Connecting with prospective medical tourists online: A cross-sectional analysis of private hospital websites promoting medical tourism in India,Malaysia and Thailand

Websites of private hospitals promoting medical tourism are important marketing channels for showcasing and promoting destinations' medical facilities and their array of staff expertise, services, treatments and equipment to domestic and foreign patient-consumers alike. This study examines the websites of private hospitals promoting medical tourism in three competing Asian countries (India, Malaysia and Thailand) in order to look at how these hospitals present themselves online and seek to appeal to the perceived needs of (prospective) medical tourists. The content and format of 51 hospitals are analyzed across five dimensions: hospital information and facilities, admission and medical services, interactive online services, external activities, and technical items. Results show differences between Indian, Malaysian and Thai hospital websites, pointing to the need for hospital managers to improve their hospitals’ online presence and interactivity.     

Sentiment analyses of multilingual tweets on halal tourism

Halal tourism is a fast-growing segment of the tourism market, thus a study of its trends is warranted. This paper examines halal tourism trends by analysing posts (known as ‘tweets’) on the social networking service Twitter. A total of 85,259 tweets were examined. Nineteen keywords (English and Bahasa Malaysia) were used in the extraction process. Using the extracted tweets, the study (1) examined the origins of tweets among the global population related to halal tourism, (2) identified the major populations around the world that are engaged in halal tourism tweets, (3) analysed the sentiment valence in relation to halal tourism, and (4) identified the popular destinations that appear in tweets. The findings showed that Japan is the most-tweeted-about halal tourist destination, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia. The findings can be used by the various halal tourism stakeholders to plan their future strategies in relation to halal tourism.     

A rapid assessment of wildlife tourism risk posed to cetaceans in Asia

Dolphin-watching tourism is growing globally. In developing countries, the typically low environmental awareness of operators and poorly enforced or non-existent regulations exacerbate risks to wildlife. Ecological indicators like behavioural responses are useful to assess wildlife tourism, but obtaining such data is slow and expensive. We modified the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework to rapidly assess the risk of dolphin-watching tourism harming, displacing or causing local extinction to dolphin populations, using human dimension data to complement limited ecological data. We assessed industries at seven dolphin-watching sites in six countries in Asia: Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. All sites have reached or almost reached financial saturation except Cambodia and Malaysia. We find high risk to dolphins at the sites in India and Indonesia and intermediate risk at the site in Cambodia. Pending more ecological data, the risk at Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysian sites might be low. Our analysis also indicates site-specific conservation recommendations for Driver, Pressure and Response. We suggest that the DPSIR framework is useful to assess the risk of a wildlife watching industry, even when the impact is uncertain due to insufficient ecological data.     

An analysis of user-generated crisis frames: Online public responses to a tourism crisis

A gap exists in the research on how online media frame a tourism crisis and the effects on travel intentions. This research proposed a basic crisis frames model for public online communications including nature (N), causes (C), processes (P), and results (R). Chinese online public opinions on the Thailand drownings in 2018 were collected and the Vector Auto-Regressive (VAR) technique explored the responses within the data. The results showed that: (1) crisis frames had a dynamic impact on negative travel intentions, and the effects and variance contributions of frames differed; (2) disturbance information produced by a negative communication incident from the destination was a factor promoting the accumulation of online public opinion; and (3) online data of public opinion and the VAR model are appropriate for research on tourism crisis information communication. This research provides new insights and a method for investigating tourism crises and dynamic responses in online communication.     

A netnographic examination of travelers' online discussions of risks

This research explores online discussions of risk by applying a netnographic approach, which in previous tourism studies has been used to probe travelers' online narratives in general, rather than examining a particular dimension. In the present study, blogs about risk and safety issues were analyzed with the intention of scrutinizing risk categories discussed online and exploring the contingency of risk dimension for cities of different risk levels. Helsinki (Finland), Madrid (Spain), and Cape Town (South Africa) were chosen to represent low-, medium-, and high-risk cities, respectively. Findings from our analysis of the TripAdvisor's forum for risk prove the applicability of the taxonomy of risk categories previously identified in offline contexts and that perceived risk dimensions are destination specific. Insight into risk dimensions that tourists discuss online enable destination marketers to take action, eliminate factors that cause risk perception, refine destination marketing communication, and build strong brands.     

