Carol Kline

Rural tourism and the craft beer experience: factors influencing brand loyalty in rural North Carolina, USA

Craft or “boutique” breweries are increasing in numbers in the USA, and in other parts of the developed world. Many are located in rural areas, and have become new rural tourism visitor experiences, related to wine tourism and linked to the growth in culinary tourism. This study offers a clearer understanding of what factors most influence brand loyalty to craft beer, and craft breweries, and sheds light on methodologies for assessing loyalty to other rural tourism, and culinary tourism, experiences. It is based on a survey of patrons visiting and purchasing from two micro-breweries in rural North Carolina, USA, examining concepts used in brand loyalty research including access, environmental consumption, connections with the community, satisfaction, and desire for unique consumer products. Results show that connection with the community, desire for unique consumer products, and satisfaction are the three factors that most align themselves with brand loyalty to rural brewery visits. Connection with the community was the most important factor in influencing brand loyalty especially among those born in the study region, and/or resident there, as well as among tourists. The paper notes implications for rural breweries, for destination management organizations and for marketing and development strategies.

Applying the Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship to understand food entrepreneurs and their operations.

Abstract This study examines the potential application of the Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship to food entrepreneurs. Three food entrepreneurs, who serve both residents and tourists as part of their customer base, were interviewed in semi-structured interview formats about their operations as well as their motivations for beginning each of their businesses; each have a concentrated target market with travelers. The findings showed that each of the three food entrepreneurs had definite traits and motivations associated with not only value creation but also in regards to the four propositions of social entrepreneurship proposed by Santos. Each entrepreneur had a unique and varied approach, however they all were driven by enthusiasm for addressing problems involving neglected positive externalities, operating in areas that would benefit a powerless segment of the population, seeking sustainable solutions, and focusing on empowerment rather than control. Additionally it became apparent that these food entrepreneurs also exhibit traits of Social Constructionists as well as Lifestyle Entrepreneurs. These findings reveal nuanced research opportunities in the field of food and tourism entrepreneurs, advance our understanding of food entrepreneur operations in the retail sector, and introduce a promising new theory to tourism literature.

Using Ecological Systems Theory and Density of Acquaintance to Explore Resident Perception of Entrepreneurial Climate

Using the concepts of Ecological Systems Theory and Density of Acquaintance, this study was developed to explore the relationship between rural North Carolina residents’ characteristics and their perceptions of entrepreneurial climate (e-climate). The North Carolina Community Assessment for Tourism and Entrepreneurial Climate Study was developed to determine which factors influence how residents view their community e-climate, an important antecedent to tourism success, in their community. Four categories of hypotheses were developed focusing on a resident’s (1) residential tenure and nativity, (2) community involvement through volunteerism, (3) employment, and (4) entrepreneurial self-perception were developed. The first three categories included variables measuring residents’ Density of Acquaintance; the fourth category addressed residents’ perceptions of themselves concerning entrepreneurial activity in both their paid and volunteer work. Findings indicated that residential tenure and amount of volunteerism had the greatest influence on perceived e-climate. The most commonly differentiated factor of e-climate was consistently Training and Assistance.

Moving beyond positivism: reflexive collaboration in understanding agritourism across North American boundaries.

Extant agritourism studies have employed positivistic methodologies and quantitative approaches. As such, these approaches have predominately concluded that economics motives the diversification in agritourism at the expense of uncovering the complexity of multiple factors involved. Captured in this paper are the experiences of two, independent North American (agri)tourism researchers who used interpretative research approaches, specifically interpretative phenomenological analysis and appreciative inquiry, for getting at a deeper understanding of the complexity of agritourism on family farms. Agritourism is revealed as a transitional process, and supporting farms getting into agritourism would best be accomplished through building business skills and entrepreneurial capacities. Likewise, networks are critical, especially farmer-to-farmer connections. Interpretative research methods uncovered a more holistic and complex understanding of agritourism. This perspective will better inform farmers, their families, as well as policy-makers when they design and implement new businesses, programmes, and policies in the best interest of farm families and rural communities.

Heritage Site Visitation and Attitudes toward African American Heritage Preservation An Investigation of North Carolina Residents

Understanding disparities in visitation rates to heritage sites and patterns in public support for preservation and remembrance of African American heritage could greatly inform decision-making and management philosophies of park/historic site operators, preservationists, and other entrepreneurs. Informed by critical theory, this study examined heritage site visitation and attitudes toward remembrance and preservation of African American heritage among North Carolina (NC) residents. Telephone interviews were completed by 843 residents investigating their heritage site visitation patterns and support for African American heritage. The results suggest that race, age, education, income, frequency of travel, and voting record impact variation in heritage site visitation among NC residents while race, age, education, the presence of retirees or children in the household, voting record, and identification as a Southerner influenced attitudes toward African American preservation. This study contributes to the critical analysis of how patterns in heritage site visitation and public support of preservation perpetuate racialization of the travel experience.

