Modelling Intercontinental Tourism Consumption in South Africa: A Systems‐of‐Equations Approach

This paper investigates the pattern of inbound tourists' consumption in South Africa, examining four main intercontinental markets and five different tourism goods. The empirical investigation develops an almost ideal demand system (AIDS) model and it extends recent research by allowing tourists to base their spending decision on the real effective price differences between South Africa and their home country. The results show that tourist spending in South Africa is a luxury good, and tourists react normally to a change in the relative price of goods. The cross‐price elasticities suggest that the preferences of different markets influence their view of substitutability and complementary effects between various products in South Africa.     

Towards a better measure of income inequality in Indonesia

Indonesia has experienced significant economic growth in recent years (on average, 5% in 2000–08), but many people are still living in poverty. Income inequality, as measured by the official Gini coefficient, has also increased. This paper evaluates household income and income inequality in Indonesia, assessing both market and non-market income to reach a more accurate measure of how actual income affects living standards. We find that if household income considers non-market income, income distribution is significantly more balanced, the coefficient of income inequality falls from 0.41 to 0.21 and the income share of the population's poorest deciles increases more than fivefold. The results suggest that market income alone is a misleading measure of income distribution in Indonesia.     

Travel behaviour among inbound medical tourists in Kuala Lumpur

Despite recording the highest growth among tourism sub-sectors [Dhesi, D. (2009, March 25). Medical tourism rises in Malaysia despite economic downturn. The Star Online. Retrieved from http://www.malaysiahealthcare.com/; Leonard, T. (2009, July 24). Medical tourists to bring in RM 540 million by 2010. Retrieved from http://www.malaysiahealthcare.com/; Tourism Malaysia. (2008). Profile of tourist by selected markets 2008. Kuala Lumpur: Tourism Malaysia], little is known empirically with regard to travel behaviour among inbound medical tourists in Malaysia. This study examined the demographic profile, travel motivation, healthcare consumption, and expenditure behaviour among them in Kuala Lumpur. Using the combination of purposeful and convenience sampling, a total of 138 questionnaires were completed, returned, and analysed. The majority of the respondents were female, middle aged, travelling with two others and Indonesians. Their main travel motivation factors were ‘value for money’, ‘excellent medical services’, ‘supporting services’, ‘cultural similarity’, and ‘religious factor’ in descending order of importance. Medical treatment, cosmetic procedure, surgical procedure, and medical check-up were important healthcare services sought after by the respondents. On average, medical tourists spent MYR 26,844.19 per visit, with females and tourists of European descent contributing significantly more. Tourists from ASEAN had stronger motivation of ‘cultural similarity’ compared with other tourists. This paper is unique in providing the empirical evidence of the city's unique selling points (pull factors) in attracting inbound medical tourists. It also highlights the potential economic contribution and some managerial implications in terms of marketing and product development.     

Health information and substitution between fish: Lessons from laboratory and field experiments

This paper compares results from a lab experiment and a field experiment conducted in France to evaluate the impact of health information on fish consumption. In both experiments, health information concerns a benefit (omega 3) and a risk (methylmercury). While the lab experiment focuses on two species, namely canned tuna and canned sardines, the field experiment offers a complete measure of the information impact on the choice of various species by consumers. Results from both experiments showed a significant preference change against canned tuna. In the lab experiment, the preference change was reflected by a decrease in WTP, while in the field experiment the preference change was reflected by a decrease in consumption. In the field experiment, among all fish consumed, only the decrease in consumption of canned tuna was statistically significant. A model calibrated to represent the demand for canned tuna allows for a comparison between the two experiments. It shows that the lab experiment suggests a smaller decrease in canned tuna demand compared to the field experiment.     

