Search Results (149)

Higher education in tourism plays a pivotal role in the development of the tourism sector in Portugal—one of the country’s most vital economic pillars. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the adoption of innovative teaching methodologies by higher education institutions, aiming to foster more dynamic and student-centered learning environments. This article analyzes, through a qualitative approach grounded in educational and social science research, the main pedagogical and didactic strategies employed in leading tourism programs across Portugal. Drawing on a content analysis of curricular unit descriptions and all relevant public pedagogical information available on official institutional websites, this study provides a critical overview of current didactic practices. Finally, the research reflects on the degree to which innovative teaching and research practices are integrated and discusses their alignment with recognized international standards and best practices. This study contributes to bridging a significant research gap by systematically linking pedagogical practice in Portuguese tourism programs with global educational standards. Full article

This study investigated the factors influencing search efficiency on travel websites, focusing on the effects of gender, website design, and the distribution of effective versus ineffective areas in page layout on visual search efficiency and task performance. Using eye-tracking technology, three experiments were conducted with 48 participants (19 males, 29 females; Mage = 26.73). Among the tested websites, TC exhibited the highest efficiency in task completion time, followed by QN and TN (40.10 s < 83.88 s < 95.27 s). Analysis of fixation distributions indicated that participants focused on effective areas at rates of 20.53% (TC), 55.31% (QN), and 62.42% (TN), underscoring the significant impact of effective and interference area distribution on search efficiency. These findings provide empirical evidence for optimizing travel website design through visual layout improvements to enhance information retrieval and user experience, with TC serving as a prime example of a site with lower cognitive load that better aligns with sustainable tourism principles. Full article

This research investigates the application of search engine optimization (SEO) in developing the digital image of rural tourism businesses in the Terras de Trás-os-Montes region of Portugal. With digital marketing becoming increasingly important for businesses to stay competitive, SEO has become a vital tool for developing online recognition, qualified traffic acquisition, and enhancement of conversion rates. The research performs an SEO analysis of 21 rural tourism websites by applying the Ubersuggest tool, analyzing such key indicators as on-page SEO scores, organic traffic, keyword ranking, backlinks, and technical performance. The results identify wide SEO performance discrepancies, with some sites registering excellent practices and others with critical errors that impair the sites’ online recognizability. In particular, low word count, absent meta description, and loading speed issues are very much present. The research emphasizes the need for effective SEO methods, such as on-page maintenance, content creation, and link building, to advance search engine ranking and end-user experience. Moreover, the study emphasizes the necessity for rural tourism businesses to evolve and adapt to current SEO trends, i.e., voice search optimization and local SEO, in the changing digital business environment. The results provide recommendations for rural tourism businesses to develop their digital marketing activities and make progress online. Full article

In an increasingly competitive global tourism context, territorial branding plays a key role in enhancing the visibility, identity, and resilience of regions. This study focuses on the Algarve, a region in southern Portugal, and investigates how innovation and competitiveness are reflected in its digital communication strategy. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research combines the quantitative analysis of 689 social media posts published in 2024 on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube with the qualitative content analysis of 38 documents and the official website of Algarve. The findings reveal a coherent and visually appealing brand narrative centred on the coastal identity of the Algarve, complemented by content related to nature, gastronomy, and cultural heritage. Instagram stands out as the most engaging platform, particularly when posts adopt a participatory tone, emotional storytelling, and references to specific locations. However, only 6.4% of the content surpassed the 1% engagement threshold, suggesting limited audience connection. The website presents a broader thematic range but under-represents intangible heritage and local products.The Algarve brand successfully projects an aspirational image based on landscape and leisure but would benefit from greater content diversification, enhanced stakeholder integration, and expanded narrative strategies to strengthen digital engagement and destination competitiveness. Full article

