Terrorism,Economic Uncertainty and Outbound Travel from Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of three consumer surveys conducted in Hong Kong examining and outbound travel frequency and future travel intentions. The surveys were conducted in December, 2000, October, 2001, some three weeks after the September 11th terrorist attacks, and in April/May 2002, thus enabling the researchers to track the immediate and medium term impacts of the 9–11 incident on outbound tourism. The study revealed that a dramatic softening in intentions to travel was reported, yet no apparent differences were noted in overall travel participation rates before and six months after the event. However, consumers have modified their travel activities, taking shorter trips and expressing greater concerns about the safety of travel. The study further reveals that consumer confidence in the safety of outbound travel is returning, but more enduring economic concerns are beginning to affect travel intentions.     

The Perceived Destination Image of Hong Kong as Revealed in the Travel Blogs of Mainland Chinese Tourists

This study investigated travel blogs as a manifestation of the travel experience, along with the destination image of Hong Kong from the perspective of tourists from mainland China. Recently published blog entries were selected and analyzed using content analysis. Empirical results indicated that the overall perceived destination image of Hong Kong was positive, with particular strengths in transportation, the harbor, and outlying islands. The major weaknesses of Hong Kong as a travel destination were the price of meals outside hotels, rooms in five-star hotels, and the quality of cosmetics and skincare products. This article has implications for policymakers and practitioners with regard to making use of travel blogs to gather authentic visitor comments on Hong Kong.     

Modeling Vacation Destination Decisions:

The purpose of this study is to develop a multiple criteria decision-making instrument to model vacation destination-choice decisions of individuals based on the factors deemed to be important for vacation destination choice decisions. The study emphasizes the importance of individual differences in making vacation destination choice decisions. Although this research effort is explanatory in nature, the results reveal that application of behavioral decision theory is possible in modeling individualsÆ vacation destination decisions.     

The Impact of the Internet on Travel Agencies in Hong Kong

Abstract

In recent years, the travel and tourism industry has begun to develop Internet applications more extensively. Many travel service suppliers, such as hotels and airline companies, already use the Internet as a direct channel for customer reservations. The integration of the Internet into the travel and tourism industry, however, presents a challenge towards the traditional role of travel agencies. The purpose of this study is to find out what impact the Internet has on travel agencies in Hong Kong. Outcomes of this research indicate that travel agents generally have positive attitudes towards Internet applications, and the potential threat-disintermediation-has not yet affected the travel industry. Travel agents believe that they can take advantage of the Internet technology to provide value-added services for their customers. Outcomes of the present study also indicate that there are significant relationships between company size, age and some Internet attributes. Travel agencies should therefore pay more attention to these attributes when adopting Internet technology.     

Travel demand and behavior of university students in Hong Kong

University students represent an emerging market for the travel industry. This paper reports the findings of a study on the travel behavior and travel patterns of Hong Kong university students. Using a questionnaire, a survey was conducted to identify student travel motives, their travel planning process and travel preferences. A total of 264 university students in Hong Kong were interviewed and data analyzed. The results indicate that to “Experience new and different styles”, “Take it easy and relax”, “Go to places I haven't been before” and “Outstanding scenery” were perceived as important motives in students' travel decision-making. Four factors with 24 attributes were identified. These factors were “Social relationships”, “Obtain new experience”, “Relax and enjoy” and “Cost of travel”. Based on the findings of the study, it was suggested that modifications to the existing tourism products and services and new product development were necessary in order to meet the demand of this emerging market.     

Hong Kong Residents' Adoption of Risk Reduction Strategies in Leisure Travel

For decades risk has been identified as a major concern for traveling. Although some recent studies focused on studying consumers' perceived travel risks, only a few prior studies literally discussed consumers' risk reduction strategies in the context of travel-related services. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate the travel-related risk reduction strategies that Hong Kong residents adopt to strengthen their confidence during leisure travel. This study also explores if travelers of different travel-related and sociodemographic characteristics adopt different risk reduction strategies. Among different risk reduction strategies—“purchase travel insurance,” “bring extra cash,” and “search for latest information about the destination”—are the ones which Hong Kong residents are likely to adopt when they travel for leisure. Results revealed that travel-related and sociodemographic characteristics influenced travelers' likelihood to risk reduction strategies differently. Specifically, travel experience of travelers, age, and household income displayed significant differences in the likelihood of adopting most of the risk reduction strategies.     

