1. The effect of destination image towards memorable tourism experience and revisit intention in Sarawak, MalaysiaKathy Kueh Yung Sing, Abang Azlan Mohamad, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: The tourism sector has been a major contributor in many nations around the world, especially from the economic perspective. However, Sarawak has fallen behind in terms of development and political stability. This study attempts to ascertain how destination image affects tourists’ memorable tourism experience and revisit intention based on their thoughts and opinions. Survey data was collected from 200 tourists who visited the top 5 attractions in Sarawak. WarpPLS 8.0 was utilised to analyse the proposed relationship among the present variables. The results revealed that culture, history and art, as well as political and economic factors of destination image, are positively related to memorable tourism experience. In addition, memorable tourism experience is positively related to revisit intention. The findings revealed that enhancing the destination image of Sarawak can improve memorable tourism experience for both domestic and international tourists and impact their revisit intention. The findings of this study provide an opportunity for authorities and tourism providers to concentrate on cultural preservation and the importance of political stability in Sarawak.
Keywords: destination image, memorable tourism experience, revisit intention, tourists, Sarawak
Published in RUP: 21.07.2026; Views: 128; Downloads: 5
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3. Application of artificial intelligence in e-commerce : master's thesisMarko Pejić, 2025, master's thesis Keywords: artificial intelligence, E-commerce, customer experience, personalization, operational efficiency, recommender systems, chatbots, AI integration, business challenges
Published in RUP: 15.04.2026; Views: 513; Downloads: 55
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4. Experiences and perceptions of a 12-week combined exercise and dietary supplement program for individuals with knee osteoarthritis : a qualitative focus group studyTina Čeh, Jernej Završnik, Nejc Šarabon, Mirko Prosen, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: Background Exercise program and dietary supplements are commonly used in the conservative management of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and have both been shown to reduce pain and improve physical function. Combining these approaches may offer additive benefits or introduce specific adherence challenges from the patient perspective. The combination of structured exercise with dietary supplements remains underexplored, especially through qualitative approaches. This study aims to investigate the lived experiences, perceived benefits, challenges, and motivational factors among participants of a targeted exercise program combined with dietary supplementation. Methods A qualitative study design with three focus group was used to explore participants overall experiences, motivational factors, and barriers to participation immediately after program. The sample included 16 older adults with KOA (Kellgren–Lawrence grade 1–3, 14 women and 2 men). Two moderators facilitated each focus group using topic guide. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results Six main themes were identified: (1) recognized effects of exercise, (2) motivators and barriers to exercise, (3) group exercise and its impact on daily life, (4) recognized health care limitations, (5) experiences and practices of dietary supplement use, and (6) perspectives on program continuation and expansion. Conclusions Participants’ experiences with the combined exercise and dietary supplementation program for KOA highlighted the importance of social support, professional guidance, and self-motivation. Barriers included physical limitations, time constraints, and psychological challenges, while reported benefits included reduced pain, improved mood, and enhanced social engagement. Participants’ tendency to perceive exercise and supplementation as separate components indicates that, in practice, combined interventions may function as parallel rather than integrated strategies unless explicitly framed and supported as a unified approach
Keywords: knee osteoarthritis, exercise program, dietary supplements, qualitative study, physical rehabilitation, patient experience, motivation
Published in RUP: 21.02.2026; Views: 647; Downloads: 3
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5. Identifying and evaluating factors influencing technology adoption : a multi-pilot study within the Pharaon projectJasmine Pani, Laura Fiorini, Erika Rovini, Francesco Giuliani, Letizia Lorusso, Sergio Russo, Adriano César do Nascimento Teixeira Fernandes, Ana Goreti de Oliveira, Elisabete Pitarma, Ângela Rodrigues, Mateja Erce Paoli, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction The global increase in the older adult population has amplified interest in supporting aging in place. Age-related physical and cognitive limitations pose significant challenges, for example managing daily tasks such as medication or household activities can become increasingly difficult. This also burdens informal caregivers with emotional stress, time demands and care coordination. Assistive technologies can enhance autonomy, social connection and health management, but their long-term adoption and use remain limited. Methods Within the Pharaon project, the study explored factors influencing technology use among older adults after 12 months of use. The research focused on the Italian pilot while integrating insights from other European sites. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed thematically and validated through reflection meetings and iterative online questionnaires. Recurring factors were consolidated, prioritized and mapped to explore interconnections affecting adoption. Results Initial findings revealed 30 factors, including personal characteristics, motivational aspects, technical design, social dynamics, and environmental context. These were rated by participating teams and 25 were retained for deeper analysis. An interconnection analysis explored how these factors influenced one another. Highly interconnected factors, such as social context, personalized training, ease of use, and cognitive changes, were central to understanding and improving technology adoption. In contrast, aspects like education level, internet access, and technical requirements appeared less interconnected, indicating more isolated effects. Discussion This multi-site, empirical investigation emphasizes the complex and interconnected nature of technology adoption among older adults. Our findings underscore the need for user-centered design, tailored training, and sensitivity to social context. Furthermore, the interactive mapping of interrelated factors provides a practical framework for developers and policymakers to target impactful interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first cross-pilot study to empirically define and score factors affecting older adults’ technology use based on multi-pilot data across Europe, offering valuable insights for long-term, meaningful engagement.
