Towards tourism: a Laotian perspective

This paper reports the findings of a study of the attitudes of residents towards tourism in the District of Viengxay, Lao People's Democratic Republic, where tourism is in its infancy. Based on focus group interviews, the paper analyses the societal and individual attitudes of the residents towards tourists, tourism development and employment in the tourism field. It was found that locals have little understanding of the motivations of tourists for visiting their villages. Villagers look forward to tourism development to bring more communication and fame to their village, as well as to tourism's contribution to the local economy. Community‐mindedness, control and organisation, cultural exchange, understanding and cultural awareness are prime motivators in forming local attitudes towards tourism. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

What does the consumer want from a DMO website? A study of US and Canadian tourists' perspectives

Destination marketing organisations (DMOs) are facing intriguing challenges to provide quality information online in an era of information overload. Insufficient knowledge of tourist's online information preferences and search behaviour has hindered them from effective information management. This research aimed to examine consumers' perspectives of the information role of the DMOs and their preferences and attitudes towards what constitute engaging and relevant Web contents and functionalities for a DMO website. The results suggested that tourists' preference of information content varied across the different levels of DMO websites (country, state/province and city). In addition, the study revealed that travellers' information needs and behaviour change over the entire information consumption process, which include the before, during and post‐trip period. Implications for DMOs were discussed at the end. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ideal Standards and Attitude Formation: A Tourism Destination Perspective

This study investigates the way attributes of an individual's ideal destination influence attitudes towards a holiday destination. Traditionally, ideals are used as comparison standards or to weight perception measures, but literature from outside the tourism and business management domains suggest new possibilities exist. A conceptual model was developed and empirically tested using path analysis, and the results indicate that ideal attributes directly influence perceptions of a holiday destination and indirectly influence attitude components of emotion and conation. The implications of the findings are discussed from both a practical and theoretical perspective and raise a number of interesting future research possibilities. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Local community perspectives towards dark tourism development: The case of Snowtown,South Australia

This paper critically examines the perspectives of a local community towards dark tourism development. Based on the infamous case of the Snowtown murders in South Australia, this preliminary study observes the local community's perception towards dark tourism development and adopted a qualitative methodology using observation and interview. The findings revealed that attitudes towards the development of dark tourism varied considerably depending on residents' length of immersion in the area. Whilst long-term residents were predominantly against the development of tourism involving Snowtown's recent dark past, others, particularly those that had moved to the area after the perpetrators of the Snowtown murders were caught (post-1999), were welcoming of the idea. The study posits that official tourism bodies in South Australia need to respond to the demand for dark tourism in Snowtown and provide the area with appropriate tourism infrastructure. However, due to the highly contrasting resident opinions towards dark tourism, it is also imperative that they consult the local community in future decision-making processes.     

Gaining residents' support for tourism and planning

This research analyses residents' perceptions of the effects of tourism. Economic, cultural and environmental effects are identified as determinants of residents' attitudes towards tourism development and planning. Authors speculate that there are different patterns of resident's support depending on their differential benefits obtained from tourism. A conceptual model is developed and empirically tested in Santiponce, a small community in southern Spain. Our results support our basic hypothesis: resident's level of personal benefits obtained from tourism influence their perceptions regarding tourism impacts, and in consequence, their support for tourism development and for tourism planning. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First-class airline travellers' perception of luxury goods and its effect on loyalty formation

This study examines how first-class airline travellers' perception of luxury goods influences the formation of their loyalty to first-class flights. Based on the proposed hypotheses, a conceptual model was developed and tested using empirical data collected from a sample of 202 first-class airline travellers in the USA. The results indicate that the five types of perceptions of luxury goods (e.g. quality, hedonism, conspicuousness, exclusivity, and the extended self) were generally associated with consumer attitudes towards first-class flights and thus led to well-being perceptions and perceived price fairness. In addition, well-being perceptions enhanced perceived price fairness, customer identification, and loyalty. Finally, alternative attractiveness moderated the relationship between consumer attitudes towards first-class flights and perceived price fairness. The results have important theoretical and managerial implications.     

