Altering Perceptions Through Repositioning: An Exercise in Framing

This research was conducted to examine the efficacy of repositioning public parks and recreation services in the public mind. Respondents were recruited at various venues throughout a large Canadian city and randomly assigned to one of five groups. After reading hypothetical newspaper format articles, respondents completed questionnaires investigating their beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding a local recreation agency's efforts to reduce youth crime. Four treatment messages contained various combinations of real, psychological, and competitive repositioning messages, while a control group received no information. All types of repositioning messages were effective in improving beliefs and behavioral intentions, but not attitudes. There was no significant evidence that numerical treatment messages were more effective than non-numerical messages or that the cumulative effects of various repositioning messages were more effective than a single type of message. Discussion focuses on efficacy of various framing messages, on suggestions for future research related to repositioning, and on considerations related to social marketing efforts of this nature.     

The Motivations Of College Students’ Use Of Social Networking Sites In Travel Information Search Behavior: The Mediating Effect Of Interacting With Other Users

Social networking sites (SNSs) have proliferated rapidly in the last few years and continue to grow in popularity. This study argues that social networking sites play a pivotal role in college students’ trip information search behavior. The primary objective is to identify motivations that influence college students’ propensity to use SNSs to search for travel information, leading to the development of a model. This study also examines the mediating effect of interacting with other users on the relationship between motivations and information search behavior using SNSs. Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses and a mediating effect. The results indicate that all four motivations (i.e., self-expression, commenting, participating in a community forum, and information seeking) affect college students’ use of SNSs when they seek travel-related information. It is also observed that interacting with others on SNSs has a mediating role in both motivations and information search behavior. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Factors influencing customer engagement with branded content in the social network sites of integrated resorts

The integrated resorts rely on social network sites (SNSs) for content marketing, while one of the main purposes of content marketing is customer engagement that will leverage the impact of branded content. This study investigates the factors influencing customer engagement with brand posts of integrated resorts on the SNSs. The findings highlight the important influence of both media-type and content-type factors on the level of customer engagement in SNSs of integrated resorts. This study provides practical implications for integrated resorts to develop SNS online content marketing strategy.     

Towards typologies of virtual maltreatment: sport,digital cultures & dark leisure

Abstract

A changing technological context, specifically that of the growth of social media, is transforming aspects of leisure behaviour, especially in terms of negative interactions between followers of sport and athletes. There is a growing body of research into the maltreatment of adult athletes, exploring issues such as abusive acts or behaviours against the individual, including acts of physical and/or psychological violence to the person. Existing research, however, focuses upon face-to-face behaviours, and to date the nature of abuse in online spaces has been overlooked. It is becoming ever more apparent that virtual environments create optimal climates for abuse to occur due to the ability for individuals to communicate in an instantaneous, uncontrolled and often anonymous manner in virtual worlds. Using a netnographic approach, an analysis of a popular social media platform (Twitter) was conducted to examine the types of abuse present in online environments. This paper presents a conceptual typology, identifying four broad types of abuse in this setting; physical, sexual, emotional and discriminatory; examples of each form are presented. Findings highlight how online environments can pose a significant risk to individual emotional and psychological safety.     

Improving carbon offsetting appeals in online airplane ticket purchasing: testing new messages,and using new test methods

ABSTRACT

Voluntary carbon offsetting by air passengers could help counteract environmental damage caused by air travel. But adoption rates among air travellers are low. This study (1) develops new communication messages which counteract barriers to carbon offsetting identified in prior studies, and (2) tests their effectiveness using psychophysiological and attitudinal measures, a technique new to sustainable tourism research methodologies. Results point to low levels of traveller awareness of carbon offsetting schemes, the primary need for any message to attract the air passengers’ attention, the superiority of pictorial and short textual information as well as the identification of particularly effective content. The study makes three key contributions: (1) it highlights the critical importance of awareness raising as a precursor of behavioural change, (2) it offers tangible recommendations for improving carbon offsetting messages, and (3) it demonstrates the usefulness of psychophysiological measures for pre-testing alternative social marketing messages aimed at increasing environmentally sustainable tourist behaviour across a range of applications. Findings of considerable practical importance include refinements of current messages to increase both attention levels and emotional arousal, and the positive impact of promoting additional social co-benefits alongside environmental benefits. Future valuable research themes using psychophysiological and attitudinal measures are suggested.     

