Jens Kr. Steen Jacobsen

Trust and Involvement in Tourism Social Media and Web-Based Travel Information Sources

While utilisation of electronic social media is increasingly relevant as tourism practices, there is still a deficiency of empirical research on tourists creation and use of various types of online content. This study maps and explores Scandinavian tourists perceptions of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 information sources and scrutinises influence of electronic social media on holidaymakers information sharing, based on a summer season survey in the mature and well-known destination of Mallorca, Spain. Empirical evidence is presented on perceived trustworthiness of social media platforms and other Internet-based information. The study also examines tourists involvement in developing and sharing of virtual content. It critically analyses technological mediation through electronic word-of-mouth and involvement factors related to virtual dissemination of travel narratives. Moreover, the paper discusses information intensity, hedonic aspects and utilitarian values of tourist information in relation to interaction aspects of social media, in a context of holiday choices and online booking.

Use of Landscape Perception Methods in Tourism Studies: A Review of Photo-Based Research Approaches

Abstract This article provides a review of photo-based landscape perception research approaches that can be used for assessment of tourists visual landscape perceptions. The paper contributes to academic research by presenting and reviewing photo-based methods previously used in landscape perception and preference enquiries, in relation to their aptness in on-site tourism studies. The paper is concerned particularly with approaches relevant to advancing theory, allowing respondents to make their own classifications rather than relying only on constructs provided by the researchers. The focus here is on the fieldwork and its preparations, not on techniques for analysing the data collected.Abstract This article provides a review of photo-based landscape perception research approaches that can be used for assessment of tourists visual landscape perceptions. The paper contributes to academic research by presenting and reviewing photo-based methods previously used in landscape perception and preference enquiries, in relation to their aptness in on-site tourism studies. The paper is concerned particularly with approaches relevant to advancing theory, allowing respondents to make their own classifications rather than relying only on constructs provided by the researchers. The focus here is on the fieldwork and its preparations, not on techniques for analysing the data collected.

The Tourist Bubble and the Europeanisation of Holiday Travel

This account explores certain aspects of the developments in international, interEuropean holiday travel as a part of the phenomena characterised as modernity and Europeanisation. The focus is on the idea of travelling parochialism, i.e. whether large proportions of contemporary international holidaymakers and other travellers on their tours within Europe adopt some kind of furtherance of a home-like culture. The main point of departure is the idea of the tourist bubble understood here as a territorial and functional differentiation and as an expectation of holidaymakers going abroad. The concept of travel ecumene is introduced to examine implications for travellers of the development of a western European travel system. Moreover, the study analyses the extent to which the notion of the tourist bubble is still beneficial in comprehending significant aspects of inter-European holiday travel in relation to current discourses of internationalisation, Europeanisation and cosmopolitanism. The paper also discusses advances of cosmopolitan predilections and aspirations and their possible influences on contemporary international European tourism.

Southern comfort: a study of holiday style patterns of northerners in coastal Mallorca.

This paper explores travel interest structures or tourism styles among Norwegian holiday-makers in coastal Mallorca. The main focus is on the diversity of such holiday tours that are often treated en masse . Principal component analysis is employed to identify the characteristics of types of holidays attached to particular motives. Five principal components or vacation interest structures were extracted: (1) experience of place; (2) nightlife, new acquaintances and freedom; (3) recreation away from everyday life; (4) romance and pleasures; and (5) health, sports, and social visits. The empirical findings are discussed in relation to previous research. By way of conclusion, the paper suggests some alternative perspectives of holiday tours to coastal Mallorca. Further, it offers a framework of holiday styles, relevant and meaningful to scholars and segments of the tourism industry.

Who can Stop the Rain? Perceptions of Summer Weather Effects Among Small Tourism Businesses

ABSTRACT This paper examines the effects of summer season weather and weather changes on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism and hospitality industry as perceived by enterprises in two coastal areas in Northern Norway. The study is concentrated on the possible importance of weather and indirect effects of weather for these businesses. The data are derived from two-stage semi-structured interviews with industry representatives. Weather and weather changes do not stand out as being a major concern among the respondents, although it is acknowledged that some types of weather, notably precipitation and low visibility, can negatively affect businesses. This is a pragmatic view that should be understood in relation to the mainly small operator size and the limited future planning of SMEs. At the same time, the operators are familiar with combining outdoor recreation and unpredictable weather meaning that the weather is just not “bad enough” to be concerned with, especially given tourist expectations of weather in these locations.

