Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2022-10-27"
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- Chemical Composition and Optimization of Liquefaction Parameters of Cytisus scoparius (Broom)Publication . Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Almeida, Daniela; Dulyanska, Yuliya; Domingos, Idalina; Ferreira, José; Fragata, Anabela; Esteves, BrunoInvasive plants spread in such a way that they are threats to native species and to biodiversity. In this context, this work aims to determine possible valorizations of Scotch Broom Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link. This species harvested in the Viseu region was used in the present study. The eco-valorization of these renewable resources was made by conversion into liquid mixtures that can later be used in the manufacture of valuable products. For a better understanding of the results obtained, a chemical characterization of the Cytisus scoparius branches (CsB) was made. The ash content, extractives in dichloromethane, ethanol and water, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose of the initial material were determined. Liquefaction was made in a reactor with different granulometry, temperatures and time. Results show that Broom is mainly composed of cellulose (36.1%), hemicelluloses (18.6%) and lignin (14.6%) with extractives mainly soluble in ethanol, followed by water and a small amount in dichloromethane. Ashes were around 0.69%, mainly composed of potassium and calcium. Generally, smaller size, higher solvent ratio, higher temperature and higher time of liquefaction lead to higher liquefaction. The highest percentage of liquefaction was 95% which is better than most of the lignocellulosic materials tested before.
- Tourists´ Risk Perception Towards Cruising: COVID-19 Impact on Travel IntentionsPublication . Silva, Inês Esteves; Moreira, Cláudia Patrícia de Almeida Seabra; Novais, Cristina Maria de Jesus BarrocoThis dissertation comes in a period of uncertainty for tourism and consequently for cruises, a period that requires enlightening and quick answers on the way forward, thus based on the theme of Cruise Tourism and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cruise Tourism sector is possibly the most well-known sector with the fastest development in the Tourism industry. An example of this is the contribution of this sector to the global economy, and in 2019 it generated US$154.5 billion. In turn, cruise tourism in Europe generated US$64.5 billion, or 42% of the total contribution of global production (CLIA, 2020b). This sector produces significant social effects and capital volumes and creates various jobs. Thus, subthemes were studied within the great theme of Cruise Tourism, such as the industry's evolution to this day. The author intended to make a round-up on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on everyday life, the tourism industry, and the cruise sector to better understand the pandemic’s consequences in this market. A conceptual model was developed to summarize the literature review regarding risk perception and travel intentions (together with other constructs that support them). Based on that model and the extensive literature review, hypotheses were made to guide this thesis’ empirical analysis better. Through questionnaires, this dissertation met the opinion of tourists concerning the practice of post-pandemic cruises to conclude whether these remain an attractive tourist product or are considered a danger. The sample is composed of 536 answers from all over the world. Generation and Cruise Experience were used as independent constructs to analyse whether tourists’ responses were different regarding their age or whether they were repeaters or firsttimers. Then, by interconnecting these themes, it was possible to understand how this pandemic has changed (or not) tourists' risk perception and how this affected their future intentions to take a cruise. It can be concluded that the obtained results go in accordance with the literature, and responses do change with the independent constructs. Tourists do not seem afraid of contracting the disease, but they certainly recognize that there is much buzz around the pandemic. When looking at Cruise Tourism, most tourists do not recognize cruise ships as too crowded but are somewhat reluctant about taking a cruise in the future and how COVID will affect their trips. Plus, tourists recognize the benefits and consequent value of taking a cruise and still trust cruise companies and staff to overcome adversities. Overall, results show that tourists do have intentions of going on a cruise in the future but are not so sure about when that future is going to be.
- Os eventos da Região Centro e os impactos do Covid-19Publication . Sabino, Rita Pereira; Moreira, Cláudia Patrícia de Almeida SeabraO presente relatório reflete o estágio curricular realizado na Entidade Regional do Turismo Centro de Portugal (ERTCP). O estágio decorreu durante seis meses, iniciado no dia 2 de novembro de 2021 e finalizado no dia 29 de abril de 2022, no Núcleo de Apoio ao Investimento Turístico (NAIT) onde foram desempenhadas várias atividades centradas principalmente na monitorização da atividade turística regional e sub-regional, bem como na dinamização do Observatório de Atividade Turística da Entidade, o “Observatório do Turismo Sustentável do Centro de Portugal. Os eventos, neste caso os que ocorrem na Região Centro de Portugal, são o foco deste relatório, constituindo um dos setores mais importantes do turismo global e, de acordo com a literatura, capazes de gerarem impactos impressionantes, a nível económico, sociocultural e ambiental. No entanto, os eventos nos últimos dois anos (2020 e 2021) atravessaram uma fase muito negativa devido ao surto da doença COVID-19, declarada como uma pandemia. O objetivo do estudo passa por perceber quais são os eventos e a sua importância na Região Centro de Portugal e perceber igualmente qual foi o impacto da pandemia nos eventos. De modo geral, antes do surgimento da pandemia, os dados demonstram que os eventos podem ser de enorme importância para um destino turístico, uma vez que se evidenciam como uma boa estratégia para contornar a sazonalidade de um destino e têm a capacidade de atrair um grande número de visitantes, uma realidade que pode ser visualizada no número de dormidas dos alojamentos turísticos e no aumento de compras em serviços locais. A título de exemplo, em 2017 a Região Centro teve a maior taxa de ocupação até à data, cerca de 34,3% (INE, 2018), em virtude da visita do Papa Francisco a Fátima. A partir do momento em que se fizeram sentir os efeitos da pandemia e das restrições de circulação associadas, o impacto neste setor foi extremamente negativo, na medida que a maioria dos eventos foram cancelados, porém salienta-se a redefinição de alguns eventos que adotaram novos métodos para se apresentarem, nomeadamente através de exibições online.