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Conference Report: 6th National Congress Of Tourist Information (Cnit), Portugal, Cristina Leal

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

Report on the 6th edition of the Portuguese National Congress of Tourist Information (CNIT), December, 2020, Porto, Portugal.

The Tangible And Intangible Heritages Of Iranian Nomads: The Touristic Potential Of Pastoral Nomadism, Hossein Noroozi

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

Iranian people have a rich and significant history of nomadism and are still in contact with this ancient practice. The purpose of this research is to investigate and evaluate the Iranian nomads’ culture from a touristic and aesthetic viewpoint. The literature shows that well-known cultural tourist attractions possess particular characteristics to become a successful and sustainable product / destination. In this paper, we argue that Iranian pastoral nomads, from a geographical, social, cultural, and artistic perspective, have numerous peculiar characteristics which are attractive to international tourists. Internationally, while the sociocultural frameworks of nomadic societies are at risk of extinction when …

Portuguese Tourist Guides And The Digital Age, Ilidia Carvalho

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

The experts of tourist information, namely, the tourist guides, are a highly qualified professional class and in continuous training. Many of these professionals seem to have certain limitations in terms of using new technologies, since many of those, working today, were not born in the digital age. They have been obliged to accept these technologies and sometimes tend to look at these new ways of communicating in a sceptical way, mainly because they do not properly know how to use them. These professionals are constantly facing the need to learn how to use these new tools, which have become essential …

Tourist Guides’ Perspectives Of Demarketing The Taj Mahal, Snigdha Kainthola Ms, Pinaz Tiwari Ms, Nimit R. Chowdhary Dr

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

A UNESCO world heritage site since 1983, the Taj Mahal, located in the city of Agra in India is an important contributor to tourism in India. In the year 2018 alone, approximately 280 million tourists visited the monument. However, the popularity of the site has several negative impacts such as yellowing of the structure, pollution and overcrowding which endangers this built cultural heritage. Due to this, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is the national authority entrusted with managing heritage sites, has initiated steps to check overcrowding in the Taj Mahal. One of the widely adopted strategies is demarketing. …

Applying Interpretation Principles To A Non-Western (Japanese) Training Context, Naoko Yamada, Jeffrey Skibins, Betty Weiler

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

Interpretive guides play an indispensable role in achieving tourism and sustainability outcomes. Although interpretation theory and best practice principles are supported by literature, they have been primarily developed in Western countries. Little work has been done to evaluate the cross-cultural applicability of using Western-based interpretation in training non-Western interpretive guides. This study evaluates the use of Western-based interpretive competencies in a Japanese training context. The efficacy of the training was assessed using quantitative and qualitative pre- and post-training data from all 42 trainees. Training programs were successful in improving trainees’ perceptions of the importance of links between individual roles and …

Reflections On How The Covid-19 Pandemic Can Change Tour Guiding, Luis Miguel Brito, Cristina Carvalho

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

This short editorial paper reflects on the Tour Guiding industry in 2020 and the impact of COVID-19. The paper suggests that while the pandemic and its associated lockdowns has devastated the tourism industry, it has also encouraged those working in the industry to be more innovative and imaginative in their business practices. While the impact of the virus is acknowledged, it is proposed that 2020 may be a turning point in redefining tourism in general and Tour Guiding in particular.

International Journal Of Tour Guiding Research Volume 2(I) Table Of Contents, Kevin A. Griffin, Luis Miguel Brito, Glen Farrugia

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

No abstract provided.

Review Of: Religious Tourism And The Environment, Jaeyeon Choe

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Despite increasing scholarly attention on the environmental impacts of tourism, there has been little research on the environmental impacts of religious tourism and pilgrimage. As the oldest form of tourism, millions of people continue to travel to sacred places across the globe each year. In addition, despite the continuous growth of religious festivals and ceremonies at sacred sites such as Kumbh Mela, India, the impact of religious tourism on the environment and its role in the sustainable development of destinations is under explored. Religious Tourism and Environment edited by Kiran A. Shinde and Daniel H. Olsen is an original edited …

The Increasing Significance Of Religious Tourism: A Case From Uttar Pradesh, India, Aruna Dhamija

