Quality of virtual reality and its impacts on behavioral intention

Although virtual reality (VR) has received growing attention and been adopted as customer engagement and marketing tools in the hospitality and tourism industry, little research has been conducted in quality assessment of VR and its impact on customers’ psychological acceptance. Building upon the DeLone and McLean’s IS success model, this study identifies the quality factors of VR and examines their impacts on customers’ behavioral intention. This study develops a quality-driven VR framework and tests the proposed hypotheses assessing customers’ behavioral intentions. For the empirical analysis, this study recruits potential U.S. customers and asks them to browse a VR-based destination website and then to answer the online survey related to VR applications. The collected responses are analyzed by PLS-SEM. Findings suggest that content quality, system quality, and vividness positively influence customers’ attitude and telepresence, leading to their positive behavioral intention to visit the destination.     

旅游网站品牌化现状研究：以中国5A级景区为例

因特网在中国的快速普及给目的地营销组织带来了巨大的市场机会。目的地官方网站是一个重要的品牌化途径,而从品牌化角度研究我国旅游官方网站的信息内容,即如何使用品牌这一工具建立独特清晰的目的地形象,当前尚属于未探求的领域。该研究运用规范的内容分析方法评估我国5A级旅游网站品牌化现状,把我国5A级旅游网站划归为高品牌化、中品牌化和低品牌化三种类别,发现了目的地官方网站的品牌化有助于建立积极正向的目的地形象,并由此提出了重要的管理启示和未来的研究方向。     

Web-based permission marketing: Segmentation for the lodging industry

Permission marketing is becoming an important tool in maintaining relationships with travelers via the Internet. Its growing importance can be seen in tourism marketing, specifically in the lodging industry. With an increase in industry use, the effectiveness of this technique needs assessment. This paper initiates this process by examining current methods used to collect contact information for the purpose of permission marketing. Three segments of the market are identified and compared based upon their willingness to supply contact information. Significant differences were found in socio-demographics, online habits, trip characteristics, and website design preferences. Implications for lodging marketers are presented and future research topics are discussed.     

Deployment of Restaurants Websites’ Marketing Features: The Case of Spanish Michelin-Starred Restaurants

ABSTRACT

Websites have become a fundamental marketing tool for tourism businesses and have a special importance for highly rated restaurants. The aim of this article is to propose and apply a model to evaluate the deployment and adoption of website marketing features of restaurants from a specific category. The model is based on the application of an extended model of Internet commerce adoption (eMICA) technique for technical depth, combined with content analysis for breadth. This study analyzes the website features and capabilities for Spanish restaurants in the 2015 Michelin Red Guide. A total of 102 restaurants were analyzed. The results of the website evaluation model suggest that, despite the importance of the restaurant sector in the economy and in the tourism industry, the websites of high-quality restaurants require improvements to adapt to customers’ demands. Results further found that these websites are not tourist-orientated and are established at different stages of development.     

Benchmarking CVB website performance: Spatial and structural patterns

This study evaluated 967 U.S. CVB websites using a modified Balanced Scorecard (mBSC) approach which assesses website performance with respect to overall technical functionality, customer friendliness and usability, effectiveness of marketing the destination, and information content. Spatial maps were constructed for these four dimensions and overall CVB website performance using ArcMap v.9.2 GIS software. A structural pattern of CVB website performance was obtained using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). It was concluded that CVB websites primarily need improvement in marketing the destination product. The analysis revealed significant differences in website performance between members and non-members of Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) as well as regional differences. Study implications for destination marketing organizations and CVB website designers are discussed.     

Exploring Content and Design Factors Associated with Convention and Visitors Bureau Web Site Development

Abstract

Convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) have become important organizations within the tourism industry. The International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) reported that it represents approximately 500 destination management organizations in 30 countries (IACVB, 2003). As one of the most important components of the tourism industry in the United States, the Convention and Visitors Bureau performs various activities to facilitate destination marketing and development, with the aim of enticing leisure and convention customers to their particular city or region. Meanwhile, meeting planners are using technology to enhance their ability to produce and execute meetings that demonstrate a high return on investment. Consequently, CVBs' websites have enormous potential in selling a destination and facilitating the meeting/convention planning process. This paper explores the content and design factors associated with convention and visitors bureau web site development. It also demonstrates how planners utilize the Internet and CVB websites.     

