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RAISing Standards for Inclusive Dining: Development and Validation of the Restaurant Accommodation and Inclusion Scale (RAIS) for Diners with Dietary Restrictions
No full textDespite 32 million Americans having food allergies and growing segments following restricted diets, restaurants lack validated tools for measuring accommodation of customers with dietary restrictions. Through systematic scale development incorporating qualitative interviews (N=32), expert review, and quantitative validation (N=493; N=531), this study develops the Restaurant Accommodation and Inclusion Scale (RAIS). Factor analyses revealed three dimensions shaping dining experiences: Inclusive Care (modification capabilities, staff knowledge, service quality), Allergen/Ingredient Transparency (menu clarity, allergen identification), and Pricing Fairness (equitable charges for modifications/substitutions). The scale demonstrates strong psychometric properties and predictive validity, with inclusive care practices primarily driving positive outcomes while allergen/ingredient transparency and pricing fairness serve specialized supporting roles. RAIS transforms how we measure inclusion in hospitality settings while providing practitioners with a validated tool for evaluating accommodation practices, ultimately RAISing diners with dietary restrictions to equal consideration in one of society's fundamental shared activities – restaurant dining, and food and beverage tourism
Sustainable Certifications for Hospitality Organizations: Bridging Global Standards and Local Implementation
No full textAbstract The proliferation of green certifications allows the hospitality industry to advance environmental sustainability efforts, but these frameworks' practical effectiveness and local impact still need to be further explored. This study seeks to investigate aligning global certification standards, such as LEED, GSTC, EarthCheck, and Green Key, with their implementation in California’s coastal hospitality sector, focusing on Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Big Sur. The research uses a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative environmental performance metrics and qualitative stakeholder insights to evaluate how global frameworks translate into measurable benefits and community acceptance. Expected findings would potentially reveal what challenges persist while certifications drive significant improvements in energy consumption and water usage. These include standardized criteria that overlook local environmental conditions, disproportionate certification costs for smaller properties, limited community engagement, and inadequate locally relevant benchmarks. This study would identify opportunities for adaptive frameworks emphasizing flexible criteria, tiered certification levels, structured community input, and locally calibrated metrics. The research seeks to address critical questions about the effectiveness of global green certifications in delivering environmental and social benefits at the local level and the role of community engagement in ensuring success. It proposes a novel blueprint for enhancing certification adaptability without compromising rigor. The study aims to inform certification bodies, policymakers, hospitality operators, and communities about integrating global standards with local environmental priorities by contributing to the academic discourse and offering actionable insights. These findings would have significant implications for advancing sustainability in the hospitality industry. Future research directions include longitudinal impact analyses, comparative regional studies, and developing community-based monitoring systems to ensure global standards remain locally effective and credible
Developing a Course in Indigenous Tourism: A Participatory Action Research Project
No full textIntroduction Six of the 94 Calls to Action in the final report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) appeal to providing equal opportunities in education and employment, creating, and promoting culturally appropriate curriculum, setting up annual reporting system for state funding allocation and the outcomes (TRC, 2015). Progress in achieving TRC Calls to Action in education is ongoing, however far from being complete (Wilson, 2018). Despite the relevance of Indigenous ways of knowing and being (paradigm) for tourism studies, most of the higher education programs in tourism in Canada lack comprehensive learning courses on Indigenous tourism (Joppe et al, 2020). Indigenous cultures have significance globally, and there are around 500 Indigenous tourism businesses in British Columbia (BC) (Government of British Columbia, 2022). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, around 40.000 people were employed by Indigenous Tourism Sector in Canada with half of those jobs located in BC or Ontario (Fisher & Hermus, 2019). In 2017 the Indigenous Tourism sector contributed more than $1.7 billion to Canadian GDP (Fisher & Hermus, 2019). The industry’s short-term development goals include matching pre-pandemic indicators, as well as return of investment to training, which improves opportunities to working with Indigenous Peoples in urban, rural, and remote areas (The Conference Board of Canada, 2023). Nevertheless, Indigenous tourism faces significant risks of misrepresentation and commodification, necessitating care and respect (Higgins-Desboile & Bigby, 2023). It is important for tourism students to understand what Indigenous tourism businesses, as well as Indigenous communities think about and expect from tourism. However, Joppe et al. (2020) highlighted that there is an acute necessity for tourism management programs across Canada to include culturally relevant courses on Indigenous communities, and their governance, as well as socio-economic systems. This study was conducted in a University in BC, Canada. In 2024 this University’s graduate degree tourism program made a commitment to develop an Indigenous Tourism course as a core course. This participatory action research study is a collaborative engagement between Indigenous scholars, knowledge keepers and non-Indigenous faculty members to develop the Indigenous Tourism course curriculum. To achieve this purpose, this study will engage in two inter-related aspects of the inclusion of the Indigenous course program that align with the core elements of Indigenization and Anti-Racist Education (Wolfe, 2006; Alfred 2009; Simpson 2011; Chrona, 2022): 1. Exploring models for co-constructing anti-racist, Indigenous tourism course curriculum under the leadership of Indigenous educators and community members. 