U.S. Tour Operators and Travel Agencies

Abstract

The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to explore the services and package tours for people who have difficulty walking provided by U.S. tour operators and travel agencies, and to identify barriers encountered when planning and operating the tours. Accommodations and eating-drinking establishments were the least desirable environments for people who have difficulty walking due to inaccessibility and negative staff attitudes. Attractions and transportation staff displayed higher attitudes but facilities were not accessible. The graphical display of data of accessibility barriers and staff attitude barriers indicated that the four tourism sectors did not comply with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.     

The Situational Influence of Travel Group Composition

Abstract

A substantial amount of statistics and articles in travel magazines indicated that family vacation travel is one of the major worldwide trends. However, very limited empirical research has been dedicated to this special market segment. This study examined Japanese family travelers to Taiwan by comparing and contrasting them with other travel companionship groups including traveling with friends and traveling alone. The importance of travel group composition segmentation was explained and conceptualized through the understanding of the value of social groups from sociology perspective. The results indicated that Japanese family travelers exhibited unique characteristics when traveling. Family travelers tended to be more motivated by learning oriented themes and participated enthusiastically in activities that facilitated experiential learning as well as total physical relaxation. The “traveling with friends” and “traveling solo” segments tended to be seeking more of activities that had strong entertaining and socializing undertones. The traveling solo group appeared to be the most evasive or the least understood in what their needs and preferences were. Marketing implications were discussed.     

Market Orientation and Performance Outcomes: An Empirical Study of Travel Agencies in Taiwan

This paper reports the results of a study that found evidence to support the importance of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the relationship between market orientation and financial performance. The performance of travel agencies in Taiwan was examined with data collected through a questionnaire survey completed by the managers of 292 travel agencies in Taiwan. Analysis using structural equation modelling revealed that market orientation influences the financial performance of travel agencies indirectly through customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Neglecting customer satisfaction may negate any improvements in the level of performance that have been gained by adopting a market orientation. It was found that market orientation does not affect financial performance unless the two mediators, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, are applied concurrently.     

The Evolution of Expectations of and Attitudes Toward Online Travel Agencies Over Time

The basic premise of this research is that customer satisfaction with online travel agencies (OTAs) is dynamic in nature. In this context, it still remains unclear what role satisfaction plays in affecting expectations and attitudes toward an online travel agent over time. The study thus utilizes longitudinal data from 353 customers of OTAs to test temporal and carryover effects pertaining to satisfaction. Results indicate that the temporal effect of the expectations–attitudes linkage decreases over time. Carryover effects suggest that customers integrate both pre- and post-travel assessments of expectations and attitudes when evaluating satisfaction.     

Modeling International Travel Arrangements for Taiwanese Travelers: Potential Fits

Abstract

This paper presents a choice model of international travel arrangements for potential Taiwanese FIT (Foreign Independent Travel) travelers. Previous studies were based mostly on package vacations, with little attention given to FIT travelers. Recent years have indicated a transition toward FIT. Since this transition is likely to continue, it is important for travel and tourism organizations and for marketers to understand FIT individuals. This study distinguishes potential FIT travelers from non-FIT travelers, identifies variables useful in making this prediction, and provides recommendations to travel and tourism organizations of host countries. The findings indicate that Taiwanese FIT travelers are likely to be younger, male, highly educated, budget conscious, travel with a larger party size for purposes of meeting interesting and friendly local people, stay for longer periods of time, and have taken many trips in the last three years that in volved spending at least four nights away from home.     

Personalities of Travel Agents with Strong Sales Records in Taiwan

Studies have shown that a certain personality leads to higher job performance. This finding has led many companies to use personality traits when they hire employees. Despite abundant studies on personality, little is known about suitable personality traits for travel agents, especially in Taiwan. With 230 travel agents working in sales departments for corporate clients and transient travelers in Taiwan, their personalities, actual sales records, and managers’ performance evaluations were used to identify significant personality traits affecting job performance. The results reflect different personality traits for travel agents working with corporate clients and individual transient travelers. The results revealed that travel agents working with corporate contracts have strong commanding and continuative personalities but weak innovative and independent personalities. On the contrary, the agents working with transient travelers showed strong innovative, commending, independent, and sympathy personalities but a weak deliberate personality. Based on the findings, the implications are discussed.     

