Social Sciences

Abstract: This study examined which technical-tactical indicators are associated with match outcomes in the Bulgarian First Professional Football League. Match-level Wyscout data were analysed for 829 fixtures across three seasons (2022/23–2024/25), with each fixture contributing a single record and indicators expressed as home-minus-away differences per 90 minutes. An ordinal proportional-odds logistic regression predicted the ordered match outcome (loss < draw < win), controlling for opponent strength, corroborated by a Random Forest classifier with permutation importance and SHAP attribution and by a structural equation model with a latent progression construct. A process-only regression was significant (McFadden pseudo-R² = 0.264): penalty-area entries via runs (OR = 1.75), counterattacks (OR = 1.63), interceptions (OR = 1.35), and deep completed passes (OR = 1.30) were positively associated with favourable outcomes, whereas penalty-area entries via crosses (OR = 0.50) and, after adjustment, ball possession (OR = 0.70) were negatively associated; all three corroborating methods converged on this pattern. Adding outcome-proximal indicators (expected goals, shots on target) improved fit (pseudo-R² = 0.354) but reflected outcome proximity rather than antecedent prediction. Match outcomes here are associated with how teams enter the penalty area—carried entries and transitions rather than crosses—rather than with possession dominance, extending the possession paradox in a less-resourced national competition and offering a transferable analytical template for under-studied leagues.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini are increasingly embedded in the way travelers search for destinations, develop itineraries, compare travel options, and make booking and activity-related decisions. As AI-based travel assistance becomes more accessible, understanding how travelers perceive and repeatedly use these technologies has become important for both tourism researchers and the travel industry. This study examined AI usage behavior, perceived value, and continuance intention among Korean travelers using a descriptive-correlational research design. A structured online questionnaire was administered to 401 respondents with prior overseas travel experience. The survey measured respondents’ use of AI across major stages of international trip planning, including destination search, itinerary development, accommodation search, transportation search, and activity recommendations, as well as their perceptions of AI’s usefulness, convenience, personalization, time-saving benefits, and trustworthiness. The results show that respondents generally “agree” that they use AI across the major stages of trip planning and perceive AI as a convenient and useful tool for obtaining and organizing travel information. Respondents also reported favorable perceptions of AI in terms of saving time, providing personalized recommendations, improving convenience, and offering trustworthy information. AI usage behavior and perceived value differed significantly according to age, occupation, travel frequency, and frequency of AI use, whereas no statistically significant difference was observed by gender. Correlation analysis further revealed that perceived value was the strongest correlate of continuance intention (ρ = 0.740, p < .001), followed by AI usage behavior (ρ = 0.679, p < .001). These findings indicate that travelers who perceive AI as useful, convenient, personalized, and trustworthy are more likely to continue incorporating AI into their future travel planning activities. The findings highlight the importance of improving AI-based personalization, usability, and information credibility to encourage sustained adoption and strengthen AI-supported travel experiences in the tourism industry.

Abstract: Tourism seasonality affects destination sustainability by concentrating demand into a short period and leaving accommodation capacity underused off-season. This study examines whether Romanian tourism reverted to its pre-pandemic seasonal pattern once volumes recovered, comparing 2019 with 2025 using monthly data (INS TEMPO-Online) on arrivals, overnight stays, and net occupancy, from which operating capacity is derived. Seasonal concentration is measured with the Gini index and three complementary measures, nationally, for exhaustive partitions by visitor origin and accommodation category, and for four destination case studies. Arrivals exceeded the 2019 level by 4.89%, overnight stays returned to it, and the average length of stay fell by 5.25%; operating capacity rose by 14.03%, and net occupancy fell in every month, from 34.15% to 29.76%. The national Gini index of arrivals rose by only 1.20%; counterfactual reweighting shows that the flattening of the non-resident profile offset most of the rise for residents, and that the shift of arrivals toward 4–5-star establishments offset about half of the increase by accommodation category. Operating capacity, non-resident arrivals, and the seaside case studies moved outside the range of 12-month rolling windows on all three measures. The analysis is descriptive; national aggregates understate the redistribution it documents.