2. Cultivating an understanding of Indigenous-centric and Indigenous-driven narratives of tourism experiences and attractions through the course curriculum. Literature Review The decolonization and Indigenization of curriculum in higher education represent transformative opportunities to challenge colonial frameworks and integrate Indigenous ways of knowing into academic spaces. Aligned with the New Research and Monitoring Methodologies sub-theme of the Annual TTRA International Conference, this study proposes a collaborative approach to curriculum development, bridging together Indigenous scholars, educators, students, and subject-matter experts to guide the research process and integrate Indigenous ontologies and epistemology exemplifying their application in contemporary contexts. Indigenous Research Methodologies in Curriculum Content and Pedagogy The inclusion of Indigenous research methodologies in curriculum development is essential for fostering culturally relevant and ethical educational practices. Smith (2012) provides a foundational critique of colonial research paradigms, advocating for Indigenous-led methodologies that prioritize cultural values, community engagement, and self-determination. Kovach (2019) complements this by detailing the Conversational Method, which emphasizes relational accountability, storytelling, and reciprocity as central to knowledge creation. In the context of pedagogy, Carey and Prince (2015) highlight the need for critical engagement between Indigenous and Western epistemologies. Their work draws on Martin Nakata’s concept of the "cultural interface" to advocate for integrated approaches that move beyond binary oppositions. Such frameworks are particularly relevant for designing the Indigenous Tourism course, as they provide strategies for creating inclusive, experiential learning environments. Indigenous Representation in Tourism Education The representation of Indigenous perspectives in tourism education is vital for promoting ethical engagement with Indigenous communities and their histories. Simpson (2004) critiques the appropriation of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) within Western environmental frameworks, advocating for land-based education and intergenerational knowledge transmission. These strategies are essential for profiling Indigenous tourism businesses in a way that respects their cultural, historical, and relational contexts. Calvin et al. (2024) revisit Indigenous tourism research frameworks, highlighting barriers to the adoption of Indigenous research approaches in tourism education. They recommend inclusive and collaborative engagement practices that align with Indigenist methodologies, which emphasizes critical reflection, community empowerment, and long-term benefits over merely having Indigenous scholars lead the research. Similarly, Bellato et al. (2022) advocate for a regenerative approach to tourism that integrates Indigenous knowledge to nurture ecological and social systems. These studies provide valuable insights for incorporating Indigenous histories, cultures, and governance into the curriculum through both content and pedagogy. The literature reviewed in this abstract highlight the transformative potential of decolonizing and Indigenizing curriculum development through collaborative, Indigenous-led approaches. By integrating Indigenous resurgence, methodologies, and participatory practices, this participatory action research project can serve as a model for fostering Indigenization and ethical engagement in a tourism education. However, review of the literature indicates that significant challenges remain, including institutional resistance and the ongoing impacts of settler colonialism. This research will contribute to further refining of collaborative processes and exploring innovative pedagogical strategies that honor Indigenous sovereignty and cultural values. Methodology This research follows a PAR design to bring research community members together to develop an Indigenous Tourism course in a University, BC, Canada. The study focuses on a collaboration of Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators and practitioners, where non-Indigenous participants of the community intentionally seeks to support and learn from an Indigenous-led curriculum building process. The PAR design methodology aims to elevate Indigenous partners to have active control in the curriculum development process (Arnstein, 2019). Indigenous knowledge sources such as the Centre for Education, Teaching and Technology (CTET), Indigenous educators and scholars, members of Indigenous Tourism British Columbia (ITBC), Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), are some of the partners that potentially will be invited to take part in the research community. Furthermore, it is suggested that one (or more) of the early consultation cycles include the faculty members as well to identify what constitutes the foundation of teachings of the field in the program, as well as to identify how the learning