Association Meeting Planners' Perceptions of Five Major Convention Cities

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to report the pre-test results of a questionnaire designed to examine association meeting planners' site selection criteria and performance of five major convention cities. Pre-testing is necessary to ensure face (content) validity of the instrument by assessing the meaning of questions (ambiguity and bias), continuity and flow, question sequence, scale variability, and length and timing. The findings from the pre-test provided significant feedback for content validity of selection criteria used in the study, measurement and scaling, and flow of the questionnaire. The implications were discussed.     

Exploring determinants of meeting planners’ commitment to the business relationships with destination management companies

Although there is a demand for research on a business-to-business relationship between meeting planners and destination management companies, the current hospitality and tourism literature is insufficient in its attempt to understand the dynamics of this unique relationship. Recently, in the meeting industry, destination management companies have been recognized to experience a more challenging business environment due to the abundance of online vendor information which activates meeting planners’ disintermediation of destination management company services. To provide more practical implications for these key meeting players, this study urges that the key factor that encourages meeting planners to continue using destination management companies is trust. Therefore, this study examines determinants of the trust–commitment relationship as a means for meeting planners to achieve a more sustainable relationship with destination management companies. Applying and extending social exchange theory, this study also explores the determinants of the future relationship (commitment or termination). Findings of this research will provide the industry with suggestions for their relationship development.     

旅游接待地社会文化保护问题新论

对旅游接待地的社会文化保护一直是中外旅游发展中备受关注但始终未能妥善解决的问题。本文针对这一问题分析了旅游接待地所扮演的文化角色,分析了旅游业的过度发展对旅游接待地社会文化造成的6个方面的冲击,在此基础上提出对旅游接待地实施社会文化保护和文化提升的战略思考。笔者认为,我们对保护一词首先应有正确的理解,应采用旅游学术研究最新成果,制定文化保护和文化提升战略,制定和颁布相关法律和政策,建立相关的执行和协调机构,应充分发挥社区居民在旅游接待地社会文化保护和文化提升方面的作用,应重视在旅游接待地社会文化保护和提升方面的国际合作。     

The Asian Perspective

Abstract

The following paper investigates the use of unusual venues as conference facilities within the United Kingdom and identifies the current and future management issues. Unusual venues include such diverse properties as castles, visitor attractions, boats, sports stadiums, and galleries able to accommodate from ten to one thousand delegates. Reduced government funding has encouraged many of these venues to diversify their revenue generation activities, with conference activity providing lucrative and innovative opportunities. This paper provides a market analysis of this sector within the United Kingdom, with particular reference to market demand, the motivations for investment, and future influences on their management.     

国外经典旅游目的地选择模型述评

对旅游目的地的选择是任何一个旅游者都必须做出的最重要的决策。多年来,国外学者从不同研究视角出发,提出了大量的相关理论模型,这些模型对旅游消费者行为研究具有重要意义。文章主要对实证主义范式下的旅游目的地选择模型进行了回顾,并从理论和实践角度对其进行了评述;通过对其理论渊源、主要贡献和不足之处进行梳理,以期为旅游目的地选择的相关研究和营销实践提供借鉴。     

信息传播:旅游目的地营销与服务的关键环节

文章讨论了旅游业作为信息密集型和信息依托型产业的特征,并指出,旅游目的地信息传播既是一种社会现象,也是目的地营销的基本内容,同时,传递信息也是为旅游者提供旅游服务的一种重要形式.     

国外关于旅游地水供需矛盾的研究

旅游业是地表水和地下水的主要使用者之一。随着旅游业的不断发展，对水资源的影响日益凸现，水供需矛盾已成为全球旅游可持续发展的主要制约因素之一。本文在阐述国外水供需矛盾旅游地主要区域特征的基础上．从系统角度深入分析了国外旅游地水供需矛盾及其主要影响因素，并从管理、技术、经济和教育等方面总结了国外水供需矛盾的主要调控措施与实施情况．以期丰富旅游水环境的研究视角，为我国旅游地水供需管理提供帮助。     

论旅游地形象发生发展中的几个效应 问题及其实践意义

旅游地形象问题研究受到旅游理论界和业界人士的极大关注.本文吸取多学科的研究成果,从旅游地形象的发生发展过程入手,集中探讨了旅游地形象发生发展中的几个效应问题.     

