Search Results (18)

Urban green spaces play a critical role in sustaining the urban park biodiversity. The relationship between biodiversity and city residents is complex. Understanding the cognitive preferences of residents toward biodiversity is vital for effective conservation. This study investigated the public willingness to protect the biodiversity in urban parks using questionnaire-based assessments and explored the underlying drivers. The study focused on the residents of Hangzhou, China, and analyzed the effects of respondent and visit characteristics as well as their interactions using ANOVA, PERMANOVA, GLM, and NMDS. The visitor age, education level, satisfaction with plant landscapes, and visit frequency significantly influenced their willingness to conserve. Based on a “cognitive-experience-investment” framework, we uncovered (1) positive synergistic effects between urban park biodiversity and the abundance of urban green space fauna; (2) threshold constraints linking volunteer time for biodiversity conservation and economic expenditures on biodiversity-friendly products; and (3) the complex interactions among these factors. The findings not only elucidate the driving mechanisms and model optimization pathways associated with public willingness for conserving urban biodiversity but also provide actionable strategies to promote both ecological conservation and societal wellbeing. Full article

Interest in the balance between work and life and improving the quality of life is expected to steadily increase the number of users of forest welfare facilities. In this study, the “2023 Forest Recreation and Welfare Activity Survey” was used to analyze how characteristics of forest visits, such as visit frequency, the number of visited areas, expenditures, and the presence of companion animals, affect life satisfaction based on three visit types: daily (less than 4 h), day (more than 4 h), and overnight (more than 1 night). A hierarchical regression of 9437 respondents revealed that age, occupation, education, spouse, children, household income, and type of residence, excluding sex, were significantly correlated with life satisfaction. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that for daily visitors, both visit frequency and companion animals increased life satisfaction. For day visitors, visit frequency, the number of visited areas, expenditures, and companion animals enhanced life satisfaction. For overnight visitors, visit frequency and expenditures positively impacted life satisfaction. Across all visit types, the frequency of forest visits consistently increased life satisfaction. This study statistically clarified how the characteristics of each visit type affect life satisfaction. The findings provide foundational data for future policies and research on forest recreation and welfare. Full article

In this study, we employ the travel cost method to assess the viability of agro-ecotourism in Yuanshan Township, located within the fragile Lanyang River watershed. The local development of agro-ecotourism is the emerging measure that meets forest conservation and soil and water management in steep slopes and viable adaptation strategies in response to the urgent challenges posed by climate change. However, for long-term success, the self-sufficiency and livelihoods of local communities must be prioritized, especially since these communities heavily depend on local resources for their livelihoods. The study site demonstrates the economic success of agro-ecotourism, which allows visitors to utilize local resources and is crucial for boosting the local economy, by applying the travel cost method. This study evaluates the economic value of local natural resources, highlighting that visitor expenditure reflects both recreational resource use and local adaptation measures. The findings indicate significant estimated recreational resource values of TWD 15,748.03 by the negative binomial count data model (1 USD = 31.15 TWD). The results suggest that sustainable local agro-ecotourism measures, balancing conservation and to adapting climate changes, can enhance the economy while supporting residents’ livelihoods in Yuanshan Township. Full article

The competitiveness of tourism destinations is a multidimensional concept encompassing natural and cultural resources, infrastructure, accessibility, and services that cater to an increasingly discerning tourism market. Business ecosystems enhance these competitive conditions by adapting to consumers seeking high-value, differentiated experiences. This study examined the relationship between accommodation supply and tourist expenditure in the Canary Islands based on a sample of 38,071 visitors from the 2024 Tourist Expenditure Survey (EGT) of the Canary Islands Statistics Institute. Using Python and R for statistical processing, the findings revealed distinct spending patterns across accommodation types, from five-star hotels to peer-to-peer rentals, demonstrating how supply diversification influences competitiveness. The results reinforce prior research on the significance of investing in infrastructure, technology, and human capital to optimise the tourist experience. Tourist expenditure serves as an indicator of competitiveness, reflecting visitor preferences and the destination’s capacity to meet them. Accommodation choice is identified as a key determinant of spending patterns and their distribution within the local economy. This study provides an analytical basis for evaluating tourism strategies, emphasising the strategic importance of accommodation heterogeneity. It advances methodological understanding of tourist spending behaviour, offering a practical framework for destination development and strategic planning. Full article

Cruise ship tourism in port cities, while offering opportunities, has brought its own challenges, including overcrowding, disruption to local community mobility, and growing resident concerns, which recently escalated to anti-tourism activities. This article aims to understand the mobility patterns, transportation preferences, and spatial behaviors of cruise ship passengers within the City of Barcelona (Spain). The study is based on a survey conducted with cruise ship tourists visiting the city (n = 793). The key findings reveal the concentration of tourist activity in the old part of the city, and the similarity in spatial behaviors within the city, while the primary mode of exploration is walking, supported by motorized modes of transfer to access distant attractions. Socio-demographic factors and visit characteristics, such as age, group composition, and expenditure levels, are associated with mobility and spatial behavior. This article adds new evidence on the mobility patterns and spatial behaviors of cruise ship tourists visiting a major tourist city. With better knowledge of where cruise ship passengers concentrate, what activity patterns they show, and their preferred modes of transport, policymakers can manage more effectively the influx during peak times and in high-density areas. Strategies to distribute visitors more evenly across the city could be devised to alleviate pressure on heavily frequented zones. Full article

