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Publication Standardizing the Procedure for Cleaning GPS Device Data for Recreation and Tourism Research(2024) Parkinson, Colby P.; Rice, Will; Pan, BingSpatial-temporal methods have grown rapidly in prominence over the preceding two decades in outdoor recreation and tourism research. However, there are limited well-documented, formal procedures for cleaning GPS device data despite its significance as the most valid tool for measuring intra-attraction tourist mobility. To address this limitation, we present open-source Python code that automates downloading GPS device data to ArcGIS Pro and establishes boundaries and parameters for extracting erroneous points. We will use the code to clean GPS device data from a random sample of visitors to Grand Canyon National Park and examine differences in data dimensionality as well as spatial, temporal, and behavioral outcomes between cleaned and uncleaned data. Our research may help reduce bias and increase replicability to improve the standard of our field’s research and complement other works that have provided guidance regarding GPS device purchasing and methods for minimizing researcher and device error.Publication Encouraging employee-resident pro-environmental behavior: Exploring the impact of a state’s green image and message(2024) Berbekova, Adiyukh; Shulga, Lenna V.; Spencer, Daniel M.As living and working in tourism destinations, residents are important stakeholders in the process of sustainable tourism development. Thus, identifying the factors leading to employee-residents’ pro-environmental behavior is an important step in encouraging such behavior and promoting sustainable development. Drawing on signaling theory and taking the US State of Hawaii as an example, this study proposes that a destination’s green image and the effectiveness of its green message at a state level can translate into employees-residents’ pro-environmental behavior (N=187) both at and outside of work. The PLS-SEM results show that a state’s green image, enhanced by green message effectiveness, positively affects employee-residents’ pro-environmental behavior at work and in everyday life. The findings emphasize the role of both a state’s green messaging and organizations’ green practices in encouraging pro-environmental behavior.Publication Crisis Communication with the Traveling Public on Social media(2024) Park, Soyoung; Labkovski, JacobThe current study utilized partial least squares structured equation modeling to explore the relationship between digital opinion leadership, perceived uncertainty, and travel intention. Based on the literature, we argue that opinion leadership of an information source, such as a destination management organization, could determine how travelers perceived the information’s credibility and quality, mitigating their perceived uncertainty. Limited research has examined the role of opinion leadership in mitigating perceived uncertainty for travelers under crises, especially in the context of social media. Its exploratory analysis was unable to confirm a significant path between opinion leadership and perceived uncertainty. However, the study suspects a possibility of uncaptured effects due to the study not observing differences between source types and platforms. Opinion leadership of certain sources The future steps of this study will delve deeper into the data collected to examine the influence of social media platforms and source types.Publication Beyond the Contemporary Understanding of Travel Intention Dynamics: An Experimental Study to Uncover the Dimensions of Tourist Behavior in the 21st Century from the Contexts of Destination Stereotypes and Perceived Social Return(2024) Rahman, Sabrina; Boley, BynumThe objective of this study is to assess how factors like destination stereotypes and perceived social return are associated with the formation of perceived destination image and behavioral intentions of tourists through an extensive between-subjects experimental study. The authors aim to adopt a holistic approach to demonstrate the influence and significance of the key elements of this study by using destination stereotype and social return as two key interventions to be applied on the potential respondents representing tourists residing in the US. If the collected data from the experiments proves the proposed mechanism to be significant, this study is expected to contribute to the existing literature by adding a unique angle in measuring the behavioral intentions of contemporary tourists and offer some practical recommendations for the DMOs to attenuate the adverse impacts of destination stereotypes by incorporating modern-day elements like social media use and perceived social return.Publication CEO Beliefs as the Guiding Light in the Hotel-OTA Relationship(2024) Campayo, Fernando; Sharma, Abhinav; Mas Ruiz, Francisco; Nicolau, JuanUpper echelons theory posits that a CEO’s cognitive and perceptual processes, as well as their values and experiences, influence their decision-making and, consequently, their strategic choices. In the complex love-hate relationship between hotels and online travel agencies, the topic of rate parity agreements is controversial and heated, wherein a CEO’s values, beliefs, and convictions potentially playing an important role in guiding actions. This study tests this hypothesis by investigating how CEO political ideologies affect changes in hotel market value resulting from the dismissal of the U.S. rate parity lawsuit. The results reveal that the reduction in hotel companies’ market value due to the lawsuit’s dismissal is accentuated by CEO liberalism. Conservative CEOs seem to prioritize shareholder interests, aligning with investor expectations for value preservation amid online travel agencies’ consolidation of market power. This study holds theoretical and managerial implications for the upper echelons theory, corporate governance, and market competition studies.Publication Between representations and realities: Reimagining of favelas at the 2016 Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies(2024) Clift, Bryan; Wilson, Conor; Talbot, AdamSporting mega-events (SMEs) are widely recognized as unique opportunities to project and promote a host city and nation to domestic and international audiences and travelers. For the 2016 World Cup, a central preoccupation of the city, nation, and Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC) was to augment Rio de Janeiro’s culture of beach and sun, festivals, forests, iconic mountainous landscapes, art, museums, music, dance, and food. However, promotion of the city also had to combat negative reports and depictions of favelas and their problematic association with danger, crime, poverty, corruption, and violence. Typically, marginal urban spaces are excluded from official SME promotions. In contrast, the Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC) incorporated favelas as part of its vision for the city as vibrant, colorful, and safe, and specifically in its opening ceremonies. In critically analyzing the opening ceremonies, we suggest that the favela was reimagined as a romanticized product for external cultural consumption.Publication Understanding the social influence of travel influencers: a netnographic analysis(2024) Huang, Xingyu; Li, Xiang (Robert)Social Media Influencers (SMIs) have emerged as powerful forces in the digital landscape, rapidly becoming pivotal players in marketing strategies. Consequently, it is crucial to understand the underlying dynamics that enable SMIs to captivate and influence their audiences. Through the netnographic analysis of comments and posts of two leading travel SMIs, this study offers a cross-cultural perspective on an exploration of SMIs' influence in the tourism context. By drawing upon theories of social connection and social influence, the research unveils how travel SMIs leverage social connections, express values, and disseminate information to exert their influence in nuanced ways. Findings provide valuable insights into the magic behind SMIs' social influence, offering guidance for optimizing SMI partnerships and crafting effective tourism marketing strategies.Publication Exploring situational factors influencing tourists’ evacuation behavior(2024) An, Yuting; Kirilenko, AndreiMajor disaster events pose severe threats to tourists in hazard-prone areas. Although prior studies explored factors influencing individuals’ protective actions, they oversimplified the complexity of making evacuation decisions and evacuation behavior. In reality, evacuation decision reflects a chained series of choices. The purpose of the study is to explore situational factors influencing tourists’ evacuation behavior during a major hurricane. Methodologically, a machine learning approach is used to clean social media data, predict evacuation behavior, and analyze the main topics of online tourists’ discussion during disaster events. The results show proactive tourists’ behavior towards receiving and responding to information through media channels and a high valuation of stakeholders’ capability of planning the emergency. Interestingly, both evacuating and sheltering-in-place tourists tend to be concerned about similar topics regardless. The implications are discussed.Publication “Everyone is Welcome Here!” Examining DMOs Accessibility Efforts(2024) Tkatch, Juliana Rodrigues Vieira; Tavares, Karen C. N.; Fyall, Alan; Zhong, YunYingAccording to the CDC (2023), 27% of the U.S. population lives with some type of disability. In our globalized world, the heavy competition for visitors requires constant attention to marketing and communication strategies from DMOs. Websites is an important source of information for travelers with disabilities, as they need specific needs. This research examines DMOs' accessibility efforts, in their physical and communication aspects. It relies on a qualitative exploratory content analysis of seventeen DMO websites and social media channels. Preliminary findings show that the DMOs have distinct levels of accessibility content. There is an indication of different types of disabilities included and addressed in their physical and communication efforts, with participation from various local stakeholders. Further results to be shared at the conference will offer examples of best practices, assisting practitioners in their journeys towards accessibility.Publication Community's Support for Local Cultural Festivals: The Role of Value Orientation toward Intangible Cultural Heritage(2024) Alazaizeh, Mohammad M.; Mura, Paolo; Jamaliah, MalekThe relationship between attitudes of local community toward and support for local cultural festivals can be understood by Social Exchange Theory (SET)(Nunkoo & So, 2015a), whereby people who benefit from these festivals will also tend to support them. However, according to Li, Wan and Uysal (2019), there are limits to how well SET accounts for community’s support for local cultural festivals. The way in which community think about development of local cultural festivals is influenced by several factors (Getz, 2010) such as value orientation (Sharpley, 2014). Therefore, for destinations such as the UAE, that have rich intangible heritage, community’s value orientations toward Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) likely influence attitudes of local community toward local cultural festivals. Therefore, this study evaluates the value orientations of local community in the UAE toward ICH, and how such orientations might affect the SET explanations of local community attitudes and support toward development of local cultural festivals.Publication Personal Attributes that Predict Perceived Importance of Creativity: The Agritourism Context(2024) Baby, Jibin; Barbieri, Carla; Knollenberg, WhitneyDestinations incorporate local creativity to diversify their offerings and increase their competitive advantage. Such creativity can be infused into the activities as well as the space and facilitator supporting them. Farmers offering recreational and educational activities (agritourism) rely on their creativity to make their offerings stand out from their neighboring competitors as they tend to hold similar agricultural and cultural assets. However, it is yet known how much visitors value such creativity. Seeking to fill this knowledge gap, we surveyed a panel of adults who prefer engaging in agritourism while traveling. Respondents rated creative elements related to space as the most important ones. We also found that age and exploration personality traits are good predictors of creativity associated with agritourism. Results suggest that agritourism providers emphasize creativity when programming their offerings (activities, space, facilitators).Publication Can AI help protect the environment from tourists' misbehaviors?(2024) Strzelecka, Marianna; Akhshik, Arash; Olya, HosseinWith the fast development of artificial intelligence, effective solutions are being developed in the areas of health, legal, and IT and telecommunications. However, tourism and hospitality are not among the pioneering industries in the application of AI. Furthermore, most AI applications aim at contributing to the economy, health, and social benefits, and there has been little attention to applying AI for environmental protection. This research intends to serve as a seminal work that sheds light on the possibility of harnessing the power of AI in identifying behavioral patterns of tourists who damage the environment. To this end, AI is used to analyze big data collected from social media, which includes images illustrating various types of misbehaviors. This study extends the current knowledge of irresponsible consumption by utilizing neutralization theory to identify psychological motivations behind tourist misbehaviors.Publication Are cruise lines’ recovery marketing strategies in the right direction? Evidence from a mixed-methods study(2024) Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Zhang, Jieqi; Su, LijuanThis study adopted a mixed-methods approach and aimed to assess the effectiveness of cruise lines' digital recovery marketing strategies. The qualitative study analyzes a total of 9134 Instagram posts from major U.S. cruise lines between 2017-2022, revealing shifts in marketing themes over time. The quantitative study surveys 304 American cruise travelers, identifying six motivation factors: self-esteem, recovery, relaxation, socialization, nostalgia, and novelty. While some alignment between social media themes and passenger motivations exists, discrepancies suggest room for improvement, particularly in addressing motivations like self-esteem and recovery. The findings offer practical insights for adapting social media campaigns to better resonate with customers' desires, enhancing the effectiveness of marketing strategies in the evolving cruise industry landscape.Publication Macro Understanding of Tourism Through Universal Forces Framework: Spatial Big Data Approach(2024) Lee, Seonjin; Pennington-Gray, LoriThis study calls for tourism studies that aim to provide a macro-level understanding of what makes tourists travel. The authors propose the Universal Forces Framework for explaining tourism phenomena from a macro-level and sociological perspective, bridging different domains of tourism knowledge. Four forces have been identified in the literature: push, pull, friction, and competition. In addition, we introduce the herding effect, the phenomenon of tourists attracting other tourists, as another universal force in tourism. The model was empirically tested using nationwide tourism big data of South Korea. Our approach provides a theoretical platform that cultivates the development of a coherent and macro-level understanding of tourism, along with an exemplar for the theory-driven use of tourism big data.Publication When destination marketing meets airlines: A content analysis of in-flight safety videos from flag carriers(2024) Gong, Yaqi; Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Pan, BingFor many national carriers, incorporating destination marketing in in-flight safety videos has become an innovative way to convey safety messages while building a positive destination image. This study examines the media components of 55 flag carriers’ in-flight safety videos. Specifically, we use content analysis to explore the video styles, narrators, demonstrators, demonstration environment, as well as the projected image framed by the in-flight safety videos. Findings reveal a shift to diverse video styles – videos showcasing the appeals of destination have surpassed the once popular animation style. Safety demonstrations are often performed by local people or tourists in