The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of personal attributes, risk perception, and risk reduction strategies on travel intention in the specific context of U.S. travelers and the island destination of Bali, Indonesia. The variables examined in this study are personality traits, subjective knowledge, risk experience, perceived risk, emotion, risk reduction strategies, and intention to visit. Travelers with certain personal attributes (personality traits, subjective knowledge, and risk experience) were asked to evaluate destination risk factors and develop risk perceptions and emotions. They were also asked about different risk-reduction strategies and how each would impact their considerations to visit the destination. The method used in this study was a quantitative approach. The data were collected from U.S. travelers with a non-probability sampling procedure. Participants were asked to complete an online survey through Amazon MTurk. The survey was completed on November 11, 2020. A total of 594 usable responses were retained for data analysis. Descriptive analysis was conducted to describe the socio-demographic and travel experiences of the respondents. PLS-SEM statistical analysis with SmartPLS v.3.0 was then conducted to examine the effects of personal attributes and risk-related variables on intent to visit. Findings showed that risk experience positively influenced risk perception, while psychocentric personality traits and subjective knowledge positively influenced emotion. Risk perception was found not to inhibit intention to visit. In addition, respondents had relatively positive emotion levels regarding the destination. However, risk perception had a positive influence on the intention to engage in various risk reduction strategies, except information search. Only trust and financial strategies had positive influences on intent to visit. The effects of risk perception and emotions in influencing risk reduction strategies were different according to the experienced and non-experienced groups. This study adds to the limited knowledge of tourist risk reduction behaviors in the context of a vulnerable island destination. This study proposes a conceptual framework that provides a more integrated understanding of risk-related behavior. Exploring the complexity of tourists' behavior regarding risk could expand our understanding of how tourists respond to different types of risks. DMOs must understand how tourists respond to different types of risks and support effective strategies to alleviate risk perception.

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate service innovation synergies and their effect on soft key performance indicators from the customer perspective. Innovation can prove to be a great benefit to firms, but they are rarely able to realize this benefit due to high market failure rates. Considering the required investment of resources under uncertainty, it is imperative to understand and discover ways to increase the market success of service innovations. A possible answer lies in the research niche of innovation synergies. Nevertheless, two major research gaps undermine existing knowledge. The first issue is that industry and research fail to take the customer perspective into account, even though market success is ultimately determined by customers and their perceptions of value. Second, a limited research niche of innovation synergies, which has yet to consider the customer perspective and classification systems exclusive to service innovation. Hence, this dissertation aims to answer the following research question: how are synergies between different service innovations perceived and valued by customers? A mixed-methods approach was employed to address the research question. First, a qualitative study with 34 experienced theme park customers enabled the researcher to confirm the contextual appropriateness of the research model. Moreover, it created a foundational understanding of customer-based service innovation synergies. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and the results enriched the development of the second quantitative study. The latter had the primary objective of investigating the effect of different types of service innovation projects (stand-alone service innovations vs synergetic service innovations) on the customers' perceptions of innovation and on soft key performance indicators. An online scenario-based experiment was conducted with theme park customers. Based on 454 responses, the research model was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). An analysis of variance and multigroup analysis were employed to test for differences in groups. This study found that service innovativeness is characterized by change and differentiation and is mainly driven by perceptions of newness and immersion. Additionally, service innovativeness has a positive effect on perceived firm innovativeness, adoption intentions, and loyalty intentions. More importantly, this study found that customers of experiential services perceive synergetic service innovations favorably and significantly more innovative than stand-alone service innovations. Finally, service innovation synergies could be a profit maximization strategy by having a significantly higher impact on loyalty intentions than stand-alone service concept innovations. These results contribute to theory by introducing a new research niche of customer-based service innovation synergies. The dissertation also forwards predictive and holistic knowledge on innovation acceptance and market value. From a managerial standpoint, it helps service firms in attending to two of the most pressing innovation challenges they face, high failure rates and low differentiation. Furthermore, it serves as a strategic guide of best practices to introduce valuable service innovation synergies.

Past research has shown that theft is a prevalent crime against tourists. This study's purpose was to determine the effects of past incidents of personal theft on tourists' future decisions to travel by analyzing and comparing those who have experienced personal theft to those who heard of such incidents through personal accounts of friends or family. The findings, which were taken from a survey of 215 respondents, revealed that that experiencing personal theft, or knowing of someone who has, is not a deterrent for visiting a destination where the theft occurred. Results also showed that one aspect of theft that was a deterrent to travel to destinations was how the authorities handled the reporting of the theft. If these findings are confirmed by other studies, then destinations that are afflicted by such thefts should not necessarily see a reduction in tourist arrivals.

The tourism industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the world's economy, contributing 9.1% of world GDP and more than 260 million jobs worldwide (World Travel & Tourism Council, 2011). The U.S college student market has emerged as major segment within this sector, generating approximately $15 billion on annual domestic and international travel. Among the various travel patterns of college students, they are most highly motivated for spring break travel, with more than two million students traveling per season (Bai et al., 2004; Borgerding, 2001; Reynolds, 2004). This research, through surveying college students majoring in hospitality and tourism management, analyzed the significance of college student perceptions of key spring break destination attributes. A total of 281 usable responses were subjected to the Principal Component Analysis that generated six dimensions: Breaking Away, Sun and Beach, Safety and Hygiene, Psychological Distance, Price and Value, and Social Exploration, comprised of 24 key attributes that influence a college spring breaker's destination selection decision. An Importance-Performance Analysis (Martilla & James, 1977) was conducted based on the respondents' assessment of attributes on five of the six dimensions. The results of the IPA allowed comparison of the top four most visited destinations identified by the respondents: Daytona Beach, South Beach Miami, Panama City Beach, and Clearwater Beach/Tampa. The study findings may provide valuable implications for destination service providers to improve their destination's appeal in this highly competitive and lucrative market. Future research on college spring break groups located in different geographic locations within the country is highly encouraged to better understand the general characteristics of this market.

