Tourism and Travel Commons^™

Why Repeat Visitors Matter For Harassment‑Prone Destinations: Five Actionable Lessons For Accommodation Managers, Annmarie Nicely

Visitor Harassment Research Unit Special Papers

The goal of the study was to identify demographic factors that could predict visitors likely to support micro-traders at a destination after being harassed by a member of their community. Then show how the accommodations sector (like hotel managers and vacation home rental managers) can use the findings to improve visitor support of micro-traders at destinations with trader harassment (TH). The researcher examined seven demographic features of visitors to four countries. They were their gender, education level, income level, marital status, prior visit to the destination, type – domestic or international, and whether they were alone at the time of …

Assessing A Model Of Customer Rage: Does Customer Entitlement Moderate Relationships Between Rage Emotions, Expressions And Behaviors?, S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh, Martin Gannon, Babak Taheri, Josip Mikulić

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Across travel and tourism services research, studies investigating “customer rage” typically prioritize the direct point-of-consumption, often within airport, airline, or hotel contexts. However, the sector is awash with intermediaries (e.g., travel agencies, insurance brokers, booking platforms), which serve as primary points-of-contact capable of shaping customer expectations. Accordingly, the consequences of service failure therein are nuanced and complex. Yet, extant research often portrays service failure as unilateral (i.e., solely the firm in question’s responsibility), overlooking one core demand-side characteristic: the customer’s sense of entitlement. Thus, while this study draws upon the Iranian travel agency setting (as a service intermediary) to assess …

Balancing Growth And Identity: Tourism, Culture, And Economic Development In Dangriga, Belize, Tristan M. Eddy

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the interplay between tourism development and cultural preservation in Dangriga, Belize. Dangriga is a town with a rich Garifuna heritage, and its residents take great pride in maintaining and sharing their traditions with both future generations and visitors. However, Dangriga remains relatively underdeveloped as a tourist destination. By conducting interviews with community stakeholders, my team and I created a needs analysis focused on the most prominent concerns voiced by residents, while offering an outside perspective. In addition to our experiences in Belize, I conducted independent research on the potential impacts of cruise tourism, the benefits of community-based …

Beyond Baseball: A Case Study On The Multipurpose Venue Management Practices Of Giants Enterprises, Collette Grace Madden

Experience Industry Management

The success of sports organizations no longer relies on team performance and game attendance. Giants Enterprises utilizes many guest engagement and destination development strategies to expand the brand reach of the San Francisco Giants. The purpose of this study was to examine how Giants Enterprises has positioned Oracle Park and Mission Rock as premier event destinations beyond baseball, with a focus on best practices in event diversification, experience design, and placemaking. A case study was conducted on Giants Enterprises to analyze what event diversification, experience design, and placemaking tactics were utilized as well as their effectiveness. The results of this …

An Analytics Framework For Healthcare Expenditure Forecasting With Machine Learning, John Wang, Shubin Xu, Yawei Wang, Houda El Bouhissi

Department of Hospitality and Tourism Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The United States healthcare system relies heavily on Medicaid, which serves nearly 80 million people and accounts for a substantial share of both state and federal budgets. This study employs a range of forecasting methods, including ARIMA, Holt's linear trend, polynomial regressions (degree 2 and 4), Prophet, and piecewise linear regression, as well as machine learning models such as random forest, gradient boosting, and support vector regression, to analyze the growth of Medicaid expenditures. Using data from 1966 to 2024, the analysis identifies historical patterns and evaluates model performance with Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and related metrics to project …

The Influence Of Culture + Technology On Night-Time Economy, Jianping Xu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As a vital component of modern urban economies, the night-time economy has emerged as a crucial pathway for stimulating domestic demand and promoting consumption upgrading. With the rapid development of digital technologies and increasingly diversified cultural demands, the deep integration of 'Culture + Technology' has provided new momentum for the innovative development of the night-time economy. This study focuses on how 'Culture + Technology' empowers the night-time economy, exploring its impact mechanisms, current status, and development pathways through theoretical analysis, case studies, and empirical surveys.

