Niche tourism attributes scale: a case of storm chasing

In spite of the rapid and large growth of niche tourism, and the proliferation of tour operators catering to such markets, limited information is available on the measurement of tour operator attributes that are critical to maximise the experience and needs of their tourists. Thus, a study was conducted to comprehensively evaluate different operational attributes of small storm-chasing tour operators. Findings reveal high internal reliability and utility for this niche market; additional testing is suggested to evaluate such scale among other small niche tourism operators.     

Factors affecting the service quality of the tour guiding profession in Macau

This study examines the factors affecting the service quality of the tour guiding profession in Macau. In‐depth interviews were conducted with representatives from the Macau Tourist Guide Association, the Macau Government Tourist Office and selected practising tour guides to explore the issues from multiple insiders' perspectives. The factors identified were classified into six categories: unhealthy business practices, market domination, immaturity of tourist market, changing tourist behaviour, intense competition between inbound tour operators and human resource issues. The findings suggest that a number of these problems actually originated from the unhealthy business practices of the tourist‐generating country, namely mainland China in this study. Considering the growing importance of the Chinese outbound tourism market, the study findings will be of significant value to Macau and to other destinations targeting the Chinese market. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Volunteers as tour guides: a stakeholder–agency theory case study†

The use of volunteer tour guides by commercial tour operators has attracted little scholarly attention. This paper presents a qualitative case study of a commercially organized tour led by volunteer tour guides, and explores how the guides' status as volunteers shaped experiences of tour customers. Analysis, underpinned by stakeholder–agency theory, highlighted a range of service delivery issues that emerged during the tour. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed, with particular reference to how tour operators might negotiate the vexed issue of managing service delivery quality in the context of tour services paid for by customers, yet delivered by volunteers. Further research is required to explore potential differences in the willingness of tour operators to invest in human resource development initiatives for paid versus volunteer tour guides, along with possible flow-on implications for tour guides' role performance and customer satisfaction.     

The activation of local service suppliers by incoming tour operators in a “developing” destination – the case of Madagascar

This article elucidates how organised tourism initiated by the international tour operator system can involve local actors in a developing country with a young tourism industry. The empirical basis is incoming tour operators in Madagascar with the focus on their policies and practices in getting involved with local tour operators and individual providers of service by the realisation of their programs for international markets. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on personal interviews with incoming tour operators located in the capital city of Madagascar. The central theoretical frameworks applied are primarily from the research literature on partner selection and cooperation in exchange relationships (channels of distribution) and contract theory and the results are discussed within in the wider perspective of local competence development and sustainable tourism. The findings demonstrate that incoming tour operators have a quite limited involvement in the cooperation with local actors and uncover the problems linked to partner-specific, local attraction-specific and context-specific factors. The study offers an insight into a field that has been scarcely illuminated empirically by research and it is believed that the results have relevance beyond the geographical context of the research.     

Analysis of factors underlying foreign entry strategies of terminal operators in container ports

Port reforms around the world have opened regional container port terminal markets. The emergence of a wide array of global terminal operators has led to a differentiation in entry strategies driven by their respective objectives and by factors exogenous to the firm.This paper looks at antecedent factors that play a role in a company’s entry strategy in a public–private partnership (PPP) setting by performing binomial logistic regression on a large sample of container terminal deals over the period 2002–2010. More specifically, it analyses to what extent firm-specific, external, project and cross-cultural factors play a decisive role in the choice between direct PPPs (i.e. stepping into a new PPP arrangement such as a new concession agreement) and indirect PPPs (i.e. stepping into an existing PPP arrangement through acquisitions).The empirical findings demonstrate the pivotal role of some firm specific characteristics (market experience and business model), external factors (host country development and market openness, government effectiveness, market concentration degree, and market saturation) and project-related factors (project size, number of partners involved, and equity joint venture with the Port Authority), also unveiling some preliminary results in relation to cross-cultural variables.     

Acceptance of Voluntary Whalewatching Codes of Conduct in West Scotland: The Effectiveness of Governmental Versus Industry-led Guidelines.

During the tourist season of 2000, thirty whalewatching tour-operators were interviewed as to whether they referred to a whalewatching code of conduct or guidelines during their activities. Eighty-six percent stated they referred to a code of conduct. The most frequently used code was one produced by a tour operators' association (43%). Three codes of conduct produced by environmental non-governmental organisations were also used frequently to occasionally. Only 27% of the operators surveyed were aware of whalewatching guidelines produced by the UK government and none of the operators referred to these guidelines when watching whales. This study indicates that the majority of whalewatching tour operators had accepted codes of conduct but preferences were for locally, or operator-produced, codes. It is suggested that in West Scotland whalewatching tour operators should be actively involved, alongside statutory bodies, in the monitoring and managing of whalewatching.     