E-satisfaction and continuance intention: The moderator role of online ratings

Given the growing importance of SNSs (social networking sites) in the online decision-making process, the authors present a new applied theory of motivation. Drawing from gratification theory, this study develops a causality model that links online informative motivation (OIM), e-satisfaction, and online ratings to guarantee the online customer’s continuance intention. Although the partial least squares (PLS) findings extracted from a representative sample of 313 hotel customers confirm substantial positive linkages among the above constructs within this causality model, fuzzy set/qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) results take it one step further by reinforcing and refining the existing findings in the contexts of high and low levels of online ratings. Accordingly, implications for theory and practice, as well as research limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.     

The Past,Present, and Future Research of Online Information Search

SUMMARY

Information technology has rapidly developed and accordingly online information search is increasingly important to both travelers and travel marketers. Despite the importance, there has not been given much attention to online information search behavior in the travel and tourism field. To stress the importance and urge researchers in advancing this area of research, this study briefly reviews (1) traditional views of information search, (2) the distinct features of online information search, (3) online benefits to travelers and marketers, and (4) online concerns and opportunities. In addition, potential issues on future research are suggested.     

Corporate social responsibility signaling,evaluation, identification,and revisit intention among cruise customers

Abstract

Improvements in customer knowledge and interest in cruise tourism have facilitated the growth of the cruise industry. However, the cruise industry has limited research attention from tourism and hospitality scholars. Furthermore, in the cruise setting, although a large number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages are sent to customers, it seems reasonable to suspect that not all CSR activities are effective to achieve the sustainable growth of the company. Therefore, this study aims to expand the existing knowledge of cruise CSR by examining the impact of customers’ perceived value of socially responsible consumption behavior on brand-related outcomes. Data from 292 cruise customers in the United States are collected through online surveys. Findings support the evidence that CSR signaling influences customers’ positive evaluation and identification with a cruise brand, but no direct impact on their behavioral intention is observed. Also, the mediating role of evaluation and identification in the relationship between CSR signaling and revisit intention is examined. In this study, the signaling and social identity theories are supported by an empirical study to addresses the importance of customers’ socially responsible consumption trait in sustainable growth.     

Sexual health education for young tourists

There is a pressing need for developing effective sexual health education for a high-risk group of young tourists. The purpose of this study was to explore the necessity of sexual health education for young tourists and to identify the characteristics of potentially successful sexual health messages. The data were obtained from three mixed-gender focus groups and 13 individual interviews (N = 32) and analyzed using constructivist grounded theory. The findings highlight the necessity for innovative sexual health education methods supporting young adults' decision-making in tourism. Participants' recommendations for sexual health education for tourists included informing decisions about safer sex instead of condemning sex; developing tourism-focused, age-specific, and gender-sensitive messages; varying messages’ emphases on risks vs. benefits; and individualizing the messages based on risk perceptions and motivations. These recommendations can be explained and applied using context-specific, harm reduction, and health promotion approaches as well as the methods of targeting, framing, and tailoring.     

Leisure and Active Lifestyles: Research Reflections

Leisure researchers have been studying active living for many years. The research, however, has focused more on individual factors than social and environmental determinants that enable physical activity and health. The focus of the introduction to this special issue on “leisure and active lifestyles” is to highlight leisure literature that can be directly tied to active living. These dimensions include outdoor recreation, community recreation areas and facilities, time usage, barriers and constraints, and social interdependence. We provide an overview of the significance of the papers in this special issue and offer some reflections regarding future research related to active living, physical activity, health, and leisure. We underline the value of the holistic approach evident in leisure research and call for broader methods and more collaborative transdisciplinary research.     