Dual-route communication of destination websites

To understand the communication route of destination websites, this study employed the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) which is a dual-route, multi-process model of persuasive message processing. That is, this study proposed a theoretical model for the dual-route persuasive process based on ELM, investigated its antecedents and consequences, and identified the moderating effect of involvement. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to test the validity of the conceptual model. The results indicate that highly involved people are inclined to elaborate on information (central route), while people with low involvement are likely to make judgments based on simple cues (peripheral route). Website design characteristics are an important antecedent of both central and peripheral-route persuasions. Attitudes resulting from careful consideration via the central route are more predictive of conation and behavior (further information searching and travel intentions) than those formed via the peripheral route. The study provides a foundation for further tourism research investigating the Internet as a persuasive tool, and suggests strategies for website designers.     

The Effect of Uganda’s Official Tourism Website on Travel Motivations and Constraints

Destination marketers increasingly rely on the official tourism website as an early point of contact with potential tourists. This research examined the effect of Uganda’s official tourism website on interest in traveling to Uganda, travel motivations, and travel constraints. Novelty preference and gender were included as moderators. A two-group randomized experimental design was used (N = 278) with exposure to Uganda’s official tourism website as the intervention (n = 139). Pre-test results show that interest in traveling to Uganda was greatest among novelty seekers. Gender had no influence. Pre-test motivations were learning, culture, novelty, and an interest in travel. Pre-test constraints were perceptions that Uganda is not safe and unfamiliar. Post-test results show that exposure to the website significantly increased interest in traveling to Uganda among all groups. Furthermore, this occurred by mitigating travel constraints rather than by stimulating travel motivations. Generalized implications for destination marketing are discussed.     

The impact of psychological distance on Chinese customers when selecting an international healthcare service country

This paper investigates how the factors of psychological and geographical distances in conjunction with medical competence influence potential Chinese customers when they select a destination country for international healthcare services. We also explore how the severity of the customer's illness affects his/her choice. In this study data is collected with reference to the Chinese perceptions of the United States of America (USA), Republic of Korea (Korea), Thailand, Singapore, and India. The sample comprises of 1292 potential Chinese customers, and is analyzed using McFadden's conditional logit model. The results indicate that medical competency is the most important determinant of destination choice. In addition, customers contemplating treatment for major diseases tend to choose healthcare services from economically more developed countries, such as the USA, in spite of the differences in language, economic condition, and political system. However, respondents considering treatment for relatively minor diseases are more likely to select countries, such as Korea, for which there is a small psychological distance. Along with suggestions for future research, the implications for international healthcare are discussed.     

Analyzing International Travelers' Profile with Self-Organizing Maps

It is generally agreed that knowledge is the most valuable asset to an organization. Knowledge enables a business to effectively compete with its competitors. In the tourism context, an in-depth knowledge of the profile of international travelers to a destination has become a crucial factor for decision makers to formulate their business strategies and better serve their customers. In this research, a self-organizing map (SOM) network was used for segmenting international travelers to Hong Kong, a major travel destination in Asia. An association rules discovery algorithm is then utilized to automatically characterize the profile of each segment. The resulting maps serve as a visual analysis tool for tourism managers to better understand the characteristics, motivations, and behaviors of international travelers.     

THE DECISION MAKING IN SELECTING ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES: AN APPLICATION OF ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS

The emergence of Internet‐based distribution channels has created both opportunities for and challenges to the travel agencies. Based on the customer‐value perspective, this study focused on exploring the relative weights of the nine proposed fundamental travel products from an Internet perspective.

The study cohort comprised customers who had purchased room products from travel agencies websites, with data collected using a questionnaire survey. Customers were surveyed during a 3‐month period at Taipei International Airport. Excluding useless questionnaires resulted in 131 respondents, corresponding to a response rate of 18.71%.

We found that privacy, safety, and product quality were the three most important factors influencing customer purchases of room products on the Internet. The results of this study have some implications for travel agencies—companies will need to make a significant investment in website design of safety mechanism, and the greater the effort managers make to alleviate these concerns, the more likely it is that consumers will visit and buy products on their website.     

