Tourism and Travel Commons^™

A Closer Look At Visitors' Immersion In China's Theme Parks, Xiaoxiao Fu, Carissa Baker

Rosen Research Review

Engaging life experiences can become deeply entrenched in the human memory, facilitating mind associations, stimulating the imagination, and inspiring rich storytelling. UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management's Associate Professor Xiaoxiao Fu and Assistant Professor Carissa Baker, along with their co-authors, recently collected the subjective accounts of 30 people who had visited renowned theme parks in China. By analyzing these first-person tales, the researchers were then able to pin-point patterns and processes that characterized the respondents' immersion in experiences at the Chinese theme parks.

Rethinking Events Over Thirty Years Of Research, Michael B. Duignan

Rosen Research Review

Events are often pitched as business opportunities for the tourism and hospitality sector, but look deeper, and a far more compelling narrative emerges. In examining thirty years of events-related research, Dr. Michael Duignan of UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management has uncovered a highly complex and emerging field of study with significant value for the sector. It is also attracting the eye of researchers from other disciplines looking for insights into why people are drawn to share experiences.

Promoting Accessible Tourism At Mega-Events: Bridging The Disability-Attitude Gap, Michael B. Duignan, Alan Fyall

Rosen Research Review

UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management's Associate Professor Michael B. Duignan and Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Alan Fyall collaborated with a team of fellow researchers to examine Tokyo 2020's potential to challenge ableist norms. Highlighting Japan's efforts to promote inclusive tourism for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), their collaborative study highlights the tourism sector's ongoing gaps. They argue that mega-events like the Olympics can be pivotal in driving inclusivity, addressing both physical and social barriers. Dive into this revealing examination of the interplay between tourism, events, and societal change.

Beyond A 'Like': Building Parasocial Relationships With Baby Boomers On Facebook, Yunying (Susan) Zhong, Valeriya Shapoval, James Busser

Rosen Research Review

Baby boomers are a crucial cohort for hospitality marketing as they have more money to spend and more time on their hands than younger cohorts. However, reaching them on social media is harder. There is one social media platform popular with baby boomers: Facebook. Dr. YunYing Zhong and Dr. Valeriya Shapoval at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, together with their collaborator, have combined their different areas of expertise to analyze the effectiveness of social media marketing directed at baby boomers from an unusual angle: the illusionary and imaginary relationships we build with fictional characters.

Theme Park Knowledge Hub Of The Future, Carissa Baker

Rosen Research Review

The global attractions industry has grown in size and innovation in the last few decades. Encompassing theme parks and waterparks as well as cultural and natural attractions, this segment has diverse career opportunities and constant potential for growth in mature and emerging markets. Theme parks alone garnered a billion visitors in 2019. Post-pandemic, the industry bounced back quicker than expected, with most operators seeing increased attendance and revenue. The attractions industry continues to develop new concepts which provide amazing experiences for guests around the world. However, retirement during the pandemic, coupled with the industry's rapid expansion, created a greater need …

Just Looking: Tourist Gaze And The Theme Park Experience, Wei Wei, Yanyan Zheng, Nathaniel Line, Lu Zhang

Rosen Research Review

What makes a memorable theme park experience? New research led by UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management's Assistant Professor Wei Wei looks at how visitor experience is influenced by the 'tourist gaze'—the consumption of visual experiences, as well as other services, in a tourism destination. With important implications for theme park operators and managers, the study focuses on visitors' visual interactions with fellow visitors and finds they have a significant impact on visitors' emotions and the quality of their overall experience.