Mainland Chinese residents' perceptions and motivations of visiting Hong Kong: Evidence from focus group interviews

Focus groups were employed to identify Mainland Chinese residents' perceptions, motivations and perceived behavioral inhibitors of visiting Hong Kong. Three group discussions were conducted in Beijing and two groups in Guangzhou, with a total of 36 participants. Results showed that Mainland Chinese residents perceived Hong Kong mainly as a shopping destination. Accordingly, their most prominent visitation motivation to Hong Kong was shopping. Other motivations identified from the group interviews were knowledge enhancement, curiosity, family togetherness and kinship enhancement, sightseeing, experiencing different culture and lifestyle, and visiting friends and relatives. In addition to time and money as the most salient perceived behavioral inhibitors, language, complexity of getting travel documents, and improper accommodation supplies were perceived as inhibiting factors for Mainland Chinese residents to visit Hong Kong. Based on the results, implications on destination management and marketing were discussed.     

A travel demand model for Mainland Chinese tourists to Hong Kong

The purpose of the study was to determine what exogenous variables best explained the travel demand for Mainland Chinese tourists to Hong Kong. The 12 years (1984–1995) annual time series data of ‘number of Mainland Chinese tourist arrivals’, ‘China disposable income per capita’, ‘consumer price indices in Hong Kong and China’ and ‘exchange rates’ was used to develop a travel demand model. Seven exogenous variables were selected for the model through a literature review. An OLS multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the ‘best’ subset of seven exogenous variables to determine the demand model. The results showed that travel demand for Mainland Chinese tourists to Hong Kong could be explained by ‘disposable income per capita’ and ‘relaxation of visa requirements’.     

基于出游动机的游客目的地选择的离散选择模型研究

旅游目的地选择是游客选择行为研究中研究较为广泛的领域之一.现有文献利用了社会、经济、地理等诸多模型和理论对目的地选择进行了研究和探讨.基于随机效用最大化的离散选择模型在游客目的地选择研究中有广泛的应用,但是缺乏属性交互项对于目的地选择的抑制或者激励作用的研究.本文利用2002年江苏省国内游客抽样调查原始资料数据这一选择完成式类型的数据构建了两个二项Logistic回归模型,讨论了寻求闲适安静环境、探亲访友、公务出游3种出游动机对于出游距离以及旅行花费的影响.研究发现寻求闲适安静环境出游动机的游客倾向于选择远距离的目的地,且这类游客也愿意增加旅行花费;出于探亲访友这一动机出游的游客则更愿意选择靠近自己居所的旅游目的地,且不倾向于增加自身的旅行花费;公务出游的游客倾向于选择远距离目的地,也倾向于增加他们的旅行花费.     

Sexual Harassment in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

Prudent restaurant managers and owners should be aware of new trends in their industry. One of the most recent trends or challenges that the restaurant industry is facing is that of sexual harassment lawsuits. As the cost of litigation and dollar amount of settlements increase substantially, restaurant managers and owners should take a proactive view at sexual harassment in Hong Kong from the perspective of their employees. Hong Kong today is no different than any other major city in the world with attorneys (Solicitors and Barristers) advertising on television and in newspapers, therefore managers and owners in the restaurant industry must realize the significance of a work environment free of sexual harassment. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of restaurant employees in Hong Kong concerning sexual harassment.     

Destination choice model for transitional travel: College students in China

The current study examines the phenomenon of transitional travel by college students in China. The transitional travel takes place during that period when students are graduating and about to embark on a new phase of their lives. A conceptual model of destination choice for such travel is developed. The data was derived from personal interviews with 14 college students by telephone with both prescribed and open-ended questions. The model consists of five components: 1) barriers to transitional travel, 2) motivations for transitional travel, 3) internal inputs, 4) external inputs, and 5) destination selection.     

Destination Image of Taiwan From the Perspective of Hong Kong Residents: Revisiting Structural Relationships Between Destination Image Attributes and Behavioral Intention

Destination image plays an important role in how tourists make their travel and purchase decisions. This study examines the perceived image of Taiwan as a travel destination from the perspective of Hong Kong residents. The Hong Kong outbound tourism market is important for Taiwan. Using a self-completed questionnaire, this research examines the destination image of Taiwan among 213 Hong Kong residents. The results indicate that affective image is a stronger predictor of travel intention than cognitive image. Affective image also plays a mediating role in the relationship between cognitive image and behavioral intention. Hence, affective image is an important intangible quality for today’s destinations.     

The Hong Kong tourist satisfaction index

This study develops a tourist satisfaction assessment system based on a dual-model framework and demonstrates its general applicability. The first model concerns tourist satisfaction and its key antecedents and consequences. Structural equation modelling is employed to investigate the relationships amongst the constructs in the theoretical framework, and is then used as a basis for the computation of sectoral-level tourist satisfaction indexes. The second model is designed to estimate an aggregate service satisfaction index and an overall destination satisfaction index using a multiple indicator and multiple cause approach. The framework is applied to a large dataset that represents six tourism-related sectors and seven major source markets of inbound tourism to Hong Kong.     

