Almatourism - Journal of Tourism, Culture and Territorial Development
Not a member yet
400 research outputs found
Sort by
All-inclusive Resorts, Cruises and Sustainability. The Perspective of the Corfu Community
Full text linkThe aim of this article is to present and analyze two highly popular types of tourism, the all-inclusive resorts and cruises, and examine whether they can be considered as sustainable. It acknowledges the importance of the perception of the local community and its participation in the management and practice of tourism in their region. Moreover, it aims at presenting and understanding how local communities view the functioning of specific types of tourism in their area and to which degree modern communities, experiencing the intense presence of tourism, manage to comprehend the actual concept of sustainability and its application in the tourism sector. For that purpose a case study was undertaken on the island of Corfu, because of the strong presence of the all-inclusive resorts and cruises on the island and the importance of this area as a tourism destination. In order to get the perspective of the Corfu community regarding the presence of cruises and all-inclusive resorts on the island, questionnaires were distributed in a sample of locals. The data collected by the questionnaires enabled us to reach important conclusions regarding the perception of residents about the concept of tourism sustainability
Typology of Inbound Tourists Who Visited Tehran Grand Bazaar Using Cluster Analysis: Introducing New Combining Dimensional Base to Realize Actual Behavior
Full text linkConsidering the importance of destination market segmentation as an influential marketing effort for identifying and understanding segments’ psychological characteristics, the present study investigates the differences of inbound visitors' who attend to the grand bazaar of Tehran city. Factor analysis of the data extracted fifteen motivation and lifestyle factors, which the process was perfect by using cluster analysis. The findings indicated four types of inbound visitors: ‘Ideal-sense seekers’, ‘Special aspiring visitors’, ‘Middle want vacationers’, ‘Principled behavior enthusiasts’. A chi-square test was applied to compare four groups for independence analysis based on the types as well as the visitors' socio-demographic profiles. The socio-demographic profiles of respondents indicated statistically significant differences between the four clusters in terms of gender, age, travel companions, and previous trips to Tehran grand bazaar. Since the motivations and lifestyle would potentially influence their decision-making style in particular holiday destination and its related products and services, the study investigated the distribution of the decision-making style dimensions to every classified segment to understanding the decision-making styles of groups. Combining motivation and lifestyle dimensions in the form of segmentation analysis allows researchers and managers to identify specific types of tourists groups for targeted marketing campaigns specifically directed promotion programs in the context of cultural tourism
Central and Eastern Europe as a Medical Tourism Destination: a Case Study of Poland
Full text linkThe medical tourism has been changing the healthcare scene especially in the developing countries which offer a combination of low costs for medical services and experienced medical personnel. It gives them the potential to become a target of choice for medical tourists. Therefore, the aim of the paper is verification of Central and Eastern Europe as a medical tourism destination (MTD). Research were conducted in the light of primary and secondary research. Survey data were collected from 282 German and British tourists, using a self-administered questionnaire. The results indicated that the medical associations are most frequently chosen associations with Poland. The MTD associations are able to develop marketing strategies for medical tourism entities and destination management organisations
The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on the Tourism Sector
Full text linkInformation and Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the global businesses environment by a wide range of tools, methodologies and functions, facilitating the strategic management and supporting firms to achieve a long term competitive advantage. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the new applications of Information Communication Technology in tourism industry, the contribution of ICT to the promotion of the tourist product, as well as the potential to the tourism management and the process of decision-making. One important tool, which helps in making decisions in the field of tourism economy, is the Geographic Information System (GIS), which provides a comprehensible representation of the statistical figures of the tourism economy by facilitating decision-making on tourism policy. In this paper is presented some tourist financial figures and their visualization through graphs by Geographic Information System
Communities of Practice, Identity and Tourism: Evidence on Cultural Heritage Preservation in World Heritage Sites
Full text linkA “community of practice” (CoP) is a mechanism of holding, transferring and creating knowledge, where practices and identities are developed in the frame of the socio-cultural dynamics of a community. Thus, CoP brings together concepts of history, identity, values, practice, and community. Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) communities are networks of people whose sense of identity and interconnectedness emerge from a shared historical and geographical relationship. This background is rooted in the practice and transmission of the ICH. The goal of this paper is to explore the interfaces amongst these two concepts: CoP and ICH, by identifying the correlations between identity and place attachment in ICH sites and the practices of their communities, such as the case of tourism. With two selected intangible cultural heritage communities in Spain and Vietnam, the paper particularly highlights the similarities of community processes albeit distinctive characteristics of different places and people