山岳型旅游地水环境管理比较与模式构建

论文以牯牛降风景区(观音堂核心景区)、普陀山风景区、黄山风景区3个不同发展阶段的山岳型旅游地为案例,对水环境管理现状、水环境管理驱动力和管理方法进行了比较研究,发现山岳型旅游地水环境管理都不同程度地受到外界控制、道德规范、经济限制等驱动力的影响.在此基础上,从管理的角度提出了以道德影响为主,外部控制和经济限制影响为辅,形成意识管理、政策管理和技术管理三者齐头并进的山岳型水环境管理模式.     

培育节庆活动 营销西部旅游目的地

随着旅游业的发展，旅游目的地竞争越来越激烈，目的地形象的塑和推广成为竞争的重要手段。节庆活动既是目的地形象的载体，又是形象传播最有效的方式之一，对西部旅游目的地营销有着特殊重要的意义。西部旅游目的地要从实际出发，培育有西部特色的节庆活动，同时要注意以下问题：节庆活动规模和参与度；节庆活动的形式和内容；国际体育旅游活动的开发；提高服务水平。     

The Relationships of Meeting Planners' Profiles with Usage and Attitudes Toward the Use of Technology

Abstract

This study had four objectives: to obtain a personal and professional profile of meeting planners and their computer/Internet usage; to determine meeting planners' attitudes toward computer/Internet technologies; to analyze the relationships of meeting planner personal and professional profiles and the computer/Internet usage on attitudes toward computer/Internet technologies; and to determine if there was a relationship between professional certifications and meeting planners' attitudes. A mailed survey was sent to a sample of members of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and 616 completed questionnaires were received. In the data analysis, the independent variables were divided into the three sets of profiles: socio-demographic, professional, and computer/Internet usage. It was found that meeting planners in the U.S. are mostly young (30 to 44 years old) females in corporate planning who earn between $45,000 and $49,999. They have been working in their positions from 3 to 5 years, plan more than 20 meetings in a year and dedicate 90 to 119 minutes a day to e-mail correspondence. The results revealed that meeting planners are not comfortable with scheduling virtual meetings, even though they are young and were born within the computer age. Although technology is a vital part of their daily lives, this study has found that meeting planners have considerable room to improve their technological knowledge.     

中国出境旅游目的地的市场定位研究

本文探讨了中国出境旅游目的地的市场竞争以及市场定位，研究表明，中国公民出境旅游目的地的特征属性中，“安全性”与“优美的景色”是中国出境旅游者认为的最重要特征属性；KYST研究结果表明，在中国现已开放的出境旅游目的地中，新加坡与泰国、日本与韩国、埃及与德国是两两相似的出境旅游目的地形象；ALSCAL研究结果表明，中国出境旅游目的地的特征属性之间既具有联系，又具有差异；中国出境旅游目的地国家相互之间具有市场竞争性。为吸引更多的中国大陆旅游者出境旅游，中国出境旅游目的地国家应制定相应的旅游市场营销策略。     

Meeting planners’ use and evaluation of convention and visitor bureaus

The MICE industry represents one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. Yet, it is only in recent years that the economic contribution of this industry segment has been recognized and the relationships among the various industry players have been examined in more depth. This study focuses on the relationship between meeting planners and convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs). Results of the study indicate that association meeting planners utilize CVBs more frequently than corporate planners. Meeting planners mainly use free rather than fee-based CVB services, with destination information and referral services being the most popular. The desire to deal directly with suppliers represents the major reason for meeting planners bypassing CVBs in their convention/meeting planning. Implications of the study results are discussed.     