outcomes from the new Indigenous Tourism course will tie in with the program holistically. Participatory action research (PAR) - offers the potential for a collaborative and transformative methodology for decolonizing curriculum development. Thinking from a collaboration perspective, PAR – a flexible framework for collective construction of knowledge, and thus may facilitate understanding of what inclusive and anti-racist curriculum should look like (Fang, 2018). Canadian PAR experiences further highlight the potential for using this methodology to support Indigenous-led curriculum development. Weber-Pillwax (as discussed in Kapoor & Jordan, 2009) provides an example of integrating PAR into educational reforms in Northern Alberta. This work emphasizes collaboration with Indigenous communities to address systemic inequities and incorporate local knowledge systems into the curriculum. By prioritizing cultural protocols, relational accountability, and community-driven processes, Weber-Pillwax demonstrates how PAR can challenge colonial power dynamics and foster equitable knowledge production. Within a PAR methodology, data collection is anticipated to include a range of Indigenous research methods which incorporate several workshops dedicated to photovoice exercise, as well as a series of storytelling sessions. Work by Hormel (2016) supports photovoice method, as it was found to be in alignment with Indigenous epistemologies by emphasizing visual storytelling and community ownership of data. Furthermore, Kapoor and Jordan (2009) recommend returning to original interpretation of PAR methodologies that urge researchers to tailor research methods to localized and subaltern perspectives prioritizing community-led knowledge production. The decisions on data collection methods will be made in January 2025 when the PAR community meets, as the approaches to engage in a PAR collaboration will be made by the group. Results This abstract is submitted as part of a master’s degree thesis project that is underway. The PAR study will be finalized in May 2025. Conclusion and Discussion The proposal for this study has been approved and the study has been submitted for ethical approval by the university ethical review board. Data collection is scheduled for January-April 2025. References Absolon, K. & Willett, C. (2004). Aboriginal Research: Berry Picking and Hunting in the 21st Century. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 1(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.7202/1069581a Alfred, G. T. (2009, December 12). Resurgence of Traditional Ways of Being. [Video lecture]. ASU Library. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ABP5QhetYs Arnstein, S. R. (2019). A Ladder of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Planning Association, 85(1), 24–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2018.1559388 Bellato, L., Frantzeskaki, N., Carlos Briceño Fiebig, Pollock, A., Dens, E., & Reed, B. (2022). Transformative roles in tourism: adopting living systems' thinking for regenerative futures. Journal of Tourism Futures, 8(3), 312-329. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-11-2021-0256 Calvin, S., Young, T., Hook, M., Nielsen, N., & Wilson, E. (2024). Are our voices now heard? Reflections on Indigenous tourism research. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 59, 81-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2024.03.010 Carey, M., & Prince, M. (2015). Designing an Australian Indigenous Studies curriculum for the twenty-first century: Nakata’s ‘cultural interface’, standpoints and working beyond binaries. Higher Education Research & Development, 34(2), 270–283. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2014.956691 Chrona, J. (2022). Wayi wah! indigenous pedagogies: An act for reconciliation and anti-racist education. Portage & Main Press. Coulthard, G. S. (2014). Red skin, white masks: Rejecting the colonial politics of recognition. University of Minnesota Press. Fang, Y. (2018). Entrepreneuring for transition: A participatory action research on community-engaged curriculum design in higher education. Entrepreneurship Education, 1(1-4), 85–104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41959-018-0003-x Fisher, A. & Hermus, G. (2019). Canada’s Indigenous Tourism Sector: Insights and Economic Impacts. The Conference Board of Canada. Ottowa. Retrieved from https://indigenoustourism.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/10266_IndigenousTourismSector_RPT.pdf Funding supports Indigenous tourism recovery. (2022, January 19). BC Gov News. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022TACS0002-000079 Higgins-Desboiles, F, & Bigby, B. (2023). The local turn in tourism. UK, Channel View Press. Hormel, L., (2016). Designing community participatory action research: A proposal for using photovoice method to center indigenous knowledge. In Sage Research Methods Cases Part 1. SAGE Publications, Ltd., https://doi.org/10.4135/978144627305015602454 Joppe, M., Shen, Y. (Sandy), and Veltri, G. (2020). Embedding indigenous learning outcomes in a tourism curriculum: The case of Confederation College, Canada. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport &Amp; Tourism Education, 26, 100241. p. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2020.100241 Kapoor, D., & Jordan, S. (Eds.). (2009). Education, participatory action research, and social change: International perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan. Kovach, M. (2019). Conversational Method in Indigenous Research. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 14 (1), 123-136. https://doi.org/10.7202/1071291ar Province of British Columbia. (2024). Indigenous Peoples. Welcome BC. Retrieved from https://www.welcomebc.ca/choose-b-c/explore-british-columbia/indigenous-peoples-in-b-c The Conference Board of Canada. (2023). Impact of ITAC’s Tourism Growth Strategy on Canada’s Indigenous Tourism Sector [Issue Briefing]. Retrieved from https://www.conferenceboard.