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Abstract
Stargazing tourism has recently gained more academic attention. However, whether destinations are willing to develop this market largely depends on if stargazing tourism can become a sustainable competitive advantage for them. This study explores this important issue from the perspective of tourists. Based on the theories of peak experiences and conservation of resources, this study proposed a two-stage mediation model to examine how stargazing positively affects tourists' revisit and recommend intentions. Through two surveys, the study found that stargazing is positively related to tourists' revisit and recommend intentions. The positive relationship is mediated jointly through peak experiences and stress. The variable ‘peak experiences’ is the first-stage mediator, and the variable ‘stress’ is the second-stage mediator. In addition, the study also finds that the two-stage mediation is unique to stargazing tourism compared to other forms of leisure tourism (e.g. city sightseeing tourism). The findings of this study show the mechanism of how stargazing tourism positively influences tourists' perceptions and behavioral intentions. These findings show that stargazing tourism is valuable and inimitable from the perspective of tourists. Thus, developing stargazing tourism will create sustainable competitive advantages for destinations with rare starry night skies from the perspective of a resource-based view. This study reveals the academic and practical value of stargazing tourism. The findings of the study indicate the importance of reconsidering the effects of different forms of tourism. The study also has important implications for the development of stargazing tourism in areas with clear starry night skies.
... In general, the articles in this cluster investigate the experience and loyalty of astrotourists (Khetrapal & Bhatia, 2022;Pásková et al., 2021). The other motor cluster is astrotourism experience, which includes four articles with similar themes to the previously analyzed group (Li, 2021;. Additionally, the phenomenon of word-of-mouth in astrotourism is explored and the effects of destination attributes on tourist satisfaction (Araya-Pizarro, 2020), all around the visitor experience. ...
... The first, night sky brightness, contains two articles that study the potential of astrotourism destinations through measurements of sky luminosity (C-Sánchez et al., 2019; Kanianska et al., 2020). The second cluster, stargazing tourism, also has two publications that examine the behavior and preferences (Fernández-Hernández et al., 2022;Li, 2021) of stargazing tourism. The northern lights tourism cluster has two articles. ...
... Among them, the study of stakeholders and their link to the development and prosperity of astrotourism (Tapada et al., 2020(Tapada et al., , 2022 is highlighted, as well as the importance of sustainable astronomical tourism (Jacobs et al., 2020;Labuda et al., 2015Labuda et al., , 2016Soleimani et al., 2019). On the other hand, the motor themes that drive the development of research on astrotourism are mainly materialized in studies with primary data on tourist satisfaction (Araya-Pizarro, 2020), experiences (Khetrapal & Bhatia, 2022;Pásková et al., 2021) and tourist loyalty, through the intention to revisit and recommend tourist destinations (Li, 2021;. In addition, other articles address the economic impact of astronomical tourism (Collison & Poe, 2013;Mitchell & Gallaway, 2019). ...
Astrotourism, also known as stellar tourism, involves the development of recreational and educational activities related to the cosmos and astronomical phenomena. This type of special interest tourism focuses on nature, culture, and conservation, and stands out for its exceptional economic, social, and cultural benefits. The aim of the study was to analyze the scientific production on astrotourism based on PRISMA guidelines and a review of the Web of Science and Scopus databases (up to December 2022). The applied methodology consisted of bibliometric analysis and mapping of the literature, carried out using the Bibliometrix program, which found a total of 45 articles in 36 journals. The results revealed a growing scientific production, concentrated in few journals, scattered among multiple authors, and limited thematic diversity divided into twelve clusters, which were classified using the Callon algorithm (niche, motor, basic, and emerging/declining themes). It is concluded that astrotourism is a dynamic and consensual topic of study regarding its regional sustainable development contribution and educational capacity on the heritage and aesthetic value of the skies.
... In general, the articles in this cluster investigate the experience and loyalty of astrotourists (Khetrapal & Bhatia, 2022;Pásková et al., 2021). The other motor cluster is astrotourism experience, which includes four articles with similar themes to the previously analyzed group (Li, 2021;. Additionally, the phenomenon of word-of-mouth in astrotourism is explored and the effects of destination attributes on tourist satisfaction (Araya-Pizarro, 2020), all around the visitor experience. ...
... The first, night sky brightness, contains two articles that study the potential of astrotourism destinations through measurements of sky luminosity (C-Sánchez et al., 2019; Kanianska et al., 2020). The second cluster, stargazing tourism, also has two publications that examine the behavior and preferences (Fernández-Hernández et al., 2022;Li, 2021) of stargazing tourism. The northern lights tourism cluster has two articles. ...
... Among them, the study of stakeholders and their link to the development and prosperity of astrotourism (Tapada et al., 2020(Tapada et al., , 2022 is highlighted, as well as the importance of sustainable astronomical tourism (Jacobs et al., 2020;Labuda et al., 2015Labuda et al., , 2016Soleimani et al., 2019). On the other hand, the motor themes that drive the development of research on astrotourism are mainly materialized in studies with primary data on tourist satisfaction (Araya-Pizarro, 2020), experiences (Khetrapal & Bhatia, 2022;Pásková et al., 2021) and tourist loyalty, through the intention to revisit and recommend tourist destinations (Li, 2021;. In addition, other articles address the economic impact of astronomical tourism (Collison & Poe, 2013;Mitchell & Gallaway, 2019). ...
Astrotourism, also known as stellar tourism, involves the development of recreational and educational activities related to the cosmos and astronomical phenomena. This type of special interest tourism focuses on nature, culture, and conservation, and stands out for its exceptional economic , social, and cultural benefits. The aim of the study was to analyze the scientific production on astrotourism based on PRISMA guidelines and a review of the Web of Science and Scopus databases (up to December 2022). The applied methodology consisted of bibliometric analysis and mapping of the literature, carried out using the Bi-bliometrix program, which found a total of 45 articles in 36 journals. The results revealed a growing scientific production , concentrated in few journals, scattered among multiple authors, and limited thematic diversity divided into twelve clusters, which were classified using the Callon algorithm (niche, motor, basic, and emerging/declining themes). It is concluded that astrotourism is a dynamic and consensual topic of study regarding its regional sustainable development contribution and educational capacity on the heritage and aesthetic value of the skies.
... Research on consumers has proven that despite being a somewhat rare experience, the prominence of PE remains largely unquestioned (Ball and Barnes, 2017), because these defining moments can determine a customer's decision. In addition, peak touristic experiences, which are defined as an experience with the maximum intensity or a most memorable experience, have been explored in many ways (Quan and Wang, 2004;Li, 2021). Maslow (1971) has also indicated that most people could have PE. ...
