Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Spa tourism'

This research examines the interrelationships between tourism, poverty alleviation, and social marketing. It argues that tourism growth is necessary but insufficient by itself to alleviate poverty. Although tourism has often been connected with poverty under the rubric of pro-poor tourism (PPT), limited research has investigated this from the poor’s perspective. Little is also known of various poverty causes, including poor people’s behaviours in affecting poverty. Although tourism may contribute to alleviating poverty, negative poverty-related behaviours (e.g. depletion of natural resources) are still found in some host destinations. Where behaviour change is considered significant for tourism to help alleviate poverty, social marketing may be important given its potential in motivating voluntary behaviour change. This is particularly necessary for a developing country such as Vietnam, where tourism is encouraged for poverty alleviation. The district of Sapa, Vietnam is chosen as a case study area, which has substantial levels of poverty although tourism has developed for years. This research seeks to answer four main questions: What are the barriers to poverty alleviation identified by PPT projects in Vietnam? What are the roles of social marketing in PPT projects in Vietnam? What are the barriers to poverty alleviation identified by PPT projects as perceived by local people and key informants in Sapa? What are the roles of tourism as a means of poverty alleviation as perceived by the locals in Sapa? This research was designed in two stages. The first involved a content analysis of tourism-related projects in Vietnam, where a systematic search for project documents was conducted. Forty-five projects were found and then analysed against a set of six social marketing benchmark criteria. Twenty-one projects were judged to meet all the criteria, most of which were implemented in national parks (NPs) and nature reserves (NRs) that are home to important resources for tourism. Typical project objectives included preventing or mitigating local people’s dependence on natural resources and promoting tourism as an alternative livelihood. The most popular competing factors identified were local people’s poor perception of conservation needs and traditional dependence on natural resources, stakeholder conflicts, and weak policy implementation. This stage suggested that social marketing might help tourism contribute to natural resource conservation and poverty alleviation. The second stage utilised both qualitative and quantitative methods. Interviews were conducted with 47 poor people and key informants in Sapa. A survey was then administered with 187 local people. It identified that local people perceive poverty as a lack of rice and/or income and attribute it to internal and/or external causes. Tourism holds important potential for poverty alleviation in Sapa. However, this potential is substantially reduced by barriers to business development, employment, and thus benefit distribution within the sector. It is also worsened by the exclusion of poor people from development plans, decision-making processes, and project design and implementation. The non-poor and tour operators are perceived as the main beneficiaries of tourism. Local women often follow tourists to sell handicrafts, resulting in discomfort for tourists and conflicts among community members. More local people consider tourism a contributor to poverty alleviation and wish to participate in tourism. The most critical barriers preventing participation include insufficient knowledge, skills, work experience, funds, and poor foreign language proficiency. Limited capital and farming land is the most important obstacle to poverty alleviation overall. This research suggests that to maintain the long-term viability of tourism in Sapa, social marketing can be used to promote behaviour change in handicraft sellers and forest resource dependents. To this end, alternative livelihoods other than tourism are required. There is a need to put in place a policy framework that entitles poor people to more land in the forest so that they can grow more rice and medicinal fruit and protect their own forestland. Social marketing can also promote changes in the self-interested practices of tourism businesses and relevant forest policies. In addition, an appropriate intervention framework should be established to reduce household sizes and thus mitigate land use pressures. From a local perspective, this research helps planners, managers, and policy-makers in Sapa as well as other similar destinations in Vietnam and elsewhere understand more clearly the barriers to poverty alleviation and the obstacles to poor people’s participation in tourism. It also generates greater awareness among academics and the public in Vietnam regarding the potential of social marketing for alleviating poverty through tourism. On a broader scale, this research enriches and deepens tourism scholars and practitioners’ understanding of the various ways social marketing can help alleviate poverty and protect natural resources. Furthermore, given the centrality of poverty alleviation to the sustainable development agenda, the findings of this research contribute to wider social scientific debate, practical development discourse and, as such, to Vietnam’s society as a whole. This research concludes that only by valuing the perspectives of poor people can meaningful approaches to alleviating poverty through tourism become clearer and more likely to succeed.

