Showing papers in "Tourism & Management Studies in 2011"

Travel motivations and behaviour of tourists to a south african resort

Abstract: Travel behaviour refers to the way in which tourists behave according to their attitudes before, during and after travelling. Knowledge regarding travel behaviour can assist in marketing and product planning and development which can increase the number of visitors to tourism products such as resorts. However it was found that very little research has been conducted regarding the travel behaviour of tourists visiting South African resorts. The purpose of this study was to determine the travel behaviour and more specifically the travel motivations of tourists visiting resorts. Research was conducted by means of the distribution of questionnaires. The results indicated that the main travel motivations are resting and relaxation, enriching and learning experiences, participation in recreational activities, personal values and social experiences. These results indicated similarities with the findings of previous research studies.

The integral rural tourism experience from the tourist's point of view - a qualitative analysis of its nature and meaning*

Abstract: Rural areas have attracted increasing interest as a space for leisure and tourism, as a result of recent trends in tourism demand, especially from urban populations. However, although the literature on the tourist experience has increased significantly in the past decades, the tourist experience of visiting rural areas remains a relatively understudied field of research. In this context, this paper aims to analyse the nature of the tourist experience in a rural context, focusing on the tourists’ point of view. Concretely, in-depth interviews were conducted with 44 individuals who had visited rural areas, aiming at a deeper understanding of the three phases of the tourist experience: (i) pre (planning, expectations and motivations); (ii) during (events occurred during the visit); and (iii) after the experience (satisfaction, memories and evaluation of the visit). The results show that the countryside is imagined as a space opposed to the negative aspects of the urban space, ideal for resting, recovering forces and living as a family, often associated with the possibility of getting to know the “ancient” and “traditions”. However, results also show that rural tourism destinations should seek alternatives to create a dynamic that attracts/ satisfies tourists without damaging their natural, cultural and social resources.

Tourism innovation – a literature review complemented by case study research

Abstract: Innovation is nowadays an essential factor for economic competitiveness of firms. The study of innovation in services is still in its infancy seeing that the first studies only appeared in the late 1990s and it is difficult to find a robust theoretical framework for the study of innovation in this sector. It becomes even harder to find when applied to hospitality and tourism firms. Tourism is currently one of the most promising industries in the world and there is urgent need to better understand innovation in this sector. This study aims to address a general question: how to explain innovation in the tourism sector. In seeking an answer to this, the paper has two objectives: 1) to discuss what innovation in services is, taking into account the study of innovation in hospitality and tourism firms along with the presentation of a literature review; 2) to develop case study research as applied to an international hospitality group. The results corroborate all the hypotheses that the implementation of a Hotel Integrated Management System is an important innovation in that it contributes mainly to organizational innovation and firms use politics of sustainability as a strategy for innovation and differentiation from competition. Finally, we present a set of conclusions that enables a better understanding of innovation in tourism and aims at increasing theoretical discussion as well as furthering knowledge on the subject.

Soft skills as key competencies in hospitality higher education: matching demand and supply

Abstract: This study seeks to identify the competencies perceived as essential for hospitality industry leaders. Additionally, it offers some reflections upon hospitality management higher education and examines the structure of Portuguese undergraduate degrees in order to discuss whether the current educational offer matches specific industry demand. Both the literature review and the results of a survey with a sample of hoteliers indicate that soft skills are consistently rated as being the most important to effective performance in the field. On the other hand, an assessment of the undergraduate hospitality management programmes currently on offer in Portugal show a deficit in this area. Some recommendations are presented to redress the evident discrepancies between educational programme content and perceived industry needs. In particular the study proposes the adoption and tutelage of student by industry managers, here referred to as „adopting a student‟.

