Gyan P. Nyaupane

Exploring the Nature of Tourism and Quality of Life Perceptions among Residents

Research on resident attitudes toward tourism has been under way for many years. Implicit in this research is the precept that tourism influences people’s quality of life (QOL). Few studies, however, have directly investigated residents’ perception of the impact tourism has on their QOL, and relationships between QOL perceptions and support for tourism in the community. This study is an attempt to go beyond attitude research and explicitly consider tourism’s influence on QOL. A mail survey was conducted with a random sample of residents throughout Arizona. The questionnaire included three sets of scales combined into an index to measure perceived QOL impacts of tourism. Eight QOL domains were developed. In addition, further analysis found that perceived personal benefit derived from tourism mediated the effect of the economic aspects of QOL, contact with tourists, and employment in tourism on the perceptions of the role of tourism in the local economy.

Understanding Travel Constraints: Application and Extension of a Leisure Constraints Model

The study of constraints to participation in leisure activities has been a growing theme of research during the past three decades. More recently, this research has been extended to the study of nonparticipation in leisure travel. One model that has been employed to facilitate the study of constraints uses the three categories of constraints as a conceptual framework: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural. This article extends this framework by testing whether multiple dimensions exist within the structural constraints construct along with the other two dimensions and compares these against demographic variables. A survey of in-state and out-of-state travelers was conducted to measure travel constraints. As expected, three dimensions emerged within the structural constraints construct, including place attributes, lack of time, and lack of money. Several demographic differences with respect to constraints also emerged. Knowing why people do not travel can suggest strategies that can be used to overcome constraints.

Cultural heritage and tourism in the developing world : a regional perspective

Section 1: Heritage Issues and Challenges in Developing Regions 1. Introduction: Heritage Tourism and the Less-Developed World 2. Protecting the Past: Challenges and Opportunities 3. The Politics of Heritage 4. Heritage Tourism and Its Impacts Section Two: Heritage Issues and Challenges: Regional Perspectives 5. The Meanings, Marketing and Management of Heritage Tourism in South East Asia (Joan Henderson) 6. Heritage and Tourism in East Asias Developing Nations: Communist-Socialist Legacies and Diverse Cultural Landscapes (Dallen Timothy, Bihu Wu, and Oyunaa Luvsandavaajav) 7. Heritage Tourism in the Pacific: Modernity, Myth and Identity (Michael Hall) 8. South Asian Heritage Tourism: Conflict, Colonialism and Cooperation (Gyan Naupane and Megha Budruk) 9. Heritage Tourism in Southwest Asia and North Africa: Contested Pasts and Veiled Realities (Dallen Timothy and Rami Daher) 10. Tourism and Africas Tripartite Cultural Past (Victor Teye) 11. Heritage Management and Tourism in the Caribbean (Leslie-Ann Jordan and David Duval) 12. Heritage Tourism in Latin America: Can turbulent times be overcome? (Regina Schluter) 13. Heritage Tourism in Central and Eastern Europe (Duncan Light, Craig Young, and Mariusz Czepczynski) 14. Heritage tourism in the Developing World: Reflections and Ramifications

Evaluation of Ecotourism: A Comparative Assessment in the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Nepal

Ecotourism has become an alternative approach for overcoming the problems of traditional tourism with the assumption that there will be minimum negative impacts and maximum benefits for the local people and their environment. This study offers a comparative evaluation of the perceptions of environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts between residents of a traditional tourism area and a recently created ecotourism area, both located within the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Nepal. Data were collected on-site among local residents in both areas. Overall, this study concluded that residents of the ecotourism area perceived fewer negative and positive impacts (environmental, economic, socio-cultural) as a result of tourism than the residents of the traditional tourism area.

Vulnerability to climate change of nature-based tourism in the Nepalese Himalayas.

Abstract Given their unique natural attractions, including the highest mountain range in the world, the Nepalese Himalayas have long been a Mecca for trekkers and mountaineers. Nature-based tourism in the Nepalese Himalayas, however, is highly vulnerable to change in climatic conditions. This paper proposes a conceptual framework based on Jodhas mountain specificities, which include inaccessibility, fragility, marginality, diversity and niche, to examine the impacts and vulnerability of climate change on tourism in the Himalayas, with the cases of the three most popular protected areas of Nepal – Mt Everest National Park, Annapurna Conservation Area and Chitwan National Park – located in three physiographic zones. Each physiographic zone differs greatly and hence presents potentially different impacts and vulnerability to climate change. Avalanches and glacial lake outburst floods are the major hazards in high mountains; landslides, debris flows and flash floods are common in the hills; and floods are rampant in lowland Terai. The effects of these climate-related hazards on tourism are further exacerbated by mountain characteristics.

