From time immemorial human beings have utilized animals for various needs and purposes, which led societies to debate the justification for using animals and to reflect on the way in which animals are treated. These concerns have also resulted in various contemporary studies aimed to reveal interest groups'--as well as the general publics'--views and opinions on the issues under dispute. Nevertheless, despite the considerable incorporation of animals in entertainment and leisure venues, only limited efforts have been geared towards exploring the ethical aspects of using animals in these initiatives. This lack of attention is especially evident in the tourism literature, despite the great relevancy of animal-based attractions to the tourism industry. Moreover, despite certain preliminary attempts to investigate people's perceptions of the use of animals in attractions, their attitudes for the most part are still ambiguous and speculative. Consequently, the purpose of the current research was to fill these and other gaps in the literature by investigating tourists' attitudes toward various animal-based attractions. The theoretical framework used for the study was based on a previous exploratory qualitative research, which also assisted in developing the research questions and hypotheses as well as in constructing the study survey. Therefore, the current study's instrument attempts to cover the main aspects of tourists' attitudes as they appear both in the literature and in the exploratory study. The survey was conducted among 252 tourists to the Central Florida area, using judgmental sampling with the intent to ensure heterogeneity among the study sample. Prior to addressing the research questions, the study instrument was tested for reliability and validity, which were found to be at satisfactory levels. The statistical analyses revealed some interesting findings with important implications for both research and practice. While several inquiries were evaluated in the course of the dissertation, the central findings of the study concerned the prominent aspects of tourists' ethical evaluation of animal-based attractions. The tourists expressed the highest agreement with the roles of the attractions in conservation, in family-oriented experience, in education, and as an alternative to nature. They also expressed a clear animal welfare approach, as they put the greatest importance on the way the animals are treated and trained by their keepers among conditions for ethical operations. Nevertheless, it was found that the key to developing positive attitudes toward attractions is the conviction in general arguments in favor of their presence, while specific sites' attributes seem to be more limited in their influence on the tourists' overall attitudes. In addition, belief in the positive effects of public opinion on attractions' ethical treatment of animals was found to have a greater association with tourists' attitudes, in comparison to more formal supervision and regulations. No less important, the study's findings confirm the heterogeneous nature of animal-based attractions as perceived by tourists, where multiple dominant factors influence attitudes toward diverse attraction types. Following the description of the results, the dissertation offers specific recommendations based on the findings for the management and marketing functions in animal-based attractions, especially with regard to potential steps for the purpose of improving and enhancing their ethical image among tourists. The study can be seen as one of the few comprehensive attempts to investigate tourists' attitudes toward animal-based attractions in the tourism literature, which can also serve as a benchmark and a basis for future studies on this contentious issue. The paper ends with an assessment of the study's limitations, and a series of suggestions of relevant topics for future investigations.

Humans have always used animals for private and public entertainment, and it has always been widely accepted in society. Today, people have the opportunity to meet closely with several different animal species that create tourist's experiences. Animal tourism is a growing industry that creates great economic benefits. Unfortunately, The animals in the industry must pay a high price for entertaining the audience- humans! Organizations for animal rights have shown that there is a desire among tourists to have close contact with animals. The animal industry, on the other hand, has become increasingly criticized for mistreating animals. The animals' poor condition and other deviations have attracted attention via social media. The purpose of this essay was to study young adults' emotional reactions and attitudes towards animal entertainment in the tourist industry. The reason for this is to find out whether there will be any demand to visit destinations and take part in animal entertainment in the future. The study was based on a qualitative method where data was collected via semi-structured interviews, which consisted of both women and men. A thematic analysis was performed with a deductive approach. Thereafter, the results were analysed and linked to relevant theories and previous research. The summary resulted in young adults having a generally negative feeling and attitudes towards animal entertainment. The people in the study choose to no longer take part in animals as entrainment due the poor living conditions of the animals. Due to these reasons, the demand for animal entertainment may decrease in the future.

