Understanding the Benefit Sought by Rural Tourists and Accommodation Preferences: A South Korea Case

Rural tourism has been widely acknowledged for its effectiveness in contributing to rural areas’ development. With strong government support, rural tourism has developed in many countries during the last several decades. This study aims to improve the understanding regarding tourism in Korean rural areas using a segmentation approach. The responses of 442 tourists in 23 rural villages were analyzed. Four segments of tourists were identified based on the different benefits they sought for their vacation in rural establishments. The estimation of a multinomial logit model determined the socio‐demographic characteristics and the preferred accommodations of a rural tourist. Discussions and implications of the detailed findings are provided in the last section. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Destination Attractiveness Drivers among Urban Hostel Tourists: An Analysis of Frustrators and Delighters

This study is based on data from 679 tourists staying at hostel accommodation facilities in Zagreb, a propulsive city‐break destination in Central Europe. Besides providing insight into the socio‐demographic and behavioural characteristics of hostel tourists, this study uncovers determinant destination attributes influencing their perceptions of destination attractiveness. In particular, impact asymmetry analysis identified potential sources of delight and frustration among hostel tourists. Since the hostel tourist segment, as such, is almost completely unconsidered in contemporary tourism research, partly covered only by a few studies on youth travellers and backpackers, the results of this case study are valuable to both practitioners and researchers related to the hostelling industry and city destination marketing organizations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Commodification of Volunteer Tourism: a Comparative Study of Volunteer Tourists in Vietnam and in Thailand

Volunteer tourism (VT) has often been depicted as a means of avoiding the commodification of tourism (and even ecotourism) by ensuring that local communities benefit from VT, both environmentally and economically, and that there is authentic engagement by the tourists with indigent people and their cultures. However, critics have questioned this claim, arguing that VT has become little different from tourism and ecotourism, entailing commodification by providing profit for VT organizations rather than for local communities and consuming rather than respecting local environments and cultures. This study tests these claims and counterclaims by a comparative analysis of two VT experiences, one in Vietnam and the other in Thailand. The findings of the study are that although each cohort of volunteer tourists (VTs) exhibited elements of both decommodification and commodification, on a continuum of decommodification and commodification, the Vietnam VTs were closer to the decommodification node, whereas the Thailand VTs were closer to the commodification node. In part, this was because the Vietnam VT project was pitched more towards conservation research, whereas the Thailand VT project was pitched more towards vacation conservation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Different but Similar: Social Comparison of Travel Motives Among Tourists

Although previous research suggests that people prefer to think of themselves as being authentic (or individualistic) travellers rather than stereotyped tourists, there have been few studies investigating the external validity of such claim. This paper addresses this research gap by investigating tendencies to dissociate the self from typical tourists in terms of travel motivation. Findings suggest that people perceive their own travel motives to be different from those who they perceive as typical tourists and that these tendencies generalize across people involved in different forms of tourism. This paper discusses the results from a social psychological perspective and provides implications for future research and destination management alike. © 2014 The Authors. International Journal of Tourism Research published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Excuses,Excuses: Rationalisations of Western Sex Tourists in Thailand

This paper focuses upon the behaviour of heterosexual Western male sex tourists in Thailand. It is based on a review of the sex tourism literature and attempts to analyse the rationalisations that are constructed by these men in order to assuage feelings of guilt that are often felt from participating in Third World sex tourism. Therefore, these rationalisations potentially serve to allow for the continued patronage of Western men in commercial sex in less developed nations and thus perpetuate the sex tourism industry as a whole.     

Low Versus High Sensation‐seeking Tourists: a Study of Backpackers' Experience Risk Perception

This study investigates the relationships between the personality trait of sensation seeking and backpackers' risk perceptions by relying on a survey of 579 Israeli students who experienced backpacking. Some of the findings suggest that sensation seeking and travel risk perceptions are negatively correlated. For example, backpackers who were characterized as high social stimulus seekers were less concerned with socially oriented threats, such as crowded and commercialized places. However, other findings indicate that the relationships between the two concepts are more complex and might not be negatively correlated. For instance, the findings also indicate that the respondents were concerned about risks they were most likely to confront, given their anticipated behavior and nature of experiences that might be determined by their personality trait of sensation seeking. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Segmenting Mainland Chinese Tourists to Taiwan by Destination Familiarity: a Factor‐cluster Approach

