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During the 48th AIEST Congress in Marrakech (Morocco) our organisation made an extensive study of destination marketing, its possibilities and its limitations. The many members who attended were unanimous in the opinion that complementary and cooperative marketing need considerable development and stimulation at the destination level. As a result of global competition tourism organisations no longer find it possible to confine their activities to core tasks in market communication and public relations. In the context of positioning and branding policy they must increasingly make use of all the instruments of the marketing mix. Given the expectations of today's customers and the latest developments in the area of information technology it is no longer possible to separate activities in such fields as promotion, information, distribution and sales, if one wishes to remain effective. New concepts and organisational developments are therefore required that will make it possible to carry out destination marketing in a consistent manner. In this context, the marketing of destination‐like products such as leisure parks and resort corporations (consolidates) offers a rare opportunity for benchmarking. At the AIEST Congress we took note of the fact that, in cases where the supply is fragmented, there is no real alternative to vertical cooperation at the destination level. We discussed ways in which to bypass obstacles to cooperation. Government incentives play a major role in this context. Indeed without government support it will be just as difficult in the future as at present to carry out any kind of destination marketing.

The author presents in his report new developments in destination‐like tourism products such as scientific parcs or packages of transportation enterprises.

No tourist segment is at present marked by such a massive expansion of offers like the ones of spa tourism. Today, only in Germany more than 350 medicinal baths and spas try to position themselves on the market highly demanded “self‐payers” (see Deutscher Heilbäderverband 2002, p. 257–573.). Even outside the spas, the offer of health‐tourism develops dynamically. The demand‐side oft he market for health‐tourism services is very promising and has initiated a world‐wide mobilization health‐conscious tourists. To be actually perceived in this very growing market, suppliers — particularly medicinal baths and spas — which have a rather “traditional” image — must distinguish themselves with a clear profile. Moreover, capital projects or business promotions require clear decisive factors towards specialization and how to position oneself in the long‐term. Last but not least it remains to be answered how medicinal baths and spas should be presented on the market at the level of tourism destinations or countries in order to differ from other spa destinations. Of course, these questions are not only a challenge for medicinal baths and spas in the German‐speaking countries. Particularly in Eastern Europe where today huge amounts of money are invested into the infrastructure of health‐tourism, a basis for long‐term support factors as well as for decision taking factors are required to align the specific offer with the needs of selected target groups. For this complex setting of tasks the European Tourism Institute (ETI) has developed a well‐aligned instrument for data‐collection, data‐evaluation and data‐analysis which makes possible consistent decisions on product development and product positioning for the individual spas well as for marketing on the regional or state level. Therefore, the comparative analysis of spas takes into consideration the needs of the market as well as the specific design of offers and the attractiveness of locations.

This paper aims to investigate the specific tea tourism (TT) determinants. This paper uses the Porter’s Diamond model to critically examine how India and Sri Lanka gained a competitive advantage in the international market.

A cross-country study was conducted in which TT destinations in both India and Sri Lanka were considered for study. TT stakeholder perspectives were assessed through the Porter Diamond model, whereas data collection was based on a structured questionnaire that adopted the conceptual model (refer to the questionnaire as annex 1).

This study revealed that each determinant of Porter’s Diamond model (i.e. Factor Conditions – FC, Demand Conditions – DC, Related and Supporting Industry – RSI, Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry – SSR, Government – GO and Situational Force – SF) is playing a significant role in TT and India has an edge on Sri Lanka as a TT destination over each determinant of Porter Diamond model.

This study restricts its scope to the present TT stakeholders of India and Sri Lanka, comprising 6 latent variables and 31 indicators, offering opportunities for future research to tourists and local residents in TT using the same model variables, and indicators.

This study highlights the emerging TT destinations in India and Sri Lanka by sensitizing the competitiveness and comparativeness using Porter’s Diamond model through the partial least squares structural equation modeling.

This study reflects a unique way of exploring emerging TT destinations through Porter’s Diamond model, signifying the competitive advantage.