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/impact-of-itacs-tourism-growth-strategy_2023.pdf Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/indigenous-people/new-relationship/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-calls-to-action Simpson, L. B. (2011). Dancing on our turtle’s back: Stories of Nishnaabeg re-creation, resurgence, and a new emergence. Arbeiter Ring Pub. Simpson, L. R. (2004). Anticolonial strategies for the recovery and maintenance of Indigenous knowledge. American Indian Quarterly, 28(3/4), 373–384. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4138923 Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples s. Bloomsbury Academic & Professional. Wilson, K. (2018). Pulling Together: Foundations Guide. Victoria, BC: BCcampus. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/indigenizationfoundations/ Wolfe, P. (2006). Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native. Journal of Genocide Research, 8(4), 387–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/1462352060105624
Responsible Recreation in British Columbia Parks and Campgrounds: The influence of novel communication interventions
No full textAbstract: Introduction The demand across British Columbia (and Canada) for access to beautiful outdoor spaces and outdoor recreation opportunities has skyrocketed. Though demands were on the rise before the COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic has only expedited the increase and visitation has stayed high into 2023 (Park People, 2022; BCMECC, 2022; Rice et al., 2021). The growing demand for outdoor recreation has led to specific management challenges for areas that are tasked with balancing recreation and conservation. This increase in visitation has many benefits both for human health and connections to nature, fostering nature-relatedness, and building a community of stewards of parks, protected areas, and natural spaces. However, this increase in visitation also creates impacts on the natural environment, such as user conflicts, etiquette concerns, erosion, soil compaction, parking demands, illegal trail building, dogs off-leash, other management concerns, and habitat loss and fragmentation (Hammitt et al., 2015). Hiking and camping on designated trails and campsites assigns visitor use impacts to these already impacted areas. However, when visitors venture off designated trails, hike, and camp in remote sections, or simply do not use recreation areas correctly, negative effects can be devastating and possibly irreversible (Cole, 2023; Dearden, et al., 2014; Pigram & Jenkins, 2005). Therefore, inspiring visitors’ engagement in pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) while visiting natural areas is essential. As a response to the growing pressure and need to inspire visitors’ engagement in PEBs, the British Columbia Lodging and Camping Association led the development of a coalition focused on developing tools and interventions to support responsible visitation and nature-based recreation. In 2021, 12 British Columbia based organizations formed the collaborative campaign known as the Camper’s Code to encourage responsible and respectful camping practices. This collaboration includes provincial and national level governments, local community-based organizations, and industry associations and leaders. Literature Review As a result of recreation-related impacts and the increase in visitation, outdoor recreation managers and providers of parks, protected areas, and natural spaces are faced with the challenge of balancing welcoming visitors while minimizing impacts on the natural environment. Choices related to visitor management involve the decisions surrounding direct and indirect management strategies. Manning et al. (2017) describes direct management strategies as those that limit the degree of individual choice (e.g., enforcement of rules and regulations, permits, limiting access, etc.). Whereas indirect strategies emphasize or influence behaviours by managing factors that influence visitors' decisions (e.g., information, interpretation, education, persuasive techniques such as pledges, etc.). Indirect management is often preferred because it allows visitors the freedom to choose their actions and may be more efficient for managers as they require less costs compared to direct enforcement (Manning et al., 2017; Plummer, 2015). In the past decade, a new indirect management approach has arisen; the use of pledges and commitments. Pledges have been developed in a range of outdoor recreation and tourism contexts including national destination pledges such as New Zealand’s The Tiaki Promise, the Icelandic Pledge, and within Canada the Haida Gwaii Pledge. Destination pledges are visitor management tools that require an act of commitment, often in a public forum, from visitors to desirable and sustainable behaviours in the destination (Albrecht & Raymond, 2023). Parks, conservation agencies, zoos, and nature-based tourism agencies have also recently begun using pledges and commitments as a tool to influence behaviours and facilitate behavioural change (Ballantyne et al., 2018; Settina et al., 2020). However, to date, there lacks a substantial body of evidence supporting the efficacy of these pledges or a clear understanding of the mechanisms of success (i.e., why do they work?). The use of pledges provides an opportunity to combine persuasive communication with commitment actions. Both of these have demonstrated some effectiveness in influencing PEBs (Byerly et al., 2018; Mann et al., 2018; Hughes, 2013; Macdonald, 2015; He et al, 2022). The need for these innovative communication tools has been documented by scholars through gaps in current strategies and promising