This research examines the effectiveness of destination familiarity as a segmentation variable. Based on the traditional destination‐choice model, which suggests that customers might eliminate unfavorable destinations in the early stages of information search process, this research proposes that familiar customers should possess more favorable destination images and higher visiting intentions than unfamiliar customers. As the results confirm the positive effects of destination familiarity on destination image and travel intention, the effectiveness of destination familiarity as a segmentation variable is also verified. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tourist Perceptions of Climate Change: A Study of International Tourists in Zanzibar

A study was conducted in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in order to understand tourist perceptions of climate change, the importance of climate for travel decisions, and the likely consequences of ongoing climate change for travel decisions. The results show that climatic characteristics of destinations are important, though not the only factor shaping travel decisions. Under a scenario of climate change, certain climate variables, such as more rain, storms, and higher humidity are also likely to negatively influence travel decisions, rather than higher temperatures alone, which are not necessarily perceived as negative. Regarding the contribution of travel to climate change, the study reveals that leisure tourists in Zanzibar are largely unaware of their impact on the natural environment, while the analysis of stated travel behaviour shows that they frequently travel by air. Overall, the results indicate that travel flows might change in more complex ways than currently assumed, and that a small share of high-intensity air travellers is responsible for a considerable environmental impact in terms of climate change.     

Tourists taking photographs: the long tail in tourists' perceived image of Barcelona

This study examines photographs taken by tourists of Barcelona in order to identify the perceived image of the city. Specifically, the study analyses 3100 photographs uploaded by tourist photographers on the social network Flickr. The method of analysis used was content analysis. The findings demonstrate that Barcelona's perceived image is dominated by a few very popular sights, but also contains a large number of new sights and spaces. These new elements are not of much individual value, but collectively account for a large volume and therefore have the capacity to expand the city's image. This is the long tail of Barcelona's tourist image, providing the city with a new image created by tourists themselves.     

Understanding bus rapid transit route ridership drivers: An empirical study of Australian BRT systems

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems are an increasingly popular public transport option internationally. They provide rail-like quality for bus services for a fraction of the cost of fixed rail. Many claims of high and increasing ridership have resulted from BRT system development; however, it is unclear exactly which aspects of BRT system design drive this. This paper explores whether BRT design features, among other influences, significantly increase ridership above and beyond the impact of service levels. It does so using a series of regression models undertaken on 77 BRT and non-BRT bus routes in Australia which is known for its diversity in BRT route design. Explanatory variables used included service level, frequency, speed, stop spacing, share of segregated right of way, vehicle accessibility, employment and residential density, car ownership levels and BRT infrastructure quality. Five models explored the role of these variables. Two models found that service level dominates predictions of boardings per route km although they suffer from endogeneity. Further models control for this influence by modelling boardings per vehicle km. Overall results suggest that some BRT infrastructure treatments such as right of way have a significant impact on ridership but the influence of infrastructure is within the context of high service levels. The role of accessible vehicles has also been highlighted in this research, although more research is needed to clarify this influence. The paper concludes with a discussion of the various influences on ridership and recommendations for existing policy and future research.     

Market orientation and business performance: An empirical investigation in the airline industry

As the airline industry has become more competitive, carriers have looked to improve performance and competitiveness. During the last decade, market-oriented corporate strategy has emerged as a significant antecedent of organizational performance and is presumed to contribute to long-term success. This study investigates potential influences of market orientation on airline performance. Data were collected by mail survey, and MARKOR was used to specify the dimensions of a market-orientated organization. The results support the positive influence of market orientation on business performance.     

Send More Tourists! Stakeholder Perceptions of a Tourism Industry in Late Stage Decline: the Case of the Isle of Man

Qualitative interviews, conducted in the Isle of Man, investigate local perceptions of a tourism industry in late stage decline. Social impacts of decline, including facilities loss, cultural changes and a heightening of perceived peripherality, which together undermine local identity, are pronounced despite successful economic diversification. Tourists are welcomed as they help to affirm the pride residents have in their island, create a more active atmosphere, provide social interaction opportunities and combat negative stereotyping. Overall, findings emphasise the diverse, unique and persistent benefits of tourism in the Isle of Man, despite decline. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding the parking supply mechanism in China: a case study of Shenzhen

Parking policy in China is characterized by “high regulation in supply and mispricing.” City governments rely on the “minimum parking requirement,” the conventional approach, to manage parking quantity, which shapes a unique phenomenon called the “developer-led supply pattern.” In this paper, we establish ordinary least squares models to explore “spatial-mismatch” characteristics that result from the current parking policy and infer the latent mechanism of parking supply using geographical correlation analysis. In the case of Shenzhen, we found that few urban factors at the district level are involved in the decision making of developers regarding parking provision, which compromises the endeavor of creating sustainable transport and thus requires further policy intervention. Market force serves its role in strict planning regulations at the neighborhood level because of the dominant role of property developers. These models not only confirm the mismatch of parking supply with the objectives of sustainable urban transport but also reveal the willingness of developers as a driving force that interacts with the regulatory environment. Such willingness leads to a spatially inconsistent, inefficient parking supply pattern over the entire Shenzhen metropolis. Based on these findings, two suggestions are made for parking policy on district and neighborhood bases that address the situation of high-density urbanization in Chinese cities and similar circumstances.     