Examining the influencing factors of intention to share accommodations in online hospitality exchange networks

ABSTRACT

CouchSurfing is a free social-network-based online hospitality exchange network, aptly representing a new sharing economy phenomenon. Based on social capital theory and previous literature, this study attempts to answer why hosts help strangers without any expected economic benefit within online hospitality exchange networks. An empirical study based on a Web survey conducted with CouchSurfing hosts reveals that the most identified antecedents (enjoy helping, shared narratives, desire to make friends, and reciprocity) are significantly related to hosts’ intention to share accommodations. Interestingly, the overshadowing effect of trust in CouchSurfing on the intention to share accommodations is also found.     

Narratives of Negotiation and Transformation: Women's Experiences within a Mixed-Gendered Gym

ABSTRACT

Those within the fitness industry claim that gyms provide accessible space for women (of certain economic status) to engage in activities that will increase their health. As such, gyms are marketed as safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces. Yet when viewing gym spaces through a feminist-informed lens, it becomes clear that gyms are not always innocuous spaces. They often reflect and perpetuate gendered power relations and highly prescribed cultural expectations for femininity around women's bodies, appearances, strength, and abilities. This narrative inquiry sought to illuminate women's gendered experiences within a for-profit mixed-gendered gym space. Through the use of unstructured life story interviews, this research highlights the dominant gendered expectations that women perceived within the gym and how these expectations influence women's gym use. The narratives also exposed several ways that gyms can be changed in order to facilitate more positive gym experiences for women.     

‘You will like it!’ using open data to predict tourists' response to a tourist attraction

The increasing amount of user-generated content spread via social networking services such as reviews, comments, and past experiences, has made a great deal of information available. Tourists can access this information to support their decision making process. This information is freely accessible online and generates so-called “open data”. While many studies have investigated the effect of online reviews on tourists' decisions, none have directly investigated the extent to which open data analyses might predict tourists' response to a certain destination. To this end, our study contributes to the process of predicting tourists' future preferences via Mathematica^TM, software that analyzes a large set of the open data (i.e. tourists’ reviews) that is freely available on tripadvisor. This is devised by generating the classification function and the best model for predicting the destination tourists would potentially select. The implications for the tourist industry are discussed in terms of research and practice.     

Exploring the economic,social and cultural rights of youth leaders working in Sport for Development initiatives at grassroots level in South Africa

Abstract

Sport has not only been forwarded as a basic human right but it is a powerful tool in the advocacy of human rights. Social inclusion and gender equality through sport interventions are prevalent in the developing world. Change agents working in the field of Sport for Development applaud the success of interventions in marginalised and impoverished communities as sport is viewed as an effective tool that contributes to the social inclusion and the betterment of the poor. In a developing country, such as South Africa, unemployed youth are recruited as youth leaders in an attempt to improve their economic, social and cultural standing through their involvement in sport for development interventions. This Research Note highlights the tension between Sport for Development initiatives in South Africa that carry messages of human rights and the failure of the current system to fulfil the economic, social and cultural rights of youth leaders. This study explores the experiences of youth leaders in South Africa through the lens of ‘The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ (ICESCR). A qualitative, ethnographic approach was used to address the question: How can the socio-economic rights of youth leaders working on grassroots level in Sport for Development initiatives be recognised? The qualitative research findings indicated youth leaders perceive their work as important, but do not believe that the remuneration they receive allow for a decent living; and, that they do not believe that they have an equal opportunity for career progression within the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) that they work for. Recommendations on how to address the rights of youth leaders are provided.     