为了研究茶旅游的具体决定因素, 本文采用波特钻石模型批判性地检验印度和斯里兰卡如何在国际市场上获得竞争优势。

以印度和斯里兰卡作为茶旅游目的地进行的一项跨国研究。基于一项结构化问卷（附件1）进行数据收集, 并通过波特钻石模型评估茶旅游利益相关者的观点。

研究表明, 波特钻石模型的每个决定因素：因子条件（FC）、需求条件（DC）、相关和支持产业（RSI）、企业战略、结构和竞争（SSR）、政府（GO）和情境力量（SF）都在茶旅游中发挥着重要作用。作为茶旅游目的地, 印度比斯里兰卡在波特钻石模型的每个决定因素方面都更具有优势。

目前的研究范围仅限于印度和斯里兰卡目前的茶旅游利益相关者, 包括六个潜在变量和31个指标, 为未来研究茶旅游中游客和当地居民的未来研究使用相同的模型变量和指标提供了可能。

本研究使用波特钻石模型和PLS-SEM模型来突出印度和斯里兰卡作为新兴茶旅游目的地的竞争力和可比性。

这项研究展现了一种通过波特钻石模型来探索新兴茶旅游目的地的独特方法, 表明了它的竞争优势。

Para investigar los determinantes específicos del turismo del té, el documento actual emplea el modelo del Diamante de Porter, examinando de forma crítica, cómo India y Sri Lanka obtuvieron una ventaja competitiva en el mercado internacional.

Este estudio se llevó a cabo en dos destinos turísticos del té como India y Sri Lanka. Las perspectivas de las partes interesadas en el turismo del té se evaluaron a través del modelo del Diamante de Porter, mientras que la recopilación de datos se basó en un cuestionario estructurado, adaptado del modelo conceptual (consulte el cuestionario como anexo 1).

El estudio reveló que cada determinante del modelo del Diamante de Porter; Las condiciones de los factores (FC), las condiciones de la demanda (DC), la industria relacionada y de apoyo (RSI), la estrategia, la estructura y la rivalidad de la empresa (SSR), el gobierno (GO) y la fuerza situacional (SF) están desempeñando un papel importante en el turismo del té e India tiene una ventaja sobre Sri Lanka como destino de turismo de té sobre cada determinante del modelo de Porter.

El estudio actual restringe su alcance a las partes interesadas en el turismo del té de la India y Sri Lanka, que comprende seis variables latentes y 31 indicadores, ofreciendo oportunidades para futuras investigaciones a los turistas y residentes locales en el turismo del té utilizando las mismas variables e indicadores del modelo.

El presente estudio destaca los destinos emergentes del turismo del té en India y Sri Lanka, sensibilizando la competitividad y la comparabilidad, utilizando el modelo del diamante de Porter y el modelo PLS-SEM.

Este estudio refleja una forma única de explorar los destinos emergentes del turismo del té a través del modelo de diamante de Porter, lo que significa la ventaja competitiva.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a background on developments in hospitality and tourism in India and its contribution to economic growth.

The paper discusses the importance of customer experience and provides insights on destination management approaches. It reviews the factors beyond the control of a specific service provider which impact the consumer experience. The paper also discusses the tourism potential for selected spiritual and cultural sites and gives an overview of the approach followed to assess consumer experience at each of these locations.

The paper focuses on elements that contribute to consumer experience at selected spiritual and cultural places. It also focuses on technology and its impact on creating a superior experience. Further, aspects of infrastructure and hygiene are also reviewed.

The paper explores spiritual and cultural tourism in the context of India where there is very little formal research in this area.

In the realm of tourism and sustainability, transportation and mobility hold a crucial position. Among the green product categories, three-wheeled electric vehicles have gained significant attention due to their environmental benefits. However, research on consumers’ intentions to purchase these vehicles is limited, particularly in Asian destinations like Sri Lanka. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the direct and indirect impacts of green brand awareness, green brand associations and green perceived quality of local Sri Lankans’ intention to choose branded electric three-wheelers in future purchase decisions.

A questionnaire survey garnered 400 usable responses, and structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses.

The results indicate that green brand awareness, green brand associations and green perceived quality have a direct positive and significant effect on consumers’ intention to choose branded electric three-wheelers in future purchase decisions and green trust. Also, green trust has a positive and significant direct effect on consumers’ intention to choose branded electric three-wheelers in future purchase decisions. Furthermore, the results indicate that only green brand associations and green perceived quality have an indirect positive and significant effect on consumers’ intention to choose branded electric three-wheelers in future purchase decisions through green trust.

This research contributes to the tourism industry and other sectors involved in sustainability efforts in several ways. First, it emphasizes the importance of fostering positive associations with eco-friendly attributes and perceived product quality to build consumer trust and influence their purchase intentions for green products. Second, the study underscores the relevance of highlighting eco-friendly product attributes to stimulate consumer interest and adoption of green products. Finally, it theoretically underscores the significance of building trust through transparent and credible sustainability initiatives.

