Using an ecological perspective, the current research developed a theoretical framework that suggests that environmental and personal resources related to physically active leisure, as well as the interactions between them, contribute to well-being. A distance-running event was examined as an environmental resource for enhancing global life satisfaction, a key measure of subjective well-being. In contrast, the constructs of behavioral involvement and psychological involvement were used to measure personal resources resulting from physically active leisure. The proposed framework was tested with a set of three studies in which participants were recruited through a survey panel from a 10-mile distance-running event in the US. Study 1 performed a partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis to examine whether the distance-running event contributed to behavioral and psychological involvement and whether such involvement, in turn, promoted global life satisfaction. By using longitudinal data over a 5-month period, Study 2 used a latent growth modeling approach to investigate whether the distance running event was able to enhance participants' psychological involvement and whether such change promoted global life satisfaction. Study 3 conducted a moderated mediation analysis to examine the influence of personality, behavioral and psychological involvement, and two environmental resources of the distance running event and an organized running club on global life satisfaction. The results of the three studies suggest that a distance-running event can serve as an environmental resource that promotes participants' behavioral involvement and psychological involvement in the activity. The results also indicate that psychological involvement plays an important role in promoting global life satisfaction, whereas behavioral involvement may be insufficient to promote global life satisfaction. Overall, the current research contributes to the sport management and leisure literature by providing scholars with a new way of understanding the benefits of physically active leisure. The findings from the current research also provide practical implications for government and community leaders to enhance people's well-being by promoting physically active leisure in their cities and communities. / Tourism and Sport

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Ted Cable / National parks reach out to millions of people each year by offering a number of recreational and educational experiences. People are exposed to new ideas and experiences in a national park that they may not get anywhere else. At Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas, the National Park Service (NPS) compels visitors to step into the shoes of African American students in a segregated elementary school through the use of interpretive exhibits. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the interpretive exhibits at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Most visitors sampled (91%) were visiting for the first time, indicating that the site does not have many repeat visitors. Race and the American Creed, the 30 minute film that plays in the auditorium, was found the most impactful exhibit by 34.3% of visitors surveyed. Expressions and Reflections, the temporary exhibit in the Kindergarten room, was the second most impactful exhibit, at 21.6% of visitors surveyed. The least impactful exhibit was the film Pass It On, at 0.9% of visitors surveyed. As a whole, visitors were most impacted by dynamic exhibits with a clear theme, while static exhibits and those that did not have a clear theme were not as impactful. This research will help guide Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site staff as they contemplate future changes in the interpretive exhibits.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Mary Catherine (Katie) Kingery-Page / In the United States, minorities are less physically active and in turn at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The purpose of my study is to examine the factors that influence physical activity in neighborhood parks and to answer: What aspects of park design and programming discourage physical activity participation in African American women? My goal is to identify barriers to physical activity and make recommendations for improving design and programming of a neighborhood park. The results of my research are relevant to the planning profession because planners can use public policy to combat inequality in the built environment. Many studies have related recreation access to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, age, and gender. While African American women are not the only disadvantaged population when it comes to access to recreation, they do have a higher risk for obesity. In trying to answer why African American women have higher rates of obesity, some studies have found that while willingness to participate in physical activity does not differ in white and black women, duration of physical activity does. My research employs a mixed methods approach to understand the barriers to physical activity experienced by African American women, in context of a neighborhood park. This study uses a physical assessment of James Mulligan Park and the surrounding neighborhood within Alexandria, Virginia. Following the physical assessment I piloted a survey to gather information on the barriers to physical activity. The pilot guided a final survey of seventeen participating African American women in the neighborhood. I hypothesized that the perception of park safety will have an effect on the rate of physical activity in African American women. This hypothesis points to a general barrier for all women. Based on literature review, I also expected to find barriers unique to African American women. The study concluded that African American women in this neighborhood share some barriers with all women and they also expressed some barriers unique to African American women. I found that personal barriers like “exercise tires me” was the most common, rather than perceptions of safety. In addition, I found culturally specific barriers, such as “exercising is not my cultural activity” and “I avoid exercise to protect my hairstyle.” Based on my analysis of the setting and surveys I make several recommendations for the park and neighborhood.

