Tourism and Travel Commons^™

Stopovers As Valued-Based Experience: A Conceptual Model, Filareti Kotsi, Kim Johnston, Steven Pike

All Works

This study on stopovers, defined as consisting of a one to three-night transition to a destination featuring value-based experiences, uses a multi-site data collection approach of focus groups in six cities to examine stopovers during long-haul air travel in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Hong Kong. It contributes to the literature on stopovers by defining and conceptualizing the term and identifying the key influences of stopover choice and value experiences of travelers from distant geographic areas, namely, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and New Zealand. The proposal of the conceptual model on stopovers offers a basis for destination marketers …

Local Organization Responses To Black Lives Matters Protests: Embracing An “Ethic Of Care” When Engaging Community Crises By Convention Visitors Bureaus, Jeffrey D. Brand

Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research

Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, at least 140 cities across the United States have experienced protests resulting in vandalism, looting, shootings, and other violence. These protests represent a challenge for community organizations such as convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), whose responsibility is to promote their local community as a place for tourism, meetings, conferences, and other activities. This study explores the response of Visit Aurora, a Colorado CVB to engage their local protests inspired by the BLM movement, and a local case—the death of Elijah McClain. Within the paper a model for crisis engagement will be discussed, …

The Impact Of Lgbt Friendliness On Sexual Minority Travelers Perceptions, Heejung Ro

Rosen Research Review

There is a rise in niche travel for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. However, few studies have investigated how the hotel industry can best appeal to these customers. At UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Dr. Heejung Ro has undertaken the first study focusing on how LGBT friendliness and the attitudes of service employees may impact upon LGBT customers' perceptions and future intentions. While the findings revealed these two factors are regarded independently, it is important that hotels signal LGBT friendliness, as well as ensuring these travelers are treated respectfully.

Time + Talent + Treasures = Partnerships For Success, Susan Vernon-Devlin, Marcela Defaria

Rosen Research Review

The tools for philanthropy and successful development do not come in a box with instructions. Instead, they are crafted through building positive relationships over time, which unleashes potential in like-minded individuals, enriches the human experience, and propels broad-based prosperity for the many communities positively impacted by the outcomes. At UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, we are working to make a difference and transform lives.

Measuring Transformational Experiences In Tourism, Asli D.A. Tasci, Maksim Godovykh

Rosen Research Review

What makes a tourist's experience transformational? It's an important question given the growth of the types of tourism that seek to secure meaningful experiences. For decades, researchers have offered different definitions to guide practitioners. Drs. Asli Tasci and Maksim Godovykh of the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management have gone a step further and developed an empirical model for measuring whether experiences are transformational. The research has produced more than a few surprises.

Exploring Resident Empowerment Within Tourism, Kayode D. Aleshinloye, Asli D.A. Tasci

Rosen Research Review

Despite the importance of involving residents in local tourism, few research studies have investigated the concept of empowerment. A novel study conducted by UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management researchers Dr. Kayode D. Aleshinloye and Dr. Asli D.A. Tasci and their collaborators explores the drivers of empowerment within tourism and, in turn, the factors that empowerment influences. Their research highlights the potential benefits for residents, such as improved quality of life and attachment to their surroundings, and has important practical implications for tourism planners and policymakers.

Travel And Life – A Development Perspective, Xiaoxiao Fu

Rosen Research Review

Whether we travel to discover the unknown or to simply take a break from our daily routine, it's often said that travel broadens the mind. But how exactly does travel impact life, and how does the relationship between travel and life change at different life stages? In new research, Associate Professor Xiaoxiao Fu at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management and her collaborators take a developmental perspective on tourism consumption and look at how travel and life inform and shape each other, from childhood to maturity.

The Importance Of Social Sustainability Practices In The Post-Pandemic Context, Cynthia Mejia

Rosen Research Review

Consumer perceptions regarding social sustainability practices within the hospitality industry are ever more important for hospitality businesses. Consumers are increasingly conscious of whether a business pursues sustainable practices, both in its treatment of employees and in supply chain purchases. Consumers' views on how well a business performs on these indicators can impact on consumer decisions and business viability. UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management researcher Dr. Cynthia Mejia and collaborators have undertaken a study to understand how much importance restaurant consumers attach to specific social sustainability actions, and the way in which consumers perceive restaurants to be performing in the …

Resetting Coastal And Marine Tourism In A Post-Covid World, Alan Fyall, Sergio Alvarez, Robertico Croes, Jorge Ridderstaat, Maksim Godovykh

Rosen Research Review

Marine and coastal zones have long been exploited for tourism revenue, and the health of many coastal and marine environments has declined. The near-global shutdown of tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic has offered a unique opportunity to rebuild the tourism industry using a new model. Researchers from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management joined a team of international researchers to present a framework for such change at the 2022 United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference in Lisbon.

How Hurricanes Impact Florida's Tourism Industry, Arthur Huang

Rosen Research Review

Almost every year, hurricanes bear down upon the state of Florida. The storms appear to be growing in occurrence and severity. While the media cover the damage and death toll, the impacts on the state's critical tourism sector remain largely anecdotal. The full story lies buried in data. Dr. Arthur Huang from UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management has investigated different data sets to understand the impact of hurricanes on the tourism industry. What has been uncovered has significance not only for Florida but for tourism sectors elsewhere affected by these giant storms.