Understanding tourist recommendation through destination image: a chaid analysis

Abstract: In spite of the efforts of marketers and managers to boost a favourable destination image, with a focus on encouraging tourists‟ revisit, other factors contribute to tourists‟ decision-making processes with regard to revisiting destinations. Moreover, recommendation from family and friends are considered to be the most credible source of information in the process of choosing a holiday destination, becoming relevant that studies on destination loyalty focus on this variable. Therefore, this research aims to identify the attributes which contribute to tourists‟ willingness to recommend a destination. The first stage of this study involved identifying the attributes to measure the image of Lagos in the Algarve region, an important Portuguese destination, through open-ended questions. In the second phase, the application of the Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) to survey responses from a sample of 379 tourists allowed to identify the features that explain the intention to recommend the destination. The results show that culture is the attribute with the strongest power to explain recommendation, highlighting the need for sun and sand tourism destinations to diversify their offer. Of the seven terminal nodes produced by CHAID, two segments with opposite trends were found, for which profiles were drawn.

Factors predicting community support: The case of a south african arts festival

Abstract: Events are one of the fastest growing tourism attractions in South Africa. This has various implications for the role players involved in hosting the event, especially the community. It is important to obtain the support and loyalty of residents so that potential conflicts can be avoided. However, residents are not always involved in the planning and management of the event, which raises questions about the real benefits they receive. It is therefore the aim of this research to determine the factors predicting community support in the case of a South African arts festival. A survey was done in 2007 at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNK), which is one of the largest arts festivals in the country. A stratified random sampling procedure was followed in the community of Oudtshoorn, and 279 questionnaires were completed by residents. Structural equation modelling was done, based on the study of Gursoy and Kendall (2006), to explore the factors and identify its influence on support for the event. It was found that community attachment, costs and benefits perceived were the most important factors predicting community support for the festival, which differs from the results of previous studies. In the case of this study, ecocentric attitudes and issues of community concern did not influence the level of community support the event was given.

Segmentation of the tourism market using the impact of tourism on quality of life

Abstract: A qualidade de vida (QV) tornou-se uma questao central na vida das pessoas e a pesquisa sobre este assunto aumentou consideravelmente nas ultimas decadas. No entanto, alguns dos estudos que tem sido realizados sobre QV adotaram apenas indicadores objetivos e a pesquisa sobre QV e ainda muito escassa em algumas areas de estudo, como por exemplo no turismo. Alem disso, a maioria dos estudos que tem sido realizados no turismo sobre QV focam-se na avaliacao da qualidade de vida dos residentes de destinos e negligenciam a segmentacao baseada na QV como uma ferramenta para segmentacao de mercado. O objetivo deste estudo e colmatar algumas das limitacoes anteriormente referidas e, especificamente: (i) medir a percecao dos visitantes do impacte do turismo na sua QV atraves da adocao de indicadores subjetivos; e (ii) segmentar os visitantes com base nas percecoes do impacte do turismo na sua QV. Os resultados do estudo revelam que o turismo e suscetivel de ter um impacte mais positivo sobre os dominios psicologico e social da QV e que a QV e uma boa base para a segmentacao do mercado turistico. Os visitantes que percecionam mais impactes positivos do turismo na sua QV diferem dos restantes visitantes em diversas caracteristicas, tais como motivacoes para viajar, composicao do grupo de viagem, interacao com os residentes locais e satisfacao com a viagem.

Collaborative destination marketing

Abstract: Collaborative destination marketing has been a major topic in tourism research. Several studies have been conducted on the subject, and researchers developed various models that try to understand and explain this issue. In this article, we make a literature review with the purpose of systematizing the several contributions to the topic, presenting different approaches to it, critically analyze various models proposed, and discuss the main issues regarding the subject. The paper also illustrates the intimate relationship between destination marketing and networking, in developing collaborative destination marketing strategies. At the end of the article, a synthesis of the elements involved in collaborative destination marketing is presented within a theoretical framework. Collaborative destination marketing must be seen as a dynamic process happening in a certain context, it is initiated with a specific purpose, involving diversified actors performing integrated activities, and leading to different types of outputs with added value to its stakeholders.