results of recent studies (He et al., 2022; Byerly et al., 2018; Kidd et al., 2019). A common critique of environmental communication has been the reliance on knowledge, awareness, and static messaging (Kidd et al., 2019; Albrecht & Raymond, 2023). These practices are unable to account for the variability in human behaviours and leave out the evidence that communication strategies should seek to influence attitudes, emotions, values, social norms, etc. (Blye et al., 2023; Brown et al., 2010). Examples include Leave No Trace principles, or simple codes of conduct which fail to include sufficient rationale for why visitors (and local recreators) should abide by the guidelines (Malloy & Fennell, 1998). Sirakaya (1997) suggests that the inclusion of the reasons for each guideline, and outlining possible harmful effects associated with non-compliance, would increase the efficacy of a code. Pledges are an opportunity to go beyond awareness and build commitment from visitors while simultaneously involving multi-media and social marketing to influence behaviours. This study is guided by both the Value-Belief-Norm Theory (VBN) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). VBN follows the belief that individuals actions are based on personal values (which are shaped by world views), the belief that things which are important to those values are under threat, and the notion that one’s actions can help alleviate the threat posed (Van Riper & Kyle, 2014). The notion of the natural environment being under threat is presented as impacts due to outdoor recreation (e.g., camping). Reducing visitor impact by following low-impact camping practices such as the Camper’s Code is one example of how to mitigate that threat. TPB states that all behaviours are preceded by intentions, individuals’ intentions are viewed as a function of three things: individuals’ perceived control over a situation, their attitude toward performing a particular act, and their subjective norms (Ajzen, 1991). Methodology A two-phased quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the impact of the Camper’s Code principles. This collaboration between the BCLCA and academic researchers ensured both practical relevance and methodological rigor. The BCLCA’s leadership facilitated real-world implementation of the interventions, while academic researchers conducted the field-based experiments with overnight visitors in parks and campgrounds across British Columbia. This method follows similar work by Settina et al. (2020) and Bueddefeld et al. (2023) who tested various communication interventions in field experiments and also combines the approach of Mann et al. (2018) who included a commitment action (pledge) in an attempt to influence conservation related behaviours. Phase one included overnight visitors to 5 provincial parks and 2 private campgrounds in British Columbia. Survey responses were collected during weekdays, weekend days and holidays. Park and campground visitors were approached at random at various locations throughout the sites, including trail heads, permit offices, visitor information centres, boat launch areas, and campsites. This temporally stratified convenience-based sample strategy resulted in 769 completed surveys (n=769). Researchers used Android tablets, with off-line software tool Qualtrics. The survey instrument included psychological determinants of behaviour in line with previous studies and relevant theories such as the Values Belief Norm theory, as well as behavioural measures related to the 9 principles in the Camper’s Code (Cooper et al., 2024; Miller, 2019; van Riper et al., 2020). Overnight visitors to campgrounds were approached and asked to participate in the research study and were randomly assigned one of the following: • Treatment 1: Written communication regarding the Camper's Code • Treatment 2: Multi-media communication (2-minute video) providing a rationale for the Camper's Code. • Control: No intervention, overnight visitors to campgrounds other than those included in treatments 1 and 2. Phase two included a follow-up survey three months after the initial survey. Participants who provided contact information were contacted via and asked to participant in a short follow survey. This temporal difference provides the opportunity to investigate knowledge/comprehension of the Camper’s Code principles and provide an additional self-reported measure of PEB/responsible recreation behaviours. The follow up survey contained some of the same measures and variables as the initial survey and allowed the research team to test for any changes over time. Date collection for this phase is currently on-going. Results To test whether respondents’ adoption of responsible recreation behaviours was influenced by the treatment conditions, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVAs were conducted (Hofman & Hughes, 2018). The independent sample t-test compared the participants who took the campers code pledge and those who did not (control). Results suggest that the participants who took the Campers Code pledge had statistically higher behavioural intentions more in line with the Campers Code principles (M=6.54 compared to M=6.29; t=2.33, df=687, p=.010). To better understand the differences between the groups and the impact of the Campers’ Code pledge with and without the use of an information video one-way ANOVAs were conducted. Results of the one-way ANOVA compared the mean scores of responsible recreation behavioural intentions for all three groups (control, pledge only, and pledge with video intervention) Results suggest there were significant differences observed between the groups (Table 1). All effects sizes were small, except for the behavioural intention to throw garbage in the proper bins, the interventions resulted in a large effect for this particular behaviour. Table 1 