越南旅游业快速发展的基本现状分析

越南自1986年改革开放以来,旅游业飞速发展,成为越南经济增长点,也是一个让越南进一步融入世界的桥梁。越南旅游业得到政府的高度重视,制定出一系列有效可行的旅游业发展的措施,并不断发展和完善旅游交通业、旅行社业和旅馆业,保障旅游业的稳定发展,目前虽仍有不少困难,但因拥有自身的发展优势,必将成为亚大地区重要国际旅游目的国之一。     

中国旅行社业发展的回顾与前瞻

本文首先对中国旅行社业的发展历程进行了梳理和回顾,认为二十余年来的发展进程基本上可以划分为四个阶段,即初步形成、快速发展、结构调整和全面开放,并在此基础上对中国旅行社业的现状进行了简要剖析。对未来的发展趋势则分别从市场基础、竞争主体、企业制度、品牌和分工体系等角度进行了分析,并据此提出了市场、产业、企业和产品等旅行社不同运作层面上的一系列观点。     

中国旅行社产业景气周期的指数化研究

本文通过对自1993年以来各项统计数据的系统梳理,构建了中国旅行社产业景气指数模型,在定量研究的基础上对产业发展进程和产业贡献率进行了分期和评价.     

基于SCP模型的我国旅行社业的经营测度

文章基于SCP模型,运用结构方程方法从市场结构、企业行为和企业绩效3大模块构建了我国旅行社业SCP分析模型,并对我国旅行社业的市场结构、企业行为和企业绩效的状况及它们之间的关系进行了定量测度.研究得出:目前我国旅行社业整体绩效很低,净资产利润率有趋近于零的趋势.从3大模块来看,旅行社企业行为是旅行社企业绩效的主要影响因素,而旅行社企业行为受旅行社业市场结构的影响也很大.从3大模块的具体影响因素来看,产品差异性和市场集中度是对市场结构影响最关键的因素,价格恶性竞争的程度是对旅行社业行为影响最大的因素.     

Determinants of Domestic Travel Expenditure in South Korea

Summary

This study examines factors affecting domestic Korean tourist expenditure per person. Independent variables include family size, Per Capita Gross National Product (GNP), number of cars, number of working hours, number of years of education, previous year's domestic travel expenditure, and exchange rate. A 21-year historical data were used in the study. Two estimation methods, principal components regression and ridge regression, were employed in this study to eliminate the problems of multicollinearity caused by Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method. The empirical results show that number of working hours, family size, and number of years of education turned out to be important factors affecting domestic travel expenditure.     

Beyond Adoption of Travel Technology: Its Application to Unplanned Travel Behaviors

The ultimate goal of information distribution for a destination marketer is to stimulate travelers to make a purchase decision. Today, travel information can be obtained by travel technology, which enables travelers to exploit on-the-move information. Navigation services for travel technology are being more broadly used across the globe by providing a wide range of en route information. This study evaluates the effects of travel information disseminated by navigation services on unplanned behaviors during trips. The results of the study illustrate that travelers who use navigation during trips are more likely to be involved in unplanned activities and, hence, will have an increase in unplanned travel expenditures. Destination marketers can partner with travel technology providers to encourage better travel experiences for tourists and generate more travel revenues for the tourism industry.     

