Consequences of Customer Dissatisfaction in Upscale and Budget Hotels: Focusing on Dissatisfied Customers’ Attitude Toward a Hotel

It is important to understand customer dissatisfaction in order to maintain a sustainable business, given that the negative effects of customer dissatisfaction in service businesses may be even greater than the positive effects of satisfaction. This study investigates customer dissatisfaction and its consequences by focusing on the mediating role of attitude toward a hotel according to different hotel classes related to customer expectation level. The results show a mediating role for attitude in the relationship between customer dissatisfaction and specific negative behavioral intentions. This study broadens our knowledge of customer dissatisfaction and the role of attitude toward a hotel in the relevant literature. The empirical findings demonstrate that regardless of hotel type, customer dissatisfaction significantly affects their attitude and their consequent negative behavioral intention.     

Customer’s Perception of Familiness in Travel Experiences

Festival-goers (“festinos”) put time and effort into deciding to attend a festival, and the way they decide what to see and the length of time they take to decide vary greatly. To attract those who buy tickets for shows—sales of which are crucial for the survival of festivals—and to know when to start promoting the event, festival organizers and marketers need to know how far in advance the visitors make their decision to attend and what influences their decision. This study categorized 438 visitors to the Innibos National Arts Festival, South Africa, using a survey of their decision-making time. Four groups were identified, and labeled “spontaneous,” “limited,” “extended,” and “routine” decision-makers. These market segments can be taken into consideration in the festival's marketing campaign so as to attract visitors to a variety of events and help ensure the long-term sustainability of the festival.     

Role of Perceived Fit With Hotels’ Green Practices in the Formation of Customer Loyalty: Impact of Environmental Concerns

With the increasing concern for ecological issues among hotel customers, this study pursues an investigation of customers' perceptions of hotels' core business in association with green practices and the resulting purchase-related loyalty (i.e. intentions to visit, accept price premiums, and recommend). In addition, the study examines the moderating role of environmental concerns in the relationships among perceptions of hotels' green practices and loyalty components. A survey of tourists using hotels showed that customers related hotels' core businesses and green practices positively, which consequently affected customers' purchase intentions toward the hotels. This study is unique in academia in that it investigates the fit theory for the hospitality industry by considering the impact of environmental concerns, while employing environmental practices as an emerging social cause, which is, increasingly, important for the society. This study is beneficial by providing hotel managers with insight into hotel customers' decision-making processes regarding green practices.     

Business Travelers’ Accommodation Selection: A Comparative Study of Two International Hotels in Cairo

The purpose of the present study was twofold. First, it aimed to determine what business travelers in two international hotels in Cairo, Egypt, the first being 5 stars and the second 4 stars, believed were the factors influencing hotel selection and their importance. Second, this work aimed to ascertain the extent of congruence between business guests on attributes that feature in hotel selection. Results showed that business travelers at the 5-star hotel assigned top importance to the attribute “accuracy of wake-up call”, whereas their counterparts at the 4-star hotel identified “security and safety of room” as their most important factor in hotel selection. The independent samples t-test identified statistical significant differences on 50 attributes between both sets of respondents. The eta-squared value was calculated to examine the magnitude of such differences. Despite the difference in hotel star rating, research findings did not reveal a large statistical difference on all attributes. However, a large statistical difference was discovered between respondents on 21 attributes; a moderate difference on 25 attributes and; a small difference on 4 attributes. The results of this study could equip accommodation managers with a better insight into the actual needs of business guests, the issue that could lead to their satisfaction and improve customer service.     

Building a Total Customer Experience Model: Applications for the Travel Experiences in Taiwan’s Creative Life Industry

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the concept of an “experience economy” and its four dimensions (education, escapism, esthetics, and entertainment), experiential values, experience process clues, and the theory of behavioral intention. Data were collected from creative life industry visitors to develop and test a proposed model of total customer experience concepts. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the proposed research model. The results supported the dimensional structure of a total customer experience in Taiwan. Our study results suggest that establishing a perfect experience and understanding of customer evaluations for the creative life enterprise should be extended to customer behavioral intention.     

Quality,Satisfaction and Customers’ Future Intention: The Case of Hotels’ Fitness Centers in Cyprus

In an era of fierce competition, financial hardship, and volatile customer expectations the hospitality industry is seeking out new revenue centers that can both enrich the customer experience, and contribute to financial success. Capturing the attention of the industry, fitness centers have become a fundamental component of the contemporary hospitality experience with numerous strategic, operational and tactical implications. Responding to the need for further empirical investigation, the study, by adopting a quantitative methodology, holistically investigates quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention in fitness centers currently operating in upscale hospitality establishments in Cyprus. Findings suggest that satisfaction with the provision of fitness services in hotels is primarily associated with the dimensions of employee behavior and workout facilities. Moreover, workout facilities was the only quality dimension which was significantly associated with the respondents’ intention to renew their membership, whereas a strong relationship between satisfaction and future intention was substantiated.     

