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The study aims to assess the involvement of international tourism organisations in including sustainable development goals (SDGs) from Agenda 2030 in their declarations, aims and reporting goal achievement. The sample covered all organisations (72500) included in the database of the Union of International Associations (UIA). Textual analysis, in particular, content analysis of the UIA website and the websites of investigated organisations, was conducted. Ninety per cent of active organisations include SDGs in their declarations. There were no statistically significant correlations found between the declared goals and organisation type and other features. More than half of active organisations have any relation to SDGs in own aims/missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines cross-cultural memorable local food experiences as perceived by international tourists using multilevel analysis. Based on the literature review, eight hypotheses were developed. A total of 925 questionnaires were completed by US tourists who travelled to Europe or Asia. These international tourists' food-related personality traits significantly affected memorable food experiences relating to novelty, cultural knowledge, and flavor. Food neophilia showed a positive relationship with memorable food experiences, whereas food neophobia showed a negative effect. It was found that cultural distance acts as a facilitator or an inhibitor in producing positive memorable food experiences, according to individuals' personality traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a theoretical framework based on Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory to examine tourists' intentions to undertake agrotourism and to behave pro-environmentally while travelling in Vietnam, and assess the moderating effect of tourist sources. The results validate VBN theory explaining that tourists' intentions could be determined through the chain of values beliefs, and personal norms, contributing to the theoretical evidence within the context of Vietnam's agrotourism. Practical implications were drawn from the findings that reveal some similarities and differences between Vietnamese and international tourists, indicating that two groups are not homogeneous then suggest marketing strategies for Vietnam's agrotourism market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to understand the determinants influencing the number of association meetings held in countries worldwide and which may be controlled by their economic agents and policymakers. For this purpose, we use a dynamic panel model with data provided by the Data World Bank, the World Travel & Tourism Council, and the International Congress and Convention Association, in a time series of 8 years. The results reveal the importance of the experiences obtained by the tourists in previous meetings, as well as the countries' need to implement measures to stimulate the dynamism of economic activity and political stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We empirically examine whether the inscription of heritages on the UNESCO Lists attracts more international tourists. We suggest two main points. One is the use of a logit model in change variables. The other point is to differentiate the impacts of tangible and intangible heritages on tourism. The empirical results reveal that the UNESCO-listed Heritages significantly promote international tourism because the inscription guarantees the value of the heritages. These results imply that the inscription of heritages on the UNESCO Lists reduces the information gap between the heritage providers and the tourism consumers and therefore attracts more international tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have attempted to understand tourism issues between politically divided countries, yet few studies have argued that tourism between such states has a strong generational component. This study examines the generational differences in South Koreans' international stereotypes and tourism destination images of North Korea. While generational differences existed in international stereotypes, there were no differences in tourism destination images between generational cohorts. Young female South Koreans were likely to view North Korea more positively than males in the same generation, and generational differences were present in the intention to visit North Korea and the perception of peace through tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports a rare investigation into the phenomenon of stopovers during long-haul international travel. Although destination image has been one of the most popular topics in the tourism literature, there has been a lack of attention by researchers regarding the context of stopover destination image for long-haul international air travellers. Indeed most studies have measured destination image without explicitly stating any travel context. A mixed methods approach in two geographically distant markets yielded externally valid findings. This study commenced with a qualitative stage in two countries to elicit attributes deemed salient to individuals when considering an international stopover. Attributes elicited from the two samples were triangulated with the most common themes reported in the destination image literature. A set of 29 attributes was then tested in two online surveys involving 777 consumers in Australia and France. The study highlights the value of engaging with consumers in a qualitative stage, to design a context-specific destination image questionnaire. By using this approach, 12 potentially determinant attributes of stopover destination attractiveness were identified, eight of which have not been commonly used in destination image studies, and one of which represents a new destination image attribute in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young Chinese tourists form an increasingly important market and they tend to travel in small friendship or family groups. This study examines how young Chinese friendship groups (aged between 18 and 35 years) make travel decisions. Using the observation approach, this study observes the group travel decision-making process of 10 small groups. Issues such as activity, cost, travel timing, transportation, climate, safety, and distance, were found to determine destination choice. The role and function of verbal and non-verbal behaviors in influencing group decision-making were also investigated. This study contributes to both general group interaction literature and tourism literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical assessment of the current state of China outbound tourism research. It draws upon an extensive review of peer-reviewed literature on China outbound tourism published between 2003 and 2015. In seeking an in-depth understanding of the current literature and its implications, the researchers propose five potential directions for future investigation. These include a call for researchers to embrace alternative research techniques that will contribute to theory building, as well as for an alignment of research