Journal of Tourism Management Research

The impact of tourism on sustainable development in GCC countries

Mourad Zmami — 2024-07-22

GCC nations are putting a premium on the tourism sector to diversify their economies. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the effects of tourism on sustainable development in these countries. This research aims to fill this gap by analyzing the short-run and long-run effects of international tourist arrivals on the three sustainable development pillars, i.e., economic, social, and environmental. GCC nations are putting a premium on the tourism sector to diversify their economies. However, in these countries, there is a lack of knowledge on the effects of tourism on sustainable development. The empirical investigation suggests the existence of significant long-run linkages between tourism and all sustainable development pillars. Moreover, the PMG-ARDL model shows mixed results regarding the impacts of tourism on sustainable development. First, tourism accelerates economic sustainability only in the short-run, while it promotes social sustainability, as represented by job creation, in the long-run. Furthermore, tourism deteriorates the ecological footprint in the short-run. However, it contributes to environmental sustainability in the long-run. Finally, the short-run country-specific analysis corroborates the previous results, suggesting that tourism improves economic sustainability but harms environmental sustainability in all countries. However, the effects of tourism on social sustainability reveal some short-term heterogeneity, as it boosts job creation in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and reduces it in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The findings of the present study have significant policy implications for achieving sustainable development goals in GCC. countries.

Relationship between healthy lifestyles awareness, health perception and mental well-being: A cross-sectional study on thermal tourism service recipients

Yasar Demir — 2024-07-22

This study aims to reveal the levels and determinants of awareness, health perception and mental well-being of individuals receiving services in thermal facilities in Türkiye. The study was cross-sectional. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews between November 1, 2023 and January 30, 2024 from individuals receiving services in thermal facilities in Samsun and Kütahya provinces. A questionnaire form consisting of 4 sections was used to collect the data. The form consisted of personal information, healthy living awareness, health perception and mental well-being. As a result of the study, 388 questionnaire forms were analyzed. 38.4% of the participants were between the ages of 60-69 and 57.5% were female. There was a statistically significant difference between age, marital status, chronic disease, health perception, healthy living awareness and mental well-being. The mean value of the health perception of the participants was X̄=2.86 before thermal and X̄=3.24 after thermal. A statistically significant, positive and strong relationship was found between healthy living awareness, mental well-being and health perception (r>0.500, p<0.01) as a result of correlation analysis. Multiple regression analysis revealed that health perception and healthy life awareness predicted mental well-being (p<0.01). The most important result of the study was that mental well-being increased as health perception and healthy life awareness increased. The other important result of the study is that the level of health perception, healthy life awareness and mental well-being decreases as age increases. In addition to healthy life awareness and mental well-being, those with chronic diseases had lower levels of health perception.

Unlocking the relationship between destination brand value and tourists' intentions to visit: A case study in Quang Binh province

Nguyen Thi Phuong Chi — 2024-09-06

This study aims to explore the factors that constitute the concept of destination brand value and analyze the influence of these elements on tourists' intention to choose a destination. The destination is seen as a brand that builds and maintains a unique venue image, enhances its competitive position and attracts visitors to this destination. Vietnam has much potential to attract tourists with its scenic landscapes and historical cultural relics. However, since COVID-19, attracting tourists has yet to be able to compete with other countries in the region such as Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. How can Vietnamese destination brand value be improved to compete in attracting tourists? To answer the above research question, a quantitative approach was applied. Data was collected from 295 tourists intending to visit Quang Binh, a central province of Vietnam with many famous natural, cultural and historical attractions. Through exploratory factor analysis, research results show that three factors of brand value impact the online travel experience: destination image brand quality, destination brand awareness and destination brand image. This study confirms the positive relationship between online destination brand experience and destination intention to visit. Some implications are proposed for managers in the tourism industry to improve the competitive advantage of the Quang Binh destination brand.

Exploring the factors influencing low-carbon travel: Evidence from Taiwan

Ying-Wei Wu — 2024-09-26

This study aims to explore how low-carbon travel intentions are influenced by numerous factors such as low-carbon literacy, environmental attitudes and perceived behavioural control. The study obtained 615 valid samples through a questionnaire survey and employed confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the reliability and validity of the constructs. Hypotheses were tested using a linear structural equation model. The mediating effect of low-carbon travel intention was assessed and different models were compared through nested model analysis. The results show that under partially mediating models, environmental attitudes and low-carbon literacy significantly impact low-carbon travel through low-carbon travel intentions but perceived behavioral control directly influences low-carbon travel. These insights are significant for tourism operators in formulating strategies and marketing promotions, helping to more accurately target audiences and promote the widespread adoption of low-carbon tourism.

Influence of information credibility of Instagram posts on tourist decision-making behaviour

Sayani Chawla — 2024-10-21

This research tries to identify the influence of Instagram posts on the decision-making behaviour of tourists. Social media plays a pivotal role in today’s travel and tourism environment. It also determines how people perceive and choose a destination. Social media acts as a platform for people to discuss and share about travel adventures, providing detailed information that can widely influence the decision-making process among visitors. Response to social media sharing and information credibility are the independent variables. Prior knowledge and tourist decision-making are the dependent variables. The research also studies the moderating role of the authenticity of social media posts in shaping tourists' responses and choices. An online survey was conducted to collect primary data from 511 Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) respondents. The sampling design adopted was stratified random sampling. Analysis of moment structures (AMOS) was used to analyse the quantitative data collected. A structural equation modelling approach was used to analyse the data. The study reveals that Instagram and other platforms transform intangible aspects of destinations into tangible experiences, enriching tourists' knowledge. Influencers and user-generated content play a crucial role in decision-making. The authenticity of the post plays a crucial role in shaping the tourist’s decision-making process.

