Soo K. Kang

Cannabis is a popular leisure activity in many cultures, especially in North America and Europe, where it is commonly used for socializing and entertainment. A recent German study employed the Marijuana Motives Measure to survey young adults, analyzing four motivational factors in the context of casual leisure. The research aimed to understand the reasons behind adults’ daily cannabis use, its link to consumption frequency, and situations. The findings highlight cannabis use for hedonic pleasure, relaxation, and enhancing social experiences. Individuals driven by self-focused motives, seeking relaxation and hedonic pleasure, tend to use it more frequently, while other-focused motives, such as sociable conversation, are associated with less frequent and occasional consumption. The study further revealed that people who consume cannabis for self-focused motives typically do so alone or with someone at home, whereas those who use it for other-focused motives, such as sociable conversation, tend to do so in social settings.

This study uses an input–output model to assess the economic impact of the 2018 Mile High 420 Festival on the Colorado economy. A comprehensive assessment was conducted to determine the economic impact of the Mile High 420 Festival, which included analyzing the direct, indirect, and induced effects of festival spending. The study involved 233 respondents whose primary motive was to attend the 420 Festival. Using IMPLAN, the study’s data were analyzed to determine the economic activity generated by visitor activity. On average, each respondent spent USD 2013 during their trip to Colorado. The largest expense per person was on cannabis-related activities and shopping, followed by lodging and food and drink. When these expenses were multiplied by the number of visitors (25,650), the total spending amounted to USD 51.7 million. When indirect and induced spending was included, the 2018 Mile High 420 Festival generated a total economic impact of over USD 95 million for Colorado. It contributed to the creation of 787 jobs in the region. No study has been conducted on the economic impact of a cannabis-themed festival in the current tourism literature. Therefore, this study contributes to filling this gap by developing literature on the impact of cannabis tourism and its implications for host communities or states, especially for state policymakers and business professionals. The results of this study are expected to serve as a reliable benchmark for subsequent economic impact analyses and comparisons with other industries.

This study examined the wine tourists’ perceptions of the country’s image and the motivations and expectations of experiences in Georgia as a wine tourism destination. A survey of tourists in the most important wine region—Kakheti—resulted in 227 usable questionnaires. Using factor analyses, four dimensions were assigned to the country’s hedonic and aesthetic related image. Based on the experience economy of Pine and Gilmore, two motivational and three experiential factors were identified. Implications for the country’s branding strategy and managing the wine tourist’s experience in Georgia are discussed.

Purpose: The present study aimed at classifying cannabis festival attendees based on their motivation and travel activities, profiling the resultant latent groups with demographic and travel characteristics and examining the association between the groups.Design/methodology/approach: With a quantitative-exploratory approach, this study collected 392 out-of-state visitors' responses to a cannabis festival in Denver, Colorado and classified them according to their motivation and activity participation. Using the classification results, the study profiled the festival visitors based on their demographic and travel characteristics. Latent class analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and cross-tabulation were employed.Findings: The results revealed that festival visitors were categorized into four latent groups by motivation and three latent groups by travel activity participation. Regarding motivation, the cannabis seekers (relatively young, White/Caucasian and residents in liberal states) and multi-purpose seekers (relatively young, Black/African American and residents in conservative states) were strongly motivated by cannabis-related factors. For travel activity participation, moderate participants were more likely to be first-time visitors, whereas active and passive participants were classified as repeat visitors.Originality/value: The current study filled the research gap in the quantitative exploration of cannabis tourism industry in general and cannabis festival segment specifically. The findings contribute to (1) better understanding of out-of-state visitors' motivation and travel behaviors while attending a cannabis themed festival and (2) serving as a seminal work in the context of cannabis tourism literature since the recreational cannabis legalization in the United States.

This article examines local perceptions, impacts, and support for marijuana tourism in the state of Oregon. A quantitative survey was distributed to students, faculty, and staff (n = 313) associated with a regional university in Southern Oregon. Study results reveal that perceptions on positive impact, negative impact, place attachment, and tourism image of the state were significant predictors of support of marijuana tourism. Moreover, study findings show that students’ support level was significantly different from that of faculty and staff, with students showing the most favorable perception on support for marijuana tourism. Interestingly, non-resident respondents showed stronger support for marijuana tourism in Oregon. Lastly, the length of residency in Oregon and respondents’ age also significantly influenced respondents’ support for marijuana tourism. The study’s findings on the relationships between respondent selected demographic characteristics and their support of marijuana tourism are noteworthy because this is the first study investigating the associations within the context of marijuana tourism. Community stakeholders and policy makers can use the information on local perceptions to develop appropriate strategies and policies and foster sustainable tourism development of local communities.

Colorado became the first state in the United States that passed the legalization of recreational (retail) marijuana with Amendment 64 in 2012. With this unprecedented tourism environment, it is imperative to understand different perspectives of stakeholders involved. In particular, residents’ view is important in that their attitude and behaviors plan and manage the design of marketing activities and sustainable development of the tourist place. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to examine the local residents’ image, attachment, and support of marijuana tourism as a result of the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado. Results of the study concluded that the highly attached residents held a positive image of their place, which in turn influence their support of marijuana tourism. Implications for industry professionals and state policy makers are presented.

Traveling and teaching around the world for 106 days sounds adventurous or even romantic. The Semester at Sea (SAS) program introduces students to many different cultures through coursework and intensive in-country experiences with the aim of cultivating global citizenship. From the collaborative learning atmosphere that results from the unique relationships developed outside the classroom to the deep learning that occurs when students must put what they have theorized in class into practice in foreign countries. The SAS experience is more than the sum of its ports; it is like living on another campus for a semester and the interplay of varied shipboard and port experiences influence students toward a more comprehensive global perspective. This paper will describe the overview of SAS program and share my experience as a faculty member teaching for SAS program.

Often compared with the Gold Rush, the marijuana industry is already a multibillion-dollar phenomenon and is expected to generate 22 billion dollars in sales in the United States by 2020. Two years have passed since the legalization of recreational marijuana begun in Colorado. This unprecedented change has created numerous business opportunities as well as legal and operational challenges for the hospitality and tourism industry. This article explores the legalization of recreational marijuana in terms of the tourism industry in Colorado and identifies several challenges found in the current marijuana-related literature in the context of hospitality and tourism research. We also present several research areas that could help hospitality and tourism researchers explore and contribute to the body of knowledge of this emerging market by using Colorado as a focal point. Future research on marijuana tourism is of great importance in that the rapid rise of this niche market creates the pressing challenges and promising opportunities for destinations. Such knowledge will only increase in importance as marijuana tourism continues to evolve as a special interest tourism segment.

The purpose of this study was to examine the motives of Chinese nationals who attended the Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, and to understand their perceptions about service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. The results of this study revealed six motivation factors and three mutually exclusive clusters based on their motives. In particular, the “multipurpose experience seekers” showed more favorable service quality perceptions and higher satisfaction than their counterparts. The three segments based on their motivation also demonstrated significant differences in selected sociodemographic variables, which could be used effectively by the event organizers. Marketing implications and suggestions for attracting visitors to a mega event were presented.