Keywords: older adults, technology usage, factors influencing technology use, user experience, assistive technology
Published in RUP: 05.02.2026; Views: 742; Downloads: 6
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6. Inferring a Mobile User’s Valence and Arousal through On-Screen Text AnalysisEdita Džubur, Veljko Pejović, 2025, independent scientific component part or a chapter in a monograph Abstract: Understanding a user’s emotional state is critical for building adaptive and intelligent mobile applications. In this paper we investigate the feasibility of inferring valence and arousal from the text displayed on smartphone screens. We developed AV-Sense, a mobile application that combines the Experience Sampling Method, a technique that prompts users to report their feelings in the moment, with passive screentext logging. In a two-week study with 12 participants, we collected 787 ESM responses and over 650,000 screentext entries. Data analysis revealed meaningful temporal and individual patterns in reported affect. We then explored the use of large language models to predict valence and arousal from screentext, but results indicated limited predictive power in this setting. Our findings highlight both the potential and current challenges of screentext-based affect inference, laying the groundwork for future research on emotion-aware applications and naturalistic psychological studies.
Keywords: text analysis, experience sampling method, screentext sensing, valence, arousal, large language models
Published in RUP: 30.01.2026; Views: 843; Downloads: 4
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7. Comparison of Unity and FMOD Libraries for Spatial Audio Localization in Virtual RealityGašper Leskovec, Eva Gaberšček, Jaka Sodnik, 2025, independent scientific component part or a chapter in a monograph Abstract: Spatial audio is central to immersion and situational awareness in virtual reality (VR), but the performance differences between diferent audio engines have not been sufficiently explored. This study compares Unity’s integrated spatial audio system and the FMOD engine in a controlled VR sound localisation task. Thirty volunteers completed three levels of 16 trials each while wearing a head-mounted display (Oculus Quest). They were randomly assigned to one of the two systems and asked to identify the direction of an active loudspeaker among several virtual sources. We measured localisation accuracy, reaction time, spatial distance error and cumulative head rotation; learning effects were assessed by comparing the first and third stages. Participants using FMOD achieved slightly higher accuracy (93% vs 87% overall) and turned their heads less, suggesting that FMOD made it easier for users to localise sounds in space, while Unity users showed greater variability and a slightly greater learning gain. About two-thirds of participants improved their accuracy over time, but there were significant individual differences. These results suggest that both engines perform similarly well on basic localisation tasks, although FMOD has slight advantages in spatial accuracy. The work highlights the importance of evaluating spatial audio engines in user-centred studies and emphasises the need to consider personal factors and task complexity in future research.
Keywords: Virtual Reality, Spatial Audio, Sound Localization, Unity, FMOD, Immersion, User Experience
Published in RUP: 30.01.2026; Views: 571; Downloads: 1
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8. Roadmap of Spiritual Pilgrimage Experience Towards Revisit Intention in the Indonesian Wali Songo PilgrimageHendar Hendar, Ken Sudarti, Ari Pranaditya, M. Iqbal Ramdhani, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: This study explains the roadmap that connects pilgrims’ spiritual experience with the revisit intention of the tomb of Sunan Wali Songo in Central Java, Indonesia. Explaining how pilgrims’ spiritual experience creates revisit intention in the religious tourism industry is important. A theoretical model involving attitude toward pilgrimage and pilgrim satisfaction is built based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and tourist experience literature. For this purpose, around 303 pilgrims were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) based on AMOS 23.00, which is combined with the IBM SPSS 21. The results show that revisit intention can be improved by utilizing four pathways: (1) direct path of spiritual experience, (2) indirect path through attitude toward pilgrimage, (3) indirect path through pilgrim satisfaction, and (4) indirect path through attitude toward pilgrimage and pilgrim satisfaction. This study is expected to contribute to developing TPB and tourism marketing literature by providing a holistic model of spiritual experience and its influence on attitude toward pilgrimage, pilgrim satisfaction, and revisit intention. This study also offers important insights for managers engaged in the religious tourism industry.