touristic spaces. Nature-based attractions, touristic activities, and local culture are also present. We highlight the potential of transferring routine safety demonstrations to a useful destination marketing tool to engage and motivate passengers.Publication Exploring the Concept of Stewardship Among Residents at Sustainable Destinations: The Case of Costa Rica(2024) Liu-Lastres, Bingjie; Cecil, Amanda; Carmona Miranda, Adrian; Alvarado-Roman, BelenThis study investigated residents’ sustainable stewardship at emerging destinations, focusing on the case of Sarapique, Costa Rica . Guided by the norm activation model, the study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining focus group interviews and a survey. Results reveal residents' comprehensive understanding of sustainability, primarily emphasizing environmental aspects. The qualitative findings highlight unanimous support for sustainable tourism development. Quantitative analyses establish connections between residents' sense of responsibility, length of residency, and willingness to engage in sustainable tourism initiatives. This study contributes to the literature by uncovering residents' nuanced perspectives, offering practical insights for industry professionals aiming to collaborate with committed, long-term residents in fostering sustainable tourism development.Publication Journeys to Heal: The Reciprocal Link Between Traveling and Depression Alleviation in Trauma Survivors(2024) Hua, Chenggang; Yao, Xing; Cole, ShuFollowing traumatic events like spinal cord injuries, individuals often face drastic lifestyle changes and physical constraints, increasing their risk of depression. This can lead to withdrawal from various activities, particularly travelling. This study investigates travel's role as a therapeutic tool for trauma survivors, focusing on its long-term reciprocal relationship with depression alleviation. Addressing gaps in existing literature, it utilizes the DSM-5's classifications of trauma and stressor-related disorder and major depressive disorders. Findings align with social causation and social withdrawal theories, showing that travel counters social isolation effects and challenges depressive tendencies to withdraw from social engagement. Thus, travel emerges as both an immediate and long-term therapeutic avenue in mental health rehabilitation, offering a new perspective for recovery in trauma survivors.Publication Does Last Chance Tourism Motivate Visitors? An Examination of the Relationship between Last Chance Tourism and Destination Awareness(2024) Kim, Mina; Kim, HanyLast-chance tourism (LCT) refers to visiting disappearing landscapes, natural heritage, and social heritage before they are gone. Although previous research has established that LCT motivation exists among LCT visitors, its strength remains unknown. Furthermore, previous research on LCT has predominantly centered around famous travel destinations. Consequently, how LCT destinations with lower awareness are perceived by visitors is underexplored. Therefore, this study aims to understand whether LCT motivation acts as a primary motivator for potential visitors at two contrasting destinations and explore the interplay between LCT and destination awareness. A scenario-based survey was conducted, and the results indicated that LCT has an impact in combination with higher awareness only. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that high destination awareness is a crucial prerequisite for LCT features to act as a pull factor for tourists. To capitalize on LCT, destinations with lower awareness should first focus on increasing their awareness.Publication Housework stress in Tourism: A Critique of Gender Power Dynamics Replicated from Home to Travel Accommodations(2024) Yao, Xing; Jordan, Evan J.; Hua, ChenggangThis study explores housework-related stress across homes, peer-to-peer accommodations, and hotels, emphasizing the potential pitfalls of replicating home within tourism settings. Employing critical theory and feminist approaches, we conducted in-depth interviews with 10 Chinese tourist couples and utilized reflexive thematic analysis. Findings indicate that a homelike space (peer-to-peer accommodation) often perpetuates traditional associations between home, unpaid domestic labor, and gender roles. While prioritizing leisure can mitigate stress in peer-to-peer accommodations, women, especially mothers, still undertake more housework. In contrast, a living space unlike home (hotel) promotes more equitable stress alleviation for couples. Since the non-homelike space and the openness to housework industrialization leads to a shift from traditionally feminized tasks to a more gender-neutral stance, challenging established housework-related poweUr dynamics.Publication Early Findings on Media Literacy through Dark Tourism(2024) Soulard, Joelle MH; Russell, ZacharyThis pilot study investigates the influence of dark tourism sites on visitors' media literacy and resilience to misinformation. By employing resilience theory, we explore how exposure to these sites may instigate a deeper self-reflection on information manipulation. Preliminary findings indicate that the presentation of multiple perspectives enhances trust and critical engagement with media narratives. The study aims to contribute to the literature on the post-visit effects of dark tourism, particularly in terms of fostering critical media consumption. It underscores the potential of dark tourism experiences to reinforce visitors' abilities to discern and challenge misinformation in their everyday lives.