Abstract: Whale shark watching has become an important nature-based tourism activity in La Paz, where small-scale tour operators have played a key role in conservation through long-term collaboration with several stakeholders and in acting in several activities since 2003. However, these operators are vulnerable due to stricter conservation regulations, intensified competition from larger and foreign firms, and external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring persistent trade-offs between biodiversity protection and local livelihoods. To inform strategies that reconcile conservation and competitiveness, this study employs a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE), Citizen Jury, and widely accessible digital platforms, presenting six scenarios to elicit individual willingness to pay (WTP). Results indicate that tourists' maximum WTP ranges from 147 to 195% more for better-trained guides, from 62 to 68% for maritime signaling, from 168 to 171% for monitoring, and from 23 to 37% for vessel improvement, suggesting that conservation-oriented investments can generate economic benefits rather than impose additional costs. The potential collection under these scenarios ranges from USD 1.044 million to USD 8.448 million if the strategies were implemented. The findings imply that investment in human capital, conservation practices, and branding strategies may enhance the resilience and competitiveness of small-scale operators while supporting conservation objectives.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: This prospective observational study compared six-month changes in body composition, exercise performance, and cardiorespiratory fitness between amateur swimmers following coach-supervised periodized training and swimmers training independently. Methods: Twenty healthy men aged 40–60 years were enrolled in a coach-supervised master-swimmer group (MS; n = 10) or a self-directed leisure-swimmer group (LS; n = 10). Both groups swam three times per week and reported similar total training volumes. Anthropometry, body composition, dietary intake, and cardiopulmonary responses during an incremental treadmill test were assessed before training (T0) and after six months (T6). Results: Total exercise time and maximal treadmill speed increased numerically in both groups, with no significant between-group differences (p > 0.05). The reported percentage changes in maximal oxygen uptake were 12.6 ± 14.0% in MS and 2.5 ± 5.4% in LS, while oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold changed by 16.8 ± 16.8% and 2.5 ± 5.4%, respectively (reported between-group p < 0.05). Body-composition changes did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions: Coach-supervised periodized training was associated with larger improvements in aerobic-fitness indices than self-directed training of broadly similar volume.

Abstract: Mountain destinations are vital areas for sustainable tourism, yet the cultural value of local culinary heritage is often underutilized compared to natural attractions. This study examines the role of culinary heritage in the development of ecotourism in the Sharr Mountains region, investigating its contribution to tourist experiences, satisfaction, and destination loyalty. Data were collected from 93 domestic and international tourists through a structured survey, complemented by field observations and documentary analysis. The empirical analysis evaluates visitor perceptions regarding the authenticity and quality of traditional Sharr gastronomy, alongside behavioral intentions to recommend or return to the region. The findings indicate that traditional gastronomy is an important component of the visitor experience, receiving exceptionally high ratings for authenticity and quality. Furthermore, a strong positive relationship was observed between engagement with local food systems, overall tourist satisfaction, and intentions to revisit and recommend the Sharr Mountains. The study concludes that culinary heritage can function simultaneously as an intangible cultural resource and a strategic destination development tool. Integrating traditional gastronomy into sustainable mountain tourism products strengthens local economic participation and supports long-term cultural preservation.