Travelling with a Purpose: Understanding the Motives and Benefits of Volunteer Vacationers

With the growing trend of volunteer vacations, research has been warranted in regard to understanding the motivational factors of individuals who participate in such endeavors. With this understanding, the goal is to increase these travel offerings in the industry, which will bring better understanding between cultures. This study examines different travel motivation factors for someone who chooses to use part of their vacation participating in volunteer or humanitarian activities. Considering that ‘mission’ often has connotations of a religious purpose, the phrase ‘travelling with a purpose’ brings on even more significance as this concept expands. To understand travel motivation in general, a variety of scales and theories have been researched. Maslow, Dann, Iso-Ahola, Plog and Pearce are some included in the Literature Review. A qualitative focus group and semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted. The analysis of the data revealed that four main themes for why people traveled with a purpose emerged. Cultural immersion was a strong objective; the desire to give back; the camaraderie that occurs on volunteer vacations; and the fourth theme focused on family. Non-verbal communication and bonding occurs at several levels with the local people and family members. This is a good example of cultivating peace through tourism.     

Re-thinking Anne: representing Japanese culture at a quintessentially Canadian site

ABSTRACT

The Anne of Green Gables National Heritage Site in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, centers around the farmhouse where author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, was raised, and serves as the setting for her classic novel, Anne of Green Gables (1908). This is thus a heritage site about a fictional character, but very real and historical to the author of the well-loved book. This paper centers on a 2015 visit to the site, where I encountered not only the expected thousands of Canadian pilgrims traipsing up and down ‘Lover’s Lane’, but a half-dozen Japanese college students interning for the summer – in costume, scattered around the site, demonstrating Japanese crafts and games for tourists. As a visitor to the site, I found myself asking: How do these Japanese traditions fit into the interpretation of this most quintessential of Canadian sites? And, how does their presence alter the touristic encounter for both Canadian and Japanese visitors? The presence of Japanese interpreters at the site will thus be used to interrogate notions of the production of knowledge about ‘the other’, as well as pointing to the creation of new narratives about cultural tourism, challenging traditional notions of heritage and authenticity.     

Understanding the Heterogeneity of Generation Y's Preferences for Travelling: a Conjoint Analysis Approach

The unique motives of young travellers make this market segment very important to the key objectives of the global tourism plan. Accordingly, it is important to understand better the main drivers that affect their choice of a tourism offer. This paper introduces conjoint analysis as an appropriate tool for evaluating the preferences of travellers. The survey was conducted on a sample of 514 respondents. To isolate homogeneous young traveller segments, preference‐based segmentation was performed on the conjoint data. Based on the study findings, a marketing strategy for each identified market segment is suggested. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Guidebook use by Japanese tourists: a qualitative study of Australia inbound travellers

This qualitative investigation into guidebook use reports on in‐depth interviews conducted with 26 Japanese individuals and one couple who had visited Australia during the five previous years. Focusing on the stages before, during and after travel the research framework was based on Vogt and Fesenmaier's model of information needs. It was found that functional needs were the dominant influences during the prior to travel phase, with some non‐functional needs (hedonic, aesthetic and innovation) also being influential. During the travel phase, only functional needs were evident. Some respondents were identified as being deliberate non‐users of guidebooks. The variable ‘tourist type’ was found to be helpful for distinguishing between users and non‐users and for identifying those with functional needs. The use of guidebooks by those whose needs are both functional and non‐functional may be unaffected by this variable. When the attitudes of those who actively dislike guidebooks and those who hesitate to use them are aggregated, a view emerges of guidebooks as a symbol of standardised tourism. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Leisure Constraints Research: Its Value as a Framework for Understanding Tourism Seasonability

Tourism seasonality is a major issue within tourism but is poorly understood. This paper argues for the adoption of a leisure constraints framework to develop more in-depth insights into seasonal variations in tourism. The structure of this argument consists of three parts: (1) the limitations of existing understandings of seasonality in tourism; (2) the nature of leisure constraints theory and its underutilisation in a tourism context; and (3) the benefits of adopting this theoretical framework in terms of its relative sophistication and hierarchical models.