This study assesses the tourism efficiency of European countries from a sustainability perspective, using variables representing demand sustainability, environmental sustainability, and the socio-economic impact of tourism. The results of the study show that out of 31 countries, 16 achieved the highest possible efficiency score. A significant challenging issue that can be highlighted for most European countries is the very short length of stay of tourists, except for in some Mediterranean countries, such as Malta and Croatia. Countries in Central/Eastern Europe, predominantly, have very high values of greenhouse gas intensity, which adversely affects the environment. Therefore, policymakers in these countries should work on improving environmental policies in order to prevent further environmental degradation. Also, strategically increasing length of stay can have a positive impact on various dimensions of sustainability, as length of stay is associated with more dispersed visitor travel patterns, reduced environmental impact and higher tourism expenditure. The projected input and output values for individual countries can provide insight into possible areas for improving tourism efficiency, and represent valuable information that policymakers can use when making long-term decisions regarding future tourism development. Full article

This study fills a research gap by examining how tourist participation, well-being, eco-friendly engagement, and digital infrastructure affect tourism results. We assessed 3692 tourists in Jilin Province, China, using structural equation modeling. We found that tourist participation is directly associated with tourist well-being, and eco-friendly engagement positively mediates tourist participation and tourist well-being. Furthermore, digital infrastructure moderates tourist participation and tourist well-being. Key findings reveal that actively participating in tourism activities considerably increases visitor well-being. Furthermore, eco-friendly behaviors and digital infrastructure may improve tourist well-being and overall experience. These findings may influence many tourist features in the Jilin Province of China. Tourism management should first provide a range of fun and engaging activities to boost tourist well-being. Second, promoting sustainable practices protects the environment and improves visitors’ quality of life. Third, digital infrastructure expenditures support these activities and enhance visitor pleasure. Policymakers should prioritize sustainable tourism. They should employ digital technologies to promote sustainability and improve services. Addressing these concerns may strengthen the country’s economy, sustainable development, and tourism. This study enhances tourist well-being theory by adding eco-friendly interaction, digital infrastructure, and visitor participation. It illuminates the importance of technology, sustainability, and active involvement in producing enjoyable tourist experiences. Full article

The societal consequences of climate change are still hard to measure, mostly because it is difficult to connect the physical effects of climate change to economic processes and because future climate change and economic estimates are unpredictable. The tourism industry is one of the areas where evaluating the effects of climate change has proven to be especially challenging. The primary influencing environmental elements in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea are expected to alter as a result of climate change. This study investigates the impact of climate change on the growth of tourism in the Baltic Sea Region, focusing on international tourism. To analyze the possible short-run and long-run impact of climate change on international tourism, a dynamic panel model is used, with data for the period 2005–2022. International tourism is measured through the inbound travel expenditure and the number of overnight visitors. The effect of climate change is captured through the variables of temperature and precipitation, with real GDP and government effectiveness as control variables. Results show a significant negative impact of climate change variables on international tourism in the Baltic Sea countries. There are relatively few studies on the impact of climate change on the tourism industry in the Baltic region; this article complements the existing literature on this very important issue. Full article

Deep learning has experienced an increased demand for its capabilities to categorize and optimize operations and provide higher-accuracy information. For this purpose, the implication of deep learning procedures has been described as a vital tool for the optimization of supply chain firms’ transportation operations, among others. Concerning the indexes of transportation operations of supply chain firms, it has been found that the contribution of big data analytics could be crucial to their optimization. Due to big data analytics’ variety and availability, supply chain firms should investigate their impact on their key transportation indexes in their effort to comprehend the variation of the referred indexes. The authors proceeded with the gathering of the required big data analytics from the most established supply chain firms’ websites, based on their (ROPA), revenue growth, and inventory turn values, and performed correlation and linear regression analyses to extract valuable insights for the next stages of the research. Then, these insights, in the form of statistical coefficients, were inserted into the development of a Hybrid Model (Agent-Based and System Dynamics modeling), with the application of the feedforward neural network (FNN) method for the estimation of specific agents’ behavioral analytical metrics, to produce accurate simulations of the selected key performance transportation indexes of supply chain firms. An increase in the number of website visitors to supply chain firms leads to a 60% enhancement of their key transportation performance indexes, mostly related to transportation expenditure. Moreover, it has been found that increased supply chain firms’ website visibility tends to decrease all of the selected transportation performance indexes (TPIs) by an average amount of 87.7%. The implications of the research outcomes highlight the role of increased website visibility and search engine ranking as a cost-efficient means for reducing specific transportation costs (Freight Expenditure, Inferred Rates, and Truckload Line Haul), thus achieving enhanced operational efficiency and transportation capacity. Full article