A review of the global history of tourism development reveals a strong connection between government involvement and the growth of the tourism industry. In China, tourism authorities are increasingly emphasizing the role of government service websites in advancing digital governance within the sector. Drawing on theories of public administration, resource dependence, and regional innovation systems, this study constructs an analytical framework to investigate the influencing mechanisms of government service websites on tourism development. Using data from the government tourism websites of 31 Chinese provinces, this study systematically examines, for the first time, the mediating role of tourism resources and the moderating effect of provincial economic competitiveness. Content analysis and keyword extraction techniques were employed to collect data on website service functions, tourism resources, and tourism development for the year 2023. These were analyzed using a PLS structural equation model. The results indicate that government website service functions positively, albeit modestly, promote tourism development, explaining 24.4% of the variance. Among service functions, public services (weight = 0.611) contribute significantly more than administrative management (0.368) and information management (0.238). Although the mediating effect of tourism resources did not reach statistical significance, internal structural analysis shows that cultural customs resources (0.512) contribute more to tourism development than water landscapes (0.443) and geological landscapes (0.338), highlighting the unique advantage of “soft resources” in a digital environment. Incorporating provincial economic competitiveness significantly increases the explanatory power of the model to 47.9%, with development level competitiveness (0.268) and government function competitiveness (0.267) playing the most prominent moderating roles. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of digital governance in promoting tourism development is shaped by multiple complex factors. Accordingly, governments should adopt differentiated digital strategies based on regional economic conditions and resource endowments, with a focus on enhancing public service functions, optimizing the digital representation of cultural resources, and strengthening regional economic foundations to fully unleash the industrial potential of digital governance. Full article

This paper explores an important issue, namely rural tourism, by analyzing the supply and demand of tourism in three rural regions (Gura Humorului, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, and Dorna) in Bucovina, Suceava County, as an alternative economic development for rural areas. The statistical data on tourist traffic in the three regions of Suceava County were taken from the website of the National Institute of Statistics of Romania and analyzed over a period of 10 years (2014–2023). The analysis of the total number of tourist accommodation facilities recorded increases of over 200% in all three regions analyzed. Dynamic analysis of the accommodation capacity in operation, the number of tourists and overnight stays, and the average length of stay was carried out by calculating the absolute and relative indicators with fixed and chained base and average indicators. Despite the increase in the number of tourists and overnight stays, the average length of stay remains relatively low. The calculation of the net utilization rate of the accommodation capacity in operation shows an efficient use of the accommodation facilities in the three regions analyzed. The importance of the research and the originality of this research are closely related to understanding the dynamics of tourism in the rural regions analyzed for the formation of future strategies for sustainable rural development in Bucovina. Full article

Tourism refers to the activity of traveling for pleasure, recreation, or leisure purposes. It encompasses a wide range of activities and experiences, from sightseeing to cultural exploration. In today’s digital age, tourists often organize their excursions independently by utilizing information available on websites. However, due to constraints in designing customized tour routes such as travel time and budget, many still require assistance with vacation planning to optimize their experiences. Therefore, this paper proposes an algorithm for personalized tourism planning that considers tourists’ preferences. For instance, the algorithm can recommend places to visit and suggest activities based on tourist requirements. The proposed algorithm utilizes an extended model of the team orienteering problem with time windows (TOPTW) to account for mandatory locations and activities at each site. It offers trip planning that includes a set of locations and activities designed to maximize the overall score accumulated from visiting these locations. To solve the proposed model, the Adaptive Neighborhood Simulated Annealing (ANSA) algorithm is applied. ANSA is an enhanced version of the well-known Simulated Annealing algorithm (SA), providing an adaptive mechanism to manage the probability of selecting neighborhood moves during the SA search process. The computational results demonstrate that ANSA performs well in solving benchmark problems. Furthermore, a real-world attractive location in Tak Province, Thailand, is used as the case study in this paper to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. Full article

Geoparks, via the ABC geotourism concept, represent ideal places to effectively combine natural and cultural heritage, allowing visitors to better understand the country’s history and development. In this way, the sustainable development of local communities is promoted and contributes to the protection of the unique natural and cultural values of the region. Proper presentation of natural and cultural heritage in a geopark is key to developing soft forms of tourism, e.g., geotourism or ecotourism. The paper focuses on Slovak geoparks with a special emphasis on analysing the information availability and presentation of both natural and cultural heritage in these areas from the perspective of potential geopark visitors. Based on the analysis and evaluation of defined categories, including websites, social media platforms, mobile applications, information centres, brochures, educational trails, information panels, and guided tours, results show that, in general, existing geoparks’ promotional materials can be considered the best source of information on heritage and its presentation. On the other hand, the most significant identified shortcomings include insufficient use of mobile applications, a lack of educational activities, and the relatively low quality of existing educational trails. However, considerable differences exist in information access and heritage presentation in Slovak geoparks. Based on the findings, specific measures are suggested as potential solutions to enable the appropriate and correct presentation of heritage in the territories of Slovak geoparks. Their practical application will contribute to the development of Slovak geoparks, increase awareness of heritage located in the areas of individual geoparks, and provide a better understanding of the values of this heritage by the wider public. Full article

