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Tourist activities description. SASTDes WP3.6 Report

Motives of Internet uses: Crosscultural Perspectives 'the US, the Netherlands, and South Korea

The aim of this study was to understand the motives for using the Internet, and its associations with users' attitudes, social values, and relational involvement. Also, this study attempted to crossculturally compare the difference in the pattern of motives and the associations among three countries ' the US, the Netherlands, and S. Korea. The design of methods was based on examination and revision of uses and gratification approach toward Internet users. Findings from factor analysis revealed that information seeking and Self-Improvement were the dominant and common reasons for using the Internet across three countries. The differences in the composition of motives in each country were also reported. Strong correlations across countries were found between all the motives and satisfaction of the Internet. Expectation and positive evaluation of the Internet were also important attitudes associated with Internet use motives. Postmaterialist value showed strong association with motives of information seeking and Self-Improvement. Community involvement was significantly associated with Internet use motives in Korean users.

Conceptualizing the dark ride experience through the Dark Ride Cube: Evidence from the EMEA region.

Dark rides are archetypal theme park attractions that provide compelling experiences through carefully structured experience designs. In a literature review, we follow and slightly modify Langhof and Güldenberg’s conceptualization of the dark ride experience (DRE) and suggest that the DRE mostly consists of narrative transportation, presence, flow, and emotions. However, to what extent these conceptualizations match actual dark ride supply remains unexamined. Therefore, we evaluate 238 dark rides in the EMEA region on product determinants of the DRE and compare literature-based conceptualizations of the DRE against actual dark ride supply. Findings indicate that dark rides highly vary in terms of storytelling, theming, and pervasive interactivity, thus questioning whether all components of the DRE always apply to the full dark ride spectrum. Proposing the Dark Ride Cube as a dark ride typology, Langhof and Güldenberg’s conceptualization of the DRE is largely confirmed, as well as the currently suggested modifications.

A management perspective on the impact of new attractions

Whereas investments in new attractions continue to rise within the theme park industry, knowledge regarding the effects of new attractions on theme park performance and attendance remains scarce. In this article results from a research amongst general managers of theme parks in Europe will be presented. Different methods were used to investigate what the impact of adding a new attraction on the number of visitors to a theme park would be, according to the general management. The managers first responded to a written survey and then answered some detailed, elaborative questions by email or telephone. The majority of managers also participated in an in-depth interview. Results show that investing in new attractions is considered to be the most important (controllable) factor on the number of visitors in both the short and long run. Most theme parks in Europe invest in major new attractions once every three years, combining it with a minor investment every year. Large differences in effects were found between parks. Parks that invest once every three years showed the highest effect on number of visitors for their latest new attraction.

Intercultural park design

Report in English on the results of the international Master Class by Stadslab on intercultural park design. The case described is a design for for a park in Eastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol. A redevelopment strategy is proposed for its historic Gorky Park (1936). The book also contains essays by intercultural cities expert Phil Wood and introductions by Marc Glaudemans, Beatriz Ramo and Olexandr Butsenko.

Theme parks and happiness