Labelling fashion markets

The present article discusses how an ethical and environmental labelling system can be implemented in fashion garment markets. Consumers act in markets that provide them with more information than their limited cognitive capacity allows them to handle. Ethical and environmental labelling in markets characterized by change, such as the fashion garment market, makes decision‐making even more complicated. The ethical and environmental labelling system proposed here is designed to alleviate firms' administrative burden and give consumers more choice. It proposes that information on ethical and environmentally friendly production should be combined to enable consumers to decide whether they want to contribute an extra sum for the item they purchase in the store, which would then be transferred to the workers or an environmental organization. The beneficiaries – garment workers in developing countries and environmental organizations – would decide what to do with the money. This is a simpler and more direct solution than those suggested by scholars and activists trying to solve the problems of ‘sweatshops’ and the environmental consequences of the production of fashion garments. It also reduces administration compared with existing systems. At the same time, it can be implemented alongside systems based on strict regulation of production.     

基于存货式储蓄的城乡居民消费差异研究——对生命周期—持久收入假定修正的上海数据检验

文章在前人研究的基础上,结合上海市城乡居民的消费特点,修正了生命周期-持久收入的基本假定,建立了基于存货式储蓄的短视消费模型,运用上海市1990-2007年城市居民和农村居民的消费、收入及CPI数据对上海市城乡居民的消费差异做了实证分析,发现城乡居民消费的差异根源于存货式储蓄动机的强弱.在模型推断和实证分析的基础上,文章给出了消除城乡消费差异的若干政策建议.最后,文章还展望了未来的研究前景.     

消费者行为对财政政策的异质反应——以城镇分层收入者为例

对于财政政策与居民消费的关系,主要存在凯恩斯观点、生命周期观点和李嘉图等价命题三种研究视角.但对中国而言,当前的转型经济环境将使现实中符合上述三种视角的居民会同时存在,亦即不同消费群体对财政政策的反应是异质的.文章构建了一个扩展的生命周期理论框架,其中凯恩斯观点和李嘉图等价命题均为这个框架下的特殊形式,从而为消费者行为对财政政策的异质反应提供了一个理论性的解释.此外,文章将我国城镇居民按收入等级分为五组进行相关的经验检验,发现各居民户组对财政政策的反应模式大致按收入水平由高到低表现为李嘉图等价情形、扩展的生命周期情形和凯恩斯情形,这意味着财政政策的制定对各收入阶层的居民具有歧视性效果.文章最后从优化政府购买的支出结构和调整当前税制结构两个方面提出了若干政策建议以刺激国内居民消费的增长.     

我国居民旅游消费对经济增长的影响分析

本文利用我国1994—2006年的时间序列数据,运用计量经济学中的协整理论对城镇、农村居民旅游消费和经济增长之间的关系进行了研究。得出以下主要结论:城镇居民旅游消费和GDP、第三产业增加值之间具有协整关系;城镇居民旅游消费每增加1%,GDP增加0.79%,第三产业增加值增加0.85%;城镇居民旅游消费对第三产业的推动作用大于其对经济增长的推动作用;而农村居民旅游消费和GDP、第三产业增加值之间不具有协整关系,农村居民旅游消费对经济增长和第三产业的发展没有明显的推动作用。以上现象与我国农村居民旅游消费的特征是分不开的。最后,提出了提高我国居民旅游消费水平的对策。     

马克思的奢侈品生产理论及其现实意义

本文认为,马克思的奢侈品生产理论给我们的启示是:奢侈品和必要消费资料是相对的、互相转化的。随着人们生活水平的提高,奢侈品就变成必要消费资料。在社会主义条件下奢侈品消费者是一部分先富裕起来的群体,扩大奢侈品消费群体的过程就是提高人们生活水平的过程。越来越多的奢侈品成为必要生活资料,应当成为劳动力价值的构成部分。要提高工资水平以适应部分奢侈品消费的需要。当必要消费资料基本满足后,生产奢侈品是发展生产的方向。     

安徽省城乡居民收入与消费关系的协整分析

本文运用协整和误差修正模型,以安徽省1984—2006年的统计资料为样本,构建了城乡居民长短期的收入与消费模型,对城乡居民收入与消费之间的关系进行了分析。结果表明：安徽城乡居民的收入和消费之间各自存在着长期的均衡关系,在人均消费的层面上,城镇居民对于消费增长的支持大于农村居民,农村居民的消费需求还有待提高。