Search Results (15)

The transition to circular models in fashion and textiles requires changes that go beyond technical innovation. The literature recognises that systemic change depends on the transformation of shared meanings around consumption and production, and that spaces for co-design and collaborative learning are crucial to generating this transformation. This article documents how Living Labs operate in this capacity, analysing the Madeback Circular Fashion Festival (May–November 2025), a pilot project of the Fashion & Textile Living Lab at the Politecnico di Milano. The study employs the Living Lab Integrative Process (LLIP) as both a design framework and an analytical lens. Adopting a qualitative and participatory method, the study documents how the three spaces of the LLIP—Problem Space, Solution Space and Implementation Space—simultaneously structured both design innovation and empirical analysis. The results point to three main contributions: (i) Living Labs can function as cultural infrastructures in which performative and narrative dimensions may contribute to the gradual normalisation of alternative practices; (ii) the Quadruple Helix operates as a living process characterised by distributed intentionality and emerging trust; and (iii) transformative learning appears through the co-production of knowledge in embodied and relational practices. The article identifies contextual factors that enabled the project—from its location in a design university to its multi-year funding—and the related constraints on transferability, concluding that Living Labs are promising infrastructures for sustainable transitions when they consciously integrate performative, cultural and relational dimensions. Full article

Astrotourism is gaining international recognition as a practice that integrates science, culture and sustainability, addressing global challenges such as light pollution and fostering inclusive local development. Although its environmental and economic impacts are widely acknowledged, its potential as a driver of social innovation remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining how astrotourism activates social innovation across multiple governance scales. The objective is to identify the mechanisms, enabling conditions, and territorial arrangements through which astrotourism operates as social innovation in peripheral contexts. The research adopts a qualitative and exploratory approach, based on documentary and bibliographic analysis of four international cases: Alfa Aldea in Chile, Dark Sky Alqueva in Portugal, the Jasper Dark Sky Festival in Canada, and the National Astrotourism Strategy in South Africa. A comparative framework was applied to identify three recurrent dimensions of social innovation—social capital, redistribution of power, and collaborative responses to crises—drawing on both classical and contemporary literature. Findings show that, despite institutional and territorial differences, all four cases demonstrate the capacity of astrotourism to build trust networks, strengthen community protagonism, and generate adaptive responses to socioeconomic vulnerabilities. The study proposes an interpretive matrix that outlines pathways of social innovation, offering policymakers tools to design multi-scalar strategies that connect community initiatives with national frameworks to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Beyond astrotourism, the framework also provides insights for other sustainable tourism modalities based on natural and cultural heritage. Full article

Large-scale events, such as festivals and public gatherings, pose serious problems in terms of traffic congestion, slow transaction processing, and security risks to transportation planning. This study proposes a blockchain-based solution for enhancing the efficiency and security of intelligent transport systems (ITS) by utilizing state channels and rollups. Throughput is optimized, enabling transaction speeds of 800 to 3500 transactions per second (TPS) and delays of 5 to 1.5 s. Prevent data tampering, strengthen security, and enhance data integrity from 89% to 99.999%, as well as encryption efficacy from 90% to 98%. Furthermore, our system reduces congestion, optimizes vehicle movement, and shares real-time, secure data with stakeholders. Practical applications include fast and safe road toll payments, faster public transit ticketing, improved emergency response coordination, and enhanced urban mobility. The decentralized blockchain helps maintain trust among users, transportation authorities, and event organizers. Our approach extends beyond large-scale events and proposes a path toward ubiquitous, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven decision-making in a broader urban transit network, informing future operations in dynamic traffic optimization. This study demonstrates the potential of blockchain to create more intelligent, more secure, and scalable transportation systems, which will help reduce urban mobility inefficiencies and contribute to the development of resilient smart cities. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) stands out as a transformative force in various sectors, offering both new opportunities and challenges. In tourism and music events, AI has proven to be a powerful tool for improving the attendee experience, personalizing artist recommendations, optimizing event logistics in real time, and enhancing audience interaction through virtual assistants and immersive visual effects, thus highlighting its transformative potential. This study aims to analyze the impact of applying AI to the experience of consumers at music festivals. In particular, the research examines the impact of AI on the quality of information delivered, the extent of consumer engagement with brands at the event, and the level of trust in the technology. A quantitative methodology was used, collecting 400 responses from Portuguese consumers who attended music festivals. The results show that the quality of information and the AI positively influence customer engagement with the brand. Greater customer engagement, in turn, increases the willingness to use AI solutions. Trust in AI is significantly shaped by the quality of the information and the reliability of the system, which further promotes electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and the willingness to adopt AI. In addition, eWOM plays a key role in encouraging the use of AI technologies. Finally, memorable tourist experiences positively influence the willingness to adopt AI, underlining the importance of experiential factors in promoting adoption. These results highlight the interconnected roles of information quality, trust, involvement, and user experiences in shaping attitudes toward artificial intelligence applications. This study expands the literature by analyzing how AI-driven information quality influences consumer trust and engagement, thus emphasizing the need to optimize these factors for better festival strategies. It highlights the link between trust and positive eWOM, showing that trust based on high-quality information enhances the festival’s reputation and attracts participants. A key contribution is its exploration of how trust and eWOM influence AI adoption at future festivals, which offers insights to boost credibility and acceptance. Lastly, it provides strategic guidelines that improve attendee experience and festival management. Full article

