International Journal of Tourism Policy (7 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Measuring the competitiveness of Iran's health tourism  
  by Hassan Mohammadian Mosammam, Mozaffar Sarrafi, Jamileh Tavakoli Nia 
  Abstract: High competitiveness of the destination is one of the key factors of success and reaping the benefits of tourism in the international tourism market. Accordingly, this paper seeks to identify the determinants of health tourism competitiveness in Iran using customized indicators and Dwyers integrated model. The selection of competitiveness indicators is based on a three-stage web-based Delphi survey. After selecting the 138 indicators and categorizing them into six groups, the questionnaire was developed and 119 questionnaires were completed through a web survey. The results revealed that among six key determinants of health tourism competitiveness, only endowed resources have relatively favorable conditions and the overall images of Irans health tourism are not competitive. Such results may be an important step to understand the strengths and weaknesses of health tourism in Iran and can be used as a guide for tourism planners and policy-makers to adopt appropriate policies.
  Keywords: competitiveness;health tourism;integrated model;Iran.
  
  
• Villager Readiness in Rural Tourism: A Scale Development Using Exploratory Factor Analysis  
  by Arif Budy Pratama, Catur Wulandari 
  Abstract: Previous studies have shown that local community has an important role in rural tourism development. However, little attention was given to the investigation of community readiness toward tourism. This present study is located in the Balesari Village, Central Java, Indonesia. It aims to develop and test a measurement scale of villager readiness in tourism. A mixed-method consisting of qualitative and quantitative approach was conducted to tackle the research question. A focus group discussion involving five key informants was administered to build an initial measurement scale of villager readiness in tourism. Then, a survey of 187 respondents was conducted to test the instruments validity and reliability. The empirically tested scale contains of seven dimensions and twenty-three items. The result of this study extends our knowledge of rural tourism by providing a measurement scale through which policy makers can assess the level of villager readiness in tourism programme.
  Keywords: rural tourism; tourism programme; villager readiness; measurement scale; Indonesia.
  
  
• Exploring the Influence of Service Quality on the Religious Tourists Experience  
  by Hitendra Trivedi, Meghna Verma 
  Abstract: The paper aims to explore and analyze whether service quality has a significant influence on the experience of religious tourists. This paper also accounts for influence of attitudinal variables towards visitors experience and service quality to substantiate the relationship. Overall, the study argues that the influence of service quality can be leveraged to enhance the experience of religious tourists. Primary data was collected through face to face interview using structured questionnaire and with exploratory factor analysis and the dimensionality of observed variables was reduced to derive latent variables. The underlying relationship between the derived latent variables was understood through structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings of the study may help organizers to explicitly focus on key service areas for proficient hospitality management for the successful organization of such events. Further, the outcomes derived from the model may aid organizers for better planning of an event and enhance the experience of participants.
  Keywords: Religious Tourism; Hospitality Management; Experience; Structural Equation Modeling; Service Quality.
  
  
• TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN KENYA: A DYNAMIC CAUSAL LINKAGE  
  by Sheilla Nyasha, Nicholas Odhiambo 
  Abstract: The study has examined the causality between tourism development and poverty reduction in Kenya one of the top tourism destinations in Africa during the 1980-2016 period. As a way of addressing the bias associated with the omission of variables, investment was the third variable used, alongside tourism development and poverty reduction, to create a trivariate Granger-causality setting. In addition, the recently introduced autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL)bounds testing approach was used within an error-correction model framework to examine this linkage. The empirical results show that tourism development and poverty reduction Granger-cause each other in Kenya, but only in the short run. In the long run, no significant causal relationship was found to between these two variables. Based on these findings, policy makers and relevant authorities in Kenya are recommended to consider both pro-poverty-reduction and tourism-enhancing policies in order to reduce poverty and boost its inbound tourism.
  Keywords: Kenya; Poverty Reduction; Tourism Development; Granger-Causality.
  
  
• Role of Social Media in outbound leisure travel: An interpretive analysis of Indian travellers  
  by Snigdha Singh, Pallavi Srivastava, Shailja Dixit 
  Abstract: The role of Social Media (SM) in the travel process cannot be ignored. With a steady growth of the Indian travel industry, we find an upsurge in the number of Indians travelling to outbound destinations. This research aims to explore the travel behaviour and the usage of SM for travel purposes by Indian outbound leisure travellers during their entire travel process. It adopts a qualitative approach where semi structured interviews were conducted with 30 respondents, who had travelled internationally for leisure over the past one year from the period of the study. A thematic analysis of interviews was carried out to identify manifest and latent contexts. In addition to the extent and scope of SM usage, the findings establish that the entire travel process is a cycle of pre-travel SM Consumption and post-travel SM Creation stages. There is a heavy usage of SM during the two stages though there is limited SM usage during the travel period. The findings have been used to develop a conceptual model.
  Keywords: social media; leisure travel; outbound travel; qualitative approach; India.
  
  
• WEB INFORMATION, ACCESSIBILITY AND MUSEUM OWNERSHIP  
  by Andrea Mangani, Luca Bassi 
  Abstract: When planning a holiday, the pre-trip phase is crucial for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and their families, and the World Wide Web can provide them with a lot of information. However, the relevant information is often scarce and/or inadequate. This paper assesses the impact of the ownership of museums in Tuscany (central Italy) on whether that museum has online information specifically for PWDs. Tuscany is a frequent destination for domestic and foreign tourists and the online communication of museums addresses a large and heterogeneous audience. The empirical analysis shows that public museums tend to deliver more information for PWDs, compared to private and ecclesiastical museums.
  Keywords: Accessible tourism; disability; social inclusion; web marketing; websites.
  
  
• Determinant factors of tourist satisfaction in Arbaminch City and its vicinity, Southern Ethiopia  
  by Amare WONDIRAD 
  Abstract: In the light of increasing destination competitiveness, ensuring tourist satisfaction becomes ever indispensable. This research examines determinant factors of tourist satisfaction, as a function of expectation and perception, in Arbaminch city and its surroundings. The study employs a quantitative research approach with a mixture of descriptive and explanatory design. Importance-Performance analysis (IPA), paired and independent samples t-test, and multiple regression inform the study regarding the extant attractions, amenities and service quality that influence tourist satisfaction. Findings of paired-samples t-test reveal 9-satisfying, 8-indifferent, and 6-dissatisfying attributes while regression outcomes evidence a discernible relationship between destination attributes and overall tourist satisfaction. Accordingly, in the context of Arbaminch and its vicinity, the hospitability of service staff, environmental quality, weather conditions, tourism facilities, and service standards, price plus safety and security significantly determine tourist satisfaction. Research findings offer both theoretical and practical implications for various stakeholders including destination planners, policymakers, destination marketing organizations, and private tourism and hospitality enterprises. Limitations and opportunities for future research are discussed.
  Keywords: Arbaminch; Destination competitiveness; Emerging destinations; Southern Ethiopia; Tourist satisfaction.