First, this paper constructs a theoretical framework for 'Culture + Technology' empowering the night-time economy …

Social Media Marketing And Business Performance Of Small And Medium Fashion Enterprises In Tanzania: The Moderating Role Of Social Media Strategic Capabilities, Pamela Kishimbo, Juma James Masele, Dev Jani

Business Management Review

This study examines the influence of social media marketing (SMM) on the business performance of small and medium fashion enterprises (SMFEs) in Tanzania, with social media strategic capabilities (SMSCs) as a moderating variable in this relationship. The study is grounded in the Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) and Resource-Based View (RBV). The study used a cross-sectional survey design, collecting data from 397 SMFEs through structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between SMM and the business performance of SMFEs in Tanzania. Furthermore, the findings show that SMSCs …

Activity Trends Pre/Post Covid-19 In State Park Campgrounds, Patty Janes, Sango Otieno, A. Scott Rood

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Outdoor related activities surged both during and following COVID 19. Numerous studies support the increase of many outdoor related activities from swimming to bird watching, and biking to geocaching. Understanding the interests and habits of visitors helps organizations. The purpose of this study was to analyze the Michigan Department of Natural Resources campground visitor activity participation from before and after COVID. Nearly 40,000 campers each year were compared from 75 campground locations throughout the state of Michigan. Findings indicate the growth of many of their outdoor oriented activities from 2019 to 2024 including beach / swimming, hiking, rock hunting, and …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Stay To Play: Multi-Level Stakeholders And Motivation In Youth Sports Tourism, Brumby Mcleod, Ph.D., John Grady, Ph.D.

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

In this study, the stay to play model of hosting elite youth sports events was investigated by exploring the various stakeholder perspectives in staging youth sport events, specifically soccer. This research explored the motivations and gaps among the event organizers, the housing authorities (booking agencies), governing bodies and leagues, as well as the destination marketing organization. This study explored the relationship, unique value proposition, and gaps between the services provided by the stay to play organizers and participants. By exploring these concepts, a better understanding of the stay to play model is achieved, and destination marketers and management associations can …

Sun, Fun, And Structure: What Resort Activity Schedules Reveal, Phileshia Dombroski, Ph.D., Kayla D. Mohney, Ed.D., Rebecca L. Moriarty, Ava Beal, Libby Scanlon, Emily Bailey, Cyan N. Kvacky

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Daily activity schedules are central to the guest experience in resort environments, guiding participation, communicating brand identity, and structuring leisure time. This mixed-method content analysis explored how resorts across the United States design and present these schedules, emphasizing accessibility and program diversity. Eighteen publicly available resort activity schedules were evaluated using accessibility tools (PAC 3, Adobe Acrobat, WCAG 2.2) and coded for 4,166 individual activities across eight categories. Findings revealed moderate adherence to accessibility standards. Most schedules met minimum font size and color contrast guidelines, but only 25% were compatible with screen readers and 80% lacked alternative text or structural …

Perceived Value Of Sport And Recreation In Aruba: Resident Perceptions Of Health, Lifestyle, And Physical Activity, Stephen L. Shapiro, Andy Gillentine, Jo-Anne Croes, John Wardlaw

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Sport and recreation play an important role in shaping community well-being, particularly in small island nations where health and tourism are integrated. This study examines how Aruban residents perceive the value of sport and recreation and how these perceptions vary based on the type of activity and children’s participation in these activities. A mixed-methods design was used across two phases. Phase I employed focus groups with residents, educators, and government stakeholders to explore themes of health, community impact, and education. Findings emphasized concerns over inactivity and identified sport and recreation as essential to promoting healthy lifestyles, sense of community, and …

How Did The Pandemic Change The Role Of Recreational Waters In Bringing Visitors? Analysis Of South Carolina Mobility Big Data, Seonjin Lee, Lori Pennington-Gray, Ph.D.

