Identifying the Perspectives of Domestic Tourists Visiting Puducherry of India During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A fishbone diagram was used in this study to identify the perspectives of Indian tourists who visited Puducherry during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main problems encountered by the tourists who visited Puducherry were personal problems and issues related to food and accommodations, transportation, lockdown after effects, government regulations and territorial restrictions. Tourism authorities and local governments should consider and solve the problems identified by the tourists to boost the local economy to attract domestic tourists during the ongoing pandemic.

Terrorism and Tourism

The booming tourism sector in Turkey has resulted in major economic gains in terms of direct revenues to both government and private sectors alike. Turkey had more than 45 million visits in 2018, and top inbound arrivals were from Russia and European Union (EU) members, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria, among others (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2020). However, terrorism is becoming a challenge to tourism development. This study explores terrorism–tourism dynamics in Turkey. The short- and long-run impacts of terror attacks on tourism revenues were examined within the framework of an autoregressive lag (ARDL) model using monthly data for the period between 2012 and 2018. The empirical findings did not support terrorism's effects on tourism revenues. However, in the long run, terror-related casualties and fatalities on tourism revenues had different effects. The findings affirm that the casualty rate has a stronger impact on terrorism–tourism dynamics in Turkey because a 1% increase in reported injuries from terror attacks hampers revenues by approximately 0.1%. Hence, adequate and continuous support for general security establishments is imperative while strengthening commitments to the international cooperation on the war against terrorism to proactively contain the undesirable impacts of terrorism in the Turkish tourism industry,

Segmentation of Social Media Users for Destinations

This is a study into the segmentation of social media users interested in traveling into groups and aims to ascertain if differences exist in benefits among segments. It is based on a survey that examines the benefits they see social media as having before, during, and after a trip to a destination, using their responses to generate a data-driven segmentation. Data from a total of 218 questionnaires were analyzed using factor and cluster analysis in sequence, specifically applying a hierarchical cluster analysis using the Ward method and a K-means algorithm. The analysis led to the identification of four useful types of social media user: info-seeker, communication-seeker, interaction-seeker, and hybrid segments, each of which seeks different things from social media and use it in different ways (e.g., to seek information, to see what other people have said about a destination, or to post their own experiences). As such, the implications of our findings offer useful insights for both scholars and destination marketers, highlighting the significance of offering appropriate marketing strategies for each type of segment.

A Study of Online Tourism Services in Iran

Given the fact that tourism is an important sector of many national economies, it is very essential to examine the factors which can help develop successful and smart tourism experiences. The importance of developing tourism destinations through smart technologies as a strategic tool to develop tourism has persuaded many countries to explore the implementation of these destinations, their models, components, and policies. The present study proposed a model for developing online tourism services in smart tourism destinations. The model was analyzed via structural equation modeling using SPSS (version 20) and Lisrel (version 8.8). The data analysis identified 21 components in six major dimensions which can affect smart tourism development: online content quality, access to interactive online services, end-user internet service, demand for online services, the utilization rate of location-based services, and level of online services. The identified factors can help researchers gain a better understanding of the factors affecting the development of smart destinations and recognize their importance and their degree of influence and power. It is recommended that more attention be paid to improving the quality of services provided to tourists for developing smart destinations.

Examining the Feasibility of Vaccine Tourism

The study assesses the feasibility of vaccine tourism. Psychological factors, such as perceived stress and fear of COVID-19, were treated as the antecedents of the constructs of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Data were collected from the respondents from India, and the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method was employed for the analysis. Results reveal that perceived stress and fear of COVID-19 positively and significantly influence attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Furthermore, subjective norms predominantly influence behavioral intention. Likewise, perceived behavioral control and attitude influence behavioral intention.

