Perceptions and attitudes of Tourists

With ever changing business world, achieving higher level of work performance through managing employee’s work-life balance is still challenging and remains as an issue in literature as well as practically in organizations. Unlike in most of other industries, the situation of the hospitality industry is more critical and the work life balance issue has become an inherent characteristic of the industry. According to Deery (as cited in Monathy, 2014), work-life balance is heavily impact on employee’s performance and since the work-life balance issue is an inherent characteristic of hotel industry, their work performances are mostly at lower levels. Therefore, the study focuses on the work-life balance of the hotel industry employees and its impact on employee performance. The study is based on three main dimension of the work life balance i.e.  Job Content, Personal Factors and Family factors. The study was carried out at the John keels (Cinnamon) Hotel chain in Sri Lanka using 187 executive level employees. Data were collected through a standard and validated questionnaire survey and face to face discussions with family members of the selected employees. Data which collected through questionnaire survey were analyzed by using multiple linear regressions and content analysis was employed to summarize the data which collected through discussion. The result revealed that there is high positive relationship between all three dimensions and employee performance.  The factors related job content, personal and family are positively contributed for the employee performance. The hotel industry can further improve the employee performance through creating a conductive work environment which allows the employee to have a work-life balance. Confirming the previous findings the current study reveals that the work-life balance positive impacts on work performance. This study will contribute to hotel industry to improve the work- life balance of the employees in order to improve the employee work performance.

The number of tourist visits to Bunaken National Park has recently increased, and has subsequently become uncontrollable. This phenomenon has potential benefits and drawbacks according to environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects. This study aimed to explore the opinion and behavior of local communities regarding tourism growth in their area. To examine this phenomenon, the research study applied a mixed-method approach or combined quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Qualitative data was collected by observing the locals' behavior in Bunaken National Park, and the quantitative data was collected via questionnaires that looked at the perceptions towards tourism development. Doxey's Irritation Index was used as the primary measurement instrument when looking at the interactions among local communities and tourists. The study finds that the local community is likely to give a positive response to the tourism growth in their area and that according to Doxey's theory, they are in the "Euphoria" stage.

Tourist guidebooks provide an important source of information on places. Different guidebooks are written for different types of visitors to better meet their individual travel needs. This is demonstrated through a content analysis of four guidebooks written for Singapore in the early 1980s. Two of the guidebooks represent variations on mainstream, mass travel interests. The third source presents the long-term expatriates perception,
while the fourth source presents the alternative or youth tourist view of Singapore. Urban tourism is shown to be multifaceted, allowing for a diversity of travel motivations, experiences, and behavior.

Keywords: travel literature, urban tourism, content analysis, environmental perception, Singapore.

Mediators are important part of tourism to interplay facilitator role between hosts and guests. Between two different cultures, the mediators guide the interaction processes, behaviors and travelling. A poor guide can ruin an entire holiday experience through insensitivity, communication problems, or an authoritarian style projected at the wrong time. Some works point out that a good guide, working in the correct context, provides a relatively safe and secure milieu for the tourist to collect those authentic experiences which fulfill the individual's motivation for travelling. Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all one's familiar sign and symbols of social intercourse. It is not only the tourists who experience culture shock at the behaviour and beliefs of the natives, but also natives who experience culture shock at the unusual habits of tourists.
This paper examines the cross-cultural interactions between tourists and tourist guides. There is found various difficulties faced by tourists as well as tourist guides. Habits are also important part of cultural behaviour. The role and activities of tourist guides as mediator and facilitator are considered crucial elements of tourism sector. Thus, this paper intends to explore the experiences and difficulties faced by tourist guides; and cross-cultural communication process.
Keywords: interpretation, contribution of tourist guides, memorable events, impacts, behaviour, habit

