Holly Donohoe

Ecotourism: The Evolving Contemporary Definition

A rise in the popularity of ecotourism has coincided with voluminous definitional discourse. Amongst stakeholders, confusion has resulted from the disparate nature of these definitions. In the absence of a common definition or set of key tenets the challenge has been to ensure operational ecotourism that adheres to the theoretical underpinnings of the concept. Without some semblance of definitional consensus, ecotourism may be on a precarious course whereby the ethics upon which the activity is conceptualised, the natural environment upon which the activity depends, and the legitimacy of the industry are at risk. The ambition of this research is to disentangle a set of themes from the evolving definitional debate in order to provide a framework for the development of ecotourism policy and applications. Recurring themes are identified through the application of content analysis methodology to select contemporary definitions. Those themes that appear most frequently are then introduced as an ecotourism conceptual framework based on key tenets. The tenets are meant to represent a set of established fundamental beliefs central to ecotourism: (1) nature-based; (2) preservation/conservation; (3) education; (4) sustainability; (5) distribution of benefits; and (6) ethics/responsibility/awareness.

Using Social Media in Times of Crisis

ABSTRACT The role of social media in crisis communications is an embryonic area of research in tourism, thus the purpose of this study was to examine drivers of social media use during crises. An online survey of 2,416 tourists from Australia, Brazil, China, India, and Korea was conducted. Hierarchical regression revealed that the drivers were risk perceptions associated with crime, disease, health-related, physical, equipment failure, weather, cultural barriers, and political crises when controlling for nationality, as well as use of a smartphone during past travel when controlling for nationality and risk perceptions. Implications and recommendations are discussed.

Advantages and Limitations of the e-Delphi Technique: Implications for Health Education Researchers

Abstract In the last 30 years, the application of the Delphi technique has been increasing. With the recent availability and established popularity of Internet-based research tools, the Internet has been identified as a means for mitigating Delphi limitations, maximizing its advantages, and expanding the breadth of its application. The discourse on the application of “e-Delphi” has been speculative in nature, however, with pragmatic analysis of Internet-based Delphi administration being limited in scope. Concomitantly, methodological guidance for conducting the e-Delphi in health education is limited, with best-practice implementation strategies yet to emerge. This paper advances the understanding of the e-Delphi technique, contributes to the evolution of this Internet-based research methodology, and provides guidance for the e-Delphi researcher in health education. Further, it offers a contribution to the discourse about Internet-based inquiry generally, and on using the e-Delphi technique in health education specifically. The authors illustrate that e-Delphi has a range of benefits that are effective and efficient in assuaging traditional Delphi limitations; nevertheless, a set of methodological issues remain unaddressed and make apparent the need for future research investments to better understand and alleviate challenges presented for e-Delphi research in health education.

Internet-Based Delphi Research: Case Based Discussion

The interactive capacity of the Internet offers benefits that are intimately linked with contemporary research innovation in the natural resource and environmental studies domains. However, e-research methodologies, such as the e-Delphi technique, have yet to undergo critical review. This study advances methodological discourse on the e-Delphi technique by critically assessing an e-Delphi case study. The analysis suggests that the benefits of using e-Delphi are noteworthy but the authors acknowledge that researchers are likely to face challenges that could potentially compromise research validity and reliability. To ensure that these issues are sufficiently considered when planning and designing an e-Delphi, important facets of the technique are discussed and recommendations are offered to help the environmental researcher avoid potential pitfalls associated with coordinating e-Delphi research.

Sustainable heritage tourism marketing and Canada's Rideau Canal world heritage site

If properly conceived, sustainable marketing should be one of the many tools used to balance preservation and tourism priorities at heritage sites. The problem, however, is that limited guidance is available to assist in the development of a sustainable marketing plan. This paper tests a proposed sustainable heritage tourism marketing model using a World Heritage Site case study – the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada. A lacuna between the models components and the marketing activities at the Rideau Canal is observed. In combination with other mixed results found in the literature, it confirms that the fundamental challenge is short-termism while sustainable marketing requires long-term investments. This study offers a framework and rational for sustainable heritage tourism marketing at the Rideau Canal and other heritage sites around the world. Given that “sustainable marketing” is a relatively new concept, this study offers an important contribution to the marketing literature.