Theme Park Visitors Prefer Human-Like Robots In Customer Service Interactions, Ady Milman, Asli D.A. Tasci

Rosen Research Review

Service robots are becoming increasingly popular in many industries and social settings, including education, childcare, elderly therapy centers, and even theme parks. Tourism and hospitality industries are adopting robots enthusiastically and are being closely studied to observe guest engagement and reaction to robotic services. Service robots are becoming increasingly popular in many industries and social settings, including education, childcare, elderly therapy centers, and even theme parks. Tourism and hospitality industries are adopting robots enthusiastically and are being closely studied to observe guest engagement and reaction to robotic services. UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management researchers, Dr. Ady Milman and Dr. …

Collecting Disney, Exhibit Sign, Judy Kuhns, Gina Rippens

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: January-April 2023
Featured items: Disney souvenirs and cast member awards, and books from the Rosen Library Collection. Primary Curators: Judy Kuhns and Gina Rippens
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Collecting Disney, Exhibit Brochure, Judy Kuhns, Gina Rippens

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: January-April 2023
Featured items: Disney souvenirs and cast member awards, and books from the Rosen Library Collection. Primary Curators: Judy Kuhns and Gina Rippens

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A Modern Guide To Tourism Economics, Chapter 1: Introduction, Robertico Croes, Yang Yang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This Modern Guide captures the evolution of foundational tenets, theories, frameworks and models that buttressed tourism economics into an evolving discipline, shining light on both new and old approaches. It systematically examines current and future trends and issues related to new economic perspectives, consolidating the notion of tourism economics as a discipline.

The Impact Of Tourism Specialization On Transition Economies, Robertico Croes, Jorge Ridderstaat

Rosen Research Review

What is the relationship between tourism specialization, economic growth, and human development in transition economies? That’s the question behind a new study led by Rosen Professor Robertico Croes and Assistant Professor Jorge Ridderstaat. Using Poland as a case study, the research looks at the role of tourism in economic and human development since communism fell in the 1990s and the country transitioned from a centrally-driven to a market-led economy.

The Global Impact Of Covid-19 And Tourism On Conservation Rangers' Guardianship Capabilities, Zachary Bockler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted wildlife rangers with an emphasis on the influences of tourism rates. Two sets of data are used: one is a survey of rangers around the world and the other looks at global governmental tourism data. While coming from a routine activities perspective, the problem of decreased capable guardianship becomes apparent in the form of massively decreased tourism arrivals and troubling ranger perceptions. This data allows for the establishment of tourism trends and changes during COVID. The findings of this thesis link the downturn in tourism with impacts on formal and informal …

Florida's Natural Springs: Exhibit Sign, Emily Horne, Burak Ogreten

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: January-May 2021

Featured items: materials on loan from Special Collections, including drawings, books, and photographs, along with books from the Rosen Library's permanent collections, and epoxy resin dioramas created by Emily Horne.

Primary Curators: Emily Horne and Barak Ogreten.

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Florida's Natural Springs: Exhibit Brochure, Emily Horne, Burak Ogreten

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: January-May 2021

Featured items: materials on loan from Special Collections, including drawings, books, and photographs, along with books from the Rosen Library's permanent collections, and epoxy resin dioramas created by Emily Horne.

Primary Curators: Emily Horne and Barak Ogreten.

See more items from this exhibit

Tourist's Delight: How Theme Parks Can Improve Tourism Experience, Edwin Torres, Ady Milman

Rosen Research Review

Understanding what drives customers to write delighted or outraged reviews on platforms such as TripAdvisor following their visits to theme parks would be highly valuable information for park developers and managers. Researchers Dr. Edwin Torres and Dr. Ady Milman from Rosen College of Hospitality Management use data extracted from the review platform to dissect tourism experience, delight and outrage in the previously overlooked theme park sector.

Increasing Health Tourism Spending In The United States, Jorge Ridderstaat, Dipendra Singh

Rosen Research Review

An increasing number of people are taking advantage of health tourism to access medical services abroad. For the U.S. to be competitive in the lucrative health tourism environment, it is essential to target the right markets. Until now the information available to do this has been limited. This knowledge gap is being addressed by Dr. Jorge Ridderstaat and Dr. Dipendra Singh from Rosen College of Hospitality Management and colleagues. These researchers have developed a microeconomic elasticity approach that offers an understanding of the effects of individual tourism markets on the total health tourism spending in the U.S.