This study investigates the factors influencing landlords’ price adjustments during peak seasons on accommodation-sharing platforms, focusing on the role of platform-certified and user-generated signals. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset of 11,795 observations from a leading Chinese accommodation-sharing platform, we employ binary logit models to investigate how these signals affect landlords’ pricing strategies during “festival” and “weekend” peak times. Our analysis reveals that both platform-certified signals (such as “Preferred House” badges) and user-generated signals (such as customer satisfaction ratings) significantly increase the probability and magnitude of price adjustments during both festival and weekend peak seasons. Specifically, houses with a “Preferred” status are up to 28 times more likely to have price hikes during weekends compared to non-preferred ones. Further analysis reveals that higher levels of landlord professionalism, measured by the number of properties managed, amplifies the impact of user-generated signals on both the probability and magnitude of price adjustments. However, as the level of professionalism increases, this effect diminishes, indicating that highly professional landlords may have less flexibility to adjust prices due to already-high baseline rates. Interestingly, landlord professionalism did not significantly influence the impact of platform-certified signals on price adjustments, suggesting that the influence of such signals remains consistent across different levels of landlord professionalism. These results underscore the significant roles that both types of signals and landlord professionalism play in shaping pricing strategies, offering valuable insights for platform management and policy formulation aimed at enhancing consumer trust and competitive dynamics in the sharing economy. Full article

Guthi, deeply rooted in the social, cultural, and economic fabric of Nepal, has traditionally managed temples, shrines, festivals, and heritage sites since the Lichchhavi era (400–750). Since 1960, however, this system has been challenged by government land reforms, which have impacted its influence on sustainable heritage conservation. Nevertheless, there is compelling evidence that land nationalization and the guthi’s declining authority have harmed local heritage conservation. Nevertheless, the guthi system has endured, serving as an important informal means of heritage conservation and highlighting the adaptability of traditional institutions. These community-based trusts, originally established for social and religious purposes, have played a pivotal role in preserving cultural heritage for future generations. This article aims to demonstrate the central role of the guthi as the cornerstone of Nepal’s efforts to conserve and manage both tangible and intangible cultural treasures. Using observational techniques, case studies, and a qualitative approach, it explores the historical evolution of heritage conservation through the lens of the guthi, taking into account subjective, valued, and constructed realities. This paper concludes by urging policymakers to recognize the significant contribution of indigenous systems such as the guthi system in achieving the backbone of sustainable heritage conservation and management. Full article

Given the complex interplay between economic and cultural–historical factors, this paper explores scene perception and its mechanism in individual and collective cognition of historical commercial streets. Based on a perception model constructed from scene theory, the study utilizes user scene experience feedback from Beijing Road, a commercial pedestrian street in Guangzhou. It conducts a systematic assessment using hierarchical analysis (AHP) across three dimensions: authenticity, theatricality, and legitimacy. The findings reveal the following: (1) according to visitors, traditional cuisine, cultural and creative arts, and Lingnan’s intangible cultural heritage received low ratings; (2) historical relics and traditional cuisine are dominant factors, highlighting public attention to cultural heritage, but the role of historical–cultural characteristics and festival activities is relatively marginalized; (3) cultural–historical relics and traditional cuisine are the leading factors that contribute to an authentic experience, while historical context and festival activities constitute secondary factors; (4) cultural landscapes and arts are central to theatrical experiences, with modern visual elements playing a lesser role; (5) diversified commercial formats and public services are the core factors influencing legitimacy experience, reflecting the role of market diversity and policy orientation in building consumer trust. The design of historical and cultural streets should prioritize the preferences of those experiencing them to promote cultural identity and historical continuity. Additionally, the synergy between commercial diversity and policy orientation should be strategically emphasized to form a business ecosystem supporting sustainable development. Future commercial street renewals should focus on the key role of visual narrative in shaping brand culture. This paper offers insights into the dynamic process of constructing scene experience from perspectives of spatial materialization and emotional empowerment to cultural identity, providing references for strategies in historical place renewal. Full article

