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Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 39266

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Flávio Gomes Borges Tiago

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Guest Editor

Business and Economics Department, University of the Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Interests: digital marketing; social media; marketing; strategy; tourism; eTourism; knowledge management

Prof. Dr. Maria Teresa Borges Tiago

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Guest Editor

Business and Economics Department, University of the Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Interests: social media; smart tourism; tourism; digital marketing; healthcare; brand management

Prof. Dr. Beatriz Casais

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Guest Editor

Department of Management, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: social and nonprofit marketing; digital marketing; e-Commerce and e-Marketplaces; advertising; marketing communications; and reputation management; place branding; public diplomacy

Prof. Dr. Androniki Kavoura

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Guest Editor

Department of Business Administration, University of West Attica, 122 43 Athens, Greece
Interests: communication; advertising; tourism; cultural policy; branding
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since 2020, the economy worldwide has faced severe challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and international lockdowns. At this time, nobody can foresee how the pandemic will evolve, nor the recovery timeline. Nonetheless, to reignite the global economies, firms, regions, and countries will need to rethink their strategy and forge future scenarios. Crosschecking all industries, three common points of concern have emerged: sustainability, innovation, and technology. From the convergence of these dimensions, new scenarios can be designed, adapted to the new consumer behavior patterns in different industries.

Tourism was, without a doubt, the industry most impacted by the pandemic. According to UNWTO, post-COVID-19, tourists are expected to change their behavior patterns, seeking adventure travel, natural spaces, and safe and quality experiences. Destinations and tourism and hospitality firms need to fully understand the behavioral changes and new preferences caused by the significant disruption in people’s lives. Therefore, studying these industries in the pandemic context is of paramount importance. It is also important to keep in mind that changes occurred not only at the consumer but also at the firm level. As the past has shown, tourism players show remarkable resilience in overcoming challenges, innovating, and adapting.

This resilience is vital today, regardless of the industry. Thus, it is time to investigate the main trends and present critical reflections and empirical models that reinforce industries; ability to rapidly transform themselves, with particular attention given to tourism and hospitality. Some of the main areas range from consumer behavior and confidence, sustainability, and cultural entrepreneurship to smart tourism and technological innovation.

We invite researchers to submit original papers that include conceptual, empirical, analytical, or design-oriented methodologies. The Special Issue seeks papers including (but not limited to) the following themes:

Opportunities and challenges for sustainable tourism;
Tourism marketing, digital marketing, social media, and brand co-creation;
Cultural, religious, and gastronomic heritage;
Smart tourism;
Tourism innovation practices, planning, and development;
Contemporary issues and tourism experiences in a post-COVID era;
Tourism stakeholders behaviors and perceptions;
Economic, social, and territorial impacts of tourism;
Adventure, sports, wellness, and health tourism;
Senior tourism and accessible destinations.

Prof. Dr. Flávio Gomes Borges Tiago
Prof. Dr. Maria Teresa Borges Tiago
Prof. Dr. Beatriz Casais
Prof. Dr. Androniki Kavoura
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Mexican Version of the Cycle-Tourist Motivation Instrument (CtMI)

by Ramón Antonio Aragón Mladosich, Rafael Arturo Muñoz-Marquez Trujillo, Juan Valente Hidalgo Contreras and Imelda Becerra-Roman

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13866; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113866 - 25 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2077

Abstract

With the growing interest in cycle tourism in Mexico, it is necessary to understand the motives for traveling and cycling. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the bicycle tourism motivation instrument (Cycle-tourist Motivation Instrument (CtMI)) for Mexico. The instrument was applied to 322 cycle tourists who participated, directly or indirectly, in the 2021 Chichimeca route, a cycle tourism event. Atypical data were removed, Cronbach’s alpha of the CtMi was 0.920, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test gave 0.911 as a result, and Barlett’s sphericity test was equal to 0.000; in addition, factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed with factor loadings greater than 0.40, resulting in an instrument with validity and explanatory capacity for the phenomenon of cyclist motivation with 32 items divided into 7 dimensions: health, social, competence domain, exploration, stimulus-seeking, self-presentation and escape, with values equal to and/or higher than those reported in the literature. The CtMI can contribute to future research related to this topic, which will allow us to understand and determine the motivations of the cycle tourist in Mexico. Likewise, this study demonstrates the need for further research to validate the CtMI in other contexts, within Mexico and abroad. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