基于出游动机的游客目的地选择的离散选择模型研究

旅游目的地选择是游客选择行为研究中研究较为广泛的领域之一.现有文献利用了社会、经济、地理等诸多模型和理论对目的地选择进行了研究和探讨.基于随机效用最大化的离散选择模型在游客目的地选择研究中有广泛的应用,但是缺乏属性交互项对于目的地选择的抑制或者激励作用的研究.本文利用2002年江苏省国内游客抽样调查原始资料数据这一选择完成式类型的数据构建了两个二项Logistic回归模型,讨论了寻求闲适安静环境、探亲访友、公务出游3种出游动机对于出游距离以及旅行花费的影响.研究发现寻求闲适安静环境出游动机的游客倾向于选择远距离的目的地,且这类游客也愿意增加旅行花费;出于探亲访友这一动机出游的游客则更愿意选择靠近自己居所的旅游目的地,且不倾向于增加自身的旅行花费;公务出游的游客倾向于选择远距离目的地,也倾向于增加他们的旅行花费.     

Functional and Aesthetic Information Needs Underlying The Pleasure Travel Experience

Consumer information acquisition has largely focused on decision-making or functional needs. Recently, a set of complementary information needs (i.e., hedonic, aesthetic, and social) have been introduced I the consumer behavior literature. This study examines functional and aesthetic information needs in a tourism consumption context, specifically pre-trip information needs are shown to be at the core of information acquisition with product knowledge, aesthetic imagery and planning efficiency needs at the “periphery.” Suggestions for destination marketing communication strategies and future research are presented.     

“If I was going to die I should at least be having fun”: Travel blogs,meaning and tourist experience

Travel blogs are an under-utilised resource for researchers of tourism experiences. They can provide rich insights on how tourists express the transformational effects of their experiences for the self. This study of travel blogs by nineteen British bloggers reveals how elements of the narrative relating to self-reflection and emotions are central to the process of transforming their travel experiences into personally meaningful experiences. Bloggers implicitly and explicitly express how travel contributes to self-identity, signalling self-development. The study contributes to knowledge about the lasting impact of long term travel on people, adding meaning symbolic of an evolving self.     

中国出境旅游发展及其影响的初步研究

出境旅游持续快速增长,国际旅游双流格局渐次形成,是当前中国旅游业国际化的主要表现.出境旅游发展会改变国际旅游收支关系,但是,即使出现旅游赤字,也不一定对宏观经济产生负面作用.出境旅游发展会刺激中国入境旅游增长,促进旅游企业的跨国经营,有利于提升中国旅游产业的整体素质.当前,政府无需对出境旅游加以直接规制,但需要采取多种跟进措施.     

欧美旅行社行业分工进程与内在机制研究

旅行社的产生和发展是社会分工和发展的结果。随着旅游市场的发展,旅行社业在规模扩大的同时,内部形成了水平分工和垂直分工。节省交易费用、提高市场效率、避免加入激烈的市场竞争、提高企业的市场竞争能力是旅行社业分工得以深化的主要原因所在。     

北京市民反向旅游现象研究

越是城里人越喜欢到乡下旅游,越是文化人越对自然风光一往情深,旅游也遵循利益极大化规律.文章以反向旅游理论为指导,以北京市民调查结果为依据,系统论证了"城→乡"、"文化→自然"反向旅游现象的普遍性,考察了不同群体之间的细微差别.反向旅游普遍存在,但年龄较大、心理保守的人,反向旅游意向不如年轻、心理开放的人强烈.影响人们旅游意向的因素是多方面的,除了追求新奇以外,还要考虑经济、交通等因素.掌握反向旅游规律可以有效避免旅游景区建设的很多误区,如景区现代化、接待设施家庭化等.     

旅行费用区间分析法与分区旅行费用法的比较及应用

我国很少有研究注重旅行费用法(Travel Cost Method,TCM)本身的改进,只有李巍和李文军提出了旅行费用区间分析法(Travel Cost Interval Analysis,TCIA),但其合理性有待进一步探讨.因此,本文从积分的角度对TCIA与传统的分区旅行费用法(ZTCM)的数学本质进行了详细的对比分析.结果表明,TCIA体现了勒贝格(Lebesgue)积分的基本思想,与传统的反映黎曼(Riemann)积分思想的ZTCM相比具有一定的优越性;但如何突破样本空间的局限,是TCIA值得改进的一个方向.另外,本文还运用TCIA评估了武汉东湖风景区的游憩价值.