The paper evaluates the benefits and challenges of employing humanoid robots in tourism and hospitality, examining their roles, decision-making processes, human-centric approaches, and oversight mechanisms. Data will be collected from a variety of sources, including academic journals, websites of the companies where the robots operate, case studies, and news articles. Specific attention will be given to concrete examples of humanoid robots deployed in the tourism and hospitality sector, such as Connie, Spencer, and Henn-na Hotel’s robots. Robots highlight the potential to assume roles traditionally occupied by humans. The presence of humanoid robots also influences cultural practices and social interactions within the hospitality context. Humanoid robots also have the potential to improve equity and accessibility in the tourism and hospitality industry. The interaction between humans and humanoid robots can have psychological and emotional effects on both guests and employees. Finally, the usage of humanoid robots intersects with broader sustainability operational efficiency and customer satisfaction across various sectors within the tourism and hospitality industry. Introducing humanoid robots represents a challenge in innovation that holds promise for revolutionizing service delivery and guest experiences. Full article

Adopting advanced e-commerce practices is essential for enhancing user engagement and business performance, particularly in tourism. This study evaluates the e-commerce adoption of Kazakhstan’s tourism websites using an innovative Integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (IMCDA) methodology. Traditional evaluation methods overlook the interplay between website functionality, user experience, and strategic objectives. To address this gap, the IMCDA framework integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches by combining advanced Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques, including SPOTIS, ESP-COMET, RANCOM, and SITW, with content analysis and logistic regression. The study assessed 77 tourism websites, categorized into Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), Official Tourism Websites (OTWs), and Attraction Websites (AWs), based on 34 e-commerce features grouped into dimensions such as product information, functionality, reservations, payment systems, and customer relationship management (CRM). The findings reveal that OTAs significantly outperform OTWs and AWs in most dimensions, especially in online booking and CRM functionalities. At the same time, AWs lag in key e-commerce features like reservations and payment systems. This research highlights critical gaps in Kazakhstan’s tourism e-commerce ecosystem. It provides actionable recommendations, including enhancing CRM tools, integrating advanced booking systems, and leveraging collaborations with local financial technology providers like Kaspi Pay. The IMCDA framework offers a robust, adaptable evaluation model with practical implications for digital transformation and competitiveness in the tourism industry. This study contributes to advancing digital maturity in Kazakhstan’s tourism sector by addressing these gaps. It sets the foundation for future research to explore innovative strategies in e-commerce adoption across various regions and industries. Full article

Museums help to conserve regional heritage and sustain regional identity, which is especially important in large countries. Russian regional museums constitute a whole phenomenon. Indeed, this phenomenon is a large field for research, and it cannot be comprehended by any single study. This is why attention should be paid for its particular aspects such as a historical dynamics of the expansion of regional museums in Russia. The information from the official websites of 76 regional museums sensu stricto of the entire country and 10 smaller museums of the Vologda Region was analyzed to measure the dynamics of their foundation and the relative importance of the different founders. It was established that regional museums were created in the Imperial, Soviet, and Modern periods of the Russian history, and the majority of them appeared in 1861–1935. Governmental founders prevailed, although private and societal initiatives also mattered, especially in the particular time slices. The smaller museums of the Vologda Region were created chiefly in the Soviet period, and both governmental and private initiatives were important. The results of this analysis were interpreted regarding attention to the broad public education and activity of so-called intelligentsia in the late Imperial and Soviet periods. It is hypothesized that the regional museum foundation can be brought in correspondent to the idea of a wise state and society development. Importantly, major transformations of the Russian society (particularly, in the beginning of the 20th century) did not interrupt the expansion of regional museums. It is proposed that the existing national network of regional museums itself has a heritage value, which can be important to tourism development. Full article

