Deborah L. Kerstetter

International Students’ Image of Rural Pennsylvania as a Travel Destination:

This exploratory examination of the image international students have of rural tourism areas in Pennsylvania documents that they have distinct images and that their responses to them differ depending on travel behavior and sociodemographic variables.

The Relationship Between Sociodemographic Variables, Benefits Sought and Subsequent Vacation Behavior: A Case Study

This article reports an empirical test of the relationship between sociodemographic variables, benefits sought and subsequent vacation behavior. Thedatawereobtainedusing a questionnaire administered to consumers who requested the 1984 North Carolina Travel Information Packet. The results of the study supported two notions: that a relationship does exist between some sociodemographic variables and the benefits vacation travelers seek and that the benefits sought are in turn related to certain travel behaviors. The findings can be used in developing various segmentation strategies.

An Exploration of the Specialization Concept within the Context of Heritage Tourism

Americans’ interest in traveling to historic sites has increased recently and is expected to continue. Despite this trend, however, very little is known about individuals who visit heritage or cultural sites. Evidence suggests that there may be types of tourists who progress from general travelers to focused or specialized tourists. The objective of this study was to document whether types of heritage tourists exist and, if so, whether they differ based on sociodemographic characteristics, visitation behavior, motivations, and/or perceptions. Using a 10-item specialization index composed of items representing three subdimensions theorized to represent the multidimensional nature of specialization, three types of heritage specialists were identified. All differed with respect to education, visitation behavior, motivations, and overall satisfaction.

Testing a Constraints Model within the Context of Nature-Based Tourism

This study focused on pleasure travelers’ perceived constraints to nature-based tourism. Eleven constraint statements were identified through a literature review and were chosen a priori to represent three types of constraint as outlined by Crawford, Jackson, and Godbey. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the three types of constraints (intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural) existed in the context of nature-based tourism. A confirmatory factor analysis using the EQS program was used to “confirm” that the data fit the three-constraint model. MANOVA was then employed to identify whether respondents differed in their perception of constraints based on demographic variables. The findings indicated that differences existed with regards to age and family life cycle stage.

Profiling Taiwanese ecotourists using a behavioral approach

Abstract Researchers interested in ecotourists have explored their sociodemographic and travel characteristics and/or the benefits they seek from an “ecotourism” experience. Few have attempted to address why ecotourists travel to natural resource areas and whether their travel is accompanied by environmentally responsible behavior, especially after the travel experience. The purpose of this study was to develop a motivational and behavioral profile of a distinct segment of ecotourists—individuals who visited coastal wetlands located in Taiwan. The results indicated that tourists’ motivations for visiting coastal wetlands vary and include motives (e.g., pursuit of physical health) not traditionally identified in studies conducted with tourists in the Western Hemisphere. Further, based on a profile of environmentally responsible behavior, three types (i.e., experience-tourists, learning-tourists, and ecotourists) of tourists were identified. However, only one of the three types of tourists fit the traditional definition applied to “ecotourists.”

Testing Alternative Leisure Constraint Negotiation Models: An Extension of Hubbard and Mannell's Study

The purpose of this study was to test a model of the leisure constraint negotiation process proposed by Hubbard and Mannell. A multidimensional measure of physically active leisure was used to extend their findings to a sample of middle-aged and older adults in a metropolitan park setting. Volunteers and visitors (aged 50–87 years) of a Midwestern metropolitan park agency completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results of a two-step structural equation modeling procedure suggested a constraint-negotiation dual channel model. In this model, the negative influence of constraints on participation was almost entirely offset by the positive effect of negotiation strategies. The effect of motivation on participation was fully mediated by negotiation. The implications of these findings for studying constraint negotiation and active leisure in mid- to late-life are discussed.

Casting Off An Exploration of Cruise Ship Space, Group Tour Behavior, and Social Interaction

Growth in tourism during the past 20 years means more people are using physical spaces away from home for vacation. Yet research on vacation spaces is noticeably absent. Focusing on a cruise ship, the primary purpose of this article is to draw attention to how social interaction in a group vacation context intersects with vacation experiences. A secondary purpose is to introduce space and how it can extend thinking about the role that tourism spaces play in the development of social interaction. The results indicate that individuals use cruise ships to feel at ease and comfortable with themselves, as well as in control and liberated. They also develop social interactions during a cruise and make “playful” spaces on the cruise ship. Using these themes, the authors highlight limitations in current conceptualizations of tourism behavior. The authors also suggest how cruise lines might use the study to create more meaningful passenger experiences.

How Do We Feel on Vacation? A Closer Look at How Emotions Change over the Course of a Trip

The emotions of 39 American and Dutch vacationers were investigated. Their emotions were tracked daily during their vacation using a diary. Findings indicated that fluctuations in emotions are related to length of vacation. Vacationers on an 8- to 13-day trip experienced significant changes in the balance of their emotions over the course of their trip. In general, they felt good; but this feeling began to decline at the end of the vacation. The findings demonstrate that there is no clear peak in holiday happiness, which presents challenges to tourism suppliers. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Beyond fun and friendship: the Red Hat Society as a coping resource for older women

ABSTRACT How older women cope with challenges and losses in later life influences not only their physical health but also their psychological wellbeing and quality of life. The purpose of the analysis reported in this paper was to understand how participation in a womens leisure-based social group – the Red Hat Society® – serves as a coping resource for older women. The Society is an international organisation of women aged 50 or more years and has the mission to ‘celebrate the silliness of life’. The Society currently has an estimated one million members in 30 countries. To understand the ways that social group participation may contribute to older womens health and wellbeing, this paper examines the dynamics of leisure-based coping with positive emotions as the focus. Based on an analysis of responses to an open-ended question about meaningful experiences associated with being involved in the Red Hat Society, the sample of 272 members identified the main reasons for their involvement as chronic and acute stressors, challenging life transitions and daily hassles. In addition, they described four ways that participation helped them to manage these stressors: as a context for social support, emotional regulation, sustaining coping efforts, and meaning-focused coping. The results are discussed in relation to theory and previous evidence on the role of positive emotions and leisure in coping.

An interpretation of special place meanings whitewater recreationists attach to the South Fork of the American River.

South Fork of the American River corridor. The results also bring into question traditional methods of assessing place, especially when the data are used in managing natural resources.