Bella Vongvisitsin, PhD CHE’s Post

"The necessity and consequences of the exponential growth in tourism activity experienced throughout the world over the past half-century have been increasingly questioned by an expanding body of activists and critical researchers. One of the emerging responses within this debate concerns calls for reversing the trend in pursuit of touristic ‘degrowth’. This discussion has been inspired by a longstanding body of research problematizing the imperative and consequences of economic growth more generally, initiated by natural and social scientists. This article offers a state-of-the-art overview of the application of degrowth perspectives to discussions of (sustainable) tourism development and outlines a future agenda for research and praxis continuing this important line of inquiry." (Murray et al., 2023)

Tropical economies rely heavily on tourism, but managing it requires making trade-offs between ecosystem services and socio-cultural identities. Our chapter explores how community-based tourism (CBT) focuses on meeting social needs of local community in tropical regions. Happy to share our recently published chapter Co-authors: Dr.Ruchi Sharma and Joel Qi Hong Yap

This article by S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh, Shi Yin Chee & Atchara Salee provides practical implications and can assist tourism providers and governments in better understanding sustainable urban tourism development and shaping policy. Read more in #JOST! ⬇️

It is a significant step forward in shaping sustainable practices in the tourism industry. This excellent article presents an innovative approach to measuring destination sustainability by considering the perspectives of residents, tourists, businesses, and government agencies. 

Happy World Tourism day! Tourism has played an important role in the economic growth of many SIDS for several decades, but a closer look indicates that the benefits of this growth do not flow equitably to citizens and MSMEs. Notably, strong growth in international visitor arrivals and expenditure across numerous SIDS was paired with relatively modest growth (or even declines) in their HDI and GDP per capita. Moreover, the damage caused by mass tourism to the environment and biodiversity has not been accounted for in the price that tourists paid for visiting fragile ecosystems. The missed opportunity of using the growth in tourism arrivals to achieve greater development outcomes for vulnerable communities in SIDS can be explained by many factors. Some are macroeconomic, others environmental, but the most pervasive are those related to the lack of linkages with MSMEs and individuals to monetise local talent and community assets. Unfortunately, 70-90% of MSMEs in SIDS (including those in the informal sector) do not use digital payments to process transactions, with some variation by country. Without digital payment tools such as gateways, POS devices, or mobile wallets, MSMEs, farmers and self-employed individuals are prevented from accessing tourism spending before (e.g. online booking), during (e.g. mobile phone or card payments) or even after (e.g. e-commerce purchases) international visitors’ trips. The digital financial gap for citizens and MSMEs, particularly wide in SIDS, must be urgently addressed for these groups to benefit from the global market shift towards sustainable and regenerative tourism. This reports illustrates how Public-Private-Community Partnerships in tourism can be used to create value for communities and the planet. Lots of success stories to be inspired from! Compete Caribbean Jordan Hamilton Amanda Charles Eva Marie Wüst Vestergaard James Crockett Olivier Naria Maria Fowell sptojobslink Sylvia Dohnert https://lnkd.in/eU6uDkJc

The 3rd chapter of the book analyses the relationship between media and animosity, discussing the implications for peace through tourism. Titled “Media, animosity and peace through tourism” and written by Anna Farmaki, the chapter examines the role of media on the animosity formation of tourists and discusses associated effects in relation to peace through tourism. Drawing from a sample of people residing in Europe, the perceptions of potential tourists regarding media representations of the Ukraine-Russia conflict are examined and discussed. Findings reveal four different effects of media on people’s animosity formation depending on pre-existing attitudes, political ideology and past experiences. Implications to the peace through tourism debate are drawn and discussed as conclusions. https://lnkd.in/dRWP-jhB

📰 Research Article of the Week... Crisis and Revitalization of Rural Tourism in the Appalachian Region Amidst The Pandemic: The Perspective of Key Stakeholders Published online: 2023 Executive Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to rethink their business activities. Due to being distant from crowded cities, rural tourism destinations have become getaway places, with some counties in rural Ohio experiencing an influx of tourists. This study addresses responses from key stakeholders of tourism and tourism development activities in two counties in southeastern Ohio, part of the Appalachian region. Their perceptions of the impacts of the pandemic on local tourism and tourism activities were examined using a qualitative approach. Findings suggested both positive and negative impacts of COVID-19, showing the challenges faced, and the strategies used during the pandemic. The study suggests that community support and partnerships are essential in leveraging the growth opportunities presented by the pandemic to rural tourism. Lopez Llantuy, Nikol and Chen, Sandy (2023) "Crisis and Revitalization of Rural Tourism in the Appalachian Region Amidst The Pandemic: The Perspective of Key Stakeholders," ICHRIE Research Reports: Vol. 8: Iss. 2, Article 2. Available at: https://lnkd.in/dPa3wADV ⭐For more information on this ICHRIE research journal, please visit https://lnkd.in/g6W9iqjY #ArticleoftheWeek #ICHRIEresearch #hospitalityeducation #hospitalityresearch #tourismresearch #globalhospitality #ICHRIEResearchReports #hospitalityfaculty #hospitalitystudent #DePaul #whyichrie

Co-authoring with my students is one of the biggest pleasures of my work. It is so rewarding to help them turn their work into a (scientific) paper, so the findings can be shared with a much bigger audience. Collaborating with Eleanor White and James Bendle has resulted in this new paper published in Tourism Planning and Development on the perceived impacts of tourism on the community identity of two Scottish Highland communities. The Scottish Highlands tourism industry has grown significantly due to the successful launch of the North Coast 500 route. Our study investigates the perceived tourism impact on rural communities based on a survey and semi-structured interviews conducted in Elphin and Ullapool in 2021. By approaching community identity as a combination of emotional identity, functional identity, and community participation, the paper identifies key differences in the identities of two communities usually framed as belonging to one homogenous region. This provides host community perspectives on which aspects of their identities may be targeted to support effective tourism developments. We conclude that although the overall strength of both communities identities seem unaffected by growing tourism levels, they do shape their nature, particularly when different concerns intersect such as environmental degradation and limited affordable housing. Addressing resident concerns through meaningful contributions to decision-making processes is key to the success of regional tourism policies. https://lnkd.in/ed4YS7MY

#Overtourism is back in the news, which is a perfect time to share this recent article on the cutting-edge SMARTDEST project looking at how smarter destination management can avoid social exclusionary aspects of tourism.

I am thrilled to announce that my latest research article, "Research Trend of Cultural Village as a Community-Based Tourism: A Systematic Literature 2000-2020," has been published in Dialogue: Journal of Public Administration Science. In this study, I explored the evolution and impact of cultural villages as a form of community-based tourism (CBT) over the past two decades. Here are some key highlights: 1. The study synthesizes 61 scientific articles from ten databases, providing a thorough analysis of cultural villages worldwide. 2. Findings reveal that well-managed cultural villages can significantly benefit the economy, environment, and socio-cultural aspects of local communities. This "Multiplier Effect" underscores the importance of cultural villages in sustainable tourism. 3. The research proposes a new framework for evaluating the outcomes of cultural villages, offering valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners in the field of community-based tourism. You can read the full article here: (https://lnkd.in/gXFbRRRa) I am open to collaborating on future research projects related to cultural villages. If you are interested in exploring this fascinating area together, please feel free to reach out. #Research #CommunityBasedTourism #CulturalVillage #SustainableTourism