... Studies have also shown that positive emotions are more likely to promote the spread of WOM (Septianto and Chiew, 2018), and those positive highintensity and arousal messages that can lead to positive emotions (e.g., delight, interest, surprise, and joy) are more likely to be shared (Heath et al., 2001). Li (2021) indicated that if tourists have PE, these remarkable experiences will further influence their recommended intentions. Mitas et al. (2020) also found that participants who are highly recommended because their emotions arouse a peak during tourism, this peak is higher than the emotion level before and after the tourism. ...
The importance of providing a positive employee experience (EX) has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. However, peak experience (PE), as a highly positive experience, has been studied and applied in the field of human resource management only to a very limited extent. We still know little about how employees’ peak experience (EPE) happens and what the impact will be. Therefore, based on the affective events theory and the two-factor theory, our research conducted an in-depth exploration of EPE through three studies. In Study 1, we constructed a theoretical model centered on EPE based on and interview data. In Study 2, we developed and validated a scale for measuring triggers of EPE, which is a four-dimensional scale (elevation, insight, pride, and connection) with 16 items. In Study 3, we adopted structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationship between EPE and its triggers as well as its impacts using data from 424 valid questionnaires. Our research shows that elevation, insight, pride, and connection can trigger EPE; employees are more likely to have proactive behavior (PB) and word-of-mouth referrals after they have PE; and the more job-relevant the triggers are, the stronger the association between PE and PB is. Our research provides a reliable and effective measurement tool for scholars to study EPE, broadens the findings of PE and EX, and points out feasible measures for organizations to create EPE.
... In the context of planning for sustainable development of new complementary activities, stargazing tourism is becoming a strategic alternative for an increasing number of destinations aiming at differentiating their tourist products through product innovation by the utilization of natural and land resources, thereby enhancing the wealth of resources and activities offered to tourists [13][14][15][16][17]. Stargazing tourism is considered a type of special interest tourism that involves the implementation of land resources dedicated to enhance the observation of the celestial space [18][19][20][21]. ...
... The results are also consistent with other research that has shown that stargazing tourism has the potential to raise the competitiveness of destinations, by enhancing the tourist experience and excitement with nature [16,104]. In this regard, planning land resources for stargazing tourism should take care of the environmental impacts that can lead to unsustainable processes of tourism development [87,88,105]. ...
Stargazing tourism is an expanding market niche that requires the development of territorial resources for its implementation and attraction. This paper’s objective is to investigate the preferences and willingness to pay of tourists for the development of strategic land resources for stargazing tourism activities. The field work was conducted on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands), which is promoting the territorial development of infrastructures for stargazing tourism. A random sample of 734 tourists were interviewed in person on-site in December 2019 following the methodology discrete choice experiments that enabled an estimation of tourists’ preferences and willingness to pay for the implementation of key land resources for stargazing. The data are modeled using a latent class model that allows for the consideration of heterogeneous preferences. The results show that there are three groups of tourists with different preferences for land resources of stargazing observation. These segments are respectively related to the interests in culture, active, and astronomic tourism. Those tourists in the active stargazing segment share the largest proportion of the market and favor the implementation of facilities that allow the combination of active tourism with stargazing. The results are useful for land product development and territorial strategies aimed at positioning destinations in the identified demand niches of stargazing tourism.
... Regarding the impact of night tourism, research has been carried out mainly in terms of positive and negative impacts, with the former including boosting the economy [54], employment growth [55], improving the tourism product system [56], satisfying tourists' needs [57], improving infrastructure [58], and promoting rural revitalization [59]; whereas the latter are mainly the impacts of night tourism on local community residents [60]- [62], including increased crime rate, environmental pollution, class conflict. From the perspective of research methods, interviews [60], textual analysis [42], field surveys [46], [63], comparative studies [64], case studies [65], two-stage mediation model [66], Delphi method [67], and IPA analysis [68] methods were mostly used. ...
China suffered from severe economic stagnation and urban decay during the COVID-19 pandemic, public mental health was also threatened. To create a favorable public consumption environment for enhancing economic development, and meeting the needs of public life, the Chinese government has transformed and built a series of national night cultural and tourism consumption agglomeration areas as a new type of functional area in cities. The present study uses spatial analysis methods such as nearest neighbor index, nuclear density analysis, and coefficient of geographic association to quantitatively analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics, equilibrium status, distribution density, and internal influential factors. The results showed that: (1) The spatial distribution of night agglomeration areas in China is unbalanced, with a “rhombus-shaped structures, regional cluster distributions, and single nucleus aggregation points” combination of spatial distribution characteristics; (2) Eight different types of night agglomeration areas with distinctive features, large differences in spatial density, and significant geographical differentiation were identified; (3) The formation of spatial distribution patterns of night agglomeration areas was the result of the joint influence of five factors: resource endowment, economic level, transportation location, guest market, and policy environment. Understanding the current development of night agglomeration areas in China can lay the foundation for future in-depth studies on the spatiotemporal evolution of China's night tourism economy, as well as provide an urban renewal idea and experience for other global countries and regions that are facing economic crises, low urban land use efficiency, and obstruction in promoting new urbanization.
... Therefore, this research was carried out to provide a solution in the form of developing a business development strategy for Gula Aren Temon SMEs through Business Model Canvas (BMC) analysis, followed by the business potential analysis stage using VRIO (Value, Rarity, Imitability, Organization) analysis. The VRIO framework analyzes the potential level of a company's resources and capabilities to serve as a sustainable competitive advantage (Li, 2021). Formulation of alternative strategies is carried out using SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) analysis and QSPM (Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix) analysis which are used as strategic priorities. ...
The development company is one of the important factors underlying the creation of a successful business so that it can maintain its productivity in the long term. Likewise, MSMEs need to design a business strategy to support the progress of their business during increasingly competitive business competition. This study aims to identify business implementation, analyze business potential, and formulate strategic priorities in Gula Aren Temon SMEs. The research method used is a qualitative method with analytical tools in the form of BMC, VRIO, SWOT, and QSPM. The results of the study show that the nine building blocks of the BMC analysis describe the interrelated elements of Gula Aren Temon SME’s business implementation. The VRIO analysis results show that most of the resources owned by the business are at competitive parity. The results of the SWOT Analysis show that there are nine alternative strategies, while the priority chosen strategy to implement is to maximize the quality of service and products to maintain relationships with consumers and other partners. The strategy was chosen based on the highest TAS score, namely 6,280.