Incorporating Both Positive and Negative Association Rules into the Analysis of Outbound Tourism in Hong Kong

This article presents a novel approach to data mining that incorporates both positive and negative association rules into the analysis of outbound travelers. Using datasets collected from three large-scale domestic tourism surveys on Hong Kong residents' outbound pleasure travel, different sets of targeted rules were generated to provide promising information that will allow practitioners and policy makers to better understand the important relationship between condition attributes and target attributes. This article will be of interest to readers who want to understand methods for integrating the latest data mining techniques into tourism research. It will also be of use to marketing managers in destinations to better formulate strategies for receiving outbound travelers from Hong Kong, and possibly elsewhere.     

香港外游旅行发票印花管理的调研及其对广东的启迪

文章调研了香港实行外游旅行发票印花管理的实践 ,分析这一管理模式的作用与优势 ,探索了广东旅游市场管理制度借鉴这一模式改革创新的思路 ,并论证了其可行性。     

The effects of SARS on the Hong Kong tourism industry: An empirical evaluation

The objective of this study is to assess the temporal impact of SARS on the tourists' arrival in Hong Kong. An econometric strategy was carefully selected to determine the existence of unit roots in data series containing the number of tourist arrivals from 36 source countries between 1978 and 2001. The existence of unit roots can detect the stationary properties of the series. The analysis finds that data series of 24 countries contain unit roots and hence any form of exogenous shocks, like the SARS epidemic, can have permanent impact on the number of tourist arrivals. Included in this category are Japan, Taiwan, the US and the UK, which are the main source of tourists for Hong Kong. The paper recommends that authorities take source-country-specific measures to manage the negative effect of SARS.     

Outlying Islands as a Tourist Destination for Local Residents: The Case of Cheung Chau in Hong Kong

Cheung Chau is an outlying island in Hong Kong, which is relatively untouched by the region's rapid economic development. The island provides a dramatic contrast to the cosmopolitan city center, one of the most popular travel destinations in Asia and a major business hub. This makes Cheung Chau a special attraction for local residents seeking to get away from their routine lives. However, no published studies have examined the opinions of residents on sustainable tourism development on Hong Kong's outlying islands and the motivating factors that drive residents to visit those islands. Hence, an exploratory qualitative study was undertaken to develop an understanding of the public's motivation for visiting Cheung Chau. The results of in-depth interviews with 15 residents who had visited the island are presented, along with an examination of the future direction of tourism development in Cheung Chau.     

User preferences for web site attributes: A study of the Hong Kong Disneyland

The Hong Kong Disneyland will be open in 2005 and the theme park is very likely to have an official web site. In order to determine the nature of a model/ideal official web site that would serve the promotional purpose, this study is conducted with two objectives. First, the study makes an attempt to understand the information types that the target markets, namely local Hong Kong residents, Western visitors and Chinese visitors, would like to have on the future Hong Kong Disney web site. Secondly, this research examines whether e‐ticketing is feasible for the web site. Using a questionnaire and a convenience sampling method, 198 responses were received. Empirical results indicate that the respondents all agreed that the suggested attributes should be listed in the web site. In addition, no significant difference was found among different groups of respondents on homepage information. However, significant differences were found among the interviewees’ views regarding products/services information, and ticketing information. To communicate effectively, the adoption of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is recommended in a value‐chain system for achieving successful e‐commerce.     

公众参与旅游规划的思考——来自香港大澳的调查启示

本文通过问卷调查方法研究分析了居民、实际消费者、潜在消费者3个公众群体对于香港大澳生态旅游发展规划成果方案的支持意愿、了解程度以及焦点问题等方面的后期评价,进而探讨了其与大澳生态旅游发展规划公众参与工作实施的因果关系,认为合理的参与时限、专业人员的作用、主体多元化、持续动态参与对于提升公众参与规划的实际效果具有现实的作用。     

Activity Based Segmentation on Pleasure Travel Market of Hong Kong Private Housing Residents

Abstract

If selection of activity types like outdoor sports, entertainment and sightseeing by the travelling public is better understood, more efficient marketing planning strategies can be developed to suit target markets, attract new target markets or increase customer volume in off-peak periods. In the present study, activity based segmentation was used to identify four groups of Hong Kong private housing travellers. They were ‘Sightseeing,’ ‘Outdoor Sports,’ ‘Entertainment and Outdoor Activities,’ and ‘Friends/Relatives Visiting.’ Statistically significant differences among activity-based clusters were found in socio-economic, demographic and trip related variables. Results showed that activity segmentation was a viable approach and that implications existed for packaging and programming, training programmes and promotional materials when targeting the pleasure travel market of Hong Kong.