Sustainability of tourism destinations and the importance of certification

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 677-684
Author(s):  
Jorge Costa ◽  
Daniela Rodrigues ◽  
João Gomes

Purpose The desired balance between human activity and environmental development and protection requires a clear and equitable distribution of responsibilities, regarding consumption and behavior toward natural and cultural resources. This paper aims to take a look at the relationship between tourism and sustainable development and the prospect of certified sustainable tourism destinations. Design/methodology/approach The paper examines the literature on the impacts of tourism and the application of sustainable development principles in the context of destination development. Findings Environmental certification has proven to be an important policy instrument, helping consumers to choose products and services that are less harmful to the environment and more authentic, serving as a marketing tool for companies that differentiate their products in the market. Originality/value The process of certification of tourist destinations is an issue that is little discussed, despite the numerous advantages for the destinations.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6858
Author(s):  
Kuo-Kuang Fan ◽  
Ying Zhou ◽  
Jun Zhang

Although archaized blocks have good development prospects as tourist destinations that reshape local characteristics in cities, they have been criticized by academic circles, and most of them are underperforming due to poor management. Therefore, facing the marginalization of the existing archaized streets in various cities, it is urgent to recognize their image and value and find out the strategies that can guide their sustainable development. First of all, we changed the traditional perspective of looking at archaized block cultural attractions through the comparison of a literature review and confirmed that the archaized block should connote a sense of community, fluidity, and publicity and highlight the foundation of local culture and field development. Secondly, we selected a case as the main object and compared the correspondence between the communicative and perceptive images of local residents to construct the connection map of the relationship between local residents and the case field. This part consists of two stages: (1) Through the official information and the intervention of Means–End Chain, we confirm the communicative image and perceptive image of this field, including 13 attributes, 12 consequences, and 11 values; and (2) The collected contents of attributes, consequences, and values were merged and converted into 36 variables to form the evaluation basis for the perceptive images of local residents. Finally, we conducted descriptive statistics, factor analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression through SPSS 20.0, constructed the A–C–V relation link diagram for the relationship between the field of the case with the local residents, and interpreted the content that should be focused on and the logic behind the constructed image of the field. In addition, the analysis has shown that the archaized block’s function is not only meant for tourism, but it also acts as a network information center combining local people, local knowledge, and local cultural resources, thus highlighting the diversity and value of the archaized block. This research not only provides suggestions for the marketing and design organizations of the archaized block to improve the image of the destination, but also to help the inheritance of urban culture.


Author(s):  
Zahra Nadalipour ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Imani Khoshkhoo ◽  
Abdolreza Roknoddin Eftekhari

Purpose This study aims at developing a framework to investigate and analyze sustainable competitiveness in tourism destinations. Design/methodology/approach This study has a qualitative approach, and it has been conducted by use of a comprehensive literature review. First, the key concepts of the study such as destination competitiveness, sustainable development, stakeholders’ attitude and performance and tourist loyalty were identified. Then, an integrative review was conducted on literature regarding the mentioned keywords. More related resources were selected and critically reviewed to explore gaps. For this purpose, a search was conducted at databases such as Emerald, Elsevier and ScienceDirect. Findings An appropriate framework for tourism sustainable development and, in particular, for its sustainable competitiveness, requires considering economic, sociocultural and ecological dimensions on the one hand, and considering all stakeholders participating in tourism process on the other hand. Research limitations/implications The model suggested in this study can be applied by managers and policymakers in various destinations to investigate true competitiveness situation of their tourist destinations. It also can be theoretically a start point to raise further issues and studies on destination competitiveness by adopting a new sustainability approach. Originality/value From reviewing previous studies, it is clear that most models developed on destination competitiveness only consider creation of competitiveness and destination’s characteristics. In addition, a sustainability approach has rarely been considered in these studies. A model or a framework specially designed for evaluating and investigating sustainability of destination competitiveness has not been developed yet. In this sense, the proposed framework in this study is a new one. What differentiates this model with previous ones is the sustainability approach to the competitiveness and taking all stakeholders of the competition process into account.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-An Chen ◽  
Chun Liang Chen

