Search results

This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of indigenous people towards tourism development and the factors that influence their perceptions of the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism.

This study will focus on the perceptions of an aboriginal group indigenous to Malaysia, and draws upon a sample of 272 from the Lower Kinabatangan region of Sabah, Malaysia. Respondents were administered a questionnaire, the results of which were analysed by way of partial least squares–structural equation modelling.

The results indicate a significant positive effect for economic gain on the perceived economic and environmental impacts of tourism, and of community involvement on the perception of social impacts. Moreover, the study found that the perception of environmental impacts, followed by perceived economic impacts, had a strong effect on support for tourism development.

This study makes a significant theoretical contribution to the resident perception literature by investigating how the perception of tourism impacts affects indigenous residents’ support for tourism development. Furthermore, this study describes a number of practical implications of this study for the promotion of sustainable tourism development among indigenous residents.

The revival of local foods in the tourism context plays a significant role in attracting visitors. Unexpectedly, empirical evidence on food festivals aimed at reviving local cuisine in non-Western countries is scarce. This study aimed to examine and clarify the concept of food culture attributes on visitors' satisfaction and patronage intention in a food festival setting to revive local foods.

A quantitative approach was used. Convenience sampling and questionnaires were administered to 172 attendees as the final response to a food festival. The conceptual framework identifies the assumptions of structural equation modelling (SEM).

Food culture attributes significantly impacted visitor satisfaction based on the results. Cooking methods had an insignificant influence on satisfaction and indirect effects on patronage intention. Additionally, the authors persuaded satisfaction to act as a mediator, and food culture was a significant contributor to the hypothesised framework.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first empirical studies to employ food culture attributes (flavour, presentation, cooking method and gastronomic identification) and patronage intention in the mediating role of satisfaction with Iranian cultural heritage as a revival of a visitor’s attraction towards local cuisine. The results revealed that the resurrection of local dishes serves as an alternative truth that aids in preserving Iranian cultural heritage.

This chapter examines the relationship between destination image and loyalty, and empirically determines the constructs that may influence tourist satisfaction with heritage tourism, which ultimately influences destination loyalty. Using data collected in the cultural heritage sites of Shiraz, Iran, it employs structural equation modeling for analysis. Evidence from the study results indicates that heritage tourists’ perception of destination image has a positive effect on their satisfaction and revisit intentions. This analysis provides insights into the behavioral intentions which may serve as an appropriate basis to boost tourist visits and revisits to a heritage destination.

Rivalry among conference centers has greatly increased in the past few years. It is thus important to adequately comprehend the critical characteristics of conferences, including those associated with their facilities and services. This chapter explores the impacts of conference quality and perceived value on attendees’ behavior in Malaysia. A questionnaire was administered to international attendees of nine academic association conventions held in Malaysia in 2016. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to the collected data using Smart-PLS software. Results capture the positive impacts of service quality and perceived value on behavioral intention. Delegate perspectives regarding the significance of some facilities and services are further appraised.