Approaching the Sustainable Development Practices in Mountain Tourism in the Romanian Carpathians

Abstract:This study aims at sustainably developing rural tourism in An Giang Province, an agricultural province located in the South of Vietnam, by identifying the determinants of the satisfaction and revisit intention of tourists based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. From exploratory interviews with experts and comprehensive group discussions, we developed a questionnaire for an official survey of 507 tourists at different tour-sites in An Giang Province. It is found that: (1) there are seven key factors affecting the satisfaction of the tourists, including: spirituality, tourism safety and security, people, food and beverage, natural environment, service prices and tourism infrastructure; and (2) revisit intention of tourists is affected by six factors, including: satisfaction, spirituality, tourism safety and security, people, food and beverage and service prices. Among them, spirituality is a new factor to be thoughtfully considered due to its significant influence on both the tourist satisfaction and revisit intention. From these findings, we proposed some managerial implications for the sustainable development of rural tourism in An Giang Province by enhancing the satisfaction and revisit intention of the tourists after they visit the province.

Section: Sustainable Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism in An Giang Province, Vietnam

Long

Nguyen

2018

“…However, enterprises belonging to the 'lifestyle' cluster reported higher satisfaction regarding their economic performance. Brătucu et al (2017) [25] studied the sustainable development practices among 34 managers of accommodations in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania and found that there is a negative correlation between low sustainability interest and competitiveness.…”

Section: Sme Csr Actions and Competitivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional CSR Policies and SMEs’ CSR Actions: Mind the Gap—The Case of the Tourism SMEs in Crete

Apospori

2018

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) actions have the potential to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs. Regional authorities can support the development of SME CSR actions within the framework of their sustainable competiveness agenda. The alignment between regional CSR policy initiatives and SMEs' CSR needs is crucial for achieving the regional sustainable competitiveness' goals. We introduce a conceptual framework to facilitate the alignment between regional CSR policies and SMEs' needs. We use this conceptual framework and the quantitative technique of survey to empirically investigate the alignment of regional CSR policies with the CSR needs of tourism for SMEs in Crete, Greece. The findings indicate gaps between the perceived level and type of support offered by regional CSR policies and the CSR needs of the SMEs. Based on the findings, we provide recommendations to the regional authorities and tourism SMEs in Crete for implementing CSR policies and actions.

“…Tourism and agriculture work together to maintain a sustainable economy, creating new job opportunities, increasing the receipt of foreign currency, and improving the living standards of local residents at the destination [1,2]. Increasingly, economic and environmental sustainability in rural development is linked to local agricultural products.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Interpretive Study on Sustainability in the Link between Agriculture and Tourism: Tourist-Stakeholder Satisfaction in Tiantangzhai, China

Han

Akhmedov

et al. 2020

Tourism and agriculture can contribute to destination sustainability by increasing tourist-stakeholder satisfaction. Grown agriculture is an important component of a rural destination attraction. Nonetheless, tourists’ satisfaction with locally grown agricultural food has been unexplored when it comes to linking tourism with agriculture. The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the links between demand for locally grown agricultural products at the destination and the levels of satisfaction among visitors. Theoretical views concerning tourist consumption of local agricultural products and its effects were reviewed. Unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted onsite in Tiantangzhai to investigate the relationship between tourism and agriculture with visitor satisfaction. The sample of respondents consisted of 71 participants who shared their views on the relationship between agriculture and tourism at the destination. Findings were presented in a two-level analysis including the industry focus and a soft-laddering technique that revealed deeper insights. Findings indicate that tourist-stakeholders present a demand-driven economy that can be exploited by local agricultural producers and the tourism economy itself. Theoretical implications point to a more sustainable destination image and practical implications highlight the demand-driven implications of tourist expectations and experience satisfaction.