Antarctica is one of the most beautiful and remote places on the planet. The moniker of being the highest, driest, coldest, iciest, windiest, most remote continent, surrounded by the stormiest ocean is well deserved, yet it also acts as quite a draw for visitors. Despite the fact that visitor numbers have been steadily rising for the past 15 years, very little is empirically known about the experience these visitors have, particularly outside of the Antarctic Peninsula region. This lack of understanding is particularly detrimental from the perspective of visitor management, as is being discovered by agencies worldwide. As such, the aim of this thesis is to report on a study of visitor experiences in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. Visitors are defined as those who come into physical contact with the continent, and whose primary activity and purpose is simply "being there." Visitors are a wider population than just commercial tourists aboard cruise ships; visitors are not passengers on commercial overflights, the scientists or base and support staff. Experience is defined as a longitudinal period—looking at visitors well in advance of their visit, throughout their time on site, and following up back at their homes. The Ross Sea region is essentially equivalent to New Zealand's Ross Dependency, a section of the Antarctic "pie" from the South Pole to 60°S, bounded by approximately 150°E and 150°W. Using a three-phase methodology to examine the cycle of experience, the purpose of this study is to compare groups of visitors with four organisations through this cycle, and analyse for change or transition as a result of their visit. The visitors were participants, to varying degrees, in a number of data-gathering methods during the 2002–2003 or 2003–2004 seasons. Such methods included: self-administered surveys sent to the respondents' home (up to three months in advance of the trip); personal narratives and journals while on the trip (regardless of trip length; 4–28 days); in-depth interviews held in Christchurch directly before and after the trip when possible; and email surveys (two to three months following the visit). In 2003–2004, a supplemental season of data was collected that included a researcher familiarisation visit, participant observation, and informal interviews at Scott Base. These supplemental data helped shape the researcher's own thoughts and thus comments in the Discussion sections. Results indicate both similarities and differences as compared to previous research; key findings include: scenery was a strong motivator and component of image; expectations were for a safe and professional learning; mood was positive throughout all phases; visitation was both acceptable and problematic; the environment was important, even in advance of the visit; education was an essential benefit of the visit; the Ross Sea region was an impressive and awe-inspiring locale; organisational differences were apparent when discussing people and the role of transportation to the continent; historic huts were uniformly amazing sites for the feelings they instil; expectations were virtually always exceeded; awareness changed over the experience; sharing of awareness and teaching from one's learning had occurred; action may or may not have occurred on various specific issues, but the label of ambassador was respondent-perceived to be acceptable. This study concludes with a number of implications for theory, methods, and logistics, which will hopefully lead to future research that is much wider in scope (geographically), but equally inclusive in terms of methods and ability to utilize and critique theories built outside of purely tourism research.

Aufgrund seiner wirtschaftlichen Bedeutung spielt der Tourismus in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern eine große Rolle. Insbesondere die Küstengebiete sind beliebte Reiseziele. In den letzten Jahren konnte ein kontinuierlicher Anstieg der Ankünfte und Übernachtungen verzeichnet werden. Neben anderen Faktoren werden die regionalen Auswirkungen des Klimawandels jedoch in Zukunft eine Herausforderung für den Tourismussektor darstellen. Die globale Erwärmung wird für den Strand- und Badetourismus sowohl negative, als auch positive Folgen haben, auf die reagiert werden muss. Neben vorbeugenden Klimaschutzmaßnahmen werden künftig auch Anpassungsstrategien entwickelt werden müssen, die den zu erwartenden Veränderungen Rechnung tragen. Doch zu welchen tourismusrelevanten Veränderungen wird es überhaupt kommen und was geschieht bereits aktuell? Sind die Folgen des Klimawandels durch Touristen schon jetzt wahrnehmbar? Wie reagieren die Urlauber auf eventuelle Veränderungen? Diese und andere Fragen soll die vorliegende Arbeit, die innerhalb des RAdOST-Vorhabens (Regionale Anpassungsstrategien für die deutsche Ostseeküste) angesiedelt ist, beantworten. Dazu wurde zum einen eine Literaturrecherche zu tourismusrelevanten Klimawandelfolgen an der deutschen Ostseeküste durchgeführt. Zum anderen erfolgte in den Sommermonaten 2010 eine Befragung der Strandgäste in Markgrafenheide, Warnemünde und Nienhagen an der mecklenburgischen Ostseeküste. Im Mittelpunkt der Umfrage stand die Wahrnehmung von Erscheinungen (z.B. viele Quallen oder warmes Ostseewasser) sowie kurz- oder langfristigen Veränderungen an der Küste (z.B. schmalere Strände, vermehrter Strandanwurf) durch die Urlauber. Außerdem wurden die Einstellung und der Informationsgrad der Gäste zum Thema Klimawandel an der Ostseeküste analysiert. Ziel war es, aus den Umfrageergebnissen Handlungsempfehlungen für das lokale Strandmanagement hinsichtlich künftiger Anpassungsstrategien abzuleiten. Die Literaturrecherche zeigte, dass in einigen Bereichen schon jetzt Veränderungen (z.B. der Luft- und Wassertemperatur oder des Meeresspiegels) nachweisbar sind und laut verschiedener Modellprojektionen von weiteren Veränderungen ausgegangen werden kann. Wie die Umfrage deutlich machte, sind die Veränderungen momentan durch Touristen jedoch kaum oder gar nicht wahrnehmbar. Dementsprechend gering ist auch ihre Reaktion auf die einzelnen Phänomene. Generell ist die Wahrnehmung der Urlauber sehr subjektiv und selektiv. Manche Gegebenheiten wie beispielsweise existierende Küstenschutzmaßnahmen werden von einem großen Teil der Touristen gar nicht wahrgenommen. Hinsichtlich anderer Erscheinungen wie Strandanwurf und Quallen sind viele Besucher wiederum sehr sensibel. Es zeigte sich außerdem, dass es für die meisten Urlauber schwierig ist, zu beurteilen, ob bestimmte Gegebenheiten am Strand und an der Küste mit der globalen Erwärmung in Verbindung stehen oder nicht. Es besteht eine große Unsicherheit zu diesem Thema und oft wird der Klimawandel als Ursache für Erscheinungen genannt, auch wenn der kausale Zusammenhang wissenschaftlich nicht nachzuweisen ist. Es zeigte sich, dass die Urlauber sehr wenig über die regionalen Auswirkungen des Klimawandels informiert sind, sich aber Informationen wünschen. Folglich sollte zunächst die Aufklärung und Information der Urlauber über die Folgen der Veränderung des Klimas im Vordergrund stehen. Denn manche Aspekte, wie der Verlust von Strandabschnitten durch Erosion oder eine eventuelle Zunahme von Blaualgen in der Sommersaison, können nicht gänzlich vermieden werden. Durch gezielte Aufklärung könnte jedoch beispielsweise eine Akzeptanz für naturnahe Strände oder für den Rückzug aus einzelnen Gebieten geschaffen werden. Darüber hinaus sollte die zu erwartende Saisonverlängerung systematisch genutzt werden, um sowohl die Küste, als auch das Hinterland durch gezielte Angebote für Touristen attraktiv zu machen. Auf diese Weise könnte eine Entzerrung der Hauptsaison und eine bessere Auslastung der Beherbergungsbetriebe sowie der touristischen Infrastruktur erreicht werden.