ABSTRAK Kajian ini bertujuan meninjau Persepsi Pelancong Terhadap Produk Kraftangan Pasu Sarawak di Waterfront, Kuching. Persepsi ialah proses bagi memilih menyusun dan mentafsir maklumat daripada keadaan sekeliling. Pendekatan ini adalah betujuan untuk mengetahui kewajaran produk kraftangan Pasu Sarawak sebagai cenderahati dalam sektor pelancongan. Melalui kajian ini, pengkaji menggunakan kaedah kuantitatif bagi meneliti kejayaan produk kraftangan, faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi minat pelancong dan usaha-usaha yang boleh dilakukan untuk membangun dan mengkomersialkan produk kraftangan Pasu Sarawak. Seramai 370 orang responden yang terlibat di dalam kajian ini yang terdiri daripada pelancong domestik dan juga pelancong antarabangsa. Hasil kajian ini akan mendapati pelbagai pendapat daripada responden-responden dan seterusnya dapat membantu industri kraftangan negara khususnya pada produk kraftangan Pasu Sarawak dalam memainkan peranan sebagai cenderahati dalam sektor pelancongan. Justeru, kajian ini dapat membantu produk kraftangan Pasu Sarawak mengenal pasti kelebihan, kelemahan, peluang dan ancamannya.

This research aim to determine tourist perception about the quality of Labuan Bajo as a priority tourist destination in Indonesia using six (6) variables of the successful destination as the indicators. 200 Questionnaires were distributed purposively to tourists in Labuan Bajo, the city center of East Nusa Tenggara Province, in Flores Island, Indonesia. Data collected were analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results showed that domestic tourists valued the destination quality of Labuan Bajo from the uniqueness of the attraction (0.812), the quality of accessible information service (0.811), good infrastructure quality (0.887), the quality of local human resource’s expertise in handling tourists (0.866), the price conformity of the transportation (0.831), and the image of Labuan Bajo as a safe destination (0.856). Foreign tourists perceived the quality of Labuan Bajo are based on: the originality of attraction (0.850), accessible quality to the port (0.827), good infrastructure quality (0.827), quality of human resources to handle the Guests (0.893), the price conformity of the transportation (0.851), and the image of Labuan Bajo as a safe destination (0.846).

The metropolitan area of Cluj-Napoca is the focal point of tourism in North Transylvania. This exploratory study examines the profile, motivation, visiting behaviours, and perceptions of tourists visiting the most important metropolitan area in the region, with its historical, core city, which holds the title of European Youth Capital in 2015 and aspires for European Capital of Culture in 2021. Based on surveys carried out in the spring and summer of 2014, the findings indicate that three types of tourism dominate the metropolitan Cluj-Napoca: cultural tourism, business tourism and VFR tourism. While the periphery is more attractive for mountain tourism and week-end recreation, the core emerges with a great diversity of events. Tourists were overall satisfied with their time spent on the destination. Furthermore, out of a number of tourist attractions only the ones located in Cluj-Napoca were familiar or even visited by most of the tourists, the rest were as if inexistent. Thus, findings indicate great distribution inequalities. The implications of the results on metropolitan development processes and strategies are also discussed.

