title: The role of local communities in community-based tourism development in traditional tea production areas in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam

authors: Nguyen, Thi Ngoc Dung

subjects: local communities

abstract: This thesis is a theoretical and empirical examination of the role of local communities in sustainable tourism development through community-based tourism. It reveals how community participation and empowerment in tourism could be enhanced from listening to, understanding, and integrating the voices of local people. It conceptualises a way that uniquely accounts for, and celebrates, local people’s understandings and expressions of themselves, their community and local tourism development. I argue that reclaiming and acknowledging local people’s power and collective responsibility in upholding their central role has the potential to transform experiences of/about local people and enable them to achieve what they desire in tourism. A mixed methodology was used, the majority of which was qualitative, to help draw better comprehensive answers for my research questions. Data collected from 28 interviews, 130 questionnaires, 3 focus groups and participation in local daily activities gave me a better insight into the community, whether they participated or not in CBT, and in managerial affairs.
Empirical material is arranged around four key themes. The first highlights the needs to recommit to local characteristics as the roots of tourism development, drivers of attractiveness and competitiveness in the face of globalisation. The dialogue between tourism and local development can be more effective if decision-makers, actors in tourism, and the hosting community develop policies and attitudes resulting from an understanding of the significance of local characteristics. The second theme determines the barriers that prevent more local people from participation in community-based tourism development. This reveals how communities themselves become a source of challenges to the practical implementation of sustainable tourism. Third, this study provides a deeper understanding of how shifts in power can be achieved and lead to social change. It is important to re-confirm that the power to act is within local people’s hands. Local people’s role and participation can and must be promoted for successful implementation of sustainable tourism development by acknowledging their power and enabling them to exercise that power. This study also unpacks the significance of collaboration of all the stakeholders as it generates collective power in CBT development. Finally, this thesis reveals the importance to address and promote the concept of inclusive tourism, which is meaningful for collective responsibility in upholding the central role of the local people to achieve sustainable tourism development. 
This research responds to the scarcity of existing academic scholarship pertaining to the power of local people within tourism development, and provides an opportunity to advance the innovative and forward thinking of inclusive tourism. I argue that inclusive tourism should be the answer to a changing world. Given the challenges that each stakeholder faces today, this study demonstrates that the concept of looking beyond each stakeholder and the need for collective action and collaboration have never been clearer.

text: The role of local communities in community-based tourism development in traditional tea production areas in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam This thesis is a theoretical and empirical examination of the role of local communities in sustainable tourism development through community-based tourism. It reveals how community participation and empowerment in tourism could be enhanced from listening to, understanding, and integrating the voices of local people. It conceptualises a way that uniquely accounts for, and celebrates, local people’s understandings and expressions of themselves, their community and local tourism development. I argue that reclaiming and acknowledging local people’s power and collective responsibility in upholding their central role has the potential to transform experiences of/about local people and enable them to achieve what they desire in tourism. A mixed methodology was used, the majority of which was qualitative, to help draw better comprehensive answers for my research questions. Data collected from 28 interviews, 130 questionnaires, 3 focus groups and participation in local daily activities gave me a better insight into the community, whether they participated or not in CBT, and in managerial affairs.
Empirical material is arranged around four key themes. The first highlights the needs to recommit to local characteristics as the roots of tourism development, drivers of attractiveness and competitiveness in the face of globalisation. The dialogue between tourism and local development can be more effective if decision-makers, actors in tourism, and the hosting community develop policies and attitudes resulting from an understanding of the significance of local characteristics. The second theme determines the barriers that prevent more local people from participation in community-based tourism development. This reveals how communities themselves become a source of challenges to the practical implementation of sustainable tourism. Third, this study provides a deeper understanding of how shifts in power can be achieved and lead to social change. It is important to re-confirm that the power to act is within local people’s hands. Local people’s role and participation can and must be promoted for successful implementation of sustainable tourism development by acknowledging their power and enabling them to exercise that power. This study also unpacks the significance of collaboration of all the stakeholders as it generates collective power in CBT development. Finally, this thesis reveals the importance to address and promote the concept of inclusive tourism, which is meaningful for collective responsibility in upholding the central role of the local people to achieve sustainable tourism development. 
This research responds to the scarcity of existing academic scholarship pertaining to the power of local people within tourism development, and provides an opportunity to advance the innovative and forward thinking of inclusive tourism. I argue that inclusive tourism should be the answer to a changing world. Given the challenges that each stakeholder faces today, this study demonstrates that the concept of looking beyond each stakeholder and the need for collective action and collaboration have never been clearer.