An ecotourism model for south african national parks

Abstract: South Africa boasts with twenty-one national parks which are under the management of South African National Parks (SANParks). SANParks is the leading conservation organisation in South Africa and also the largest provider of ecotourism experiences in the country. Ecotourism has become one of the world’s major economic sectors with the capability to play a significant role in the sustainable development in areas where nature attracts tourists (Powell & Ham, 2008:467; Fennel, 2002:12). As an ecotourism provider it is important that SANParks implement an ecotourism model to successfully develop and manage its ecotourism products. The absence of such a model can constrain tourism products’ functionality to deliver a competitive product in an extremely competitive industry (Cloete, 2001:2). Although the core pillars on which SANParks management operations are based, are aligned with ecotourism principles, it was found that no concrete model is currently in place to show how ecotourism should be developed and managed in South African National Parks. Hence the aim of this study is to determine what the key aspects for an ecotourism model in South Africa would be.

Turismo, cultura y gastronomía. una aproximación a las rutas culinarias

Abstract: Gastronomy is becoming a main attraction feature in the definition of tourist destination competitiveness and belongs more and more to the kind of cultural items that a tourist searches for in the local area visited. This paper takes an approach to gastronomy as a key factor in the development (and consolidation) of a tourist destination. To achieve this goal, we first present a review of the existing scientific literature in this field, related above all with winery and local culture. Then, we state the importance of food in new experiences tourists can enjoy. We also point to the rising importance gastronomy has in the motivation to visit specific locations or even entire regions. Finally, we refer to the construction of a tourist gastronomic route, taking into account the know-how some countries have (mainly European countries) in the design of wine routes.

Determining factors of a city's tourism attractiveness

Abstract: The primary aim of this work is to identify actions that can improve the tourist attractiveness of a city, specifically Seville, and secondly, to test the Concept Mapping methodology when it is applied to the conceptualization of complex constructs associated with tourism management. This methodology combines qualitative information provided by experts and quantitative information obtained from multivariate statistical techniques. The results of the work suggest, in addition to the validity and suitability of the methodology, that the attractiveness of a tourist destination could be improved by the implementation of a set of publicprivate plans linked to its tourism positioning, residents‟ awareness, the best use of the cultural and social wealth and the rich heritage, as well as the improvement of the infrastructure and the public and private management of tourism.

The new challenges of tourism airports - the case of faro airport

Abstract: Airport infrastructures play an important role in the heart of the regions in which they are located, as well as in certain sectors of activity, such as tourism. In recent years, their positioning has been altered from a passive attitude to an active attitude due to new market demands and new trends which have arisen in associated sectors, such as the air transport sector. The 1997 deregulation of air transport in Europe led to major changes on the way people travel. One of the most interesting results of deregulation, was caused by the fact that the low cost airlines appeared on the market with a business model distinct from the traditional scheduled and charter airlines, allowing for the opening up of new airports and new tourist destinations. Those airlines are also responsible for some of the main changes in the airports operations and market positioning. The increase in routes and frequencies offered by these airlines enabled the emergence of new tourist destinations in Europe that spread, later on, to other places all over the world. The ease of purchasing an airline ticket online, and the availability of attractive routes at affordable prices allowed the development of new market segments, such as second home tourism. One of the main impacts of low cost operations has been the changing of airport's structures, mainly to the ones that traditionally received charter flights. In this article we are going to explore the case study of Faro airport, an excellent example of these changes.

Co-creation: the travel agencies' new frontier

Abstract: Travel Agencies (TA) business model is shifting from “Sold To" (Trip Centric) to "Selling With" (Traveler Centric). The traditional system of company-centric value creation is becoming obsolete. Prahalad & Ramaswamy (2004) argue that consumer wants to interact with firms and thereby co-create value. In this TA new frontier, the role of the consumer has changed from isolated to connected, from unaware to informed, from passive to active. The rapid adoption of the Internet as distribution channel and Social Web as a privileged communication tool between people has pressed organizations to experiment with innovative methods of interaction with consumers in computer-mediated environments. Companies must use interactive tools, create rich profiles and share workspaces, stimulating customers to produce content. It is vital listen, reach out and engage them in a two-way conversation. Virtual Communities exchange all types of information e.g. trip emotions, travel experiences or even purchase choices. Customers, employees and partners collaborate, giving companies new ideas and insights. TA organizations should observe their behavior, tap into customer creativity, recognizing and rewarding them for the contribution. Social Web has become the backbone of the travel agency value constellation. So, an internal and external corporation strategic alignment will be required, in order to expand their customer relationship, promoting themselves online and profiting with collective intelligence during co-creation experiences.