What Makes Them Share: Generation Y, Electronic World Of Mouth And Brand Success, Tingting Zhang, Behzad Abounia Omran, Cihan Cobanoglu

Rosen Research Review

Generation Y has redefined the way customers seek, share and consider information about products and services before purchasing. Proficient users of digital technologies and social media, members of Generation Y are quick to share their experiences with brands and companies and their opinions have a significant influence on brand revenue and reputation. Dr. Tingting (Christina) Zhang from Rosen College of Hospitality Management and collaborators Dr. Behzad Abounia Omran (Ohio State University) and Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu (University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee) examined what influences Gen Y's decision to participate in electronic work of mouth (eWOM).

Trouble In Paradise: Impacts Of Theme Park Tourism On The Mental Health Of Employees In Orlando, Florida, Lea Harvey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tourism is a topic that has gained much attention within the realm of anthropology over the past few decades. Anthropological research of the tourism industry has been largely devoted to the study of the tourist gaze and its subsequent sociocultural impacts as well as the benefits that travelers reap from their colonialist excursions. However, the voices of those who form the foundation of this industry, the laborers, remain almost entirely absent from said discourse. Furthermore, there is a lack of anthropological consideration for the relationship between tourism and mental health experiences of employees within the tourism industry. One specific region …

The 2018 Muslim Pilgrimage To Mecca: Application Of Grunig’S Theory Of Excellence Two-Way Communication Efforts To Avoid A Crisis, Saud A. Alsulaiman, Terry L. Rentner

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Every year, millions of Muslims converge in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. So how does a government prepare for a potential crisis when hosting an event of this magnitude? A content analysis guided this study on crisis communication strategies taken by the Saudi government before, during, and after Hajj 2018 and how Saudi Arabia utilized the media to deliver proactive messages to ensure a successful Hajj season. The study found that the government created and built a positive image in the media through the use of effective management, preemptive messages, and multiple communication channels.

2019 Icrcc Proceedings Table Of Contents, Conference Organizers

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

These proceedings are a representative sample of the presentations given by professional practitioners and academic scholars at the 2019 International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference (ICRCC) held March 11-13, 2019. The ICRCC is an annual event that takes place the second week in March in beautiful sunny Orlando, Florida. The conference hosts are faculty and staff from the Nicholson School of Communication. The goal of the ICRCC is to bring together prominent professional practitioners and academic scholars that work directly with crisis and risk communication on a daily basis. We define crisis and risk broadly to include, for example, natural …

A Southern Chinese City Through The Eyes Of A British Missionary: Preliminary Analysis Of The Text Of A Historical Travelogue, Sai Deng

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Walks in the City of Canton is a book written by John Henry Gray of Christ's College, Cambridge who came to China and stayed as a missionary for many years, and it was published in 1875. This project did a preliminary analysis of the text of this book digitized by Google from the Library of Harvard University and uploaded to the Internet Archive. The Voyant generated top 500 words are tagged selectively aiming to find the more popular nouns, adjectives and verbs, and their related topics, sentiments or actions. This analysis is combined with the observations obtained in the translation …

Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival: Through "The Looking Glass", Manuel A. Rivera, Robertico R. Croes

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The study was commissioned by Fundashon Bon Intenshon (FBI), through its sole Director and Founder, Mr. Gregory Elias, and was conducted through an intercept survey on site during the two major concerts on August 30 and 31, 2013. The study was carried out by the Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies (DPITS) of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. This is the fourth time in a row that the DPITS conducts the study on behalf of FBI. This report documents the economic contribution and the experience of the international visitors attending the Curacao …

The Economic Footprint Of The Rosen College Of Hospitality Management In The Metro Orlando Area, Robertico R. Croes, Tadayuki Hara

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The report documents the economic value of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management (RCHM) to the Metro Orlando area. The purpose of estimating the economic value of the program is to calculate the increased economic activities in the Metro Orlando area as generated by college degree attainment through the RCHM. The report is the result of an assignment commissioned by the Dean of the RCHM. The report assessed the economic impact of the alumni of the College during the period from 2000 to 2012. In that period, more than 5,000 students earned a degree either at the undergraduate or graduate …

Economic Impact Of Visitor Segments In Osceola County 2012, Robertico R. Croes, Manuel A. Rivera