This thesis compared the perspectives of Kinh and Ethnic minority groups in terms of the impacts of tourism, participation, collaboration, and their motivations for participating in tourism planning in Sapa, Lào Cai, Vietnam. The rationale for focusing on these groups is that Ethnic minorities account for more than 80% in Sapa, while Kinh people represent 86% of the wider population, but they are the minority in Sapa, making up 18%. Tourism development is primarily in the management of Kinh stakeholders, in Vietnam. The decision-making process is dominated by the Kinh in a top-down approach, and Ethnic minorities with little education are rarely part of the tourism planning process. This thesis employed pragmatism as a research paradigm and employed the exploratory sequential mixed method including semi-structured interviews with key tourism stakeholders and a follow-up survey with broader involvement of Kinh and Ethnic minorities. The differences between the two groups are that Kinh people perceived the effects of tourism in generic ways, whilst Ethnic minorities responded very specifically and personally. Both groups perceived that participation in tourism planning followed a top-down approach in Sapa. There are differences in perceptions of participation in tourism planning between lower level Ethnic minorities and higher level Kinh government positions. The findings showed that there is a limited collaboration among stakeholders in tourism planning. This current study confirmed that some conditions including; (1) a recognition of interdependence among stakeholders; (2) a recognition of mutual benefits derived from a collaboration process; (3) a need for a convener to facilitate collaboration in tourism planning as suggested by Jamal and Getz (1995) occur in the current Sapa tourism planning scenario. Both groups reflect similar responses when asked about the aspects facilitating or hindering their participation in tourism planning. These aspects comprised of the government policy, economic benefits and distribution of the benefits, social and cultural benefits for local residents, socio-cultural and environmental costs. The original contribution of this study is that Social Exchange Theory (SET), stakeholder and collaboration theory have been applied in a destination with diverse ethnic groups and rapid changes in tourism development. Future research should incorporate power and trust variables in the SET, since they are considered important influences on the social exchange processes. Some limitations of this study related to language issues, and the length of time allocated for ethnographic fieldwork. Keywords: tourism impacts, SET, stakeholder theory, collaboration theory, Kinh, Ethnic minorities, Sapa, Vietnam

Essa tese estuda os trabalhos de duas organisações que atuam na prevenção do turismo sexual de crianças e adolescentes, Ecpat na Suécia e Resposta no Brasil. Os tópicos estudados referem-se a como essas entidades organizam suas campanhas e quais as mensagens que elas enfocam. Também estuda-se o Código de Conduta/The Code of Conduct, um instrumento usado pelas duas organizações no intuito de facilitar a indústria do turismo a se comprometer na prevenção do turismo sexual de crianças e adolescentes. Desse modo, analiza-se os materiais de propaganda das agências suecas de viajem bem como faz-se um estudo geral sobre a propaganda brasileira de turismo desde a década de 1960.
This thesis studies the work of two organisations working to prevent child sex tourism, Ecpat in Sweden and Resposta in Brazil. Issues dealt with cover how the organisations campaign and what messages they choose to focus upon. I have also looked closer at the Code of Conduct, a tool used by both organisations to make the tourism industry committed to the prevention of child sex tourism. I have further analysed advertisement material from Swedish travel agencies and made a quick exposé over the Brazil tourism advertisements since the 1960s.

The aim of the thesis is to introduce the place and Egyptian landscape and its relevance to tourism within the modern Egyptian planning process, and to examine the competence of this process by example, in a study of the development of the Egyptian Red Sea coast. Presentation of the thesis is in Seven Chapters: Chapter One deals with the general features of the Egyptian landscape with relevance to its tourism attraction: Chapter Two is an inventory of the Red Sea region landscape; in Chapter Three the question of defining the "coastal zone" is considered, and followed by a description of the Red Sea coastal ecosystems, their function and how they may be affected by the human activities taking place on the Red Sea coast; Chapter Four discusses aspects of tourism in a broad sense, as well as showing the various impacts of tourism on developing countries, and concludes with a description of the Tourism Development Plan by the government for Egypt in general and the Red Sea coast in particular; the next Chapter deals with the coastal planning process, emphasising international attempts in applying coastal management plans and demonstrating their success and failure in relevance to the Egyptian Red Sea coastal development process; Chapter Six presents a case study examining the impacts of tourism development schemes on the natural environment of the city of Hurghada, on the Red Sea coast. The tourism planning process for the Red Sea Region in general and for Hurghada in particular was shown to be greatly lacking in strategy and principle, as well as in balance with the surrounding natural environment. The final Chapter suggests a set of recommendations for the planning system to overcome its deficiencies, and a draft set of planning and design guidelines aiming to integrate development activities with the surrounding ecosystems, at a regional scale and also at the local scale of tourist centre.