This study aims to review the Tourist Perception Toward Handicraft Product's Sarawak Pottery in Waterfront, Kuching. Perception is the process for selecting organize and interpret information from the surrounding circumstances. This approach is intended to justify handicraft product's Sarawak Pottery as souvenirs in the tourism sector. Through this study, researchers used quantitative methods to examine the successful of handicraft products, factors that affect the interests of tourists and businesses can do to develop and commercialize handicraft product's Sarawak Pottery. A total of 370 respondents involved in this study consisted of tourists, both domestic and international tourists. The results of this study will find a variety of opinions from the respondents and thus help the craft industry in particular countries especially handicraft product's Sarawak Pottery in its role as a souvenir in the tourism sector. Thus, this study can help handicraft product's Sarawak Pottery identify advantages, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Abstrak Persepsi merupakan gambaran atau bayangan dalam hati atau fikiran tentang sesuatu perkara. Kertas kajian ini dihasilkan untuk membincangkan persepsi pelancong terhadap produk kraf kulit kayu. Faktor pelancong memilih produk kraf kulit kayu sebagai cenderahati dan cara memasarkannya dalam kalangan pelancong turut diutarakan di dalam kertas kajian ini. Produk kraf kulit kayu sebagai produk cenderahati merupakan fokus utama kajian. Kajian ini bertumpu kepada para pelancong di Waterfront, Kuching. Sebanyak 340 set borang soal selidik telah diedarkan kepada responden di lokasi kajian. Penggunaan gabungan yang terdiri daripada kaedah kualitatif dan kuatitatif dilakukan untuk mendapatkan hasil yang sahih untuk melaksanakan kajian ini. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan pelancong mempunyai pelbagai keperluan dan minat yang berbeza terhadap produk kraf tangan yang ingin dibeli. Manakala lokasi yang strategik merupakan pilihan para responden sebagai kaedah utama untuk memasarkan dan menjual produk kraf kulit kayu sebagai cenderahati. Oleh itu, pengkaji mengharapkan kajian ini dapat membantu pengkaji akan datang untuk membuat kajian yang lebih dalam mengenai industri kraftangan pada masa hadapan. Kata kunci : Cenderahati, Produk kraf kulit kayu, Pelancong, Pemasaran. Pengenalan Kepelbagaian bentuk dalam kesenian, kebudayaan dan warisan di Sarawak menjadikannya sebagai salah satu negeri yang dianggap terkenal dan dikenali. Kepelbagaian tersebut membuatkan pengkaji berpendapat untuk melakukan kajian mengenai seni kraftangan khususnya kraf kulit kayu sejajar dengan kemajuan yang dicapai oleh negeri Sarawak. Tajuk ini dipilih kerana pengkaji ingin mengetahui dengan lebih lanjut tentang produk kraf tangan di Sarawak khususnya kulit kayu. Pada pendapat pengkaji, kajian mengenai produk kraf tangan kulit kayu masih kurang dilaksanakan oleh para pengkaji lain. Teknik pemasaran yang bersesuaian dengan produk kraftangan kulit kayu turut diulas kerana bukan semua orang khususnya para pelancong mengetahui secara mendalam tentang produk kraf tangan kulit kayu.

Air pollution is becoming a serious socio-environmental problem in many modern societies and poses significant economic threats to popular tourism destinations. Despite the documented consequences of air pollution on tourism demand, studies have seldom examined its impact on individuals’ psychological states, especially in the tourism context. Through a correlational study and two experiments, our findings indicate that tourists are more likely to be suspicious of local service providers when travelers perceive a destination as having heavy air pollution (vs. one without such pollution). This relationship presumably exists because tourists experience greater pessimism in an environment with high air pollution, which in turn influences their evaluations of service providers. Following this logic, we show that the effect diminishes when tourists are cognizant of (and thus rely less on) their pessimistic feelings when evaluating service providers. Finally, we offer theoretical and practical implications of this effect in tourism.

The impression in the restaurant can offer tourists new experiences that can lead to a higher level of satisfaction. The restaurant's offer has a significant impact on how tourists perceive the destination since tourists with dissimilar cultural backgrounds think and behave differently. Precisely analyzing and correctly understanding the cultural difference will help tourism managers generate greater customer satisfaction and increased business revenue. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in the perception of restaurant offer among different groups of tourists who visited the city of Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska Bosnia, and Herzegovina. A total of 296 respondents participated in the research. SPSS version 26 was used to process the data while t-test was used to analyze the differences among independent samples. The obtained results showed that there are differences in the perception of the restaurant offer between different groups of tourists, between males and females, age and level of education, but not in monthly income or earnings. The results of this research can be useful to the local sector, which has the authority to promote and market the city, tourist organizations, and restaurants in the area of Banja Luka.

In general, tourism plays a significant role in the economy of archipelagos and islands. The Autonomous Region of the Azores has a great potential for tourism, offering multiple attractions, both natural and cultural, creating a big challenge for a sustainable tourism policy since little attention has been paid to the archipelagos and their special needs. This work aims to understand the profile and type of ecotourist that visits the Azores. This knowledge is of great importance for a better management and development of nature-based tourism, and products tailored to the needs and expectations of visitors. The data were collected by means of exit surveys conducted at the Airport of São Miguel Island, the larger and most populated island of the archipelago, during the high tourist season-July-September 2009. The analysis of the visitor's profile and preferences is crucial to draw adequate strategies of management for tourism, while it helps to adequate the offer to the demand. Results showed that 41.1 % of the tourists claimed to be attracted to the islands due to their ''natural values'' (e.g., landscape, biodiversity, and geodiversity). The most practiced activities were whale-watching (32.4 %) and mountaineering/hiking (31.6 %), followed by diving (7 %) and other sports (5.1 %). The tourists' profile points to a mainstream, soft, and incidental type of ecotourist. This information helps to develop and support a strategic planning and management, both at local and regional levels, for sustainable tourism policies.

