Christine A. Vogt

The Relationship between Residents’ Attitudes toward Tourism and Tourism Development Options

Many rural communities view tourism as an economic development strategy. This study explores the relationship between resident attitudes toward tourism and support for specific tourism development options. In addition, attitudes and support for development in seven diverse communities are compared. Results indicate that communities differ with respect to residents’ support for specific tourism development options and attitudes toward tourism. In general, residents perceive tourism positively and support most specific types of development. There is a relationship between attitudes and support for development, although the nature of the relationship is different for each community.

Expanding the functional information search model

Thisstudy used a decision-making and information search model as a framework for explaining the factors which influence the use of communications as they relate to recreation and tourism experiences. Traditionally, touristic information has been studied as a means to make destination choices. Studies have shown that not everyone who collects information actually intends to travel. An expanded approach to information search is taken where many of the leisure and recreation-based motivations are considered such as information for social, entertainment, visual, and creativity purposes. The findings expand the view of tourism information search process from a strict marketing context into a broader communication one.

The Interrelationship between Sport Event and Destination Image and Sport Tourists' Behaviours

Existing literature suggests that event and destination images could interact to influence sport tourism behaviours. Within an attitude-behaviour theoretical framework, this paper proposes and tests a theoretical model examining the interrelationships between sport event image, destination image, satisfaction with the event, past experience with the event and destination, intentions to revisit the destination and subsequent behaviours of sport tourists to revisit. A population of active sport tourists, whose primary trip purpose was to participate in a sport event, was used to test empirically the proposed model. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect panel data in two waves after the events completion. Structural equation modelling results showed a significant impact of event image on destination image but not the opposite. Destination image and past experience with the destination significantly influenced intentions to revisit the destination for sport tourism activities, while intentions were a significant predictor of actual behaviour to revisit a destination for sport tourism activities. Implications for synergistic approaches are discussed for sport events and destinations.

Residents' Attitudes toward Existing and Future Tourism Development in Rural Communities

Building on the model by Perdue, Long, and Allen, this study examined residents’ attitudes toward existing and future tourism development in several rural areas at different stages of tourism and economic development. Social exchange theory and destination life cycle model were used to examine the impacts of tourism development on residents’ attitudes when considered in conjunction with a community’s total economic activity. New social predictors and endogenous factors were tested in the model. Overall, residents of three distinct rural county-level areas were supportive of tourism development, and little evidence was found that suggests that attitudes toward tourism become negative with higher levels of tourism. After considering the level of tourism development in conjunction with the total economic activity, residents of the three county-level areas showed some signs of destination life cycle influencing their own relationship with tourism.

A Structural Analysis of Destination Travel Intentions as a Function of Web Site Features

This study used the technology acceptance model to assess the influence of tourism Web site characteristics on perceived Web site usefulness in planning a trip. Furthermore, the impact of Web site usefulness on intentions to travel to a destination was examined using structural equation modeling analysis. Consumer characteristics such as previous visits to the destination or its Web site, online travel-planning experience, and Internet use were included in the model. The results showed that motivating visuals and trip information functionality were significant predictors of Web site usefulness. Web site usefulness was a significant predictor of intent to travel to the destination, whereas previous visits to the destination or its Web site had significant but small negative influence on intentions to travel. The motivating visuals factor was also a significant direct predictor of intentions to travel to the destination, whereas trip information functionality had indirect influence on intentions through Web site usefulness. Specific theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Relationships between Travel Information Search and Travel Product Purchase in Pretrip Contexts

This study adds to understanding the relationships between travel information search and product purchase behaviors by examining online and offline information search and purchase behaviors. A conceptual model of travel planning was developed from case-based vacation planning theory. Results indicated travel information search and product purchase commitments in the pretrip stage are different, travel information search and product purchase vary by travel product categories in the pretrip stage, and travel experiences influence travel information search and product purchase for certain travel products in the pretrip stage. This study suggests that travel-planning theory is strong in explaining complex travel behaviors.

A cross-cultural analysis of tourism and quality of life perceptions.

Models of sustainable tourism consider not only the aspects of the physical environment but also the dimensions of the social and cultural environment of destinations. During the past two decades a number of researchers have made the case that local residents must be involved in tourism development decisions if support for, and thereby sustainability of, the industry is to be maintained. Minority ethnic and racial groups, however, are often differentially influenced by tourism within a community. This study investigates the differences between Hispanic and Anglo residents with respect to their perceptions of tourism and quality of life framed with the context of ethnicity marginality theory.

Destination Perceptions Across a Vacation

This study investigated change in destination perception during the course of a vacation using in situ research techniques. Cognitive perceptions were represented by destination knowledge and affective perceptions by destination desirability. Prior experience and length of stay in the destination were examined as moderating the level of change between destination perception measures at the onset of a vacation and again upon leaving the destination. ANOVA models showed that experience was a significant main effect on increasing destination knowledge. Desirability perceptions of the destination changed only slightly, and experience or length of stay did not explain any of the change. Findings suggest desirability is generally strong before a trip begins and is hard to affect during a trip particularly when tourists are satisfied with the destination, whereas knowledge levels improve during the course of a trip.

Predicting Homeowners' Approval of Fuel Management at the Wildland–Urban Interface Using the Theory of Reasoned Action

ABSTRACT Social science models are increasingly needed as a framework for explaining and predicting how members of the public respond to the natural environment and their communities. The theory of reasoned action is widely used in human dimensions research on natural resource problems and work is ongoing to increase the predictive power of models based on this theory. This study examined beliefs, attitudes, and intention to support the implementation of three fuel management approaches (FMA)—prescribed burning, mechanical fuel reduction, and defensible space ordinances—in three wildland–urban interface (WUI) areas in the United States. Besides factors prescribed by the theory, the influence of three additional explanatory variables was assessed: past experience, personal importance, and trust. Personal importance of a FMA was a consistently significant predictor of attitude toward that approach, and trust in an agencys implementation of that approach was also a predictor of intention to approve the use of that approach.

A case-based approach to understanding vacation planning

Vacations provide an opportunity to make many choices, and even for travelers who want their vacations to be spontaneous, planning is often an important part of vacationing. Although descriptive studies of travel planning have sketched out the elements of the vacation plan, these elements have not been drawn together in a conceptual model of the consumer planning process. The theory of case-based planning offers a plausible conceptual structure for travel planning. In an exploratory study of the travel planning process, a panel of independent travelers was contacted via destination information packets mailed to information requesters. Travelers who agreed to participate in the study were surveyed repeatedly during vacation planning and travel. A comparison of pretrip plans and on-site behavior showed that travelers developed plans before their trip, but these plans often were changed, especially with regard to on-site activities. Travelers tended to overplan, actuating fewer elements than they planned, and repeat visitors made more congruent plans than first-time visitors. Results suggest that case-based planning is a useful conceptual framework for organizing and extending travel planning research.