Abstract: Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies are resetting hotel operations, guest experiences, and workforce dynamics. This study investigates awareness of 4IR technologies among managerial employees in three- to five-star hotels in Gauteng, South Africa, with particular attention to industry experience, formal job level, hotel star grading, perceived benefits, and direct organisational exposure to implemented technologies. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey used a structured questionnaire completed by 146 managerial employees. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, chi-square tests, and Fisher’s exact tests were used. Years of industry experience were significantly associated with awareness (chi-square(3) = 13.56, p = 0.004), with the 11–15-year group reporting the highest proportion of greater awareness (78.38%). Job level (p = 0.236) and hotel star grading (p = 0.155) were not significantly associated with awareness. Artificial intelligence implementation (p = 0.043), Internet of Things implementation (p = 0.006), and perceived operational benefits (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with awareness. Interpreted through an integrated technology-adoption framework, the findings indicate that mid-career experience and direct technology exposure are more closely associated with awareness than formal hierarchy or luxury classification.

Abstract: Cultural tourism is usually identified from travellers’ primary motive, yet what visitors actually do at the destination may reveal a broader heritage market. Using a hypothetico-deductive design, this study examines 3,551 trip records from the March 2026 public-use file of Spain’s Encuesta de Turismo de Residentes (ETR/FAMILITUR), applying official survey weights. Cultural engagement is derived from reported cultural visits, performances, and other cultural activities. Among culturally engaged travellers, 56.4% did not report culture as their primary motive (bootstrap 95% CI: 52.5–60.5%), and agreement between motive- and engagement-based classifications was only moderate (κ = 0.459). Multiple correspondence analysis and weighted latent class analysis support a four-class solution (BIC = 36,486.13; entropy = 0.832). The Urban-Cultural Explorers class accounts for 21.2% of weighted trips, although only 46.1% of its members report a cultural primary motive. In adjusted models, cultural engagement is associated with approximately 14.0% higher total expenditure (p < 0.001), whereas stated cultural motivation is not significant. Engagement also performs better in information-criterion comparisons and repeated cross-validation. No significant satisfaction effect is detected; cultural engagement is associated with lower previous visitation, and hidden heritage tourists exhibit a distinct multivariate trip profile. Overall, the results reveal a measurable motivation–engagement gap with implications for heritage-market sizing, segmentation, and economic-value assessment.

Abstract: This study aimed to analyze residual post-match fatigue using time-motion analysis across small-sided games (SSGs), fitness performance, and heart rate variability (HRV) in youth soccer players. Fifteen academy players (18.3 ± 0.6 years) performed four SSGs formats: 3 vs. 3 and 3 vs. 3 + 2 goalkeepers, played on small (25 × 18 m; 75 m² per player) and large (36 × 25 m; 150 m² per player) areas in a four-week experimental design. Two non-match weeks served as control weeks, and two weeks followed an official match. Time-motion during SSGs was monitored via GPS. Before each training session (24, 72, and 120 h post-match), HRV, countermovement jump (CMJ) height, and maximum isometric force (MIF) of the hamstring were measured. Time-motion was generally lower in post-match sessions than in control weeks, particularly at 24 h post-match; however, reliability was low. These reductions were more evident in SSGs on large areas, with GK. CMJ height and MIF were reduced post-match, whereas HRV showed only transient changes. Post-match fatigue was evident in fitness performance but was inconsistently reflected in SSGs outputs. CMJ height and hamstring MIF are sensitive markers of post-match fatigue in elite youth soccer players and should be prioritized when monitoring recovery.

Abstract: A single paragraph of about 200 words maximum. Ecotourism has the potential to support biodiversity conservation and community development, particularly in biologically rich regions such as the Amazon. The Área de Conservación Regional Comunal Tamshiyacu Tahuayo (ACRCTT), located in the Loreto region of Peru, provides a case study in which local communities collaborate with ecotourism initiatives and researchers to protect biodiversity. This study examined whether varying levels of community involvement in ecotourism were associated with differences in conservation attitudes, knowledge, and self-reported conservation behavior. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with one adult from nearly every household in three adjacent villages within the ACRCTT between November and December 2019. The villages differed in ecotourism participation, allowing comparative analysis within a shared environmental and governance context. Findings indicated that villages with greater ecotourism involvement demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-reported conservation-oriented behavior. Employment in ecotourism was also positively associated with greater conservation awareness and knowledge, although conservation knowledge was more strongly associated with formal education. Qualitative responses suggested that residents perceived ecotourism as an alternative to hunting, logging, and other extractive activities. While the study design does not allow causal inference, the findings suggest that community-based ecotourism may contribute to conservation-oriented attitudes and behaviors by increasing environmental awareness and diversifying local livelihoods.