Supply‐side perspectives on ecotourism in Northern Thailand

This study provides a supply‐side perspective on ecotourism by exploring the ways in which travel agents and tour operators in Chiang Mai, Thailand conceptualise, prioritise and furnish ecotourism. Although travel agents and tour operators serve as crucial intermediaries between tourists and destinations, the ecotourism literature has largely ignored the ways in which retailers and suppliers of tourism experience approach and define ecotourism. Using quantitative data gathered from 300 travel agents and tour operators, this paper illustrates that the conceptualisation of ecotourism among agents and operators in Chiang Mai is expansive, flexible and, in some ways, internally contradictory. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Swimming in Cultural Flows: Conceptualising Tour Guides as Intercultural Mediators and Cosmopolitans

Tour guides have traditionally played a key role in linking tour operators, incoming agencies and tourists. More than most other people employed in the travel business, they are constantly involved in reconciling native and foreign cultures. Ideally they function as intercultural mediators; that is, as pathfinders and mentors who reveal unfamiliar destinations to their guests in a culturally sensitive manner. Caught up in a cultural flow in both their professional and personal lives, they move back and forth between divergent cultures and develop a distinctly cosmopolitan lifestyle. This article examines various aspects of the profession and cites several tour operators and tourists regarding the role of tour guides as intercultural mediators.     

British Wildlife Tourism Operators: Current Issues and Typologies

The UK wildlife outbound tourism sector is a relatively uncharted area of academic study both in terms of demand and supply. The purpose of this paper is first, to move towards a typology of British wildlife tour operators and their favoured destinations, and secondly, to introduce the relationship between satisfying the consumer and sustainable product/destination management. A systematic review of wildlife tourism brochures and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders indicate a gradual shift from a specialised market offering high involvement in a particular species (usually birds) to a more general market looking for an interesting, but pleasant and relaxing holiday based around a general interest in nature and the environment. Both markets coexist in a complex product and tourist spectrum with neither market being entirely inclusive. Instead there is a degree of movement between one and the other which has led to operators offering a wider range of products to suit the hard-core expert and the novice enthusiast. However, product development and satisfying the consumer implies some difficult management dilemmas such as the use of tape recordings, food provisioning and the constant search for new destinations to offer experienced tourists something different.     

Tour guides under zero-fare mode: evidence from China

The zero-fare tour is a common phenomenon in China that receives a great deal of attention from the popular press but little attention in the tourism literature. This qualitative study illuminates the previously unheard voice of the zero-fare group tour guides, examining their work attitudes and relationships with tourists, tour operators, and tourism administrators. A two-phase pre- and post-interview approach is used to examine the impacts of the 2013 tourism law on the tour guides. Findings indicate that tour guides struggle with conflicting feelings towards the zero-fare tour and their place within it. For instance, the informants describe themselves as scapegoats of the zero-fare tour mode, yet they also enjoy the freedom and opportunity it presents. The study concludes with a call for more thoughtful consideration of the policy and governance of the zero-fare tour.     

The impact of airline financial distress on US air fares: A contingency approach

This article investigates to what extent an airline’s financial distress impacts its pricing behavior. While prior research suggests that, on average, distressed airlines sell at lower fares, it is hypothesized that the magnitude of this effect may depend on certain firm and market specific contingencies. A large-scale empirical analysis using panel data from the US airline industry is conducted. The results indicate that firm financial distress and air fares are generally negatively related. It is further shown that the magnitude of the effect of distress on fares decreases with the magnitude of operating costs and firm’s market shares and increases with firm size and the level of market concentration. Implications for policy makers and managers are discussed.     

Basic Questions of 'Sustainable Tourism': Does Ecological and Socially Acceptable Tourism Have a Chance?

This paper examines the tourism market and its effects on the national economy. Ecological and socio-cultural problems cannot be denied. Due to an ever-increasing number of tourists, studies of tourism specific problems are necessary. To suggest and understand steps for the realisation of sustainable tourism, the author demands a glance at the whole tourism system, which he does by giving an overview of the tourism industry with obvious problems in that field. There is an analysis of the development of tourism demand, and the question whether there is something like 'sustainable mass tourism'. The increasing awareness of the environment plays an important role when it comes to tourism and selecting a tourism destination. The paper tries to find answers to promote a more sustainable tourism through tour operators and tourism companies, which can be a niche strategy for small or medium sized businesses. Strategical points (approaches) of a more sustainable tourism are shown. The realisation of sustainable tourism can be an economical opportunity for tourism companies in the long term, but according to the author the immediate risks involved in such a strategy can outweigh the benefits. There are also limits in carrying out more sustainable tourism programmes.     

Heroes and Villains – Tour Operator and Media Response to Crisis: An Exploration of Press Handling Strategies by UK Adventure Tour Operators

As news dissemination quickens, and consumer awareness increases, strategies employed to handle press during crisis will have far-reaching implications on the reputations of adventure tour operators, and the industry. Exploring the strategies used by three tour operators who have experienced crisis provides some insight into how press handling can affect subsequent UK press reporting. The research examined notions of crisis, the need to appreciate the existence of crisis, the role of media, the key stakeholders involved, and how actual response to a situation can affect media attention. Qualitative analysis of newspaper articles and interviews with key representatives produced conclusions suggesting that companies must be prepared to acknowledge the potential for crisis, and employ crisis techniques that incorporate a press handling strategy. There are many external factors affecting media reporting; however, when a crisis does occur the way in which the press is handled will affect public perception. While recognising there is no control over the media, a prepared response can result in fair reporting and as such can be argued to form an essential part of business operations.     