Traditional festivals hold immense cultural and tourism value, but striking a balance between preservation and adaptation in the face of globalization is challenging. This study focuses on the Hmong New Year, the largest traditional festival in a prominent Hmong settlement in China. Through mixed research methods, it examines the impact of festival attachment and political trust on residents’ attitudes toward festival tourism development. The results reveal the significant influence of festival attachment on residents’ perception and judgment of festival tourism, with political trust playing a crucial moderating role. Successful repetition of festival activities fosters stable cognitive perceptions of festival tourism, outweighing potential risks. This research enhances our theoretical understanding of festivals and provides insights into the sustainable development of traditional Hmong festivals, offering support for studying traditional festivals in diverse cultural contexts. Full article

This paper examines the COVID-19 pandemic response in Iran and offers speculations on the possible impact of its experience on the future response to other health emergencies and disaster risk management based on the lessons learned. The COVID-19 experience in Iran is unique in several aspects, including the significant role played by the healthcare workers’ sharing and exchange of information through Internet-based networking applications, and a sociocultural environment that was weakening public trust and cooperation in the use of preventive strategies such as less than the optimum wearing of face masks and attending large social gatherings. There was also hesitation in receiving the necessary vaccine doses due to public skepticism over the effectiveness of domestic COVID-19 vaccines. Furthermore, healthcare workers and health services were afflicted with a lack of sufficient manpower and material resources to fight the pandemic. Moreover, a strong and mostly negative influence of political agenda and religious influence on preventive health policies, especially an initial governmental ban on the import and use of Western vaccines and the pressure to hold religious festivals during the outbreaks, were prevalent. The lessons that can be learned from this ongoing crisis include the value of independent healthcare information networks, transparency in the communication of health information to the public to get their trust and cooperation, and an emphasis on the separation of health policies from political and religious interference. Full article

We examined mothers’ health information sources and their relationships with continued participation in health checkups among urban Japanese mothers. Participants were 152 mothers below 40 years old with one or more children under 12 years old. We collected data at a children’s festival in Tokyo in 2019. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information regarding health checkups, trusted sources of information regarding mother’s health, and anthropological variables. Continued participation in health checkups was defined as participating in health checkups almost every year during the past five years. Logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for health insurance, mothers’ age, number of children, and current medical history. the sources of mothers’ health information trusted by over 20% of mothers in the two groups were “family”, “friends”, “Web/SNS”, and “healthcare professionals.” However, continued participation in health checkups was significantly associated with only the source of health information from “healthcare professionals” (odds ratio: 2.8 [95% confidence interval: 1.26–6.31], p = 0.01). These findings suggest that reliable information from health professionals encourages urban Japanese mothers’ continued participation in health checkups among Japanese mothers under 40 years old who have children under 12 years of age. Full article

An emerging paradigm for festival and event management reveals that hosting theme-based festivals can foster economic growth at the local and national levels. As a case of this research, the annual Macau Food Festival was selected to explore relationships among visitors’ perceptions of festival quality, festival value, trust in the festival, visitors’ satisfaction, and behavior intention. Out of 453 questionnaires distributed, 433 questionnaires were valid for data analysis using partial least squares-structural equation modeling. The results showed that festival quality consisting of the sub-dimensions of hospitality, venue, product, convenience, and program have a positive impact on festival value, trust in festival, and festival satisfaction, which in turn affect festival loyalty. Based on these empirical findings, the current study offers practical and theoretical implications for destination management organizations and festival hosts to sustain annual theme-based festivals held at a certain destination such as Macau Food Festival. Full article

