| Author: | Kim, Jeong Hyun |
| Title: | Developing an evaluation index (SCTEI) for slow city tourism: a Delphi-AHP approach |
| Advisors: | King, Brian (SHTM) Kim, Sam (SHTM) |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Subject: | Tourism Sustainable tourism Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | School of Hotel and Tourism Management |
| Pages: | ix, 236 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | It has become increasingly accepted that current and future generations should understand the principles of sustainable development. However, there are ongoing challenges about implementation, including through the medium of tourism. This dissertation explores the potential for implementing sustainability at a local level using the example of Slow City. Slow City is a global network of small towns that embrace sustainable place-making in smaller cities by creating a unique sense of place. The movement has potential to help members to differentiate themselves from lookalike cities that have neglected their traditions and identities with potential benefits for both residents and visitors through the means of tourism. This dissertation builds a case for the Slow City Tourism Evaluation Index (SCTEI), a robust framework that reflects Slow City principles and provides an integrative tool to assess the "grassroots" development of sustainable tourism. The researcher identified and refined a series of domains, sub-domains, and items that offer a means of evaluating Slow City in the tourism context. She has followed the Delphi-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method and conducted multiple rounds of expert surveys. The final round involved using the AHP method to identify the relative importance of each domain, sub-domain, and SCTEI item. Furthermore, the researcher applied SCTEI to compare and identify the different perceptions of stakeholder groups in local settings, with particular reference to the importance of SCTEI items. The study reaches some important findings. First is the development of SCTEI, which comprises of 7 domains, 18 sub-domains, and 60 items. The researcher identified the following domains within SCTEI: heritage and local identity, tourism and hospitality, quality of urban landscape, environment and energy, infrastructure, education, and conviviality. Of the seven, the particular importance of locality, conviviality, and education for implementing the goals of Slow City is notable. It was found that activities which support the conservation of local heritage and culture are critical for the future of the Slow City movement, because they are fundamental for place-making in smaller cities. If such cities are to build and develop a distinct brand, they must retain and/or create a sense of uniqueness. Involving local residents in the development and promotion of Slow City principles is an essential component of conviviality. In embracing this attribute, it is of significance to include the voice of local residents in decision-making. This will include promotion of the Slow City philosophy which encourages relationship-building amongst and between residents and visitors. The findings of the dissertation have also shown the importance of sustainability education, emphasizing the relationship between education levels, local empowerment, and sustainable development. Finally, the researcher compared the perceived importance of the various SCTEI items amongst three local stakeholder groups: residents, government officials, and residents. Generally speaking, visitors had higher mean scores than residents and civil servants. In addition, visitors and residents attached greater importance to the promotion of green mobility under the infrastructure domain. In seeking to identify any differences amongst and between the groups, it was found that most items demonstrated no significant differences at the 0.05 level. The fact that there was no significant difference between the various stakeholder groups about the perceived importance of the SCTEI items indicates that all generally agree with the proposed items selected. Slow City principles are both complex and interconnected. By developing a comprehensive framework that reflects Slow City goals and by investigating the perceptions of multiple stakeholders, this dissertation contributes to understanding the Slow City movement by identifying its core concepts and ideas. Furthermore, the proposed SCTEI provides a practical guide to the delivery and implementation of sustainable tourism. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
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