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This paper aims to examine and identify important attributes for mobile applications (apps) that might dictate tourist preferences for the apps on a small island destination. Guided by the Task Technology Fit (TTF) theory, the study considers the tasks performed, technology characteristics and individuals’ characteristics in determining the mobile apps attribute set.

This study uses a conjoint methodology within a case study approach framework. The conjoint analysis allows for assessing preferences from different consumers regarding the objective characteristics of products or services that facilitate the optimal design of product development. Optimal product development is a challenge for destinations, as they strive to achieve and sustain optimal market positions. Mobile apps may empower destinations in this endeavor. The case study approach imparts a context-dependent knowledge that facilitates a more nuanced understanding of consumer preference of use.

The results of the conjoint analysis suggest a strategic mapping of the most important attributes including type of content information, coupons and location awareness in defining apps product development. Within each attribute, the study also identifies the significant characteristics of a mobile application that are preferred by tourists. This ranking exists irrespective of familiarity with the destination (first-time and repeat visitors).

The implication is that revealed preferences anchored in conjoint analysis provide a powerful approach to optimize product development in a small island destination. From a practical perspective, the findings suggest that the developments of a mobile app for a destination must concentrate on fostering spending and consider the app as a new marketing channel. From a theoretical point of view, the current study highlights the usefulness of using the conjoint analysis and the TTF theory as an overarching framework in mapping a multi-attribute decision-making space that influences tourist judgment and preference of use. The conjoint method applied in the study enables researchers to clearly identify a combination of various mobile app attributes that are most influential on tourists’ choice and preference of use. The guiding framework, TTF theory, allows the conjoint product designs to go beyond the technology characteristics to include tasks performed by tourists and their individual characteristics.

This study is the first to apply a conjoint analysis within the TTF theoretical framework in the context of a small island destination when assessing tourists’ use preferences toward mobile applications, while at the same time investigating whether any differences exist between first-time and repeat visitors. The study demonstrates that complementing the nature of the task (traveling) with context-specific interface and interactive features is an important area of inquiry that can benefit from adopting conjoint analysis.

This study aims to examining how tourists’ activities condition the relationship between destination image, satisfaction and loyalty.

This study used a constructive replication design (CRD) to investigate the alleged critical role of tourism activities in impacting the tourism experience dimensions of image, satisfaction and loyalty. The CRD approach does not include new concepts or original relationships. However, what is new in the established relationship between image, satisfaction and loyalty is discerning the role of tourism activities as a moderator conditioning the relationship between the three dimensions. The purpose is to establish the external validity of previous studies’ findings through a more stringent test of the findings’ replicability. The analysis used partial least square modeling to examine the relationship between activities, dimensions and multigroup analysis to estimate potential significant differences in group-specific parameters, which are not often used in destination analysis, ensuring rigor in the data analysis and model. The number and type of activities practiced moderate the relationships between these constructs.

The results indicate that tourists’ type and several destination activities moderate the relationship between tourists’ satisfaction, perceived image and loyalty. The results also suggest that the more destination activities tourists practice, the greater is their satisfaction. These two theoretical propositions put activities at the center of destination management and marketing and identify potential experiential consumption spheres. The analysis of activities’ central role is a productive research field.

This study made several recommendations to destination managers to increase activities participation such as strategic marketing opportunities, expansion of the activities portfolio with sports, wellness, nature based and life observation wildlife, voluntary and educational activities, revamping of the UNESCO heritage site and festivals. This study also recommended a strategic use of technology for information dissemination, the design of a daily activity agenda based on the identified segments’ activity patterns and a destination one-stop online travel shopping.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to apply the tourism activity-based approach to examine actual tourist behavior regarding their engaged activities instead of their experience or perceptions with those activities in a small island destination. Another contribution lies in examining if tourists’ type and activity engagement moderate the relationship between tourists’ satisfaction, perceived image and loyalty. This paper requires researchers to consider tourism activities’ impact on tourists’ image, satisfaction and loyalty.

