A content analysis of travel agency web‐sites in Korea

The Internet has become a dominant issue in today's tourism environment. This paper is to provide large travel agencies in Korea with a better understanding of their Web‐based competitive environment. A content analysis of the top 60 travel agencies Web‐sites in Korea suggests that many travel agencies do not develop their own Web‐sites and although travel agencies are using the Web, they have not, as yet, fully utilized capabilities of Web‐sites. This study also suggests some implications for successful cyber tourism marketing, including the establishment of a Web‐site, on‐line selling, customer supports, and cyber marketing mix strategy on the Web. Limitations and further research issues are also suggested.     

Conference Participants' Acceptance of the Internet as An Information and Registration Tool

Abstract

Using the 1999 Annual Civil Affairs Conference as a medium, this study ascertained the acceptance and utility of using the Internet for registration and informational purposes for this group of civil affairs officers. The results indicate that computer usage and Internet access consumer patterns are distinctly different than other reported consumer usage profiles. With this in mind, certain challenges exist for the conference meeting planner in matching the usage patterns of this respondent group.     

The Current State of Internet Marketing of UK-Based Multi-Unit Hotel Brands

ABSTRACT

To support the emergence of a solid knowledge base for analysing the e-relationship marketing of hotels, a framework has been developed to analyse and categorise the online capabilities of UK-based multi-unit hotel brands to build customer relationships. The framework was based on the five progressive levels of relationship marketing implementation suggested by Kotler, Bowen, and Makens (2003). The study found that the exploitation of the Internet, as a relational tool, is in its early stages and most brands used the Internet to maintain the lowest (basic) level of relationships. On average, the Web sites of larger and most visible brands were significantly richer in terms of the number of features and more relational orientated. As opposed to previous studies, the managerial structure (ownership, management contract, franchising) of the investigated brands did not prevent the exploitation of the advanced levels of relationship marketing. Since the Web sites of brands that operate hotels under different managerial structures (management contract, franchise) were significantly richer at the proactive level. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.     

Native American casino marketing on the web

The Internet and its component, the World Wide Web (WWW or Web), as well as the casino industry grew tremendously in the United States in the past decade. While there are various estimates about the future size of the Internet and the casino market, all agree that the two will continue to grow substantially. However, very few studies have discussed Internet use within the casino industry. This study reviewed 58 Class III Native American casino web sites. Content areas analyzed included introduction to the casino organization, local destination attractions, food and beverage services, accommodations, entertainment and recreation facilities, maps and directions to casinos, links to related commercial and regulatory agency web sites, and user friendliness. Web site features were evaluated based on marketing mix and principles.     

MICE,ICT and Local Economic Development

Abstract

This paper investigates how information and communication technologies (ICT), and particularly the World Wide Web (Web), can enhance the role that Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) properties play in local economic development (LED). The complex linkages between MICE, ICT and LED are explored through a literature review, a website audit, in-depth interviews, and a case study of Te Kahurangi (TK) in New Zealand (NZ). Our findings reveal that the Web has considerable (but as yet largely untapped) potential to facilitate linkages between MICE and local economies. Such potential can only be reached, however, through careful planning, and the realization on the part of managers, developers and planners, that the Web is not only simply a marketing tool but also an integral part of attempts to improve internal MICE performance and external links to local development.     

Destination Online Communication: Why Less is Sometimes More. A Study of Online Communications of English Destinations

This research investigates the relationship between Web site design and the Web site end-user experience of a vast number of English tourism destinations, both local and regional ones. Following recent research in the field, this paper evaluates destinations’ online communication based on the implemented Web site features and on the effectiveness of the communication itself, borrowing its research methodology from different domains. After content and functionality analysis, a user-experience, scenario-based investigation has been carried out, which demonstrated that complex Web sites do not always serve end-users’ needs properly; in other words, Web site complexity is not directly related with good user experience. This research may help destination managers to foster their online communication if they have fewer content and functionalities but are better focused and clearly user-oriented.     

Tiers or Tears?

ABSTRACT

The convention and meetings business worldwide has grown to become a significant economic, political, and social phenomenon. Convention centers aggressively compete for the right to become the destinations for conventions, which increasingly can be held anywhere in the world. More recently, first-tier convention centers have begun to use digital marketing by developing sites on the World Wide Web. However, very little research to date has focused on these convention center Web sites. This study examined the Web sites of 10 major convention centers in the U.S.-each with 500,000 square feet or more of exhibit space-in terms of technical, marketing, internal, and customer critical success factors (CSFs). It was concluded that these Web sites should be further developed and improved, particularly in their marketing and customer-related aspects. The Web sites were evaluated once in 2000 and again in 2001, and a slight improvement in performance was noted.     

