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Social media influencer is one of the new concepts that emerged with the development of information technologies and new media. The study aims to explain the impacts of travel influencers on their followers in the context of bicycle touring as a sustainable special interest tourism type. For this, mixed methods research was performed by using exploratory design. In the first phase of the research, qualitative research was carried out through in-depth interviews. A scale development study was carried out in light of the themes and codings acquired. In the second phase, a survey was conducted with 915 participants. As a result of the analysis, the 'Travel Influencers' Impacts Scale' emerged, which met the validity and reliability criteria. According to the findings, the impacts of traveller influencers on their followers can be categorized into four categories: 'informative effects, motivating effects, effects as a role model, and communal effects.' The study provides theoretical contributions to understanding travel influencers as tourism actors and to measuring their effects on their followers. Additionally, the study provides some implications for public and private sector representatives to establish cooperation with influencers or use the influencer marketing approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Special interest tourism has emerged as a valuable niche market for tourism destinations in the past decade. However, tourism scholars have generally struggled to answer McKercher and Chan's [2005. How special is special interest tourism? Journal of Travel Research, 44(1), 21–31] question, 'How special is special interest tourism?' Such ambiguity extends to the related enquiry, 'How special are special interest tourists?', in attempting to define special interest tourists. This perspective research letter discusses these questions in terms of Chinese outbound tourism. Based upon the reflection of previous research, the authors' thoughts and ongoing research in this area, knowledge gaps are identified and research directions for scholars who are also interested special interest tourism are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After conceptualizing the interrelationships between energy and tourism, the authors provide a definition of energy tourism as a new niche of industrial tourism, theorize on how it overlaps with other types of special interest tourism, and discuss specifics concerning its forms, locales, and possible societal impacts. Potential directions, along with research questions, for future research in the field of energy tourism are proposed. Then, the results of an explorative pilot study of energy tourism in the Czech Republic are presented to give a first insight into the proposed questions. Questionnaire surveys completed by tourists and operators of three energy tourism attractions – so-called Coal Safaris (guided tours through surface coal mines, observing minescapes and mining machinery in full operation), a nuclear power plant information centre, and Dragon Kite Festivals under wind turbines – have focused on exploring the motivations and perceived benefits of energy tourism for organizations; tourists' motivations for, and experience from, visiting; and any changes in attitudes towards current energy development dilemmas by visitors afterwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

War and conflict are usually seen as major hindrances to travel and tourism. The daily diet of war and conflict stories that have emanated from the second uprising (Intifada), give the impression that the tourism industry is the least likely sector to flourish. This article provides an overview of some of the alternative forms of tourism found in the literature on tourism and attempts to contextualise the form of tourism it is exploring. It starts by setting a definitional context of tourism and political instability, which is followed by visiting alternative tourism and the different forms of it as well as the analysis of tourism industry in Palestine and finally the examination of new forms of tourism in Bethlehem and the surrounded areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]