Value co-creation has emerged as an important competitive strategy leading to value innovation. In tourist destinations co-creation results from the participation of multiple actors synchronously and ...contextually in value realization. Yet value co-creation remains highly theoretical and lacks empirical operationalization, especially in destination contexts. Are tourism destinations able and sufficiently mobilized to exploit the potential offered by co-creation theory? This paper operationalizes two fundamental dimensions of the value co-creation process, collaboration and learning, by developing and testing a measurement scale to evaluate the perceived impact of these dimensions on the market performance of actors at a tourist destination. Contributions to the literature on value co-creation and learning as well as managerial implications are discussed and suggestions for further research are made.
The purpose of this study is to empirically test an integrative model linking tourists’ emotional experiences, perceived overall image, satisfaction, and intention to recommend. The model was tested ...using data collected from domestic tourists visiting Sardinia, Italy. Results show that tourists’ emotional experiences act as antecedents of perceived overall image and satisfaction evaluations. In addition, overall image has a positive influence on tourist satisfaction and intention to recommend. The study expands current theorizations by examining the merits of emotions in tourist behavior models. From a practical perspective, the study offers important implications for destination marketers.
While transformative tourism may represent a timely form of tourism conveying hope in an ever-changing world, there is still limited research adopting a demand-side perspective and exploring the ...understanding and experiences that tourists have about transformative tourism. This paper contributes to fill this research gap by analysing transformative tourism experiences and investigating its characteristics, especially the aspects that facilitate and inhibit tourist transformation. Adopting a qualitative semi-structured interview approach, data was also collected on the nature of wellbeing experienced as result of tourism and how former travellers perceived the impact of transformation in daily life after their return. Overall, interviewees primarily viewed subjective tourist transformation as achieving greater self-efficacy, humility and personal enrichment. Findings suggest that transformation facilitators correspond to: interacting with locals and travellers, facing challenges, experiencing the sense of the place, long stays and post-travel reflection; while several aspects emerged as transformation inhibitors, such as short stays, repeated activities, familiar travel companions and the lack of access to the residents’ lifestyle. Participants reported experiencing eudaimonic wellbeing, rather than happiness and hedonia, and discussed the long-lasting effects of their tourist transformation. Managerial and marketing implications are provided, as well as future directions for transformative tourism research.
Virtual reality (VR) plays a relevant role in the tourism sector, specifically in experiences of remote attractions. The influence of VR experiences on tourist experiential factors such as ...authenticity and satisfaction has attracted limited attention. This paper investigates the role of object‐based and existential authenticity in non‐immersive virtual heritage tours. A theoretically driven model was tested on data from 2085 individuals who visited “Su Nuraxi” UNESCO site (Italy). Findings indicate that object‐based authenticity influences affective response, which predicts satisfaction, attachment to VR and visit intention. Existential authenticity influences both cognitive and affective dimensions, which affect attachment to VR, satisfaction and visit intention.
Smart tourism destinations: a critical reflection Baggio, Rodolfo; Micera, Roberto; Del Chiappa, Giacomo
Journal of hospitality and tourism technology,
10/2020, Letnik:
11, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the main literature contributions that concern smart tourism development and management, highlighting gaps and logical ...inconsistencies. In addition, to further stress the importance of the issues at stake, a simulation is performed for showing how technology allows achieving better outcomes when a certain level of efficiency is obtained via re-engineering of main organizational and operational processes.
Design/methodology/approach
A content analysis of recent relevant literature is performed with the help of machine learning topic modelling algorithms. A network analytic approach to digital ecosystems, then, is used to study the relationship between technological tools and physical entities in a destination and how these and their combination affect the efficiency of the system at local and global levels.
Findings
The literature analyzed lacks a good discussion on the necessity to improve and rationalize the operational and organizational processes while emphasizing mostly the technological aspects. On the other hand, the simulation case presented shows that if information and knowledge flows are reasonably efficient and well organized in the physical world, the integration of digital components further enhances these processes, whereas inefficiencies can hinder the flow of information and reduce its efficiency.
Originality/value
Apart from the methods used, relatively little explored, the authors show that, as also much of the computer science literature states, a fundamental prerequisite for successful “smart” projects is a logical and effective restructuring of the main operational and organizational processes.