... For the upcoming future, the sampling methods seem to be optimized to obtain more representative samples, which would be more conducive to the stability of the research conclusions, since the non-random sample has to be treated with great care. Furthermore, from the conceptual/contextual point of view, the RI may be applicable to further research for alternative special interest tourism (SIT), such as wine tourism (Back et al., 2021), coffee tourism (Chen et al., 2021), gastronomy tourism (Widjaja et al., 2020), astrotourism or stargazing tourism (Li, 2021;Rodrigues et al., 2022), volunteer trip (Manosuthi et al., 2020), and suicide travel Yang et al., 2022c). ...
Introduction:
The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the pattern of visitors' revisiting behavioral intention via the innovational approach of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT).
Methods:
This research was conducted by data collection with structured questionnaires as its instrument, which was distributed among 420 yoga tourism visitors in two destinations, Mysore and Rishikesh in India. Collected data had been processed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.
Results:
The data analysis results showed that the behavioral attitude of yoga tourism visitors can mediate the influence of behavioral intention through the satisfaction. The findings of this study include the following points: (1) the components of attitude, subjective norm and destination image apply a direct effect on the cultural and spiritual experiences of yoga tourism visitors; (2) cultural and spiritual experiences have a direct effect on the expectation confirmation and the satisfaction of yoga tourism visitors; (3) Expectation confirmation has a direct effect on the satisfaction and the behavior intention of yoga tourism visitors; and (4) Satisfaction has a direct effect on the behavior intention of yoga tourism visitors.
Discussion:
This study contributed by examining the satisfaction and revisit intentions of yoga tourism visitors through an integrated study of planning behavior and expectation confirmation models, which might be refilling the scarcity of research in the tourism literature. The result of this study might offer important implications for scholars, marketers, and tourism industry to better serve this emerging niche market.
... Scholars (e.g. Zaman & Aktan, 2021;Li, 2021) identified TS as a mediating role in the formation of RI, the likelihood of engaging in e-WOM, and tourism industry development. Moreover, in cases where tourists visit a specific destination several times, their satisfaction level may continuously increase (through better appreciation of the facilities provided) inspiring positive e-WOM communication and motivating other tourists to visit that destination (Liu & Chou, 2016). ...
Social media (SM) is a popular and powerful tool used in the tourism industry to connect tourists with specific experiences. In this study, we explore the relationship between SM and revisit intention (RI), the formation of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) networks, tourist satisfaction (TS), and ultimately, the development of the tourism sector (e.g., tourism development (TD)) based on the social learning theory. We used a structural equation model to identify direct and mediating relationships between variables. The model was based on perspectives provided by 395 individuals who had visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh. We confirmed that SM exerts a substantial direct and positive effect on TS, e-WOM, and TD, although we did not find an association between SM and RI. Likewise, e-WOM networks directly and positively impact RI, TS, and TD. RI, in turn, positively impacts TD, as TS also exerts a significant direct effect on RI and TD. TS and RI mediate the relationship between SM and TD, SM and RI, e-WOM and TD, as well as that of e-WOM and TD, TS and TD respectively. We were unable to identify a mediating role for TS in the relationship between e-WOM to RI, or for e-WOM in the SM and TS relationship. The relationships identified in this study are not merely of theoretical interest as relevant industry practitioners could use these insights to develop plans and guidelines for the use of SM networks to develop the sector.
... Also, for a specific tourism activity, another study tries to examine how stargazing positively affects tourists' revisit and recommend intentions, based on the theories of peak experiences and conservation of resources. 55 Unlike these studies, which consider different areas within the tourism business, the current study aims to predict the tourists' behavioural intentions in the context of a rural tourism destination by focusing on willingness to recommend the visited rural destination. Furthermore, no studies have been found that predict the behaviour of tourists towards rural destinations using Machine Learning techniques, as they generally aim to model this behaviour with structural equation models. ...
The analysis of the opinions and experiences of tourists is a key issue in tourist promotion. More precisely, forecasting whether a tourist will or will not recommend a given destination, based on his/her profile, is of utmost importance in order to optimize management actions. According to this idea, this research proposes the application of cutting-edge machine learning techniques in order to predict tourist recommendation of rural destinations. More precisely, classifiers based on supervised learning (namely Support Vector Machine, Decision Trees, and [Formula: see text]-Nearest Neighbor) are applied to survey data collected in the province of Burgos (Spain). Available data suffer from a common problem in real-life datasets (data unbalance) as there are very few negative recommendations. In order to address such problem, that penalizes learning, data balancing techniques have been also applied. The satisfactory results validate the proposed application, being a useful tool for tourist managers.
... Within nature-based tourism experiences, the effects of esthetic experiential qualities on positive emotions and behavioral intentions are well established (Albaity & Melhen, 2017;Breiby & Slaten, 2015;Loureiro, 2014;Sato et al., 2018). In studies not related to astrotourism, positive emotions have a positive influence on tourist behavioral intentions (Chi & Qu, 2008;Erul et al., 2020;Li, 2021;Loureiro & Kastenholz, 2011). However, there is no consensus on awe having a positive effect on behavioral intentions. ...
The purpose of this study is to ascertain the effect of awe on tourist behavioral intentions for astrotourism destinations. Awe is theorized as a multi-dimensional concept with both cognitive and affective elements. A behavioral model depicting the relationships among awe, tourist satisfaction and behavioral intentions is proposed and examined among 304 tourists to the Dark Sky Party Alqueva in Portugal. Using partial-least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the results indicate that awe directly affects tourist satisfaction and indirectly affects behavioral intentions when mediated by tourist satisfaction. Theoretical and managerial implications are presented.
... In addition, to test the indirect effect of rural tourism on sustainable farmers' income through the mediation variables (rural ecological environment and urbanization), the design of mediation effect model in this paper follows Akinci and Aksoy [65], Tang [66], and Li [67]. Specifically, first of all, the mediation variable is treated as the explained variable and rural tourism is treated as the explanatory variable. ...
With the continuous promotion of China’s new rural construction, rural tourism is considered to be an important driving force to promote the sustainable development of rural economy. Sustainable farmers’ income is a major part of the sustainable development of rural economy. Therefore, this paper attempts to explore the effect of rural tourism on sustainable farmers’ income. Using China’s provincial panel data over the period of 2003 to 2020 and employing the mediation effect model to perform empirical analysis, four results are obtained: (1) rural tourism positively and significantly affects sustainable farmers’ income. However, among five kinds of farmers’ income, the coefficients in magnitude are different. (2) A mediation effect of rural ecological environment on the relationship between rural tourism and sustainable farmers’ income exists. (3) A mediation effect of urbanization on the relationship between rural tourism and sustainable farmers’ income also exists. (4) On the whole, the mediation effect of rural ecological environment on the relationship between rural tourism and sustainable farmers’ income is less than that of the mediation effect of urbanization. Based on the evidence this paper provides, corresponding suggestions are raised to promote sustainable farmers’ income.