The present research addresses a gap in the academic literature on the transformation and development of coastal destinations in the transition economy of Bulgaria. It takes further the tradition in tourism studies that calls for the incorporation of the contextual change in the process of destination development. The purpose of this study was to determine whether, and in what ways, the nature of the socio-economic and political transition has influenced the processes of tourism development of a coastal tourism destination in the period 1989-2009 and if the tourism stakeholders have incorporated and implemented the principles of sustainability in the transformation and operation of the tourism sector, with the associated questions of why, why not, and how. In order to answer the research questions, a case study research was undertaken in the Varna-Balchik destination on Bulgaria‟s North Black Sea coast, which allowed the study of the whole spectrum of developmental processes in the period of transition. Data for the research was collected using a multi-method research approach with a combination of secondary data and primary data gathered using qualitative research techniques including a series of stakeholder interviews and observation. The semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with decision-makers, involved in tourism development in the destination studied at some time over the studied period (1989-2009), from the stakeholder groups at a local, regional and national level. This research employed the path-dependent path-creative approach to analyse the nature of transformation and conceptualise the forces which impact on tourism development on Bulgaria‟s North Black Sea coast. The research findings indicated that sustainability did not fit well into the rapidly changing CEE transition context. In spite of the increasing empowerment of the local communities and their attempts to achieve balanced development by implementing integrated and long-term planning, the primary data revealed growing concerns over the ineffectiveness of policy-making, the increasing urbanisation of the coastal strip and the competitiveness of Bulgaria‟s North Black Sea coast tourism offer. An analytical framework was developed based on the research findings to explain the specific development path(s) of the destination studied. It took into account the political (politicising), psychological (mentalities), institutional dimensions of transition (property rights, social networks and local empowerment), the role of the state (reduced state intervention) and the individual (human capital). Some of these themes (politicising and mentalities in particular) have been largely absent from previous research on tourism in transition and from the wider tourism studies.

The thesis is concerned with ways in which tourists’ experiences of learning to dive are mediated by technology, equipment and cultural constructions that are projected through visual media. The empirical chapters take a different theoretical body of literature to demonstrate the extent to which mediation alters human perception. The thesis is informed by research participants who took part in an experimental visual methodology that sought to open up new ways of studying the senses. The empirical chapters cover a consideration of the phasing in and out of attention of equipmental prosthetics for learner divers, a phenomenological study of the reorganisation of the senses underwater, a Bergsonian take on the intersubjective nature of recollection upon encountering material relics at a wreck site. The construction of docile diving bodies are considered, in relation to appropriate ways of moving and thinking about the ocean’s inhabitants, before the final empirical chapter outlines the mediative role of videographic souvenirs, as they polish memories of previous experience and alter relations to place. The thesis concludes by drawing attention to the way in which understandings of underwater space are constructed before, during and after real-time perception of the ocean and its various inhabitants. Consequently, it is noted that underwater experience is both highly subjective and intertextual, being furnished by the associations and atmospheres that each learner diver brings to the encounter and being re-presented to others by means of what each diver takes away.

Les systèmes de services contextualisés ont connu un grand essor ces dernières années dans des domaines variés tels que la santé, la logistique ou bien le tourisme. Cette thèse s'intègre dans un projet plus global, nommé E-Tourism, qui vise à réaliser une plateforme de fourniture de services sensibles au contexte à des utilisateurs en situation de mobilité. Le travail de cette thèse se focalise sur la problématique de composition de services web et de leur exécution. La composition de services web permet la réutilisation de services existants afin d'en faire une synthèse répondant au besoin de l'utilisateur. Cette composition se fait en général au niveau de la phase conceptuelle ce qui limite le choix de services potentiels. Cette thèse présente une nouvelle approche de la composition de services Web automatisé et une plateforme d'exécution. Notre approche vise à composer les opérations de services qui répondent aux besoins des utilisateurs mobiles exprimées dans une logique propositionnelle et exécuter le service composé en agrégeant plusieurs services composants. Nous avons proposé une plateforme d'exécution de services et nous avons introduit un nouvel algorithme de planification intégré à cette plateforme. Nous avons défini un contexte basé sur le modèle BPMN. Afin de valider notre modèle sémantique nous avons utilisé une approche de type « model-checking » . Enfin, nous avons réalisé un prototype sous forme d'une plateforme de composition de services et d'exécution automatique en Java. Nous avons implémenté les règles d'inférence et les modèles BPMN en prolog. Enfin, nous avons intégré ces algorithmes dans l'ensemble du système. En perspectives, nous prévoyons d'étendre notre travail actuel et prendre en compte des scénarios plus complexes nécessitant des services web dynamiques
Recently, distributed computing systems based on context awareness have been proposing in several domains such as healthcare, logistics and tourism. The study described in this thesis is a part of a broader project of E-Tourism system that provides nomad user, context-aware personalized services. The work of this thesis focuses on the issues raised by web service composition and execution. Web service composition brings benefits of reusing existing services to synthesize the new resulting service that meets users needs. The way to create web service composition normally happens at design time, but this limits choices of services. This thesis presents a novel approach of automated web service composition and execution framework. Our approach aims to compose service operations that fulfill mobile users' requirements expressed in propositional logic and execute the resulting service based on aggregating multi service components. In the proposed framework, we have introduced our planning algorithm based on abstract goal states to search and connect to service operations, by mean of service operation annotations, for an abstract plan. The abstract plan is expected for workflow model of sequencing, paralleling and conditioning among service operations. However, the generated workflow is not in an executable form, this is why we perform the transformation of the workflow into an executable business process. To achieve the business process execution, we defined context based BPMN model for mapping the abstract plan to BPMN semantics. We also propose a new validation algorithm and exploited planning-as-model-checking approach to validate the semantic BPMN model whether it is Well-formed and Well-defined BPMN process. Finally, we implemented the automated service composition and execution framework system in Java platform as a proof of concept. We developed the logical composition and, transformation and validation BPMN algorithms written in Prolog. We have integrated these algorithms into the whole system. From the perspective, we plan to extend our current work and take into account more complex user's scenarios that explicitly and implicitly express other pattern controls and we will also consider the scenarios required for stateful web services