This study aims to identify the role of integrated resort customers' value co-creation attitude on their co-creation behavior by applying service-dominant logic in the integrated resort setting. The proposed model is tested using data collected from five integrated resort sites in Croatia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is used to explore the relative impact of multidimensional value co-creation attitude, including interaction, knowledge sharing, and responsive attitudes, on customers' co-creation behavior (i.e. participation and citizenship behavior) toward integrated resorts. Findings suggest that customers' interaction and responsive attitudes positively influence their future behavioral intention. In addition, customers' participation behavior significantly and positively mediates the relationship between their responsive attitude and citizenship behavior. Given the importance of understanding and managing customers' experience, findings are also beneficial for academic researchers and integrated resort service providers.

The integrated tourist destination product creates the tourist experience, and its improvement contributes to destination competitiveness. Therefore, the tourist experience can be considered as fundamental for destination competitiveness. The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the integrated destination product and destination competitiveness. The proposed approach is tested on the example of two destinations in the tourism region of Western Serbia: Bajina Basta and Prijepolje. In order to measure the visitors' perceptions of destination product, the survey method and t-test statistic were used. The obtained results confirmed a significant difference in the assessment of the integrated product of two destinations, which confirmed the starting hypothesis that the perception of the integrated destination product can be used as an indicator of tourist destination competitiveness. Апстракт Обједињени производ туристичке дестинације ствара туристички доживљај, а унапређење производа утиче на конкурентност дестинације. Сходно томе, доживљај туриста je фундаменталан за конкурентност туристичке дестинације. Циљ овог рада је да испита однос између обједињеног дестинацијског произво-да и њене конкурентности. Предложени приступ је тестиран на примерима две дестинације у Туристичкој регији Западна Србија: Бајина Башта и Пријепоље. У циљу мерења туристичког опажања дестинацијског производа, заснованог на туристичком доживљају при боравку у дестинацији, спроведена је анкета и упо

This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of 42 export promotion programmes among 46 Cypriot export manufacturing SMEs. The two-step method of evaluating the effectiveness of export promotion programmes considers firstly, qualitative measures, i.e. the level of awareness, adoption and usefulness of the export promotion programmes, related to the organisational, the internationalisation and export performance parameters, and secondly, quantitative measures, i.e. the number of the significant differences of the above parameters. The most important categories of export promotion programmes for modification are financial aspects of marketing, marketing mix, education and training and market targeting. The proposed model shows that there exist positive relationships between the levels of usefulness and adoption, awareness and adoption and usefulness and awareness, provided that there are significant differences among the sub-parameters, i.e. firm's size, product type, export distribution method, export regularity and export profit intensity. The excess vs. the lagging of satisfaction of users of export promotion programmes, play an important role for motivating export managers for higher levels of export performance.

The repeated kidnapping incidents in Sabah had negatively impacted Malaysia's tourism sector, especially in the number of tourist arrivals. An immediate survey with international tourists upon their perceptions toward the embedded risks visiting Sabah after six months of the incidents had been conducted. A total of 224 complete questionnaires were collected. The results showed unexpected findings that the respondents do not have a strong life-threatening perception on Sabah. The correlations of safety perception and precaution taken during the traveling were not statistically significant. The major reason is that tourists view the incidents as transitory and independent of tourism activity. This study further shows the pattern of risk tolerance with different tourists' behavioral and demographic profiles. Multivariate regression was conducted to examine the major determinants of tourists' risk perception. Ultimately, the study provides useful implications toward the sustainability of the tourism industry over a crisis period.

Tourism industry is one of the fastest growing industries globally, with an economic contribution that is unquestionable in both developed and developing countries. However, the growth in tourism is also associated with a growth in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the tourism value chain, worsening the disaster of climate change. The tourism industry is dependent on the climate in many settings. To understand the current and future of the tourism industry, in the context of climate change, it is critical to understand the perceptions, knowledge and attitude of the tourism industry's main stakeholders, the tourists. This paper examines the stated aspects in the context of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. The study made use of an online survey, involving 155 tourists across the world, and secondary data. Analysis of data was done using QuestionPro analytics, Microsoft Excel ToolPak and Content Analysis. The results show that tourists are increasingly becoming more knowledgeable ab...