A note on the use of Markov chains to analyze the off‐peak season provision of guided tours to tourists

In this note, we provide answers to two hitherto unstudied questions in the tourism literature. Specifically, we first show how the theory of discrete‐time Markov Chains (DTMCs) can be used to effectively model and analyze the problem of providing guided tours to tourists during the off‐peak season. Next, we model the existence of a capacity constraint and then show how DTMC theory can be used to derive a metric of interest to an optimizing tour providing firm, namely, the long run fraction of tourists to whom the firm under study is unable to provide tours. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Grounded: Characterising the market exit of European low cost airlines

The aim of this paper is to undertake a comprehensive study of low cost carrier (LCC) market entry and exit in Europe between 1992 and 2012. In the 20 year period between 1992 and 2012, 43 LCCs have taken advantage of the progressive liberalisation of the European aviation market and commenced scheduled flight operations within the continent. Of these 43, only 10 remain operational, a failure rate of 77%. This paper contributes to extant literature on LCCs by examining the market entry, business practices, operating longevity and fate of failed operators to characterise European LCC market exit. Drawing on the findings of a detailed continental-wide study, the paper identifies that an airline's start-up date, the nature and size of its operation and the size and composition of its aircraft fleet are key factors which influence LCC success and failure. The implications for both European and emerging LCC markets are discussed.     

Marketing performance measurement in hotels,travel agencies and tour operators: a study of current practices

As successful tourism firms invest heavily in marketing to defend or improve their competitive position, they increasingly need to measure their marketing performance. Previous studies related to tourism have largely focused on financial and operational performance, but the marketing perspective has been largely overlooked. Drawing on an in-depth investigation involving 12 hotel chains, 8 travel agencies and 8 tour operators, this study provides an overview of the state-of-the-art marketing performance measurements among some of the leading tourism firms in Italy. Several issues and unanswered questions are also identified.     

Insights into domestic horse tourism: the case study of Lake Macquarie,NSW, Australia

This explorative study examined the extent and potential of horse tourism in Australia, specifically in Lake Macquarie, New South Wales. The study was based on in-depth interviews with 10 stakeholders. These stakeholders ranged from tour operators to tourists, and their experience with horse tourism was then discussed against literature. The stakeholders' main concerns and challenges indicate a gap between the demand and supply side especially for domestic tourists travelling with their own horse(s), indicating an opportunity for developing and engaging existing systems and businesses in Australia into an agenda for a horse tourism strategy.     

The invention of shopping tourism. The discursive repositioning of landscape in an Italian retail-led case

Under the label of ‘shopping tour’, tour operators currently offer package tours which aim to highlight for the visitor the commercial appeal of a particular location. A variety of destinations are suitable for tours with such a label. In this context, certain ‘shopping tourism’ destinations simply consist of areas where the concentration of corporation-led retail venues is high. The Novese Area, in the northwest of Italy, has been transforming into such a destination since the opening of the Serravalle Designer Outlet, an outlet ‘village’ which opened in 2000. This paper reports on original research aimed at enquiring about shifts in the representation of the landscape of this area as it is shown in the discourses of local political and business actors. It is argued that this case study portrays a rather unique case of late western urban regeneration practice through which a formal industrial area is turned into a consumption site suitable for tourism. Here, the repositioning process not only influences local planning policies, but feeds – and is fed by – a simultaneous process of consumption normalization.     

The distinction between commercial and non-commercial bus services in Germany: Given by nature?

German public transport services by bus are characterized by a regulatory framework that distinguishes between commercial and non-commercial services. Contrary to the apparent views of legislators, this paper shows that costs and revenues are not the only parameters determining whether or not operators are able to provide services in a commercially viable way.Apart from the local characteristics of the specific service, we show that the classification of services as commercial versus non-commercial is determined in large part by the public transport authorities that set minimum quality standards to be provided by operators. Our analysis shows that the authorities awarding the contracts in some cases affect market organization significantly depending on how they make use of this power. Furthermore, market organization differs substantially with respect to the awarding structure and the contractual relationships, thus creating a challenge for operators and authorities in an embryonic market.     

Do job characteristics lead to employee creativity in travel agencies?

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between job characteristics and employee creativity among different job types in travel agencies. This study collected data from 289 employees of 63 consolidated travel agencies headquartered in Taipei. The sample included tour managers, route controllers, operators and salespersons. Results indicate that both job characteristics and employee creativity differ with the four job types. Also, different job types moderate the effect of job characteristics' five dimensions on employee creativity. Implications of these findings for stimulating employee creativity as well as future research directions are also provided. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.