Community development through agroecotourism in Cuba: an application of the community capitals framework

ABSTRACT This study explores the relationship between a Cuban organipónico, an urban, organic cooperative farm, and the surrounding community, particularly in regard to increasing agroecotourism. This was examined through the community capitals framework which allows for the use of a systems approach to inventory and analyse assets and wealth stocks within the community. Individual interviews were conducted in the summer of 2013 with members of the farm cooperative to explore the relationship between the farm and the community, and the way tourism to the farm has improved community capitals. Overall, this study demonstrated the ability for agroecotourism to help support goals of food security, beyond acting only as a tool for economic diversification, but also by influencing other community capitals. The study also adds to the literature on agroecotourism, tourism development in socialist contexts, and the way in which tourism can help support and grow sustainable agriculture.

The Influence of Agritourism on Niche Meats Loyalty and Purchasing

Although research has been increasing on agritourism, many questions remain. Studies have indicated that agritourism can bring both economic and noneconomic benefits to farmers and that sustainably raised agriculture products can lead to both health and environmental benefits. The current study explores the relationship between preferred meat attributes of the consumer (PMA), interest in visiting an agritourism farm (AI), and increased loyalty to a meat product or farm, termed the food system bond (FSB), among consumers in North Carolina, United States. Results indicate that (1) a preference for sustainable meat products has a positive influence on both interest in visiting a farm that raises livestock sustainably and on the food system bond and that (2) agritourism has a positive impact on the food system bond. This suggests the potential for agritourism to connect specialty consumers with niche farmers, increasing farm revenues, supporting sustainably raised agriculture, and fostering overall rural sustainability.

Tourism development in the Dominican Republic: An examination of the economic impact to coastal households:

Coastal tourism projects are promoted in the Dominican Republic as national-level economic development initiatives that will create jobs for local residents, subsequently benefiting the households in these communities. However, the economic benefits of tourism can be severely weakened as a result of the neoliberal economic policies that guide such projects. Like other economically developing countries—particularly small island nations—the Dominican Republic embraced neoliberal policies that have ultimately reshaped the country’s economic, political, cultural, and physical landscape. As a result, transnational companies, foreign investors, and large-scale enclave tourism projects are the dominant form of tourism development in the Dominican Republic. Though companies’ revenue and profit data are not available for analysis of economic leakage, households can be investigated to understand the level of economic benefits obtained by residents of the local communities. Toward this end, 360 household surveys were collected to examine household income and material assets across 12 coastal communities in three regions of the Dominican Republic. Because of the noted differences in previous development literature, gender of the head of households and whether the household was dependent on income from tourism employment were compared across these measures after adjusting for regional differences. Results indicate that the gender of the head of the household and tourism dependency positively predicted household income, while only gender of the head of the household predicted material assets.

Funding sustainable paddle trail development: paddler perspectives, willingness to pay and management implications

Paddle sports (kayaking, canoeing) are a growing tourism niche and an activity that can bring sustainable rural tourism development and economic regeneration. Managing sustainable paddle trail growth is complex, involving coordination among government bodies, consensus from landowners and funding acquisition for safe access sites, signage, maps and other amenities. This paper explores the paddle-trail-related literature and the many different funding options to manage the creation and maintenance of paddle trails. An Internet survey of 1851 respondents determined support for a variety of user funding mechanisms for trail development as well as paddler perceptions about trail development as a viable form of economic development. The results indicate that women and recreational paddlers are more likely to support funding mechanisms, in addition to paddlers who consider paddle trail development a form of economic development. Paddlers who did not support any user funding mechanism were male, employed in the private sector, avid paddlers, and those who owned boats. It is observed that awareness of paddle trails’ value as an economic regeneration tool increases the willingness to pay. A range of management implications from this research are discussed, including information and educational programs, marketing partnerships and targeted incentive offers to those groups that are unwilling to pay.

Predictors of Intention to Travel to Cuba across Three Time Horizons: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

As the relationship between Cuba and the United States evolves, many Americans are entertaining the idea of travel to Cuba. This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine predictors of US residents’ intentions to travel to Cuba across three time horizons: 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. TPB constructs were administered to a cross-sectional panel of US residents. Results varied by time horizon, with US residents’ negative attitudes toward Cuba having a positive and significant influence on their intention to visit Cuba within one year. This finding suggests that some US residents match Plog’s Allocentric profile of tourists and that the current “rough edges” of Cuba are what attract them to travel in the short rather than long term. Findings from this study provide baseline data that is valuable for Cuban and American tourism organizations, should the US market become more accessible.