Hotels in Mauritius have faced difficult times during the 1990s because of changing customer demands and increasing competition from other tourist destinations like the Seychelles, the Pacific and Caribbean islands. The country’s hospitality and tourism sectors are trying to augment and offer more than the traditional “sea, sun and sand” concept which, until recently, has formed the core of the tourism product. Hotels have also not responded satisfactorily to the demands of customers owing to lack of management and staff training in service quality. The purpose of this study was to assess customers’ expectations and perceptions of service provided by hotels of Mauritius and to highlight how the service factors were related to customer satisfaction. The hotel managers’ perceptions of tourists’ expectations and the tourists’ actual expectations were also evaluated. Factor analysis with Varimax rotation was carried out and nine service quality dimensions were derived of 39 service attributes. The results also showed that customers’ perceptions of service quality in the hotel industry for Mauritius fell short of their expectations, with the “empathy” dimension having the largest gap.

The phenomenon of overtourism and tourism phobia and their negative impacts are nothing new. However, over the summer of 2017, both phenomena became major issues as never before for many European destinations like Spain and Italy. Those popular tourist destinations have proven not being able to cope with the massive influx of tourists coming their way. In a context of overtourism, locals and visitors are influencing each other using violence without authority due to a lack of positional power. Hence the reason it is believed that there is a security issue. The relationships between locals/locals and visitors/visitors have not been explored in depth in existing literature when discussing overtourism. Most research and publications in tourism and related fields are to address issues in the industry. Issues in the industry are therefore contributing to develop concrete knowledge in tourism education. On that basis, overtourism and related perverse impacts, which are the current main issues in the tourism industry, and a growing research area could therefore be said to contribute to knowledge creation in tourism.

The purpose of this paper is to find out tourism movement patterns via the tracking of tourists with the help of positioning systems like GPS in the rural area of the Lake Constance destination in Germany. In doing so past, present and future of tourist tracking is illustrated.

The tracking is realized via common smartphones extended by an app, with dedicated sensors like position loggers and a survey. The three different approaches are applied in order to compare and cross-check results (triangulation of data and methods).

Movement patterns turned out to be diverse and individualistic within the rural destination of Lake Constance and following an ants trail in sub-destinations like the city of Constance. Repeat visitors and first-time visitors alike always visit the bigger cities and main day-trip destinations of the Lake. A possible prediction tool enables new avenues of governing tourism movement patterns.

The tracking techniques can be developed further into the direction of “quantified self” using gamification in order to make the tracking app even more attractive.

An algorithm-based prediction tool would offer new perspectives to the management of tourism movements.

Further research is needed to overcome the feeling of invasiveness of the app to allow tracking with that approach.

This study is original and innovative because of the first-time use of a smartphone app in tourist tracking, the application on a rural destination and the conceptual description of a prediction tool.

This research aims to investigate how emerging destinations cope with digitalization of information, where they are in the process and how digitalization of information takes place in destination marketing organizations (DMOs). As a case for emerging destinations that must deal with the negative consequences of the digital divide, the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) will be examined. A new framework, solutions in general, and potential innovative approaches will be presented.

A mixed methods approach was used. Firstly, a content analysis comprising 68 criteria to examine 10 destination websites was conducted to evaluate the performance of provincial destination websites of VMD. Secondly, the authors interviewed five managers from VMD DMOs to reveal the strategy, status quo and their challenges with digitalization.

Some digitalization is evident in VMD DMOs, with the digitization of tourist information provision developing from analog formats to digital modes. The content analysis of the websites shows that provincial destination websites of VMD perform well with regard to communication but need improvements for transaction, and especially relationship aspects. Emerging destinations like VMD DMOs are reaching the second or third level in the digitalization process. Yet they face challenges with human and financial resources.

This research provides recommendations concerning destination website performance, the process of digitalization and how to promote digitalization and apply more digital instruments to move to the next stages of destination digitalization. Also, suggestions on how to overcome existing challenges/barriers in similar areas of the world are provided.

A new, extended more granulated version of the digitalization framework by Karpova et al. (2019) has been developed. The new model acknowledges the continued importance of printed information, provides information about the sequence of steps how to implement website dimensions, and which instruments are realistic to implement in different levels of digitalization considering the challenges and barriers developing destinations face.