activity that provides insights into both the evolution and the transformation of China outbound tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of research on place attachment has been conducted within a domestic context where local culture is fairly familiar to the visitor. International tourism research has begun to address destination attachment, but has not yet fully explored the concept where the people and the culture are substantially different. This research used in-depth qualitative interviews with international visitors to Thailand to examine the role of local people in destination attachment. Results show that one of the main attributes of international visitors’ attachment is the Thai people. A follow-on survey confirmed that “people attachment” is an integral part of the measurement of destination attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent years have been a time of rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in tourism. The objective of this article is to analyse and assess the use of ICTs in tourist information and promotion of selected municipalities in the Polish Carpathians, the largest region of mountain tourism in Poland. Particular attention was paid to the activities taken by DMOs, local entrepreneurs and cultural institutions. The use of ICTs in the Polish Carpathians is at a relatively advanced level, but still not sufficient enough to make these solutions a fully effective tool in building a strong regional brand in the international tourism markets. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study follows the evolution of Chinese outbound tourism literature over a 30-year period, from 1983 to 2012. A systematic review is undertaken of articles published in the three leading tourism journals to identify research trends. The review uses an evolutionary metaphor to chronicle the main contributions over three distinct stages: crawling out (1983–1992), scurrying about (1993–2002), and walking erect (2003–2012). The article concludes with a discussion of the key findings and suggestions for future research. Walking erect is appropriate and suggests this body of knowledge is still developing and has a considerable way to go. It also denotes that Chinese outbound tourism is likely to impact on Western research and will increasingly make its own contributions to generating new theory within the broader international tourism domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study builds on the concepts developed by Florida in his work “The Rise of the Creative Class”. In doing so it seeks evidence for the claims made that the creative arts address deficiencies identified in the terminology of ‘cultural tourism’. The case relates to flamenco performances in Seville. The art complex of flamenco survived on the one hand as a symbol of Andalusian culture on the other hand it depends strongly on the international tourism market. Additionally flamenco is used in destination marketing to differentiate Seville from other Spanish cities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using co-integration and error correction models, the objective of this study was to systematically analyze the factors affecting the international tourism demand for El Salvador. The results indicate that the degree of responsiveness of tourist arrivals to El Salvador due to a change in income is elastic and quite differs from country to country. Residents from Honduras appeared to be less responsive to prices than residents from the other origin countries. The dynamic specification of error correction models further confirms the majority of the results obtained in the co-integration relationships. The findings are useful for private developers and public tourism planners in El Salvador. Marketing of specific tourism attributes could enable El Salvador to gain comparative advantage over its competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on an empirical study of the motivations behind tourists' repeat visits to an urban destination from a longitudinal perspective. The study was conducted in Xiamen, a coastal city in Southeast China, which offers leisure lifestyles and attracts repeat visits. Six motivational factors driving repeat visit intentions are identified using exploratory factor analysis. Based on motivational differences, repeat visitors are typologized using K-means cluster analysis into four groups: Externally driven repeaters, Memory recallers, Novelty seekers, and Special interest repeaters. Implications of the study for destination marketing and management are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite growing research interest in international students, potential links between international tourism and education have received little attention to date. A survey among full-degree foreign students at an Australian university aims to fill this gap. The identified links between travel and study and the conversion of desired into actual travel lead to a proposed conceptual framework of information sources, destination image, and a continuum of study and tourism activities. Further research is proposed to better understand mutual influences of education and travel, their relative importance for international students, and the opportunities for cooperation and exploitation of synergies among respective authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International tourism has become very important to several developing countries as a major source of foreign exchange earnings for their economic development. This article explores the potentials of countries of the Latin America and Caribbean region in the global market for international tourism up to the end of the next decade. This was achieved by analyzing past trends of international tourism in the region, and projecting these trends to the year 2020 using a combination of four different time-series projection models evaluated by the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Results show that international tourism arrivals into the Latin America and Caribbean region would increase from 51.21 million in 2004 (end of observed period) to between 87.58 million and 100.03 million by the year 2020. The corresponding figures for international tourism receipts would go from US$34.11 billion in 2004 to between US$64.92 billion and US$75.79 billion by the year 2020. Socioeconomic impacts of these findings are given, and recommendations for marketing strategies, government public policies, and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant logic in conventional research methods involves collecting and analyzing data to rigorously test a deductive theory. In contrast, grounded theory posits constructing theory from data (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). This analysis demonstrates the application of McCracken's (1988) long interview method to collect data for grounded theory development. Both emic (self) and etic (researcher) interpretations of international visitor experiences uncover important insights on leisure travel decisions and tourist behavior. Long interviews of tourists visiting Hawaii's Big Island enable mapping and