Exploring the effects of the rural built environment on household car ownership after controlling for preference and attitude: Evidence from Sichuan,China

With the rapid infrastructure development and economic growth in China, household car ownership in the country's rural areas has changed dramatically in the past 16 years. The total number of cars owned by households in rural areas is currently 12 times higher than it was 16 years ago. The exploration of the effects of the built environment on household car ownership in China's rural areas is worthwhile. However, few studies have investigated this topic. To fill in the research gap, this work collected 374 household data from rural areas in China to examine the effects of the built environment in Sichuan's rural areas on the number of cars in a household. It considered family structure, socioeconomic characteristics, and individual's perceptions of the built environment, preferences towards the built environment and attitudes towards car ownership (shortened to perceptions, preferences and attitudes from now on). Geographic information system (GIS) technology, combined with on-site measurement, was used for data collection. The multinomial logit model was applied for estimation. Household structure and the built environment (including the perceived built environment and the objective built environment) significantly influence the number of cars in a household. By contrast, preference and attitude attributes have less influence on car ownership. Most of the findings are in line with the literature in the context of Chinese cities. Nevertheless, new results are also found. For example, rural hukou, and building density have significant positive impacts on household car ownership in China's rural areas, which is in contrast with their effects on cities. As the first study on rural areas in China, this research provides some insights for rural planners and policymakers to understand better the relationship between built environment and household car ownership.     

Perception and attitude of Hong Kong hotel guest‐contact employees towards tourists from Mainland China

In recent years, the majority of arrivals to Hong Kong, which were once dominated by the Western and Japanese markets, were replaced by arrivals from Mainland China. The number of tourists from Mainland China has overtaken others to become the largest single market for the territory. With its increasing significance, providing quality service to these visitors becomes crucial to the success of the tourism industry and of the hotel industry in particular. Unfortunately, the satisfaction rating of the Mainland visitors on hotel services in Hong Kong is reported to be relatively low when compared to those given by other major markets. It is suspected that the perception and attitudes of the service staff may influence their behaviour in serving customers. As such, this study conducted a survey questionnaire with 228 guest‐contact employees of hotels in Hong Kong. Results indicate that most respondents have a fairly positive perception towards the Mainland tourists in relation to the economic and financial benefits that they bring to Hong Kong. However, a majority of the respondents express negative perception and attitudes towards these tourists in respect to their appearance, personalities and behaviour. Despite some respondents indicating that they exhibit different service behaviour towards visitors from Mainland China and other countries, no major significant differences in their perception and attitudes were found in this study. It is recommended that various types of cross‐cultural training, such as sensitivity training and role playing, would be helpful to guest‐contact employees in enhancing their ability to be more objective and more tolerant of other people's behaviour. This study concludes that hotel employees, especially those who work as front‐line staff, must remain aware of their subjective judgments when dealing with guests and be more accepting of others. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Levuka,Fiji: Contested Heritage

The complex links between heritage and tourism, and the ways in which attitudes towards historical built environments vary over time and place, are demonstrated in a study of Levuka, on the small island of Ovalau, Fiji. The town was founded by traders of European origin, and for a few years was Fiji's first colonial capital. Since the late 1800s, however, it has remained undeveloped, despite periodic efforts by tourism interests, resident expatriates and some government departments, to raise its profile and conserve its buildings and ambience through the development of tourism. Over the past decade, these attempts have crystallised in moves to nominate the municipality for listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This paper describes Levuka's origins and its continued association with the colonial past, discusses the impetus within Fiji to nominate it, analyses UNESCO's role in supporting Levuka's case, and indicates the variety of perceptions to 'heritage' in the town, across Ovalau, and more widely in the Fiji Islands.     

Kids and cars: Environmental attitudes in children

This article aims to supplement scarce research on the children's attitudes to cars and the environment. Assuming that attitudes to cars develop in childhood, this article draws upon the writing assignments and interviews exploring the upper-elementary school children's attitudes to cars. The study was conducted in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, between January and December 2010. Briefly examining existing research on children's environmental attitudes in general, and in relation to cars in particular, the author argues that in-depth qualitative research is essential to the understanding of the factors that explain present attitudes and perhaps predicting the behavior of the future users of the means of transportation. In conclusion, the author makes a recommendation for the development of a curriculum addressing the development of children's awareness of sustainable transportation.     

Resident attitudes towards dark tourism,a perspective of place-based identity motives

Place-based identity theories prove to be valid in better understanding resident attitudes towards support for tourism. Yet, its effectiveness is not verified in the context of dark tourism and resident attitudes towards dark tourism remains unknown. Based on a survey of 526 local residents in China’s Yingxiu, the epicentre of the Great Wenchuan Earthquake, the authors examined the relationships between the local residents’ place-based identity motives and their attitudes towards support for dark tourism development. Results show that the motive of ‘belonging/meaning’ is one of the most important determinants; residents’ involvement in dark tourism and bereavement affect their identity motives and attitudes towards support for dark tourism. The theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.     