In recent years, the dark sky tourism market in China has been rapidly rising. However, little attention has been paid to this emerging type of tourism in domestic academia. In order to have a holistic understanding of international dark sky tourism development and research progress, this article employs the traditional literature analysis method to systematically sort out relevant studies published between 2001-2021. Based on the analysis of 62 English publications, results show that: (1) with the advancement of the global dark sky movement, the value of the starry dark sky for tourism has been utilised, and the dark sky programs for tourists have become mature in Western countries. (2) The empirical research on international dark sky tourism started in 2011, and the number of publications continues to grow. Qualitative and quantitative research has been developing simultaneously, but current research is mainly concentrated in developed countries and regions such as Europe and North America. (3) By analysing the umbrella concept of astro-tourism, this article has defined dark sky tourism and discussed its characteristics. (4) The progress of international dark sky tourism research mainly focuses on light pollution measurement and dark sky tourism development, multiple benefits of dark sky tourism development, dark sky tourism experience and its impact, and dark sky tourism destination development. For China's dark sky tourism stakeholders, the international research findings provide a certain theoretical basis for developing and managing this new type of tourism. At the same time, by learning international studies, domestic scholars are also encouraged to carry out specific empirical research in the Chinese dark sky tourism context, and then gradually establish the dialogue with Western dark sky tourism research.近几年中国星空旅游市场快速崛起,然而国内学术界对这一旅游新业态的研究明显不足。本文采用传统的文献分析方法,对国际暗夜星空旅游的发展脉络与研究进展进行了系统梳理。研究发现：（1）在全球暗夜保护运动的推动下,星空的旅游价值得到发掘,暗夜星空体验项目在西方国家已趋于成熟;（2）国际暗夜星空旅游的实证研究于2011年起步,文献数量持续上升,质性研究与量化研究同步发展,但研究主要集中在欧洲和北美等发达国家和地区;（3）通过分析与对比天文旅游,本文界定了暗夜星空旅游的概念并探讨了暗夜星空旅游的主要特征;（4）国际暗夜星空旅游研究主要集中在光污染测量与暗夜星空旅游发展、暗夜星空旅游发展效益、暗夜星空旅游体验及其影响、暗夜星空目的地的旅游发展4个方面。对于正处在萌芽成长期的中国星空旅游而言,国际研究成果为此旅游新业态的发展与管理提供了一定的理论基础,同时也促进国内学者结合本土暗夜星空旅游市场展开具体的实证研究,逐渐建立暗夜星空旅游研究的中西对话。
Purpose
This study aims to explore the relationships among novelty, meaningfulness, hedonism and loyalty in the context of an astrotourism experience.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a convenience sample at an astrotourism event in Portugal. A self‐administered questionnaire was designed using established scales. In total, 296 usable responses were analyzed using partial least square (PLS)-structural equation modeling.
Findings
The result of the structural model shows that novelty and meaningfulness affect hedonism, which in turn influences loyalty. Novelty and meaningfulness contribute 62.8% to the variance in hedonism and 31.3% to the variability in loyalty.
Originality/value
This study deepens knowledge of the tourist behavior of astrotourists. Destinations and managers that develop astrotourism activities can also benefit from deeper knowledge about the emotional process of the astrotourism experience and its impact on behavioral loyalty.
With the rapid development of population and urbanization and the progress of lighting technology, the influence of artificial light sources has increased. In this context, the problem of light pollution has attracted wide attention. Previous studies have revealed that light pollution can affect biological living environments, human physical and mental health, astronomical observations and many other aspects. Therefore, organizations internationally have begun to advocate for measures to prevent light pollution, many of which are recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). In addition to improving public awareness, legal protections, technical treatments and other means, the construction of Dark Sky Reserves (DSR) has proven to be an effective preventive measure. So far, as a pioneer practice in this field, the IDA has identified 11 DSRs worldwide. Based on the DA requirements for DSRs, this paper utilizes NPP-VIIRS nighttime light data and other multi-source spatial data to analyze possible DSR sites in China. The land of China was divided into more than ten thousand 30 km × 30 km fishnets, and constraint and suitable conditions were designated, respectively, as light and cloud conditions, and scale, traffic and attractiveness conditions. Using a multiple criteria evaluation, 1443 fishnets were finally selected as most suitable sites for the construction of DSRs. Results found that less than 25% of China is not subject to light pollution, and less than 13% is suitable for DSR construction, primarily in western and northern areas, including Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu and Inner Mongolia.
Celestial tourism, also known as astrotourism, astronomical tourism or, less frequently, star tourism, refers to people’s interest in visiting places where celestial phenomena can be clearly observed. Stars, skygazing, meteor showers or comets, among other phenomena, arouse people’s interest, however, good night sky conditions are required to observe such phenomena. From an environmental point of view, several organisations have surfaced in defence of the protection of dark night skies against light pollution, while from an economic point of view; the idea also opens new possibilities for development in associated areas. The quality of dark skies for celestial tourism can be measured by night sky brightness (NSB), which is used to quantify the visual perception of the sky, including several light sources at a specific point on earth. The aim of this research is to model the nocturnal sky brightness by training and testing a probabilistic model using real NSB data. ARIMA and artificial neural network models have been applied to open NSB data provided by the Globe at Night international programme, with the results of this first model approach being promising and opening up new possibilities for astrotourism. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, probabilistic models have not been applied to NSB forecasting.
This paper tests a moderated mediation model based on hypothesized relationships in heritage marketing between event involvement, place attachment, experience authenticity, and revisit intention, and finds that place attachment mediates the event involvement–revisit intention relationship and that experience authenticity moderates the mediation. The relationships are explored with a sample of people attending a Roman heritage festival in Italy (n = 350). Based on suggestions from environmental psychology, the model is then split to compare neighborhood and non-neighborhood tourists, and younger and older tourists. Results show that revisit intention for closer and older tourists relies more on place attachment than on event involvement; the reverse is true for distal and younger tourists. Finally, tourists’ freely elicited motivations are analyzed by computing an original place-or-event-relatedness score, continuous and centered on zero, which corroborates the findings from the moderated mediation models. Theoretical and managerial implications are addressed.
And that was true. I have always loved the desert. One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence
something throbs, and gleams… “What makes the desert beautiful,” said the little prince, “is that somewhere it hides a well…” (de Saint
Exupéry, p. 8 to p. 70).
Not all tourists are alike and neither are their motivations (Iso-Ahola, 1982), attitudes, benefits sought, or destination choices.