Monitoring Motoring: A Study of Tourists' Viewpoints of Environmental Performance and Protection Practices

This paper contributes to research on sustainable tourism development by utilizing an empirical approach to clarify visitors subjective perceptions and assessments of tourism supplies and tourism‐related amenities and infrastructure with respect to environmental performance and protection practices. These aspects are analysed mainly with regard to tourists self‐reported environmental concerns and their country of residence. Disclosing such tourist perspectives and opinions is not only interesting in its own right but might also act as a supplement and a corrective to local viewpoints. This study of international motor tourists should additionally be regarded as a basis for further monitoring and as a building block for a knowledge‐based platform serving aspirations towards more sustainable tourism and improved environmental performance.

Migrant Tourism Entrepreneurs in Rural Norway

ABSTRACT This paper examines the characteristics and motivations of migrant tourism entrepreneurs in peripheral rural areas of Norway. Based on semi-structured interviews, the study explores eight cases of Norwegian and foreign nationals who had relocated at different life stages. The respondents were asked about their migration decision-making, location choice, business start-up or acquisition, and entry into the tourism industry. Although the respondents expressed a range of motivations for becoming entrepreneurs in the tourism industry, lifestyle factors were prevalent in a majority of the migration accounts. Moreover, it was revealed that life stage, migration unit, and previous experience with self-employment influenced motivations and decision-making. Some of the novice entrepreneurs described their start-ups as accidental and attempted to distance themselves from the role of business owner.

A Lunch with a View: Motor Tourists' Choices and Assessments of Eating-places

Utilizing data from the Norwegian Foreign Visitor Survey, choices and assessments of food services among foreign motor tourists in Northern Norway are investigated. Self-catering is typical for the majority of these visitors, but a sizeable proportion frequent eating-places. Generally, these motorists consider the view, the service and the friendliness of staff as the most satisfactory features of eating-places, while fewer find food quality and range of choice on the menu to be very good. Price level is the definitive weakest point. Factor analysis is employed to identify perception patterns of eating-places, and three factors are extracted: one pattern labelled physical standard and ambience is linked with an emphasis on air quality/absence of smoke, hygiene and tidiness, use of resources and interior. A second pattern is focused on food, both quality and choice, and is related to location and accessibility of the premises. A third pattern is associated with staff quality and views, and converges on a human and a scenery type of frame of tourist meals. In conclusion, a simple framework of motorists impressions of food and food services is proposed.

More Clouds on the Horizon? Polar Tourists' Weather Tolerances in the Context of Climate Change

Abstract This article examines high Arctic summer tourists weather perceptions and tolerances. Given that global warming strikes Arctic regions more forcefully than other parts of the world, an improved understanding of visitors weather perceptions and responses is imperative for tourism operations in these areas. Evidence from a survey in the Spitsbergen (Svalbard) archipelago shows that visitors are fairly tolerant with respect to present summer season weather conditions, although differences between motivational segments are revealed. Results demonstrate that weather elements such as wind and rather low temperatures have no significant impact on the tourists overall weather appreciation. Rather, there seems to be a clear dislike of weather elements reducing visibility. Projected climate changes indicate increased precipitation, which is likely to be accompanied by more days and nights with overcast skies. Given tourists aversion towards weather elements obstructing visual sensations, this may pose some challenges for tourism operators in Spitsbergen (Svalbard) and in other high Arctic destinations.

Business or Pleasure? Blurring Relocation Categories and Motivation Patterns among Expatriates

Abstract Research on international relocations has habitually treated holidaymakers, sojourners, and immigrants as quite discrete categories while developments in global mobility patterns have assumingly amplified blurring of such categories. Based on this point of departure, this article explores boundaries and relations between leisure tourism and international work relocations. The study uniquely examines demographic differences in tourism and work motivation of academics temporarily residing abroad. Data were collected from 428 self-initiated expatriate academics from 60 countries temporarily working at 34 universities in 5 northern European countries. Our findings show that there are indeed tourism motivations among expatriates. We also found that such motives vary between different demographic segments.