" Tourism is now more than the traveler's game " (Greenwood, 1977, p. 129). It is considered to be the most dominant form of commercial trade and movement of goods and services across a very wide horizon around the world. Local destinations are thought of as " authentic " and real places that attract tourists who seek the abnormal, i.e. away from the tourist bubbles that encompass enclaved resorts and hotels. Yet, according to several scholars, the process of globalization has penetrated such exotic places creating a " staged " theatre with actors, i.e. local residents, who wear certain costumes and carry out specific performances to meet globalized desires and attract as much visitors as possible for economic development and promotion. This paper sets out to explore the characteristics and features of such staged spaces, concluding that they, eventually, become the main generator of bubbled enclaved theatrical spaces via commodified and globalized local culture.

Discourses concerning risk have become increasingly popular among tourism academics. While these cover a wide range of safety and security concerns, there is rather less of a focus on risk from conventional crime than on terrorist threats. In contrast, criminologists have written extensively about the actual and perceived risk of crime. Both tourism academics and criminologists have addressed the question of who is most concerned about crime, but in each case this analysis has focused on questioning people at one point in time. This paper differs in that it compares the perceptions of risk of those arriving on a visit to Istanbul with perceptions of safety among a similar sample of those returning from their trip. In the former case, we consider tourists' perceptions of risk prior to their arrival. In the latter case, their perceptions of safety after their trip, and the consequences of this for future visits, a key concern within the tourism industry.

Asia’s market share in global tourism has increased dramatically over the last few decades. In countries like China, India, and South Korea, the emergence of a rising Asian middle class that can afford to travel is quickly turning the region into one of the most attractive tourist markets. As a result, Asian tourism hot spots, like destinations elsewhere in the world, are competing to obtain their piece of the lucrative Asian tourist pie. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand are already strongly positioned; China is the fastest rising star; and competition is high in Malaysia, Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos), South Korea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Here, by way of an ethnographic case study, I examine how tourism in Yogyakarta (commonly referred to as Jogja), Indonesia, has been opening up to Asian tourists and how local tour guides have adapted their practices, originally oriented toward Western tourists, to fit what they perceive to be the interests and expectations of Asian clients. The research described here was part of a larger multisited study of guiding discourses and practices.

Nowadays, protected areas are protected and used areas for various purposes. One of the key factors for the sustainable management of these areas is the visitors who use these areas. In this study, the effects of visitor characteristics and perceptions on the planning of protected areas and sustainable management were investigated. Kurşunlu Waterfall Natural Park in Antalya was selected as the study area. In the scope of the study, literature analysis, questionnaire-interview and field observations were used as data collection methods. For the analyses of obtained data, statistics package program (SPSS 20.0) was used. The factor analysis method was used to determine the factors affecting visitor perceptions and chi-square (χ2) test to explore the associations between the variables. According to the results of the study, the area is highly demanded due to its proximity to the city centre. High number of visitors, reduces the level of utilization of the visitors who prefer the area and may cause visual and environmental degradation in the area. Visitors’ preferences and perceptions are closely related to three factors: "visitor satisfaction and happiness", "suitability and adequacy of lower and upper structural elements", "visitor safety and visual integrity". The association of visitor characteristics with these factors gives the decision makers important clues that can be used to protect the park and manage it effectively.

In 2012, Guimarães hosted the European Capital of Culture (ECOC). An evaluation of this event was needed because public, private, and community funds were involved. This analysis considers tourists as external and independent stakeholders who assessed the cultural activities developed during the event as well as the attributes of the city. The main objectives of the research conducted were to assess the visitors' motivations during the hosting of the Guimarães ECOC 2012, their perceptions towards the city, and if national and international visitors kept different perceptions of it. For 2 months, in the summer of 2012, a survey was applied to 390 visitors. The results revealed that hosting the 2012 ECOC was a major contribution towards attracting new visitors to the city (though many of the visitors stayed only for a short period of time). Based on tourists' perceptions, the tangible heritage was clearly detached from the set of attributes associated to Guimarães, whereas the...