Exploring Tourists’ Perceptions of Traditional and Contemporary Hot Springs Hotels in Japan

Hot springs and ancillary hotels have been a major tourist attraction in Japan. While some hot springs hotels preserve the traditional bathing and lodging facility, some incorporate contemporary layout in their design. The purpose of this study is to explore how international tourists perceive hot springs hotels in Japan. Data was collected online with two groups of samples from Japan and the United States, respectively. Participants were asked to evaluate hotels attributes and brand personality dimensions based on photos. U.S. tourists perceive traditional and contemporary hot springs hotels differently based on brand personality dimensions. Hotel managers should provide more excitement through an introduction of authentic dining, bathing, and lodging experience to customers while preserving the natural surrounding and physical features for attraction.     

‘Through the magic of authentic reproduction’: tourists’ perceptions of authenticity in a pioneer village

As a concept, authenticity is widely debated across tourism studies and theoretically approached from numerous perspectives. This mixed-method qualitative study utilizes a constructivist framework for examining tourists' motivations, perceptions of authenticity and landscape experience in a self-proclaimed ‘authentic reproduction’ pioneer community. Spring Mill Pioneer Village is the original location of the former village; however, as a heritage landscape, it is composed of restorations, reproductions, and replicas of nineteenth-century structures. Thus, it is an appropriate case study for the examination of tourists' perceptions of authenticity. Moreover, tourists note authenticity as a motivating factor in their decision to visit the village, yet they define the concept in numerous ways. As a result, tourists’ pioneer community experience is governed by more than their perceptions of authenticity, but engages the village landscape, active atmosphere and their own imaginations.     

Sustainability Management of Hotels: How Do Customers Respond in Online Reviews?

The purpose of this study was to investigate how guests respond to the sustainability efforts of sustainably managed hotels by discussing them in reviews posted online. Thus, an exploratory research design and the content analysis method were chosen for this study. The content analysis technique was used to analyze User Generated Content and to explore what attributes of sustainability are perceived as the most important by hotel guests in online reviews and whether they generate positive or negative feelings. An analysis of the reviews showed that hotel guests perceive sustainability positively: most indicators were discussed in a positive context, and reviews that contained sustainability attributes had higher guest ratings than other reviews. Explicit references to sustainability were found in only 6.8% of all customer comments. The most frequently encountered indicators in guest reviews were biodiversity, education and sustainable products. Customers mainly discuss attributes that have direct impacts on their experience or are observable at the hotel. Customers are likely to realize that a hotel’s commitment to sustainability can excuse the hotel for a suffered inconvenience. This finding implies that hoteliers should educate guests on their sustainability measures, as higher awareness may increase customer satisfaction.     

Guests’ pro-environmental decision-making process: Broadening the norm activation framework in a lodging context

This study sought to provide a clear understanding of hotel guests’ post-purchase decision-making process, and whether it occurred in an environmentally responsible manner. Volitional, emotional, experiential, and habitual processes imperative in pro-social/pro-environmental consumer behavior were successfully integrated into the Norm Activation Model (NAM). Results of the structural model and metric-invariance test with 316 samples gathered via an online survey indicated that the extended norm activation framework comprising such important processes and interpretation of the NAM as a sequential model was more effective in predicting guests’ pro-environmental intention than the original NAM and the rival model, which offered an alternative interpretation of the NAM (moderator model). Additionally, the prominent role of moral norm was evident; this personal obligation served to mediate the proposed theoretical framework. Our results also generally supported hypothesized associations among study constructs. Our theoretical model provided a sufficient level of prediction power for guests’ pro-environmental intentions.     

Assessing Recreational Activities’ Service Quality in Hotels: An Examination of Animation and Spa & Wellness Services

In this study, service quality perceptions of international tourists’ about the recreational activities in a five-star hotel located in Antalya, Turkey were examined by a measurement tool adapted from the ServQual model. Study 1 for animation and Study 2 for wellness & spa services, were carried out with the participation of 213 and 143 tourists, respectively. Analyses of the data show that both recreation activities’ service quality consists of three dimensions, which are: ‘Tangibility,’ ‘Competence & Courtesy,’ and ‘Credibility & Safety.’ Results show that all service dimensions of animation have almost the same effect on overall satisfaction from the hotel, while the ‘Tangibility’ dimension belong to spa & wellness have the highest.     

The Effect of Technical and Functional Quality on Guests’ Perceived Hotel Service Quality and Satisfaction: A SEM-PLS Analysis

Numerous models on perceived service quality are discussed in literature besides SERVQUAL including technical and functional quality model. Functional quality attributes have been well studied but studies about technical quality attributes are rather limited. This article aims to integrate existing frameworks and propose antecedents towards perceived service quality and resulting customer satisfaction. A total of 204 questionnaires were collected from the guests staying at hotels in Malaysia. Partial least squares (PLS-SEM) method was employed to test the proposed relationships. Findings from the study support the significant relationship between functional quality, technical quality, overall perceived service quality and guest satisfaction. Furthermore, the first order constructs on the designated second order constructs support that both functional quality and technical quality as second order reflective constructs with five and three first order dimensions respectively. Practical implications and limitations of the study are discussed in detail.     