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on nature-based recreational activities. Outdoor recreation became popular as an alternative to international travel with less risk of contagion. However, the question remains whether there was an enduring change in the role of natural resources in driving visitors. This study investigates the relevance of recreational waters, particularly lakes and beaches, to changes in patterns of domestic visitors to South Carolina between 2019 and 2023. All counties showed growth in recreational visitors, as well as diversification of visitors. However, the magnitude of the increase showed a significant difference based on geographical factors. Eight coastal …

Analysing Visitor Perceptions Of Storytelling: The Eileen Gray Exhibition, National Museum Of Ireland, Dublin, Keeva Burns, Jacqui Doyle

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

Eileen Gray is widely regarded as a pioneer of twentieth century interior and furniture design. An exhibition of her work is on display in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin. This research aims to shed light on the perceptions and experiences of visitors to the museum. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to provide insights into the quality and standard of the museum storytelling in order to generate recommendations for the enhancement of the current visitor experience. A pragmatic approach is taken, utilising both quantitative and qualitative methods of surveys and participant observation. The findings reveal that …

Passenger Delight In Liminal Spaces: Uncovering The Dynamics Of Airport Airside F&B, Thorsten Merkle, Sushanta Das

ICHRIE Research Reports

The airport airside environment is a unique and highly consequential setting for consumer behavior, where passengers’ food and beverage (F&B) decisions are shaped by time pressure, emotional states, and spatial constraints. This study empirically validates two complementary frameworks - the CX Delightors Framework and the Airport Airside Consumption Model - in the U.S. context to deepen understanding of passenger behavior in this liminal space. Using survey data from 1,374 passengers across three major U.S. hub airports (DEN, PHX, SLC), we conducted principal component analyses to refine the original nine CX Delightors attributes into five robust dimensions: Hospitality & Ambiance, Value …

Ijtgr Volume 4 & 5 Table Of Contents, Kevin A. Griffin, Luis Miguel Brito, Glen Farrugia

International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

Table of contents for Volume 4 & 5 of the International Journal of Tour Guiding and Visitor Attraction Research

Promising Practices For Increasing The Number Of Equity-Owed Lifeguards In Canada And The United States Of America, Sofia Pantano, Audrey R. Giles

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Currently a shortage of lifeguards exists in Canada and the United States (US) (Frommer, 2023; Santucci, 2024), and those who are working as lifeguards often do not reflect the diversity of the communities they serve (Martinez, 2020). Increasing the number of lifeguards from equity-owed groups is a potential way of increasing the lifeguard workforce and decreasing the shortage of workers in these important roles, as well as a moral imperative. In this paper I explore challenges to and promising practices aimed at increasing the representation of members equity-owed groups in lifeguarding. I begin with an overview of lifeguarding in Canada …

Editorial: 1st Asia Pacific International Religious Tourism And Pilgrimage Conference (Apirtp), Tran Huu Tuan, Lien Tran Thi Ngoc, Jaeyeon Choe, Giang T. Phi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Editorial: 1st Asia Pacific International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference (APIRTP)

Ijrtp Volume 13(Iii) Table Of Contents, Kevin A. Griffin, Razaq Raj, Carlos Fernandes, Tran Huu Tuan, Lien Tran Thi Ngoc, Jaeyeon Choe

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

IJRTP Volume 13(iii) Table of Contents

Incorporating papers from the first Asia Pacific International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage conference in Hue University, Vietnam

Exploring The Drivers Of Tourist Satisfaction At Religious Sites: A Study Of Lumbini In Nepal, Bhim Bahadur Khadka, Prof. Anjani Kumar Malviya, Dipak Singh Rawat