El patrimonio geológico del paisaje, así como los procesos que lo modelan, no son suficientemente ponderados entre los recursos naturales turísticos, como sí lo han sido siempre fauna y flora, destacados en
folletería y cartelería de miradores, senderos o centros de interpretación. De un análisis sobre la percepción de los georecursos por parte de pobladores y visitantes del área cordillerana norpatagónica, se obtuvo que
el 71 % reconoce elementos geológicos y se plantea interrogantes sobre su origen, pero un 34,6 % admite no conocer cuales son los procesos geológicos pasados o actuales típicos del área (Martínez y Mariona 2017). Esto exterioriza la presencia de un conjunto de elementos singulares del paisaje que no son aprovechados para introducir al poblador/visitante en el conocimiento de la dinámica ambiental.

The article presents the results of a secondary data analysis examining Polish tourists’ perception of tourism product quality offered by Bulgarian hotels. The researchers examined data collected by Itaka travel agency regarding tourists’ satisfaction with the package holidays in Bulgaria between 2010-2013. Since the number of Polish tourists visiting Bulgaria has increased over the last years, it has been hypothesized that Bulgarian hotels offer a competitive value proposition and a very good price/quality relationship. The surveyed sample of tourists spent their summer holiday in one of 14 summer resorts located in Sunny Beach and in Golden Sands area, 4 – three-star hotels and 10 – four-star hotels and the total sample volume is 1212 tourists. The quantitative analysis of tourists’ perceptions of product quality offered by Bulgarian hotels was performed through the scale based on the evaluation of a list of the hotel attributes representing values important for tourists. The qualitative analysis was based on the tourists’ comments regarding their holiday experience in Bulgaria.
Authors: Maria Johann and Lina Anastassova

A statistical analysis based on a tripartite theoretical model of tourist attraction was conducted in this work to examine the influence of personal factors on tourists' perception of the attractions that determine a city's attractiveness. Using the responses of a sample of 510 international tourists, a random sample of 171 was selected, from which parametric and non-parametric tests were carried out: Levene's test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test. The results show that, from a statistical point of view, there are statistically significant relationships between tourist perception and personal factors. This reveals that the same tourist attractions can be perceived and evaluated differently according to gender, age, motivation, and region of origin. Thus, there is a significant influence of internal factors on the tourists' perception. Tourism perception is therefore not static but fluctuating. Consequently, it is imperative for decision-makers to segment th...

Tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors on an international scale. Based on this growth, it became necessary to consider climatic-meteorological conditions as determinants for boosting tourism in some geographical areas. The main objective of this paper is to characterize the perception of bioclimatic comfort of tourists who visited the city of Porto in the summer seasons of 2019 and 2020 (in the on-going pandemic). Primary data were obtained from a questionnaire on perceptions of bioclimatic comfort and microclimatic measurements applied to 207 tourists in the summer of 2019, 146 in the winter of 2019–2020 and 210 in the summer of 2020. It took place in one of the main places of passage for tourists visiting the city of Porto. Based on statistical analysis, responses were parameterized according to the environmental and sociodemographic characteristics of the tourists. In addition, summary indicators (Physiological Equivalent Temperature – PET, Thermal Sensation Vote – TSV, Thermal Preference Vote – TPV) were used to characterize the profile of visiting tourists. The influence of microclimate conditions on the thermal comfort of tourists was evident, showing, however, that they still felt comfortable regardless of the situation. The results demonstrated a good effort to reduce thermal discomfort through adapted behavior. Air temperature and relative humidity seem to be more directly related to mean thermal sensation votes in the summer of 2019 (r2 = 0.86 and r2 = 0.68, respectively). In the winters of 2019–2020 and summer of 2020, these indicators do not show such a strong correlation. Anyway, it is verified that there is a greater tolerance for higher and lower temperatures than those that are verified for the residents, when compared to previous studies. The consideration of average thresholds for thermal comfort in tourism is crucial. In future studies and planning proposals, it will be necessary to consider the optimal climatic conditions of local climate change adaptation and mitigation policies.