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Tourism, in its numerous forms is a major source of income for various nations. India is no exception to this. Within some countries, a few states bring the major chunk of tourists. Uttar Pradesh is one such state for India which, on the virtue of its diversity, population and geographical size, has been at the forefront of attracting tourists from not only the country but globally. There has been a consistent shift in the profile of visiting tourists as they have displayed a marked change from those seeking recreational activities to those who visit a tourist destination owing to its …

The Potentials And Prospects Of Yoga Pilgrimage Exploration In Bali Tourism, I Gede Sutarya

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Yoga tourism has been growing rapidly in Bali since the 2000s. Its practice in America and Europe is influencing its development. Furthermore, its disciples wish to visit its original birthplace, which is India, however, the country’s tourism industry is facing challenges with various infrastructure and facility barriers. Therefore, yoga tourists choose Bali, which is a place of native Hindus with complete and luxurious tourism facilities. However, Bali is not very well prepared to become a yoga pilgrimage destination, even though it has the potential due to its ancient Hindu sages. This led to this research on the problems associated with …

Going Beyond A Pilgrimage: The Feast Day Of Saint George In Lod-Israel, Mustafa Diktaş

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religion and spirituality are common motivations for travel, with many major tourist destinations having developed largely because of their connections to sacred people, places and events. Pilgrimages are one of the most important forms domestic tourism in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. On November 16 of every year, the church of St. George in Lod is filled with hundreds of worshippers who arrive for the Feast of St. George / Khidr, the day commemorating the translation of his relics to the church at the heart of Lod. Pilgrims travel from Nazareth and Bethlehem and as far away as Jordan to …

Carrying Capacity Assessment For Religious Crowd Management - An Application To Sabarimala Mass Gathering Pilgrimage, India, Faisel T. Illiyas, Shibu K. Mani, Naveen Babu

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Crowd Management is always a challenging task when people gather in large numbers. Crowd disasters in India, including recurring incidents at religious venues, demands a crowd management system developed on the characteristics of the place, event, and participants. Assessment of carrying capacity is the prime process to design crowd management protocols and regulations. Carrying capacity assessment of religious gathering venues in India is often an overlooked process. The present study assessed the crowd carrying capacity of Sabarimala pilgrimage, Kerala, India. Physical carrying capacity assessment methods used for tourism venues have been applied and contextualised for crowd carrying capacity assessment. Characteristics …

‘We Were Very Much Surprised At Their Worship’: American Girls And Religious Tourism In The Early Republic, 1780-1835, Sharon Halevi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Following the Revolution, the United States formally embraced the ideal and practice of religious freedom. But how was this ideal instilled and practiced? Could a form of pilgrimage have been mobilised in order to inculcate it? In this article I argue that in the early American republic, religious freedom was demonstrated and imparted to adolescents through a unique form of pilgrimage: visiting and attending the worship services of religious minorities while on tour. I demonstrate my argument by considering the travel accounts of fifteen, Protestant, American adolescent girls (aged 10 to 21) between 1782 and 1835; I trace their visits …

Shopping For Salvation: A Comparative Appraisal Of The Place Of Worship And Marketplace In South Africa, Rufus Olufemi Adebayo

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Recently South Africa has been experiencing accelerated challenges on a spiritual level relating to ‘place of worship’ and spiritual pilgrimage. This has been one of the biggest challenges facing religious activities in South Africa. Arising from that, this paper examines possible connections between salvation seekers and consumers (in the marketplace). To this end, this paper seeks to understand the assertion of ‘distance to travel not being a limitation in the spiritual realm’ (Adeboye, 2014), where some Christians claim that at a certain place there is a blessing waiting for them and that they cannot find that blessing at any other …

Tourist’S Motivation And Behavioural Intention To Visit A Religious Buddhist Site: A Case Study Of Bodhgaya, Senthilkumaran Piramanayagam, Nischal Kumar, Jyothi Mallya, Rahul Anand

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The purpose of this study is to identify the motivation factors and investigate their impact on the behavioural intention of pilgrims at Bodhgaya, one of the most prominent Buddhist religious sites in India. To achieve this objective, 28 religious motivational items were identified based on previous studies and subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The EFA resulted in a three-factor model, which was further tested using confirmatory factor analysis. The identified religious motivational factors were religious belief, service quality and history, architecture and cultural aspects of religious sites. The role of these motivational factors and their influence on behavioural intention …