Tourists can be seeking new experiences that are out of the ordinary (Graburn, 1983), and which can “add meaning to their lives”
(Graburn, 1989, p. 22). Out of the ordinary experiences can be mundane or sacred (Nash, 1996; Graburn, 1989), secular or religious
(Timothy & Olsen, 2006). Vukonic (1996, p. 18) writes that tourism “provides people with the conditions for a constant search for…
spiritual enrichment.” Many forms of tourism have emerged to facilitate such experiences; one of them is spiritual tourism, seeing “as
a source of spiritual meaning or refreshment” (Sharpley & Jepson, 2011, p. 53).
There is no widely agreed upon definition of spirituality (Koenig, 2012). Spirituality, however, generally, relates to the connection
with nature or a higher being (Reich, 2000), to the meaning of self within a broader ontological context, and is characterized by a
continuing search for meaning and purpose in life (Kale, 2004).
Scholars have argued that...
Informed decisions about sampling are critical to improving the quality of research synthesis. Even though several qualitative research synthesists have recommended purposeful sampling for synthesizing qualitative research, the published literature holds sparse discussion on how different strategies for purposeful sampling may be applied to a research synthesis. In primary research, Patton is frequently cited as an authority on the topic of purposeful sampling. In Patton's original texts that are referred to in this article, Patton does not make any suggestion of using purposeful sampling for research synthesis. This article makes a unique contribution to the literature by examining the adaptability of each of Patton's 16 purposeful sampling strategies to the process of qualitative research synthesis. It illuminates how different purposeful sampling strategies might be particularly suited to constructing multi-perspectival, emancipatory, participatory and deconstructive interpretations of published research.
The objective of this study was to identify hypothesised relationships among creative experiences, memorability, and revisit intentions in creative tourism. Face-to-face questionnaire survey was adopted and 399 valid questionnaires were collected in the pottery town of Yingge in Taiwan. The results show significantly positive relationships among creative experiences, memorability, and revisit intentions. Structural equation modelling analysis verified that memorability fully mediated the effect of creative experiences on revisit intentions. The study suggests that memorability may be a more appropriate predictor to revisit intentions, particularly in the case of creative activities.
Astronomical tourism represents a less-studied segment of sustainable tourism, where a dark night sky is the underlying resource. This article evaluates an astronomical tourism program, in this case at a national park with dark skies for observing. Bryce Canyon National Park (BCNP) in the southwestern United States has a well-developed astronomy program to serve visitors. The program consists of solar viewing during the day, multimedia evening programs, and night-time star gazing with telescopes. Depending on the specific measure used, it appears that up to 10% of park visitors may be involved with the formal Astronomy and Dark Sky Program and/or more informal astronomy activities. BCNP appears well positioned to take advantage of the dark sky attributes of the park and to educate visitors about the importance of maintaining and/or increasing the darkness of night skies. Potential future developments in the program may serve to further increase the number of visitors to BCNP.
Practical and theoretical issues are discussed for testing (a) the comparability, or measurement equivalence, of psychological constructs and (b) detecting possible sociocultural difference on the constructs in cross-cultural research designs. Specifically, strong factorial invariance (Meredith, 1993) of each variable's loading and intercept (mean-level) parameters implies that constructs are fundamentally the same in each sociocultural group, and thus comparable. Under this condition, hypotheses about the nature of sociocultural differences and similarities can be confidently and meaningfully tested among the constructs' moments in each sociocultural sample. Some of the issues involved in making such tests are reviewed and explicated within the framework of multiple-group mean and covariance structures analyses.
Major perspectives concerning stress are presented with the goal of clarifying the nature of what has proved to be a heuristic but vague construct. Current conceptualizations of stress are challenged as being too phenomenological and ambiguous, and consequently, not given to direct empirical testing. Indeed, it is argued that researchers have tended to avoid the problem of defining stress, choosing to study stress without reference to a clear framework. A new stress model called the model of conservation of resources is presented as an alternative. This resource-oriented model is based on the supposition that people strive to retain, project, and build resources and that what is threatening to them is the potential or actual loss of these valued resources. Implications of the model of conservation of resources for new research directions are discussed.
Interest in the problem of method biases has a long history in the behavioral sciences. Despite this, a comprehensive summary of the potential sources of method biases and how to control for them does not exist. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine the extent to which method biases influence behavioral research results, identify potential sources of method biases, discuss the cognitive processes through which method biases influence responses to measures, evaluate the many different procedural and statistical techniques that can be used to control method biases, and provide recommendations for how to select appropriate procedural and statistical remedies for different types of research settings.
Adventure tourism activities are deeply connected with risk situations. Therefore, adequate risk management has to be a necessary part of this segment of tourism. A nature-based solution is seen as a very effective approach here. Using the form of an autoethnographic case study and feedback from participants’ interviews and mind maps, the article discusses the possibilities that snowshoeing and winter camping provide. This developing sport, recreation, and tourism should be classified as adventure tourism (mode of experiencing) and nature based tourism (traveling to natural environment). Climatic conditions, particularly severe frost, during the 2-week journey in Siberia greatly affected the choices and risk management of the group. Changes in the originally planned route according to weather conditions and possible reduction of risk may become examples of a NBS.
Leisure travel can mediate daily stress, but also provoke stress. Tourists experience multiple stress during their vacations. The aim of this study was to identify what types of stress tourists encounter during their travel experiences and what strategies they use to cope with stress. Using semi-structured interviews and participant observation, the study findings reveal that tourists encounter four major types of stress (i.e., service-provider-related stress, traveler-related stress, travel-partner-related stress, and environment-related stress) during their vacations and use many strategies (i.e., problem-focused and emotion-focused coping) to cope with stress. These findings not only contribute to tourism research by documenting specific types of stress in the travel context and exploring new insights into ways of coping with stress, but also provide suggestions for how tourism and hospitality professionals should modify programs/experiences in response to tourists’ stress and the need to cope with stress during travel experiences.
This article aims to understand the relationship between destination image and tourist’s behavioural intention. In this study, we used a meta-analysis to synthesize the effects of destination image from 87 studies. The results reveal that destination image plays significant role in predicting tourist’s intentional behaviour, in different magnitudes. To be more precise, overall and affective images have the greatest impact on behavioural intention, followed by cognitive image. Of the different dimensions of behavioural intentions, destination image has the greatest impact on intention to recommend. Implications are provided for destination management and tourism researchers based on meta-analysis.
To address tourism's challenges, a transformation of consciousness of all stakeholders is necessary. This article examines how outer journeys can transformation our inner consciousness, leading to awakening or enlightenment. When awakened, the individual not only experiences inner peace and freedom, a sense of flow, transcendence of the small self, connection with something greater, but also a desire to contribute to the greater good. It suggests that tourism scenarios involving deep human connectivity, deep environmental connectivity, self-inquiry and engaged contribution or some combination of these four scenarios can shift human consciousness. Within these scenarios, peak transformational moments can be designed to give glimpses or create persistent shifts in consciousness. Implications for the holistic development of destinations are discussed.
