The proportion of elderly people is growing steadily in many countries, and this trend is expected to continue. As a result, ageism—negative discrimination often tied to perceptions of the elderly—becomes especially harmful. Ageism prevents older generations from being fully accepted by society and, in turn, hinders their ability to adapt to today's technological changes. In this article, we present the results of our survey mapping the extent of ageism among youth in Uzbekistan, known for its cultural tolerance in Central Asia, and in Hungary, a more individualistic society in Central Europe. To interpret the survey results accurately, we included specific questions to measure social desirability bias, enabling a realistic comparison of ageism levels between the two countries. Data was collected through a survey translated into multiple languages, with a final sample of nearly 400 respondents, each either currently pursuing or already holding a college-level diploma. Our methodological approach was twofold. First, we conducted simple chi-square tests to compare levels of negative and positive ageism between the two countries under study. Upon finding significant differences, we used multivariable OLS regression to explain the variance in types of ageism in Uzbekistan and Hungary, accounting for the possible effects of social desirability bias. Uzbek youth demonstrated higher levels of positive ageism and lower levels of negative ageism compared to Hungarian youth. This finding confirms that the cultural tolerance in Uzbek society remains strong and, in many ways, could serve as a model for Hungary. Additionally, our literature review highlights that adequate infrastructure is essential for a society to treat older adults equitably alongside other citizens.

The improper disposal of litter by tourists poses a significant threat to tourism destinations worldwide, including in Indonesia. To mitigate marine litter, promoting eco-friendly behavior (EFB) among tourists is essential. This study applies the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which posits that an individual’s behavior is driven by their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, to better understand the factors influencing eco-friendly behavioral intentions. In this research, ecological consciousness and ecological knowledge were added to the traditional TPB framework to gain deeper insights into tourist behavior. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 876 visitors to Lake Singkarak, Indonesia. The findings demonstrate that the inclusion of ecological consciousness and ecological knowledge significantly enhances the predictive power of the TPB model in explaining eco-friendly behavioral intentions. Based on these results, raising public awareness, improving government management, and enhancing the quality of lake attractions are recommended to encourage responsible tourism. These measures can reduce litter and conserve lake habitats, ultimately contributing to the sustainability of tourism in the region.

This study aims to analyze connectivity or accessibility between regions in Wakatobi islands, both within and between islands, to understand the available transportation network. Based on an understanding of the dynamics of connectivity, it is expected to provide a solid foundation for the development of more efficient and sustainable transportation infrastructure in the future. A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches is used to explore data more comprehensively and accurately. The two primary airports and several ports are still insufficient in enhancing connectivity for both the residents and tourists within the archipelago. Improving road, sea, and air transportation networks is a necessity and expectation to improve connectivity between regions. An analysis of accessibility potential provides an overview of transportation costs and expensive and long travel fares. There are several needs that need to be met in the form of the revitalization of local ports, the development of the concept of Air Buses between crossing ports, optimizing routes between airports, and the implementation of Bus/BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) on each island with feeder lines. Furthermore, the development of connectivity in Wakatobi must consider various alternative modes of transportation, increasing service frequencies, and developing supporting infrastructure. This conclusion is the basis for the preparation of a holistic and sustainable connectivity development plan in the Wakatobi archipelago.

The coronavirus pandemic has reinforced the need for sustainable, smart tourism and local travel, with rural destinations gaining in their popularity and leading to increased potential of smart rural tourism. However, these processes need adjustments to the current trends, incorporating new transformative business concepts and marketing approaches. In this paper we provide real life examples of new marketing approaches, together with new business models within the context of the use of new digital technologies. Via hermeneutic research approach, consisting of the secondary analysis of the addressed subject of smart rural tourism in adversity of the COVID-19 and 6 semi-structured interviews, the importance of technology is underscored in transforming rural tourism to smart rural tourist destinations. The respondents in the interview section were chosen based on their direct involvement in the presented examples and geographical location, i.e. France, Slovenia and Spain, where presented research examples were developed, concretely within European programmes, i.e. Interreg, Horizon and Rural Development Programme (RDP). Interviews were taking place between 2022 and 2023 in person, email or via Zoom. This two-phased study demonstrates that technology is important in transforming rural tourism to smart tourist destinations and that it ushers new approaches that seem particularly useful in applying to rural areas, creating a rural digital innovation ecosystem, which acts as s heuristic rural tourist model that fosters new types of tourism, i.e. smart rural tourism.