Abstract: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming tourism information creation by enabling AI systems to generate travel recommendations and destination narratives. However, limited research has examined whether AI-generated and human-created travel guides influence tourists’ decision-making through distinct psychological mechanisms. Drawing upon source credibility theory and the stimulus–organism–response framework, this study develops a cognitive–emotional framework to investigate how travel guide creators shape tourists’ decision-making and when AI-generated tourism content is more likely to be accepted. A pre-study and three experimental studies were conducted with 300 participants across two tourism contexts, including the Mount Tai Scenic Area and Shanghai Disneyland. The results demonstrate that the effectiveness of travel guide creators depends on destination characteristics, with a significant interaction effect between creator type and destination type (F(1,296)=14.56, p<0.001). Further analyses reveal that AI-generated travel guides influence tourists’ decision-making through information credibility (β=0.41, p<0.001), whereas human-created travel guides operate through perceived authenticity (β=0.29, p<0.001). Moreover, AI literacy strengthens the relationship between AI-generated travel guides and information credibility (β=0.18, p<0.01), enhancing the cognitive pathway through which AI-generated content affects tourists’ decisions. These findings extend generative AI research in tourism beyond technology adoption by demonstrating that AI and human creators generate complementary value through distinct cognitive and emotional mechanisms.

Abstract: Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effects of velocity-based resistance training (VBT) and traditional percentage-based training (PBT) on boxing-specific performance in collegiate boxers. Methods: Twenty-eight male collegiate boxers were randomly assigned to either the VBT group (n = 14) or the PBT group (n = 14) for an 8-week program. Both groups performed four sets of back squat, Bulgarian split-squat, and deadlift at 70% of their one-repetition maximum (1RM). VBT group performed repetitions until mean velocity decreased by more than 10% from the fastest repetition of the set, whereas PBT group performed five repetitions per set. The pre- and post-tests included the lead and rear straight punch (LSP, RSP) force and 10s, 30s, and 1min continuous punch (CP) frequency. Results: Except for the 1min-CP frequency (p = 0.293), all variables showed significant main effects of “time” (p ≤ 0.023; averaged Hedges’ g = 0.57 for the VBT group and 0.18 for the PBT group). Significant “time” × “group” interactions were observed for LSP, RSP, 10s-CP, and 30s-CP (p ≤ 0.043). VBT group exhibited small-to-moderate greater improvements in LSP force (g = 0.42), RSP force (g = 0.48), 10s-CP frequency (g = 0.68), and 30s-CP frequency (g = 0.38). Conclusion: VBT was more effective than PBT in enhancing high-velocity performance tasks.

Abstract: Though, the prevalent attitude-behavior inconsistency is still one of the critical issues in sustainable tourism, whereby positive environmental attitudes do not necessarily result in green tourism behavior. This paper explores the factors influencing green tourism behavioral intention as well as the potential mediating effect of willingness to pay (WTP). Environmental awareness, green destination attributes, attitude, willingness to pay, and behavioral intention have been incorporated into the cross-cultural perspective. This study has adopted a quantitative research design involving a cross-sectional survey among domestic and foreign tourists. The findings reveals destination greenness is found to be more influential in attitude formation, followed by environmental awareness. In turn, attitudes have strong impact on both WTP and behavioral intentions, with WTP being a partial mediator between attitude and behavioral intention, thus indicating the presence of attitude-behavior gap. Furthermore, Multi-group analysis has shown significant cross-cultural differences in behavioral conversion mechanism for domestic and international tourists.