Though the cinematic genre of horror was not designated until the twentieth century, elements of this genre have appeared onstage since the time of the Greeks. Theatre history is rife with examples of theatrical ghosts and horrors, whose ever-changing representation indicates society's evolving relationship to and expectation for horror onstage. In 2019, Virginia Tech presented the installation Poe's Shadows, which combined elements of traditional theatre, original art, and innovative technology to present an immersive experience of Edgar Allan Poe's work. This production was a unique collaborative work that combined the creative labor of both faculty and students, while also invoking past horror theatre techniques and technologies. The properties of the Cube performance space allowed the Poe's Shadows creative team to imitate hand-cranked panoramas, magic lantern shows, and shadow plays, while also using sound effects and narration that combined elements of theatrical tradition and ghost shows. By studying the history of Poe's Shadows, as well as the reception of the installation, one can see how the theatre's evolving relationship with horror is effected by audience demand and expectation, as well as newly available technologies. / Master of Arts / Though the horror genre is most often associated with books and films, elements of the genre have been present onstage for thousands of years. Furthermore, studying these theatrical ghosts and ghouls—and how they were represented onstage— can help contemporary audiences understand historical anxieties and expectations. In 2019, Virginia Tech presented the installation Poe’s Shadows, which combined elements of traditional theatre, original art, and innovative technology to present an immersive experience of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. This production was a unique collaborative work that combined the creative labor of both faculty and students, while also invoking past horror theatre techniques such as hand-cranked panoramas, magic lantern shows, and shadow plays, accompanied by with sound effects and narration that combined elements of theatrical tradition and ghost shows. By studying the history of Poe’s Shadows, as well as the reception of the installation, one can see how the theatre’s evolving relationship with horror is effected by audience expectation and newly available technologies.

The purpose of this study was to identify tourist profiles as a segmentation variable for three festivals (Innibos, Oppikoppi and Volksblad). Numerous segmentation studies have been done in the past; however, few were done where profiles were used as variables for segmentation of arts festivals. Market segmentation is the way in which tourism companies divide a market into smaller, more clearly defined groups that share similar needs, wants, and characteristics. Segmentation is important in order for a destination to target the right kind of visitor. Other reasons for doing this type of research is to increase the number of new tourist arrivals; to increase the length of stay of tourists; the amount of tourist expenditure per visitor stay and to broaden the activities and shows that are offered. Research for this study was undertaken at three festivals. These festivals are Innibos, Volksblad and Oppikoppi respectively. Questionnaires were distributed randomly during the course of the festivals. Data collection was done by field workers who distributed questionnaires to the attendants of the festivals. At each of the three festivals questionnaires were interviewer administered and the "recall method" was used, where respondents had lo recall their spending. It was also a destination-based survey, where interviews were held on-site during the event. Different sites were chosen to limit response bias towards a certain group of festival attendants. The questionnaires were distributed throughout the course of the three festivals respectively. The data was used to compile graphs and tables so that a profile of each festival can be designed. Correlations between the three festivals and their profiles were made. In this case the effect size is given by w= √(x2/n), where x2 is the usual Chi-square statistic for the contingency table and n is the sample size. In the special case of a 2x2 table, the effect size (w) is given by phi (Φ) coefficient. Note that the effect size is again independent of sample size. Oppikoppi has an average of 10 000 attendants, lnnibos and Volksblad have an average of approximately 30 000 attendants per year. The sample size of 400 questionnaires for Volksblad and 400 questionnaires for lnnibos was anticipated and 200 for Oppikoppi. The variables that were the focus point of this study were gender, occupation, language, province where the attendants reside, travel group size and number of days at festival. This information can contribute to better marketing and more targeted markets for a larger number of attendants. The organiser can determine what type of entertainment, music, song and dance can be packaged and marketed as a unique product. The research indicated that organisers from Volksblad and lnnibos can focus more on family entertainment that is suitable for the whole family. Oppikoppi is a rock festival and therefore the organisers can get more rock bands, especially Afrikaans rock. All three festivals are for Afrikaans speaking people so they can use Afrikaans magazines and newspapers as well as Afrikaans radio stations to market these festivals in the province of deliverance as well as bordering provinces. The study contributes to the information of the larger festivals that already exists like Aardklop, Grahamstown and KKNK. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Abstract: The emergence and development of tourism attractions in inner cities throughout the world has given rise to a number of scholarly debates in the academic study of urban tourism. While academic scholarship in the field of urban tourism began with the cities of the developed states mostly in the 1980s, the emergence and development of tourism initiatives in the inner cities of the developing states in 1990s has drawn a great deal of attention to the South as well. This research explores the emergence and development of an inner city tourism initiative in the form of a craft project known as Beautiful Things. Beautiful Things is a two-year-old craft project located at Newtown’s Cultural Precinct, in the inner city of Johannesburg. The project was inaugurated at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August 2002, and has since its relocation to the inner city of Johannesburg in December 2002, contributed significantly to the physical, social and economic regeneration of this area. The study of this project is very important in that it is shedding some light on the role of heritage and cultural industries in rejuvenating declining inner cities. It gives light on how Newtown Cultural Precinct as a whole functions within the inner city of Johannesburg. In spite of this project’s role in the development of the Johannesburg inner city, Beautiful Things has not yet been explored for academic research. This research on Beautiful Things is set to be informative on a number of theoretical issues underpinning the development of urban heritage and cultural tourism in general and the development of tourism in Johannesburg. The findings of the study of Beautiful Things reveal important international trends on the development of heritage and cultural attractions in inner cities and elucidate a number of similarities in the development of tourism policies across the cities of the world. This research begins with a chapter on the international experiences of heritage and cultural tourism developments in inner cities and then follows by a study of Johannesburg’s tourism policy and strategy developments. Both chapters are vital in providing the context under which Beautiful Things came to emerge in the inner city of Johannesburg, performing an important role of regenerating the declining inner city. The last part of this research is an empirical confirmation study of physical, social and economic contributions of Beautiful Things in the inner city of Johannesburg. The research is informed by theories of neo-liberalization, local economic development, and inner city regeneration.

Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

The Caribbean, which is one of the most tourism-dependent regions of the world, is rich in cultural heritage, but it lacks developed and attractive cultural heritage sites. In particular, this is true for attractions that make use of the “dark” cultural heritage of the region which is associated with the Transatlantic Trade in Africans as slaves. This lack is seen as a major weakness in the region’s tourism product. This research explores the development of “dark” cultural heritage resources as attractions in the town of Falmouth, Jamaica, an 18th century port town that had a thriving economy during the peak period of British colonialism and the trade in Africans as slaves. Today, the economic importance of Falmouth is only a shadow of what it was during the infamous “glorious” days when sugarcane was “king and money in abundance” and Jamaica a leading sugar exporting colony was seen as a “jewel” in the English crown. A concurrent mixed method approach was used in the study where both qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources were collected and analysed. The methods that were used for data collection include questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews, historical research and townscape survey. A systematic sampling technique was used to randomly select 100 households for a face-to-face questionnaire survey which achieved a 94% response rate. On the other hand, the purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to select twelve stakeholders for in-depth semi-structured interviews to ascertain their expectations and perspectives about the cultural heritage of the town. The textual data generated from the interviews were studied using content analysis, where substantive statements were identified from individual transcripts. Also, most appropriately, historical research was conducted to collect and evaluate historical information, such as written testimonies of eyewitnesses to events and also written accounts by person not immediately present at the time, but who obtained their description of events from someone else. In addition, a townscape survey was carried out to map, collect and evaluate data on a number of cultural heritage resources in Falmouth. It involved detailed field observation and the recording of the quality of townscape elements that are evaluated based on established criteria. Overall, the residents strongly supported tourism and argued for its development and expansion in Falmouth. They believed that the environmental, economic and socio-cultural benefits from tourism outweighed the negative implications of which they are fully aware. The data collection methods unearthed and confirmed that there is an abundance of dark cultural heritage in Falmouth that is associated with the Transatlantic Trade in Africans as slaves. Both tangible and intangible, highly rated cultural heritage resources were identified mainly in the Historic District. In all, twenty-seven cultural heritage resources and features that have the potential to be developed as attractions in support of a dark cultural heritage theme were identified, evaluated and catalogued. The major constraints to heritage development that were cited include: financial, psychological, absentee land owners, heritage designation’s restrictions, lack of consensus on developmental issues and some negative social perceptions. Residents and stakeholders suggested the following strategies to engage locals: sensitizing them to heritage development; providing them with information about opportunities as a result of the development; giving them practical information on ways to improve structures and restore buildings; providing them with information and education to build awareness about the cultural heritage of the town; and a public education campaign. Also, residents are amenable to: tour guiding, bed and breakfast operators, visitors’ service employees and involvement in planning conservation efforts. Residents attached a very high positive value to the cultural heritage resources of Falmouth even though they are aware that a lot of it is associated with the Transatlantic Trade. Such dark cultural heritage is deemed a significant part of the town’s heritage, so it is appropriate to use it for developing attractions for future generations where visitors can learn and be educated about the impact of the Transatlantic Trade. This position that the town should be developed as a destination where visitors can learn about slavery was supported by approximately 94% of the respondents to the questionnaire survey. Thus, the residents of Falmouth are motivated to tell the true story of the place. They unanimously are of the opinion that action should be taken to: promote Falmouth as a tourist destination, clean up and beautify Falmouth and provide job training for residents. Additional agreed and suggested actions include: infrastructure development; the development of educational awareness programmes; the development of heritage resources and related infrastructure; providing loans; grants and subsidies to building owners, building citizens’ awareness of cultural heritage and heritage programs; the provision of more entertainment facilities and activities; the development of Falmouth and addressing the cultural heritage of the town; A Master Plan is needed with a systematic way for its implementation along with the requisite funding; the implementation of a legislative framework to protect the town’s cultural heritage; the building of consensus among stakeholders; establishing a framework for the funding of restoration; engaging local and international organizations such as the JNHT and UNESCO; the sharing of plans at town-hall meetings; convene a meeting of all training agencies; and the development and implementation of a master plan. This research explored the development of Falmouth that has a “dark” and contested heritage, for sightseeing, learning and as an exemplary place for authentic experiences of identity for the African Diaspora. It will indeed help in the process to diversify Jamaica’s tourism product, contributes to the development of awareness and understanding of heritage at sensitive sites that are linked to humankind’s suffering and mass death. Finally, the study complements the UNESCO’s Slave Route Project that seeks to put an end to the historical silence on the African slave trade and slavery in general. The research concluded with a proposed planning framework for developing and promoting dark cultural heritage attractions.

