The purpose of this research is that through festival participants' subjective views get a better understanding of how their participation results in positive feelings and well-being. The paper has a ...qualitative approach based on a delimited part of a larger survey and the content analysis method has been employed. A total of 280 participants, mainly of immigrant origin, answered one of the open-ended questions in the survey:
The most common meaning in the answers has been good feelings followed by feelings of integration and community, the return of spring, and nostalgia. The results show that the festival has significance for these peoples' good feelings and well-being, even though it lasts five hours. This study contributes to increased knowledge of festivals' positive impacts on individuals, especially on immigrants living in Western countries.
This article implies a qualitative methodological approach and has a focus on the local tourism employees in Dubrovnik and their perception of overtourism. The empirical data are based on 12 days' ...field observation in July 2018, and 18 e-mail interviews with local tourism employees. The data analysis method has been thematic analysis. The interviewees show a high level of awareness and concern about the problem. Overcrowding, traffic congestion, various physical damages, displacement of locals in Old Town, low quality of tourist experiences and lower quality of life for locals, increased prices are among problems caused by overtourism in Dubrovnik. Factors related to seasonality, physical geographic conditions, cruise ships are the most problem makers and the interviewees prefer tourists that stay overnight. Their most frequent solution suggestions are reduction of the number of cruise ships followed by stricter rules of the establishment and of quality for accommodations, caterings and shops.
The following study is the first Swedish study on Halal tourism in Sweden. The purpose of this exploratory research is to get insight into the perception of Halal tourism in Sweden among ...representatives of tourism stakeholders. The overall methodology approach in this research is qualitative, consisting of 25 qualitative questionnaires, 21 short letters, four follow-up interviews, and a web observation, and content analysis was employed. The results indicate that there is a low knowledge of Halal tourism in Sweden including Swedish tourism industry. The concept is very challenging, and profits are low. It might result in problem scenarios such as detrimental effects on non-Halal tourism, cultural difficulties and increased risk of xenophobia, anti-Islamism, and tension in the society. There is low interest for Sweden among Muslim tourists as the interest and priority for Halal tourism is rather low from Swedish tourism industry. Despite Halal tourism’s importance internationally, these representatives are rather cautious and doubtful about promotion of Sweden towards this niche. Still, a majority seems to be positive to a lighter version of Muslim-friendly tourism with secular/moderate Muslims as a target group.
The purpose of this study is to investigate how the open-air museum of Skansen in Stockholm as venue for celebration of Persian Fire Festival is assessed by the festival's visitors. The study is ...based on a delimited part of a larger online survey with 280 completed questionnaires including both close-ended and open-ended questions, and a qualitative thematic analysis method has been used in this paper. The results show a high level of appreciation of the Skansen venue that gives the visitors positive emotions, meanings, place attachment, place identity and a sense of place. Contributing factors have been the high status of the venue that has given the visitors pride and dignity; security and safety of the venue; size of the venue; and the natural beauty of the venue. The most important disadvantage factor has been the lack of accessibility combined with lack of sufficient public transport. The results have implications for the Swedish society, for the policy makers in Stockholm city and for both the host and the organiser of the festival and gives rise to new debates on immigrants' socio-cultural integration into Swedish society. This paper gives a contribution to existing literature on festival venue and its impact on the visitor's overall assessment of the festival.
The purpose of this research is to get a better understanding of the impact of the Stockholm Fire Festival on the cultural integration of immigrant communities, and particularly its impact on the ...sociocultural integration of individual participants into Swedish society. The methodological approach is mixed-methods, consisting of participant observation, and a selected part of the data from 280 completed surveys based on answers to open-ended and closed-ended questions. The results indicate that participation in the festival and its celebration have a positive impact at the macro and ethnic community levels in terms of recognition of the festival by the host society, and thereby cultural integration, identity and inclusion of the ethnic community in the entire society. However, the results do not support the idea that participation in this festival has a positive impact on the sociocultural integration of the individual participants into society. Sociocultural integration presupposes intercultural encounters between immigrant individuals, between them and other ethnic groups (including the natives). It is evident that this festival cannot create such a platform for individual participants. This research contributes to the existing body of research on immigrant-oriented festivals in Western societies and strengthens the debates on migration, inclusion, integration, multiculturalism and interculturalism.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding on if and how hotel senior managers (HSMs) in four-star chain hotels in London and Stockholm implemented crisis management ...techniques (CMTs) as a response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative questionnaires were sent to 30 HSMs in London and Stockholm. From the feedback, this paper assesses, using thematic analysis, differences in CMTs used, past and present, alluding to COVID-19’s economic impacts on hotels.
Findings
Results determined that crises broadly economically impacted destinations similarly through loss of travellers and thus revenue. However, with a more intricate and specific assessment, destinations are impacted differently; thus, CMTs must alter. Findings show many CMTs can be implemented to reduce crises’ economic impacts. The literature review and empirical results allude to many previous and current CMTs, although these must be relevant and specific to the crisis, hotel and/or destination.
