Stephen J. Page

The Geography of tourism and recreation: environment, place and space

Michael Hall, Stephen Page, Geography of Tourism and Recreation: Environment, Place and Space (London: Routledge 2002), ISBN: 0415250811

Social media as a destination marketing tool: its use by national tourism organisations

Social media are gaining prominence as an element of destination marketing organisation (DMO) marketing strategy at a time when public sector cuts in their funding are requiring them to seek greater value in the way marketing budgets are spent. Social media offers DMOs with a tool to reach a global audience with limited resources. The aim of this study is to explore the usage of social media among the DMOs of the top 10 most visited countries by international tourists. The study uses content analysis and semi-structured interviews to examine the usage and impact of social media marketing strategies and identifies a framework of best practice for other national tourism organizations (NTOs) to learn from. The study argues that social media usage among top DMOs is still largely experimental and that strategies vary significantly.

Small business development and tourism: Terra incognita?

Abstract This paper argues that the relationship between tourism and small business remains terra incognita because much of the existing research is published in diverse sources and fails to explicitly contribute to methodological development in this area. The paper reviews the small business literature as it relates to tourism and highlights the need for a greater tourism focus than currently exists. The paper also reports the results from the first stage of a project assessing the role of tourism and business development in Northland, New Zealand which aims to establish the extent of indigenous participation in small business development. The study follows an established methodology developed through the annual tourism and small business development study undertaken in the United Kingdom (Thomas et al. 1997, The National Survey of Small Tourism and Hospitality Firms: Annual Report 1996–97. Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds). The use of the postal survey instrument is discussed together with the results of the survey of tourist-related businesses. A sample of 297 businesses in Northland is examined and their role in tourism is evaluated in relation to business development, finance, marketing, human resource issues and the importance of tourists in their annual business turnover. The role of Maori involvement in these businesses is examined and the implications for indigenous involvement in the development of tourism opportunities is discussed. The contribution to comparative research methodologies to tourism studies is also considered.

Tourist accidents: An exploratory analysis

Abstract Health issues associated with international tourism are now attracting interest from diverse researchers as they examine the interconnections between health and tourism. Despite this new popularity, no mainstream tourism journal has published any substantial research study-on this topic to date. This article examines one area of tourist health hitherto neglected in studies of travel medicine: tourist accidents. The paper commences with a review of the existing literature on tourist accidents and examines the situation in New Zealand using a number of unique data sources generated by the Accident Compensation Corporation and the Land Transport Safety Authority. Trends in international tourist accidents are discussed and the implications for their prevention are examined.

Modeling tourism crime: the 2000 America's Cup

Abstract Between October 1999 and March 2000, Auckland, New Zealand hosted the largest sporting event ever held in the country, the Americas Cup Yacht Race. This paper investigates the impact of this race on destination crime rates, especially against tourists: it statistically models tourism-related crime observing that there was no significant difference between the victimization rates of domestic and overseas tourists. They rather were affected by ethnicity and form of accommodation. The type of crime experienced by overseas tourists differs from that for domestic ones in that foreigners are more subject to theft from places such as the casino or a campervan. Domestic tourists are more likely to experience smaller losses as a result of theft from their cars.

Evaluating research performance in tourism: the UK experience

Abstract This paper is a critical commentary on the measures now being used to evaluate the quality of tourism research in the UK. The paper examines the nature of the UK Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) and its evolution since 1992. A detailed analysis of the 2001 RAE in relation to tourism is reviewed, using the returns made by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This is complemented by a content analysis of the origin of authors who published in Tourism Management and Annals of Tourism Research 1996–2002, to examine the contribution of UK academics to tourism outputs in these journals.

Towards sustainable tourism planning in New Zealand: Public sector planning responses

This paper examines the concept of sustainable tourism planning in New Zealand and its relationship to the Resource Management Act. The paper considers the public sector planning responses towards tourism development issues within the context of New Zealands Resource Management Act, and the ability of these organisations to respond to tourism issues. It argues that the absence of a national vision for tourism is a major constraint on achieving sustainable tourism options at the regional and local level because the Resource Management Act s principles of sustainable planning are not guided by any national policy or strategy. By using a postal questionnaire, the paper provides the first in-depth analysis of planners responses to tourism and their ability to integrate tourism into the planning process within New Zealand. The paper also expands the arguments initially developed by Dredge & Moore (1992) on the lack of integration in relation to tourism and planning.

Assessing the Impacts of the Global Economic Crisis and Swine Flu on Inbound Tourism Demand in the United Kingdom

The recent economic crisis and swine flu pandemic have had significantly negative impacts on global tourism. Tourism in the United Kingdom has also suffered as a result of the two crises, although their actual impacts have yet to be evaluated. This study analyzes the impacts of these two phenomena on the demand for U.K. inbound tourism during the 2008Q1-2009Q2 period among visitors from the country’s 14 major visitor source markets. An econometric framework is proposed to separate and estimate the impacts of swine flu and the economic crisis on U.K. tourism demand.

Managing risk in adventure tourism operations in New Zealand: a review of the legal case history and potential for litigation

Abstract The growth of adventure tourism in New Zealand has contributed to its image as an activity destination, reflected in the growth of the adventure tourism sector since 1992. There has also been a growing concern over the safety and management of these activities within the New Zealand government and tourism industry. This paper examines the changing legal framework for tourism in New Zealand, where the no-fault accident compensation legislation no longer covers all tourist accidents and injuries within its scheme. The paper reviews both the accident compensation legislation, recent legal precedents as evidenced in court cases and judgements which challenge the perception that no-faults compensation covers all accident eventualities. The consequences for adventure tourism operators in relation to tourist accidents and injuries is discussed and implications for health and safety are highlighted.

Place marketing and town centre management: A new tool for urban revitalization

Abstract Managers in the UK have begun to adopt the concept of town centre management to attempt to revitalize the in-town environment. This is a refinement of the North American concept of centralized retail management implemented in the 1980s in cities such as Chicago, Seattle and Wisconsin. One strand of town centre management in the UK is place marketing, which aims to raise the profile and public awareness of the locality among residents and visitors. This paper reviews the experience of town centre management in the light of a recent survey of existing management schemes in the UK, emphasizing the role of place marketing and its contribution to urban revitalization.