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a religious destination attracting millions of tourists annually from Nepal and abroad, Lumbini offers a rich cultural and historical heritage. This study is, therefore, significant in exploring drivers of tourist satisfaction and the religious significance of Lumbini. This study employs a correlational research design and a quantitative approach to examine relationships among variables using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Data are collected using a survey questionnaire, yielding 403 valid responses after excluding incomplete data and outliers out of 500 returned questionnaires. Purposive sampling ensured the relevance of …

Analysis Of Pilgrimage To The Evangelical Lutheran Church In Zimbabwe (Elcz) Mission Centres, Rabson Hove

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is usually a sacred journey undertaken by religious adherents to holy places associated with their own traditions. As religions grow, religious pilgrimage also expands as the members of the religious traditions continue to influence each other. These holy religious centres influence religious enrichment, enhancement, strength and growth. Members get in touch with their origins and the history of the expansion of their religion as they encounter their holy sites or centres. In the case of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ), their important holy sites are missionary centres which are commonly located in rural Zimbabwe. The majority …

Exploring How Religious Tourism Influences The Motivation Of Young Thai Tourists In Bangkok., Arisara Seyanont

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious tourism in Thailand encompasses a wide range of tourism related to religion, including traditional festivals and various religious activities. Today, temples or religious places in Thailand have become tourist attractions that people pay attention to, including groups of teenagers. Young Thai tourists show interest and travel to temples to ask for blessings, seek more amulets, and participate in Dharma practices. Within this context, this study aims to explore the components of religious tourism that influence the motivation of young Thai tourists in Bangkok. The components of religious tourism consist of 5 dimensions: 1) architectural design, painting, and sculpture; 2) …

Unveiling The Impact: Religious Destination Image And Its Role In Shaping Sustainable Tourist Behaviors, Sabari Shankar Ravichandran Dr

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Historically pivotal for local economies, religious tourism and pilgrimage tackles contemporary challenges such as overconsumption, climate change, and evolving tourist motivations, necessitating a focused commitment to sustainability. This study, utilising a sample size of 153 visitors to a religious site and Structural Equation Modelling, examines the influential role of religious destination image in shaping tourists’ sustainable behaviours. Significant correlations emerge between attributes of religious destination image—sacred site, spiritual attraction, and more—and sustainable tourist behaviours. Key findings encompass green transport use, regenerative behaviour, responsible cues, and waste consciousness as the most evident sustainable behaviours. Beyond academic realms, the research informs destination …

Religious Festivals In The Age Of ‘Lockdown’ And ‘Social Distancing’: A Comparative Study Of Easter, Eid, Passover, Rama Navami, And Vaisakhi., Irfan Raja, Rev. Ruth Dowson, Abdul Basit Shaikh, Ivan Cohen, Nasser N. Alotaibi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious practices can conjure distinctive ideas and images for different groups of people, especially religious festivals, which are signs of congregations, celebrations, and contentment, usually to mark the completion of religious obligations. All major religions celebrate notable festivals to mark important events and religious obligations that bring together followers of that faith. The year 2020 will be remembered as unique in the history of all faiths. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, governments across the world announced compulsory measures such as ‘social distancing’ and ‘lockdown’ to avoid the spread of Coronavirus. Thus, all major religions either cancelled or reduced …

Enhancing Mindfulness Through Communities Of Practice In Buddhist Spiritual Tourism: A Study Of Transformative Experience At Plum Village, Giang T. Phi, Trang Huong Pham Phd, Nam Vu

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Despite the growing interest in Buddhist spiritual tourism, there is a clear gap in the literature regarding the role of Communities of Practice (CoPs) in fostering transformative tourism experiences. This study investigates how CoPs at Plum Village retreats in France and Thailand facilitate transformative experiences and enhance mindfulness among participants in Buddhist spiritual tourism. Utilising qualitative methods, the study combines autoethnography—drawing on the lead researcher’s personal experience through daily reflexive journals—and participant observation of a focal ‘retreat family’ group of 15 participants at each retreat. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the data, guided by two frameworks: Kirillova et al.’s …

