Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sustainable Heritage Tourism: A Tourist-Oriented Approach For Managing Petra Archaeological Park, Jordan, Mohammad Alazaizeh

All Dissertations

Although sustainability of heritage tourism has become a major concern from the perspectives of both academics and practitioners, the majority of research and studies have tended to understand the cultural and educational issues of heritage tourism rather than focusing on the application of sustainability in a practical context. To achieve sustainability in heritage tourism, heritage sites should be managed effectively in a way that ensures preservation of heritage resources and provides quality experiences to the tourists. Traditionally, heritage tourism planning and management relied on a top-down, professional-led approach that ignores the interests of different stakeholders (e.g., heritage tourists) in heritage …

Assessment Of The Effect Of Sustainability Practices On Financial Leakage In The Hotel Industry In Jordan, Nidal Alzboun

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT Tourism revenues are not an accurate indication of the financial impact of this industry because in some cases a proportion of the profits leaves the host country for various reasons, resulting in what is referred to as leakage. The research reported here investigates this issue in connection with the sustainability practices of hotels in Jordan, one of the strategies firms and governments can adopt to enhance performance and to address problems related to environmental, community, and economic development adding a novel contribution to the tourism literature. A mixed method approach was used to collect and analyze the data obtained …

Application Of Bayesian Networks In Consumer Service Industry, Yuan Gao

Open Access Theses

Gao, Yuan. M.S.I.E., Purdue University. December 2014. Application of Bayesian Networks in Consumer Service Industry. Major professor: Vincent G. Duffy The purpose of the present study is to explore the application of Bayesian networks in the consumer service industry to model causal relationships within complex risk factor structures using aggregate data. An analysis of the Hawaii tourism market was conducted to find out how visitor characteristics affect their behavior and experience as consumers during the trips, and influence the tourism market outcomes represented by measurable factors. Two hypotheses were proposed regarding the use of aggregate data and the influence of …

The Effects Of Acquisition On Restaurant Firms’ Performance: Different-Sector Versus Same-Sector Acquisitions, Yongjin Lee

Open Access Theses

This study examines the postacquisition accounting performance of acquiring firms in the restaurant industry between 1992 and 2012. Specifically, this study investigates the effects of different-sector and same-sector restaurants acquisitions between full-service and limited-service restaurants on restaurant firms' performance. Additionally, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and regression model are used to examine return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) for the accounting performance of the acquiring restaurants.

The ROA and ROE reveal that the profitability is significantly negative up to 5 years after firms are acquired. However, negative effects are strongest within the first year after acquisition and decrease …

Putting The Dead On Display: An Exploration Of Visitor Perceptions And Motivations Regarding Preserved Human Remains In Museums With Particular Emphasis On The Museo De Las Momias De Guanajuato And Body Worlds & The Cycle Of Life, Amanda Balistreri

Theses and Dissertations

Viewing preserved human remains in museums can evoke visceral reactions of curiosity, awe, and repulsion. The popularity of sites and attractions where "the real dead are recreated, packaged up, and sold as an exhibitory experience" (Stone 2011:12) not only alludes to a contemporary fascination with death and dying but also to the economic benefit that institutions derive from providing such experiences. This study focuses on the institutional discourse and the public perception of two distinct exhibitions of relatively modern preserved human remains, the Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato in Mexico and the Body Worlds & the Cycle of Life …

Development And Application Of A Nostalgia Scale For Sport Tourism: A Multilevel Approach, Heetae Cho

All Dissertations

Nostalgia is best described as a sentimental and bittersweet yearning for a positive and pleasant past, particularly when juxtaposed with an unsatisfying present and uncertain future. One's positive memories surely influence the evocation of nostalgia, and an individual's negative feelings for the present or future are also related to nostalgia, since a person cannot return to the past. In other words, both positive and negative feelings are associated with nostalgia, and it is called a bittersweet emotion. In many cases, people are influenced by their past memories when they decide to attend sports events. As a result, individuals have their …

