A kaleidoscope of tourism research:

The demand for closer and more personal interactions with marine wildlife has been catered for by the commercialisation of in-water interactions with various species of marine wildlife. Norway is the only country in the world where commercial and unregulated swim-with-programmes with orcas have been regularly offered on a small scale. Orcas are highly mobile predators and, where potentially dangerous animals are involved, humans are at risk of experiencing aggressive, defensive or dangerous play behaviour. In Chapter 4, Pagel and colleagues report on a baseline study in Norway, investigating the long-term effects of human–wildlife interactions with wild orca. The present results facilitate the general interpretation of interspecific killer whale behaviour, which is essential for safer interactions with these marine predators and enables a sound comparison with similar studies featuring other odontocetes.

Staying with marine wildlife, Elmahdy and colleagues, in the following chapter, review pertinent literature to identify gaps in the quest to achieve sustainable marine mammal tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand. Their findings illustrate that there is a need for an investigation and assessment of the effectiveness of the current marine mammal tourism management regime in New Zealand to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry and conservation of the targeted species.

In Chapter 6, Holmberg takes the reader to the Finnish Ähtäri Zoo, which has hosted giant pandas as a loan from China since 2018. Analysing published newspaper and Internet articles, Holmberg explores how the controversial political decisions related to accepting the pandas to Finland and Ähtäri Zoo were discussed in Finnish media.

In Chapter 8, Knowsly and colleagues, present a case study in New Zealand which aimed to identify the motivations and initiatives involved in curbing carbon emissions in the accommodation sector. The only carbon neutral hotel in New Zealand, Sudima Hotel Auckland Airport was selected as the sample. Data analysis from the hotel management and the customers shows that ecological responsibility and competitiveness were key motivating factors. The findings in this study also provide practical value to businesses interested in implementing carbon-mitigating initiatives while maintaining customer satisfaction.

Focusing on the experienced and hybrid tourists, Seeler and colleagues (Chapter 9) present the findings of a mixed-methods study conducted in Germany and New Zealand to explore the relationship of travel experiences and sustainable tourist behaviours. The quantitative survey results demonstrate that tourists with higher experience levels tend to participate in more sustainable forms of travel and experienced tourists show high interest for activities and experiences that positively contribute to the sustainable development of the tourism industry.

In Chapter 10, Engeset and Velvin present the findings of a visitor survey on the motivations, satisfaction, and future visit intentions of visiting Hemsedal, Norway. This study identifies several different types of push and pull motivations for tourists visiting Hemsedal during the summer season. This study provides implications for the development of destinations with high seasonal fluctuation in demand.

Using quantitative methods, Ritalahti (Chapter 11) analyses the importance of sustainability and responsibilities of travel agencies from customers’ perspectives. This Finnish study illustrates the challenges to traditional travel intermediation businesses. The participants of the research have emphasized the importance of responsible operation and the values of looking after the wellbeing of its employees.

In the final chapter, Köchling and colleagues examine whether the UK leaving the European Union (Brexit) would affect British travel plans in 2017 in general and their intention to visit Germany as a destination. An online panel survey with 2000 people was conducted in UK. The results show that Brexit seems to have little impact on the planned holiday travel behaviour of the British travelling to Germany, and their interest in participating in domestic tourism in the UK remains the same.

It is with great sadness, that we learned about the passing of one of our core ICNT members, and dear friend, Melville Saayman. We have all seen him in high spirits at the 2018 meeting, which he co-hosted at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Melville was always the sunshine of the ICNT meetings, in good spirits, full of humour and energy. He was gentle and kind to presenting colleagues and (sometimes very nervous) postgraduate students, asking pertinent questions without intimidation. One could bet that he would ask a question about “memorable experiences”, something he was passionate about, and he certainly left us with many memorable experiences from over ten ICNT conferences. ICNT is not the same without Melville, and he will be sorely missed. But his spirit lives on, as he has taught us so much about compassion and laughter, which we will carry on for many years to come. We dedicate this book to his memory, and his closest colleagues and friends, Peet and Elmarie, provided us with a memoriam at the beginning of this volume.

Michael Lück and Claire Liu

Auckland, New Zealand