The impact of e-marketing on leisure tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A field study

Jamel Ali Arous — 2024-11-19

This research examined the impact of electronic marketing on tourists’ preferences by conducting a field study on a sample of citizens and residents in the northern border region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study aims to understand the relationship between e-marketing campaigns through three variables: digital presence and online content, interaction of bloggers and influencers, social networking sites, online presence and content, and their impact on leisure tourism, through visitor satisfaction and personal experience as an intermediary variable, and how that affects visitors’ satisfaction and users’ decisions regarding their decisions in choosing recreational tourist destinations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The research aims to shed light on the role of electronic marketing in encouraging leisure tourism and identify the factors influencing tourist decisions in this context. This study utilized surveys conducted with users, totaling 756 participants. We used the quantitative method in the process of collecting and analyzing data from the study to identify the factors influencing users' responses to such information. The data analysis process relied on structural equation modeling using both Amos program and the SPSS program. The study concluded that the results indicate a relationship and influence between electronic marketing campaigns and their variables, digital presence, and online content, social media sites, bloggers, and influencers interact, through visitor satisfaction and user experience, which leads to an increase in tourists’ preference for leisure tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Driving towards the future: Investigating senior tourist acceptance factors of autonomous vehicles in travel and tourism

Zhang Qingyu — 2024-11-22

This paper investigates the role of autonomous vehicles in transforming mobility and tourism. By extending the understanding of self-driving cars within a tourism context, this paper enhances the Automation Acceptance Model and tests the effects of underexplored variables in tourism studies, such as social influence, prior knowledge, and openness to change as a moderator. Data were collected through a survey method, and responses from 269 participants were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). These results suggest that while the extension of the theoretical model is informative, the insignificance of six of the proposed hypotheses calls for deeper investigation in other contexts concerning user acceptance behaviors. This opens new directions for further research, particularly with regard to age, perceived safety, and the level of trust in the technology. The paper concludes with practical implications to help increase the acceptance of autonomous vehicles among senior tourists, discusses limitations, and provides recommendations for future investigation in this rapidly evolving area.

Do hotel facilities matter for the customer? Analyzing the impact of risk perception toward guest satisfaction mediated by accommodation attributes in the hospitality industry

Noveri Maulana — 2024-11-22

This study aims to analyze the relationship between risk perception variables and guest satisfaction mediated by hotel attributes in the hospitality industry in Indonesia. Previous studies argued that guest preference toward hotel attributes can mediate the impact of risk perception toward guest satisfaction when staying at an accommodation. However, some other findings contrast this argument. This study aims to contribute to these theoretical debates among the scholars. As a quantitative study, data were collected through a field survey of 568 foreign and domestic tourists in major tourist destinations in Indonesia. The SEM-PLS with bootstrapping analysis for mediation effect was applied in the study. The result reveals that financial risk does not directly influence guest satisfaction but significantly affects hotel attribute preferences. Health risk similarly impacts hotel attribute preferences positively without directly affecting guest satisfaction. Conversely, psychosocial risk exhibits a strong negative effect on guest satisfaction and hotel attributes. The positive relationship between hotel attributes and guest satisfaction reaffirms the critical role of service quality and physical attributes in driver satisfaction. Mediation analysis indicates that hotel attributes significantly mediate the effects of risk factors on guest satisfaction. The study concludes that enhancing hotel attributes, addressing psychosocial concerns, and investing in health-related features are pivotal strategies for hotel management to boost guest satisfaction, particularly during periods of heightened financial and health risks. These findings offer valuable insights for hotel managers to navigate challenging times and maintain high levels of guest satisfaction, fostering loyalty and positive word-of-mouth among the tourists.

An empirical study of visitors' motivations and actual behavior in dark tourism sites using structural equation modeling: Bangladesh perspective

Md Shakhawat Hossain — 2024-11-22

This study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explore visitors' motivations and their actual behavior at dark tourism sites (DTS) in Bangladesh. It integrates four key motivational dimensions—national identity, educational-historical exploration, empathy, and recognition—to assess how these motivations influence visitors' attitudes (AT), behavioral intention (BI), and actual behaviors (AB). A total of 402 valid questionnaires were collected and examined using confirmatory factor analysis to assess the fit of the measurement model. This research utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the seven hypotheses. Empirical results show that visitors’ motivation has a positive impact on their attitude (AT) and behavioral intention (BI). Subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) are linked to the visitors’ intentions, and BI is linked to their AB. But AT to AB and AT to BI were not statistically significant. The study collected the information during the COVID-19 pandemic, without controlling for its potential effects, using a self-reported questionnaire from a single source. The research contributes to the current knowledge by examining visitors' motivations and exploring their intentions and actual behavior toward DTS in the tourism field.

Is it possible for Google Trends to forecast rural tourism? The situation in Spain

Eduardo Cebrian — 2024-11-22

The study aims to assess the potential of Google Trends (GT) data for improving the prediction of monthly rural overnight stays by national residents in Spain. The study uses forecasting models that incorporate Google Trends data and compares their accuracy with traditional time-series benchmark models. The data used spans from January 2012 to February 2020. This comparison allows for a direct evaluation of whether GT variables offer any predictive advantage over classical time-series methods in the context of rural tourism. The results indicate that models incorporating GT variables do not outperform traditional time-series models in predicting rural tourism flows in Spain. Previous studies in other tourism sectors have found that GT data enhances predictive accuracy. The study concludes that Google Trends data may have limitations in predicting rural tourism flows, despite its demonstrated utility in other tourism forecasting contexts. These limitations suggest a need for further investigation into why GT does not improve rural tourism forecasts. The findings suggest that tourism industry stakeholders and policymakers should be cautious in relying on GT data for forecasting rural tourism flows.