Red Palm: exploring service quality and servicescape of the best backpacker hostel in Asia

The Red Palm was voted the best backpacker's hostel in Asia for 2006. This study explores the reasons behind this phenomenal achievement by examining service quality and servicescape of the establishment. Using NVIVO software, data from 192 website comments and eighteen in-depth interviews were content-analysed. The results show that the most important dimension of service quality experience with the Red Palm is tangibles, followed by empathy and assurance. The most important tangible elements of the Red Palm are facilities and equipment, location and the atmosphere of friendliness, welcome and homeliness, and cleanliness. The excellent staff elements include their courtesy, individualised attention and willingness to help. The paper also presents the illustration of Bitner's [(1992). Servicescapes: The impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. The Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 57–71] servicescape framework in relation to the Red Palm.     

Green commuter plans and the small employer: an investigation into the attitudes and policy of the small employer towards staff travel and green commuter plans

One potential solution to reducing peak hour congestion has been to identify a role for the employer in reducing car-based travel to work and promoting more sustainable alternatives through comprehensive ‘employee travel plans’ (Rye, T., 1995. Employee Transport Plans—An Easy Means to Cut Congestion? The 23rd European Transport Forum, Proceedings of Seminar B, Planning for Sustainability, PTRC, pp. 229–241). In the UK such plans have seen a steady increase in interest since the early 1990s culminating in their recognition in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions DETR, 1998 (DETR, 1998. A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone, The Government's White Paper on the Future of Transport, HMSO, London) Transport White Paper as a policy tool for reducing car-based travel. Despite their inclusion as a policy tool little information exists on the views of employers towards such plans (Rye, T., 1995. Employee Transport Plans—An Easy Means to Cut Congestion? The 23rd European Transport Forum, Proceedings of Seminar B, Planning for Sustainability, PTRC, pp. 229–241; Rye, T., MacLeod, M., 1998. An Investigation of Employer Attitudes to Employer Transport Plans, AET European Transport Conference 1998, Policy Planning and Sustainability Seminar (Seminar C), vol. 2, PTRC). This is of considerable concern given that employers by default are the key implementers. Studies to date on employers’ attitudes have concentrated on the views of the large employer (over 100 employees). The Transport White Paper however suggests that there is also a role for the small employer. This paper therefore investigates the attitudes and policy of the small employer (under 100 employees) towards staff travel and green commuter plans. The paper is based on the analysis of data collected in 1998 from 352 small Oxfordshire employers. The research was funded under the DETR's Seedcorn Research Programme. The paper outlines selected findings of this research, and concludes by suggesting that while ultimately there should be a role for the small employer in developing green commuter plans it is the large firms that are more likely to implement green commuter plans in the short term. In policy terms, the continuing focus of green commuter plans on large employers is therefore the best way forward. In the long term however consideration needs to be given to the role that the small employer can play in reducing employee travel.     

Applying relative deprivation theory to study the attitudes of host community residents towards tourism: the case study of the Zhangjiang National Park,China

Host community is one of the most important stakeholders involved in tourism development. Their attitudes and supports for tourism are highly significant to underpin the sustainable development of the industry. However, host community has not been attached adequate importance, and is usually marginalised to be a salient disadvantaged group in the process of tourism development. Although relative deprivation theory (RDT) provides a powerful theoretical tool to analyse the attitudes of disadvantaged social groups, the theory has rarely been documented in tourism literature. This paper takes the case of tourism development in the Zhangjiang National Park, China, and applies RDT to empirically examine how and why host residents suffer from the relative deprivation problem resulting from tourism development and attempts to unveil its influence on their attitudes towards tourism development. The study indicates that there exists a close and negative correlation between the locals' relative deprivation and their attitudes towards tourism development. The more host residents suffer from relative deprivation, the more negative their attitudes towards tourism are, and vice versa. Furthermore, the Relative Deprivation Index proposed in this study proves to be simple and effective in quantitatively depicting the spatial differences/heterogeneity of relative deprivation issues in the case study area.     

What drives sustainable student travel? Mode choice determinants in the Greater Toronto Area

Examination of mode choice behavior is an important step in accurately predicting future travel demand. Despite having somewhat unique travel needs and challenges, there is a lack of knowledge in understanding the mode use behavior of university student population. The existing studies on university populations relied on a relatively smaller sample in investigating the behavior. Therefore, using world's largest university student's travel database, this study examines the factors affecting the mode choice behavior of a diverse university student population with student samples from four universities and their seven campuses located across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Canada. Additionally, stratifying this diverse population using their attitudinal responses towards numerous travel modes, this study also estimates three additional mode choice models to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of how students in different markets, with different latent attitudes towards transportation, vary in terms of sustainable mode choice. A cluster analysis based on fourteen attitudinal responses, was conducted to stratify the sample whereas the popular multinomial logit approach was used to estimate the mode choice models. This study finds transit pass and bike ownership as important determinants that govern sustainable mode choice among the students in the region. The findings of this study could facilitate the sustainability offices at the four universities in making an informed policy decision in shifting the mode use behavior of students towards sustainable modes.     