Sources of distrust: Airbnb guests' perspectives

The present study explores sources of distrust in the Airbnb context. The study focuses on Airbnb customers' negative reviews posted in English on Trustpilot's website. The search for posts was employed with the keyword ‘trust’ to find online narratives from customers who had negative experiences of trust with Airbnb. Of the 2733 online reviews screened, the study concentrated on 216 negative reviews. The data analysis followed the grounded theory approach, which resulted in two themes that reflect the sources of distrust: Airbnb's poor customer service and the hosts' unpleasant behaviour. The managerial implications are that Airbnb should invest additional resources into minimising customers' negative experiences by focusing on trust-based relationships and maintaining quality in its core service elements. When customers report their complaints, their concerns should be addressed with prompt apologies, positive actions, and a willingness to compensate these customers to neutralise their distrust in the company.     

Behind the research beliefs and practices of Asian tourism scholars in Malaysia,Vietnam and Thailand

This article explores the power structures behind the research beliefs and practices of tourism scholars based in three Asian countries, namely Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. More specifically, through qualitative interviews, this study gives voice to a group of Asian tourism scholars to cast light on the historical (colonial/postcolonial) and contemporary (neocolonial) forces influencing their research beliefs and practices. Conceptually, this work mobilises the notions of “intellectual imperialism” and “captive mind”, developed by the Malaysian sociologist Syed Hussein Alatas. Overall, the empirical material supports Alatas on the idea that Asian tourism scholars are influenced by power structures that tend to reiterate Western-centric ideologies. However, an important aspect emerging from the interviews was that regional/national research agendas and the influence of other Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea and China, also play a role in shaping the research beliefs and practices of scholars based in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.     

Redefining Rural Tourism in Malaysia: A Conceptual Perspective

There is little consensus on the definition for rural tourism. Researchers from different countries have developed their own definitions based on their unique experiences or contexts. In Malaysia, the current definition for rural tourism is rather vague, narrow and focuses on homestay programmes in rural areas. As rural tourism is an important component of the tourism industry in Malaysia, there is a need to redefine what rural tourism is, so that it encompasses the multiple dimensions and complexities. Hence, this paper proposes to redefine rural tourism in Malaysia. The objective was achieved through a content analysis of the different definitions used in selected developed and developing economies that were available in the published literature. With the clear understanding of what rural tourism should ideally encompass, the findings from the study can be used to guide the Malaysian Government in re-positioning rural tourism as a key niche industry and boost the tourism industry higher up the value chain.     

Forecasting tourism demand with multisource big data

Based on internet big data from multiple sources (i.e., the Baidu search engine and two online review platforms, Ctrip and Qunar), this study forecasts tourist arrivals to Mount Siguniang, China. Key findings of this empirical study indicate that (a) tourism demand forecasting based on internet big data from a search engine and online review platforms can significantly improve forecasting performance; (b) compared with tourism demand forecasting based on single-source data from a search engine, demand forecasting based on multisource big data from a search engine and online review platforms demonstrates better performance; and (c) compared with tourism demand forecasting based on online review data from a single platform, forecasting performance based on multiple platforms is significantly better.     

Promotional Strategies and Travelerss' Satisfaction During the Asian Financial Crisis

Abstract

This paper describes the marketing strategies of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in boosting tourism through segmentation of the special interest groups represented by tourists to Thailand after the implementation of the 'Amazing Thailand Years' campaigns. This study also evaluates the marketing promotion strategies of the 'Amazing Thailand Years' campaign in creating travelerss' satisfaction and intention to revisit and recommend Thailand to friends and relatives. A content analysis of collateral material including brochures and booklets about the 'Amazing Thailand Years' campaign and the Tourism Authority of Thailand's marketing plans from 1980 to 2000 was used in analyzing the promotional programs and the market segmentation. Observations of seminars sponsored by the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), Chulalongkorn University, and Prince of Songkla University about Thailand's tourism were conducted from 1997 to 1998. Unstructured interviews with staff of the Tourism Authority of Thailand were undertaken in 1998. Finally, a cross sectional survey was given to 590 randomly selected travelers who visited Thailand in 2000. It was found that the Tourism Authority of Thailand has effectively created travelers' satisfaction and intention to revisit Thailand with the use of the 'Amazing Thailand Years' campaign.     

