A Framework for Sustainable Tourism Development in and around National Parks

The proliferation of tourism to U.S. national parks yields increasing demands for service and conservation programs that are well-matched with the broadening view of sustainability management in and around PPAs. As such, there is a critical need for research regarding holistic perspectives on planning and monitoring sustainable development. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a non-profit, independent organization that develops and manages global baseline standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. The GSTC Destination Criteria have not been widely applied to PPAs, yet these criteria may offer a useful guiding framework for sustainable tourism development in PPAs. Therefore, this study explores the utility of the GSTC Destination Criteria as a tool for assisting managers at Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) in developing a destination-level sustainability plan. In August 2018, we conducted a sustainability evaluation using the GSTC Destination Criteria. Specific areas of success and improvement were identified, and park managers are using this information to improve the park’s strategic plan. The results of this evaluation are reviewed and critiqued within our broader assessment of the utility of the GSTC Destination Criteria in national park planning.

Social Media in Sustainable Tourism Recovery

In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to manage tourist destinations to allow the recovery of tourism on the one hand and reduce its negative impact on the environment and the local community on the other. Information provided via social media (SM) by both residents and tourists can help restart tourism. This paper identifies ways of sharing travel experiences by tourists on social media. The research was conducted in Poland on a sample of 271 respondents from each generation using questionnaires. Results showed that the way tourists use SM during and after their trip differs by generation and gender what could be used in promoting responsible behaviour for sustainable tourism. Differences between generations can be observed in behaviours such as ongoing planning the trip, obtaining information about the place to stay, keeping a photo album for friends, and writing reviews. Moreover, more often than men, women use SM to obtain information about the place of stay and share their impressions of the trip by sending MMS or emails. Tracking tourists’ travel behaviour on social media will allow city managers to gather information and respond to their needs and expectations and ensure effective urban management and city promotion.

Residents’ Perceptions of Sustainable Tourism Destination Recovery: The Case of Northern Cyprus

As nations and tourism destinations are beginning to relax nonpharmaceutical measures for the prevention of the COVID-19 virus, a major quest of tourism stakeholders is to restart and restore the once viable and productive industry to its prior state. While the urge to restart and restore may necessitate a strategic plan and drastic measures, care must be taken not to undermine the sustainability of the destination. The current study seeks to understand the perceptions of residents of Northern Cyprus as key tourism stakeholders concerning the impacts of COVID-19 to the island’s tourism activities and recommendations for recovery post pandemic. To this end, the study used grounded theory and semistructured interviews to explore how residents perceive the contribution of focused advertisements and stakeholder engagement in the sustainable restoration of tourism activities post COVID-19 on the island. While divergent opinions were gathered, it can be inferred that stakeholders expect the implementation of strategic plans aided by focused advertisements to ensure the sustainability of their tourist destinations. Policy directions and academic contributions are also stated as requirements.

Analisis Penerapan Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability di Kawasan Wisata Kuliner Pasar Lama Tangerang

Kebijakan Cleanliness, Health, Safety, dan Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) ini dibagi berdasarkan panduan umum dan khusus yang menjadi syarat pengaplikasian pada rumah makan yang kemudian dilanjutkan dengan uji verifikasi oleh Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif dan Lembaga Sertifikasi dari Indonesia Sustainable Tourism Certification (ISTC) baik oleh Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) atau Komite Akreditasi Nasional (KAN) untuk memperoleh legalitas rumah makan dapat beroperasi selama kondisi pandemi dengan adanya bukti labelling/sertifikasi. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis penerapan cleanliness, health, safety dan environmental sustainability di Kawasan Wisata Kuliner Pasar Lama Tangerang. Jenis penelitian yang tim peneliti gunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah penelitian deskriptif kualitatif. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dan pembahasan pada bab sebelumnya dapat ditarik beberapa kesimpulan guna menjawab rumusan masalah. Beberapa kesimpulan tersebut terdiri dari :Sebagian besar pedagang yang berjualan di Wisata Kuliner Pasar Lama sudah memahami konsep dari penerapan CHSE yang dianjurkan pemerintah, para pedagang yang berjualan di Wisata Kuliner Pasar Lama dapat memahami, menyatakan pengetahuannya serta menjalankannya mengenai penerapan cleanliness atau kebersihan, para pedagang yang berjualan di Wisata Kuliner Pasar Lama dapat memahami, menyatakan pengetahuannya serta menjalankannya mengenai penerapan health atau Kesehatan, sebagian pedagang yang berjualan di Wisata Kuliner Pasar Lama dapat memahami, menyatakan pengetahuannya serta menjalankannya mengenai penerapan safety atau keselamatan.para pedagang yang berjualan di Wisata Kuliner Pasar Lama dapat memahami, menyatakan pengetahuannya serta menjalankannya mengenai penerapan Environmental sustainability atau kelestarian lingkunga, sosialisasi tentang CHSE belum dilakukan secara menyeluruh, berdasarkan hasil wawancara sebagian Narasumber belum mendapat sosialisasi mengenai penerapan CHSE.