year: 2019

title: Travel recommendations in a mobile tourist information system

authors: Hinze, Annika

subjects: computer science

abstract: An advanced mobile tourist information system delivers information about sights and events on a tourists travel route. The system should be personalized in its interaction with the tourist. Data that can be used for personalization are: the tourists interest profile, an analysis of their travel history, and the tourists feedback about sights. Existing mobile information systems for tourists do not tailor their information delivery to the tourists interests. In this paper, we propose the use of personalised recommendations that consider all of the personal information a tourist provides. We adopt and modify techniques from recommended systems to the new application area of mobile tourist information. We propose a number of methods for personalised recommendations; and select a subset of these for implementation. This paper then presents the implemented recommended component of our TIP system for mobile tourist information

text: Travel recommendations in a mobile tourist information system An advanced mobile tourist information system delivers information about sights and events on a tourists travel route. The system should be personalized in its interaction with the tourist. Data that can be used for personalization are: the tourists interest profile, an analysis of their travel history, and the tourists feedback about sights. Existing mobile information systems for tourists do not tailor their information delivery to the tourists interests. In this paper, we propose the use of personalised recommendations that consider all of the personal information a tourist provides. We adopt and modify techniques from recommended systems to the new application area of mobile tourist information. We propose a number of methods for personalised recommendations; and select a subset of these for implementation. This paper then presents the implemented recommended component of our TIP system for mobile tourist information

year: 2005-05-23

title: Boat electrofishing survey of fish abundance in the Ohau Channel, Rotorua, in 2013

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

abstract: The aim of this survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study we present the findings from the seventh year of sampling (2013) in view of previous surveys using boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel. 
We used the University of Waikato's 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 1,025 fish (20.3 kg) from 11 sites comprising 2,817 lineal m and 11,484 m² in area on 27 November 2013. Common bully were the most abundant fish species (57% of the catch) followed by common smelt (36% of the catch).
Goldfish had their highest biomasses in the lower channel, especially at site 10 near Lake Rotoiti (up to 7.25 g m⁻²). Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for common bullies exceeded smelt CPUE at all sites except site 1, reflecting their greater densities. CPUE for rainbow trout was variable between the sites, and greatest at site 3. 
The abundance of common bullies in 2013 reversed the apparent trend of reducing abundance since these surveys started in 2007. The cause of fluctuating bully abundance is not known, and was not accounted for by water clarity expressed as black disc distance (BDD) or water conductivity. Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but BDD was greater in 2012 than in 2011 when common bully densities were lower. In 2013, the apparent decline in smelt abundance was also reversed, but the relatively inefficient sampling resulting from boat electrofishing for these two species should be considered. 
The increased goldfish biomass in 2011-2013 arose because of targeted fishing in the excavated side branch, which clearly offers good habitat for goldfish. Removal of goldfish in the previous years may have reduced the density in the excavated side channel (site 11) compared to previous years. In 2013, a shortfin eel was caught, following the first shortfin eel encountered in the Ohau Channel in 2012.

text: Boat electrofishing survey of fish abundance in the Ohau Channel, Rotorua, in 2013 The aim of this survey was to provide on-going monitoring of the fish communities and abundance in the Ohau Channel, especially fish species that are taonga to Maori (eels, goldfish, and koura). In the current study we present the findings from the seventh year of sampling (2013) in view of previous surveys using boat electrofishing in the Ohau Channel. 
We used the University of Waikato's 4.5 m-long, aluminium-hulled electrofishing boat to catch a total of 1,025 fish (20.3 kg) from 11 sites comprising 2,817 lineal m and 11,484 m² in area on 27 November 2013. Common bully were the most abundant fish species (57% of the catch) followed by common smelt (36% of the catch).
Goldfish had their highest biomasses in the lower channel, especially at site 10 near Lake Rotoiti (up to 7.25 g m⁻²). Catch per unit effort (CPUE) for common bullies exceeded smelt CPUE at all sites except site 1, reflecting their greater densities. CPUE for rainbow trout was variable between the sites, and greatest at site 3. 
The abundance of common bullies in 2013 reversed the apparent trend of reducing abundance since these surveys started in 2007. The cause of fluctuating bully abundance is not known, and was not accounted for by water clarity expressed as black disc distance (BDD) or water conductivity. Poor water clarity can reduce the efficiency of electrofishing, but BDD was greater in 2012 than in 2011 when common bully densities were lower. In 2013, the apparent decline in smelt abundance was also reversed, but the relatively inefficient sampling resulting from boat electrofishing for these two species should be considered. 
The increased goldfish biomass in 2011-2013 arose because of targeted fishing in the excavated side branch, which clearly offers good habitat for goldfish. Removal of goldfish in the previous years may have reduced the density in the excavated side channel (site 11) compared to previous years. In 2013, a shortfin eel was caught, following the first shortfin eel encountered in the Ohau Channel in 2012.

year: 2014