One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) results comparing behavioral intentions related to the Camper’s Code principles Responsible Recreation Behaviour: How likely are you to engage in the following beahviours? Squares Df Mean Square F Sig. Only use your generator during approved hours Between Groups 9.66 2 4.83 2.29 .102 Within Groups 881.51 418 2.10 Total 891.18 420 Throw all your garbage/trash/waste in the proper bin Between Groups 137.99 2 68.99 61.18 <.001 Within Groups 777.02 689 1.128 Total 915.02 691 Pick up litter on the trail Between Groups 12.072 2 6.036 2.22 .109 Within Groups 1874.260 690 2.716 Total 1886.332 692 Keep a safe distance from wildlife Between Groups 4.629 2 2.31 3.42 .033 Within Groups 466.57 691 .67 Total 471.20 693 Keep your pet on a leash Between Groups 6.35 2 3.17 2.39 .042 Within Groups 620.24 468 1.32 Total 626.60 470 Keep music levels low Between Groups 64.741 2 32.37 12.04 <.001 Within Groups 1803.92 671 2.68 Total 1868.66 673 The influence of the multi-media invitation and the pledge were evaluated by conducting a post-hoc Tukey HSD test to test the difference between the groups. These results highlight the influence of the multi-media communication intervention (video explaining the Campers Code principles, followed by the pledge) as there were statistical differences between the control and the pledge only groups (p=.041). Analysis is on going and the research team is currently testing the predictive performance of psychological constructs (attitudes, ascription of responsibility, personal norms, social norms, and environmental identity) that influence responsible recreation behaviours using multiple linear regression based on ordinary least squares estimation (Cooper et al., 2024). Additionally, Phase two data collection (follow-up surveys) is ongoing at this time. Results will be analyzed and assessed to determine if there are any lasting behavioural shifts as a result of the pledge, and or the multi-media intervention followed by the pledge. Conclusion and Discussion This study highlights the potential of the Camper’s Code Pledge as an innovative tool for promoting responsible recreation behaviours among nature-based tourists. Findings demonstrate that the combination of multimedia communication and a commitment-based pledge significantly enhances behavioural intentions aligned with the Camper’s Code principles. Specifically, behaviours such as proper waste disposal, keeping music levels low, and maintaining safe distances from wildlife showed notable improvements, reinforcing the effectiveness of providing both rationale and actionable commitments. The success of this intervention supports the growing evidence on the efficacy of indirect management strategies, particularly those rooted in persuasive communication and behavioural commitments. By integrating tools like multimedia messaging and pledges, tourism destination managers (including parks and protected areas) can influence pro-environmental behaviours while preserving visitor autonomy. Moving forward, the ongoing analysis of Phase Two data will determine the long-term impact of these interventions. This partnership underscores the value of combining industry expertise with evidence-based research to develop and validate visitor management strategies References Albrecht, J. N., & Raymond, E. M. (2023). National destination pledges as innovative visitor management tools–social marketing for behaviour change in tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(3), 859-876. British Columbia Ministry of Environmental and Climate Change (2022). 2022 season sets BC Parks reservation record. https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022ENV0062-001513#:~:text=More%20than%20317%2C000%20reservations%20were,increase%20of%2026.5%25%20since%202019. Ballantyne, R., Packer, J., Hughes, K., & Gill, C. (2018). Post-visit reinforcement of zoo conservation messages: The design and testing of an action resource website. Visitor Studies, 21(1), 98–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503871 Blye, C., Hvenegaard, G., & Halpenny, E. (2023). Are we creatures of logic or emotions ? Investigating the role of attitudes, worldviews, emotions, and knowledge gain from environmental interpretation on behavioural intentions of park visitors. 15(1), 9–28. Brown, T. J., Ham, S. H., & Hughes, M. (2010). Picking up litter: An application of theory-based communication to influence tourist behaviour in protected areas. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 18(7), 879–900. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669581003721281 Byerly, H., Balmford, A., Ferraro, P. J., Hammond Wagner, C., Palchak, E., Polasky, S., Ricketts, T. H., Schwartz, A. J., & Fisher, B. (2018). Nudging pro-environmental behavior: evidence and opportunities. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 16(3), 159–168. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1777 Cole, D. (2023). Environmental impacts of outdoor recreation in wildlands. In Manfredo, M., Vaske, J., Bruyere, B., Field, D., Brown, P. (Eds.). Society and Natural Resources A Summary of Knowledge. University Press of Colorado. Cooper, E., Dolnicar, S., & Grün, B. (2024). Understanding how a commitment-based pledge intervention encourages pro-environmental tourist behaviour. Tourism Management, 104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2024.104928 Dearden, P., Rollins, R., & Needham, M. (Eds.). (2014). Parks and protected areas in Canada: Planning and management. Oxford University Press. Hammitt, W. E., Cole, D. N., & Monz, C. A. (2015). Wildland recreation: ecology and management. John Wiley & Sons. He, M., Blye, C. J., & Halpenny, E. (2023). Impacts of environmental communication on pro-environmental intentions and behaviours: a systematic review on nature-based tourism context. 