Evidence exists to suggest increasing political interest in cycling-related tourism, particularly as a contributor to economic and social development in rural communities. The former Australian Government’s long-term strategy document for tourism, the Tourism White Paper, has also identified cycling-related tourism as a potential contributor to strengthening competitive advantage for Australia with respect to tourism. However, little theory-driven research exists hitherto to guide decision-making regarding prudent provision of infrastructure and services to facilitate the development of cycling-related tourism, while little research exists that aids in our understanding of the travel behaviours and characteristics of bicycle tourists.The present study examined independent bicycle tourists in Australia using a generic model of whole tourism systems as a framework for analysis. The study employed a mixture of quantitative and qualitative techniques to explore the needs, preferences and behaviours of independent bicycle tourists. In addition, several conditions previously identified in applied literature as possible impediments to the development of independent bicycle tourism in Australia were examined.The results indicated that independent bicycle tourists’ behaviours and thought processes regarding destination selection reflected those put forward in the broader literature addressing special interest tourism, in that the activity to be pursued is more prevalent in driving decision-making than the actual destination(s) to be visited. This was illustrated by the importance attached by the respondents to aspects that directly relate to a destination area’s capacity to support cycling, particularly the presence and quality of cycling infrastructure (specifically roads, paths, trails and signage), endowed resources (appealing natural scenery), supporting industries, and accessibility.Three conditions were confirmed as impediments to the development of independent bicycle tourism in Australia. These impediments included perceptions of cycling on Australian roads as a dangerous practice; perceptions that infrastructure to support independent bicycle touring in Australia is generally inadequate; and perceived difficulties associated with the carriage of bicycles on air, coach and rail services in Australia. This research also identified several limitations regarding the capacity of Leiper’s model of whole tourism systems to articulate tourist flows associated with independent bicycle tourism. These limitations specifically related to the way the tourist destination regions and transit routes elements are conceptually defined in the generic model. An adapted descriptive, theoretical model of whole tourism systems involving independent bicycle tourism was proposed. The adapted model incorporated a geographic ‘hierarchy of destinations’ sub-system and also acknowledged two distinct forms of transit routes: those traversed between the traveller-generating region and the destination area; and those traversed within the destination area by bicycle.

Evidence exists to suggest increasing political interest in cycling-related tourism, particularly as a contributor to economic and social development in rural communities. The former Australian Government’s long-term strategy document for tourism, the Tourism White Paper, has also identified cycling-related tourism as a potential contributor to strengthening competitive advantage for Australia with respect to tourism. However, little theory-driven research exists hitherto to guide decision-making regarding prudent provision of infrastructure and services to facilitate the development of cycling-related tourism, while little research exists that aids in our understanding of the travel behaviours and characteristics of bicycle tourists.The present study examined independent bicycle tourists in Australia using a generic model of whole tourism systems as a framework for analysis. The study employed a mixture of quantitative and qualitative techniques to explore the needs, preferences and behaviours of independent bicycle tourists. In addition, several conditions previously identified in applied literature as possible impediments to the development of independent bicycle tourism in Australia were examined.The results indicated that independent bicycle tourists’ behaviours and thought processes regarding destination selection reflected those put forward in the broader literature addressing special interest tourism, in that the activity to be pursued is more prevalent in driving decision-making than the actual destination(s) to be visited. This was illustrated by the importance attached by the respondents to aspects that directly relate to a destination area’s capacity to support cycling, particularly the presence and quality of cycling infrastructure (specifically roads, paths, trails and signage), endowed resources (appealing natural scenery), supporting industries, and accessibility.Three conditions were confirmed as impediments to the development of independent bicycle tourism in Australia. These impediments included perceptions of cycling on Australian roads as a dangerous practice; perceptions that infrastructure to support independent bicycle touring in Australia is generally inadequate; and perceived difficulties associated with the carriage of bicycles on air, coach and rail services in Australia. This research also identified several limitations regarding the capacity of Leiper’s model of whole tourism systems to articulate tourist flows associated with independent bicycle tourism. These limitations specifically related to the way the tourist destination regions and transit routes elements are conceptually defined in the generic model. An adapted descriptive, theoretical model of whole tourism systems involving independent bicycle tourism was proposed. The adapted model incorporated a geographic ‘hierarchy of destinations’ sub-system and also acknowledged two distinct forms of transit routes: those traversed between the traveller-generating region and the destination area; and those traversed within the destination area by bicycle.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Introduction: The appointment of special interest councillors in terms of section 4A of the Urban Councils Act has encountered much opposition from residents in many urban areas.8 The appointment has also attracted public attention, especially through the media which has highlighted the plight of urban councils most of which have failed to contend with additional unelected personnel on their payrolls. There has also been a claim that the process of appointing special interest councillors may be or that it is being abused.9 What has further exacerbated this situation is the fact that there is no legal provision to check the powers of the Minister, leaving room for the anipulation of the powers to appoint.10 Since the enactment of section 4A of the Urban Councils Act (UCA) in April 2008, numerous elected councillors and mayors belonging to the MDC have been dismissed, or summarily suspended pending dismissal to justify the appointment of special interest councillors over and above elected councillors. At the same time the Minister seeks to discredit the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) councillors as incompetent to gain political mileage for the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF).11 The rampant dismissal and suspension of MDC-T (the MDC faction led by Mr Morgan Tsvangirai) councillors and mayors and dissolving urban councils has led to allegations that the Minister seeks to weaken MDC in urban local councils and to justify the existence of special interest councillors in urban councils. By highlighting and examining the implications of these appointments on urban governance and the general functioning of urban local councils, the researcher will be able to assess the practice of appointing special interest councillors against internationally accepted norms. / South Africa