comparing visitors' plans, motivations, decisions, and consequences. The results demonstrate the complexity of visitors' travel decisions and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is believed that films and television dramas that are not directly concerned with tourism promotion have become a catalyst for tourism as publicity and promotional media for attracting tourists. This paper considers what roles films and television dramas play in influencing overseas tourists' behaviors in terms of their travel destination selection. The results from the survey of Japanese tourists to the UK gave evidence of a wide range of roles of films and television drams as different stages in respondents' destination choice processes. This paper concludes that films and television dramas have an ability to create destination awareness, consciousness, and images leading to a stronger interest in the destination and actual travel to the destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the challenges and opportunities of promoting Montenegro as a destination for sustainable tourism in the post-civil war era of the former Yugoslavia, given the country's unique status as the world's only self-proclaimed "ecological state." There is no denying the recent history of ethnic violence and turmoil that divided the Balkans in the 1990s. Consequently, the incremental return of foreign and domestic visitors to Montenegro, as well as Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, represents a significant return to stability almost ten years after the fighting stopped. And the particular interest of many tourists in the biology and cultured geography of the region makes clear the potential usefulness of "green" branding for Montenegro to distinguish itself from its competitors in The Mediterranean, and to resurrect the country's political image and visitor appeal through targeted environmental practices and promotions. The ability to embellish its "eco" credentials and image through complementary partnerships and policies that sustain both tourism and the nation's economy would allow Montenegro to strategically and successfully position itself in the Adriatic travel market over the long term. Collaborative management and branding of World Heritage sites and transboundary parks for sustainable tourism will also enable Montenegro, and its former allies and foes, to restore the social and biological integrity and connectivity of a shared landscape severely degraded by a decade of war. In this manner, tourism can be a critical catalyst in overcoming the negative imagery and distrust which still impedes the Balkans' ability to achieve greater political integration and prosperity in an increasingly unified Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global tourism demand has been subject to fluctuation in recent years, and London as a tourist destination has recently had to cope with both the significant forces at play in the wider environment and radical change in the way that tourism is to be managed across the UK. The purpose of this paper is to review the post-disaster destination marketing activity conducted by London in its attempt to regain its position as a premier destination for domestic and international visitors, set within the wider context of the devolution of tourism across the country. A number of the issues arising from London's post-disaster marketing campaign are identified, and a set of guiding principles for any future such action are discussed. The paper concludes that diversification of both the product and market is necessary if London is to retain its position as one of the world's leading 'iconic' city destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings of a completed research project on the competitive position of Turkey vis-à-vis five countries in the Mediterranean basin: Spain, Italy, Greece, France and Cyprus. These partner countries are self-selected by foreign tourists and service providers (hoteliers, travel agents or tour guides) as the direct competitor to Turkey. The discussion of findings is based upon the analysis of data gathered from 1,086 respondents through a six-week period in the summer of 2004. Findings obtained from the two groups were then compared to each other using t-test. Results suggest that both foreign tourists and service providers are homogeneous to suggest that Turkey is stronger on the friendliness of local people, but is weaker on the physical distance to the target markets and the effective using of methods for promotion and advertising. The detailed assessment of findings and implications is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting has been considered important in a service industry. Many techniques have been applied to improve forecasting results. This study intends to apply a neural network based fuzzy time series model to forecast the international tourist numbers arriving in Taiwan. Neural network is good at handling nonlinear data. On the other hand, the fuzzy time series models have been applied to time series problems in various domains and have been shown to outperform some conventional models. The tourist numbers arriving in Taiwan show a nonlinear characteristic with a structural break. And the application of the neural network based fuzzy time series model is expected to outperform some other models in forecasting these tourist numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings with respect to the possibility of classifying international tourists on the basis of their quality expectations in hotels of Mauritius, an economy where tourism plays a crucial role in reducing the Balance of Payments deficit problem. Discovering which characteristics are most relevant for the international tourist market is important for the hospitality industry as it can provide means where they can adapt their offer and enable their customers to attain the highest degree of satisfaction. This study highlights some empirical considerations when using service quality as a basis for market segmentation. The study indicates that the segmentation proposed is operational and that, in general, the aspects for which the customers have greater expectations are those which influence their satisfaction to a greater extent. Finally, managerial implications are discussed based on the results of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Price of tourism is one of the major determinants of demand for international tourism. This paper assessed the relative price competitiveness of African countries in the international tourism market. It used a measure of price assessment that is based on the purchasing power parities of the ICP to ensure adequate comparability. Ethiopia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe were found to be the most price competitive; while the least price competitive countries proved to be Botswana, Tanzania, and Egypt. Changes in price competitiveness between 1985 and 2000 were analyzed according to sources of such changes. Policy and managerial implications of findings are discussed, and directions for future research are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]