Practical implications
This paper has theoretical implications for academics on, among other things, theory building. Practically, it supports hotels in developing and determining CMTs to reduce the economic impacts of crises, to be better prepared when another pandemic emerges and contributes to the tourism and hospitality industry’s knowledge of management strategy within crises.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first Swedish study focusing on post-COVID-19 crisis management in hotels in London and Stockholm.
City tourism, with its unique character and image, has increased considerably over the last decades. At the same time, the complexity of destination development and image marketing has increased, and ...there is a lack of analysis tools for image positioning. The purpose is to investigate city destination image and character as prerequisites for destination marketing and development and how the image and character position can be analysed. City destination character, visitor destination image and visitor segments are used as the main theoretical framework. An exploratory qualitative study approach has been chosen with an image case study of destination Stockholm. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the visitor segment international students and destination specialists. The study shows that destination specialists have assessed a combination of city destination characteristic areas, which can be developed. Furthermore, visitors have a mindset of several image aspects and holistic expressions for city destinations that can be used in destination marketing to change the current image position into the desired one. In order to determine a desired position, six analysis dimensions have been found useful: Desired positioning, Demand and supply, Visitor segmentation, Destination generalisation, Visit process and Expression type. The analysis dimensions are based on relevant dichotomous aspects. The effects of the used dimensions are called “positioning leverage effects”, and their main aim is to obtain a competitive advantage and to differentiate to other destinations.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain more insight into the phenomenon of solo travel to city destinations and attain more knowledge on the topic.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a ...questionnaire consisting of qualitative and quantitative items. In all, 21 individuals (12 women, 9 men) responded.FindingsThe most important reason for solo travel was their own free choice and in some cases, difficulty finding companions. Their activities at the destinations were mostly visiting attractions followed by visiting friends, shopping, walking, eating at restaurants, learning the language, working, etc. They mostly mentioned advantages but also some disadvantages with solo travelling. Their experiences, especially with the people in the host destinations, have been positive and they show overall satisfaction with their visit. A predominant share of the interviewees showed a kind of loyalty to one or more specific city destinations and wished to revisit them again and again.Practical implicationsThe current study might have some implications for city tourism developers/destination developers, travel agencies, national or regional tourism boards and tour operators in major urban areas and cities. Especially, this study has a practical contribution to the city tourism practitioners and gives them more insight in what values, attitudes, perceptions, expectations and motivations the solo travellers might have before or while they visit their cities. The study also has implications for potential solo travellers seeking more knowledge and information on the issue.Originality/valueThe phenomenon of solo travel to city destinations is an unresearched topic in Sweden. This exploratory study is the first in Sweden to focus on solo travellers visiting city destinations.
The fact that traditional information sources are neglected by tour operators and the statement arguing that digital information sources, contrarily to traditional paper ones, allow the projection of ...modern and innovative destination images, served as a starting point for this study. The aim of this research is to determine what destination images of Italy are projected by traditional and digital information sources from 15 Scandinavian tour operators. A qualitative method based on secondary data (1306 photographs) and a thematic analysis has been employed. Images from catalogs mainly illustrate Italy with hidden mass tourism, famous Italy, and culture, while images from social media accounts mainly represent Italy with mass tourism, unfamiliar Italy, and culture. Further, each Scandinavian country focuses on specific features of Italy. This research has implications for Scandinavian tour operators, DMOs (Destination Management Organizations) in Italian cities and for Scandinavian tourists to Italy, suggesting how displaying images more consistent with reality would better match the customers' need for information through photographs and more accurately form and shape their pre-travel expectations.
This paper deals with the working and employment conditions of cleaners with an overview of Sweden but with main emphasis on the Stockholm region. The article is based on a review of previous ...research, statistics from Sweden, and interviews with cleaners and owners of cleaning firms. Results indicate that working conditions among Swedish cleaners are generally unfavorable with regard to employment contracts and the low status of the profession. Conditions seem to be worst in the Stockholm region, with its turbulent market. The cleaning industry in the Stockholm region consists of too many firms and there is an adverse business climate within this regional industry. We argue that there is a connection to the model of intersectionality, which implies that there is an interlinking of identity constructions and socially organizing principles in terms of class, gender, ethnicity/“race,” and citizenship. Cleaning or charwork constitutes one of the lowest working-class positions in society. Cleaners are at the bottom of the hierarchy, below the owners and other white-collar workers in the industry. The majority of cleaners in the region are women and/or of immigrant origin, not least men and women from non-European countries; many have low educational levels, low proficiency in the Swedish language, and deficient knowledge of laws and regulations. All these factors add up to powerlessness, something that aggravates the situation for the cleaners in the county.
PDF