Network Analysis of Navigation Paths of Tourists’ Trip Planning and Power Structure of the Online Tourism in China

In order to investigate the power structure of the online tourism domain in China, this study adopted a lab experiment and a network analysis method to examine the navigational paths of vacation planning behavior of Chinese college students. The analyses included the websites involved in the information search, network statistics of navigational paths, and clickthrough patterns between different types of websites. The navigational path network is a small-world network with shorter average path lengths and shorter network diameter than a web hyperlink network. The tourists generally followed a path of starting web page, general search engines, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), and finally a specific business website. The clickthrough pattern indicated that search engines and OTAs were major intermediaries and thus exerted a higher power in the online tourism domain in China.     

网络旅游消费者参与心理与行为的实证研究

互联网技术在全球的迅猛发展为网络与旅游的结合提供了重要的基础,并为现代旅游业开启了一个崭新的时代。网络旅游作为一种日益兴盛的现代旅游方式,已经成为旅游业信息化发展的重要表现形式之一,同时也是当今世界旅游业发展的重要方向。因此,了解和分析消费者网络旅游参与的心理和行为对旅游企业的营销和管理也变得越来越关键。然而,现有网络旅游研究主要探讨旅游网络消费者参与行为的特征,对旅游网站特性影响作用、网络旅游消费者参与动机、参与过程和参与心理机制的研究深度还不够。为了揭示现阶段我国旅游网站特性对网络旅游消费者参与心理和最终参与行为的影响作用,该研究在充分总结有关研究的基础上,构建了网络旅游消费者参与心理和行为的概念模型,随后对参与到旅游网站中的397名消费者进行调查分析。研究结果发现:旅游网站的熟悉度和服务规范度会有效影响消费者参与心理的自我决定需求,进而对消费者参与旅游网站的感知卷入和信息搜寻行为产生影响作用。研究结论建议,旅游网站吸引消费者参与的同时需要切实提高企业的品牌知名度和服务规范度,这是进一步提高网络旅游消费者对网站忠诚度的重要基础。     

Soft power analysis in alienated borderline tourism

This study uses a combined content-semiotic analysis technique to identify visual representations of an alienated frontier between India and Pakistan. Additionally, narratives of tourism marketers, articles from leading newspapers, and online visitor reviews are analyzed to gain an insight into the manner the ‘closing of border gates’ ceremony is orchestrated and experienced. It is found that most tourism marketers offer distorted images of the border to some extent as most travel reviews flag aggressive orchestrations of war heritage at the border. A soft power analysis of content suggests that the tourism organizations can help foster peace relations between the two countries by actively working with the government agencies to tone down war/conflict memories and aggressive display of hard power.     

Why do we teach what we teach? Perspectives from Asia’s hospitality and tourism program directors

This study investigates the forces shaping curriculum design of hospitality and tourism undergraduate programs in Southeast and East Asia. The topic has received little attention in the past. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 hospitality and tourism program directors from 8 regions in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines) and East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Macao, South Korea). The results indicated that the industry as one major stakeholder has strong influences on curriculum in multiple ways. This can be seen in the way industry commentary shapes the objectives of the programs, graduate competencies, and the subject material favoring employability for the hospitality and tourism industry. Accreditation was viewed as more essential in designing a curriculum for the higher institutions in the Southeast Asia compared to East Asia. The availability and expertise of staff were viewed as the least important forces in shaping the curriculum.     