Religious Tourism Development Strategies In Qom Province: Using And Comparing Qspm And Best Worst Methods, Hooshang Asheghi-Oskooee, Marzieh Ramezanzadeh, Mohammad Hasan Maleki

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

After Mashhad county, Qom province has the most valuable religious, cultural, historical and natural potential as the second Iranian pilgrimage centre. This study was conducted to formulate strategies for the development of religious tourism in Qom province using the most influential view of the strategy-formation process named design school. This school normally uses External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix, Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix, SWOT Matrix, QSPM matrix, and some other tools. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were determined using IFE and EFE matrices. The SWOT matrix was prepared and then the proper strategies for the development of religious tourism …

Attractiveness Of A Religious Theme Site: The A-Ma Cultural Village In Macau, China, Kwok Shing Chan

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Specific attributes of a destination and visitors’ perceived value are two major and complementary components of tourism destination attractiveness. Based on 329 questionnaires, this study evaluates the level of attractiveness and specificity of A-Ma Cultural Village in Macau, China in the context of the emerging significance of Mazu-related heritage and religious tourism in Asia. Also, the similarities and differences between visitors from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, regarding visit motives, satisfaction, needs and preferences are examined. The statistical tools of analysis used in this study include descriptive statistics, ANOVA and chi-square test. The survey found that the A-Ma Cultural Village’s …

Analysing Religious Tourism’S Influence On Tourism Policy Makers, Aleksa Š. Vučetić

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This article seeks to determine whether there are any differences in managers’ perceptions of the impact of religious tourism on tourism policy makers. The focus is on Montenegro as an old religious tourism destination, with a long tradition of religious tourism development.

The initial survey sample had 2,104 cases, and the work sample had 2,076 cases. One-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used for testing the work hypotheses. The survey was conducted electronically and without any influence on managers as respondents. For data processing, IBM SPSS Statistics 26 was used.

The highest number of statistically significant differences was shown …

Ijrtp Title Page And Table Of Contents Vol. 8(8), Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Decolonial Feminist Theory: Embracing The Gendered Colonial Difference In Management And Organisation Studies, Jennifer Manning

Articles

Feminist theories in management and organization studies, each with their own ontological and epistemological assumptions, offer critical perspectives of the status quo to challenge our idea of progress in the discipline, yet there is limited engagement with ideas, theories, or practices from the lived experiences of Global South women. Decolonial feminism engages with debates pertaining to coloniality/ modernity and indigenous identity and gender in Latin America, while providing a space for the voices and lived experiences of marginalized, non‐Western(ised) women. Positioned in the context of Guatemalan Maya women and deploying critical insights from decolonial feminists, I unpack how the discourse …

Breaking Down Silos Through Authentic Assessment: A Live Case Analysis, Olivia Freeman, Rosie Hand, Aileen Kennedy

Articles

One of the aims of Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) is to create graduates who problem solve as socially responsible global citizens. We wanted to provide an opportunity for our students to address relevant, marketing and consumption challenges in new and innovative ways, and to develop analytical competences and professional skills and comportment in a real-life context. This paper describes the design, implementation and outcome of an inter-disciplinary and cross-programme 'authentic assessment' method which we have termed a 'live case analysis'. The assessment comprised fieldwork, wider industry engagement, formative assessment components and a summative presentation. The method is discussed against …

Communication At The Core: Exploring Decision-Making When Communication Is At The Heart Of An Organisation’S Strategy Development, Sinead Hewson

Theses

This investigation considers whether the position, territory and scope of the public relations function in organisations influences strategic thinking, decision-making, and results. Scholars say communication is a strategic management function and has a significant role to play (Grunig J.E., Dozier and IABC Research Foundation 1992, pp. 325–356; Kitchen, 1997, pp. 43–73). Yet, the strategic expertise of communicators is neither understood nor acknowledged outside of the sector. The study’s investigation into the issue and level of access to industry opinion-makers adds to the strategy discussion, while the proposed model of Adaptive Communication contributes to new knowledge.

