The application of information values and construal level theory for examining low cost carrier advertisements

This study considers the effectiveness of destination-focused vis-à-vis price-focused advertisements commissioned by low-cost carriers (LCCs) through the sign and hedonic information values embedded within the advertisements, and construal level theory. Based on 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial design with temporal distance (12 months versus 2 weeks) and advertisement type (destination-versus price-focused) as independent variables, the analysis revealed that, including sign and hedonic values better explain recommendations to fly LCC than if only using advertisement attitude. The influence of sign value on recommendation intention is more limited than that of hedonic value. Influence of sign value is more prominent for destination-focused advertisements. Consumers planning leisure travel see themselves as passengers rather than being tourists, meaning price-related characteristics are their primary concern.     

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.     

Driving holistic innovation to heighten hotel customer loyalty

Innovative offerings facilitate hotels to expand the segment of loyal customers, who display stronger re-patronage intention and recommendation willingness. Innovation performance is essential for enhancing hotel management performance. According to the holistic innovation paradigm, successful innovation should be holistic in nature and comprise novel, utilitarian and experiential value dimensions. Empirical findings also attest to the conduciveness of holistic innovation to heightening customer loyalty. However, the antecedents and outcome of holistic innovation are still unclear in the hotel context. The current study validates a theoretical framework via surveys administered on the chief executive officers and customers of 112 five-star hotels. As the research result suggests, ambidextrous innovation orientation and value co-creation capabilities are primary drivers of holistic innovation. In turn, the three value dimensions of holistic innovation relate positively to customer loyalty with variant effect sizes. The research result contributes to hotel management both academically and practically.     

Modelling roles of task‐technology fit and self‐efficacy in hotel employees' usage behaviours of hotel information systems

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between hotel information system (HIS) users' personal perceptions and beliefs of the given system and their daily routine usage intention via the technology acceptance model (TAM), considering the two external variables (motivational variables) of the model — ‘task‐technology fit’ (extrinsic motivation; system feature) and ‘self‐efficacy’ (intrinsic motivation; personal feature). Data were collected from hotel employees of 13 upscale hotels in Jeju, South Korea, and path analysis was utilised to test structural model and hypotheses. The results provided empirical support for an extended TAM, and verified its robustness in predicting hotel employees' intention to use a HIS. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Examination of the Determinants of In‐Flight Duty‐Free Shopping: Hedonic and Utilitarian Motivations

This research note presents the findings of a study that empirically examined air passengers' in‐flight duty‐free shopping behaviors in the perspectives of utilitarian and hedonic motivations. On the basis of the primary data collected from 212 air passengers in Taiwan, empirical findings revealed that both utilitarian and hedonic motivations affect air passengers' intentions to browse in‐flight duty‐free shopping catalogues. Findings also showed that hedonic motivation does not directly influence air passengers' in‐flight purchase intentions. Instead, a higher utilitarian motivation can directly enhance passengers' in‐flight purchase intentions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impressions of Liusanjie: a study of motivation,theatrical performance evaluation,and satisfaction

This paper examines the relationships between motivation to visit, performance evaluation, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions for tourists experiencing ‘Impressions of Liusanjie’, an iconic, outdoor, theatrical performance in Guilin, China. The study finds that motivation does not affect satisfaction directly but that performance evaluation is an intervening variable between motivation and satisfaction. It also finds that experiential evaluation of the theatrical performance has more effect on satisfaction than evaluation of technical and functional attributes. Tourists were surveyed after the performance and the results analysed using cluster, correlation analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). The first two techniques were used to identify existing relationships amongst the study variables. SEM was applied to determine if a causal relationship existed and, if so, their strength. This research provides a contribution to the understanding of tourist motivation, theatrical performance evaluation, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions.     

Symbolic,Experiential and Functional Consumptions of Heritage Tourism Destinations: The Case of Angkor World Heritage Site,Cambodia

This study empirically investigates the effects of three destination consumptions (namely symbolic, experiential and functional) on tourists' destination attachment and satisfaction, and further on destination loyalty at a heritage tourism destinations. Using a sample of 512 international tourists visiting Angkor, Cambodia, results reveal that all three types of consumptions have significantly positive effects on destination attachment and satisfaction, which in turn positively affect destination loyalty. However, the effects of symbolic consumption and experiential consumption are greater than that of functional consumption. The results also support the importance of the role of destination attachment in the quality–satisfaction–loyalty relationship. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

E-Marketing communications of trophy hunting providers in Namibia: evidence of ethics and fairness in an apparently unethical and unfair industry?