A Webometric Analysis of Travel Blogs and Review Hosting: The Case of Catalonia

Today, destination-marketing organizations and researchers are increasingly focusing their attention on travel blogs and reviews due to their potential for projecting the image of a specific destination and for influencing travel behavior and decision making. However, the criteria used to select the Web sites hosting travel blogs and reviews for study are unclear, and very few quantitative or demographic studies about users (bloggers and readers) have been conducted. The aim of this study is to propose a method in which a webometric analysis is used to select the most suitable Web sites for a specific case study and to obtain information about users. The proposed webometric analysis consists of an integrated formula including visibility, popularity, and size metrics. This method was used to rank 11 suitable Web sites for studying the case of Catalonia.     

旅游2.0:构建新的旅游服务模式

本文通过对Web 2.0在国内外旅游类网站上的应用的调研和文献研究,来介绍Web 2.0如何在旅游行业中的应用.通过对目前Web 2.0中的技术如博客、播客、维基(Wiki)、RSS等在旅游网站中的应用来说明旅游类网站在Web 2.0中的可发展性.     

Virtual MICE Promotion

ABSTRACT

Hong Kong and Singapore have been the leading cities for hosting MICE in Asia. Every year, thousands of events are held, both by local and international organizers, in Singapore and Hong Kong. Despite the significant economic contributions of MICE to a local economy, hospitality and tourism literature seldom analyzes Hong Kong and Singapore in terms of MICE promotion. The absence of published articles is particularly true in the context of virtual promotion. This paper reports on a study examining events promotion in the Web sites of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Singapore Tourism Board. The paper also analyzes the performance of the official Web sites in providing useful site selection information to event organizers and meeting planners. Empirical results of a content-based analysis indicate that the information provided by the Singaporean Web site is more comprehensive than its Hong Kong counterpart.     

Facebook Pages Content,Does it Really Matter? Consumers’ Responses to Luxury Hotel Posts with Emotional and Informational Content

This paper examines clients’ responses to luxury hotel posts with either an informational or an emotional appeal. The luxury hotel industry is selected for its hedonic characteristics and its use of Facebook as a branding tool. An experiment with repeated measurement was conducted involving 45 young adults, clients of luxury hotels, and users of Facebook. An informational appeal is more effective in improving the attitude toward the hotel signature (“Sheraton”, in the context of this study) and in improving the perception of quality than an emotional appeal. Yet, the content of the posts has no influence on the intention to stay at the hotel and the intention to follow the hotel on Facebook. Managerial implications are drawn on the choice of content of Facebook pages.     

Selling Tourism on the Internet: Analysis of the Balance of Power Between Seller and Consumer During Information Exchange and Negotiation

Abstract

Business on the Internet is experiencing rapid development. Numerous companies in the tourism industry are setting up sites on the “World Wide Web” in order to create virtual shopping, to promote their product lines and to offer a service or to make direct sales. However, the exploitation of this new communication medium works regardless of the consequences of such an evolution on consumer behavior, in particular during the phase of commercial research and negotiation. This article is an analysis of the balance of power between seller and consumer within the framework of Computer-Mediated Communication. The result of this commercial research will make it possible to assess the different degrees of influence on retailers that are competing within the framework of network communication. Recommendations regarding the development of direct sales on the Web will be made.     

国民休闲设施系统结构分异的信息维透视——以苏州为例

文章立足分形信息论新视野，选取等级信息维和空间信息维两项指标，对苏州休闲设施系统的结构分异现象进行分析。研究发现：首先，苏州休闲设施系统的等级结构及空间结构均具有分形特性，信息维数深入刻画了休闲设施系统的结构分异特征，也为休闲设施系统的结构优化指明了方向并提供了优化判定的标准。其次，苏州休闲设施系统整体上呈现出一种核心松散—外围紧致的分形递变趋势，自组织能力的离心化现象较突出。这种结构模式与游憩需求结构相吻合，准确反映了成熟型休闲设施系统的空间发展态势，也说明休闲设施系统发展越成熟，越需要重视自组织优化能力的引导和提升。其三，信息维可以弥补简单统计方法的不足，为基于行为统计规律的环城游憩带理论提供分形信息论的比较依据。另外，与以往研究比较发现，休闲设施和旅游景点的信息分维存在差异，从分形信息论视角证实了旅游仅仅是游憩的一种非惯常方式，游憩对城乡社会发展的意义远远大于旅游。     