23 pages, 89453 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Unknown Carnival of Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal): Community, Heritage, and Identity on Stage

by Andrea Mattia Marcelli, Francisco Sousa, Josélia Fonseca, Leonor Sampaio da Silva, Marxiano Melotti and Susana Goulart Costa

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13250; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013250 - 14 Oct 2022

Viewed by 3997

Abstract

Terceira Island hosts a Carnival that enjoys unique features in the landscape of European folklore. It involves a major share of the resident population, it takes place on stages scattered all over the island, and it involves a blend of dancing, music, and acting. This paper presents the preliminary results of a collaborative project between native and foreign scholars, with the activist goal of providing Terceira’s Carnival with visibility in order to ensure its preservation. Documentary evidence and fieldwork activities undertaken in 2020 provide grounds to interpret Terceira’s Carnival as a multi-modal endeavour that nurtures social cohesion through mythopoesis, subversion of hegemonic roles, and the distribution of leadership to folk elites. As such, we argue that Terceira’s Carnival does not fit traditional scholarly views on European Carnivals. Additionally, we show that, thanks to its ability to trigger identity-making processes, this Carnival is a case for cultural sustainability: in fact, it ensures the preservation of communal bonds in face of changing global and regional social landscapes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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15 pages, 1516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Virtual Immersive Platforms as a Strategic Innovative Destination Marketing Tool in the COVID-19 Era

by Sotirios Varelas

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12867; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912867 - 9 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2739

Abstract

The aim of this research was to address the issues in virtual-reality technologies and gamification within the context of immersive technologies. The author drew together, in a hybrid methodology, the principles of virtual touring and online training, as these need to be understood by destination and tourism professionals. The emphasis was on the utility of innovative multimedia and multimodal technological tools for modern content creation, which led to an online training process for travel agents, the role of gamification and how a virtual platform could be developed to promote a tourism destination during the COVID-19 pandemic. The author based the research on a case study of an immersive platform of a Greek destination and on the degree of the user response to the virtual technology and content. The study also included a comparison between two platforms: one using conventional content and one using multimedia content. The author methodologically used VAR models to describe the cogeneration process of multiple variables over time to investigate the relationships between these variables. The results led to a preference for immersive platforms, which can be a guide for corresponding platforms that are concerned with the promotion of destinations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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15 pages, 3023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ancestral Rituals Heritage as Community-Based Tourism—Case of the Ecuadorian Andes

by Angel Torres-Toukoumidis, Isidro Marín-Gutiérrez and Mónica Hinojosa-Becerra

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12679; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912679 - 5 Oct 2022

Viewed by 2420

Abstract

This research aims to describe aguacolla’s ancestral ritual in a local community in Ecuador, determining the use of ancestral medicine, the healing process, its sociological antecedents, diagnosis and treatments. A micro-ethnographic design was carried out in the local community with total involvement in the ritualistic process for 20 days, where, in addition to collecting data through participant observation and interviews, a video production of the ritual was generated. As a result, the involvement of religious and cultural syncretism in the ceremony, acceptance of the locals and strengthening of their identity by including symbolisms of the area, the different categories of ancestral medicine were analyzed: wachakhampiYachak for pregnant women and children, yurakhampiYachak for headaches and fever, KakuyampiYachak for bones and rikuyhampiYachak for supernatural diseases. Concluding, the healing experience produced by the “aguacolla” shows that in addition to the healing spectrum, there is also a touristic, historical and patrimonial repercussion in the ceremonies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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15 pages, 1443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

OUV Analysis and Global Comparative Study of Karakoram-Pamir World Natural Heritage Potential Area

by Ruiyao Xu, Zhaoping Yang and Xiaoliang Xu

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12546; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912546 - 1 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2271