A Delphi toolkit for ecotourism research

The Delphi is considered a legitimate and valuable research technique in a range of research fields. Its value is based on its utility for forecasting, issue identification or prioritisation, and concept or framework development. However, systematic guidelines for designing and executing a Delphi are not widely available. Concomitantly, a plethora of methodological interpretations are proving a source of confusion for the Delphi architect. This paper explores the utility of a proposed generic Delphi toolkit (GDT) for designing and implementing a Delphi study. An ecotourism research example is introduced as a basis for testing the GDT and for a critical review of its benefits and challenges for ecotourism research.

Lyme disease: current issues, implications, and recommendations for tourism management.

Abstract Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread through the bite of an infected tick. In the last few decades, the number and spatial reach of new cases has increased globally and in the United States, Lyme disease is now the most commonly reported vector-borne disease. Despite this evolving public health crisis, there has been little-to-no discussion of the implications for tourism supply and demand. This paper reviews the scientific literature to identify Lyme disease risk factors and the implications for tourism management are discussed. The major contribution of this paper is a set of recommendations for tourism managers who may be tasked with mitigating the risks for visitors and employees as well as the potential impacts of Lyme disease on destination sustainability.

New York City bed bug crisis as framed by tourists on TripAdvisor.

espanolEn la ciudad de Nueva York (NYC), uno de los principales destinos turisticos del mundo, chinches han resurgido como un desafio a la industria de la hospitalidad, independientemente de la calificacion de un hotel de estrellas, la ubicacion, la clasificacion u otra. Ante este creciente problema gestion del turismo y la hospitalidad, el proposito de este estudio fue comprender como se enmarca la crisis de chinches NYC en las redes sociales por los viajeros y como impacto experiencias turisticas de Nueva York. Cuatro marcos narrativos generales y 14 subtramas fueron identificados en el analisis y los resultados confirman que las chinches se han convertido en una preocupacion real y creciente para los turistas, y que estan utilizando las redes sociales para informar sobre sus experiencias de chinches. Se discute la importancia y las implicaciones para el hotel y la gestion de destinos. Referencias bibliograficas: 13 referencias abrir en nueva ventana EnglishIn New York City (NYC), one of the worlds top tourism destinations, bed bugs have reemerged as a challenge to the hospitality industry regardless of a hotels star rating, location, ranking, or other. Given this growing tourism and hospitality management problem, the purpose of this study was to understand how the NYC bed bug crisis was framed on social media by travelers and how it impacted tourist experiences of NYC. Four general narrative frames and 14 subframes were identified in the analysis and the findings confirm that bed bugs have become a real and growing concern for tourists, and they are using social media to report their bed bug experiences. The significance and implications for hotel and destination management are discussed.

A Social Values Typology for Comprehensive Assessment of Coastal Zone Ecosystem Services

Coastal areas provide a wealth of resources and represent the most developed spaces worldwide. As pressures on these resources increase, managers and policymakers require understanding that facilitates comprehensive valuation of ecosystem services, including social–ecological dynamics and the coupling of social and natural systems. Adoption of ecosystem management approaches has created a need for increased knowledge of social systems commensurate to baseline ecological understanding; that is, managers benefit from integrating stakeholder values into decision-making processes. This study, using the Delphi technique, elicited knowledge and opinions from international coastal experts regarding relevant social values of ecosystem services, facilitating integration of multiple perspectives into an informed consensus typology of 16 social values. Agencies across the board see inclusive evaluation of ecosystem services, including social values, as critical to robust decision making regarding relevant resources. The next step for research findings is application of the typology in resource assessment initiatives within research and practice-based efforts.

Travelers’ Perceptions of Crisis Preparedness Certification in the United States

This study aimed to understand travelers’ perceptions about the benefits of tourism crisis preparedness certification and its potential to positively influence the travelers’ destination decision-making process. A survey of U.S. households revealed that, in general, travelers are neutral or not sure about certification and its relationship to safety, benefits, and future travel. The main predictors of likelihood to travel to a certified tourism prepared destination were as follows: (1) I have a great deal of confidence in such a crisis certification process; (2) I would feel safer when visiting a certified crisis prepared travel destination; (3) A certified crisis prepared destination would be safer to visit than one that is not; and (4) a crisis prepared certification benefits the visitor. The findings imply a need for a clear definition and conceptualization of tourism crisis preparedness certification. By extension, the benefits of certification should be articulated to travelers so they can make informed travel decisions.