Eutrophication caused by nutrient loads from human activities is considered as one of the most serious environmental threats to the Baltic Sea. Due to climate change, cyanobacterial blooms are expected to increase in the future. This could affect people’s utility of beach recreation negatively in countries surrounding the Baltic. Based on a web survey carried out in south-eastern Sweden, public’s reactions and attitudes to cyanobacterial blooms are analysed. Possible economic impact on Gotland of more widespread blooms are estimated, and public demand for better information is evaluated. The result shows that 30% of the respondents from south-eastern Sweden would consider cancelling their plans of travelling to Gotland with knowledge about forthcoming algal blooms around the island. Determinants of tourists’ tendency to cancel their travel arrangements are earlier negative experiences of algal blooms and concerns regarding their pets’ bathing. The annual local economic loss for Gotland’s tourism industry is estimated to between 15 and 221 million SEK. The median willingness to pay for a mobile application which provides one-day forecasts of algal blooms is 25 SEK on Gotland and 20 SEK in southeastern Sweden. Boat owners, people who visit beaches often and those who travel to Gotland frequently, are more likely to pay for the mobile application. People who think algal blooms are natural show less demand for information.

Thesis (Master of Community Planning)--University of Cincinnati, 2006.
Advisor: Carla Chifos. Title from electronic thesis title page (viewed June 3, 2009). Includes abstract. Keywords: Desalination; Sustainable Development; Island Development; Water Resources; Tourism Development. Includes bibliographical references.

Over the last 15 years, pinniped tourism has experienced a rapid growth in the Southern Hemisphere, and particularly in Australia and New Zealand where at least four sites attract more than 100,000 visitors per year. Tourism focused on the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea), a protected species endemic to Australia, occurs in at least nine sites in South Australia and Western Australia. Australian sea lions haul out on several offshore islands in the Perth region. Carnac Island Nature Reserve is one of the main sites where people can view sea lions near Perth, either during recreational activities or on commercial tours. This study sought: (1) to investigate the potential impact of human visitors on Australian sea lions hauled out on Carnac Island, (2) to consider implications of the results for the management of Carnac Island Nature Reserve, and (3) to examine under which conditions tourism and recreation around sea lions can be sustained in the long term. Sea lion numbers, rate of return to the site, behavioural response to human presence and incidents of disturbances of sea lions by visitors were recorded over a period of four months on Carnac Island. A survey of 207 visitors was also carried out. Findings indicated that there were two main types of human impacts on the sea lions: * A specific state of sea lion vigilance induced by low level, but ongoing, repetitive disturbances from human presence, sustained at various approach distances ranging to more than 15 m, vigilance that is different from the behaviour profile observed in the absence of human disturbance, * Impacts resulting from incidental direct disturbances of sea lions by visitors from inappropriate human recreational activities or from visitors trying to elicit a more 'active' sea lion response than the usual 'sleeping or resting' behaviour on display; these impacts included sea lions retreating and leaving the beach, or displaying aggressive behaviour. Impacts on sea lions from these disturbances may range from a potential sea lion physiological stress response to sea lions leaving the beach, a reduction in the time sea lions spend hauling out, and, in the longer term, the risk of sea lions abandoning the site altogether. Repeated instances of visitors (including unsupervised young children) approaching sea lions at very short distances of less than 2.5 m represented a public safety risk. Results also indicated that (1) the numbers of sea lions hauled out and their rate of return to the beach did not appear to be affected by an increase in the level of human visitation (although longer-term studies would be required to confirm this result); and (2) there appeared to be a high turnover rate of sea lions at the site from day to day, suggesting that there are frequent arrivals and departures of sea lions to and from Carnac Island. The visitor survey indicated that many visitors to Carnac Island had a recreational focus that was not primarily directed towards sea lion viewing ('incidental ecotourists'). Although many visitors witnessed incidental disturbance caused by humans to sea lions, they did not seem to recognise that they themselves could disturb sea lions through their mere presence. Visitors also seemed to have a limited awareness of the safety risk posed by sea lions at close range. Visitors expressed support for the presence of a volunteer ranger on the beach and for more on-site information about sea lions. Finally, visitors indicated that they greatly valued their sea lion viewing experience. It is anticipated that the continued increase in visitation to Carnac Island from recreation and from tourism will result in intensified competition for space between humans and sea lions. Long-term impacts of human disturbances on sea lions are unknown, but a physiological stress response and/or the abandonment of haulout sites has been observed in other pinniped species. The findings of this study highlight the need to implement a long-term strategy to reduce disturbance levels of sea lions by visitors at Carnac Island to ensure that tourism and recreation around sea lions can be sustained in the long term. Recommendations include measures to control visitor numbers on the island through an equitable allocation system between various user groups, the development of on-site sea lion interpretation and a public education and awareness program, the setting up of a Sea Lion Sanctuary Zone on the main beach, ongoing monitoring of sea lion and visitor numbers and other data, and a system of training and accreditation of guides employed by tour operators.

