As tourism continues to evolve, cultural and nature-based attractions are increasingly challenged to integrate sustainability goals with the use of digital tools that enhance visitor engagement and support environmental responsibility. This study examines how Kistefos, a Norwegian cultural and nature-based tourist attraction and destination, incorporates digitalization into its sustainability strategy to balance economic, social, and environmental goals. Using a qualitative case study, including document analysis and participant observation, the research explores whether digital tools primarily serve marketing purposes or actively support sustainability. Findings indicate that while Kistefos prioritizes visibility and engagement, digitalization is mainly used for promotion rather than enhancing visitor experiences or fostering sustainable behaviors. The study highlights untapped potential for technologies like augmented reality and live streaming to promote responsible tourism. The current research connects strategic marketing, service-dominant logic, and digitalization, offering insights for managers and policymakers on aligning digital innovation with long-term sustainability in the visitor economy.
This chapter develops a model to examine the relationship between hotel reputation and booking intention, focusing on environmental sustainability. It also explores factors influencing hotel reputation, including electronic word of mouth (eWOM), service satisfaction, and brand reputation. A quantitative survey of 620 tourists in Greece yielded 410 valid responses, analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM) via AMOS 21. Seven hypotheses were tested; five were supported. Results indicate eWOM, service satisfaction, and environmental sustainability significantly impact hotel reputation. The study highlights reputation’s role in hospitality, suggesting that a strong reputation promotes long-term profitability as satisfied customers return and recommend the hotel.
Grounded in self-determination theory, this chapter investigates the impact of work meaning on service innovation behavior among travel agency employees and explores the moderating influence of perceived organizational support. A survey was conducted across 30 travel agencies in Taiwan, yielding 337 valid responses. The proposed hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis. The analysis indicates that a strong sense of work meaning enhances employees’ service innovation behavior. Furthermore, perceived organizational support strengthens this relationship, suggesting that when employees recognize supportive actions from their organization, they are more prone to translate meaningful work into innovative service practices. These findings expand the existing theoretical knowledge of service innovation by emphasizing the psychological and organizational factors that drive it. Additionally, this chapter provides practical insights for travel agencies, highlighting the importance of fostering a meaningful work environment and organizational support to encourage innovation. Future research directions are also proposed to expand on these findings.
The well-being of tourists is shaped by experiences that are pleasurable (hedonic), meaningful (eudaimonic), and functionally beneficial (utilitarian). While these dimensions of well-being have been studied independently, their combined impact on sustainable travel behavior remains underexplored. This study examines their interplay in two contrasting contexts: Kistefos Museum, Norway (a reflective culture-nature attraction), and Surfers Paradise, Australia (a high-energy coastal hub). Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) Theory, this research study employs participant observation to analyze real-time emotional engagement and sustainability choices. The findings support prior studies and suggest that while eudaimonic tourist experiences foster sustainability-oriented behavior, hedonic engagement primarily enhances satisfaction without necessarily promoting responsibility. Utilitarian motives such as cost and convenience may either support or counteract sustainable choices.
This study explores the impact of spa experiences on customer emotions and well-being, focusing on the roles of facility experience, body benefits, and spiritual benefits. Data collected from 450 spa customers were analyzed using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test 8 hypotheses. The findings reveal that facility experiences significantly enhance both body and spiritual benefits, which in turn positively influence positive emotions and happiness. Body benefits were found to have a negligible impact on negative emotions, while spiritual benefits contributed to increased negative emotions. Additionally, positive emotions strongly impacted overall happiness, while negative emotions showed a weak influence on happiness. These results highlight the importance of providing an enjoyable, well-equipped spa environment to foster customer satisfaction and well-being. The study’s implications for spa operators include enhancing facility experiences and addressing spiritual and body benefits to promote positive emotional outcomes. Future research should explore longitudinal designs and cross-cultural differences for a broader understanding of spa experiences.