Providing demonstrable and quantifiable evidence to substantiate the value of Marine Protected Areas like National Marine Sanctuaries is important for understanding their role in the blue economy, as well as gaining management and financial support for their protection. This study employs economic contribution analysis to estimate the economic contributions of ocean recreation spending of visitors to Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) and the coastal Georgia region. Employing economic contribution analysis is found to be more useful in influencing stakeholder decisions, and can therefore be a useful tool in providing inputs for management decisions related to marine protected areas. This study shows that visitors to coastal Georgia spent about USD 1.4 billion on ocean recreation activities in a single year. This translates to a total economic contribution of 18,950 jobs, USD 603 million labor income, USD 938 million value added, and USD 1.8 billion output. About USD 123 million of the total visitor spending can be attributed to GRNMS, contributing 1702 total jobs, USD 54 million in total labor income, USD 84 million in total value added, and USD 159 million in total output. This study highlights the importance of coastal Georgia and GRNMS as economic drivers of the region’s economy, supporting the need for continued management and investment in the Sanctuary and its resources. Full article

The existence of a commercial fishery in a coastal community is often promoted by the tourism sector as a key feature to encourage visits by tourists. However, the contribution of fisheries to tourism in coastal communities in the economic literature is unclear, with mixed results from previous studies. In this study, we examine the counterfactual—how would tourism change in the absence of fishing, and how would this affect benefits to tourists and the local economy. We use a contingent behavior travel cost model, combining revealed and stated preference data, to estimate these changes for Mooloolaba, a coastal fishing town in the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland, Australia. We find that the fishing industry and related provision of local seafood generate $6 million in welfare gains to visitors. We further estimate that it is directly responsible for 19% of the total number of days visiting the town, contributing an additional $8 million per year through tourism related expenditure. Given the importance of the fishing industry to the tourism sector in coastal communities, there is a need for the tourism industry to engage in the fisheries management process. Full article

The provision of high-quality national park tourism services depends on an understanding of the role of the national park brand in visitors’ decision-making on visiting parks. The consideration of forest recreation and park brand awareness not only helps to increase the quality of visitors’ experiences but also assists in the management of natural park resources. This study explored whether national park affinity can explain differences in visitor satisfaction with the national park trip, tourism services and facilities, visitor loyalty, and perceptions of recreation quality as well as visitor expenditures. This study classified 400 on-site visitors to the Khao Yai National Park into three national park affinity segments. The results indicated that about two-fifths of respondents had a low national park affinity with less satisfaction with the national park tourism facilities and services and visitor management. This segment reported lower visitor loyalty and that visitors felt more crowded, while no differences in expenditures for the trip were found between the affinity segments. Full article

In this study, we examined the difference in expenditure patterns between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors at a nature-based destination. We also examined the effects of sociodemographic profiles, travel characteristics, and perceived importance on expenditure patterns during off-peak and peak seasons. Generally, the results revealed low average daily expenditure compared with other nature-based destinations. Whereas no differences were observed during the off-peak season, the sociodemographic characteristics, travel characteristics, perceived importance, and expenditure pattern differed between foreign resident and foreign tourist visitors during the peak season. These results suggest that patterns of expenditure and perceived importance of foreign visitors are influenced by the seasonality of a nature-based destination. On the other hand, foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors differ in their characteristics, perceived importance of destination attributes, and expenditure patterns, particularly during the peak season. Longer periods of residence in the host country might result in foreign resident visitors becoming local visitors. Our findings contribute to practical knowledge of the segmentation of foreign visitors at nature-based destinations. Full article

Festivals can improve the image of host communities, making them an appealing destination and boosting local economy. However, it is hard to measure their actual impact, which is a key factor to justify governments’ initiatives. This study aims to verify how accurate direct expenditure analysis can be. First, the impact of new visitors’ expenditure is calculated based on a survey. Then, consumption indicators are used to forecast the actual economic impact of the festival. Finally, both results are compared. Even though the values gathered with consumption indicators are only a lower bound of the festival’s impact, this study found that assessing expenditure intentions during the festival leads to impact estimates that can be three times higher. The theoretical contribution of this study is to identify direct expenditure analysis weaknesses and how to reduce their effects. Full article

The Winter World Masters Games (WWMGs) are a large sports event for 30+-year-old athletes. As there are neither competitive qualification requirements for participants, nor entrance fees for spectators, the event can be considered as a participatory sports tourism event rather than a spectator event. In 2020, the WWMGs were staged in Innsbruck, Tyrol. In this study, we estimate the payoff of the event for the regional economy by assessing the impacts generated by participant spending and organizational expenditure. Furthermore, we discuss the peculiarities of the masters sports concept. Our empirical work is based on three distinct analyses: (1) economic impact analysis of participant spending, (2) cost-benefit analysis of organizational resource flows, and (3) discussion of impacts with experts in a focus group setting. Our results support the previous findings that masters sports events attract rather affluent and consumption-oriented participants. Indeed, the WWMGs were found to have a regional economic impact of €6.18 million and an estimated yield of €4.40 for each publicly subsidized euro. For an audience interested in the economic impact of events, this paper presents a novel method for handling non-normal expenditure distributions and adds to the understanding of how visitor segmentation can be utilized in an assessment of event impacts. Full article