We developed a method to identify potential astro-tourism sites by considering parameters characteristically relevant to astronomical observation such as air quality, dark sky quality, annual average cloud coverage, as well as terrain feature. Applying this method on Indonesia by perusing data from Geographic Information System and applying Multi Criteria Decision Analysis we identify a number of potential astro-tourism sites. We cross correlate this with Indonesia Tourist Destination to produce a list of recommended sites. Fulfilling the astrotourism criteria is one sure way towards sustainable tourism.
Understanding the nature of tourism experiences holds the key to effectively managing tourism destinations. Research in psychology, economics, geography, marketing and, more recently, services management, offers new insight into consumer experiences which are defined by moment-to-moment and as discreet (and summarized) events. This paper synthesizes this literature and then identifies emerging tools such as blueprinting and journey mapping which enable design solutions to better manage tourism experiences. Finally, the implications and directions of this new moments-based paradigm for designing tourism experiences are discussed.
This study attempts to assess how tourists use smart tourism technologies at destinations and measure the effects of STT usage on overall travel experience and future revisit intention. Although STTs have received growing attention, little research has evaluated tourists’ experience with STTs available at various smart tourism destinations and potential consequences. Building on studies on online tourism information sources, this study develops a conceptual framework to test hypotheses related to STT experiences and consequences. Based on an online survey with travelers to top five US smart cities, this study classifies the most frequently used STTs and examines tourists’ overall experience and satisfaction with STTs as well as their revisit intention. Findings suggest that three attributes of STTs—informativeness, interactivity, and personalization—are the key factors affecting tourists’ experience, satisfaction, and revisit intentions. The level of perceived security/privacy moderates the relationships between three STT attributes and tourists’ memorable experience.
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the economic impact from dark-sky tourism in national parks in the USA on the Colorado Plateau. The Colorado Plateau is a region encompassing parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah that is known for its dark, star-filled night skies. Tourists in national parks are increasingly interested in observing this natural recreational amenity – especially considering that it is an ecological amenity that is quickly disappearing from the planet. Using a 10-year forecast of visitors to the national parks and using standard input-output modeling, it is observed that, for the first time anywhere, the value of dark skies to tourism in this area. The authors find that non-local tourists who value dark skies will spend $5.8bn over the next 10 years in the Colorado Plateau. These tourist expenditures will generate $2.4bn in higher wages and create over 10,000 additional jobs each year for the region. Furthermore, as dark skies are even more intense natural amenity in the non-summer months, they have the ability to increase visitor counts to national parks year-round and lead to a more efficient use of local community and tourism-related resources throughout the year.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a 10-year forecast of visitors to the national parks and using standard input-output modeling, we find that non-local tourists who value dark skies will spend $5.8bn over the next 10 years in the Colorado Plateau.
Findings
These tourist expenditures will generate $2.4bn in higher wages and create over 10,000 additional jobs each year for the region. Furthermore, as dark skies are even more intense natural amenity in the non-summer months, they have the ability to increase visitor counts to national parks year-round and lead to a more efficient use of local community and tourism-related resources throughout the year.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study has attempted to value the environmental amenity of dark skies.
Literature in tourism marketing has focused on understanding tourists’ revisit patterns, mostly through its proxies (i.e., destination loyalty, past visitation, intention to revisit). Interestingly, however, consensus has not been reached yet, regarding not only the distinctiveness of these proxies but also their interrelationships. This study hypothesizes the impact of past visitation, along with holistic image and subjective norms, on tourists’ intention to revisit directly, and via destination loyalty, expecting place attachment to serve as key moderator. Additionally, since research remains quite vague in terms of the destination loyalty components and their operationalization, this study tests other than the baseline model, a competing one, in which we replace destination loyalty construct with two of its main components, namely, destination commitment and intention to recommend. Evidence coming from 1,292 British tourists visiting Crete, Greece, verifies the distinctiveness of the three proxies and identifies the superior explanatory power of the competing model.
This study conceptualises astro-tourism as a nature-based tourism phenomenon and illustrates its positioning as a special-interest tourism (SIT) field using a phenomenological approach. In the process, this baseline research study contributes to this relatively new tourism field’s foundational research aspects, such as developing a definition and, examining its articulation with destination image. It finds that astro-tourism is based on the interest of tourists in sky-related activities such as dark sky observation and astrophotography, most often in a nature-based context. The findings can be utilised to develop astro-tourism as a new medium in conceptualising tourism destination image by combining destination earth features as well as sky features. Targeting sky features of a destination combined with the earth facilities to attract tourists is one of the new opportunities to deliver unique tourism products.
The current study develops a theoretical model of the effect of memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) on behavioral intentions by examining the structural relationships between destination image (DI), tourist satisfaction, revisit intention, and word-of-mouth (WOM) publicity. The results show that MTEs influence future behavioral intentions both directly and indirectly through DI and tourist satisfaction. Moreover, MTEs are found to be the most influential determinant of behavioral intentions. Thus, the results challenge those practitioners and researchers who perceive visitor satisfaction to be the most important indicator of destination performance. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed based on the study results, and directions for future research are provided.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to theoretically and empirically explore tourist experiences with the niche-like, yet global phenomenon of escape room attractions.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory empirical study of visitors’ experiences with selected top-rated escape rooms in the USA and Europe was carried out by means of netnographic research and automated content analysis.
Findings
The results show that this attraction provides new, peak, unique and fun experiences through the challenging activities and social component of the game play. The findings provide an insight into both the authenticity of experiences with novel attractions and the group aspects of fun and flow concepts.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are restricted to online reviews on the TripAdvisor website and are possibly biased because of the use of a non-random sample.
Practical implications
Theoretical implications are discussed and explicated as future research questions. They are relevant for the conceptual development, research and management of playful experiences within urban and special interest tourism. Societal implications are also addressed.
Originality/value
This paper is a preliminary in-depth examination of the escape room phenomenon from the customer experience standpoint. It is of relevance for the conceptualisation and improvement of tourist experiences with new and fun attractions.
Awe, an intense, and usually positive emotion often experienced by individuals visiting nature-based tourism destinations, has the potential to nurture strong connections between individuals and their environment. Despite this, awe research has been neglected in the tourism literature, especially in relation to the aspects or features that foster awe-inspiring experiences. This study sought to rectify this by focusing on such experiences in the remote, unique Kimberley region in north-western Australia. A total of 49 tourist interviews were conducted to ascertain their responses to the question “what has been your most awe-inspiring experience and why?” Responses highlighted five distinct facets contributing to respondents’ awe-inspiring experiences: marine fauna, aesthetics, ecological phenomena, vast geological landscapes and reflective/perspective moments. Future research should focus on exploring the applicability of these facets to other nature-based tourism destinations.