小型海岛旅游目的地的旅游活动, 形象, 和旅客的满意度和忠诚度

本案例研究考察了旅游活动如何影响目的地形象、游客满意度和忠诚度之间的关系。

本研究采用建设性复制设计 (CRD) 来分析旅游活动在影响目的地形象、游客满意度和忠诚度等三个旅游体验维度起到的关键作用。 CRD 方法并没有引进新概念或关系。然而, 本研究新颖的地方在于认证旅游活动在目的地形象、游客满意度和忠诚度三个维度之间建立的调节关系。该研究通过严格测试研究结果的可复制来建立先前研究的外部有效性。该分析使用 PLS建模 和多组分析（MGA）来检验旅游活动和旅游体验的多维度之间的关系和估计特定组参数的潜在显著差异。 这些参数在目的地研究中不常使用, 从而确保我们数据分析和模型的严谨性。该研究结果表明旅游活动的数量和类型调节了这些旅游体验维度的关系。

研究结果表明游客的类型和某些旅游活动调节了游客满意度、目的地形象和忠诚度之间的关系。结果还表明, 游客参与的活动越多, 他们的满意度就越高。这两个研究结果确定了旅游活动在目的地管理和营销的中心地位, 同时也指出了潜在体验消费的范围。研究目的地活动的核心作用将会是一个富有成效的领域。

本研究首次应用基于旅游活动的理论方法 (TAB) 来检查旅客在小型海岛旅游目的地的实际行为, 而不是他们的体验或看法。本研究的另一个贡献在于检验游客的类型和活动参与是否会调节他们满意度、感知目的地形象和忠诚度之间的关系。该论文结果表明未来的研究需要考虑旅游活动对目的地形象、游客满意度和忠诚度的影响。

本研究向目的地管理人员提出了几项建议以提高旅游活动的参与度, 例如战略营销机会、扩大运动、康养、大自然和野生动物观摩的活动组合、志愿和教育活动、和改善联合国教科文组织遗产地和节日。该研究还建议战略性地使用技术进行信息传播, 根据确定的细分市场活动模式设计游客日常活动议程, 以及目的地一站式在线旅游购物。

Este caso de estudio examina cómo las actividades de los turistas condicionan la relación existente entre la imagen del destino, la satisfacción y la fidelidad.

El estudio empleó una replicación constructiva para investigar el supuesto papel crítico de las actividades turísticas en el efecto de la imagen, satisfacción y lealtad de los turistas en su experiencia turística. El enfoque usado no incluye nuevos conceptos ni relaciones originales. Sin embargo, lo novedoso de la relación establecida entre imagen, satisfacción y fidelidad es discernir el papel de las actividades turísticas como moderadoras condicionando la relación entre las tres dimensiones. El propósito es establecer la validez externa de los resultados de estudios previos a través de una prueba más estricta sobre la replicabilidad de dichos resultados. El análisis utilizó un modelo PLS para examinar la relación entre las actividades, las dimensiones mencionadas y el análisis multigrupo con el objetivo de estimar las posibles diferencias significativas entre los parámetros de cada grupo, método no se utiliza con frecuencia en el análisis de destinos turísticos, lo que garantiza el rigor de nuestro análisis y del modelo. El número y tipo de actividades practicadas moderan las relaciones entre los constructos.

Los resultados indican que el tipo de turistas y las diversas actividades del destino moderan la relación entre la satisfacción, la imagen percibida y la lealtad de los turistas. Los resultados también sugieren que cuantas más actividades del destino sean practicadas por los turistas, mayor es su satisfacción. Estas dos propuestas teóricas sitúan las actividades en el centro de la gestión y el marketing de destinos e identifican esferas potenciales de consumo experiencial. El análisis del papel central de las actividades es un campo de investigación en auge.

Este estudio es el primero en aplicar el enfoque basado en actividades turísticas para analizar el comportamiento del turista con respecto a las actividades realizadas en relación con su experiencia o percepciones con esas actividades en un destino insular pequeño. Otra contribución radica en estudiar si el tipo de turista y su compromiso con la actividad moderan la relación entre la satisfacción de los turistas, la imagen percibida y la fidelidad. El estudio sugiere que los investigadores deben considerar el impacto de las actividades turísticas en la imagen, satisfacción y fidelidad de los turistas.

