Stochastic choice analysis of tourism destinations

The analysis of tourist destination choice, defined by intra-country administrative units and by product types “coastal/inland and village/city”, permits the characterisation of tourist flow behaviour, which is fundamental for public planning and business management. In this study, we analyse the determinant factors of tourist destination choice, proposing various research hypotheses relative to the impact of destination attributes and the personal characteristics of tourists. The methodology applied estimates Nested and Random Coefficients Multinomial Logit Models, which allow control over possible correlations among different destinations. The empirical application is realised in Spain on a sample of 3,781 individuals and allows us to conclude that prices, distance to the destination and personal motivations are determinants in destination choice.

Absence of magnetically induced fractional quantization in atomic contacts

Using the mechanically controlled break junction technique at low temperatures and under cryogenic vacuum conditions we have studied atomic contacts of several magnetic (Fe, Co, and Ni) and nonmagnetic (Pt) metals, which recently were claimed to show fractional conductance quantization. In the case of pure metals we see no quantization of the conductance nor half quantization, even when high magnetic fields are applied. On the other hand, features in the conductance similar to (fractional) quantization are observed when the contact is exposed to gas molecules. Furthermore, the absence of fractional quantization when the contact is bridged by H2 indicates the current is never fully polarized for the metals studied here. Our results are in agreement with recent model calculations.