Cooperation of Small and Medium-Sized Tourism Enterprises (Smtes) With Tourism Stakeholders in the Malopolska Region: Top Management Perspective Approach

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to understand the difference in number of relations of small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTE) with tourism stakeholders in the region. This research used an email survey sent to tourism CEOs, directors or owners of SMTEs in the Malopolska Region, focusing on its capital city - Cracow (Poland). All three groups of respondents in SMTEs were understood in the research as the top management of these companies. The study conducted made it possible, on the basis of the statistically significant results, to analyze the differences as regards the level of cooperation between companies depending on the company size, micro firms and SMTEs, their belonging to different subsectors and the company age. Observations show that such differences exist and should be used by the SMTEs managers and tourism policy makers. The largest part of the researched sample usually cooperates with one to five partners from each stakeholder group. A surprising conclusion was the high level of cooperation with competitors from the same subsector – almost one third of the accommodation and catering firms collaborate with more than five competitors.

Understanding innovation in hospitality through the words of innovative managers

Abstract: Recently, researchers have become more interested in service innovation, and they describe it mostly as a process of continuous improvement of service quality, quite different from the industrial sector, more directed to technological innovation This paper summarizes research designed to explain the role of hotel managers in fostering innovation in high quality hospitality industry Within a role theory approach, interviews with 24 managers considered innovative by their employees, and six considered less innovative, were subjected to content analysis and correspondence analysis in order to extract the managers’ perceptual maps Results show the differences between innovative and non-innovative managers’ self perceptions and the implications in service innovation This research suggested ways that can be used to bring better results to the hospitality organizations, and stressed the value of employee creativity in the management process

Applying consumer behaviour theory and grand models to attendees behaviour in coference industry

Abstract: This study attempts to provide a rational suggestion for creating a useful theory of decision making via a qualitative review of the “grand models” of consumer behavior and then applying this theory to conference decision-making context. During past three decades many consumer behavior theories and models have been developed and become prominent research topics in various fields of consumer science. These models, labeled the “grand models” of consumer decision-making which tend to describe the process of proceeding throughout a major buying decision as a rational problem solving approach. However, objections against use of grand models have been expressed since their introduction. The main objective of this research is to challenge these criticisms and prove that grand models are properly applicable in the context of conference decision-making based on logical discussions. Considering the fact that international convention market is growing rapidly and is attracting huge number of attendees every year, therefore the development of a reliable theory for understanding conference attendees’ behavior is not only a matter of purely academic interest but also a possible contribution to convention tourism marketing practice.

Business-community partnerships: the link with sustainable local tourism development in tanzania?

Abstract: This paper investigates whether BusinessCommunity Partnerships (BCP) can facilitate local private sector development in Africa. This study offers a new approach to such partnerships by looking at them from a local private sector development perspective using value chain analysis. Focusing on Tanzania, this paper analyses nine tourism business-community partnership cases including three NGO-initiated partnerships, three business-initiated partnerships and three cases in which there was no explicit partnership between the business and the community. Five effects of tourism development are assessed by such partnerships, namely access to capital, access to skills/ knowledge, access to markets, access to infrastructure and access to land. Overall, business initiated Business–Community Partnerships contributed positively to access of markets and access to infrastructure. The NGO-initiated partnerships contribute positively to the access of land and improved in certain cases the access to infrastructure and markets. However, appropriate transfer of entrepreneurship knowledge and access to capital remains very inadequate. This study offers a new approach by looking at partnerships from a local private sector development perspective, using value chain analysis.