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to validate the identified dimensions of visitor satisfaction and assess their potential as indicators of sustainable event management in the context of Expo Cebú Chone 2024 in Ecuador. The research design is quantitative, cross-sectional, and empirical, based on a Likert-scale questionnaire regarding visitor experience and satisfaction. A total of 962 valid responses were collected and analyzed; exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was applied to 356 of them. The results highlight the two-dimensional nature of satisfaction—across both the event’s main activities and complementary services—grounded in the visitor experience, emphasizing the construct's multidimensionality and its use as an indicator of sustainable event management. It is concluded that the creation of positive experiences constitutes a central component of visitor satisfaction and, in turn, an indirect measure of sustainable event management and the capacity to generate economic, social, and experiential value. This contribution to the literature emphasizes a visitor-centered approach to event sustainability, with practical implications for improving event management in rural livestock-raising areas.

Abstract: Cultural Routes have become important instruments for promoting shared heritage and sustainable tourism across Europe, yet the potential of travel literature to inform their development remains underexplored, particularly in the case of Via Egnatia. This study addresses this gap by developing a theoretical distinction between travel narratives as ideological representation, shaped by colonial and Orientalist discourse, and as corroborable historical-geographical evidence, and applying this framework to nineteenth-century accounts by Byron, Leake, Lear, and Durham (1812–1909). Using a qualitative, theory-informed case-study design, the study combines critical-discourse analysis with thematic coding of 127 narrative references, supported by a documented codebook, an intra-coder reliability check (84% agreement), and cross-author triangulation. The analysis identifies a corroborated mobility corridor along the Shkumbin Valley and recurring intercultural contact points, consistent with independent archaeological scholarship. A site-level cross-check of six heritage assets and associated visitor reviews shows that formal heritage protection already exists along the corridor, but that on-site interpretation rarely presents it as part of a coherent Via Egnatia narrative, a gap confirmed by an analysis of Albania’s national tourism-planning documents. The study’s principal contribution is theoretical: it shows how critically read travel narratives can extend destination-storytelling and heritage-interpretation theory beyond descriptive associations, while offering a transferable, low-cost model for translating narrative and empirical evidence into interpretive practice for the Council of Europe Cultural Routes Programme.

Abstract: Trunk rotator training is important for performance, stability, and injury prevention, but the intensity of anti-rotation exercises is difficult to quantify precisely. Break-tests may provide a practical method to assess maximal anti-rotation strength and its dependence on body posture. This study determined the intra- and inter-session reliability of a break-test for quantifying maximal anti-rotation trunk strength during a cable woodchop exercise, and examined differences and relationships across common postural configurations. Twenty-two physically active men completed two testing sessions separated by one week. Maximal isometric break force was assessed in seated, kneeling, half-kneeling, staggered-stance, and parallel-stance positions. Force was progressively applied by an evaluator within a standardized time window until posture was lost. Reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and typical error (TE), while between-position differences and relationships were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Pearson’s correlations. The break-test demonstrated excellent intra-session reliability (ICC = 0.90–0.97; TE = 0.4–1.0 kg) and robust inter-session reliability (ICC = 0.78–0.90; TE = 0.8–1.4 kg). Maximal anti-rotation strength was posture-dependent (p < 0.001): half-kneeling produced the highest forces, whereas seated and staggered-stance positions constrained performance. Correlations between positions were moderate to high (r = 0.59–0.84), suggesting shared and position-specific strength characteristics. These findings support the break-test as a reliable and practical method for quantifying maximal anti-rotation trunk strength, helping standardize assessment and guide position-specific load prescription.