Crisis Management Practices in Tourism SMEs During COVID-19

This study examines the influence of tourism micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) business characteristics and liquidity and their managers’ demographic characteristics and expectations for assistance regarding crisis management practices (CMP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was conducted in the Republic of Slovenia, where the majority of businesses are classified as SMEs. This study focuses on tourist agencies, lodging, and food and beverage facilities. Overall, 572 valid online questionnaires have been obtained from SME managers. The research model included five research constructs: CMPs, SMEs business characteristics, liquidity, managers’ demographic characteristics, and their expectations for assistance. Results show that managers primarily rely on labour CMPs; liquidity, assistance from stakeholders, and governmental aid in dealing with the crisis. Results also indicate that SMEs’ business characteristics, managers’ demographic characteristics, and liquidity do not influence CMPs. The amount of provided governmental aid positively influences managers’ expectations for assistance from other stakeholders of the business ecosystem, while the amount of SMEs’ liquid assets negatively influences managers’ expectations for governmental aid. The use of selected indicators enables an internationally comparable benchmarking process and facilitates the improvement of crisis management in tourism SMEs. The conclusion provides recommendations and useful information for researchers, policymakers, and managers.

Vaccination Requirements

With the start of vaccination efforts in various countries, hopes spark that social gatherings are coming closer within reach. From a leisure and tourism business perspective, vaccination is a possible road to restart. Such a restart depends on the number of people receiving vaccinations and the sense of safety for customers. Therefore, businesses relying on social gatherings might be highly motivated to further boost vaccination acceptance by requiring their customers to get vaccinated. The following shall provide a basis of debate about the possibilities of enforcing vaccination initiatives from a political perspective considering legal restrictions.

Accommodation Capacity, Trade Openness and International Tourism Demand in Croatia

This paper investigates the determinants of international tourism demand in Croatia, a country whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism. A particular focus is placed on the role of accommodation capacity and trade openness, two demand drivers that have been rarely examined in combination. Using the difference GMM estimator, a dynamic panel model of international tourism demand in Croatia is estimated, employing annual data for 16 tourism generating countries from 2007 to 2019. The results show that the lagged dependent variable, income, accommodation capacity, and exchange rate have a positive effect on international tourism demand, while the impact of relative prices and trade openness prove to be irrelevant in the Croatian context.

A Historical Review of Illegal Tour Guiding in Turkey

The tour guiding profession was much abused in the past while illegal guiding took place, and remains much the same nowadays. With the use of official documents, this paper outlines issues concerning illegal tour guiding from the past to the present. Document analysis as a qualitative research method was applied in this study. Archival research was carried out, and unpublished documents were analysed to contribute to the literature and shed light on the roots of illegal tour guiding. Archival data was combined with travel guidebooks, official reports, and court files. Despite regulations, problems concerning tour guiding continue to exist to the present day. More than ever before, illegal tour guides employed by travel agencies have become a threat to the employment of licenced guides. The number of illegal tour guides proves that current measures remain incapable of prohibiting illegal guiding activities. Touting seems to be the longstanding main motivation for illegal guides. Unethical guiding practices affect the established image of the destination country. From a historical perspective and underlining issues such as touting through unpublished archived documents and official reports, this paper contributes a detailed understanding of the defective points concerning the travel industry.

Key Factors Driving the Demand for Cruising and Challenges Facing the Cruise Industry in the Future

Cruises were the fastest growing sector in the travel industry. The rapid growth in demand was created originally by demand from North America, more recently Europe, and finally the rest of the world, China and Australia in particular. One of the main reasons for the rapid development and growth in popularity of cruises is that the cruise lines were successfully adapting to new travel trends delivering cruise ships with facilities and experiences tailored to the needs of travellers from all market segments. The corona crisis hit the cruise industry heavily and disrupted all plans, schedules and forecasts. This paper aims to analyze which factors were driving the demand for cruising on the world's leading source markets and the challenges facing the industry in a post-pandemic world. The findings show that the rapid growth in demand of cruise tourism was due to several factors, including the long-term growth in consumers’ disposable income, the adaptation of products to the requirements of new source markets and different market segments, more cruise capacity in new regions, and the development of national cruise brands.