Los stakeholders del turismo

Abstract: The present work tries to define and identify the different actors or agents (stakeholders) that intervene in the tourist activity, through their descriptive analysis. The work tries to define tourism stakeholders, indicating their priorities, bearing in mind that better identified stakeholders and their interests will provide more effective managerial activity in which they intervene. We try to be specific and identify the stakeholders involved in the tourist activity to understand the creation, development and system implantation of Intelligence of Marketing (SIM) in a tourist territory. This is done by means of a constant systematized process of withdrawal of information with high strategic value, involving social networks of clients, professionals and other tourist agents. These agents apart from generating intelligent market information, are going to be also the main users of this information when taking decisions or implementing managerial strategies.

Política nacional de turismo no brasil: da municipalização à regionalização

Abstract: The decade of 1980 has been a time of changes to the world and also to Brazil The fall of the Berlin wall and the globalization are phenomena which marked the late twentieth century Brazil was part of this scenario as it went through structural changes, including real plan, which brought stability along with possibility of growth and development Tourism is enveloped by neoliberalism as a way of attracting investments, investors, better infra-structures and changing the country’s image As far as Brazilian public policies of tourism are concerned, there are two points that constitute the objective of this present work: to analyze the national program of municipalisation of tourism and the program of regionalization of tourism considering the context of post-democratization in Brazil and its influences on the organization of national tourism This analysis has been focused on the content of constitutional documents which have oriented tourism public policy, as well as authors who investigate this theme From a conceptual map, the relations between political context and the moment when documents were elaborated have been built up By the end of this work it will be possible to point out the prevalence of the neoliberal model, along with the interest of market agents over Brazilian touristic context

Generation x and y expectations about wine tourism experiences: douro (portugal) versus napa valley (usa)

Abstract: The wine industry has become increasingly competitive with a known surplus of wine on the global market. Many studies have concentrated their efforts on meeting the needs of the existing Baby Boomer population, aged between 44 and 65. However, to ensure sustainability, it is crucial that wineries with cellar door services explore the perceptions of the future Generations X (born between 1965 and 1977) and Y (born between 1977 and 1994) due to their segment size and buying power. The purpose of this study is to understand these market segments’ perceptions, determine their demographic and psychographic profiles, using social networking platforms in order to assess their expectations about cellar tour experience. A theoretical framework and a quality indicators’ set for the wine experience mix is proposed. This study aims to provide to wine tourism operators some insights about wine perceptions (wine quality and price) and the experience mix: exterior and interior ambiance, service and staff competencies and convenience attributes.

Impacts of second home tourism on shaping regional identity in the regions with significant recreational function

Abstract: This contribution represents a theoretical and methodological entrance into the research of impacts of second home tourism on shaping regional identity. It consists of a summary of international multidisciplinary theoretical concepts concerned second home tourism – transformation theory, territorial organization, suburbanization, de-urbanization, leisure and amenity migration concepts, spatial and hierarchical diffusion, tourist area life cycle, irritation theory, shift from tourist society to leisure society, residential tourism and lifestyle migration concepts, demographical change concepts, sense of home theory, behavioral concepts of shaping identity which arise from "new" regional and cultural geographies. The empirical part follows the latter theoretical concepts and is focused on analyses of the process of shaping regional identity and identity of regions in the areas with considerable concentration of settlements and municipalities with prevailing tourist function. It deals with identification of the inner development potential of localities and regions from socioeconomic and socio-cultural views. The analyses emphasize both identity of regions and belonging of residents and tourists with the territory. Informants of the field, questionnaire survey and structured interviews were residents and second home owners and users. Conclusions indicate small differences in residents/second home owners´ opinions. Both groups performed strong local identity. Second home users are highly involved in public life and social events. Final part outlines further research directions.