The economic value of meteorological information is essential for tourism, particularly for seasonal attractions like cherry blossom viewing, where accurate forecasts can significantly enhance visitor experiences. This study assesses the economic impact of a cherry blossom forecast system in Taiwan using the Contingent Valuation Method to estimate public willingness to pay (WTP) and its influence on travel behavior. A nationwide survey was conducted to gather data on tourists’ preferences, forecasting needs, and payment intentions. The findings indicate that implementing such a system could generate NT$1.9–3.1 billion annually, increase the frequency of cherry blossom visits by 1.8 times, and extend visitor stays by an average of 3.27 hours per year. The estimated mean WTP per person is NT$106.02 per year, reflecting strong public demand for improved forecasting services. Statistical analyses reveal that socioeconomic factors, such as age, marital status, and occupation, significantly influence WTP, with older and married individuals demonstrating higher valuations. Protest responses accounted for 24.2% of the sample, with many respondents believing that the government should fund the service rather than relying on user contributions. The study highlights the critical role of meteorological services in enhancing tourism experiences and increasing destination attractiveness. It suggests that Taiwan should adopt a cherry blossom forecast system similar to Japan’s well-established model to provide accurate and accessible forecasting information. The findings offer valuable policy recommendations for integrating meteorological data into tourism planning, improving visitor satisfaction, optimizing travel planning, and maximizing economic benefits through data-driven tourism management.
The “‘next normal” is a term used to describe a future that is observably different from the “present normal.” A next normal may result from unexpected change, such as a crisis event, natural disaster, pandemic, or an expected event such as anthropogenic climate change. For the tourism industry to avoid unnecessary disruption, economic loss, and prepare for change, it is essential to understand the factors that underlie the transition from the “present normal” to a future “next normal.” To assist in understanding how a future next normal may affect the global tourism industry, this chapter briefly explores the threats climate change poses to the future welfare of the worldwide community. To demonstrate one approach for responding to a climate change-moderated future next normal, this chapter outlines a destination-level planning framework that can be used to prepare for the mid-century impact of the transition to net zero as a response to climate change. The main contributions of this chapter are to expand our understanding of the term “next normal,” including the roles that change and time play in this process, and outline a planning framework to assist destinations in planning for an anticipated next normal that will occur many decades in the future.
This research aims to disentangle the underlying behavior of college students with and without study-abroad experiences in the context of international travel. It collects data from college students in Taiwan through online surveys. The survey instrument is a structured online questionnaire that utilizes a modified International Tourist Role (ITR) scale as its core assessment, along with other socio-demographic attributes. In total, 997 samples are collected. The study shows that a high level of study abroad experiences could shape the respondent’s travel preferences according to a five-dimensional scale on ITRs. Specifically, the attitudinal differences are revealed in the context of travel services. Those taking a significant number of study-abroad trips (i.e., three times or more) tend to use fewer services catering to tourists, including guided tours and consultation with travel agencies. Relevant implications and suggestions for future study are furnished in the conclusion.
Soundscape is a viable and powerful conduit that can elevate tourist experiences, especially in theme parks. This study aims to develop an experiential model involving soundscape through the evaluation of current applications in theme parks and to build a causal diagram depicting the critical elements of soundscape and the specific impact of soundscape on the tourist experience. Moreover, it discusses soundscape evaluation methods, including sound comfort evaluation and sound preference analysis. Ultimately, this paper proposes methods for delivering an optimal soundscape to enhance the quality of experience for theme park visitors and identifies future research directions.
Loneliness is an increasingly recognized public health concern in the United States, particularly among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). While leisure travel has the potential to alleviate loneliness, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Given that leisure travel can also foster social interaction (SI), this study examined differences in SI and loneliness between active and inactive travelers with SCI and tested the mediating role of SI. Results indicated that inactive travelers reported significantly lower levels of SI and higher levels of loneliness compared to active travelers. Leisure travel participation was positively associated with SI (β = 2.43, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with loneliness (β = −0.85, p < 0.001). Additionally, SI was significantly correlated with lower loneliness scores (β = −0.08, p < 0.001), mediating 18.42% of the total effect. Findings highlight leisure travel’s role in enhancing SI and reducing loneliness among people with SCI.
This study explores the influence of cultural heritage tourism perception on China's tourism image. It analyzes the role of the spiritual bond established between overseas Chinese youth and the motherland during their visit to the cultural heritage sites in China. This study constructs a theoretical model with 350 overseas Chinese youth as samples based on the identity theory, Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, and Howard-Sheth model. The results show that cultural heritage tourism perception directly and positively promotes cultural identity among overseas Chinese youth. It is also indirectly and positively associated with their cultural identity through enhancing the tourism image. Cultural intelligence plays a positive moderating role between cultural heritage tourism perception and cultural identity. The results provide significant implications for developing cultural heritage tourism and cultural communication.