The importance of community attitude and participation for the success and sustainability of cultural festivals has been steadily increasing in recent years. The Chuncheon Puppet Festival (CPF) is an international festival that has been held every year since 1989 in Chuncheon, Korea. The festival has several distinctive characteristics as a sustainable event because: (a) it maintains its single genre of puppet performances based on modern cultural art; (b) it is well-established as the festival for the local residents of Chuncheon City and is planned by local community residents and local small companies, not by government agencies or global large entrepreneurs; (c) it helps children to have an interesting cultural experience in the local environment; and (d) it is regularly hosted in August, an off-season for festivals in Korea that was chosen by residents as it is a school holiday season. However, there is still room for improvement to secure its place as a successful sustainable festival. The following might be considered: (i) increased exchange of human resources among the festival executive members, community groups, and the public staff in Chuncheon City; (ii) local residents should maintain full control of the festival; and (iii) a local cultural trust should be established by cultural art professionals, local resident organizations, puppet show professionals, and public agency staff. The CPF is a typical example of a successful sustainable festival with proactive and supportive community participation and a large number of volunteers that help to increase local competitiveness and sustainable local development. This case report delivers insightful lessons and messages to guide what needs to be preconditioned for local cultural festivals to be sustainable and successful for a long time in many destinations, where they can contribute as efficient catalysts for regional tourism development. Full article

The present study examined the relationship between social capital, local festival participation, and subjective well-being. Moreover, this study examined whether the effect of social capital on subjective well-being can be mediated by festival participation. In addition, it examined the decomposition effect of festival participation and control of models for demographic characteristics. Data used are from the International Comparative Survey on Lifestyle and Values (ICSLV) SWB South Korea Survey. The total number of respondents for the analysis is 1694. The findings indicate that trustful relationships with family and relatives, friends, and neighbors are considerably related to subjective well-being than structural social capital. Moreover, the trust of informal social ties shows considerable potential in facilitating individuals’ local festival participation, which is associated with subjective well-being. Individuals who often participate in traditional local festivals in their communities show higher subjective well-being than those who never attend any festivals. Local festivals in communities can play an important role in strengthening links with individuals in these communities and affect community residents’ well-being. Lastly, the findings can suggest beneficial theoretical and practical implications, and enrich the previous literature on social capital and festival participation. Full article

Singles Day Shopping Festival (SDSF) is one of the most influential online sales events in China. As a big production and even a well-known brand, SDSF has its own design, image, performance, and life cycle. Consumer satisfaction and continuous participation play an important role in the sustainable marketing of SDSF. This study empirically examined the antecedents of continuous participation intention by employing both expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) and stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model to reveal that promotion scale and social interaction have positive and significant effects on participants’ emotional satisfaction-as-trust and -pleasure, which subsequently lead to continuous participation behaviors. This study investigated participants’ perception of fairness atmospherics and its moderating effects on the positive links between promotion scale/social interaction and satisfaction, and the relationships between satisfaction and continuous participation intention. This study suggested that spending more money on jubilant festival buildings will not always exert more influence on participants’ satisfaction as expected. Alternatively, creating a good and fair trading environment will reach the same goal and promote the sustainability of SDSFs. More detailed findings and implications are also discussed at the end of the paper. Full article

Global warming and climate change increase the likelihood of weather-related natural disasters that threaten ecosystems and consequently affect the tourism industry which thrives on the natural attributes of island regions. Orchid Island, the study area, is home to the Yami (Tao) tribe—the only indigenous people of Taiwan with a marine culture. The island possesses rich geological and topographical features (such as coral reefs) and distinctive biological and ecological resources (such as the green sea turtle, flying fish, and Orchid Island scops owl), and organizes traditional festivals and activities (such as the flying fish festival) as well as tribal tourism activities. These factors contribute to its immense potential to become the new tourism hotspot. To study the factors enhancing tourist experiences, a random utility model was constructed using a choice experiment method (CEM) for the tourist resort on Orchid Island. The study results demonstrated that: (1) Limiting tourists to 600/day; employing professional tour guides; providing better recreational facilities; introducing additional experience-enhancing activities; and lowering contributions towards the professional ecosystem conservation trust fund will improve the overall effectiveness of attracting tourists to Orchid Island. The evaluation results from both conditional logit and random parameter logit models were similar; (2) the analysis results from the latent class model demonstrated that island tourism has significant market segmentation. The socioeconomic backgrounds of tourists, their experiences, and their preferences exhibit heterogeneity, with significant differences in willingness to pay for island tourism. Full article