Online Advertising in the Tourism Industry and its Impact on Consumers: A Study to Investigate Online Advertising Tools, the Degree of Usage and Customer Preferences

Abstract: The study depicts the various tools of online advertising and their effects on customers, in particular tourists to the Algarve region in Portugal. The purpose of this study is to find out about the degree of Internet usage of travelers and tourists as well as their preferences in online advertising. Furthermore, modern online marketing methods are researched and compared in order to find the most successful ones. Current trends and most effective online advertising methods are researched through secondary literature, a personal interview with the marketing & sales manager of the ROBINSON Club Quinta da Ria in Portugal and a survey. Altogether 248 tourists were questioned at Faro airport in Portugal. Through the investigation it is found that the majority of tourists to the Algarve region uses and prefers the Internet as a medium to gain travel relevant information and to book a holiday. The literature review describes all components of online advertising such as Search Marketing, interactive advertising, online public relations, viral marketing, opt-in email marketing and online partnerships. Out of these methods, Search Marketing, especially sponsored listings, generate rejection, if compared to organic ranking results. Furthermore, tourists have negative attitudes towards banner and pop-up advertising and consider them as Spam. Opt-in E-mail marketing on the other hand generates positive perceptions and as a result is one of the most successful online marketing methods. The use of social media represents a very effective, widely spread and well-liked communication and advertising tool. In general, tourists have more negative attitudes towards advertising on the Internet.

A miopia do marketing de destinos turísticos

Abstract: The present article is characterized as a theoretical essay that proposes a reflection about the evolution of the marketing concept and its implications on Tourism Destination Marketing. The discussing of the evolution of the marketing concept and its evolution within the context of tourism destinations revealed the existence of a strong application of the principles of two specific schools – the Administrative School and the School of Consumer Behavior - and also indicates that these schools are going to guide the main philosophical orientation of the academic mainstream of tourism. To conclude, reflections are made regarding the possible myopias existing in tourism destination marketing, which point to the need for adjustment between the areas of marketing and tourism and some perspectives of future studies that can be developed based on other approaches of marketing, such as Macromarketing.

Os impactos do turismo: o caso da viagem medieval de santa maria da feira

Abstract: This research has as main objective to assess the perceptions of the impacts – economic, social, cultural and environmental caused by a cultural event named Medieval Journey in the city of Santa Maria da Feira, under the perspective of the inhabitants and organizations. To achieve this, a descriptive research was conducted, through 352 questionnaires collected. The main conclusions point out to the following: ? The most important positive economic impact is the increase of the commercial sales volume.?The value and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage is considered the most relevant impact in terms of socio-cultural impacts. ? The most negative impact of the event is the traffic jam.? A rational utilization of the spaces is seen as an important environmental impact.As a whole, the event contributes to 32% of the development of the city of Santa Maria da Feira.

Strategy and innovation. study of the innovative capacity of the spanish hotel industry

Abstract: This paper analyses the relationships between certain determinants in the strategic management process on innovation in hotel organisations in Spain, as well as the influence of the level of innovation on competitive advantage and organisational performance. The theoretical positioning is based on the resource and capability-based approach, within the field of strategic management. An analysis of major hotel chains operating in Spain has shown that certain factors (namely twenty dimensions) of the strategic management process impact on the level of innovation positively, as well as a proper management of innovation influences organizational results, also positively.

Forecasting tourism demand with artificial neural networks

Abstract: Tourism has been viewed as an important player for the economic redevelopment of certain rural regions because of the attraction of landscapes, mountain, and the interest in second-home or investment opportunities at lower prices (Jackson & Murphy, 2002). Even with tourism‟s potential for development at all levels, there have been very few studies regarding models for estimating the local impact of tourism (Jackson & Murphy, 2006). To enhance understanding of the nature of forecasting in tourism destinations it is valuable to study systematically the possible estimative of influence that tourism destination has on an area. The main objective of this study is to present a set of models for tourism destinations competitiveness, using the Artificial Neural Networks methodology. This study focuses on two Portuguese regions - North and Centre - as tourism destinations offering a large range of tourist products, that goes beyond the beach, the mountains, the thermals not forgetting the rural tourism that has growing in the last years. These tourism destinations offer an interesting alternative to the „mass tourism‟ and have become more competitive, since the last one is normally associated with negative environmental impacts.