Studiens syfte är att studera utbytesstudenters rumsliga relation till fem utvalda besöksattraktioner med tyngdvikt på vad för sorts tankar, känslor, värderingar och mening som dessa genererar. Vi har genomfört sex stycken kvalitativa enskilda intervjuer samt en fokusgruppintervju med utbytesstudenter, där fotografier på fem uppvisade besöksattraktioner i Stockholm har presenteras. Dessa besöksattraktioner var Stadshuset, Ericsson Globe/Skyview, Kungliga Slottet, Vasamuseet samt Gröna Lund. Våra underliggande frågeställningar har behandlat besöksattraktionernas fysiska utformning, vad dessa representerar samt vad utbytesstudenterna finner om dess geografiska placering i förhållande till hur staden är utformad. Den teoretiska genomgången behandlar platsens och rummets dimensioner samt semiotik. Ett av uppsatsens viktigaste bidrag handlar om hur makten kan uttryckas i rummet genom besöksattraktioner samt hur viktigt det är att skapa en platskänsla vid utformningen av besöksattraktioner. / The purpose of this thesis is to study foreign exchange student’s spatial relation to five chosen visitor attractions situated in Stockholm. Our main focus lies within what kind of thoughts, feelings, values and significance that these attractions generates. We have conducted six in depth interviews along with one focus group where we have presented images of the selected attractions which are The City Hall, The Ericsson Globe/Skyview, The Royal Palace, The Vasa museum and Gröna Lund, which is Stockholm’s Tivoli. Our research has revolved around questions such as the physical layout of the attractions, what they represent and the importance of where the attractions are located in relation to the city. The theoretical review mainly deals with the dimensions of place, space and semiotics. One of the thesis main contributions describes how power can be expressed in space through visitor attractions, and the importance of being able to create a sense of place in the design of visitor attractions.

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