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how creative-cultural hotels can achieve sustainable service design through the development of a holistic conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach The authors created this framework using a qualitative exploratory multi-case study of four creative-cultural hotels in Taiwan. The framework comprises strategic, organizational and interface levels to describe the design process and implementation of service offerings that co-create value within a multifaceted network of actors. Findings The findings of this study show that incorporating local arts and culture into sustainable service design can generate unique value and experiences for customers. From the perspective of sustainable development, these hotels seek to add value by using local creative and cultural resources to ensure that they have a sound commercial base from which to showcase their cultural features. As such, this study recommends that the hotel industry shift its focus to a paradigm that provides a strategic and sustainability-framed vision to create value for society while protecting local natural and cultural resources. Originality/value This multilevel model reframes the development of customer value constellations through a holistic understanding of user experience, eco-design practice, service encounters aligned with user touchpoints and front-line employee capabilities. To integrate the perspectives of both service providers and their customers, the proposed model embeds these stakeholders within a single model through the vehicle of local value co-creation. This holistic framework can assist in designing sustainable service within the hospitality industry to deliver better services and customer experiences. The findings provide an illustration of how the proposed multilevel sustainable-development-oriented service design framework can serve as a useful tool in guiding hotels toward corporate sustainability.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Song ◽  
Chenbin Zheng ◽  
Jiangquan Wang

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic is still raging, which calls for an exploration of how to prevent and control pandemics to promote sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the digital economy in sustainable development, the relationship between the two, the impacts of the outbreak on economic and social development, and changes in China's digital economy.Design/methodology/approachThe study used the time-series data from 2002 to 2019 and an unconstrained VAR model to examine the relationship between the digital economy and sustainable development before the pandemic.FindingsChina's digital economy has promoted the country's sustainable economic and social development; it has advanced rapid economic growth, improved people's living standards, increased efficient utilization of resources, and strengthened environmental protection.Research limitations/implicationsAmid the pandemic, China's digital economy developed effectively; it showed strong resilience because of its unique advantages. The digital economy in China has helped the country to control the pandemic in a short period, reduced the risk of supply chain disruption, promoted China's economic growth, and ensured the orderly operation of society. Therefore, countries worldwide are encouraged to prioritize their digital economies.Originality/valueCompared with the extant literature, this study explores the sustainable supply chain in a broader sense in the context of a pandemic, and how the supply chain is influenced by the digital economy. It not only includes the stability, resilience, and viability of the supply chain in economic development but also involves aspects of people's life, resource utilization, and environmental protection.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Theeranuch Pusaksrikit ◽  
Sydney Chinchanachokchai

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of cultural differences and the types of relationship closeness involved in recipients’ emotional and behavioral reactions after receiving disliked gifts. Design/methodology/approach Collecting data from Thailand and the USA, two experiments were conducted in a 2 (self-construal: independent/interdependent) × 2 (relationship closeness: close/distant) between-subjects design. Study 1 explores the recipients’ feelings and reactions upon receipt of a disliked gift. Study 2 explores the disposition process for a disliked gift. Findings The results show that a recipient’s emotions, reaction and disposition process can be affected by cultural differences and relationship closeness: specifically that close and distant relationships moderate the relationship between self-construal and gift-receiving attitudes and behaviors. Research limitations/implications Future research can investigate representative groups from other countries to broaden the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications This understanding can guide gift-givers when selecting gifts for close or distant recipients across cultures. Additionally, it can help retailers develop and introduce new marketing strategies by applying self-construal as a marketing segmentation tool for gift purchase and disposition. Originality/value This research is among the first studies to offer insights into how individuals in different cultures manage disliked gifts they receive from people in either close or distant relationships.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long W. Lam ◽  
Yan Liu

Purpose – Drawing on social identity and self-categorization theories and building on Meyer and Herscovitch's (2001) work on affective commitment, this study aimed to examine the relationship between organizational identification and affective commitment, and the relationships between these two variables and employees' attitude and behavior. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected on-site from 158 automobile dealership employees in central China. Regression analysis and hierarchical linear modeling were used to analyze the survey data. Findings – Organizational identification was positively related to affective commitment. Affective commitment was negatively related to turnover intention and positively related to job performance. Affective commitment mediated the relationship between organizational identification and turnover intention, but did not mediate the relationship between organizational identification and job performance. Research limitations/implications – This study contributes to the literature by integrating organizational identification and affective commitment, the two distinct types of employees' organizational attachment. However, results should be cautioned with the limitations of the study. Practical implications – Managers can use employees' organizational identification to foster affective commitment since it leads to a variety of positive work attitudes and behavior. Social implications – Society as a whole may benefit by having more loyal and committed workforce in organisations. Originality/value – This study develops a model that aligns employee commitment and identification. Doing so answers the call for more efforts to integrate the two forms of organizational attachment in order to make more progress in this line of research.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Shephard ◽  
Qudsia Kalsoom ◽  
Ritika Gupta ◽  
Lorenz Probst ◽  
Paul Gannon ◽  
...  