Abstract: Heritage tourism plays a central role in Spain’s cultural and territorial development, yet its spatial distribution and intensity remain unevenly understood. This study examines heritage tourism in Spain as a territorially differentiated phenomenon by analyzing provincial differences in tourism intensity, heritage tourism density, and cultural heritage concentration. Using official experimental statistics from the National Institute of Statistics of Spain, the study integrates mobile-phone geolocation data from 181,670,728 devices across 3,214 destinations, tourism expenditure information, and a Heritage Concentration Index constructed for architectural cultural heritage. Four one-way ANOVA models were applied to assess whether significant differences exist among Spain’s 52 provinces in the Internal Tourism Intensity Index, External Tourism Intensity Index, Heritage Tourism Density, and Heritage Concentration. Hochberg-adjusted post hoc comparisons were used to identify specific interprovincial differences while controlling for multiple comparisons. The results show statistically significant territorial differences across all four indicators, confirming that heritage tourism in Spain is not spatially homogeneous. These findings contribute to the literature by offering an integrated, data-driven approach to measuring heritage tourism at the provincial scale. They also provide practical evidence for designing differentiated tourism policies, improving destination management, and supporting more balanced heritage-based territorial planning.

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of sustainable service to customer-related outcomes in the hospitality industry by focusing on environmental awareness, perceived value, customer trust, and revisit intention. Grounded in Stakeholder Theory, the research posits and empirically examines the model with the concept of perceived value and customer trust as mediators and environmental awareness as a moderator. Data was collected from a total of 457 hospitality customers, proportionately drawn from Accra (184), Kumasi (152) and Tamale (121), and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that sustainable service practises have a significant impact on perceived value, customer trust and environmental awareness in a positive way. In addition, perceived value and customer trust partially mediate the relationship between sustainable service practises and environmental awareness, in which customer trust is the more effective mediating mechanism. Contrary to expectations, environmental awareness does not moderate the association between sustainable service practises and revisit intention to a great extent. Novelty: The outcome of the study accentuates the relevance of incorporating perceived value and customer trust into sustainable service practises offering both theoretical insights via stakeholder theory and practical direction for enhancing guest revisit intention in the hospitality sector. On the whole, the findings emphasize the strategic necessity of incorporating the concept of sustainability into the core service delivery and achieving better customer perceptions and relational outcomes.

Abstract: This study examines the role of smart digital systems in shaping the tourist experience, with a particular focus on perceived safety, comfort, and convenience, and their relationship with satisfaction and future intention to use digital services. The research was conducted on a sample of 104 respondents using a questionnaire and a quantitative approach. The results show that perceived comfort and convenience have the strongest impact on satisfaction with the tourist experience, while perceived safety, although significant, has a weaker effect. Satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and comfort significantly influence the intention to use smart digital services. The findings also indicate that experience with digital technologies positively affects perceived safety and comfort, while gender differences were not statistically significant. The results highlight the importance of developing simple, intuitive, and user-oriented digital solutions in tourism.

Abstract: The Golden Triangle circuit (Delhi–Agra–Jaipur) is India’s most iconic tourism product, yet it faces mounting pressure from overtourism, environmental degradation, and economic leakage. We argue that strategic management of visitor satisfaction can play a key role in transforming this high-volume circuit into a sustainable destination that delivers long-term economic growth. Drawing on expectancy disconfirmation theory (EDT), SERVQUAL, perceived value theory, social exchange theory (SET), destination competitiveness models, and a systematic classification of destination attributes, this study evaluates destination attributes and visitor satisfaction. The study assesses the importance of visitor satisfaction with the Golden Triangle and proposes a comprehensive framework for its measurement and application with destination attributes. It identifies key attributes driving tourist satisfaction in the Triangle and assesses the overall current state of the circuit. Furthermore, it identifies major challenges (harassment, congestion, leakage), and proposes actionable improvements through smart technology, community-based tourism, and real-time feedback. A comprehensive evaluation of visitor satisfaction with various destination attributes of the Golden Triangle reveals that it performs well as the outcome shows high overall satisfaction. The study also highlights that visitor satisfaction is an indirect economic lever that impacts the local economic activity by creating jobs and earning foreign currency. The Golden Triangle can serve as a replicable model for other heritage circuits in the Global South.