Vulnerability And Resilience In A Tourism Destination, Sergio Alvarez, Alan Fyall

Rosen Research Review

In an industry that is critically vulnerable to hazards, some destinations are hit harder than others by the same or similar events. UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management researchers, Dr. Sergio Alvarez and Dr. Alan Fyall, have developed a conceptual model that sees the destination's vulnerability as the sum of its physical, social-cultural, economic, ecological/environmental, and institutional vulnerabilities, nestled within its level of exposure to different hazards. Their framework offers to better equip destination management organizations (DMOs) by identifying vulnerabilities and facilitating more effective planning and decision making.

Review Of: Perpetual Journey: A Semester On The Road To Santiago, Amy Horton

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This is a film review of a unique, semester-long study abroad program on the Camino.

Working Paper Part 1 : The Very First Pilgrimage - An Inspired Trajectory Out Of Africa, Ian S. Mcintosh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

One hundred thousand years ago, give or take, the forebears of some of Australia’s First Nations—by some accounts as few as 150 people—left Africa on an immense journey. After some 2,000 generations, the passage through new and unfamiliar territories of these first modern human beings terminated in a supercontinent that included Australia, Papua, and Tasmania. By some estimates, no more than 150 people—the same number that had originally left Africa—made the final sea crossing that separates Indonesia and Australia. Research on such ancient migrations emphasises population growth, the ‘selfish gene,’ and the territorial imperative, as key drivers of mobility. This …

The Epic Pilgrimage: The Way Of The Ascetics Of El Capitan, John Shultz

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

El Capitan and its related environs constitute the ‘holiest of holies,’ the ‘center of the universe,’ or the ‘mecca’ of the rock climbing world. Big walls are simply the tallest, steepest, and most challenging rockfaces on the planet. For the tribe of big wall climbers, El Capitan, which stands nearly 1000 meters above the Merced River in Yosemite National Park in California, has a mystique and allure unmatched by any other location. In previous work, I establish the concept of climbing on El Capitan as ‘vertical pilgrimage’ (Shultz, 2020), and in this paper, I focus specifically on climbing efforts as …

A Semi-Autoethnographical Account Of The Order Of Malta’S Annual Pilgrimage To Lourdes, Dane Munro Km

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Lourdes, in the French Pyrenees, has been a pilgrimage site since 1858. At present, about six million Roman Catholic pilgrims and others visit Lourdes every year. During the annual weeklong pilgrimage of the Order of St John, an average of about 7,500 participants from 45 countries, including 380 doctors, nurses and pharmacists, 250 priests and other volunteers, are nursing and caring for 1,500 malades (the sick and suffering). This semi-autoethnographical account is based on many years of visitation as a member of the Order of St John and describes the various changes of a political and societal nature, while the …

Making History Visible: Ireland’S National Famine Way Told Through Models And Interactive Digital Narratives, E. Moore Quinn

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The National Famine Way is a trail along Ireland’s Royal Canal that traces the remarkable trek of the 1,490 tenants who were evicted by their landlord, Denis Mahon, from his estate in Strokestown, County Roscommon, in the Republic of Ireland, during ‘Black ’47,’ the worst year of the Great Irish Famine (Irish: An Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger of 1847). The evictees were ‘escorted’ from their homes to vessels that awaited them in Dublin. They were then taken to Liverpool, where they were placed on four so-called ‘coffin ships’ bound for Canada. The path along the Royal Canal is 165 …

Roles Of Religious Guides In Tourism: A Qualitative Study From Japan, Ricardo Nicolas Progano

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage travel has become an important element in contemporary tourism, as visitors flock to sacred locations (UNWTO, 2015). However, some aspects of pilgrimage travel remain relatively understudied, with one of them being the roles of guides in these locations. Based on previous academic works, the present study aims to bridge this gap by analysing the role of religious figures who engage in guiding activities aimed at the general public. For this, Shippōryū-ji, a Shugendō temple located in Japan, is presented as the case study. As previous research on the subject is scarce, a qualitative approach was deemed suitable. Utilising interview …

A Changed Understanding Of Miracles In Religious Tourism, Stephen F. Haller

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In this modern age, an unsceptical acceptance of supernatural events–those which cannot be explained as part of the natural order of things–is less common than it once was. This trend is reflected in the declining frequency of miracle-cures certified by the Medical Bureau at Lourdes. Yet miracles past, and the promise of possible miracles in the present, still attract multitudes of religious pilgrims and tourists to sacred sites all over the world. While the frequency of miracles goes down, the appeal of miracles goes on, and the number of religious visitors has not declined. What role do miracles now play …

Emotions At The Border: Verbal Aspects Of The Attari-Wagah Patriotic Pilgrimage, Anna V. Bochkovskaya

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

For over sixty years the Attari-Wagah checkpoint at the border between India and Pakistan has been a site for the Beating Retreat, a colorful ceremony of lowering the national flags performed jointly by the Indian Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers. This emotional ritual is generally perceived as a demonstration of aggressive designs, on the one hand, and as a symbol of goodwill and possible cooperation between neighbouring countries, on the other.

In recent decades visiting/viewing the border (sīmā darśan) has become an essential part of tourist packages for travellers in North-West India, while the notion of ‘patriotic pilgrimage’ …

From Palma To Lluc – The Social And Organisational Life Of A Nocturnal Pilgrimage In Mallorca, Maja Balle

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Although the island of Mallorca is well known for its beaches and mass tourism sector, a local pilgrimage tradition with deep roots in Catholicism is still thriving on the island; on the first weekend in August, thousands of people gather to make a nocturnal pilgrimage to a shrine at Lluc Mountain. Rather than focusing on the actual performance of the sacred journey or the culmination of its ritualised accomplishment, this case study explores the social and economic framing of the event orchestrated by actors from the local community, the church, the governmental sector, and other private and public stakeholders. The …