Purpose The paper is making a preliminary evaluation of dark tourism potential in Bulgaria. Dark tourism is underestimated research topic in Bulgaria – a country with long and rich cultural heritage, belonging to orthodox religion, with ambiguous impacts from the communist/socialist political regime and nowadays being a typical destination for mass and 3 “S” (sun, sand, sea) tourism. The research topic is approached by starting with an inventory and classification of the main tourist attractions/sites for dark tourism according to the most widely applicable theoretical typologies, inclusively their territorial density, cities location, authenticity and commercialization. The general counterpoint is the non-western approach and the hypothesis that dark places/attractions can be explored as potential tourist resources, diversifying the cities destination supply. The places related to death within the death-tourism framework are explored within the urban landscape. The research applies supply-demand approach and includes semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders from the supply side and a questionnaire accessing the tourist’s perspective and readiness from the demand side. Special attentions is given to the cities as concentrating the major part of the dark sites/attractions in the country, being at the same time integral part of the public areas and urban landscape, with special designation and/or combination of additional recreational functions. The data and results from the conducted research revealed that dark tourism in Bulgaria, in the narrowest sense is relatively unknown, unexplored type of tourism, difficult to distinguish and overlapping with other types of tourism mainly in the cities. The paper also raises the discussion about the necessity to extend the dark tourism research in the cities, taking into account the non-western approach and cultural sensitiveness. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The methodology of the research, in its nature, is purely qualitative, widest and most applicable (Biran A., Hyde K., 2013), (Wight, 2006) (Light, 2017) and follows two main stages: inventory, classification and potential of the dark tourism sites/attractions in Bulgaria and supply-demand approach for pilot exploratory study of the reediness of the suppliers and main stakeholders from one side, and the tourist’s perceptions from other side. Findings The data and results from the conducted research revealed that dark tourism in the narrowest sense in Bulgaria is relatively unknown, unexplored type of tourism, difficult to distinguish and overlapping with other types of tourism mainly in the cities. The findings challenge the predominant understanding of dark tourism typology, spectrum, and type of places/attractions (Light, 2017). Within the tourism-death relationship framework in the non-western approach with narrow focus in Bulgaria as research area, the author can confirm that the concept of dark tourism research should be extended taking into account the religion (relationship to death), historical development and political regime. The results obtained clearly show that the main difference from the western approach lies in on completely different conceptual basis, which differs from the concept of dark tourism. Tourism is mostly linked with recreation, leisure, and entertainment, while the dark places/sites related to death and suffer are mostly linked to religion, historical or political heritage. Besides being different both create and conduct to a behavior and visit of such places with deserved respect, honor and part of national identity and culture. Research limitations/implications The study’s focus is narrow and limited at national level as part of “eastern” (non-western) context of tourism-death relationship framework. The findings resulted from pilot exploratory study provide theoretical and practical insights into understanding of dark tourism and its potential development in Bulgaria by considering the availability of dark sites/attractions, supply (readiness of main stakeholders) and demand side (tourist’s perspective). The paper limits the research in the post-modern context stressing on tourism/leisure and commercial use of death as attractions and places. Other limitations are pilot character of the exploratory study and the limited number of respondents. Practical implications The paper delivers practical insights into understanding of dark tourism and its potential development in Bulgaria by considering the availability of dark sites/attractions, supply (readiness of main stakeholders) and demand side (tourist’s perspective). Originality/value Most of the research in the field of dark tourism as expression of tourism-death relationship framework are concentrated on the “western way of thinking” (Light, 2017, p. 297) covering countries from West Europe, USA, Australia (Foote, 1997), (Bowman M., Pezzullo P., 2010, p. 188). The use of Western frameworks for understanding the tourism-death relationship in other parts of the world and particularly in Bulgaria as Eastern European and orthodox country may not be appropriate. For the specific research area – the case of Bulgaria, theoretically although incorrect, a parallel is possible between the western post-modern secularism and atheism as official communist policy between 1940 and 1990 (Metodiev, 2013). Darkness of sites/attraction identified within the tourism-death relationship and exploitation of the death is seen supporting and commemorating the sacrifice of the “heroes” of the time keeping them “eternally alive” and as symbols, incarnations of the “sacral” political power.
The main aim of the research is to identify the potential of location-based gamification apps for promoting tourist destinations. The specific goal is to investigate and evaluate the existing gamified apps for Sofia and reveal their potential as a marketing tool for enhancing the capital as a tourist destination. The study is based on a literature review on the topic and desk research of the available location-based gamification apps for promoting Sofia as a tourist destination thus allowing a comparative analysis of the main attributes of the gamified apps to be made. The qualitative research technique of using key informants is also applied, providing an expert source of information and a deeper insight into current and potential practices in the research area and their effectiveness. The results indicate that this has the greatest potential for further engagement of users and the co-creation of products and services as well as for raising awareness of the destination. The main limitations are related to the fact that they are a relatively new and little-known marketing tool in the field of tourism, and this predetermines a lack of sufficient knowledge and experience for their use for promotional purposes.
Głównym celem artykułu jest określenie możliwości wykorzystania aplikacji opartych na grywalizacji i lokalizacji w miejscowościach turystycznych. Celem szczegółowym jest zbadanie i ewaluacja już istniejących aplikacji tego typu dla Sofii, jak również odkrycie ich potencjału jako narzędzia marketingowego w rozwoju tego miasta turystycznego. Studium opiera się na przeglądzie literatury przedmiotu oraz badaniach kameralnych nad rolą, jaką w promocji Sofii jako destynacji turystycznej odgrywają dostępne aplikacje oparte na grywalizacji i lokalizacji. W ten sposób możliwe było przeprowadzenie analizy porównawczej głównych atrybutów aplikacji, które mają być stworzone w przyszłości. Zastosowano również technikę badań jakościowych, opierając się na wypowiedziach kluczowych informatorów, którzy stanowili eksperckie źródło informacji oraz umożliwili dokładniejsze przyjrzenie się bieżącym i potencjalnym praktykom w tym obszarze badawczym oraz ich skuteczności. Wyniki wskazują, że aplikacje oparte na zasadach gry komputerowej mają ogromne znaczenie dla postępującego zaangażowania użytkowników oraz współtworzenia produktów i usług, jak również dla zwiększania świadomości istnienia tej destynacji. Główne ograniczenia wynikają z faktu, że takie aplikacje są stosunkowo nowym i mało znanym narzędziem marketingowym w dziedzinie turystyki, a brak wystarczającej wiedzy i doświadczenia w ich użytkowaniu powoduje, że nie mogą być wykorzystywane w celach promocyjnych.
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This paper discusses the importance of public policy and current issues in the context of Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (AKIS) in Bulgaria. The goal is to outline the major challenges and perspectives as basis for analysis of the innovation potential within the sectoral innovation system of the agricultural sector in Bulgaria. Analysed is data about the major stakeholders, international and national programs supporting innovations in the sector, creation of new knowledge and technological solutions, scientific and research activity, state of transfer of technology in the context of agricultural ecosystem. A systematic approach with qualitative monitoring and quantitative assessment are applied for evaluation and definition of the types of effects in the innovation ecosystem. The results confirm, that despite the efforts and funds supporting AKIS, the public policy is not efficient, the stakeholder's activity is limited, and the innovation and transfer of technology are not enough powerful to drive the economic growth and competitiveness in agriculture. The development of innovation potential should be based on the implementation of policies/addressing of measures that are relevant to the potential of the units of the innovation ecosystem and the priorities for their development.
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