旅游地社会文化环境变迁机制试研究

本文探讨的重点,包括以下方面:①制约旅游地社会文化环境变迁的动因在于外界旅游流对旅游地的静态平衡系统产生冲击和干扰,分析旅游地社会文化环境变迁,必须从构成“流“的要素入手;②旅游者及其携带而来的物能流与旅游地各主体要素(政府机构、旅游企业、旅游地原生居民等)的竞争与协调产生旅游地社会文化环境变迁的动力机制.     

Characteristics of a Meeting Planner

ABSTRACT

This is an exploratory research project about meeting planning professionals. Survey responses were collected from 288 meeting professionals in an Internet based survey. The results found a significant difference in perception of minority representation in the industry. The study also found that career counselors are not making students in high school or college aware of meeting planning as a profession, so therefore, they are not studying it in college. People instead are finding out about it in nontraditional ways, such as learning on the job, friends and co-workers. As a result, top skills listed that are needed to succeed included personality or character traits rather than skills that could be learned.     

基于本地旅游需求驱动的旅游地空间系统重构

旅游地空间系统是一个复杂而敏感的系统,易受空间内外部各种因素特别是市场要素变化的影响.文章在对以外来旅游需求为牵引的传统旅游空间系统及其不足和形成机理进行深入分析的基础上,结合国民休闲和内需扩大战略背景下本地旅游需求不断提升的现实变化,重构了内外需求更为平衡条件下的新旅游地空间系统.该系统应具有良好的空间外部环境、通畅高效的信息流、域面平滑流畅的旅游地发育、便捷立体的旅游通道、趋向均衡互补的内外部旅游市场等内涵,从而对传统旅游空间系统进行了补充和完善.     

乡村旅游地品牌个性与游客忠诚：以场所依赖为中介变量

文章以西安市长安区＂农家乐＂为例,实证分析乡村旅游地品牌个性与游客忠诚的关系,并探讨场所依赖的中介作用。结果显示：（1）乡村旅游地品牌个性中的实惠、喜悦、闲适、健康和逃逸5个维度对场所依赖（包括场所依靠和场所认同）具有显著的正向预测作用,而对游客忠诚具有显著正向预测作用的仅有实惠和闲适两个维度;（2）场所依靠和场所认同在实惠维度与游客忠诚关系间起到了部分中介作用,而在闲适维度与游客忠诚关系间起到了完全中介作用;（3）场所认同在实惠与游客忠诚关系间的中介作用以及它在闲适与游客忠诚关系间的中介作用都是相对较大的,而场所依靠在实惠与游客忠诚及闲适与游客忠诚关系间的中介作用相对较小。     

基于系统科学的旅游地演化机制及规律性初探

现阶段旅游地复杂系统演化相关研究成果一方面很难辨析旅游地生命周期理论及其个案论争,另一方面由于无法深入研究系统演化背后的运行机制及其规律性,从而无法形成理论研究体系与范式.有鉴于此,本文作者以系统科学为指导,在明确旅游地复杂系统演化涵义的基础上,以旅游地最根本矛盾--供求关系为线索构建系统演化模型,在辨析旅游地生命周期理论分歧问题的基础上诠释了旅游地复杂系统的演化机制及其规律性.     

乡村旅游地发展过程中的"公地悲剧"研究——以杭州梅家坞、龙坞茶村、山沟沟景区为例

乡村旅游地发展过程中的环境退化、村民无序争夺有限资源等"公地悲剧"现象十分普遍.乡村旅游资源的产权属性决定了"公地悲剧"产生的必然性,它表现为公共资源利用无度、公共秩序混沌失序和公共福利供给短缺,导致了乡村旅游核心资源迅速耗损和旅游品牌资产快速衰减,并严重影响了乡村旅游目的地的可持续发展.本文采用田野作业方法,主要分析了杭州梅家坞荼文化村、龙坞荼村和山沟沟景区"公地悲剧"的产生原因及其演变情况.文章还探讨了地方政府主导型、外来投资者主导型和农村集体组织主导型3种制度模式来解决乡村旅游中"公地悲剧"的基本思路.