Understanding the Exhibition Attendees’ Evaluation of Their Experiences: A Comparison Between High Versus Low Mindful Visitors

In this paper we examine exhibition attendees’ experience and mindfulness within the exhibition industry, and identify the role of mindfulness on the evaluation of their experience. In the service industry, customer experience plays a central role in increasing satisfaction and loyalty, and the concept of mindfulness contributes to positive customer experience. The empirical results of the paper reveal that the on-site and post-evaluation of exhibition attendees’ experience are significantly different across various levels of mindfulness. In addition, several demographic and exhibition-related characteristics are statistically different between groups segmented by the level of mindfulness. Both theoretical and practical implications are covered in the discussion section.     

Hotel Theming in China: A Qualitative Study of Practitioners’ Views

Facing increasing competition, many hotels have adopted “theming” as a marketing strategy. Although still in its fledgling stage, hotel theming has already gained popularity in the growing Chinese hotel market. This study conducted focus group discussions to understand the concepts behind hotel theming in China. Respondents were 41 practitioners from the Chinese hotel industry, who were enrolled in an executive graduate program. Data revealed that hotel theming has four analytical dimensions, namely, the current state, perceived facilitators, inhibitors, and future prospective for developing such strategy in China. Results showed that the specific traits of the Chinese hotel market are highly important for the success of hotel theming in the given context.     

Tourists’ Experiences of Mindfulness in Dubai,United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Mindfulness is a relatively new theoretical area that has received little research focus. This is surprising, considering the wealth of benefits to individuals and businesses who adopt a mindful philosophy. The aim of this study was to reduce this gap in knowledge by attempting to understand how mindfulness affects tourists’ experiences while holidaying in a popular tourist destination, such as Dubai. Results suggested that mindfulness appears to occur indiscriminately and, almost, haphazardly. Empirical results of the study revealed that mindfulness was a likely occurrence regardless of visitor demographics, and that mindfulness would impact what visitors remembered and why.     

Drivers of Customer–Brand Relationship Quality: A Case of Mainland Chinese Hotel Loyalty Program Members

Hotel chains should understand the effectiveness of the benefits offered by their programs and the influence of customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives of individual hotels because of the high operating costs of loyalty programs and the risk of creating an affinity to the rewards they offer rather than to the brand itself. This study determines the effect of the satisfaction of hotel loyalty program members on the benefits they receive, and the CRM efforts of individual hotels on the quality of their relationship with the brand. The sample was drawn from mainland Chinese customers because of the growing importance of the Chinese tourism market. Results reveal that program benefits have no significant effect on the quality of the relationship of the member with the hotel brand. The communication of the program to its members and the customer orientation of individual hotels are the key determinants of relationship quality.     

Understanding Airline Travelers’ Perceptions of Well-Being: The Role of Cognition,Emotion, and Sensory Experiences in Airline Lounges

This study investigated the relationships among cognition, emotion, sensory, well-being perception, satisfaction, word-of-mouth, and intention to revisit airline lounges. Results of the structural analysis revealed that travelers’ overall perceptions of well-being were more dependent on the cognitive and sensory dimensions of the lounge experience, and cognitive evaluation was more influential than sensory evaluation in enhancing this perception of well-being. Our results indicated that travelers’ perceived well-being with regard to the airline lounge experience induced high levels of satisfaction. Moreover, it was identified that this perception of well-being was not enough to generate travelers’ positive word-of-mouth, but it did ensure their repatronage.     

‘Up in the air’: A conceptual critique of flying addiction

The ‘flyers’ dilemma’, where an individual’s self-identity as an environmentally-responsible consumer conflicts with the environmental impacts of frequent air travel, has been shown to produce a range of negative psychological effects. Some have argued that frequent flying may represent a site of behavioural addiction, characterized by guilt, suppression and denial. While this sort of pathologisation finds parallels in other forms of excessive consumption, its application in a tourist context is problematic in terms of classification validity, attribution of negative consequences, transfer of responsibility, and tendency towards social control and domination. We argue for an alternative conceptual approach to frequent flying which elaborates the structural reproduction of the ‘flyers’ dilemma’, rather than its individual, psychological effects.     

Novelty: A mechanism of tourists’ enjoyment

Novelty, conceptualized as the experience of something new and different from the everyday, is widely believed to be what defines tourism experiences and makes them enjoyable. The present study tests the mediating effect of novelty on positive emotions in two longitudinal data sets based on daily psychometric diaries. Findings show that the effect of tourism experience on positive emotions is indeed partly mediated by novelty. The mediation effect is similar for average positive emotions as well as for the emotion of interest, suggesting that novelty sparks positive emotions through goal congruence more than by directly triggering interest. Findings affirm that novelty is indeed fundamental and enjoyable in the tourism experience.     

Toward an Understanding of Tourists’ Authentic Heritage Experiences: Evidence from Hong Kong

Authenticity in tourism has been a topic of discussion since the 1960s, but the concept is still to be fully developed. This study focuses on tourists’ perceptions of authenticity, and in particular how they evaluate authentic heritage experiences. The appearance and physical settings of attractions were found to be the initial and most important indicators of authentic or inauthentic experiences. Other criteria for assessing the authenticity of heritage experiences include the presence of local culture and customs, constructed elements, commodification, and atmosphere.