In the digital era, the need for precise and efficient search operations is paramount as users increasingly rely on online resources to access specific information. However, search accuracy is often hindered by errors in user queries, such as incomplete or degraded input. Errors in search queries can reduce both the precision and speed of search results, making error correction a key factor in enhancing the user experience. This paper addresses the challenge of improving search performance through query error correction. We propose a novel methodology and architecture aimed at optimizing search results across thematic websites, such as those for universities, hospitals, or tourism agencies. The proposed solution leverages an intelligent model based on Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) and Bahdanau Attention mechanisms to reconstruct erroneous or incomplete text in search queries. To validate our approach, we embedded the model in a prototype website consolidating data from multiple universities, demonstrating significant improvements in search accuracy and efficiency. Full article

Focusing on maritime pilgrimages to the Madonna of the Reef in Perast (Montenegro) and the Madonna of Zečevo in Nin (Croatia), the authors explore how tourism—which has become the primary economic driver for local populations—has impacted these centuries-old and deeply religious sites and practices. Local religious and cultural heritage, which has evolved into a tourist attraction, is deeply integrated into the local way of life, particularly within maritime and fishing communities. The shift in the dynamics of everyday life and the evolution of these sites and communities—now framed predominantly within the realm of tourism as the primary economic driver—has resulted in religious practices and pilgrimage sites transforming into tourist attractions. The research is divided into two segments. The initial phase, conducted between 2021 and 2023, involved group interviews using a consistent methodology and research instrument, engaging pertinent stakeholders from the respective local communities. The second segment involves a content analysis of websites promoting maritime pilgrimages and categorising them into two distinct groups: (1) websites of national, regional, and local tourist organisations responsible for promoting tourism in Croatia and Montenegro, and (2) Tripadvisor. The research and analysis indicate that local stakeholders lack the intention to promote and utilise maritime religious pilgrimage as a tourist attraction. While both maritime pilgrimages have undergone transformations and incorporated new elements, these changes are not primarily driven by tourism. Instead, they result from general shifts in everyday life. Full article

Social media users often express their emotions through text in posts and tweets, and these can be used for sentiment analysis, identifying text as positive or negative. Sentiment analysis is critical for different fields such as politics, tourism, e-commerce, education, and health. However, sentiment analysis approaches that perform well on English text encounter challenges with Arabic text due to its morphological complexity. Effective data preprocessing and machine learning techniques are essential to overcome these challenges and provide insightful sentiment predictions for Arabic text. This paper evaluates a combined CNN-LSTM framework with emoji encoding for Arabic Sentiment Analysis, using the Arabic Sentiment Twitter Corpus (ASTC) dataset. Three experiments were conducted with eight-parameter fusion approaches to evaluate the effect of data preprocessing, namely the effect of emoji encoding on their real and emotional meaning. Emoji meanings were collected from four websites specialized in finding the meaning of emojis in social media. Furthermore, the Keras tuner optimized the CNN-LSTM parameters during the 5-fold cross-validation process. The highest accuracy rate (91.85%) was achieved by keeping non-Arabic words and removing punctuation, using the Snowball stemmer after encoding emojis into Arabic text, and applying Keras embedding. This approach is competitive with other state-of-the-art approaches, showing that emoji encoding enriches text by accurately reflecting emotions, and enabling investigation of the effect of data preprocessing, allowing the hybrid model to achieve comparable results to the study using the same ASTC dataset, thereby improving sentiment analysis accuracy. Full article

The purpose of this article is to investigate the factors that influence the authenticity of heritage hotels in popular tourist destinations. Using the Greek island of Santorini as a case study, the following three (3) factors, which have not been systematically studied so far, are examined and appear to have a significant impact on authenticity in the conversion of a heritage architectural building into a heritage hotel: (a) its structural characteristics, (b) the influence of the star classification system and (c) the extent to which each business promotes authenticity elements and heritage identity. For the purposes of this study, a threefold methodological approach was conducted, which includes archival research in the registry of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels for all the heritage hotels in Santorini (69 units), research in the accounting data of the island’s heritage hotels certified with the national star ranking system for their services and amenities and research analysis of the information regarding the promotion of the heritage hotels through their official websites. Additionally, a cartographic representation of the locations of these hotels was created and their positioning was compared to the boundaries of traditional or non-traditional settlements. The results validated the basic finding of the literature review, that the authenticity of a heritage hotel is a construction under constant negotiation, influenced by a multitude of factors. The conversion of a historic building into a heritage hotel is a multidimensional process that requires a delicate balance between preserving cultural value and adapting to the needs of modern tourism, as well as a continuous evaluation and review of the policies in place. Full article