Over the last 15 years, pinniped tourism has experienced a rapid growth in the Southern Hemisphere, and particularly in Australia and New Zealand where at least four sites attract more than 100,000 visitors per year. Tourism focused on the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea), a protected species endemic to Australia, occurs in at least nine sites in South Australia and Western Australia. Australian sea lions haul out on several offshore islands in the Perth region. Carnac Island Nature Reserve is one of the main sites where people can view sea lions near Perth, either during recreational activities or on commercial tours. This study sought: (1) to investigate the potential impact of human visitors on Australian sea lions hauled out on Carnac Island, (2) to consider implications of the results for the management of Carnac Island Nature Reserve, and (3) to examine under which conditions tourism and recreation around sea lions can be sustained in the long term. Sea lion numbers, rate of return to the site, behavioural response to human presence and incidents of disturbances of sea lions by visitors were recorded over a period of four months on Carnac Island. A survey of 207 visitors was also carried out. Findings indicated that there were two main types of human impacts on the sea lions: * A specific state of sea lion vigilance induced by low level, but ongoing, repetitive disturbances from human presence, sustained at various approach distances ranging to more than 15 m, vigilance that is different from the behaviour profile observed in the absence of human disturbance, * Impacts resulting from incidental direct disturbances of sea lions by visitors from inappropriate human recreational activities or from visitors trying to elicit a more 'active' sea lion response than the usual 'sleeping or resting' behaviour on display; these impacts included sea lions retreating and leaving the beach, or displaying aggressive behaviour. Impacts on sea lions from these disturbances may range from a potential sea lion physiological stress response to sea lions leaving the beach, a reduction in the time sea lions spend hauling out, and, in the longer term, the risk of sea lions abandoning the site altogether. Repeated instances of visitors (including unsupervised young children) approaching sea lions at very short distances of less than 2.5 m represented a public safety risk. Results also indicated that (1) the numbers of sea lions hauled out and their rate of return to the beach did not appear to be affected by an increase in the level of human visitation (although longer-term studies would be required to confirm this result); and (2) there appeared to be a high turnover rate of sea lions at the site from day to day, suggesting that there are frequent arrivals and departures of sea lions to and from Carnac Island. The visitor survey indicated that many visitors to Carnac Island had a recreational focus that was not primarily directed towards sea lion viewing ('incidental ecotourists'). Although many visitors witnessed incidental disturbance caused by humans to sea lions, they did not seem to recognise that they themselves could disturb sea lions through their mere presence. Visitors also seemed to have a limited awareness of the safety risk posed by sea lions at close range. Visitors expressed support for the presence of a volunteer ranger on the beach and for more on-site information about sea lions. Finally, visitors indicated that they greatly valued their sea lion viewing experience. It is anticipated that the continued increase in visitation to Carnac Island from recreation and from tourism will result in intensified competition for space between humans and sea lions. Long-term impacts of human disturbances on sea lions are unknown, but a physiological stress response and/or the abandonment of haulout sites has been observed in other pinniped species. The findings of this study highlight the need to implement a long-term strategy to reduce disturbance levels of sea lions by visitors at Carnac Island to ensure that tourism and recreation around sea lions can be sustained in the long term. Recommendations include measures to control visitor numbers on the island through an equitable allocation system between various user groups, the development of on-site sea lion interpretation and a public education and awareness program, the setting up of a Sea Lion Sanctuary Zone on the main beach, ongoing monitoring of sea lion and visitor numbers and other data, and a system of training and accreditation of guides employed by tour operators.

Кваліфікаційна робота магістра складається з трьох розділів. Об’єктом дослідження є ринок СПА-послуг в Україні, діяльність ArkSPAPalaceяк регіонального підприємства. В роботі розглянуто теоретичні аспектиуправління розвитком туристичної індустрії на рівні регіону.Проведено аналіз стану розвитку індустрії туризму в Україні та Одеському регіоні. Досліджено особливості організації та розвитку СПА-індустрії в світі. Надано характеристику ринку СПА-послуг в Україні та в Одеському регіоні, проаналізовано його стан та проблем. Виявлено перспективні напрями розвитку СПА-індустрії в світі; надано рекомендації щодо розробки концепції стратегічного розвитку Одеського регіону як центру СПА-індустрії; наведено досвід впровадження стратегії інноваційного розвитку в діяльність ArkSPAPalace.
Thesis consists of three chapters. Object of study of the market for SPA services in Ukraine. The theoretical aspects of management of tourism industry development at the regional level are considered in the paper. The analysis of the development of the tourism industry in Ukraine and the Odessa region was carried out. The peculiarities of the organization and development of the spa industry in the world are explored. The characteristics of the SPA-services market in Ukraine and in the Odessa region are described, its status and problems are analyzed. Promising directions of development of SPA-industry in the world are revealed; recommendations for the development of the concept of strategic development of the Odessa region as the center of the spa industry; The experience of implementation of the strategy of innovative development in the activity of Ark SPA Palace is presented.

