The impact of Central Asian tourists’ risk perception on their travel intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Central Asian (CA) countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) are assumed to be one of the most attractive tourist destinations since this particular geographical location holds immense potential in tourism products. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the flourishing tourism sector of these countries has been immensely affected. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of Central Asian tourists' risk attitudes toward traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic through consideration of sociodemographic characteristics. The research was conducted during January through April 2021 based on a sample of 966 respondents via an online questionnaire. In the survey, risks are divided into four main categories: health, psychological, financial and travel destination. Nominal regression was used to identify the way in which risk perception affected travel intentions during COVID-19 and the research findings indicate that Central Asian tourists’ risk perception has done so. Hygiene, disinfection and a reliable health system in destinations (21%) will be leading factors in future travel.

Post-pandemic tourism: The desired wave of recovery in India

In post-pandemic India the recovery in tourism has become known as ‘revenge’ meaning revenge on the disease. It is tourism due to the desperation to travel, especially in the current scenario in which those who have been confined to their homes have grown tired of being trapped there. The restless mood caused by the ongoing pandemic reached its peak and it is possible that this will eventually help in bringing back a rapid return to tourism. To analyze the travel intentions of potential tourists after the current pandemic ends, an attempt has been made to make an analysis of tourism in India to find out how Covid-19 is impacting on people’s lives and how willing they are to participate in tourism again.

The forecasting potential of adaptive models in tourism

The article discusses forecasting as one of the special scientific research areas which contribute to the assessment of tourist activity development prospects, the identification of key tourism development factors and effective management decision criteria. The study provides an overview of modern research methods used in Russia and other countries for making forecasts in the field of tourism. It aims at assessing the predictive capabilities of adaptive modeling, not frequently used currently in tourism research, for the quantitative analysis of tourist flows using the example of Barcelona, a major urban tourist destination in the pre-pandemic period. An example of a forecast for tourist numbers based on adaptive models is proposed, one of the key indicators showing tourist region success which have proven successful in the study of processes with a dynamic but unstable character.

Eco-friendly accommodation facilities in Mladá Boleslav, Czechia: a case study

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the application of various green management measures in selected accommodation facilities in Czechia, namely in the town of Mladá Boleslav and its surroundings. This study was carried out using mixed research methods including semi-structured interviews with accommodation facility management staff. The interviews were complemented with a questionnaire survey which focused on the application of eco-friendly solutions in accommodation facilities. The total sample of participating facilities represented 39.6% of those in the town and its surroundings. In the data analysis stage, correspondence analysis was used. The results suggest that the higher the category, the stronger the trend to use eco-friendly methods in running accommodation facilities.

Local economic development strategies to increase economic growth in agrotourism areas

This study aims to find a local economic development strategy based on agroindustry to increase Java’s agrotourism sustainable and robust local economy. The research methods used are descriptive quantitative and qualitative. Research respondents are the community, academic practitioners and government officials. The data used covers both external and internal factors that affect the local economy in an agrotourism area and which are then analyzed using SWOT. The results show that the main strength of agrotourism in the IFE matrix is its highly strategic geographical location. The weakness is the lack of planning and business development activity which could have potential economic value. In the EFE matrix, opportunities are the prospects for agrotourism development while the main threat is the community's low interest in business development. In the IE matrix, agrotourism development is found in cell V. This can be handled by maintaining strategies such as market penetration, and market and product development. The study concludes that the local economic development of the community in the agrotourism area can be implemented if the community, practitioners and government are integrated to support the strategy.

Entrepreneurship in community-based tourism in Sri Lanka

This study is focused on entrepreneurship in community-based tourism (CBT) in Sri Lanka. It examines the effect of entrepreneurial competences and orientation towards the performance of homestays although the majority are not successful. Recent research has revealed that homestay tourism is not effective, nonetheless it has been identified as the sector for the development for entrepreneurs and can make a considerable contribution to the Sri Lankan economy. The purpose of this study is to enhance CBT by showing how to develop productive entrepreneurs in this sector. Resource based view (RBV) theory is the basis – 645 registered homestay units operate as a CBT practice and the study sample was 252 entrepreneurs. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. From the findings of the study, both entrepreneurial competences and orientation significantly affect entrepreneur performance in CBT. This study will help expand CBT for successful entrepreneurs emerging from the tourism sector.

The use of Facebook in marketing communication by local tourist organizations in Poland

The aim of the article is to show to what extent local tourist organizations in Poland use their Facebook accounts for marketing communication. 84 out of 121 on the list published on the Polish Tourist Organization website participated in the study which was carried out using a diagnostic survey method. The results show that Facebook profiles are largely not run in accordance with the guidelines formulated in the literature and many organizations do not have their own account at all. Representatives of organizations declare that they are aware of the need for the greater involvement of social media in promotional activities but find such obstacles as a lack of financial resources and a lack of personnel who could professionally run them.

Phenomenological Research On Guest Couchsurfing Experience

Couchsurfing (CS) is now regarded as an alternative platform that reflects changes in tourist accommodation preferences. The CS platform, based on the sharing economy, offers an opportunity to give various tourist experiences to travelers, as well as accommodation. This study aims to provide information about the travel motivations, prejudices, risk perceptions and experiences of CS guests. It has original value for the relevant literature, as it delves deeply into CS guests using a phenomenological approach. The present results show that the desire to sightsee new places, meet new people and recognize different cultures has motivated the participants. The study found that although most of the participants did not have prejudices or risk perceptions, CS first timers did. It has also been observed that participants are highly satisfied with their CS experiences and intend to take part in CS activities again.

A fine line between red and dark: Anti-communist film-induced tourism

This study explores the ‘30 September Movement’ that staged a communist coup in 1965 as travel motivation for an anti-communism museum. ‘Framing’ and ‘uses and gratifications’ theories were used for this case study. The findings concluded that negative film plots and scenes are signature themes that can be used as attributes of red or dark film motivations for tourism. The use of theories, such as ‘framing’ and ‘uses and gratifications’, along with reflexive thematic analysis has provided unique and valuable theoretical insights that may be overlooked by other analyses.

Regional tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic: Losses, missed opportunities and new developments for the tourism industry

As a result of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism, as one of the branches of many national economies, has suffered heavy losses both nationally and regionally. The pandemic as a global phenomenon is bound to change tourism, at least for some time to come. Therefore, questions arise about the nature of these changes and how deep they will be. The aim of the article is to show that for Podkarpackie Province in Poland, the COVID-19 pandemic, apart from the obvious negative consequences for the tourism industry, has also brought new development opportunities. The analyses presented here are based on a survey conducted among 948 adult respondents in 10 different locations within three districts between 15 and 30 August 2020. The analysis showed that during the pandemic, nature-related travel and active tourism, as well as trips aimed at health recovery were in high demand. Ensuring health and safety on holidays became a priority. Therefore, a concentration of tourism was observed in selected domestic destinations, usually in areas not associated with tourism (e.g. rural areas). In the future, this may create opportunities for a revival of local tourism. In contrast, the tourism industry suffered its greatest losses in cities; business and event tourism lost out, and there was a significant drop in revenue from both domestic and foreign tourists. These results indicate the negative effects of the pandemic, but also show new development opportunities. No one knows how long COVID-19 will continue, so the conclusions may be useful both for entrepreneurs preparing their tourist offers in the coming years, and institutions responsible for regional tourism policy.