Little empirical research has been done on the opportunities presented to the event management profession by the significant growth in the size, scope, length and visibility of the tourism industry, as indicated by hallmark events such as numerous world fairs, festivals and sport events. The aim of this research was to determine the motivational factors that push and pull the local residents of Potchefstroom, South Africa, to attend and participate in the Aardklop National Arts Festival (Aardklop Festival), as well as the situational inhibitors that discourage them from participating in the festival. The specific festival activities they enjoyed most were also identified. The research for this dissertation was undertaken in Potchefstroom where the Aardklop Festival has been held annually since 1998. This is one of the largest arts festivals in South Africa and highly popular on the annual events calendar. The findings of the research are significant as they may promote the sustainability of the Aardklop Festival in South Africa's growing and competitive festival and events market by assisting the festival management to gain greater insight into strategies for profitable marketing and future communication. The research findings may assist event organisers not only to understand the importance of research, but also to consider and understand the needs of the local residents in the host community, since various authors have indicated that these residents play a pivotal role in the sustainability of a festival. Copyright / Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Tourism Management / unrestricted

The thesis is about creating an understanding of the phenomenon “dark tourism”,finding out what people know about the concept and looking at what places people havevisited that fall under the definition of dark tourism. But also look at whether darktourism is really that “dark”. The study is based on a survey that was posted on socialmedia (Facebook) and the questions were based on the typical definition on darktourism according to Lennon & Foley (2000). The questions were about whether therespondents had heard the term dark tourism, what they thought dark tourism wasand how often they had visited the “typical” dark tourism sites or attractions. The resultof the study shows that very few had heard of the term dark tourism and that a few ofthe respondents had visited these places.

Online Communities verzeichnen seit einiger Zeit ein rasantes Wachstum. Diese Entwicklung führt zunehmend dazu, dass die Portale für bestimmte Personengruppen wichtige Funktionalitäten nicht zu Verfügung stellen können oder die Nutzer durch eine Vielzahl für sie unnötiger Funktionen überfordert werden. Als Ergebnis dieser Erfahrungen zwischen Datenflut und Überforderung durch die ansteigende Komplexität der Bedienung auf der einen Seite und Informationsmangel und fehlender Funktionalität auf der anderen Seite, begründen Gemeinschaften spezialisierte Online-Communities. Der vorliegende Artikel liefert dazu einen State-of-the-Art Überblick kostenfreier Online-Services zur Erstellung sozialer Netwerke und vergleicht sie in Hinblick auf Kollaboration und Kommunikation, Datenschutz, Kontaktmanagement, Anpassbarkeit und Administrierbarkeit.

Sue-and-settle is the name applied to a federal agency’s use of litigation to create policy outside of the normal regulatory process. This paper discusses the impact that the sue-and-settle policy has had on Congress, the judiciary, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Specifically, this paper will discuss the issues caused by the perception of collusion within the sue-and-settle policy. First, this paper examines whether a relationship occurs between the litigants. The paper then discusses whether the relationship between the litigants in sue-and-settle cases tends to be collusive or not. The second part of the paper examines how Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the judiciary are viewed because of the continued perception of collusion in the agency’s settlements. Overall, this paper finds that, the impacts of the sue-and-settle policy, and the perception of collusion, has affected Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the judiciary by increasing regulation, distorting the purpose of the courts, and resulting in a lost value for the regulatory process.

Today, the strength of the National Rifle Association (NRA) is understood by the general public and many scholars to be dependent on the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the right of individuals to own firearms. This dissertation challenges that understanding by focusing on three organizations, the NRA, the National Guard and the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP). While each organization appears in today's world to be distinct and independent, this dissertation reveals how they garnered strength from a symbiotic relationship. The NRA was founded in 1871, originally as a marksmanship organization. The National Guard, which grew from the nation's militia, was formally established in the early twentieth century. The NBPRP was a small organization that was established in 1903 within the War Department at the encouragement of the NRA. Following passage in 1903 of legislation bringing state militia units under federal control, the newly formed National Guard became dependent on the NRA, which in turn leveraged that dependence to create a nationwide grassroots organization. The NBPRP was headed by the Assistant Secretary of War until 1916 when the position of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship was created, to be held by a U.S. Army or U.S. Marine Corps officer. The NRA acted as the surrogate of the NBPRB outside of the halls of government. At the same time, the NBRPB provided the NRA with a voice within those same halls that aided in the development of federal policy and budget positions related to firearms acquisition, competition, and training. The purpose of this dissertation is to reveal how the NRA was able to employ these two organizations to develop an exceptionally powerful grassroots organization that today is recognized as one of the most powerful special interest groups in America. Understanding how this powerful organization grew offers one perspective of how the bureaucracy that has been developed to support America's federal system of government is uniquely susceptible to special interest influence.

In the theory part of the Diploma work I deal with students´ interest activities and factors that influence them. In the empirical part of the Diploma work I tried to find out the information about the students´activities in their free time, satisfaction with the interest activities organised by nursing colleges and students´participation in these activities. The objective of my work was to find out which of the interest activities are popular and unpopular. I formulated three hypotheses. I chose the questionnaire as a research technique. The research was taken in nursing colleges. The objectives of my Diploma work were fulfilled. The three stated hypotheses were confirmed.

``Integration of Handicapped Children at Educational Institutions for Special Interest Training{\crqq} is the title of my thesis and it deals with the importance of participation of handicapped children in leisure activities, the current status and possibilities of incorporating of handicapped children into leisure activities. I wanted to find out the factors which influence the integration of handicapped children at educational institutions for the training of special interests, detect obstacles which hinder from integration of handicapped children at educational institutions for the training of special interests, and last but not least, to evaluate the interest of handicapped children, as well as their legitimate representatives, in their integration at educational institutions for the training of special interests.