旅游衔接2030年可持续发展目标——文献回顾与未来议程

尽管旅游业被视为落实2030年可持续发展目标（Sustainable Development Goals,SDGs）的重要工具,但很少有研究系统梳理相关文献,导致我们对该领域的研究进展和知识缺口不明确。文章以2015—2021年Web of Science^TM数据库收录的82篇旅游类SSCI期刊文献为样本,旨在通过梳理旅游学术共同体对2030年SDGs的研究响应,揭示研究发展脉络与学术热点,并启发未来研究方向。结果发现：（1）旅游衔接2030年SDGs研究已得到旅游学术共同体的积极响应,总体经历了初期探索和快速发展两个阶段;（2）研究热点集中在旅游与消除贫困（SDG 1）、良好健康与福祉（SDG 3）、性别平等（SDG 5）、清洁饮水和卫生设施（SDG 6）、经济适用的清洁能源（SDG 7）、体面工作和经济增长（SDG 8）、减少不平等（SDG 10）、负责任消费和生产（SDG 12）、气候行动（SDG 13）、和平正义（SDG 16）等10个方面;（3）旅游业既是落实2030年SDGs的积极贡献者,但也面临诸多潜在挑战与外部威胁;（4）未来需重点拓展旅游衔接SDGs的研究框架,审视旅游对SDGs的贡献与挑战,厘清旅游影响SDGs的权衡与协同,观照旅游衔接SDGs的情境因素。     

Dynamic in-destination decision-making: An adjustment model

The study of tourist decision-making usually focuses on destination choice, framed in terms of informational inputs into the rational decision-making processes of individuals. We report on a study of on-site tourist decision-making in the South Island of New Zealand. The framework within which decision-making is conceptualised draws on process accounts derived from work in naturalistic decision-making, and adaptive, situated and embodied cognition, and in this respect the study distinguishes itself from much previous work in this area. One hundred and forty qualitative interviews were analysed thematically to identify four dimensions of an emergent process of decision-making: (In)Flexibility; Location/timing; Social Composition; Stage of Trip. Decision-making varies on these dimensions in line with various ‘Types of Trip’ also identified from the data. This study provides support for process approaches to tourist decision-making and characterises it in terms of a continual process of socially mediated adjustment to features of the destination and overall trip evolution.     

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

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

Online Information Search Strategies: A Focus On Flights and Accommodations

The problem of the research was to understand information search strategies that individuals utilized in online travel product purchases. Two products, flights and accommodations, were selected to examine each product's explanatory variables in online purchase behaviors. The results indicate online flight purchasers utilize direct information sources and focus on transactional attributes. Online accommodation purchasers utilize various types of sources; and they focus not only on transactional, but also informational and branding attributes. The study results support the constructive consumer choice processes theory and suggest some marketing tips for the airline and lodging industries.     

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.     

Egyptians’ Hotel Booking Behavior on the Internet

The expansion of booking hotel rooms online has changed the booking process in the hotel market environment. This investigation evaluates Egyptians’ attitude as an overall inclination towards booking hotel rooms online. It consists of two phases: a focus group phase and a survey phase. Initially, focus groups were formed for the purpose of identifying general perceptions of Egyptians with respect to the use of hotel booking websites. Information generated from the focus group study contributed toward questionnaire (survey) development. Results suggest that Egyptians generally show positive attitudes towards booking hotel rooms online. The implication for hotel brands is that they should focus on making the experience of online booking safer in order to convert non-bookers to bookers. This is important because the safety features of online booking (secure transactions, privacy of information, and online fraud) appear to be more important than the usability features (convenience, usefulness, ease of use, and efficiency) for nonbookers.     

Introducing Flow Theory to Explain the Interactive Online Shopping Experience in a Travel Context

Online travel commerce has evolved significantly from the initial sales of less-complex products such as airline tickets, accommodations, and car rentals, to include more complex products like vacation packages and cruises. Many online travel portals, however, have fallen behind in terms of creating a compelling online environment for customers. Online shopping behavior is becoming increasingly complex with the evolution of experiential and utilitarian shopping practices. These two types of practices have a significant effect on the formation of a customer's attitude towards a Web site and eventual purchase intention. The proposed model delineates the customer's preference towards a Web site within experiential and utilitarian purchase contexts when flow variables control, cognitive enjoyment, and focus are involved. This article may help online travel businesses identify unique Web features that satisfy the needs of both the experiential and utilitarian customer. Moreover, this model shows that a successful travel site could entice a utilitarian customer to engage in experiential site features that might result in positive attitude formation and consequent future revisits.