El estudio realiza varias recomendaciones a los administradores de destinos para aumentar la participación en actividades, como oportunidades de marketing estratégico, expansión de la cartera de actividades con deportes, bienestar, observación de la vida y la naturaleza basada en la naturaleza, actividades voluntarias y educativas, renovación del sitio del patrimonio de la UNESCO y festivales. El estudio también recomendó un uso estratégico de la tecnología para la difusión de información, el diseño de una agenda de actividades diarias basada en los patrones de actividad de los segmentos identificados y una ventanilla única de viajes en línea.

The study aims to delve into the influence of tourism on the happiness of city residents, grounded in the overarching concept of livability. It posits that prioritizing residents’ happiness is crucial for effectively addressing cities’ challenges in balancing development and distinctiveness. The study pursues three primary objectives: first, establishing a potential correlation between city tourism and residents’ happiness; second, examining the contributing factors to this correlation and third, identifying potential mediators that influence the connection between tourism development and residents’ happiness.

Using a quantitative single-case design and partial least square analysis, the study underscores the intricate nature of various tourism development components. It specifically explores the roles of cognitive flexibility and social comparison in shaping the relationship between city tourism and happiness.

The findings make a distinctive contribution by revealing that not all tourism domains contribute positively to happiness. Furthermore, it sheds light on how tourism development impacts the emotional and cognitive dimensions of happiness, emphasizing the adverse effects of inequality and feelings of insecurity.

The study acknowledges certain constraints, including its employment of a cross-sectional design, the issue of generalizability, potential sampling bias and the reliance on subjective measurements when evaluating constructs like happiness and satisfaction with life. Using self-reported data introduces susceptibility to social desirability bias and individual perceptual differences, potentially resulting in measurement inaccuracies. Nevertheless, despite these limitations, the study’s findings offer valuable insights that contribute to both theoretical advancement and the realm of urban management.

The findings elucidated through the mediation analyses conducted for hypotheses three to seven shed light on the significant roles played by mental adaptation and social comparison mechanisms in shaping individuals’ happiness. These insights substantially enhance our understanding of this field. Particularly, the dimensions of social and environmental impact within tourism appear to counterbalance the positive effects stemming from the economic and cultural aspects. This suggests a scenario where an excessive focus on tourism development could potentially undermine the overall livability of the city. These outcomes further indicate the necessity for proactive interventions by destination managers. Their efforts should be directed toward enhancing the environmental and social domains, aiming to reinvigorate the sense of community among residents, which appears to be gradually waning.

The outcomes of this study emphasize the utmost significance of prioritizing residents’ happiness above mere considerations of economic growth when formulating efficacious strategies for tourism. By concentrating on the happiness of the local population, a harmonious resonance is established with Sustainable Development Goal 11, which advocates for the creation of habitable cities founded upon the principle that “a city that is not good for its citizens is not good for tourists.” This alignment underscores the interconnected nature of residents’ happiness and the sustainable development of tourism. Moreover, residents’ happiness plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenge that cities face in harmonizing growth and their uniqueness, ensuring competitiveness and sustainability.

The research underscores the need for a people-oriented perspective in urban planning and tourism development initiatives. The study identifies diverse factors impacting residents’ happiness in city tourism, highlighting the complex interplay of environmental, cultural and socioeconomic elements. It emphasizes income’s role but underscores nonmaterial factors and individual preferences. Overall, the study offers timely and valuable insights into the intricate connection between tourism development, residents’ happiness, living conditions and human perception, guiding urban planners and stakeholders.

This study aims to investigate growth differentials among small islands and the impact of tourism specialization on the growth and the economic performance of small islands.

The study is based on trade theory and uses data from a panel of small islands for 1995-2007. It applies panel regression and standard time series methods combined with a qualitative approach.