The purpose of the study was to explore what types of digital content cultural institutions implemented during COVID-19 temporary closures and their effects on social media engagement. Existing research identified the role of digital content and social media in cultural institutions, but only in times of normal operations. The study adds to the existing literature by exploring types of digital content implemented, impacts on social media engagement, measures of social media engagement, and future implications in regard to COVID-19 temporary closures. The study recruited 16 cultural institutions from across the United States to take part in in-depth semi-structured phone interviews to fulfill the research goals. Museums, zoos, aquariums, performing arts organizations, heritage foundations, and historical societies were represented. The results indicated that cultural institutions implemented digital content to build communities through live and serialized content, partnerships, fundraising, increased transparency, and increased accessibility during temporary closures. Using primarily Instagram and Facebook with their digital content, cultural institutions increased social media engagement during this time. Although there was no consensus on best practices in measuring social media engagement, many institutions highlighted tracking active engagement such as likes, comments, and shares. As a result of the success of the digital content, cultural institutions planned continued digital content campaigns such as videos, blogs, partnerships, and paid educational content in times of normal operations.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-83).

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1995. / Typescript. Bibliography: leaves 94-98

This dissertation examines the pervasiveness of storytelling in theme parks and establishes the theme park as a distinct narrative medium. It traces the characteristics of theme park storytelling, how it has changed over time, and what makes the medium unique. This was accomplished using a mixed methods approach drawing data from interviews with creative professionals, archival research, fieldwork, and an analysis of more than eight hundred narrative attractions. The survey of narrative attractions revealed the most common narrative expressions to be dark rides and stage shows. Source material tends to be cultural tales (legends, fairy tales) or intellectual properties (generally films). Throughout major periods and world regions, setting, scenes, and visual storytelling are the most ubiquitous narrative devices. Three dozen techniques and technologies are detailed in this project. Significant impetuses for narrative change over time are the advent of technologies, formalization of the industry, explicit discourse on storytelling, formation of design philosophies, and general convergence of media. There are at least a half dozen key distinctions in theme park narratives compared with other mediums: dimensionality, scale, communality, brevity, a combinatory aspect, and a reiterative nature. Also significant is that creative professionals view themselves as storytellers, purposefully design with narrative systems, embed them in spaces, and participate in public dialogue surrounding narrative and design principles. This study was initiated to expand the literature on emerging media and narratives within the Texts and Technology approach and to fill a gap in the scholarship, as designer standpoint is rarely considered in analysis. This is the first large-scale study of storytelling in the global theme park industry. It uses underrepresented creative voices as participants and recognizes their contributions as storytellers. Finally, the project lays the groundwork for future inquiries into theme parks as storytellers and spatial narrative mediums.

Tourism is a topic that has gained much attention within the realm of anthropology over the past few decades. Anthropological research of the tourism industry has been largely devoted to the study of the tourist gaze and its subsequent sociocultural impacts as well as the benefits that travelers reap from their colonialist excursions. However, the voices of those who form the foundation of this industry, the laborers, remain almost entirely absent from said discourse. Furthermore, there is a lack of anthropological consideration for the relationship between tourism and mental health experiences of employees within the tourism industry. One specific region that is rife with information on tourism and its effects is Orlando, Florida. This research employs participant observation and semi-structured interviews to analyze the lived mental health experiences of current/former Disney cast members as a direct result of their employment within Disney and the Orlando theme park tourism industry. Not only does this thesis aim to backtrack the erasure of the perspectives of tourism employees and help create a space for them to make their voices heard, but it also attempts to bridge the gap of consideration for the impacts of tourism on the mental health of tourism employees within anthropology and touristic studies. Through the application of my own research as well as the minimal amount of relevant anthropological and touristic studies literature, I argue that Orlando theme park tourism exists as a type of structural violence that utilizes performativity and a neoliberal market to cast tourism employees in a slot of servitude that is nearly impossible to escape. As a result, this research possesses great potential to highlight the ways in which Orlando can become the happiest place on earth for its residents and employees, not just those who engage with it for their own leisurely gain.

For years, thousands of trekkers have flocked to Nepal to enjoy the country's combination of spectacular mountain terrain and unique cultural practices. Unfortunately this influx of tourists has caused severe repercussions for the economic, environmental, social, and cultural integrity of the country. Sixty percent of tourism earnings are leaking out of the Nepalese economy. Deforestation, soil erosion, and inadequate sanitary practices are creating permanent changes to the physical environment and ecosystems in the area. Foreigners, who bring with them material wealth and apparent freedom, are influencing the younger members of Nepalese families. Tourism development and pressures are resulting in the erosion of cultural values and long-term damage to cultural traditions. The purpose of this study is to provide a sustainable model for trekking operations in Nepal. The proposed model includes a specific guideline of action for destination decision-makers. This guideline includes the planning process, determination of overall goals and objectives, funding, and logistics. This study gives a macro-overview of the current trekking situation in Nepal and offers and a better alternative for the future.