碩士
國立高雄應用科技大學
觀光與餐旅管理系
100
This study invites 13 senior managers and consultants of domestic hot spring hotels with in-depth face-to-face interviews to explore key service items of the senior wellness tourism market and, furthermore, to construct the hierarchical service system of spa wellness tourism. Subsequently, based on this service system to construct key service items in questionnaire for SPA hot spring hotels. The target objects of surveying are tourists over 50 years old interviewed at New Beitou, Wulai, Kukuan, Guanziling, and Chihpen Hot Spring areas in Taiwan. The study applies Aiken content validity coefficient and the homogeneity reliability coefficient for assuring appropriateness of the questionnaire items and finally, with verbal evaluation by applying aggregation function to calculate the percentage of each key service item for recognizing its importance. The results of this study are as follows: (1) Senior market in wellness tourism has a great potential for future development, but still underdeveloped. (2) Key services should include “personnel service”, “environment”, “healthy meals”, “enhanced health measures”, “unique experience of tourism resources”, and “learning mind”. (3) Seniors and prospective seniors are almost unanimous in their view of the various key services, and there is no significant difference between men and women. (4) Suggest that Hot Spring SPA hotel industry needs to pay attention to strengthen its “clean and sanitary bathing environment”, “secure SPA facilities” and “parent-child family activities” services.

碩士
高雄餐旅學院
旅遊管理研究所
98
The study is exploring the Spa service demand and characteristic in wellness tourism for senior. In addition to the senior of respondents, the 50 to 64 years（pre-senior）of the respondents are also considered to compare the two types of sample characteristic and the differences of Spa service demand .As following constructs the Spa service system design and management of reference. Therefore, this study is investigating two main groups at Kaohsiung City''s population of 50 to 64 years and more than 65 years. After the statistical analysis of the samples, there are three main findings are shown as follow: 1. Used Chi-square testing to test 65 years or more of senior and 50 to 64 years of pre-senior in the demographic characteristic. The results showed that the former has a higher education level and a higher spent on travel. 2. By Confirmatory Factor Analysis, “Body”, “Relaxation”, “Mind”, “Health”, “Social contacts”, “Environmental sensitivity” and “facilities provide”, sevens wellness tourism of Spa service demand factors were extracted. 3. 65 years or more of senior in the “Mind”, “Health” and “Social contacts” of demand factors were significantly higher than the 50 to 64 years of pre-senior. However, 50 to 64 years of pre-senior in “Facilities provide” of demand factor that was significantly higher than 65 years or more of Senior. This study also provided suggestions of the development of senior on wellness tourism and give directions for follow-up researchers.

Portugal é mencionado na Europa por ser um país de clima ameno, com habitantes pacíficos e hospitaleiros, encantadoras paisagens, praias de areia branca, gastronomia excecional e uma vasta cultura e património. É por estas características que o turismo se tornou um dos principais motores da economia nacional. Contudo, em época de crise, projetos inovadores, que procurem abranger novos mercados e assentes em serviços de qualidade são a chave para alcançar o sucesso. Num mercado cada vez mais competitivo a aposta tem que ser concreta, bem definida e assente em linhas estratégicas orientadoras. Neste sentido, o foco do trabalho foi analisar a viabilidade de um projeto de investimento que visa a criação de uma unidade de Turismo em Espaço Rural, no âmbito do eixo estratégico Saúde e Bem-estar, definido pelo Plano Estratégico Nacional do Turismo. Foram desta forma desenvolvidos estudos no sentido de averiguar condições essenciais à implementação do Rural & Spa, um empreendimento turístico, situado na zona de Marvão (Região do Alto Alentejo), inserido numa propriedade da família, em terrenos contíguos à casa mãe. Será composto por seis quartos, Spa, ginásio, piscina, jardim, entre outras zonas de lazer e repouso. O objetivo passa pela requalificação do espaço, que se encontra degradado, mas principalmente por desenvolver um projeto inovador que aposta, não apenas numa zona de hospedagem, mas sim num retiro revitalizante.
Portugal is mentioned in Europe as a country with a mild climate, with peaceful and hospitable people, beautiful landscapes, white sandy beaches, exceptional gastronomy and a vast culture and heritage. That is why tourism has become a major driver of national economy. However, in times of crisis, innovative projects that seek to cover new markets and services based on quality are the key to success. In an increasingly competitive market, the bet has to be concrete, well set and based on strategic guidelines. Thus, the focus of this study was the analysis of the feasibility of an investment project, which aims to create a unit of Rural Tourism, under the strategic axis of Health and Well-being, defined by the Plano Estratégico Nacional do Turismo (National Strategic Plan for Tourism). The required conditions for the implementation of Rural & Spa were studied. Rural & Spa is a resort, located in Marvão (Alentejo Region), situated in a family property, on land adjacent to the main house. It will consist of six rooms, spa, gym, pool and garden, amongst other leisure and resting areas. The main goal of the project is to regenerate the area, which is currently in a degraded state, by developing an innovative project that not only invests in not only providing accommodation, but also wants to become a revitalizing retreat.

