were integrated within the virtual environment as a novel and complementary form of visualization. The Imperial Cathedral (Kaiserdom) of Königslutter is one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture north of the Alps. The Cathedral had previously been subjected to laser-scanning and recording with 360° panoramic photography by the Photogrammetry & Laser Scanning lab of HafenCity University Hamburg in 2010. With the recent rapid development of consumer VR technology, it was subsequently decided to investigate how these two data sources could be combined within an immersive VR application for tourism and for architectural heritage preservation. A specialised technical workflow was developed to build the virtual environment in Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) and integrate the panorama photographs so as to ensure the seamless integration of these two datasets. A simple mechanic was developed using the native UE4 node-based programming language to switch between these two modes of visualisation. Full article

In tourism, entrepreneurial internationalisation is considered a measure of the development of the industry and a key driver of innovation, competitiveness and image enhancement. In nautical tourism, research is still scarce in terms of supporting business’ internationalisation. This paper analyses factors constraining the international growth of island-based nautical tourism organisations. For the research, a sample of 60 nautical tourism SMEs´ owners of six different islands in the Macaronesia Region (Canary Islands, Madeira and Cape Verde archipelagos) were interviewed. As a result, we provide up to date information about current conditions and barriers to the internationalisation process within the segment and also identify the profile of the firms with the best international performance. The study is of great usefulness for the industry as it guides on the areas that require special attention to enhance those social, environmental and economic conditions of nautical tourism firms that ensure sustainable international growth. Moreover, it helps policymakers of island destinations seeking specialisation and positioning within the international nautical tourism market to raise the efficiency of current incentive mechanisms for internationalisation, thus contributing to increase tourism competitiveness. Finally, the study highlights the importance of fostering wider cooperation among islands with common interests in nautical specialisation and the challenges that this represents for the tourism management. Full article

Tourism as an industry has many kinds of impacts on destinations and their communities. The presence of tourism could create the conditions for an economic development but in the same way produce negative effect (crowding out) and externalities (the Janus-face character). Between the different actors inside the tourist destination, there are the local community which could endure the pressure of tourism. In some cases, this pressure reduces the wellbeing of the residents. The present research paper focuses on how activities like events and tourism impact on community well-being. Winchester (England), a Special Interest Tourism and Event (SITE), is used as a case study. The data are collected using an on-line interview and they are elaborated using multivariate techniques and ordinal regression analysis. The results of the study reveal a close relation between the level of happiness of the local residents and their perception of the tourism industry and event development. Local residents in Winchester are perceiving the tourism industry and events rather positively as they believe it supports their culture and the local economy and job in particular. Our first overall conclusion is that there is a relationship between the residents’ happiness and tourism/event perception. Moreover, our findings support what claimed by several scholars that tourism specialisation improves the residents quality of life (QOL). The present study has not shown the direction of the influence but according to previous research it is the level of happiness of the local residents that determines their perception of the tourism industry and event development and not the other way around. The second finding of the study reveals that SITE destinations have a high potential in terms of contributing to the local residents’ happiness and subsequently visitors. Our third and final conclusion is that, when the benefits of tourism and events are higher than the cost, local residents and are likely to be supportive of the activity. Full article

The article discusses transformations of the tourist function in Polish voivodeship capital cities in the period between 2005–2015. The first research stage was carried out through the background of the theory of city economic base using two indicators: index of surplus workers (ISW) and Florence specialisation coefficient (FSC). The conducted research covered employment size, structure, and changes, with a particular emphasis on employment in tourism. In the second stage of the study, based on a group of diagnostic characteristics describing the tourist functions performed by cities, taxonomic measures were constructed to determine the level of these functions’ development. Full article

Thirty years after the emergence of the term “sustainable tourism” and in view of the proliferation of literature on the subject, it seems appropriate to carry out a bibliographical review, based on empirical bibliometric data, in order to find out who the leading research pioneers are for this type of tourism, discover gaps in our understanding, and redefine the concept’s frontiers. This paper focuses specifically on sustainable tourism in sensitive areas, in a first attempt to provide understanding of the accumulated knowledge of the sub-theme by looking at research presented by impact publications. A total of 985 papers published on this topic on Web of Science were selected to this end, and after applying the H-Classics methodology, a content analysis of the forty papers with the greatest impact was carried out. This has led to the discovery of research trends, gaps in the analysis of polar and mountainous areas, and a lack of a core group of highly productive researchers in this area. Full article

Vocational education and training of human resources in tourism play an important role in the development of the tourism industry and hence in the national, regional and global economy. In this paper, we aimed to analyze the effective use of smart education in the teaching and learning process in tourism. The research was conducted over three academic years (2013–2014, 2014–2015, 2015–2016) in 12 high schools providing tourism specializations in Constanta County, Romania. The main method used was an experiment. Thus, we used information and communication technology (ICT) methods in the educational process (the independent variable) in order to compare students’ results to those obtained in control classes, in which only traditional teaching methods were used. The results of our research confirmed our initial hypotheses, namely the fact that by using ICT methods within tourism classes, students understand and assimilate specialised knowledge faster and better, and they form and develop specific skills at a higher level than by using traditional teaching methods. This means that by using the latest technology in classes for teaching and learning disciplines in tourism, it is possible to develop, by the end of the superior cycle of high school, the future qualified human resources required for sustainable tourism. Full article