Visitor use in parks and protected areas inevitably leads to resource impacts. In order to effectively manage for resource impacts, it is important for managers to not only understand ecological aspects of their system but sociological aspects as well. The two papers presented in this thesis used integrated approaches to better understand the current level of resource impacts within the Bear Lake Road Corridor of Rocky Mountain National Park and to explore visitor perceptions of these impacts. The first paper used traditional monitoring and assessment techniques, as well as recently developed methodologies, to determine the current level of resource impacts and examine areas for potential future resource change. Findings showed that there is significant impact in the trail system, particularly at popular hiking destinations. At two of these popular hiking destinations, with current use levels, there is potential for future resource change. Integration with measures of social norms showed that visitors are frequently experiencing resource conditions within the Bear Lake Road Corridor that are considered unacceptable.

abstract: Firstly, this study uses community asset mapping guided by the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) to explore the linkages between Protected Areas (PAs), tourism and community livelihoods. Secondly, it assesses changes in community needs facilitated by community participation in wildlife-based tourism in a protected area setting. Thirdly and finally, the study assesses whether the introduction of community wildlife-based tourism in a protected area as a sustainable management tool has led to the spiraling up or down of community capitals. The study adopted qualitative research method approach and made use of data collected through community asset mapping supplemented by data from focus group discussions, households, key informants, and secondary data materials that were analyzed and interpreted in light of community capital framework. The Chobe National Park (CNP) and Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust (CECT); a community living adjacent to CNP in Botswana provides the context on which this study's discussion focuses. Results indicate that the accession of Botswana from colonialism through post colonialism era intertwined considerable institutional arrangement changes in the field of protected area governance that reflects evolutionary management styles. Protected areas, tourism and community livelihoods linkages are based on many inter-dependents of community capitals relationships which are dependent on community socio-economic activities. In assessing changes in community needs, the results indicate that participation in wildlife-based tourism has brought both positive and negative changes that have implications on both the status quo for community livelihoods and protected areas, namely; the influence of changes in community capitals dynamics, mechanization and commercialization of agriculture, government funded infrastructural development, income generation, and the commodification of some of the community capitals. Finally, the increased livelihoods options and diversification dynamics, fragile wildlife-livestock co-existence, heightened human-wildlife conflicts, environmental education and awareness are the emerging themes that explain how the introduction of tourism in a protected area setting affect the spiraling up and down of the community capitals dynamics. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Community Resources and Development 2013

The aim of the diploma thesis is based on a theoretical framework and with the help of typology to explain the importance of social tourism and its relationship to bound tourism and to find out, how social (bound) tourism displays itself as a specific form in the shape of summer children's camps. The work introduces and compares the definitions of social and bound tourism, there is performed the typology of social tourism and there are also mentioned current trends in social and bound tourism and the specifics of the development of bound and social tourism in the Czechia. After defining and characterizing the territory of the Jindřichův Hradec district, the search for information about children's camps and the methodology of my own research are explained in detail in the text, which consists in the content analysis of a structured interview with open questions. Within the analysis, keywords are selected, and a mix of quantitative and qualitative evaluation is performed, in which both the frequency of keywords and the content of individual statements are evaluated. Gradually, the geographical factors of camp location, their program factors, general characteristics and organizational factors of camps, their technical parameters and limitations of the coronavirus pandemic, social and demographic...

B. Tech. (Department of Tourism Management, Faculty of Human Sciences) Vaal University of Technology. / Tourism is considered one of the most important industries in the global economy and is still growing, especially in South Africa. Effective marketing is only possible if knowledge is available on tourists’ decisions, wants, needs and so forth. This will allow for effective market segmentation and improve the understanding of the market and what the market requires. This will also lead to more effective marketing campaigns, marketing spend and use of scarce resources. This can be achieved by studying the unique characteristics of the various markets in South Africa. Market segmentation refers to a technique used by tourism organisations to divide a market into smaller, more clearly defined, groups that share similar needs, wants and characteristics. This will allow for tailor-made products and services. Although the tourism industry in South Africa is well developed for the Caucasian market it is not as familiar with the black market and its needs. Therefore products cannot be developed according to the life styles of black South Africans. This requires more research to be conducted. The main purpose of the study was thus to segment the black market visiting Abrahamsrust Resort in the Vaal Region. This has enabled the researcher to identify important factors with regard to market segmentation to be implemented for black tourists in the Vaal Region and enable marketers to target the selected market segments in the region. A total number of 400 questionnaires were distributed among visitors of which 319 were completed and used. All questionnaires were distributed at Abrahamsrust Resort. Data were used and captured in the form of graphs and tables so as to design the profile. The main variables of this study were gender, occupation, language, province of origin, number of visits, number of children, number of days spent as well as average spend. The results found can contribute in the sense of helping marketers to target the selected target market. Suggestions from attendees were that management should improve facilities and services at the events. In order to cluster the segments, hierarchical clustering was done which revealed three significant clusters based on travel motivations, namely Social Relaxers, Quality Seekers and Loyal Relaxers. Cluster one is motivated by social and relaxing needs, cluster two focuses on quality and value for money aspects and cluster three seems to be the loyal visitors to the resort travelling for relaxation purposes. In terms of describing the three clusters it was found that the demographic segmentation variables did not differ significantly between the clusters, with only a small difference in terms of gender. In terms of describing the behavioural segmentation variables it was also found that the clusters did not differ significantly but differences were found on number of days at the resort and recreation activities preferred for the children. Besides the differences in travel motivations it was thus found that the current market is very much homogenous. This holds certain implications for the marketing strategy of the resort.