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The 2022 Canadian city parks report. https://ccpr.parkpeople.ca/2021/ Plummer, R. (2009) Outdoor recreation: An introduction. Routledge. Rice, W. L., Taff, B. D., Lawhon, B., & Newman, P. (2021). The New, COVID-Driven Outdoor Recreationists in the U.S.: Who They Are, Who They Aren’t, and Who Will Stay Involved. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/3khfd Settina, N., Marion, J. L., & Schwartz, F. (2020). Leave no trace communication: effectiveness based on assessments of resource conditions. Journal of Interpretation Research, 25(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1092587220963523 van Riper, C. J., Lum, C., Kyle, G. T., Wallen, K. E., Absher, J., & Landon, A. C. (2020). Values, Motivations, and Intentions to Engage in Pro environmental Behavior. Environment and Behavior, 52(4), 437–462. https://doi.org/10.1177/001391651880796
Affirming Care at the Margins: Community Health Clinics and Health Equity for Transgender People of Color
No full textTransgender and gender-diverse people of color (TPOC) face entrenched barriers to equitable healthcare due to the intersecting impacts of racism, transphobia, classism, ableism, and systemic neglect. This editorial critiques the structural shortcomings of community health clinics (CHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) that, while founded to address health disparities, often reproduce exclusion through administrative violence, symbolic inclusion, and under-resourced equity initiatives. Drawing on frameworks of structural competency, trauma-informed care, and intersectionality, the author calls for a paradigm shift toward community-led, affirming care models. Recommendations include bundled care delivery, restructured electronic medical records, peer navigation, trauma-informed practices, and the institutionalization of TPOC leadership and governance. Rather than treating affirming care as optional, the editorial argues for embedding equity into the organizational DNA of clinics through policy, funding, and accountability systems
Travel market portfolio strategy for the resilient tourism destinations: correlation analysis between tourism demand dispersion and recovery
No full textHow can tourism destinations recover demand from events that have a negative impact on tourism demand, such as natural disasters and infectious diseases? In this study, we focus on the degree of tourism demand dispersion that a region receives in peacetime, investigate its relationship with tourism demand recovery, and aim to gain insight into future marketing policies in tourism regions. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study, we analyzed the relationship between the dispersion of the travel market and demand resilience. As a result, a significant correlation was found for the degree of dispersion using all indicators, including occupancy rate, Gini coefficient, and HHI, indicating that the more dispersed the market share, the faster the recovery. DMOs with high resilience are characterized by a dispersed market share during the recovery period, with some markets experiencing a decrease in demand while other markets experience an increase in demand
Stability of the catenoid for the hyperbolic vanishing mean curvature equation outside symmetry
No full textWe study the problem of stability of the catenoid, which is an asymptotically flat rotationally symmetric minimal surface in Euclidean space, viewed as a stationary solution to the hyperbolic vanishing mean curvature equation in Minkowski space. The latter is a quasilinear wave equation that constitutes the hyperbolic counterpart of the minimal surface equation in Euclidean space. Our main result is the nonlinear asymptotic stability, modulo suitable translation and boost (i.e., modulation), of the n\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}\end{document}-dimensional catenoid with respect to a codimension one set of initial data perturbations without any symmetry assumptions, for n >= 5\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}\end{document}. The modulation and the codimension one restriction on the data are necessary and optimal in view of the kernel and the unique simple eigenvalue, respectively, of the stability operator of the catenoid. In a broader context, this paper fits in the long tradition of studies of soliton stability problems. From this viewpoint, our aim here is to tackle some new issues that arise due to the quasilinear nature of the underlying hyperbolic equation. Ideas introduced in this paper include a new profile construction and modulation analysis to track the evolution of the translation and boost parameters of the stationary solution, a new scheme for proving integrated local energy decay for the perturbation in the quasilinear and modulation-theoretic context, and an adaptation of the vectorfield method in the presence of dynamic translations and boosts of the stationary solution
Towards reliable black-box variational inference
No full textProbabilistic models are essential for understanding complex systems across various scientific fields. Inferring the posterior distribution over the unknown quantities is central to generating insights from these models, but the posterior is often analytically intractable and must be approximated. Black-box variational inference (BBVI) is a leading approximate inference framework that uses optimization to find a tractable posterior approximation. BBVI methods apply to a wide variety of models and offer practitioners a faster alternative to expensive Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. While BBVI is promising, it suffers from several issues that hinder its widespread adoption. We identify four such challenges: robustness, scalability, evaluation, and accuracy, and address them in this thesis to make BBVI a reliable inference tool.
