Rookie Tourism Destinations—The Effects of Attractiveness Factors on Destination Image and Revisit Intention with the Satisfaction Mediation Effect

Push and pull factors influencing the choice of a health resort by Polish treatment-seekers

BACKGROUND

The objective of the study was to indicate social and psychological (inner) motives associated with the desire and needs of travelling to health resorts (push) as well as external motives resulting from destination's attributes, and explaining the choice of the health tourism establishment (pull) by Polish treatment-seekers divided into two social groups: persons in employment and retired persons. The research hypothesis assumed the two groups of people differ very much in terms of preferences motivating them to participate in health resort tourism, destination choices and services offered by health resort establishments.

METHODS

Of the 258 health resorts, 154 establishments were selected for research purposes taking into account a proportional distribution of health resorts throughout Poland. An authorial questionnaire was developed and it included three questions with multiple answers, each answer being assessed on a 5-point Likert scale. The research adds new insights by analysing motives associated with health resort tourism in terms of benefits sought by visitors. The main and strongest motive for choosing health resort tourism is concern for health. In addition to old age pensioners, it was legitimate to analyse the group of employed respondents as their stays at a health resort are undertaken to regain not only physical fitness but also work motivation.

RESULTS

The present study has demonstrated that motives and age groups have a significant effect on destination choice. Based on the results, it can be concluded that these groups often have diverse needs, expectations and, as a result, motives for choosing this form of tourism and a given health resort. What follows is a possibility of dividing the visitors to health resorts in terms of push and pull motives.

CONCLUSIONS

The research hypothesis assuming the two groups varied considerably in terms of preferences motivating them to participate in health resort tourism, destination selection and choice of services offered by the health resort establishment has been confirmed. The ramifications of the study's findings may also be relevant for health resort/spa tourism outside of Poland because healthy lifestyle promotion is a worldwide trend.

Perceived Value in Sustainable Coastal and Marine Destinations: A Study of Jacó in Costa Rica

Perceived value influences the future behavior of tourists in sustainable coastal destinations, and thus is crucial for the elaboration of development plans. This study aims to: (i) identify the dimensions of the perceived value of demand in a coastal and marine destination; (ii) determine the dimensions of the perceived value that predict the satisfaction of the demand of a coastal and marine destination; and (iii) establish the dimensions of perceived value that predict loyalty variables such as return, recommendation, and saying positive things about a coastal and marine destination. This research was carried out in Jacó, a sustainable tourist destination on the Pacific Ocean coast located in the Central American country of Costa Rica. The sample collection was carried out on-site in June 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This quantitative study used a sample of 304 valid questionnaires. Factor analysis and the multiple regression method were performed for data analysis. The results show three dimensions in the perceived value, namely, the emotional and functional value, the social value, and the economic value. The emotional and functional dimension is the most important predictor of satisfaction and loyalty in variables such as return, recommendation, and saying positive things about a coastal and marine destination. The results can serve as a management guide for managers of coastal and marine destinations and as information for service providers to develop products according to demand.

Evaluating Nature-Based Tourism Destination Attractiveness with a Fuzzy-AHP Approach

Nature-based tourism attractiveness (NBTA) has yet to be assessed by coupling empirical measurement of supply and demand indicators with simultaneous assessment of tourist and tourism expert perspectives. Based on a guiding principle that the overall attractiveness of a tourism destination should combine the evaluation of existing resources or attractions and their perceived attractiveness, the purpose of this study is to develop and apply a novel methodological approach for assessing tourism attractiveness of nature-based destinations. This approach developed here combines an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with a Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method (FCEM). The resulting Fuzzy-AHP approach to NBTA was tested at the Changbai Mountain Biosphere Reserve, a popular nature-based tourism destination in China. The findings confirm that this Fuzzy-AHP approach is a more reliable and comprehensive method for evaluating the destination attractiveness than pre-existing approaches. In addition to theoretical contributions related to the merging of various approaches to assessing destination attractiveness and the development of a tool specific to nature-based tourism destinations, this work will be of interest to decision makers seeking more effective tools for planning, marketing, and developing nature-based tourism destinations.

What Shapes Activity Preferences? The Role of Tourist Personality, Destination Personality and Destination Image: Evidence from Serbia

Understanding activity preferences and their antecedents is essential for creating personalized tourism offers and effective destination marketing, vital components of a sustainable tourism destination. Previous studies have provided insights into tourist behavior and activity choices, but without research on activity preferences and their relationship with perceptions of destinations. The literature still lacks an integrative model exploring the antecedents of activity preferences, including tourist characteristics, destination personality, and destination image, and explaining the nature of the relationships between them. This research proposes and tests a structural model of individual characteristics, destination image, destination personality, and activity preferences. A survey was conducted on a sample of 502 visitors to The Trail of Roman Emperors in Serbia. The results confirmed the influence of personality (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness) and destination personality (sincerity and ruggedness) on activity preferences. Additionally, the model revealed the significant influence of individual characteristics on perceptions of destination personality and image. Managerial implications were given in light of the importance of this research for destination branding that will support long-term destination sustainability.