Consumer innovative behavior in vacation travel

Abstract: This paper focuses on the study of innovative behavior of tourists through the dimensions of sensation seeking. To our knowledge, few studies have explored the dimensions of sensation seeking in relation to the innovative behavior of tourists in their holiday travel decisions. Sensation seeking is defined as the desire for varied, new, and complex experiences, and the willingness to take physical, social, legal, and financial risks in order to achieve such experience. Four components of sensation seeking are identified: thrill and adventure seeking; experience seeking; disinhibition; and boredom susceptibility. This study is based on a sample of 543 university students. The results show that innovators obtain higher scores on the total scale of sensation seeking than non-innovators, both men and women, as well as on the four dimensions of the scale. In addition, sensation seeking is a significant predictor of the consumer innovativeness in the vacation travel. It is noted that three of the four dimensions of sensation seeking (thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, and disinhibition) have a significant influence on the travel service innovativeness.

Mapping affective image of destinations

Abstract: Following Baloglu and Brinberg (1997), who advocate that the affective image space may be used as a tool to positioning tourism destinations, the main purpose of this paper is to introduce latent class factor analysis (LCFA) to map the affective space of environments, namely tourism destinations. Twelve European cities, marketed as short-break destinations for Portuguese travelers, were appraised by a sample of 140 respondents on 20 indicators of affective qualities, taken from Russell and Pratt (1980). The affective qualities attributed to the destinations were successfully reproduced by LCFA on two bipolar latent dimensions, positive or negative valence and high or low arousal. Each of the 20 indicators relates as expected with the poles of the latent dimensions. Considering the variable destination as a covariate, its categories (i.e. the destinations) are depicted in the affective map and tend to cluster in the four quadrants, allowing to easily identifying each destination’s positioning.

The role of regional tourism authorities in tourism policy monitoring - the case of greek rtos

Abstract: Over the last decade, Russia’s national income has been constantly growing, which has resulted in the increase in outbound Russian tourism. As Russian tourists are sought-after in tourist destinations due to their high consumer expenditure, Russia is emerging as a new source tourist market especially for the countries of the Mediterranean, like Greece. Greece’s objective is to attract as many Russian tourists as possible and for this reason it has been trying to develop the Greek-Russian relations. As for the tourism sector, Greece is attempting to promote its tourist product in Russia and convince Russian citizens of its quality and attractiveness. For the achievement of this objective a specific administrative unit, with exclusive competence in the tourism sector, has been founded in Moscow. This unit is staffed with specialized executives and it is supervised by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO). This administrative unit is called Office of the GNTO in Moscow. This article aims to study the structure, organization and function of the Greek tourism office in Moscow, by analysing and assessing its activities. One of its goals is the submission of proposals that will map out the appropriate tourism policy, which will enhance Greece’s competitiveness among the Mediterranean countries and will result in gaining a bigger share in the Russian tourism market.

Strategic tools for decision support: the regional tourism observatory of alentejo

Abstract: In a background of increasing competition between tourism destinations, the issue of information takes on a more pressing nature. The responsible bodies for destination management, either nationally or regionally, should equip themselves with tools to monitor tourism activity in their territories, and that provide timely and reliable information on their evolution, trends, dynamics and market position. The Regional Tourism Observatory of Alentejo is a recently created instrument, to support the decision of the Regional Tourism Board of Alentejo and private entities in the region, as it defines itself as an instrument to detect market opportunities and anticipate the needs of entrepreneurshiprelated sector in the Alentejo. In this article, we highlight the importance of public-private partnerships in developing tools for decision support on a regional basis, focusing on the Regional Tourism Observatory of Alentejo, presenting the studies that are being developed within its framework.