O turismo surge atualmente como uma das atividades económicas mais importante, revelando assim uma dimensão internacional. A Organização Mundial do Turismo (OMT) define o setor do turismo como o terceiro sector exportador mundial, apenas ultrapassado pelas indústrias petrolífera e automóvel. Este forte crescimento do sector do turismo deve-se, por exemplo, a fatores como o desejo de viajar e a capacidade de o poder realizar, de conhecer novas cidades, países, culturas, entre outros. A hotelaria, outro conceito a desenvolver, surge como um dos subsectores vitais neste desenvolvimento do turismo. O desenvolvimento do tema situa-se essencialmente no âmbito dos conceitos básicos do turismo (Turista, excursionista, visitante, recursos turísticos, evento: tipos, turismo de eventos e respetivo impacto, e captação, organização e promoção de eventos), tal como também a hotelaria e respetiva caraterização e evolução em Portugal e na cidade de Viseu, relacionando assim a importância dos eventos na hotelaria, principalmente ao nível do aumento da taxa de ocupação, receita e combate à sazonalidade. Pretende-se especificamente compreender a magnitude do impacto dos eventos na taxa de ocupação das unidades hoteleiras e para tal foi utilizado como caso de estudo o Montebelo Viseu Hotel & Spa. Ou seja, pretende analisar-se o impacto dos eventos realizados no hotel Montebelo em Viseu, entre Setembro de 2012 e Junho de 2013, ao nível das suas receitas globais e da sua taxa de ocupação, através da recolha de dados financeiros e da realização de inquéritos aos funcionários das diversas secções do hotel para que se percebesse se estes tinham noção de quais os eventos mais influenciadores na taxa de ocupação do seu local de trabalho.
Tourism nowadays urges as one of the most important economies and it reveals an international dimension. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines tourism as the third sector with more exportation in the whole world, being only passed by oil and automobile industries. This strong growth in the tourism is determined, for example, by factors such as the desire to travel and the ability to do it, to meet new cities, countries, cultures, among others. The hospitality sector, another concept that is being developed, emerges as one of the vital sub sectors in tourism development. The development of the subject lies mainly within the basic concepts of tourism (tourist, excursionist, visitor, tourist resources, event: types of events, events tourism and their impact on tourism), as well as hospitality and respective characterization and evolution in Portugal and in the city of Viseu, thus relating the importance of events in hotels , especially at the higher rate of occupancy , income and combat seasonal level . It is intended specifically to understand the magnitude of the impact of events in the occupancy rate of hotel units and for this purpose was used as a case study the Montebelo Viseu Hotel & Spa. It is intended to analyze the impact of the events held at the Hotel Montebelo in Viseu, between September 2012 and June 2013, at the level of overall income and its occupancy rate, by collecting financial data and conducting surveys to employees of the various sections of the hotel to realize if they were aware of which the most influential type of events in the occupancy rate of your workplace. The reason we have chosen Montebelo Viseu Hotel & Spa as a case study, was curiosity and observation of the reality that I faced during my professional internship. Therefore, to meet the overall goal set, it was carried out a qualitative and quantitative investigation was applied a questionnaire to 40 employees from different sections of the hotel and was also made a financial data analysis. With the study conducted, it was concluded that the vast majority of staff at the Hotel (75% of answers) stated that meetings is the event that takes place more often at the hotel, and was also concluded that 95% of answers reveal that the event that influences 8 more their work are the congresses, and 100% said that their sector increases production when some event occurs at the hotel. Regarding the occupation rate can be stated that this hotel has a good coverage of events held and the average hotel occupancy rate is significantly higher on days when events occurred (32.37%) than in the days when there were no events (21.42%). Regarding the income, weddings, conferences, and festivities are the ones that achieve a higher average income. Therefore, 75% of income variations are explained by variations in occupancy rate if there is (or not) any event.

碩士
國立台北護理學院
旅遊健康研究所
95
For time moving, the needs of health oriental tourism are getting popular everywhere. Each country is highly promoting health tourism concept and program that is also included Taiwan. For example, Japan is through SPA hospital that is combined medicine and existing SPA resources for promoting the concept of medicinal treatment and health SPA. Actually, Taiwan did have SPA hospital experience during Japan occupied Taiwan period. Taiwan fruitful SPA resources surely can provide health tourism positive practice and it also can encourage people prevent health concept in Taiwan. This paper is based on literature review and interviewing SPA professionals, specialties and scholars to explore the possibility of SPA hospital business in Taiwan. It applies thematic analysis to explain and organize the interviewing data. 　　The major findings and suggestion of this study are as follows: 　　Firstly, we should inspire the medicinal expert to link the resources of medicine with spa first and to solid evidence-based medicine and back up health spa benefits then propose the government develop SPA hospital system in Taiwan. Secondly, the government should have an overall SPA resources plan and identify the needs of SPA hospital position. For SPA hospital long term development, government may set up SPA study center and professionals development system and also drawn up and pass the related SPA hospital regulations and laws then includes it in people health insurance system in Taiwan. Finally, it should integrate existing SPA resort to create a unique SPA hospital system for health tourism business in Taiwan.