智慧旅游目的地：深入反思
研究目的
本论文旨在分析关于智慧旅游发展和管理话题的主要文献, 指出文献缺口和逻辑矛盾。此外, 为了进一步指出这个话题的重要性, 本论文运行了一个模拟程序, 以证明科技如何帮助冲破瓶颈达到新的高峰, 通过重组重要组织和流程管理。
研究设计/方法/途径
本论文采用内容分析法, 并借助机器学习建模程序。本论文采用电子生态环境的网络分析方法来研究科技工具与实体设备在旅游目的地中的关联, 以及如何这些设备资源能够融合在区域和全球范围内提高系统效率。
研究结果
文献分析结果表明, 大部分文章都着重强调科技方面, 而忽略了运营和组织流程的改进。此外, 本论文展示的模拟案件表明如果信息和知识流在实体世界中有效的利用和管理, 那么与电子软配件的结合就会更加相得益彰, 相反, 如果未达到有效结合, 那么将阻碍信息流和降低效率。
研究原创性/价值
除去本文利用的研究方法相对很少学者涉及, 正如计算机科学文献所说, 本论文证实了成功的“智能”项目所需要的前提条件是主要运营和管理流程的逻辑有效的重组。
Internet versus travel agencies Chiappa, Giacomo Del
Journal of vacation marketing,
01/2013, Letnik:
19, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Internet and User-Generated Content has reshaped the way people plan for, buy and consume tourist products, thus putting into question the very role of traditional travel agencies. Using a sample of ...1448 Italian tourists, this research finds that significant differences do exist between occasional, moderate and frequent online buyers, based on gender, age, education level and income, their online purchase experience, and their likelihood to be influenced by User-Generated Content in their final choices. Results also highlight that the Internet is used most frequently when people make hotel reservations for both short-haul and short-term leisure travels. From a theoretical perspective, this research provides further insight into the scientific debate on disintermediation for booking hotel rooms, showing that differences based on cultural background do exist and should be investigated via cross-cultural comparison, also considering the relative power in influencing the tourist’s choices that User-Generated Content has with respect to information delivered by travel agencies. Further, managerial implications, limitations and future directions are also discussed.
This study examines psychological factors that can trigger nostalgia from the heritage tourism experience. We treat nostalgia as an emotion rather than a push travel motive and argue that nostalgic ...feelings can be predicted by visitors' (domestic and international) motivation, positive and negative emotions, and perceived authenticity of the heritage experience. We develop and test five hypotheses among 500 visitors to Su Nuraxi, the most visited UNESCO world heritage site in Sardinia, Italy. The findings show that statistically no significant difference exists between domestic and international visitors on their felt nostalgia. Nostalgic feelings are higher when the site is part of the visitor's own heritage and is world famous, suggesting a positive relationship between visitation motives and nostalgia. Nostalgia can be triggered by both positive (astonishment and gratitude) and negative emotions (guilt and disappointment) felt at the site and has, therefore, a bittersweetness to its affective signature. More importantly, perceived authenticity is not a strong predictor of nostalgia. Implications for heritage site management and marketing are offered.
The aim of this paper is to analyse whether sustainability influences the loyalty to island-based tourism destinations. A sample of tourists who have visited Santa Teresa di Gallura (Sardinia, Italy) ...was surveyed to evaluate if the destination is meeting their demand for sustainable practices, and whether sustainability affects their intention to revisit the destination in the medium term. For the purposes of the study, an importance-performance analysis and a principal component analysis were performed, followed by an ordered logit model. Findings show that environmental preservation is one of the key features to be addressed. Results also show that sustainability affects tourists’ loyalty to the destination. Contributions to the actual body of knowledge and managerial implications are discussed and suggestions for further research are given.
Despite the spreading of virtual reality (VR) in tourism, little is known about the characteristics of different segments of tourists experiencing cultural tourism attractions through VR ...applications. This paper proposes to profile museum visitors based on their perceptions and attitudes towards VR applications and investigates whether they are significantly different in terms of socio‐demographic characteristics and emotional responses towards the VR‐mediated experience. With the use of exploratory factor‐cluster analysis of 287 visitors of a cultural attraction, three clusters were identified with significant differences in terms of attitudes and perceptions towards the VR‐mediated experience and emotional feelings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
In the realm of transformative tourism research and tourism studies on gender, transformation is considered part of the emancipating and empowering process that women mostly experience through ...travel. Yet, little is known about the same process from a male or comparative perspective. This paper contributes toward addressing this research gap, adopting a double duoethnography approach aimed at analysing young male and female experiences of transformation through tourism. Through a photo elicitation technique, data was collected from two researchers' personal experiences with transformative tourism, then analysed for gender-based similarities and differences. Overall, findings suggest that both young female and male tourism experiences of transformation are characterised by becoming mentally stronger and more confident, as well as increasing acceptance of unexpected negative events and challenges arising during the trip. The critical role of liminality is also common for women and men in exploring their identities during tourism experiences. The female process of transformation is marked by bodily feelings and self-consciousness, while the male experience is characterised by flow, adaptation, a sense of community with other travellers. Recommendations for marketers and operators are made to enhance the transformative tourism experience for both women and men.
PDF