A statistical analysis based on a tripartite theoretical model of tourist attraction was conducted in this work to examine the influence of personal factors on tourists’ perception of the attractions that determine a city's attractiveness. Using the responses of a sample of 510 international tourists, a random sample of 171 was selected, from which parametric and non-parametric tests were carried out: Levene’s test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test. The results show that, from a statistical point of view, there are statistically significant relationships between tourist perception and personal factors. This reveals that the same tourist attractions can be perceived and evaluated differently according to gender, age, motivation, and region of origin. Thus, there is a significant influence of internal factors on the tourists’ perception. Tourism perception is therefore not static but fluctuating. Consequently, it is imperative for decision-makers to segment the tourism ma...

Despite the importance of the festivals for the culture and the economy of nations, little research has been conducted in order to understand the behaviour of the Romanian tourists regarding the festival attendance and the intention to travel in order to participate in festivals. The originality of this study is highlighted by the analysis of the behaviour of Romanian tourists regarding the attendance at festivals, from the point of view of studying festival tourism as a form of cultural tourism. The article is based on the findings of an exploratory survey–based research carried out in February – May 2014. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the behaviour of the Romanian tourist regarding the participation in festivals, both in his town and also when he is travelling. Our objectives are to: find if Romanian people in general, and Romanian tourists, in particular, are interested in traveling with the purpose of attending a festival, identify the main motivations for attending a festival, the types of festivals that are preferred and the tourists`perception on Bucharest as potential international festival destination. The paper concludes that Romanian tourists tend to participate in one festival per year in average in their country and less than one festival per year in another countries, that music festival is the most appreciated type of festival and also we discovered that the most important motives for attending festivals in tourists' perception are psychological, cultural and emotional.

Reference: "Obraz Balkánu v českých internetových cestopisech", In: Lidé města (revue pro antropologii, etnologii a etologii komunikace), vol. 16, nr. 2/2005, pp. 43-61.

SUMMARY:

Internet travelogues are very popular with Czech users of the World Wide Web and their number is constantly growing. Czech internet travelogues dedicated to the Balkans constitute an interesting and yet unexplored sources of images of the other, stereotypes and mental maps. The form of these travelogues varies from short descriptions of the trip accompanied by several pictures to extensive accounts of the journey, often based on personal diaries. The identity of the authors and participants is sometimes impossible to establish since they frequently use only their nicknames and do not provide sufficient personal information. However, it is more or less evident that most authors are young people aged 20-29, often college students or just out of school. Most internet travelogues analyzed for this survey identify Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia as countries that constitute the region of the Balkans. Greece and Croatia are not regarded as Balkan countries. Instead, they are viewed as typical destinations of Mediterranean summer tourism. The Balkans means much more than a simple geographic term. The terms Balkans (Balkán) and Balkanic (balkánský) as found throughout the analyzed travelogues signify something dangerous, wild, unpredictable, chaotic, absurd, and disorderly. These meanings are not necessarily negative - for many young Czech authors of the travelogues, the characterization of the Balkans as a wild and unpredictable place is in fact quite attractive. The Balkans is also associated with images of poverty, negligence, and visible reminders of the Yugoslav wars in the western part of the peninsula. However, signs of modernization and development can be described as Balkanic, too. The encounter with modernization in the supposedly wild and backward region is often regarded as something absurd - and absurdity is another notion strongly associated with the Balkans by many Czechs. Most travelogues are dedicated to Romania, Bulgaria and Montenegro. Visitors of these lands are attracted by a combination of wild and relatively unspoiled mountains, historical sights (monasteries, old towns...) and the Black Sea or the Adriatic beaches. Serbia, Bosnia and Macedonia have received a more limited attention. These landlocked countries are often closely associated with the images of recent military conflicts. Until recently, the visa regime also made these countries less attractive than the first three for Czech tourists. Albania is definitely viewed as a symbolic heart of the Balkans, a little-known, exotic and dangerous land. For many visitors, however, a trip to Albania was a disappointment in the end  - the country failed to match their highly romantic or negative expectations and turned out to be "too normal" in their eyes.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change latest findings, average air temperature in southern Europe can raise from 2ºC to 6ºC until 2100. Longer, warmer summers and smoother winters can be expected, along with changes in the precipitation regime and quantities. In tourism, as well as in other climate sensitive economic
sectors – such as agriculture - considerable impacts are likely to happen. Changes in what concerns tourism flows and seasonality can be anticipated, as well as in the activities in which tourists engage. Impacts of climate change in tourism can be either positive or negative, although most literature on the subject has emphasized costs more than
benefits. The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon these matters that are currently in an early stage of debate. Taking into account the results of interviews to tourists carried out in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, as a part of the international project “Urban Tourism and Climate Change”, we try to assess to what extent climate changes will impact on tourism trends and tourist perceptions, behaviour and preferences, and also how
these can influence the attractiveness of urban destinations.