Abstract

The analysis and global comparison of World Natural Heritage values are important for the assessment of World Natural Heritage and are relevant for the sustainable development of the nominated potential areas. Pamir Plateau, known as the “Spring Ridge”, with the world’s largest mountain junction—Pamir mountain junction—is known as the ancestor of mountains and the source of rivers. The nominated Karakorum-Pamir site was inscribed on the World Heritage Tentative List in 2010. In this paper, the characteristics of heritage resources in two areas of the Karakoram-Pamir heritage potential area are systematically analyzed according to the standard of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of world heritage by comprehensive analysis and geographical comparison. It puts forward that the aesthetics, geology, and biological ecology of this region are of global outstanding universal value. It is concluded that the Karakoram-Pamir Heritage Potential area meets the criteria of world natural Heritage (VII), (VIII), and (X). By comparing with 15 large mountain heritages listed in the World Heritage list, it is concluded that the Karakoram-Pamir area in Xinjiang has an OUV of world heritage and a potential of declaring world natural heritage. This study lays a scientific foundation for the declaration of Xinjiang Karakoram-Pamir as a World Heritage site. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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41 pages, 2286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Theoretical Model for the Analysis of Community-Based Tourism: Contribution to Sustainable Development

by María Rosa Naranjo Llupart

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10635; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710635 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 8966

Abstract

This work aims to show a theoretical model of community-based tourism, to explain its component subsystems, to provide its theoretical–methodological foundation and to discuss the indications of its practical instrumentation in facing the changes that tourism of the future imposes and will impose. The research was carried out in the tourist context of Ecuador, for which the deductive method was applied, which allowed for examining the problem, and the more general theories related to tourist activity, which allowed for identifying the premises and objectives of the work to reach accurate conclusions on the subject studied. This was a mixed investigation that allowed for integrating the contributions of qualitative and quantitative analyses in the treatment and processing of information. The results included achieving systematization of the theoretical models linked to community-based tourism and, from a practical point of view, obtaining a new model of community-based tourism, a graphic representation of the subsystems that form this model, and its arguments. The findings show the need to update the community-based tourism model as a contribution to the scientific development of tourism as well as the systemic nature of its components from a new perspective of analysis that considers the need for changes as a developmental factor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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23 pages, 3137 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Network Structure Features and Influencing Factors of Tourism Flow in Rural Areas: Evidence from China

by Yuzhen Li, Guofang Gong, Fengtai Zhang, Lei Gao, Yuedong Xiao, Xingyu Yang and Pengzhen Yu

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9623; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159623 - 4 Aug 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2630

Abstract

Exploring the spatial network structure of tourism flow and its influencing factors is of great significance to the transmission of characteristic culture and the sustainable development of tourism in tourist destinations, especially in backward rural areas. Taking Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (hereinafter referred to as Qiandongnan Prefecture) as an example, this paper adopts social network analysis and Quadratic Assignment Procedure regression analysis to study the network structural characteristics and influencing factors of tourism flow using online travel blog data. The results show that: (1) There are seasonal changes in tourism flow, but the attractions that tourists pay attention to do not change with the seasons. (2) The tightness of the tourism flow network structure is poor. The core nodes are unevenly distributed, and there are obvious structural holes. (3) The density of the tourism flow network is low. There is a clear core–periphery structure in the network, and the core area has a weak driving effect on the periphery area. There are more cohesive subgroups in the network, but the degree of connectedness between the subgroups varies greatly. (4) Geographical adjacency, transportation accessibility, and tourism resource endowment influence tourism flow network structure. The study found that the influencing factors of tourism flow in rural areas are different from those in urban areas. These results provide useful information for the marketing and development of tourism management departments in rural areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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20 pages, 5899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Online Destination Image of Zhenjiang Section of the Grand Canal Based on Network Content Analysis

by Yan Yang, Chunfa Sha, Wencheng Su and Edwin Kofi Nyefrer Donkor

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2731; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052731 - 25 Feb 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3063

Abstract

The Zhenjiang section of the Grand Canal (ZGC) is an important part of the Grand Canal, which was listed on the World Heritage List in 2014. The purpose of this study is to analyze the projected image of the ZGC constructed by destination marketing organizations (DMO) in the WeChat official account (WOA) by using the network content analysis method to condense the image features of the ZGC on the Internet and to provide support for the brand image construction of the ZGC from the supply side. The results show that: (1) DMO pay more attention to the shipping traffic and generate less publicity regarding the literature and art of the ZGC; (2) the cognitive images that are widely promoted are river course and water transport; the emotional images in high-frequency words are less involved but are positive as a whole; (3) the brand image of the ZGC has a strong nostalgic characteristic; (4) more attention should be paid to the heritage sites in the Song Dynasty and near the river course and river outlet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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18 pages, 2267 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geotourism Destinations Online Branding Co-Creation

by Flávio Tiago, Pedro Correia, Victor-Alexandru Briciu and Teresa Borges-Tiago

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8874; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168874 - 9 Aug 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3071