摘要
敬畏是一种强烈、常为积极且在人们游览自然旅游景观时易被感受到的情感，有培养个人与所处环境间紧密联系的潜力，但旅游文献忽视对其的研究，特别是培养敬畏体验方面。本文关注澳大利亚西北偏远独特的金伯利地区的敬畏体验，试图纠正此现象。采访49位游客收集对最令人敬畏的体验及原因的回答。5个突出方面被强调：海洋动物，美学，生态现象，广阔地质景观和反思展望时刻。未来研究应集中探索这些方面在其他同类目的地的适用性。
By necessity, current star tourism is an outward looking, Earth-bound and geo-centric opportunity with the observer's window to the skies constrained by his/her location. The emergent area of space tourism offers to remove such constraints. Moreover, as it visually and experientially places Earth into the context of other planets, space tourism will provide the tourist with a literally different perspective. While the selling point of sub-orbital tourism is still largely focused on weightlessness and the opportunity of seeing Earth from orbit, it will also offer the tourist brief opportunities for viewing stars from a different point of view. Orbital, lunar and planetary tourism, be it 'real' (through tourists in space) or virtual (via pay-per-drive remote controlled rovers), moves from a geo-centric opportunity spectrum to one that provides views of Earth in space as part of a suite of offerings that encompasses views of planets and stars wholly unencumbered by atmospheric disturbances, and also unencumbered by constraints of the spatial positioning of the observer in relation to the sector of the universe viewed. This paper reviews various proposed scenarios of orbital, lunar and interplanetary tourism and examines the opportunity spectra each these provide for star tourism.
This article presents and discusses a conceptual understanding of consumer experiences as multirelational. Based on consumer research, tourism research, and the being-in-the-world ontology, we propose a multirelational approach using four core concepts wherein consumers are situated ontologically in and across (a) time, (b) context, (c) body, and (d) interaction. We explore and propose how this multirelational approach can be applied to research by discussing the conceptual and practical consequences of this approach for understanding tourists' dynamic experiences and meaning. Consequently, the article presents an alternative approach that contributes to a broader understanding of consumer experience within tourism. This approach is illustrated with examples from consumer experiences in the arctic Svalbard.
The aim of this paper is to increase our understanding about the experienced value of hunting as a travel experience. Experienced value refers to the individual's multidimensional outcome of the hunting experience. The study consists of an auto-ethnography of one hunter and diary notes, photos and memories of the other. Holbrook's typology of consumer value has been used as the theoretical framework for analyzing the data. The findings suggest that first, numerous types of value may come into play during the course of one particular hunt, and second, that in tourism, “togetherness” should be included in the consumer value typology as a new dimension of intrinsic other-oriented. Active togetherness value refers to the person whose traveling would be motivated by the need to offer and share experiences for and with the loved ones and the reactive dimension is the reaction of those accepting this offer.
This paper shows the development of a tourism product in a destination that uses the night sky as its main source of attraction. Using this innovative product has helped to create a distinctive image, which is likely to attract a more diverse range of visitors and has assisted in improving economic, social and environmental sustainability. First, we present an overview about sustainable tourism and the sky as a tourism resource followed by a case study, in Portugal, that illustrates the potential of Dark Sky activities for tourism development in rural regions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The research reported here involved the creation of a measure of the tendency to have peak experiences called the Peak Scale, and the testing of several hypotheses drawn from Maslow's theory of peak experiences. It was found that although individuals who report having peak experiences are also likely to report having experiences involving intense happiness, they are even more prone to report having cognitive experiences of a transcendent and mystical nature. This suggests that although the peak experience involves positive affect, it is primarily a transcendent and mystical cognitive event. Individuals who report having peak experiences are more likely to report living in terms of Being-values, such as truth, beauty, and justice, than individuals who report not having peak experiences. Finally, self-actualizing individuals are more likely to report having peak experiences than less self-actualizing individuals, though the relationship is not a very strong one. In general, these results are consistent with Maslow's theorizing.
Despite considerable research on the topic of ‘tourist experience’, its contribution to tourism theory and its exploitation for the purpose of creating practical benefits for marketing practices, remain unclear. The present study reviews the existing literature and then presents a novel approach to interpreting experience in tourism by: (a) integrating the space and time dimensions into the ‘tourist experience’ concept, thereby shedding light on its nature and significance; and (b) examining tourists' spontaneous annotations on their travel experiences. Marketing implication and suggestions are provided for the benefit of tourism practitioners.
Celestial ecotourism is a neglected and hitherto unrecognised subsector that is dominated by the observation of nocturnal ‘megacaela’ (mega-skies). Observatories are the single largest component in terms of visitation, while aurora-viewing is the most articulated as a specialised commercial tourism (though not necessarily ecotourism) industry. Given the distance from featured attractions, sustainability is focused not on interaction but on context impacts and especially the need to preserve and restore the dark sky and unpolluted atmospheric conditions that foster charismatic megacaela. A logical emphasis on ‘enhancement’ sustainability is therefore apparent. Formal recognition and development of celestial ecotourism can be realised through the collaboration of ecotourism organisations with well-established and influential astronomy-related institutions pursuing relevant initiatives such as the creation of ‘dark sky’ reserves and the designation of 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy.
The night sky is a unique and exquisitely valuable cultural asset that is being lost to humanity. Light pollution obscures the heavens, interferes with wildlife, and wastes billions of dollars in energy annually. Light pollution can be easily mitigated, but unfortunately, it has gone largely unnoticed as a preventable environmental problem. This paper examines light pollution as well as the value of the night sky. The paper focuses on society's disregard for the loss of a cultural asset that has been a part of art, science, and culture for as long as these things have existed. It argues that the blame lies largely in an inability to articulate adequately the value of natural beauty. It is further argued that such beauty has instrumental value, and the explicit recognition of this value is an important step toward preserving the night sky and other objects of natural beauty.
A review of the existing literature on adventure tourism reveals that research on this subject has so far focused mainly on preconceived notions of scholars and practitioners. This paper argues that individuals' subjective experience of adventure and their perceptions of what constitutes it have to be also researched and considered in the study of adventure tourism. Qualitative research methods should be afforded greater prominence in its investigation. The proposed shift in focus to individuals' perceptions of adventure also challenges the exclusivity of only certain market segments and independent travelers being associated with this form of tourism. Further research, marketing, and management implications are discussed.RésuméTourisme d'aventure au grand air: un bilan des approches de recherche. Dans cet article, on passe en revue la littérature du tourisme d'aventure. Le bilan révèle que la recherche sur le tourisme d'aventure s'est concentrée jusqu'à présent sur les idées préconçues des savants et des practiciens. Cet article soutient qu'il faut examiner également les expériences subjectives des individus au sujet de l'aventure et leurs perceptions de ce qui constitue une aventure. Par conséquent, il faudrait accorder plus d'importance aux méthodes de recherches qualitatives dans l'investigation de ce genre de tourisme. Un tel changement d'objectif sur les perceptions des individus met en question l'exclusivité de certains segments du marché et l'association entre voyageurs indépendants et tourisme d'aventure. On discute des implications pour les recherches futures, le marketing et la gestion.