Promotion Of Religious Tourism In Pakistan Through Destination Marketing Strategies, Noor-Ul- Huda, Musa Khan, Noman Ahmed Ansari

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The aim of this study is to identify the key factors that attract religious tourists to Pakistan and the strategies that are effective in promoting religious tourism. The paper takes a comprehensive approach to guide Pakistan’s development by evaluating international literature, focusing on religious tourism as a pivotal source of revenue. The study explores diversification prospects, aiming to equip policymakers and tourism authorities with actionable insights. This research establishes the groundwork for realising the economic, social, and cultural potential of religious tourism in Pakistan by studying marketing techniques using a qualitative methodology, examining revival approaches, and investigating cutting-edge communication technologies. …

Evaluation Of Pre-Hajj Multimedia Training Tools: A Case Study Of Prospective Australian Pilgrims, Kholoud M. Munshi, Mustapha Taibi Dr., Kate Richards Ms., Khushnoor Khan Mr.

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Every year, millions of Muslim pilgrims gather in Makkah (Saudi Arabia) for Hajj. These pilgrims come from different parts of the world, with diverse language and cultural backgrounds. Managing such a large and diverse congregation for a successful completion of Hajj requires effective planning, which depends on two important antecedents—knowing the background information of the pilgrims and developing effective pre-Hajj training tools for dissemination of Hajj information for non-Arabic speaking pilgrims. This study evaluates the perceptions of potential Hajj pilgrims regarding community translation usability (CTX) and medium usability (MX) of two existing pre-Hajj media tools developed by Mnask Academy (Booklet …

Evaluating The Religious Experience Of Pilgrims At Kartarpur Corridor: A Qualitative Analysis, Farooq Haq, Anita Medhekar

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This exploratory study analyses experiences of pilgrims from India and all over the world to Kartarpur Peace Corridor for religious tourism. The historic Kartarpur Corridor, the holiest place for the Sikh religion, in Pakistan, was opened for Sikh pilgrimage in November 2019, after 72 years since partition. The qualitative research method of cultural ethnography and netnographic research, was applied to collect secondary data by watching 78 YouTube interviews from November-2019 to March-2020, at the Kartarpur complex by private bloggers. Interview comments by pilgrims relevant to this exploratory research were selected, analysing experiences of pilgrims and spiritual tourists traveling from India …

Defamiliarizing Pilgrimage Literature: Humour In Al-Māzinī’S Journey To The Hijāz, Boutheina Khaldi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimages to Holy Places in Mecca and Medina have spawned a rich repertoire of travel literature by Nahḍa luminaries at the beginning of the twentieth century, however, few studies have been written about their travel accounts. This paucity of research might be ascribed to the view that accounts of pilgrimage tend to be highly formulaic and instructive rather than literary. By examining the ʿUmra (lesser pilgrimage) travelogue of the prominent Egyptian intellectual, literary critic, Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, Ibrāhīm ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Māzinī (d. 1949) entitled Riḥlat al-Ḥijāz (1930), this paper argues that pilgrimage travelogues can in fact defy the …

Exploring Perceived Value Attributes Toward Spiritual Tourism In Vietnam: A Qualitative Approach, Lan Thi Huong Ho, Cuong Khoa Phan, Lien Tran Thi Ngoc, Rodney W. Caldicott

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Customer Perceived Value (CPV) has recently attracted a lot of interest in the tourism industry, both academically and empirically. To succeed in the tourist business, managers in the sector need a comprehensive understanding of how visitors’ perceptions of value dimensions connect to trip outcomes, such as overall satisfaction and behavioral intentions. This study aims to explore the tourists’ perceptions of the value of spiritual tourism services in Vietnam. A qualitative method was employed, which included nine in-depth interviews with tourism providers and representatives of spiritual sites, as well as a brief survey of 127 travellers who had already experienced spiritual …