This paper investigates how the e-marketing communication of trophy hunting operators in Namibia may affect and reinforce the overall tainted image of this controversial industry. The online marketing efforts of 100 Namibian safari providers were examined. Two main results were discerned: (1) the majority of communication does not take into account the negative image of the industry, choosing instead to focus primarily on the hedonic values of the customer (i.e. hunters) and (2) evidence was found of concern for ethics, sustainability and fairness, but often these messages were implicit rather than explicit. Suggestions for improvement in e-marketing are provided.     

The nexus between firm-supply-chain relationships and the potential for tourism development: A case study approach

This exploratory study examines the importance of firm-supply chain relationships for tourism development. Based upon prior observations, two firms seeking to boost their tourism offerings and operating in a popular Vietnamese tourist destination were selected. Semi-structured face-to-face and online interviews were conducted and complemented by on-site visits, and firm information. Various salient dimensions emerged from the data analysis. The ‘performance catalyst’ and ‘detectable value adding’ dimensions underscore the supply chain's benefits, while the ‘discerning relations’ dimension highlights deeper relationships through mutual support, building trust, or demonstrating care. Conceptually, the study proposes a framework with associated theoretical and practical implications.     

The effects of tourists’ knowledge-sharing motivation on online tourist community loyalty: the moderating role of ambient stimuli

This study explores the role of tourists’ knowledge-sharing motivation in the formation of online community loyalty. More specifically, the study examines (1) the theoretical relationships between five factors influencing knowledge-sharing motivation, knowledge contributions (KNC), knowledge-sharing continuance intentions (KCI), and community promotion (COP) and (2) the moderating effects of ambient stimuli on the relationship between KNC and KCI and on that between KNC and COP. For valid respondents, a convenience sample of online travel community members was obtained using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Hence, a total of 410 responses were employed to test the research hypotheses through a structural equation modelling analysis and a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The results show that four factors influencing knowledge-sharing motivation, namely altruism, expected reciprocal benefits, reputation, and trust, had positive effects on KNO. KNO had positive effects on KCI and COP, and KCI had a positive effect on COP. In addition, a positive group perception moderated the KNC–KCI and KNC–COP relationships.     

Segmentation and motivation of foreign tourists in world heritage sites. A case study,Quito (Ecuador)

This paper presents an analysis of the current relationships between three fundamental constructs in the decision-making process of the visitor – motivation, satisfaction and loyalty – of a tourist destination World Heritage Site like the city of Quito, Ecuador. The results demonstrate the existence of three motivational dimensions among foreign visitors to visit the city: firstly cultural, secondly circumstantial and finally hedonic-gastronomic. Additionally, and tending to the motivational schemes, four types of foreign visitors have been identified: a hedonic-gastronomic cultural tourist, a hedonic-gastronomic tourist, a circumstantial hedonic-gastronomic cultural tourist and an alternative tourist. The reasons or motives of the visit reveal that only the hedonic-gastronomic dimension discriminates significantly as far as the degree of perceived satisfaction and loyalty declared by the visitors are concerned.     

The inner struggle of visiting ‘dark tourism’ sites: examining the relationship between perceived constraints and motivations

Numerous conflicting factors impact the tourism decision process especially as it relates to dark tourism, that is, tourism that focuses on mortality. This research examines the relationships among constraints and motivational factors that affect tourists’ decision to visit the Memorial of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre in China. Seven dimensions of constraints were revealed with the most important factor being an interest in other leisure activities. Of the three motivational factors discovered, the obligation the respondents feel to visit the site was discovered to be the most important. The major contribution of this research is its analysis of the relationship between motivations and constraints and the discovery that there are both positive and negative relationships between constraint and motivation factors. The most important finding may be that an increase in curiosity motivation may result in a decrease in disinterest constraints but an increase in the strength of the constraint of Chinese cultural perspectives on death and taboos. The findings suggest that the most effective marketing might not focus too much on the development of curiosity but on other motives, such as obligation and education.     

Sources of tourist information used by Deaf people. Case study: the Polish Deaf community

The tourism sector is still failing to fully provide for the varied needs of people with a disability. If the current situation is to change, then the characteristics of these needs must be better identified. This paper presents the results of a study on sources of tourist information used by Deaf people, for whom the basic form of communication is sign language. The study was performed in Poland from 2004 to 2010 within the Deaf community (n?=?292) and (for comparison of results) among the hearing section of society (n?=?1780). It has shown that the primary sources of tourist information for both Deaf and hearing individuals are the Internet and the opinions of close ones. Tourist information should be disseminated using sign language. Deaf people must participate in the process of creating the Tourism Information System. The conclusions contain indications for tourism managers on ways of disseminating information to Deaf clients.     

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.     