Investigating The Influence Of Interpretation On Children's National Park Stewardship Behaviors Using The Elaboration Likelihood Model, Susan Vezeau

All Dissertations

Interpretation efforts are commonly used in park and protected area management to communicate information about a place to visitors, and in some cases, are also intended to persuade visitors to engage in stewardship behaviors. The National Park Service (NPS) Junior Rangers (JR) programs are intended to develop a sense of stewardship within participating children; however, few studies have explored the effectiveness of these programs. In addition, despite considerable research investigating interpretation and its influence, further exploration of the factors that influence stewardship behaviors in participants of interpretation are needed. The purpose of this Dissertation research was to: 1) develop scales …

Examining A Pre-College Wilderness Orientation Experience And Its Role In Facilitating Transitions To College, Michael Willett

All Theses

Beginning a college career can be an intimidating and rewarding experience. New student stress can be traced back to increases in academic loads and loss of comfortable social circles and habits (Vlamis, Bell, & Gass, 2011). As a preventative measure to these stressors, universities have increased the number of orientation programs available to incoming students to help ease their transition (Vlamis et al., 2011). Some universities have also taken steps to implement outdoor experiences into their orientation offerings. These programs generally take the form of extended wilderness trips with varying goals and are increasing at a rate of approximately 10 …

Resort Vacation Activities And Recovery Experiences: A Case Of Visitors To Thailand, Maneenuch Tanyatanaboon

Open Access Theses

An increase of work demands during workdays and sometime on the weekends can put more stress on individuals and lead to a higher need for recovery. Vacation is a prime candidate of a longer respite that can ensure a more complete recovery process because it allows individuals to temporarily take several days or weeks off without actively engaging in their job. This study thus intends to explore which activities are done upon vacation and how can they influence an individual's recovery experiences. By reviewing the theories related to recovery, vacation activities, and recreation opportunities, the study's conceptual model was developed …

Recreation And Tourism In Maine’S Moosehead Lake Region: A Survey Of Summer Visitors, Erica Kaufmann

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

This study hoped to shed light on the overall importance of outdoor recreation to attracting overnight visitors to Maine’s Moosehead Lake region, including how many come to participate in outdoor recreation and what kinds of activities they participate in. The study also hoped to learn where visitors recreate most in the region, how they obtain information about where to recreate, and whether visitors distinguish between public and private lands that are accessible for recreation.

Understanding The Motivations To Attend The Blue Ridge Gay Pride Festival In Asheville, North Carolina, Denise Adams

All Theses

Local festivals and events are important tourist resources for a destination. They enhance economic benefits of the host area, improve the sense of community, and provide unique experiences to residents and tourists (Getz, 1997). Economically, tourism itself is recognized as the largest export earner in the world and an important provider of monetary exchange and employment, and over the last decades has sustained growth and increased diversification of product offerings (WTO, 2004). With this broadening of the market, various niches have emerged within the tourism sector including gay tourism. Gay consumers are deemed to be of special interest for the …

Beyond Health: The Meaning Of Recreation Participation For Injured Service Members, Catherine Munroe

All Theses

The Global War on Terrorism and the ongoing contingency operations have resulted in a large number of service members returning home with life changing traumatic injuries. As a result, there has been a surge of programs designed to facilitate transition into life with a disability and promote recovery from injury, including programs providing recreation and sports. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the effects of recreation and sport participation on injured service members' recovery and enhancement of health. Health is investigated using the World Health Organization's definition which includes physical, mental, and social well-being. Interviews were conducted …

Birding By Ear: A Study Of Recreational Specialization And Soundscape Preference, Zachary D. Miller