Exploring user acceptance of 3D virtual worlds in travel and tourism marketing

The virtual world of Second Life provides opportunities for companies in communicating marketing messages to targeted markets and capturing the attention of potential customers. Second Life has also been used by the travel and tourism industry as a collaborative and commercial tool for communicating with travelers in marketing tourism destinations (e.g. Tourism Ireland) as well as business management (e.g. Starwood Hotels; Crowne Plaza; STA travel agents). However, few studies have applied formal theory to understand the significance of virtual worlds to tourism destination marketing. The purpose of our study was to develop a research framework identifying the factors that affect tourists' experience and behavioral intentions within a 3D tourism destination by examining the applicability of the Technology Acceptance Model and Hedonic Theory. From a theoretical point of view, this study provides a research framework to capture the entertainment nature of virtual worlds and to reflect the concept that people in these worlds are technology users as well as potential consumers; it does so by extending the Technology Acceptance Model to incorporate the hedonic elements of enjoyment, emotional involvement, positive emotions, and flow experience for understanding the use of 3D virtual worlds within the context of travel and tourism. For destination managers, this study could help in designing engaging and interactive 3D tourism destination sites that contribute to an increase in people's interests in visiting the tourism destination in the future.     

Impact of hotel website quality on online booking intentions: eTrust as a mediator

Growing competitiveness in the marketplace pushes hoteliers to fully take advantage of their websites as a marketing tool. This study proposed that a trusting relationship with customers could be developed by investing in hotel website development. A research model that incorporates hotel website quality, eTrust, and online booking intentions was put forward. The software AMOS 20.0 was adopted to analyze the proposed inter-variable relationships. Statistical results demonstrated that hotel website quality is a strong predictor of eTrust which then also mediates the relationship between website quality and consumers’ online booking intentions. Implications were offered for practitioners based on the results.     

The impact of website quality on customer satisfaction and purchase intentions: Evidence from Chinese online visitors

With the increasing popularity of online shopping and being the most populated country in the world, China is one of the major online markets now and is likely to become the largest market in the future. In the academic literature, website quality has generally been recognized as a critical step to drive business online. As such, numerous studies have been devoted to website quality and evaluations. Research efforts are, however, in need of understanding the use of websites in regards to online customers’ behavior, especially Chinese customers. This study developed and empirically tested a conceptual model of the impact of website quality on customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. Results indicated that website quality has a direct and positive impact on customer satisfaction, and that customer satisfaction has a direct and positive impact on purchase intentions. While the influence of website quality on purchase intentions exists, customer satisfaction does significantly mediate this effect. Drawing on the empirical findings, managerial implications and recommendations for future research are offered.     

Exploring Perceptions of US State Tourism Organizations' Web Advertising Effectiveness

This article adopts, modifies and tests the Interactive Advertising Model as a potential tool for evaluating website advertising effectiveness in US state tourism organizations. The adopted model is referred to in the study as the Modified Interactive Tourism Advertising Model (MITAM). The model is tested using data gathered from an independent evaluation by 31 Korean natives on five state US tourism organization websites. The data are analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The study found that the proposed MITAM model should be considered as a tool for improving the advertising effectiveness of travel websites. The article concludes with a discussion on the study findings along with recommendations on how state tourism organizations can improve their website advertising effectiveness.     

Usability of Chinese Destination Management Organization Websites

Information Communication Technology (ICT) has had a large impact on tourism industry. In Mainland China (hereafter known as China), the increasing popularity of Internet applications to its tourism industry is evident by the rapid growth of Chinese tourism websites. In 2005, e‐tourism in China has reached an income of RMB12.5 billion or US$1.63 billion, showing that although a small percentage of Chinese use the Internet, their online consumption is still considerable. While the e‐tourism market seems promising, there exist a limited number of prior studies on website evaluations in the context of China. This research explores usability, a contemporary issue of website design, and focuses on the provincial Destination Management Organization (DMO) websites in China. Research findings include a checklist of criteria for assessing DMO website usability. Findings showed that China's DMO websites had medium problems, and the best and worst performing destinations were Beijing and Ningxia. In addition, the usability indices had no significant relationship with website performance and level of tourism regional development which was represented by total tourism income in the destination. Findings of this study would be of interest to readers for better understanding the current development of DMO websites in China. Industrial practitioners may consider adopting a similar approach to evaluate their websites.     

