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The Impacts of Uncertainty and Continuity of COVID-19 on Leisure and Tourism

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 20649

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Shang-Pao Yeh

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Chief Guest Editor

Department of Hospitality and MICE Marketing Management, National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, Kaohsiung 81271, Taiwan
Interests: leisure and sports management; human resource and organization management;tourism management

Prof. Ren-Fang Chao

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Guest Editor

Department of Leisure Management, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan
Interests: tourism management; marketing management; community development; sustainable sociology; environmental education; ecological conservation

Dr. Tungju Wu

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Guest Editor

School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin 150001, China
Interests: work stress and emotion; digital and intelligent organizational behavior; quality of work-life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Chi Lu Peng

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Guest Editor

Business Intelligence School, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 80778, Taiwan
Interests: tourism finance; hospitality management accounting; marketing finance; CSR; applied econometrics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The sudden emergence and the rapid worldwide spread of COVID-19 has brought unexpected challenges and impacts to almost all economic sectors. While the leisure and tourism sector is one of the leading contributors in the global economy, the COVID-19 pandemic has also revealed this sector as the most vulnerable one. The drastic decline in global tourism shown by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) appears to illustrate the vulnerability of the leisure and tourism industry. Recent evidence has also suggested a slight uptrend as some destinations have started to lift restrictions due to vaccination efforts. Although the ongoing pandemic has caused a great number of leisure and tourism organizations to withdraw from the market, their counterparts are still striving for new approaches to sustain themselves in the seemingly unforeseeable future.

The impact of COVID-19 has triggered changes in the leisure and tourism sector in many aspects, including individuals, businesses, and public sectors. Such changes were initiated in order to promote their sustainability in the face of the pandemic. To successfully steer through the uncertainties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, we are inviting studies that share scientific evidence and philosophical wisdom pertaining to changing patterns for sustainability that can be found in the leisure and tourism sector.

Regarding the impact of COVID-19 on leisure and tourism, the topics welcome in this Special Issue will include but are not limited to the following:

Changes in individual behaviors;
Sustainable strategies for businesses and organizations;
Organizational change and management;
Technology and big data application;
Creativity and innovation;
Tourism and finance;
Macroeconomic conditions.

Prof. Shang-Pao Yeh
Chief Guest Editor

Prof. Ren-Fang Chao
Prof. Tungju Wu
Dr. Chi Lu Peng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

leisure
tourism
change
COVID-19
performance
sustainability

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1814 KiB

Open AccessArticle

COVID-19 Impacts on Whale-Watching Collaboration Networks

by Alfonso Langle-Flores, Zinthia López-Vázquez, Rosa María Chávez-Dagostino and Adriana Aguilar-Rodríguez

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13846; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113846 - 25 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1502

Abstract

Whale-watching tourism generates high-income seasonal livelihoods in coastal communities on the Mexican Pacific Coast; however, this sector is at risk from accelerated global changes. We evaluated the responses of a collaboration of tourism networks regarding the impacts COVID-19 using a longitudinal social network approach. We used a two-wave snowball method to identify potential interviewees and followed geographic and jurisdictional criteria using a face-to-face survey to map collaboration ties between 38 stakeholders involved in whale-watching tourism before and after the second wave of the pandemic. We also asked this group of stakeholders about their perceived impacts of COVID-19. We found slightly higher connectivity and centralization levels in the social networks after the pandemic. Loss of income and reservations, a decrease in both conservations and pollution, and an increase in the reduction in wildlife tourism were the main self-reported impacts. We also detected harmful pandemic legacies, such as whale-watching tours conducted using unregulated private boats. This research directly informs Mexico’s whale-watching tourism policy by showing the management and coordination challenges that stakeholders face in a post-pandemic context. While the social fabric of coastal communities has been resilient to the COVID-19 pandemic, we found indications that the governance of marine resources can easily unravel if rule of law is absent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Uncertainty and Continuity of COVID-19 on Leisure and Tourism)

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14 pages, 964 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Flow Experience on Online Game Addiction during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Effect of Activity Passion

by Pinyapat Kiatsakared and Kuan-Yu Chen

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12364; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912364 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5119

Abstract

Stay-at-home mandates and quarantines related to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have led to significantly increased participation in online gaming. However, as players continue to participate in online games, it may also trigger online game addiction. This study aimed to explore the relationship between players’ flow experience and online game addiction, and to verify whether differences in the type of passion lead to online game addiction. This study used the structural equation model (SEM) to verify the causal relationship between the constructs and then considered model implications with the fit index measurement standard. After investigating 232 players who are passionate about online games, the analysis results show that the higher the flow experience experienced by online game players, the more likely it is to lead to online gaming addiction. Further verification results show that players’ activity passion significantly moderates the relationship between flow experience and online game addiction, and players with obsessive passion are more likely to experience online game addiction than players with harmonious passion. Future work will explore the causes of online game addiction from different perspectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Uncertainty and Continuity of COVID-19 on Leisure and Tourism)