All Theses

Soundscapes have become recognized as an important natural resource. The traditional human-made versus natural soundscape comparison currently used in recreational resource management is challenged by borrowing soundscape components (i.e., biophony, anthrophony, and geophony) from soundscape ecology. This study is designed to evaluate the soundscape preference of birders. A three-component model of recreational specialization was used to evaluate how recreationists may differ in their preference for soundscape components. Data from in-person surveys collected at The Audubon Center and Sanctuary at Francis Beidler Forest in Harleyville, South Carolina were used in combination with surveys from online birding list servers to obtain a …

An Examination Of Cultural Motives, Festival Motivator Attributes, Desired Experiences And Authenticity In Tourists To Oktoberfest In Helen, Georgia, Janet Marie Gunnels

All Theses

Helen, Georgia is nestled in a valley of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains along the Chattahoochee River in northeast Georgia. Originally a logging community serving as a stop for tourists to Anna Ruby Falls, Helen is now a faux-Bavarian town and the third largest tourist draw in the state. Research exists on 'theme towns' paying tribute to their cultural background by hosting seasonal events to boost tourism. There are also studies on residents of a town with an Oktoberfest, but little research exists concerning places using a not-native history to accomplish similar goals of producing cultural events that tourists see …

Mapping Sociocultural Values Of Visitors On The Olympic Peninsula, Washington, Alexa North Todd

Dissertations and Theses

Contested land-management plans make spatial data about values that people attach to the landscape necessary for federal land management. The study area for this project is the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, an area that is divided by a complex mosaic of land jurisdictions, including public lands administered by the National Park Service, National Forest Service, and Washington State, as well as interspersed tribal and private landholdings surrounding the perimeter. During the summer of 2012, I collected map and survey data from visitors at fourteen popular destinations around the Olympic Peninsula, including visitor centers, campgrounds, trail access points, and a ferry. Three …

Exploring Community Engagement In The Indianapolis Opera Scene, Nicole Vasconi

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Despite its long history, the majority of today's society no longer holds this art form in such high regard. This is especially true for American culture, where opera companies are operating amidst a tumultuous time of foreclosures. The reasons for opera's continued decline in popularity among American audiences is a hotly debated topic for music historians and administrators, but the fact remains that the general public who once regarded opera as popular entertainment now rejects it as paltry and pointless. It is too Like many contemporary American opera companies, Indianapolis Opera and easy to cite the operas themselves as the …

Illuminating Capacity-Building Strategies For Landscape-Scale Collaborative Forest Management Through Constructivist Grounded Theory, Marcelle Elise Dupraw

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation uses the constructivist grounded theory methods of Charmaz (2011) to explore: 1) the unique characteristics of landscape-scale collaboration; 2) implications for collaborative capacity-building strategies; and 3) the relationship between conflict, landscape-scale collaboration, and conflict resolution. The study was conducted through the US Forest Service's Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP). In the 1980s and 1990s, national forest management conflicts brought the forest industry to a standstill, with many jobs lost. In addition, historic fire suppression practices have made our national forests highly vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire. Many have strong opinions about what should be done and how. The …

Managing Risk Perception In Adventure Tourism Activities, Ann O'Connor

Theses

The Adventure Tourism Industry is a customer service industry where product development and presentation is propelled by the clients' needs and desires. The majority of people who participate in adventure tourism activities are novices and have no prior experience or relevant skills. It is this market of 'no skills required' which is the focus of the commercial adventure tourism industry. As there are inherent risks involved in all adventure activities, risk, risk perception and risk management are key skills for the Adventure Activity Provider and Guide. Risk however is multidimensional, made up of physical risk components and subjective risk components. …

Visitor Perceptions Of Black Bear Management Options In Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area, Robert Maxwell Lakes

Online Theses and Dissertations

Human/bear interactions will continue to increase as humans continue to live and recreate in closer proximity to bear habitat. One area positioned for a marked increase in human/bear interactions is Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (BISO). To make decisions on the best management options for the growing black bear population, BISO managers need information about park visitor beliefs and concerns. The purpose of this research was to examine stakeholder views related to black bear management options within BISO. We hypothesized that different stakeholders would have varying opinions about management actions towards black bears. The findings were that …