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.     

The influence of website quality dimensions on e-purchasing behaviour and e-loyalty: a comparative study of Egyptian travel agents and hotels

Websites have become a channel for tourism enterprises to market and sell their services online. These enterprises are committed to improving their online services to retain customers and improving their competitiveness. This study aims to measure the effect of website quality dimensions on customer purchasing behaviour, and how this behaviour affects customer electronic (e)-loyalty. It compares the perceptions of 275 customers of travel agencies and 355 hotels using structural equation modelling. Findings revealed that website quality dimensions significantly affect the customer purchasing behaviour. The study highlighted the dimensions with a negative effect to help managers improve their website quality.     

The Opportunities and Limitations of the Internet in Providing a Quality Tourist Experience

ABSTRACT

It is more than a decade since hyped stories about the impact of Internet Technology in the tourism industry have caused much of a stir in the minds of academics, practitioners and public policy makers, among others. Most of the discourses figured throughout around the theme painted pictures of a myriad shades and hues of the days to come. Internet-based marketing and e-commerce are two major, interrelated areas of development impacting the sector. The former reduces information asymmetry between tourists and ultimate service providers in destinations. The latter was predicted to eliminate intermediaries who are either information brokers or those guaranteeing services at the destination. This is true all the more in an environment where tourism is a global industry (with some part of the value chain in the country of origin of the tourist and the remaining in the countries that are destinations) and extremely dependent on information and communication industries. Today, the consumer has more information to make decisions and to access sellers globally, with almost real-time market information providing him with new quality service and experience. With this fundamental power shift of producers to consumers, the way in which marketers think needs to adapt (Corfu, Laranja & Costa, 2003). This paper is focused on the case-study “Solares de Portugal” and basically aims to find out: (1) the importance given by the manor house owners to specific features of travel-related websites' design and their global evaluation of the “Solares de Portugal” website; (2) the perceptions of Internet users on the before mentioned features' website effectiveness as well as their global evaluation of the “Solares de Portugal” website; (3) the correspondence between the two perspectives. The study has provided conclusive evidence about the relevance of efficient website services, as well as other practically employable findings. Thus, it seems reasonable to conclude that society is becoming more familiar with technology, in particular with the PCs and the Internet. This means that the travel industry has now the opportunity to deploy the Web in a more accurate, agile and innovative way. The tourist experience begins with its planning and anticipation stage (Liebman Parrinello, 1993) in the context of which the Internet may provide new quality experiences. From the perspective of the demand side, this may lead to new opportunities of improving the quality of operations and services through the Internet. However, further research will be necessary to dig deeper into those business implications.     

Delivering Quality Service

ABSTRACT

Quality in tourism-related services, like in services in general, are basically about balancing customer perceptions and expectations. Successful service providers are able to meet and, whenever possible, exceed consumers' needs and wants. This way, it is possible to provide memorable experiences to visitors. In delivering services, due to certain specific characteristics of services (e.g., intangibility, simultaneity, variability and perishability), the human element, in particular the ‘face-to-face’ interaction with the customer, plays a fundamental role. The study stresses the contribution of interpersonal variables for the success of service organisations. It discusses how commitment to customer service, and supportive supervisors and co-workers, influence the relationship managers' ability to satisfy customers. The main findings were as follows: (i) commitment to customer service and co-workers' support have direct and positive effects on the ability to satisfy customers; (ii) commitment to customer service is the most important determinant of the ability to satisfy customers, and works as a mediator for the other independent variables; (iii) co-workers' support, having both direct and mediated effects, is a more important predictor than supervisors' support. The available data indicates that there is a need for specific training for supervisors, in order to increase their awareness of the impact of their performance on the service delivered by contact employees. Moreover, it is important that service organisations are capable of providing employees with a holistic view of the service delivery chain. This includes not only relationship managers, but also those who are not in direct contact with external customers. Apart from these training aspects, the results of this study should also be considered in relation to other management issues, namely in human resources management. Organisations should prevent the risk of losing those employees that show more commitment to customer service and more ability to satisfy customers. Employee retention exerts a positive impact on repurchase, which, in turn, influences profitability. In light of these findings, some managerial implications are suggested.