In general, tourism plays a significant role in the economy of archipelagos and islands. The Autonomous Region of the Azores has a great potential for tourism, offering multiple attractions, both natural and cultural, creating a big challenge for a sustainable tourism policy since little attention has been paid to the archipelagos and their special needs. This work aims to understand the profile and type of ecotourist that visits the Azores. This knowledge is of great importance for a better management and development of nature-based tourism, and products tailored to the needs and expectations of visitors. The data were collected by means of exit surveys conducted at the Airport of São Miguel Island, the larger and most populated island of the archipelago, during the high tourist season—July–September 2009. The analysis of the visitor’s profile and preferences is crucial to draw adequate strategies of management for tourism, while it helps to adequate the offer to the demand. Results showed that 41.1 % of the tourists claimed to be attracted to the islands due to their “natural values” (e.g., landscape, biodiversity, and geodiversity). The most practiced activities were whale-watching (32.4 %) and mountaineering/hiking (31.6 %), followed by diving (7 %) and other sports (5.1 %). The tourists’ profile points to a mainstream, soft, and incidental type of ecotourist. This information helps to develop and support a strategic planning and management, both at local and regional levels, for sustainable tourism policies.

In general, tourism plays a significant role in the economy of archipelagos and islands. The Autonomous Region of the Azores has a great potential for tourism, offering multiple attractions, both natural and cultural, creating a big challenge for a sustainable tourism policy since little attention has been paid to the archipelagos and their special needs. This work aims to understand the profile and type of ecotourist that visits the Azores. This knowledge is of great importance for a better management and development of nature-based tourism, and products tailored to the needs and expectations of visitors. The data were collected by means of exit surveys conducted at the Airport of São Miguel Island, the larger and most populated island of the archipelago, during the high tourist season—July–September 2009. The analysis of the visitor’s profile and preferences is crucial to draw adequate strategies of management for tourism, while it helps to adequate the offer to the demand. Results showed that 41.1 % of the tourists claimed to be attracted to the islands due to their “natural values” (e.g., landscape, biodiversity, and geodiversity). The most practiced activities were whale-watching (32.4 %) and mountaineering/hiking (31.6 %), followed by diving (7 %) and other sports (5.1 %). The tourists’ profile points to a mainstream, soft, and incidental type of ecotourist. This information helps to develop and support a strategic planning and management, both at local and regional levels, for sustainable tourism policies.

The tourism industry has recently become one of the most important components of developing economies and a main contributor toward their growth. As a multidimensional industry, it consists of several sectors including accommodation, transport, attractions, etc. Hence, the tourism product represents a complex of tangible and intangible elements, which are mutually, spatially and functionally integrated as a whole, appar-ent as a range of services arising from the needs, desires and demands of tourists. Recently, the fierce competitive business environment worldwide has made quality one of the most important sources of com-petitive advantage for tourism enterprises. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of inter-national tourists concerning the service quality provided by three of the main tourism establishments in Egypt, including airlines, hotels and travel agencies, depending on the Service-Performance model. There were two main findings in this exploration. Firs...

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change latest findings, average air temperature in southern Europe can raise from 2oC to 6oC until 2100. Longer, warmer summers and smoother winters can be expected, along with changes in the precipitation regime and quantities. In tourism, as well as in other climate sensitive economic sectors – such as agriculture considerable impacts are likely to happen. Changes in what concerns tourism flows and seasonality can be anticipated, as well as in the activities in which tourists engage. Impacts of climate change in tourism can be either positive or negative, although most literature on the subject has emphasized costs more than benefits. The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon these matters that are currently in an early stage of debate. Taking into account the results of interviews to tourists carried out in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, as a part of the international project “Urban Tourism and Climate Change”, we try to asses...