Small islands experienced stronger basic patterns of growth than many developed countries, especially where economies of scale are not an issue. The findings further suggest that tourism specialization is not harmful to growth, and, in lieu of technological gaps and resource limitations, tourism specialization is a sound option. Size, a lack of complete sovereignty or independence and export orientation do not seem to affect the variance in the real per capita GDP at a greater degree. Finally, small islands may leverage returns to scale in global markets.

While tourism specialization is assumed to enhance growth, in the case of small island destinations, the study did not formally test whether increased terms-of-trade may be perpetually improved.

The study prompted four policy suggestions: small island economies should engage in tourism specialization; small island economies should allocate more resources to the tourism industry than other economic sectors; the success of tourism specialization does not depend exclusively on comparative advantage; and institutional realities and path dependence may play a role in economic performance.

The originality of this study lies in the detection of a paradox in mainstream economics that indicates that small islands may not enjoy sustained economic growth. The detection led to a surprising discovery that tourism specialization may propel growth. The value of the study is twofold: theoretical value is added by suggesting a reconceptualization of the construct capital; and, practical value is strengthened in the sense that tourism specialization may only work under a condition where upon tourism offerings command higher prices than other commodities.

This paper aims to critically review the contributions made by the articles in this theme issue with reference to the literature and by examining the link between tourism and poverty and the conditions that shape this link in Latin America.

The paper reviews the most important contributions through critical content analysis of the papers contained in the theme issue.

Tourism matters to the poor, but its relevance is defined by a number of factors including economic development, inequality, and destination life cycle. Alternative tourism, while promising, may be too limited in scope and scale to affect poverty alleviation that is broad and fast enough to benefit Latin America.

More research is needed to understand the link between tourism and poverty reduction, and the conditions that determine the strength of the link in Latin America.

The theme issue explores the tourism poverty link from different perspectives with inputs from multiple stakeholders with experience and expertise in poverty alleviation in Latin America. This approach offers the reader a unique opportunity to explore different facets of the tourism development conundrum in the region.

The aim of the current study is to use a city case study from Costa Rica to evaluate the Nash equilibrium point and Anna Karenina Principle in relation to community-based tourism (CBT), collaborative destination marketing (CDM) and strategic destination branding (SDB) – all of which require similar facilitators and suffer from similar inhibitors.

The study combines a case study approach with in-depth interviewing of local business stakeholders as the aim is to reveal a specific event in a specific setting.

In-depth interviews with local tourism product and service suppliers provided evidence that numerous deficiencies stem from the lack of collaborative destination marketing and branding in Costa Rica. This undermines the Nash equilibrium, namely successful CBT marketing and branding.

The results support the theory that the success (i.e. Nash equilibrium) or the failure situation (i.e. Anna Karenina Principle) in CBT – similar to CDM and SDB – depend on similar critical factors, including a shared vision, all-inclusive stakeholder involvement and participation; and cooperation and collaboration.

Results indicated an urgent need for governments, donor organizations, universities and NGOs to partner to collectively develop campaigns and educational and training programs for human and social capital development.

This study integrates sustainable tourism, tourism development, poverty alleviation, community-based tourism (CBT), collaborative destination marketing, strategic destination branding (SDB), Nash equilibrium and Anna Karenina Principle to explain the successful application of community-based tourism, which has not been previously reported.

The study aimed to investigate the role of staged authenticity on guests' overall experience when visiting a theme park. It also assessed their evaluative perception of the “real experience” versus the “staged experience.” In addition, the study explored the variables that may predict guest's perceived level of authenticity, realism and truth when experiencing “reproduced” landmarks at a theme park.

The study's setting was the World Showcase at Disney's Epcot theme park that features well-known “staged” landmarks. The study adopted a theoretical framework initially developed by Naoi that measures guests' perceived authenticity at tourist attractions. Personal interviews were conducted with 336 local residents, domestic and international tourists in Central Florida using a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS and included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multiple regression analysis.