A Practice Perspective On Knowledge, Learning And Innovation – Insights From An Eu Network Of Small Food Producers, Clare Rigg, Paul Coughlan, Denise O'Leary, David Coughlan

Articles

Drawing on insider research with a three-year EU network created to support innovation in geographically marginalized traditional food companies, this paper makes three contributions to discussions of innovation in small and micro-firms. First, we shift focus away from conceiving of knowledge as a discrete entity, and of knowledge sharing, transfer and exchange as the passing of objects. Applying a practice perspective that conceptualizes innovation as situated in the everyday activities of organizing, learning and working, we extend open innovation ideas and identify three distinct sets of knowledge-creating practices that small and micro-firm actors in this network context engage in as …

A Flair To Remember: Innovative Use Of Technology During Covid-19 Focus On Weddings, Carla Rosas, Danielle Lynch, Mj Adekanmbi, Simioluwa Opayemi

Case Studies

Student blog series from MSc in Event Management students at TU Dublin.

In this blog post Carla Rosas, Danielle Lynch, MJ Adekanmbi and Simioluwa Opayemi interview event planner Gabriella Olukoya from luxury events company A Flair to Remember. Gabriella gives vital insight on the current state of the wedding industry and also on how to ‘flip the script’ and use the ‘negatives’ and make them positives to elevate an events company. As a current ‘Regional Finalist’ for Wedding Planner of the Year, Gabby is a prime example of ‘Creating Success’ during COVID-19 by adding and implementing technology into their events …

Frog Prince Weddings: Using Innovation And Technology During Covid-19, Aisling Yeomans, Ciara Croke, Ellen Foley, Maire Mohally

Case Studies

Student blog series from MSc in Event Management students at TU Dublin . In this blog post Aisling Yeomans, Ciara Croke, Ellen Foley and Marie Mohally interview Daniel P. Attard, senior wedding and event planner at Frog Prince. Daniel discusses the ways Frog Prince has used technology for internal communication while working remotely and externally to manage client relationships.

Infographic: 4 Ways To Build Better Relationships With Your Volunteers, Samantha Morris

Case Studies

Infographic describing four ways to look after your volunteers.

The Missing Entrepreneurs 2021 “Ireland”, Thomas M. Cooney

Reports

This country profile describes current inclusive entrepreneurship policy issues and recent developments in Ireland, including the COVID-19 response. It also benchmarks self-employment and entrepreneurship indicators for women, youth, seniors and immigrants against the average for the European Union.

Analytics Capability In Marketing Education: A Practice-Informed Model, Justina Setkute, Simone Kurtzke Dr.

Articles

As marketing continues to be transformed by technology and the explosion of big data, academic research has identified a significant need for analytics skills in marketing education. However, it is unclear whether current curriculum approaches to marketing analytics equip students with the skills employers need and prepare them effectively for data-driven marketing roles. This study identifies the knowledge and skills marketing graduates require for analytics practice to bridge the theory-practice gap and increase students’ employability. Our research reveals that a blend of knowledge, soft and technical skills is needed, and that the ability to communicate insights from data to stakeholders …

Reaching Across The Divide: The Role Of Cultural Events In Peacebuilding, Bernadette Quinn, Adrian Devine, Frances Devine

Articles

This article assesses whether or not a cultural event can play a peacebuilding role during the postviolence phase of conflict. Cultural expression has long been a contentious issue in Northern Ireland, no more so than in Derry/Londonderry, the city at the center of this study. Adopting a qualitative approach, the authors used the city’s Fleadh Cheoil (2013) event as a case study and found that it served three of the seven peacebuilding functions outlined by Paffenholz and Spurk: social cohesion, in-group socialization, and intermediation/facilitation. The findings suggest that the event enabled positive change by building “bridges” and developing intercommunal trust …

Webarometer 2021 - A Survey Of Women Entrepreneurs In Europe, Thomas M. Cooney

Reports

Entrepreneurship is crucial to economic development, promoting social integration and reducing inequalities and women have made an enormous effort in recent decades to be present in the world of entrepreneurship. However, women across the world have been and still are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing gains in gender equality. Women-led businesses have been more negatively impacted economically, mainly because they trade in sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, such as recreational services and accommodation and food. In addition, there is a problem with understanding the term when referring to women entrepreneurs. There is still a wide range of …