From online via offline to online: how online visibility of tourism information shapes and is shaped by offline visits

This study links online tourism information with offline visits using an empirical data set. While previous studies revealed the role of online information in tourist information searches, few examined how online visibility of tourism information relates to offline visit. This study took a webometric approach to collect search engine result data, match it with the number of offline visits, and link them with post-visit photo-sharing activity. This study, unlike previous studies, used micro-level tourist sites within one city in South Korea. Various methods of analysis confirmed that online tourism information relates to offline visits, which in turn relate to post-tour photo-sharing behavior.     

Toward a typology of medical tourists: A case study of Thailand

This paper examines the motivations of medical tourists who sought treatment in Thailand. Previous research has tended to treat the medical tourist market as undifferentiated, with the decision to seek treatment made prior to departure. These assumptions may be incorrect, and a significant finding of this study was that medical tourists can be categorized into four different groups, each of which displays significant differences in the types of treatment sought, the motivations for visiting Thailand, the decision making process, and their travel characteristics. One contribution of this study is its indication that if destination managers understand the nature and characteristics of each type of medical tourist, they will be able develop and promote more appropriate and satisfactory medical tourism products and services for their visitors.     

A cross-cultural study of perceptions of medical tourism among Chinese, Japanese and Korean tourists in Korea

The purpose of this study is to observe factors related to perceptions of and possible participation in medical tourism by Chinese, Japanese, and Korean visitors to Jeju Island in Korea. It aims to identify cultural differences among them, and how those differences affect their pursuit of medical tourism in the future. The research results illustrate that significant differences exist in how Chinese, Japanese and Korean visitors view factors of choice, discomfort and preferred product items. The study establishes four factor groups regarding medical tourism with exploratory factor analysis. Based on these findings, differences of participation intention and behaviors among the three groups are explained. From this, the study describes distinct characteristics of medical tourism among the three cultural groups. The differences among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean tourists with regard to the selection of destination, inconveniences, and preferred products were found to be all significant. Korean tourists placed most significance on selection factors, followed by Chinese tourists, and, lastly, the Japanese. On the other hand, inconveniences related to medical and care services, stay and cost, and information and insurance elements were most strongly associated with Japanese tourists. This may be a reflection of a possible tendency of Japanese tourists to value safety and cost effectiveness. For Chinese tourists, the importance of stay and cost was equally high as those of their Japanese counterparts, which is indicative of Chinese tourists’ cost sensitivity. Light treatments (minor surgery) were preferred by Chinese tourists, while more significant treatments (major surgery) were preferred by Japanese tourists. In terms of aesthetic and healthcare services, Chinese tourists showed the most interest, while Japanese tourists placed emphasis on rehabilitation (lifestyle-related), which may reflect the Korean Wave’s influence in certain Chinese market segments, leading to an increased demand for cosmetic or plastic surgery.     

Google Analytics for measuring website performance

Performance measurement of tourism websites is becoming a critical issue for effective online marketing. The aim of this article is to analyse the effectiveness of entries (visit behaviour and length of sessions) depending on their traffic source: direct visit, in-link entries (for instance, en.wikipedia.org), and search engine visits (for example, Google). For this purpose, time series analysis of Google Analytics data is made use of. This method could be interesting for any tourism website optimizer.     

All hype or the real deal? Investigating user engagement with virtual influencers in tourism

Virtual influencer (VI) marketing has become increasingly prevalent on social media with the evolving landscape of digitalisation. However, the use of VIs in tourism has received limited attention in the literature. This study examines salient source and content attributes that stimulate Instagram users’ engagement with VIs in a tourism context. An online discrete choice experiment was designed using key attributes (i.e. source realness, image composition and caption discourse) identified from online focus groups. Survey responses from 309 adult Instagram users in Australia were analysed through discrete choice modelling. The findings indicate that humanlike VIs are preferred over 3D animated VIs and the least preferred influencers are 2D animated VIs. Instagram posts from humanlike VIs that combine images of tourism settings with rational messages attract the most engagement from the audience. Theoretical and practical implications are provided with recommendations for how tourism practitioners can harness VI marketing effectively.