Abstract

The application of brand theory to destinations has grown in the last few decades, with the destination brand personality being a viable metaphor for creating and positioning destination brands. An often-overlooked tourism typology is geotourism; more specifically, volcanic tourism, since it can be a passive element of any tourism form or active nature tourism. However, its potential is relatively unexplored in terms of online branding. For this reason, the present study analyzes online brand image co-creation, using 300 websites related to three unique volcanic tourism destinations—Iceland, the Azores, and the Canary Islands. Three different types of sources (destination marketing organizations, commercial, and editorial websites) created these contents. The results demonstrate significant differences between the communication of the three destinations, with Iceland, where there is less aligned communication, most valuing geo elements in their communication, and the Azores, where all stakeholders communicate similar brand personality traits, displaying more aligned communication regarding brand personality. In the Canary Islands geotourism is less explored as a destination offer and is consequently less communicated. Acknowledging the different brand positioning and the parity and differentiation points among destinations with the same baseline offer—volcanic tourism—can be helpful for destination brand managers to reignite tourism and promote a unique tourism experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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22 pages, 3089 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Creating Opportunities for the Development of Craft Beer Tourism in Serbia as a New Form of Sustainable Tourism

by Tamara Gajić, Jovanka Popov Raljić, Ivana Blešić, Milica Aleksić, Dragan Vukolić, Marko D. Petrović, Natalia V. Yakovenko and Višnja Sikimić

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8730; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168730 - 5 Aug 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3652

Abstract

Beer may not be the oldest alcoholic beverage, but it is definitely among the most popular alcoholic beverages in Serbia today. The authors conducted a survey in 2019, during three major beer festivals, on a total sample of 542 festival visitors. The authors set the goal of the research: sensory preferences, habits, knowledge of the beer production process and a healthy lifestyle influence the choice of beer type, in respondents older than 18 years. Further, the goal was to investigate the extent to which craft tourism can be developed in Serbia, and to be an aid in sustainable tourism development. SPSS software, version 26.00, was used for data processing. Descriptive statistical analysis determined the average values for all items from the given research groups. The authors considered that, for determining the group of factors, which may have the strongest predictor power in predicting beer choice, the best results can be given by Binary Logistic Regression. The logarithm of chances, chances and probabilities has also been determined whether in some future period all festival visitors over the age of 18 will be chosen for craft beer instead of factory beer. The obtained results show that visitors mainly consume craft beer, and that sensory tendencies play a leading role in preserving and creating quality, as well as attracting regular consumers and visitors to craft tourism. The importance of the research is undoubtedly seen in resolving the existing doubts about the quality of beer and creating a craft tourist market in Serbia. In addition, the research can improve the measures around the creation of a recognizable identity of the Serbian beer festival, on the wider tourist market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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14 pages, 471 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unveiling Island Tourism in Cape Verde through Online Reviews

by Cristina Oliveira, Paulo Rita and Sérgio Moro

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8167; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158167 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2632

Abstract

This paper is focused on research addressing a large quantity of data extracted from online reviews written by tourists visiting islands. These were extracted from TripAdvisor regarding island tourist destinations since there is a gap in the scientific literature using this approach on island tourism. The Islands of the Sun, Boa Vista and Sal, of Cape Verde, a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), were the targets of this investigation. After applying text mining to a large dataset, results are discussed, including from the perspectives of hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. For example, the beach is the main tourist attraction in both islands, but whereas in Boa Vista, tours on quad bikes constitute a major tourist activity, its equivalent in Sal is actually diving. The location of hotels near the beach is a big plus for tourists who also emphasize their human interaction with staff members in both hotels and restaurants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism, Innovation, Heritage, and Sustainability: Global and Local Perspectives)

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