Keywords: spiritual experience, attitude toward pilgrimage, pilgrim satisfaction, revisit intention
Published in RUP: 16.12.2025; Views: 603; Downloads: 6
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9. Consumer expectations in the context of unique tourism productsŽana Čivre, Petra Rebec, Petra Zabukovec Baruca, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: In response to the contemporary trend of tourists actively seeking novel, unique, and distinctive experiences, this study explores the relationship between tourists’ perceptions of the uniqueness of tourism products and their expectations. Spe-cifically, it focuses on the coastal destinations of Piran and Portorož in Slovenia, analysing four unique experiences: Gourmet Olive Tours, Fonda Fish Garden, The Disappearance of Tartini’s Violin, and E-bike Extravaganza Mareatour. Using a qu-antitative approach, the study supports the hypothesis that the perceived uniqu-eness of new tourism products significantly influences tourists’ expectations. The findings support the hypothesis, revealing that the perceived uniqueness of an expe-rience is closely tied to its incorporation of local character and a strong experiential or personal touch. For instance, the Gourmet Olive Tour experience, perceived as the most unique, offers tourists immersive encounters within a landscape park and interactions with a local olive family. Furthermore, the study identifies a hierar-chy of expectations among tourists, ranging from increasing knowledge of the local offer, traditions, and history, to seeking unique activities and having confidence that the experience will meet their expectations. In conclusion, the research underscores that consumers harbour high expectations for unique experiences, underlining the importance of infusing tourism products with experiential and emotional elements. The positive correlation between perceived uniqueness and expectations undersco-res the imperative for crafting distinct and memorable tourism offerings. The study enriches our understanding of the relationship between perceived uniqueness and expectations, offering insights for destination marketers creating distinctive tou-rism products. It also provides recommendations for future research, enhancing scholarly discourse on tourism product development and consumer behaviour.
Keywords: consumer expectations, unique tourism products, destination, tourism experience
Published in RUP: 10.04.2025; Views: 1469; Downloads: 15
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10. Unique destination attributes as a basis of tourism experiencePetra Zabukovec Baruca, Žana Čivre, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: In today’s highly competitive tourism market, tourists are not only interested in new, unique tourism products and services, but also in unique tourism experiences, as experiences represent an important competitive advantage for a destination. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the attributes of a destination’s identity that are defined as unique, by analysing unique experiences in three main coastal destinations in Slovenian Istria and defining communication strategies to promote the uniqueness of their tourism experiences. The results of a qualitative research confirm that the uniqueness of tourism experiences results from the attributes of the destination’s identity. These attributes primarily relate to nature and natural resources, cultural heritage, and culinary experiences. The unique tourism experiences are conveyed through speciality, innovation, authenticity and various positive emotions such as hedonism, excitement, curiosity, surprise, happiness, and pleasure to ensure memorable value-added experiences and encourage tourists to visit year-round. The study contributes to the knowledge of unique tourism experiences. Finally, theoretical implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research are provided.In today’s highly competitive tourism market, tourists are not only interested in new, unique tourism products and services, but also in unique tourism experiences, as experiences represent an important competitive advantage for a destination. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the attributes of a destination’s identity that are defined as unique, by analysing unique experiences in three main coastal destinations in Slovenian Istria and defining communication strategies to promote the uniqueness of their tourism experiences. The results of a qualitative research confirm that the uniqueness of tourism experiences results from the attributes of the destination’s identity. These attributes primarily relate to nature and natural resources, cultural heritage, and culinary experiences. The unique tourism experiences are conveyed through speciality, innovation, authenticity and various positive emotions such as hedonism, excitement, curiosity, surprise, happiness, and pleasure to ensure memorable value-added experiences and encourage tourists to visit year-round. The study contributes to the knowledge of unique tourism experiences. Finally, theoretical implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research are provided.
Keywords: uniqueness, destination, unique attributes, tourism experience
Published in RUP: 03.11.2023; Views: 2808; Downloads: 14
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