Merging traditional and new research designs, data sources and analytical methods: The new gold standard for decision-making in tourism? (SURVEY+)

 

 

Project details:
This project directly supports the initiatives of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to strengthen the statistical evidence-base underpinning tourism policy. Traditional data sources such as surveys and other data sources based on structured statistical processes remain the gold standard for informed tourism management in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. However, traditional approaches often require high levels of aggregation, while becoming less efficient and more expensive. The SURVEY+ project is aimed at improving the survey methods and effectiveness of survey research supported by new data sources (big data) and advanced analytical tools such as machine learning. Project outcomes will support the development of the statistical framework for measuring the socio-economic impacts of tourism.

Scientific activities:

  • Measuring the socio-economic impacts of tourism
  • Reducing the risk of response bias in survey research
  • Increasing the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of survey research
  • Establishing a methodological framework for conducting experimental research in tourism
  • Implementing machine learning methods and big data analysis with survey research methodology
  • Analysis of the willingness to engage in citizen science initiatives for monitoring and measuring tourism
 

Project leader:
Ivan Sever, PhD

Team members:

  • Ana Perišić, PhD (Faculty of Science Split, Šibenik University of Applied Sciences)
  • Miroslav Verbič, PhD (Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana)
  • Josip Mikulić, PhD (Faculty of Economics & Business Zagreb, Institute for Tourism)
  • Zrinka Marušić, mag. math., univ. spec. oec. (Institute for Tourism)
  • Ivo Beroš, PhD (Institute for Tourism)
  • Ivan Kožić, PhD (Institute for Tourism)
  • Hrvoje Carić, PhD (Institute for Tourism)
  • Ivan Sever, PhD (Institute for Tourism)
 

News


13.12.2024.

Visit by students from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija

On December 13, 2024, the Institute of Tourism hosted students from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija: 1st year graduate students taking the course Research Methods in Tourism and 1st year undergraduate students taking the course Statistics. The students were familiarized with the Institute's scientific and professional projects, and given an insight into the specific research methods applied by the Institute's researchers. Presentations to the students were given by Zrinka Marušić, Ivan Kožić, Hrvoje Carić and Ivan Sever.

 


02.12.2024.

Measuring the stress of residents facing overtourism pressures

Hrvoje Carić held an online meeting with Professor Sofie Van Hoecke from University of Ghent, Belgium, and with Nenad Raca, CEO of Aduro, a company specialized in business solutions based on machine learning and artificial intelligence models. They discussed a potential cooperation between their research institutions and applications for upcoming EU calls, in the context of measuring and monitoring stress of residents in destinations facing overtourism. Professor Sofie Van Hoecke from University of Ghent is one of the leading researchers in the field of measuring and monitoring stress in everyday context via the objective, physiological stress indicators that enable the detection of relevant stressors from the environment.


03.09.2024.

Ivan Sever, Ph.D., participated in the 63rd international congress of the European Regional Science Association

 

Ivan Sever, Ph.D., participated in the 63rd international congress of the European Regional Science Association. The congress was held in the town of Angra do Heroismo on the Portuguese island of Terceira. He presented a scientific paper entitled "From thresholds to risk factors: Prioritization of socio-economic risks to sustainable tourism development", which is the result of research conducted in collaboration with Ana Perišić, Ph.D., and Neven Ivandić, Ph.D., who are also co-authors on the paper. The paper was presented at the congress session G35: Tourism and Overtourism Issues.

 


01.07.2024.

The cooperation of the Faculty of Science in Split, the Department of Mathematics, and the Institute for Tourism on the scientific project SURVEY+

The cooperation of the Faculty of Science in Split, the Department of Mathematics, and the Institute for Tourism on the scientific project SURVEY+ resulted in the defense of the diploma thesis by student Jakov Vodanović, who demonstrated the usefulness of applying advanced statistical methods in improving the interpretation of the findings and policy implications from the surveys on residents' attitudes towards tourism.

The topic of the thesis is the assessment of the relative importance of perceived tourism impacts in order to determine the risk factors for the well-being of residents. This enables the prioritization of indicators for monitoring the social dimension of tourism sustainability, and more effective planning of preventive or corrective policy measures.

The analysis is based on the data from the survey of residents carried out for the Study of the tourism carrying capacity of the city of Split. In addition to thanking the Tourist board of Split for access to data, we congratulate our Jakov!


 
 
10.06.2024.

Participation in a meeting organized by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Ivan Sever, Ph.D. and Hrvoje Carić, Ph.D. participated in the Scientific-professional colloquium "Tourism, public and common good: Open issues of use and management of public spaces", organized by the Scientific Council for Tourism and Space of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the Faculty of Economics, Business, and Tourism of the University of Split. The colloquium was held at the Faculty of Economics, Business, and Tourism in Split, where Ivan Sever presented a paper entitled „Tourism zoning as an important factor in the analysis of residents' attitudes towards tourism.“


 
 
09.02.2024.

Kick off meeting at the internal research project SURVEY+

On February 9, 2024, the first meeting of the scientific research project SURVEY+ was held at the Institute for Tourism. The project is aimed at improving survey methods and more efficient implementation of survey research supported by new data sources (big data) and advanced analytical tools such as machine learning. The aim of the project is to improve the statistical framework for better measurement of socio-economic impacts of tourism. At the meeting, the members of the project team were introduced, along with a presentation of the activities planned during the first year of the project, which are mostly related to the methodological framework for identifying and prioritizing socio-economic risks for sustainable tourism development, assessment of bias and validity in survey research, and sentiment analysis.
The entire project team consists of eight scientists from five institutions: Institute for Tourism, Faculty of Science Split, Šibenik University of Applied Sciences, Institute for Economic Research in Ljubljana and Faculty of Economics & Business in Zagreb.