Patrons' overall experience at Epcot's World Showcase was perceived to be “unique,” “authentic,” “fantasy,” “exotic,” “adventurous,” “secure,” “safe” and “sanitary.” Respondents also perceived the country pavilions to be “truthful,” the architecture to be “realistic” and the ethnic food to be “authentic.” Respondents' perceived level of authenticity, realism, and truthfulness was predicted by their travel experience, visiting experience to Epcot and other Central Florida's theme parks, demographic characteristics, and several variables that measured perceived authenticity.

The study was conducted in the world's third busiest theme park and therefore, guests' perception of “staged authenticity” may be different in other theme parks. The instrument used was adopted from studies that were not conducted in the theme park industry. The study provided a theoretical contribution on the measurement and prediction of guests' level of perceived authenticity when visiting a theme park. This theoretical framework can be extended to other hospitality operations that present “staged authenticity” settings like hotels, restaurants, festivals, events, retail outlets and more. The findings may also be useful for investors, designers, operators, and marketing executives when developing “staged authenticity” experiences for different market segments.

With the continuing growth of the global theme park industry, coupled with its high capital investment in architecture and design, it is necessary to investigate the impact of “staged authenticity” attributes on the overall guest experience.

Considering the complexity of the airport industry service palette, it is important to identify which air travel factors are distractors and which factors are enhancers of passenger satisfaction. Building on Herzberg's two-factor motivation theory, this study aims to explore most frequently mentioned attributes of airport service quality and distinguish key drivers for passenger satisfaction/dissatisfaction in the airport context.

A content analysis of 1,095 traveler comments posted between 2010 and 2013 on an airport review web site was performed in order to identify satisfiers/dissatisfiers. The web spider randomly selected consumer comments related to 33 popular destinations.

The study results indicated key satisfiers in the airport context such as cleanliness and pleasant environment to spend time in. On the other side, security-check, confusing signage and poor dining offer are recognized as major dissatisfiers in the airport setting.

The study findings provide insight on predominant satisfiers, dissastisfiers and performance factors of airport service quality from passengers' perspectives. Airport management teams may use the study results to renovate airport facility and improve service quality.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to utilize the visual data mining techniques in examining airport users' experience. Visualization produced summaries of qualitative comments in the form of tag clouds, word networks, and word tree images that help discover the most emerging themes of travelers' complaints and compliments.

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether tourism awareness can be created through introducing tourism as a subject in high schools in South Africa. It also explores if studying tourism as a high-school subject has an influence on the travel patterns of students and their parents, and if it stimulates students to pursue a career in the tourism industry.

The study is exploratory in nature. Based on a literature review, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 250 students with tourism as a high-school subject (research group), 250 students without tourism as a high-school subject (control group), 250 parents whose children have tourism as a high-school subject (research group) and 250 parents (control group) whose children do not have tourism as a high-school subject in South Africa.

Data revealed that introducing tourism as a high-school subject created tourism awareness among students. The travel patterns of those parents whose children studied tourism were also influenced. Results also indicated that students who studied tourism at high-school level are likely to pursue a career in the tourism industry.

The study was conducted on learners who had been exposed to the tourism curriculum for only a year-and-a-half and therefore did not measure the full impact of the three-year curriculum. The study was also conducted in only one of the nine provinces of South Africa and the demographic location of the learners could have had an influence on the findings. More advanced statistical analysis could have been performed to increase the value of the study. The Bartlett Tests of Sphericity and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin overall measure could also have been reported. The study can be replicated in other countries, where tourism is currently being offered as a school subject to measure the effectiveness of the tourism curriculum as an awareness tool. The influence of children on their parents' travel patterns should also be further studied as it can assist in strategic development, planning and marketing of tourism attractions.

Introducing tourism as a high-school subject in other developing countries can be considered as a way of creating tourism awareness, and to stimulate the domestic tourism market and the tourism industry as a whole. If tourism can be introduced as a subject at a younger age students will be able to influence their parents' travel patterns and are likely to pursue a career in the tourism industry.

This study is one of the first to measure the effectiveness of a tourism curriculum as a tourism awareness tool. It also adds to a limited body of knowledge on how children influence their parents' travel patterns. Last, it shows the effect that tourism awareness has on students in their decision to pursue a career in the tourism industry in South Africa.