Motive-Based Tourist Market Segmentation: An Application to Native American Cultural Heritage Sites in Arizona, USA

This paper utilises a motive-based segmentation to understand tourists to cultural heritage sites in Arizona, USA. The data for this study were collected through mail survey from a representative sample of 671 tourists to three Native American cultural heritage sites. Using cluster analysis based upon motives for cultural history learning, three distinct segments were found: (1) ‘culture-focused,’ (2) ‘culture-attentive’ and (3) ‘culture-appreciative’ tourists. These groups differed significantly in terms of behaviour, experience and interpretation. The culture-focused segments spent longer at the sites, stayed more nights away from home, considered visiting archeological sites as their primary activity, and placed more importance on interpretation. In addition, the culture-focused groups were more satisfied with their trip, appreciated the preservation of archeological resources and reported more learning experiences. Overall, the study supports the notion that heterogeneity exists within cultural heritage tourist markets. Implications of these findings in conceptualisation, management and marketing cultural heritage tourism are discussed.

Perceptions of environmental impacts of tourism: A case study at ACAP, Nepal

Tourism development and associated environmental impacts are evident in various regions of the world as communities struggle to find an optimal balance between economics and conservation. The growing pains of tourism development have usually fragmented local residents with respect to their perception of impacts and support for tourism. Empirical research has analyzed resident perception and attitudes towards tourism impacts but has largely focused on economic and socio-cultural impacts in mass tourism destinations and rural areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of environmental impacts of tourism between residents and managers within a protected area, i.e. Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Nepal. Data were collected on-site among local residents and managers. Environmental impacts of tourism were operationalized using 13 items on a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree). Overall, on comparison of descriptive and statistical analyses, local residents were consistently more likely than managers to perceive fewer negative and greater positive impacts of tourism on the environment.

The role of equity, trust and information on user fee acceptance in protected areas and other public lands: a structural model

Although inequity has been considered as a major concern of user fees on public lands, there is a lack of sufficient empirical research on understanding how perceptions of inequity influence fee acceptance. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the role of three equity constructs on fee acceptance, and (2) to test whether perceptions of inequity mediate the relationship between trust, information and fee acceptance. This study is based on a telephone survey conducted with residents of Oregon and Washington, United States. The sampling was conducted using a random-digit dial process, yielding 366 completed interviews. The results of structural equation modeling showed that, among the three-dimensional equity constructs, i.e. compensatory equity, democratic equity and equity belief, only equity belief influenced fee acceptance. Further, equity belief partially mediated the effects of information and trust on fee acceptance. Providing more information about fees to the public such as why fees are collected, and where the fee dollars went, and gaining trust with the public through more accountability, transparency and public participation can help to reduce the perception of inequity, and consequently help to build support towards the recreation user fee programme.

The Role of Interpretative Tour Guiding in Sustainable Destination Management A Comparison between Guided and Nonguided Tourists

Sustainable tourism is lauded for simultaneously benefitting local residents, tourists, and the environment. Environmental interpretation is considered a vehicle for sustainable tourism as it minimizes the adverse environmental and social impacts of tourism by creating pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of interpretative tour guiding by comparing guided and nonguided tourists’ attitudes and behaviors. Data were collected from 230 visitors at the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal, using self-administered questionnaires. Results showed that the effectiveness of interpretation varies in relation to a number of ecological and sociocultural attitudes and behaviors. The positive change in attitude and behavior indicated that interpretation can be an effective and desirable tool in sustainable tourism. The conditions when interpretation cannot produce desirable outcomes and the theoretical and managerial implications of study findings are also discussed.

Heritage awareness and appreciation among community residents: perspectives from Arizona, USA.

This study aims to examine public awareness of heritage properties in Arizona, USA. Data for this study were collected from a random sample of 600 participants from the public in Arizona using a telephone survey. Heritage awareness is conceptualised using a combined measure of heritage awareness and residents’ visits to heritage sites. Based on these two measures, this study proposed a four‐cell matrix that represents: 1) aware/visited, 2) aware/not visited, 3) unaware/visited, and 4) unaware/not visited. When the four types of residents were compared against demographic variables, attitudes toward preservation, preservation criteria, and importance of feature and facilities, most of these variables were significant. The results indicate that the aware/visited group members had more positive attitudes toward heritage preservation than other groups. This paper suggests that visiting heritage sites by residents and tourists can help create heritage awareness. The findings of this study provide important information for heritage site managers and policy makers.