Island cruise tourism development: a resident's perspective in the context of Italy

Most studies that examine tourism impacts and community attitudes have been carried out from the perspective of the tourism sector as a whole, with very few papers focusing on specific types of tourism and/or analysing tourists' preferences for specific types of tourism segment. This paper discusses some pertinent issues in relation to cruise tourism development and community attitudes in a port of call cruise destination located in the island of Sicily (Southern Italy). Specifically, this study was carried out using a quota random sample of 1500 responses, which is representative of the population of Messina at 1% level. Findings show that residents express an overall positive attitude towards cruise tourism development even if it is not the most preferred when compared to other types of tourism (cultural tourism, sport tourism, and sun and sea tourism). Further, they highlight that significant differences based on socio-economic and demographic characteristics (age, gender, reliance on cruise-related employment, level of education, geographical proximity to tourist areas and port, length of residency and frequency of interaction with tourists) exist in residents' perceptions and attitudes towards cruise tourism development. Implications for policy-makers are discussed and suggestions for further research are given.     

Measuring regional differences in users' perceptions towards interurban toll roads

Public acceptability is crucial to achieve the successful implementation of certain policy initiatives. In the transport sector, this is especially relevant for toll roads since they entail a burden to the users. Previous literature in this field has mainly focused on analyzing the influence of different individual characteristics on attitudes towards road charges, without clear results. However, other context-specific drivers such as regional parameters may also play an important role to explain users' attitudes, especially when the implementation of tolls within the same nation varies throughout regions. The goal of this paper is to analyze regional differences in users' perceptions with regard to tolls as an appropriate way to finance the provision of road infrastructure. Based on a nationwide survey conducted to road users in interurban toll roads in Spain, we develop a multilevel logit model to explore regional differences in drivers' perceptions. The research concludes that differences identified seem to be more influenced by context-specific variables, related to either the characteristics of the toll road or the region, than by the characteristics of the individuals. The paper also underlines the negative effects of an asymmetrical distribution of toll roads across regions on users' perceptions, since those territories especially suffering the burden of tolls show a more negative attitude towards road charging.     

Exploring attitudes to edgy urban destinations: the case of Deptford,London

The role of tourists and tourism in urban development is not fully understood. Research has focused on tourism districts within city centres, but less is known about tourism in peripheral, less affluent urban districts. These areas can appeal to visitors as edgy alternatives to mainstream destinations. This study establishes who is interested in visiting and why, and it explores the underlying rationale for negative attitudes. The aims are addressed by an in-depth analysis of Deptford in South East London. This area is a relatively deprived part of a world city, albeit one that has long been earmarked as London's next cool district. The study uses a mix of different sources to analyse the case. Responses to a New York Times article on Deptford are analysed and the attitudes of actual visitors and key stakeholders are explored. The discussion includes an examination of different interpretations and attitudes towards the notion of edginess. Edginess is deemed attractive by certain audiences; something linked to a reverence for working-class life in the arts. The study concludes that, whilst edginess is a noted characteristic, what people appreciate about Deptford is its ‘distinctive ordinariness’ – its contrast with more polished and contrived urban districts.     

Fare impacts of Southwest Airlines: A comparison of nonstop and connecting flights

This paper examines the effects of Southwest Airlines' entry on its rivals' pricing, with a focus on comparing nonstop and connecting flights. The results produce two important findings. First, Southwest's nonstop entry depressed its rivals' nonstop airfares and connecting airfares. Second, Southwest's connecting entry depressed its rivals' connecting airfares, but did not depress their nonstop airfares. Considering nonstop and connecting services as differentiated products which differ in quality, the findings suggest that firms have quite different fare strategies upon the entry of different quality products.     

Transport mobility benefits and quality of life: A time-use perspective of elderly Canadians

It is well accepted that mobility is often closely linked to one's independence, well-being, and quality of life. This research seeks to quantify the impacts of transport mobility and investigate their impacts on the quality of life for non-working elderly Canadians. Statistics Canada's Time-Use data are used to develop contextually-derived time budgets that measure daily exposure to psychological, exercise, and community benefits of transport mobility. These time budget measures are stratified by dimensions of life situation and domains of subjective well-being. Results exhibit significant variations in transport mobility benefits by life situation and subjective well-being indices, and also indicate significant association between transport mobility benefits and quality of life. This research concludes with an evaluation of the potential for future applications of Canada's General Social Survey (GSS) time-use modules towards further development of an index of well-being that incorporates the benefits of transport mobility.