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22 pages, 690 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mediating Effect of Brand Image and Satisfaction on Loyalty through Experiential Marketing: A Case Study of a Sugar Heritage Destination

by Aileen H. Chen and Ryan Y. Wu

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7122; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127122 - 10 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4377

Abstract

While the value of industrial heritage tourism has been recognized, less is known about visitors’ experience formation process and its role along with brand image and satisfaction in predicting their loyalty towards industrial heritage destinations. This study adopted the experiential marketing approach to unveil the experience formation process. It also examined the decisive factors of loyalty, by further exploring the mediating effects of brand image and satisfaction on the relationship between experiences and loyalty. A survey questionnaire method was used to collect data from 399 visitors to a sugar heritage destination in Taiwan. The results supported the application of experiential marking in a sugar heritage destination and suggested that visitors’ experiences are most driven by how they feel, think, and act. The findings also confirmed the causal relationship and indicated the importance of brand image on loyalty formation and its mediating role between experience and loyalty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Uncertainty and Continuity of COVID-19 on Leisure and Tourism)

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16 pages, 18324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Switching Intention and Behaviors to Wetland Ecotourism after the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspective of Push-Pull-Mooring Model

by Ying-Wei Wu, Ting-Hsiu Liao, Shang-Pao Yeh and Hao-Chen Huang

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6198; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106198 - 19 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2486

Abstract

This study used a push–pull–mooring model (PPM model) to build an integrated model to explain the influencing factors of tourists’ switching intention to wetland ecotourism after the COVID-19 pandemic. The push effect is crowding perception, the pull effect is nature-based destination attractiveness, and the mooring effect is the risk perception of COVID-19. The study collected 551 valid research samples by questionnaire survey in two world-class wetlands in Taiwan. The results of the regression analysis showed that push, pull, and mooring influenced tourists’ switching intention to wetland ecotourism. Among them, the mooring effect regulated the relationship between the push effect and switching intention to wetland ecotourism, but did not regulate the relationship between the pull effect and switching intention to wetland ecotourism. Finally, the switching intention to wetland ecotourism further influenced wetland ecotourism behaviors. It is expected that people can go outdoors after the COVID-19 pandemic and bring substantial economic benefits of tourism to wetland ecological attractions in Taiwan. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Uncertainty and Continuity of COVID-19 on Leisure and Tourism)

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16 pages, 750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Acceptance of Marine Ecotourism after the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan

by Chun-Nan Chang, Ting-Hsiu Liao and Hao-Chen Huang

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6116; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106116 - 18 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2183

Abstract

Due to its rich marine biological resources, Taiwan is a place worthy of developing marine ecotourism. This study explores the marine ecotourism intentions and marine ecotourism behaviors of tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic by using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) method. Under the UTAUT framework, this study considered the factor of environmental attitudes and issued questionnaires in four research areas, namely, Yilan Wushi Fishing Harbor, Port of Hualien, Hualien Stone Stairs Platform, and Taitung Chengfong Fishing Port. In total, 431 effective research samples were collected. First, this study verified the validity and reliability of the dimensions through confirmatory factor analysis. According to the results of structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and environmental attitude all have an influence on tourists’ marine ecotourism intentions, while facilitating conditions had no influences on tourists’ marine ecotourism intentions. Tourists’ marine ecotourism intentions further influenced their marine ecotourism behaviors. In addition, this study evaluated the mediating effect of marine ecotourism intentions by nested-model analysis. Finally, this study provided substantive policy recommendations as a reference for tourism management units and local governments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Uncertainty and Continuity of COVID-19 on Leisure and Tourism)

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16 pages, 617 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conceptualizing the Internet Compulsive-Buying Tendency: What We Know and Need to Know in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Hui-Ling Huang, Yue-Yang Chen and Shan-Ciao Sun

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1549; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031549 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3184

Abstract

Over the past decade, new innovative products and services have been introduced into the marketplace using advanced technology. The enticement of new products lures consumers to buy compulsively. Because of the convenience and the characteristics of online shopping, it will increase the incidence of compulsive-buying behavior. Meanwhile, due to the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to spread around the world, consumers may change their decision-making and behavior to shop online more frequently and intensively. The repetitive shopping online means more cardboard, delivery transportations, and vehicles and that more goods will be produced. It will result in an unfriendly result for the environment. Given the critical role of compulsive buying in the emerging Internet retail environment, it is necessary to develop and validate an instrument to measure the Internet compulsive-buying tendency (ICBT). Therefore, a rigorous measurement-scale-development procedure was applied to evaluate the initial 31 items. After two rounds of data collection and assessment, the final instrument contained 18 items that fall into four subconstructs: the tendency to spend online, feelings about online shopping and spending, dysfunctional online spending, and online post-purchase guilt. These factors can provide a basis for predicting tendencies toward Internet compulsive shopping and can be used to evaluate consumers’ abnormal behavior in online-shopping circumstances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impacts of Uncertainty and Continuity of COVID-19 on Leisure and Tourism)

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