Purpose Higher education is uncertain which sustainability-related education targets should be sought and monitored. Accepting that something needs to be measurable to be systematically improved, the authors explored how measures relate to potential targets. This paper aims to focus on dispositions to think critically (active open-minded thinking and fair-minded thinking in appraising reasoning) as measures and explored how they related to sustainability concern as an indicative educational target. Design/methodology/approach This research included the development and testing of research instruments (scales) that explored dispositions to critical thinking and sustainability concern. Authors researched these instruments within their own correspondence groups and tested them with university students and staff in Pakistan, the USA, Austria, India and New Zealand. The authors also asked a range of contextualising questions. Findings Respondents’ disposition to aspects of active, open-minded thinking and fair-minded thinking do predict their concern about facets of sustainability but their strength of religious belief was an important factor in these relationships and in their measurement. Practical implications This research demonstrates the complexity of monitoring dispositions to think critically and sustainability concern in educational systems, particularly in circumstances where the roles of religious beliefs are of interest; and suggests ways to address this complexity. Originality/value This research integrates and expands discourses on ESD and on critical thinking in diverse disciplines and cultures. It investigates measurement approaches and targets that could help higher education institutions to educate for sustainable development and to monitor their progress, in ways that are compatible with their culture and values.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Gani ◽  
Ramjit Singh

Purpose This study aims to explore the preparedness and the recovery/rebuilding activities or strategies adopted by the respondents during the phases of natural disaster/crisis in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, India. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative research design was chosen for the study. The interview method was adopted in the present research. The respondents were selected purposefully from the representatives of tourism organizations/destinations management organizations and emergency organizations, i.e. disaster management and hotels experienced by natural disasters, i.e. flood 2014 in Kashmir valley 2019 in Assam states of India. Findings Moderate level of preparedness among the tourism organizations, tourism businesses such as hotels leaves implications for them to enhance the disaster or crisis resilient community. The preparedness programs, efficient social media, communications strategies and development of tourist destinations-specific disaster-related crisis management plans were suggested to enhance disaster resilience. Originality/value The present study is widely contributing to the theory of the vital concepts of crisis management at tourism destinations. This study suggests the practical implications for and suggestions to the industry practitioners, government agencies and researchers to rebuild the tourist destinations from the disaster/crisis and enhance global resilience.


Author(s):  
Sergio Fadini

The relationship between tourism and local residents is one of the most important problems of the tourist governance in a site; both in mature tourism destinations like European cultural towns, or in other sites, and where tourism is a novelty, so problems can be more. The concept of responsible tourism was born for helping local communities that bear tourism impact, using the values of sustainable development. So, inside it, this theme is very important, for who think that local communites must be more active in tourism; and for who think that it’s enough if they gain money from tourist activities. This paper analyzes the situation in Matera, a little town in the south of Italy, where tourism is becoming an important economic activity. Here there are daily problems between who plan and citizens. A planning concerning not only tourism, as the restricted traffic zone.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 1669-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Johnson ◽  
Christopher J. Lake

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between pay satisfaction, global job satisfaction, loyalty and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) – as they all pertain to contingent workers. The proposed model suggests, due to the nature of contingent work, pay satisfaction will influence the above variables. Additionally, this study aims to explore the relationship between pay satisfaction and OCB directed toward an individual employee. Design/methodology/approach This study used a cross-sectional research design, administering a web-based survey to the participants (n=117) for data collection. Hierarchical regression, correlation and relative importance analyses were used for hypothesis testing. Findings The results suggest pay satisfaction of contingent workers is positively related to global job satisfaction, loyalty to a hiring agency, loyalty to a client company and OCB directed toward a client organization. Originality/value The primary contribution of the current study was the assessment of extrinsic rewards and their relationship to job satisfaction, loyalty and OCBs among contingent workers. This appears to be the first study to assess the relationship between pay satisfaction and loyalty, along with OCBs of contingent workers. The findings establish the importance of pay when loyalty to both staffing agency and client company is considered.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document