Hedonic and utilitarian shopping values in airport shopping behavior

This study aims to examine airport travelers' shopping decision mechanisms based on a value–attitude–behavior framework. In particular, the proposed model investigates the complex relationships between pairs of shopping values (hedonic versus utilitarian), attitudes (cognitive versus affective), and behavior (repatronage intention versus retailer interest) to compare the relative importance between hedonic- and utilitarian-oriented decision paths. A survey was administered at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where 300 valid questionnaires were collected. Using structural equation modeling, this study finds that the direct effects of shopping values on shopping behavior are stronger than their indirect effects through attitudes. Compared with utilitarian shopping values, hedonic shopping values exert a stronger effect on airport shopping behavior, implying that airport shopping involves more multisensory decisions than cognitive decisions. In addition, avoiding negative feelings (e.g. regret) appears to be a stronger antecedent of airport shopping behavior than pursuing positive feelings (e.g. excitement). Marketing strategies of airport retailing are discussed.     

Dose safety motivation mediate the effect of psychological contract of safety on flight attendants' safety performance outcomes?: A social exchange perspective

This study proposes and tests a conceptual model that investigates the mediating effect of safety motivation linking psychological contract of safety (PCS) as manifested by employer obligations of safety and employee obligations of safety to safety violations and safety creative performance (SCP). Data were collected from a sample of flight attendants with two weeks time lag in Iran. Underpinned by social exchange theory, the results of structural equation modeling revealed that safety motivation fully mediates the simultaneous effects of PCS indicators on safety violations and SCP. Specifically, indicators of PCS jointly enhance safety motivation. In turn, safety motivation reduces safety violations, while enhancing SCP. Theoretical and practical implications evoked from the results advance existing knowledge of organizationally social interactions in promoting safety and the motivational mechanism through which PCS predicts employees' safety performance outcomes.     

Development of a cruise motivation scale for emerging markets in Asia

Cruise travel has attracted the attention of researchers because of its rapid development. However, the literature lacks a reliable and valid measurement tool for constructing cruise motivation. The only available scale developed in the North American context, where the cruise industry is considerably mature, may be inapplicable to emerging markets due to cultural and experiential differences. To address this research gap, a measurement scale for cruise motivation in emerging markets, with Mainland China and Hong Kong as samples, was developed by following rigorous procedures that used both qualitative and quantitative methods. This study offers both academic and operational implications.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of destination marketing organisations' websites: evidence from China

Despite the extensive use of the Internet as a marketing tool by Chinese destination marketing organisations (DMOs), few studies have been conducted to measure the effectiveness of Chinese DMOs' websites. This study attempted to fill the gap by constructing a conceptual website evaluation model consisting of five dimensions of information, communication, transaction, relationship and technical merit. The proposed framework was tested to evaluate the effectiveness of each of the dimensions of 31 Chinese Provincial Tourism Administrations' (PTAs) websites. The results indicated that overall, the PTAs in China were not using their websites effectively. Among the five dimensions, transaction and relationship dimensions were the weakest areas of Chinese PTAs' websites. Great variation exists in the website effectiveness among different provinces. Suggestions and implications were provided and discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Walking accessibility to bus rapid transit: Does it affect property values? The case of Bogotá, Colombia

This research sheds light on the relation of bus rapid transit and residential property values within walking distance to the system. The case study was Bogotá’s Transmilenio (Colombia). This research conducted a city-wide econometric hedonic analysis with 2000 to 2004 Department of Housing Control data across different walking distances, subsystems (trunk, feeder), socio-economic strata and time. The main results showed that, with respect to the value of properties in relation to proximity, the housing market places value premiums on the properties in the immediate walking proximity of feeder lines. The analysis by socio-economic strata showed that middle-income properties were valued more if they fell closer to the system, while there were opposite results for low-income housing. Finally, analysis across time reflects slight average annual increases in property values correlated with the implementation of the system in two specific areas analyzed. Throughout the paper, the author acknowledges some of the challenges of using hedonic modeling for property value impact assessments and emphasizes that the interpretation of the results are case specific.     

The effect of aesthetic-image value of travel expert blogs on the intention to travel: an exploratory study

Information searching is an important subject in tourism literature, but the subject of information is not often prioritised in leisure-constraint studies. Studies of leisure-constraint-negotiation mechanisms are frequently undertaken at a general level and not at the level of specific-negotiation strategy. This exploratory study examines how aesthetic-image information value affects the negotiation mechanism at the level of time-management-negotiation strategy by measuring the intentions of Taiwanese residents to tour Thailand. Aesthetic-image value is found to moderate the relationship between motivation and intention in the negotiation process. This study thus bridges tourism information values and the leisure-constraint concept.