Creative Cities Network for Marketing Touristic Products: an Analysis on Literary Cities
Full text linkIn recent years, countries have started to focus on alternative tourism types other than sea-sun-sand triple in order to increase their share in tourism due to increasing tourism competition. They have started to attach high importance to region-specific promotions instead of country-specific ones for the marketing of touristic products. Given that international labels and tags attached to cities or regions increase their brand value and the number of visitors. The Creative Cities Network, created by UNESCO, provides a competitive advantage for the marketing of tourist destinations. The title of Literature City is one of seven different themes that formulate the Creative City concept and has been given to twenty cities between 2004-2015. What features of these cities stand out most and the selection parameters are the main concern of this study. Content analysis is made on the interviews conducted with the authorities executing the application process. As a result, prestige, recognition and efficiency stand out as the most significant variables for creative cities network
The Tratturo Magno 3.0: How the Experiential Tourism and the Social Media Could Support the Rebirth of the Ancient Street of the Transhumance
Full text linkThis work deals with the new tourist system that is growing along the track of the Tratturo Magno between L’Aquila and Foggia, its high tech development and its presence on the social media. In the part between L’Aquila and Vasto, thanks to some associations like Tratturi e Cammini, a high tech track has been developed with QR code which every traveller can download a guide by. In this area, the experiential tourism consists, above all, in a project called “Paesaggi Sonori” (Sound Landscapes) and in the ancient tradition of the saffron’s production. In the area between Puglia and Molise, the transhumance is the main character. An important contribution has been given by the Facebook page “Transumanza e altre meraviglie del Molise” which also created a so-called “diary of the transhumance”. The sound of the transhumance and the sound tourism can be an important resource for this territory which also includes some arbëreshë villages like Portocannone and Montecilfone. At the end, it is fundamental to mention the many resources for food tourism, such as the production of the “caciocavallo podolico” and of the “manteca”, connected witht the cows’ transhumance too. In this moment when the transhumance could be added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage list, it is crucial to understand what is needed to create a network of private and public stakeholders and which role can be played by a resource like the Tratturo Magno in these territories
When Music Invades the Urban Spaces: the Piano City Festival in Milan, a New Paradigm of Sociability?
Full text linkIn 2010 the pianist and composer Andreas Kern organized Piano City, a metropolitan piano festival with original and innovative elements: the locations for the concerts are living rooms; the profile of the executors and interpreters include professional musicians, but also piano students, teachers, amateurs and piano-lovers; the heterogeneity of the musical genres (classic music, rock, jazz etc.); last but not least, the use of the Internet as a medium to publicize the event. Inspired by Kern’s idea, Ludovico Einaudi first organized a Milanese edition of Piano City in 2011. Since then, the piano-festival has represented a significant episode in the recent revamping of the city image after a period in which it had become dull and weak. Milan has interpreted at its best the philosophy of this event: the promotion of typical places, the use of the web and of social media, the urban hospitality and the free exhibitions, the inhabitants’ involvement, the incentive to explore the city in order to rediscover and reappropriate the public spaces; these are just some of the strengths of Piano City Milan: these elements make this piano festival an opportunity for the construction of a collective sense of place and a new paradigm of urban sociability that offers the city the chance to redeem itself, its own identity and to activate new forms of self-narrative
A Practice of Active Citizenship: the Contribution of CAI Trekkers to the Knowledge of Architectural Heritage Along the Trails
Full text linkCommunicating Actions for Sustainable Tourism Development. The Implementation of the European Tourism Indicator System for Sustainable Destinations in South Sardinia
Full text linkSustainability communication plays an essential role in informing tourists about the availability of sustainable products and in addressing them to choosing eco-friendly experiences, as well as in sharing awareness and responsibility within tourist operators about the urgent need to improve the sustainability of tourism offers. The European Tourism Indicator System for sustainable destinations (ETIS) looks a tool able to provide a holistic approach to improve the sustainable management of European tourism destinations, by encouraging stakeholder engagement and monitoring processes. Moving from the conceptual framework of the sustainable tourism, this qualitative study investigates the role of communication as a key strategy related to the ETIS’ implementation in the South of Sardinia, Italy, among the various stakeholders involved in it. Considering that research in sustainability communication and the ETIS outcomes are scarce, this study aims to contribute to filling this gap. The findings show clear weaknesses in the ETIS communication and stakeholders’ engagement, particularly at local level, and in the appropriation of the results. The study suggests to improving communication as a strategic lever to involve tourism operators and tourists while implementing sustainable actions like the ETIS, and to share the knowledgecreated, both at local and international level