Social marketing,sustainable tourism,and small/medium size tourism enterprises: challenges and opportunities for changing guest behaviour

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the impact on the guest experience of initiatives promoting water efficient behaviour in small/medium-sized enterprises (SMTEs) offering tourism accommodation. Interviews with 16 SMTE managers revealed businesses were unable to incorporate many initiatives previously examined in the literature, due to the small size of their businesses. In the interviews, however, they contributed three new ideas not previously examined in existing sustainable tourism dialogues. A subsequent questionnaire (n = 408) was administered to potential guests to better understand their water use behaviour, explore how initiatives might impact their accommodation experience, and to assess guest reactions to social marketing messages. Eight initiatives and five messages were tested. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct water user segments with one cluster showing the greatest promise for targeting to increase return on investment. Guests reported the highest positive impact on their experience from initiatives SMTEs stated were not operationally viable. This may indicate that larger firms have a competitive advantage over SMTEs if applying social marketing to change guest behaviour. However, the study found that two of the new initiatives, suggested by SMTE managers as more appropriate to their businesses, would be viable in engaging guests and at acceptably low costs.     

When birds flock together: an identification of the destination social servicescape

ABSTRACT

While servicescapes have been studied in a variety of travel and tourism domains, the phenomenon has been largely ignored at the destination level. This is especially true when it comes to considerations of the social servicescape, which is reflective of the extent to which the mere presence of other destination visitors can influence affective responses to the destination experience. Accordingly, the purpose of this research is to propose and empirically test a model of the destination social servicescape that explores perceived psychographic similarity within the social servicescape and the effects of this construct on affective evaluations and behavior.     

Can message framings influence air passengers’ perceived credibility of aviation voluntary carbon offsetting messages?

Abstract

Past literature has identified low purchase rates of aviation voluntary carbon offsetting (VCO) schemes. A lack of credibility of such schemes has been identified as a key obstacle, yet little attention has been given on how to enhance perceived credibility. Using communication theory, this study examines effects of message framing on consumers’ perceived credibility of aviation VCO messages. Data were drawn from a representative sample of 1680 Australians. The results revealed that spatial distance framing influences air passengers’ perceived credibility of aviation VCO messages. Messages focusing on the influence of VCO programs on the environment of a local community obtain higher perceived credibility than those located in other countries. The study also found the interaction of spatial and temporal distance framing effects were different based on consumers’ past purchase experience. The findings suggest how airlines should design messages and refine them based on consumers’ past experience of aviation VCOs.     

Enjoyment in zoos

Abstract

The range of paid work carried out within the home suggests that a growing number of home‐working individuals will find themselves in distinctive positions in relation to the flows and interconnections of the space–time compression. This has potentially significant consequences for their experience of leisure. This article discusses how space and place within the home are contested issues that manifest in different ways across time. Consideration is made on the fluid nature of the spatial boundaries within the home environment and the impact this has upon the notion of the home as a site of, and for, leisure. The article explores how the home represents a physical setting and a matrix of social relationships, and discusses how this matrix proves especially complex for individuals engaged in home‐based work, particularly when aligned with notions of leisure choices and constraints.     

Evaluating museum visitor experiences based on user-generated travel photos

ABSTRACT

This research introduces online travel photos published on social media platforms as a complementary data resource to examine the behavior and experience of museum visitors. The practical value of online travel photos is demonstrated through a case study of popular Hong Kong museums, particularly by using the photo content and metadata available from the Flickr platform. The proposed approach is a generic method for understanding museum visitor behavior and preferences, and supports museum practitioners in developing improved products for visitors. The case study findings are particularly beneficial for tourism managers, especially those in Hong Kong, in promoting and attracting tourists to visit local museums.     

Perceived crowding in recreation settings: An urban case study

Abstract

Research on crowding in recreation areas has focused primarily on back‐country settings. This study tests some of the axioms developed from this research and from studies conducted in non‐recreation settings using data from a case study in an urban park. The actual number of visitors present was found to be the most important individual predictor of perceived crowding in this setting. Results suggest that more developed parks, in more urban contexts, may elicit different images and expectations about visitor density. The implications of these findings, as they relate both to studies of perceived crowding and the social definition of parks in general, are discussed.