ABSTRACT
The format of boutique festival is promoted by public and private actors as a model of creative, sustainable and highly interactive event, which favors practices and processes of tourism innovation, especially useful to respond to the challenges related to the emergence of the new urban tourism, as well as to the recovery of tourism in post Covid-19 context. By analyzing the discourses and the imaginaries accompanying the incorporation of the global model in the policies and practices of boutique festivals in Sicily, the aim of the paper is to reflect on their potentials and limits in terms of creative and sustainable tourism innovation and regeneration in the post Covid-19 era. © 2023 Pacini Editore. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The metaverse promises an unimaginable future for digital travelers by enabling them to gain unique experiences (e.g., space travel) that would otherwise be impossible in non-virtual reality. Moreover, COVID-19 travel anxiety has triggered growing interest in virtual environments (e.g., metaverse travel) in the aftermath of the pandemic. The cost-conscious and tech-savvy behavior of travelers has been resurrected in the ‘new normal’;however, the fear of missing out (FOMO) is now dictating travelers’ choices for newness, immersive and rewarding travel experiences. To address these emerging trends, promising new technologies, and untested relationships, the present study explored the effects of COVID-19 travel anxiety on the readiness for metaverse space travel. In addition, the moderating influence of tech savviness and travel FOMO was tested on this relationship. Drawing on data of international expats (N = 386) in UAE, the finding based on structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that the international expat’s readiness for metaverse space travel is positively influenced by their COVID-19 travel anxiety. Moreover, expats with high tendencies of travel FOMO and tech savviness will experience a stronger impact of COVID-19 travel anxiety on their readiness for metaverse space travel. These novel findings guided by prominent theories (e.g., self-determination, SOR, and protection motivation) offer new insights for policy makers and practitioners to strategically achieve digital-tourism transformation and sustainability through emerging and immersive metaverse technologies.
ABSTRACT
The rebirth of global tourism with a massive rebound is anticipated due to an emerging touristic behavior coined as vaxication (i.e., post-vaccination travel). Despite the ongoing fatigue triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, travelers’ fear of missing out (FOMO), and destination crisis marketing (DCM) can further accelerate travelers’ momentum towards vaxication. To address this critical knowledge gap in COVID-19 tourism, the present study aimed to examine the effect of pandemic fatigue on vaxication intention for the greatest of all trips (GOAT) under the moderating influence of travel FOMO and destination crisis marketing. Drawing on data of international expatriates in the United Arab Emirates (N = 356) and using covariance-based structural equation modeling with Mplus, the findings provide new evidence supporting a positive impact of international expat’s pandemic fatigue on vaxication intention for GOAT. Interestingly, this relationship is significantly reinforced by the international expat’s travel FOMO as well as tourism destinations switching gears from ‘managing crisis’ to ‘marketing crisis’. Based on prominent theories (i.e., theory of planned behavior, cognitive load theory, and protection motivation theory) and newly developed scales (i.e., travel FOMO and destination crisis marketing), the study implications are directed towards an outpacing trajectory of global tourism return prompted by pandemic fatigue, travel FOMO, destination crisis marketing, and vaxication intention for the greatest of all trips.
ABSTRACT
This article analyzes WildEarth television, a live safari program based primarily in South Africa and Kenya, but broadcast worldwide through a variety of channels, including a major Chinese television network at times. It considers Arthur Clarke's 1976 prediction of telesafaris and the growth of an online community to support this form of tourism, and it looks at some of the historical antecedents for WildEarth and the economic model and sustainability of the program, particularly after the COVID pandemic. It uses actor-network theory to explain what factors enabled an apparently marginal media location to achieve Clarke's vision. This program raises questions about Clarke's role in predicting e-tourism and online communities and his optimistic prediction that telesafaris would not supplant the live experience. It also considers issues that Clarke did not consider: the parasocial relationship of viewers with the guides and animals, and the role of a guiding culture in Africa.
ABSTRACT
Tourism was a constantly growing industry until the halt brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In cities, its negative impact was increasing, with significant cases of overcrowding. COVID-19 has emerged as an exceptional disruptive stage, yet it is also an opportunity to abandon the rush towards unsustainability. This study is a critical analysis of tourism, looking at the most appropriate post-pandemic perspective for urban cultural tourism, based on sustainability and leaving aside the search for profit as the ultimate goal. The main objective is to make proposals for an alternative paradigm. This is a theoretical paper that draws on a literature review of 180 works of scientific reference. Complementarily, information published by the media is accessed and direct observation is carried out as fieldwork. Proposals are made on limiting the number of visitors, improving guided visits, tourist routes, experiential tourism, and virtual tours. We also propose a new centralised tourism governance and regulation of private agents. Therefore, the present text is of interest for public representatives working in the field of urban tourism. © 2021 Asociacion de Geografos Espanoles. All rights reserved.