The tourist experience has for a long time been one-sidedly understood as either the peak experience, or the consumer experience. For a better understanding of the tourist experience, this paper tries to build a conceptual model, in which both dimension of the tourist experience are integrated as a structured and interrelated whole. The position and role of each experiential component, such as eating, sleeping, transportation and so on in tourism can be more clearly understood in terms of this model. For an illustration of the model, food experience in tourism is examined in detail. It is demonstrated that food consumption in tourism can be either the peak touristic experience or the supporting consumer experience, dependent upon specific circumstances.
Mountaineering has emerged as a popular form of adventure tourism, yet there is scant research that develops an understanding of its participants. This paper contributes to a theoretical understanding of mountaineer adventure tourists by evaluating previous work on mountaineering, mountaineers, adventure, recreation and tourism. It uses this to develop a conceptual framework to examine mountaineer adventure tourists, the key influences on their participation in mountaineering and their actual experiences during involvement. In this framework a number of influences encourage participation. Push elements (Ann. Tourism Res. 4(4) (1977) 184), including risk (J. Leisure Res. 17(3) (1985) 241; Leisure Today 49(4) (1978) 7; J. Phys. Educ. Recreation 19(4) (1978) 27) and mastery (KYKLOS 52(3) (1999) 315), are influential. Pull elements (Ann. Tourism Res. 4(4) (1977) 184), including the natural mountain environment and mountain conditions are also significant. Other influences are personality attributes such as sensation seeking (Sensational Seeking: Beyond the Optimal Level of Arousal, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ, 1979) and lifestyle factors, including previous mountaineering experience (J. Leisure Res. 17(3) (1985) 241). These components combine to influence people's perception of adventure. During participation, mountaineer adventure tourists experience contrasting emotions, a core element of adventure (Adventure Tourism: The New Frontier, Butterworth-Heinemann, London, 2003). They can also experience flow (The Psychology of Happiness, Rider, 1992) and peak experience (The Farther Reaches of Human Nature, Penguin, Baltimore, MD, 1976). How tourists experience mountaineering, and the emotional states encountered throughout this activity, result from the combined influences that originally encouraged them to participate. The framework differs from previous studies on mountaineering (e.g. Int. J. Sports Psychol. 27 (1996) 308; J. Leisure Res. 17(3) (1985) 241; Pers. Indiv. Differ. 25(6) (1998) 1063; KYKLOS 52(3) (1999) 315) in that it recognises the inter-relatedness of the influences on mountaineering participation, acknowledges the convergence of tourism and recreation in an adventure setting, and emphasises the importance of investigating mountaineers during their actual participation. Discussion of the framework's value to mountaineering tourism providers is presented, and suggestions are made for further study in this under-researched field.
The uncritical acceptance of Maslow's need hierarchy theory despite the lack of empirical evidence is discussed and the need for a review of recent empirical evidence is emphasized. A review of ten factor-analytic and three ranking studies testing Maslow's theory showed only partial support for the concept of need hierarchy. A large number of cross-sectional studies showed no clear evidence for Maslow's deprivation/domination proposition except with regard to self-actualization. Longitudinal studies testing Maslow's gratification/activation proposition showed no support, and the limited support received from cross-sectional studies is questionable due to numerous measurement problems. The difficulties with testing the theory are discussed and the conceptual, methodological, and measurement problems of the studies reviewed are detailed. The implications of the findings and future directions for research are outlined.
Understanding sources of sustained competitive advantage has become a major area of research in strategic management. Building on the assumptions that strategic resources are heterogeneously distributed across firms and that these differences are stable overtime this article examines the link between firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Four empirical indicators of the potential of firm resources to generate sustained competitive advantage—value, rareness, imitability, and substitutability—are discussed. The model is applied by analyzing the potential of several firm resources for generating sustained competitive advantages. The article concludes by examining implications of this firm resource model of sustained competitive advantage for other business disciplines.ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR
This article applies the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to the issue of night sky pollution. Light pollution decreases the ability to view a clear, unobstructed night sky. We administered a survey to the students of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to obtain estimates of Willingness To Pay (WTP) to improve night sky visibility and to prevent deterioration in visibility. This is the first CVM study that attempts to distinguish between these different WTPs. We find that students are willing to pay significantly more for a larger improvement in night sky conditions. We also find significant differences in WTP to improve versus prevent deterioration in night sky conditions.
Although theories of stress have emphasized the critical role of the appraisal process, the use of dispositional measures of appraisal have not been readily investigated. Using a large multiethnic sample, we examined the factorial validity and dimensionality of a dispositional version of the Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM; Peacock & Wong, 1990). Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a 4-factor representation of dispositional appraisal fitting better than its originally proposed 6-factor representation. This 4-factor model was invariant across gender groups. Although the 6-factor model purported to measure 3 dimensions of primary appraisal and 3 dimensions of secondary appraisal, these factors were found to be highly unstable and had questionable internal consistency. In contrast, the more parsimonious 4-factor solution identified 4 relative distinct and reliable scales of appraisal: 3 primary (Challenge, Threat, and Centrality) and 1 secondary (Resources). These findings suggest that meaningful dispositional dimensions of appraisal can be derived and incorporated into trait-state models of the stress process.
Homoskedasticity is an important assumption in ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Although the estimator of the regression parameters in OLS regression is unbiased when the homoskedasticity assumption is violated, the estimator of the covariance matrix of the parameter estimates can be biased and inconsistent under heteroskedasticity, which can produce significance tests and confidence intervals that can be liberal or conservative. After a brief description of heteroskedasticity and its effects on inference in OLS regression, we discuss a family of heteroskedasticity-consistent standard error estimators for OLS regression and argue investigators should routinely use one of these estimators when conducting hypothesis tests using OLS regression. To facilitate the adoption of this recommendation, we provide easy-to-use SPSS and SAS macros to implement the procedures discussed here.
Tourism experiences as a stress reliever: Examining the effects of tourism recovery experiences on life satisfaction
- Chen
Codification of appropriate strategies to astronomical tourism development (Seghaleh, South of Khorasan)
- Farajirad