This study establishes an initial understanding of the state of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Two specific objectives were fulfilled; a) to develop an understanding of the goals and operational procedures of current cruise ship operators, and b) to provide insight into the policies that may be necessary for Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service to enhance management in parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is a relatively new industry. At present, there is a lack of inclusive government guidelines for the Canadian cruise tourism industry. The steady increase of cruise tourism traffic in the region since 1984 suggests the potential for environmental and social impacts to this fragile polar region. There is a need for the creation of guidelines to direct this tourism activity. <br /><br /> A literature review identified the current state of the cruise line industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, Antarctic and Alaskan waters. The policy requirements pertaining to cruise tourism in parks and protected areas were identified including the current management strategies for tourism employed in Northern Canadian parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Content analysis of current cruise tourism literature themes, which were used to create and conduct interviews that explored these themes. From these findings, data was used to create a policy formation framework that will assist in the planning and management of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> The results indicated that cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is percevied as a safe and economically viable industry. The research found a high degree of coherence between the literature and the opinion of the stakeholders in regards to key issues that need to be addressed. Such issues include the need for greater academic research on this topic; the need for policies and guidelines to aid in the management of parks and protected areas in polar regions; a need for unity and cohesion in the Arctic Cruise Tourism Industry and finally, greater government awareness and assistance given to the cruise tourism industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. There was also a high degree of enthusiasm from the stakeholders for inter-group and interagency cooperation. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future of cruise tourism policy creation in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> This thesis proposes a structure for the way forward.

This study establishes an initial understanding of the state of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Two specific objectives were fulfilled; a) to develop an understanding of the goals and operational procedures of current cruise ship operators, and b) to provide insight into the policies that may be necessary for Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service to enhance management in parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is a relatively new industry. At present, there is a lack of inclusive government guidelines for the Canadian cruise tourism industry. The steady increase of cruise tourism traffic in the region since 1984 suggests the potential for environmental and social impacts to this fragile polar region. There is a need for the creation of guidelines to direct this tourism activity. <br /><br /> A literature review identified the current state of the cruise line industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, Antarctic and Alaskan waters. The policy requirements pertaining to cruise tourism in parks and protected areas were identified including the current management strategies for tourism employed in Northern Canadian parks and protected areas. <br /><br /> Content analysis of current cruise tourism literature themes, which were used to create and conduct interviews that explored these themes. From these findings, data was used to create a policy formation framework that will assist in the planning and management of cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> The results indicated that cruise tourism in the Eastern Canadian Arctic is percevied as a safe and economically viable industry. The research found a high degree of coherence between the literature and the opinion of the stakeholders in regards to key issues that need to be addressed. Such issues include the need for greater academic research on this topic; the need for policies and guidelines to aid in the management of parks and protected areas in polar regions; a need for unity and cohesion in the Arctic Cruise Tourism Industry and finally, greater government awareness and assistance given to the cruise tourism industry in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. There was also a high degree of enthusiasm from the stakeholders for inter-group and interagency cooperation. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future of cruise tourism policy creation in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. <br /><br /> This thesis proposes a structure for the way forward.

The aim of the thesis was a proposal to form a tourist information center and its location in the village of Tři Studně. Based on the analysis of supply and demand of the tourist destination offers a service that will provide visitors information center. For tourist information center have been proposed two alternatives. The first draft took advantage of the current meeting room of the Municipal Office at Tři Studně without modification, and it only added new equipment and technology . The second proposal is already associated with structural modifications of the room. Tři Studně are due to its abundant natural potential tourists visited in the summer and winter months. It forms one of the most Important Recreational Areas in Vysočina. Tři Studně in the TIC will be one of the most important elements of marketing communication of the village and its vicinity.