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The main purpose of this report is to document the economic effects of tourism in Osceola County. Few industries have as much impact on the economy of Osceola County. In 2012, a total of 5.9 million tourists visited the area, spending on average $5.8 million per day, resulting in $2.1 billion in direct spending effect. The total economic contribution of tourism to the county is $3.1 billion, resulting in an estimated multiplier of 1.48. The total economic contribution of tourism accounts for about 28% of the gross economic product of the county. In total, the tourism industry supported one in …

Backpacking In The Digital Age: Ethnographic Perspectives From Latin America, Russell Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis ethnographically examines the changing nature of backpacking for Westerners in Latin America amid a proliferation of mobile computing and social networking. While anthropological and sociocultural research on tourism is extensive, the social scientific literature on backpacking has, thus far, been largely unconcerned with Western Hemisphere countries and the effects of digital technology on this mode of travel. Recent findings suggest, however, that backpacking has currently moved beyond its niche roots as a subculture of independent traveling into a full-fledged tourist industry. My thesis investigates the Latin American backpacking scene to better understand if this is a global trend. …

The Signature Event In Curacao: A Source Of Brand Equity And Economic Significance, Manuel A. Rivera, Robertico R. Croes

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

For a second year, the organizer of the Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival (CNSJF) commissioned the Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies (DPITS) to prepare a report on perceptions of attendees of the festival. Additionally, the project investigated the value of the event as well as the economic benefits the event brings to Curacao. A survey instrument was designed and used to assess the perceptions of perceived value of event attendees. The survey was completed during the event which was held September 2-3, 2011. A total of 400 surveys was collected and analyzed by DPITS. The survey revealed that …

Perceptions, Behaviors & The Economic Impact Of Tourism In Curacao, Robertico Croes, Manuel A. Rivera, Kelly Semrad

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The Curacao Tourist Board commissioned the Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida to conduct an analysis of tourists' perceptions with regard to the Curacao tourism product, the tourist profile, and the spending behavior of tourists frequenting the island. In addition, the CTB requested that the DPI provided recommendations to the CTB regarding the enhancement of the tourist data collection process, the data analysis, and the re-design of the Tourist Exit Survey itself. Of the 3,390 survey respondents assessed according to year (2007 = 1,938; 2008 = …

Quantifying The Impacts Of The 2007 Economic Crisis On A Local Tourism Industry And Regional Economy, Yun Ying Zhong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to explore the accuracy of the Input-Output model and its derivative, the Occupation-Based model in investigating the impacts of the 2007 economic crisis on the tourism-related industries and the local economy in the Metro Orlando Area, Florida. The 2007-2008 total visitor expenditure change is taken as an initial shock from the economic crisis on the region's tourism-related industries, and the total impacts are measured in terms of industry output (sales), employment and annual occupational wage. The estimation results are compared with the actual data to verify the accuracy of the modeling results. Paired-sample T …

Winning The Future: Strategic Plan For The Development Of Tourism, Robertico R. Croes, Manuel A. Rivera, Abraham Pizam, Eric D. Olson, Seung Hyan Lee, Yun Ying Zhong

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

Aruba has developed and positioned its tourism sector as one of the premier destinations in the Caribbean over the past twenty-five years. The push towards tourism development was primarily aimed to create jobs and to enhance the quality of life of its population. The results have been astounding: not only has the island successfully transformed from an industrial-based economy to a tourist- and service-based economy, but the island now boasts one of the highest living standards in the Caribbean. The prosperity on the island is broadly shared among Arubans. Tourism has become an engine of economic growth, totaling U.S.$2.3 billion …

Investigating The Economic Footprint Of Cultural Tourism In Aruba, Robertico R. Croes

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

Aim: The purpose of this study is to assess the economic impact of the cultural tourism market in Aruba and determine whether cultural tourism could enhance the Aruba product. Design: 386 intercept surveys to international tourists at the Reina Beatrix Airport were conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics of Aruba during the month of July, 2009. The survey design was the result of a series of focus groups with industry and local cultural stakeholders. The data collected was assessed with SPSS 17 by the researcher to identify the segments and their spending behavior. Based on their spending behavior, an …