The first chapter addresses the issue of robustness. Naive BBVI approaches are often not robust enough to work out of the box and fail to converge without model-specific tuning. We improve this by integrating key algorithmic components like initialization strategies, gradient estimators, variational objectives, and advanced variational families. Extensive empirical studies demonstrate that our proposed scheme outperforms competing baselines without requiring model-specific tuning.
The second chapter improves scalability. When models are large, BBVI methods fail to scale and suffer from slow convergence. We address this by proposing a structured and amortized BBVI scheme that maintains accuracy while offering faster and more scalable inference than existing approaches.
The third chapter improves evaluation. The posterior predictive distribution is used to make predictions on unseen data; however, sometimes posterior predictive evaluations can be extremely noisy. We identify the conditions under which the simple Monte Carlo estimator of the posterior predictive distribution can exhibit an extremely low signal-to-noise ratio. Based on this analysis, we introduce an adaptive importance sampling approach that significantly improves the evaluation accuracy.
The fourth chapter improves accuracy. Normalizing flow-based variational inference (flow VI) is a promising class of BBVI methods, but its performance is mixed, with some works reporting success and others reporting optimization challenges. We conduct an empirical analysis to disentangle the impact of various factors like representational capacity, objectives, gradient estimators, batch sizes, and step sizes. Our analysis leads to practical recommendations for each factor, culminating in a flow VI approach that matches or surpasses leading turnkey Hamiltonian Monte Carlo methods on a wide variety of targets.
Collectively, the advances in this thesis make BBVI a reliable inference method.Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)2025-08-0
Selecting a specialized education database for literature reviews and evidence synthesis projects
No full textWhile the Institute of Education Science’s ERIC is often recommended for comprehensive literature searching in the field of education, there are several other specialized education databases to discover education literature. This study investigates journal coverage overlaps between four specialized education databases: Education Source (EBSCO), Education Database (ProQuest), ERIC (Institute of Education Sciences), and Educator’s Reference Complete (Gale). Out of a total of 4,695 unique journals analyzed, there are 2,831 journals uniquely covered by only one database, as well as many journals covered by only two or three databases. Findings show that evidence synthesis projects and literature reviews benefit from the careful selection of multiple specialized education databases and that ERIC is insufficient as the primary education database for comprehensive searching in the field
Results of 15 years of extended follow-up of the German porcelain workers cohort study: lung cancer and silicosis
No full textObjectives To quantify, after extending follow-up 15 years, the relationship between occupational respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure and risk of silicosis diagnosis and lung cancer mortality in the German Porcelain Workers Cohort Study, and to estimate possible exposure thresholds for these. Methods Porcelain workers enrolled between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 1987, in a mandatory medical surveillance program including triennial chest x-rays and alive at the end of the previous study follow-up (2005) were followed through December 2020, for lung cancer mortality and silicosis incidence. Cause of death was determined from death certificates. Silicosis cases were identified by re-reading x-rays of individuals remaining in the medical surveillance program or filing insurance claims for silicosis. RCS exposure was estimated for each cohort member using a job exposure matrix (JEM) based on about 8,000 historical industrial hygiene RCS measurements. Cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and Cox proportional hazards ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated by cumulative and average exposure groups, controlling for age, sex, smoking status and employment duration. Exposure-response analyses were performed to identify possible exposure thresholds for lung cancer and silicosis risk. Results Total deaths increased from 1,610 (9.1%) to 4,586 (26%) over 537,129 total person-years at risk. All-cause mortality was elevated among men (SMR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.06-1.14); however, a deficit was seen among women (SMR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.98). No statistically significantly increased mortality was seen due to lung cancer, renal cancer, or non-malignant renal disease - conditions reportedly associated with RCS exposure. Lung cancer mortality was unrelated to RCS exposure level. However, for silicosis cases classified using International Labor Organization (ILO) categories >= 1/1 or 1/0, risk was strongly associated with estimated average exposure >0.10 mg/m(3) and 0.15 mg/m(3), and cumulative exposure >3.0 mg/m(3)-years and > 1.0 mg/m(3)-years, respectively. Conclusion Despite the large number (n = 284) of lung cancer deaths and high historical RCS exposures, no excess risk and no relationship with exposure level were seen. However, RCS exposure was strongly associated with silicosis risk, with clear exposure thresholds. This study further confirms the lack of increased lung cancer risk at RCS levels historically prevalent in the German porcelain industry and that exposures exceeding estimated thresholds clearly increased silicosis risk. Occupational exposure levels in the German porcelain industry in recent decades have remained well below these thresholds; therefore, few additional silicosis cases are expected