Expression of Behavior and Attitudes toward Sustainable Tourism in the Youth Population: A Search for Statistical Types

Youth attitudes and behavior in tourism activities are crucial for sustainable tourism development. This study aims to identify the statistical types of youth according to their expressed behavior in sustainability and attitudes toward sustainable tourism development. Survey data were collected from 1085 respondents representing different Baltic Sea countries—Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia. A unique research instrument, constructed by the authors, was developed for the empirical research, responding to the latest theoretical insights and models and was empirically validated by statistical methods (the factor validity of the scales was tested with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, etc.). Attitudes towards sustainable tourism development were measured with the SUS-TAS scale. The factor clustering method used in the study identified the statistical types of the youth included, according to the expression of sustainable behavior and the attitudes toward sustainable tourism development. The results indicated that the majority of youth belong to the “oriented toward sustainable behavior” type (50.6%), while the analysis of youth attitudes showed that 71.5% belong to the socioeconomic type, indicating that young people prioritize the long-term socioeconomic wellbeing of the region, which can be achieved through efficient management, tourism planning, and active public participation in the implementation of tourism policies.

The Use of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Cultural Heritage and Deep-Diving Destinations

Underwater cultural heritage and deep diving are important attractions for tourism. Using cutting-edge technology tools for cultural heritage became more important for tourism destinations. The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in tourism from the perspective of cultural heritage and deep diving. This chapter will contribute to the literature to show a new way of sustainable tourism. Commercial diving to an underwater heritage site a is popular touristic activity. Sometimes shipwreck recovery can be hazardous for cultural heritage. The review results indicate that these underwater cultural heritage sites need to be protected for sustainable tourism development. Virtual tours contribute to the sustainability of cultural heritage. On the other hand, treasure hunting trips and recreational diving may cause damage to the archaeological sites. Underwater cultural heritage sites should be protected for sustainable tourism. VR and AR applications can be used to promote a touristic destination by tourism marketers for experimental marketing.

The “Sustainable Destination Structure” for Sustainable Tourist Demand - Selective Marketing for Sustainable Tourism Demand for Unpolluted Areas

Observing the recent developments of the demand for tourist products, we notice some very important changes in the tourists’ preferences of consumption toward a different sense of quality, asking for new quality models based on virginity, pure nature, highly maintained clean spaces, authenticity, cultural heritage and high responsibility and consciousness on sustainability. The natural environment represents the main resource to this demand on many tourism destinations. This is related to the fact that tourists increasingly are interested in spending their holidays in unspoiled natural territories. To this end, destination managers recently are under increased pressure to improve their eco-quality, maximize the hygiene, as well as to implement ecologically sustainable practices and systems. Based and stimulated by this evidence, a process of selective targeting/segmentation of tourist market could be an approach to sustainable destination management, both generally in the international market, but very promising to the Albanian case of the tourist sector future development, focusing at the region of Elbasan. Considering and analyzing the ecological footprint of Albania, and particularly that of Elbasan region, this paper will try to test these possibilities. To observe the feasibility of this approach, the study will be focused on tourists, between Albanians and foreign visitors, regarding their main reasons of returning in the same destinations. The questions to be treated will be mainly focused on the quality of the tourist services, the environmentally friendly behavior, as well as psychographic, behavioral, and socio-demographic personal characteristics of the tourists. Focusing and deepening in sustainable tourism destinations’ management could foster the increase in the number of day-vacations for one year, strongly also influencing the normal development of the supporting industries. This asks for techniques which focus on eco-tourism and sustainability at the destinations, even why the tourist himself generally may not necessarily be interested in protecting and caring to the local environment. In conclusion, the study confirms the increasing trend of the orientation of the tourist demand toward unpolluted destinations and attractions, as well as the tendency to safeguard the environment and to use sustainable tourist resources

Community-Based Tourism Experiences in Nepal

This chapter presents a case study of community-based tourism (CBT) in Nepal. Based on the Nepalese experiences, this chapter demonstrates that the CBT approach not only helps to economically empower the local community, revitalize local culture, and enhance appreciation for the natural and cultural environment, but also ultimately helps to promote socially responsible and environmentally conscious sustainable tourism practices. Identifying policies and appropriate practices for the sustainable development of tourism is critical because of the recent crisis of COVID-19 that has almost paralyzed the entire travel and tourism industry. Furthermore, based on CBT approaches, the knowledge derived from the Nepalese experiences can be used in various developing countries that aim to develop sustainable tourism development models for the post-COVID-19 era.