Browsing by Subject "Heritage tourism"
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Item An evaluation of heritage tourism interpretation services in taiwan(Texas Tech University, 2005-05) Cheng, Shu-yun; Wu, Chih-Kang; Felstehausen, Ginny; Couch, Sue; Taylor, LesleeThe purposes of this study were to (a) establish conceivable indexes for professional competencies of heritage interpreters, (b) evaluate the existing training curriculum of heritage interpreters, and (c) examine the impacts of interpretation services on tourists¡¦ satisfaction at a tourist destination. Based on these specific objectives, three distinct studies were conducted. The first study aimed to identify interpreters¡¦ competencies through a self-reported survey obtained from the groups of heritage interpreters, hospitality educator, students, and tourists at the heritage sites. The second study summarized the opinions of interpreters and hospitality educators concerning an active interpretation-training curriculum. The third study examined the differences in satisfaction levels regarding tourists who received interpretation services (personal and nonpersonal interpretation services) at a popular tourist destination in Taiwan. Major findings include: (a) ¡§work attitude¡¨, ¡§basic employability skills¡¨, ¡§theories of interpretation education¡¨, ¡§field work of interpretation knowledge¡¨, ¡§preparation and planning of interpretation¡¨, ¡§skills and training of interpretation¡¨, ¡§research ability¡¨, and ¡§handling emergency situation¡¨ were recognized as the important competency categories for a competent heritage interpreter, (b) training courses identified by heritage interpreters and hospitality educators could be categorized into the following categories: professional knowledge, interpretation techniques, related regulations, safety and emergency handling, on-site training, and (c) tourists had positive responses to both personal and non-personal interpretive services; however, as the availability of the personal interpretive services were limited, tourists selected non-personal interpretive services while they visited the site to obtain the information. The findings of the studies may contribute to interpreters¡¦ training and to the tourism industry in general. The outcomes of the study identified competencies that would serve as the basis toward developing an effective interpretation training curriculum that can improve heritage interpreters¡¦ training in Taiwan. In addition, the findings may motivate interpreters to seek professional development opportunities in the future. Tourists would benefit from the quality interpretation services offered by the interpreters who have received competency-based training programs derivate from this study. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research directions were included.Item An evaluation of heritage tourism interpretation services in Taiwan(Texas Tech University, 2006-09) Cheng, Shu-yun; Felstehausen, Ginny; Wu, Chih-Kang; Couch, Sue; Taylor, LesleeThe purposes of this study were to (a) establish conceivable indexes for professional competencies of heritage interpreters, (b) evaluate the existing training curriculum of heritage interpreters, and (c) examine the impacts of interpretation services on tourists' satisfaction at a tourist destination. Based on these specific objectives, three distinct studies were conducted. The first study aimed to identify interpreters' competencies through a self-reported survey obtained from the groups of heritage interpreters, hospitality educator, students, and tourists at the heritage sites. The second study summarized the opinions of interpreters and hospitality educators concerning an active interpretation-training curriculum. The third study examined the differences in satisfaction levels regarding tourists who received interpretation services (personal and nonpersonal interpretation services) at a popular tourist destination in Taiwan. Major findings include: (a) "work attitude", "basic employability skills", "theories of interpretation education", "field work of interpretation knowledge", "preparation and planning of interpretation", "skills and training of interpretation", "research ability", and "handling emergency situation" were recognized as the important competency categories for a competent heritage interpreter, (b) training courses identified by heritage interpreters and hospitality educators could be categorized into the following categories: professional knowledge, interpretation techniques, related regulations, safety and emergency handling, on-site training, and (c) tourists had positive responses to both personal and non-personal interpretive services; however, as the availability of the personal interpretive services were limited, tourists selected non-personal interpretive services while they visited the site to obtain the information. The findings of the studies may contribute to interpreters' training and to the tourism industry in general. The outcomes of the study identified competencies that would serve as the basis toward developing an effective interpretation training curriculum that can improve heritage interpreters' training in Taiwan. In addition, the findings may motivate interpreters to seek professional development opportunities in the future. Tourists would benefit from the quality interpretation services offered by the interpreters who have received competency-based training programs derivate from this study. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research directions were included.Item Effects of integrated marketing communications (IMC) on visitors' heritage destination selection(2007-08) Wang, Yu-Ju; Wu, Chih-Kang; Yuan, Jingxue; Chung, Yun-ShunThis study explored the theory that visitors¡¦ use many communication sources to make traveling and attraction arrangements of heritage destinations. Two specific objectives include (1) to verify the theory that Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) can affect visitor¡¦s decision-making in selecting heritage destinations; and (2) to examine the factors that affect visitor¡¦s revisit intentions. A self-reported survey was conducted in a popular heritage destination, Lukang, Taiwan, in spring 2007. The main portion of the questionnaire includes 60 items that inquire visitors¡¦ visiting experience, destination image, destination attributes, and communication channels that affect their decision-making. One hundred and ninety-seven (197) usable questionnaires were collected. The results showed the major reason for them to travel to the destination was to experience the rich heritage at the destination. Other purposes of visiting included recreation, religion, personal experience of the destination, and the environmental attributed of the destination. Regarding channel of communication that affected their decision, friends/relatives word-of-the-mouth was rated to have highest influence, followed by TV travel programs, TV travel news, printed travel news, and information on festival activities, respectively. A Multiple Regression test was conducted to establish a prediction model for the intention to revisit the Township (DV). The Recreation, Religion, Personal Internal experience on the Township, and the Attributes of the Township positively affect participants¡¦ intention while the Direct Sales and Promotion negatively influence the decision to revisit the Township. The Coefficient of Determination (R2) shows that 33% of the variations (R2=0.33) can be explained by this model.Item Heritage tourism in Latin America : cultural routes and the legacy of Simón Bolívar in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela(2011-05) McQueen, George Genung; Sletto, Bjørn; Holleran, MichaelHeritage tourism is one of the fastest growing sub-categories of the tourism industry, which is arguably the largest industry in the world. When communities and regions compete for a greater share of the heritage tourism market, the authenticity and integrity of a heritage can be compromised by the way it is represented. One way to represent heritage is a “cultural route,” which has recently been added to definition of “cultural heritage” in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The interpretation of a “cultural route,” however, continues to evolve, especially in Latin America. In anticipation of the bicentennial celebration of independence from Spain, two cultural routes were separately inaugurated in 2009: the Ruta del Libertador in Ecuador and Venezuela, and the Ruta Libertadora in Colombia. After providing an overview of the historical, political and cultural contexts that surround these routes, this paper draws upon a website content analysis to explores how national identity, cultural heritage and the legacy of Simón Bolívar are represented by the governments of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. These observations and analyses show that while both routes represent a shared heritage, the differences in their representations straddle the definitions of “authenticity” and “cultural heritage,” as the Ruta Libertadora in Colombia is a “cultural route” and the Ruta del Libertador in Ecuador and Venezuela is a “cultural tourism route.” However, when considered together, the Ruta del Libertador and Ruta Libertadora are a cultural route that more accurately represents a crucial moment in Latin American history: the liberation of South America from Spain, led by Simón Bolívar, “El Libertador.”