Deploying Self-Service Technology in Luxury Hotel Brands: Perceptions of Business Travelers

Traditional brick-and-mortar companies are embracing the use of self-service technology (SST) to enhance the services they offer and to gain customer loyalty. The objectives of doing so are to stay at the forefront of today’s marketplace and improve service, efficiency, and profitability. However, SST directly eliminates the traditional service encounter from which luxury hotels benefit. With the rising popularity of SST and benefits it brings to both hoteliers and customers contradicting the importance of the personal service encounter to luxury hotel brands, it is critical for hoteliers to learn about the importance of SST and luxury brand identity in order to bring the greatest satisfaction to both parties. This article examines business travelers’ perceptions of SST adoption by luxury hotel brands in Hong Kong. The results emphasize the importance of both personal service and SST in satisfying customer needs and in increasing profitability.     

Examining E-Relationship Marketing Features on Hotel Websites

Abstract

This study developed and tested a progressive five-level e-Relationship marketing (e-RM) model. The authors examined e-RM web features of the top 127 hotel companies. The results indicate that the hotel companies in the study did not extensively utilize higher-level (Accountable, Proactive, and Partnership) e-RM features on their websites although they employed many lower-level (Basic and Reactive) features. The study also reveals that the extent to which a hotel company employed e-RM website features was positively associated with the size of the hotel company but negatively associated with the number of brands held by the company. This article provides an in-depth e-RM literature review and discusses practical marketing implications as well.     

相关模式技术在饭店营销中的应用

本文在利用梯级洞察方法识别饭店产品属性、利益和消费者价值链关系的基础上,确定消费者价值与利益、利益与产品属性的相关模式矩阵,再利用相关模式矩阵对更多的消费者进行调查,利用层次分析方法对调查结果进行多目标决策分析,确定产品属性对消费者价值的相对重要性,从而为饭店制定营销组合提供平台.     

国内游客对饭店服务质量评论的文本分析 --以e龙网的网友评论为例

本研究通过采用分层抽样法和系统抽样法抽取了易龙网上的10个城市的200家三-五星级饭店,运用文本分析法(content analysis)对每一家饭店的网友评价进行分类评分,最后运用SPSS统计软件对结果进行对比和统计.研究结果表明,中国国内旅游者同国际旅游者一样富有经验,他们对于总台接待、客房服务、房间大小这些与饭店星级紧密相关的因素非常重视.本研究为如何评价中国饭店业的服务质量提供了一个可行途径和有益借鉴.     

住客酒店点评对调节焦点个体的说服效果

网络Web 2.0时代,游客在预订酒店时常常通过查询先前住客点评内容来了解酒店情况。住客生成的网络点评内容是影响口碑效果的重要因素,但点评内容正负性和详略性的作用现有研究还存在一些争议。以调节焦点理论为基础研究酒店预订中住客点评的说服效果,通过2×2×2实验研究发现,负向酒店点评对预防焦点个体的说服效果更优,正向酒店点评对促进焦点个体的说服效果更优,详尽的酒店点评内容对预防焦点个体的说服效果更大,简略的酒店点评内容对促进焦点型个体的说服效果更大。     

Modelling E-Marketing Strategies: Internet Presence and Exploitation of Greek Hotels

Abstract

Despite the wide use of the Internet in the tourism industry and the exponential growth of e-commerce, little is still known on how the new medium is transforming marketing practices and concepts. The purpose of this empirical study is to fill in this gap. Specifically, the study first analyses Internet's capabilities as well as the Virtual Marketspace and the marketing transformations that the Internet is creating. After reviewing models and strategies for Internet marketing, an e-marketing mix is proposed that exploits Internet capabilities. The latter is used in order to investigate and provide suggestions on the development of Internet strategies of hotels in Greece.     

Representation of Destination Cultural Factors on Hotel Websites: Content Analysis of Beijing Hotel Websites

The extant tourism literature contains virtually no studies examining the issue of destination culture in the context of hotel website evaluations. The research presented herein examined 168 Beijing hotel websites. Content analysis of these websites was carried out using 12 destination cultural factors identified by the researchers. The aim was to examine whether the performance of the hotel websites under investigation differed in terms of these factors by hotel category. The results indicate that the majority of Beijing hotels do not include destination cultural factors on their websites. Although the websites of privately owned, chain, and international hotels, as well as those with higher star ratings were found to feature more of these factors, the differences were not statistically significant. Among the 12 destination cultural factors identified, Forbidden City was the most commonly included on the hotel websites, and Temple Fair and Pet Birds were completely absent.     

Marketing Ecotourism Through the Internet: A Case of Ecotourism Business in Thailand

The advance of Internet technology is having a profound impact on the traditional modes of selling tourism products and contributing to the growing importance of online marketing of the travel and tourism industry. In the case of ecotourism, studies examining Internet-based ecotourism marketing are still limited. This study aims to examine how ecotourism business is marketed through the Internet by focusing on Thai ecotourism business. Subjects investigated are travel business members listed on the website of the Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association (TEATA). Data are qualitatively analyzed using content analysis to examine marketing and ecotourism web-based context promoted through the Internet. The results indicate that the travel companies examined in this study provide a variety of products and services to meet the diverse travel needs and preferences of tourists. When examining the web-based ecotourism marketing, most businesses provide insufficient marketing and ecotourism information to promote ecotourism experience. In particular, ecotourism messages they provide are only partially aligned with ecotourism principles. Recommendations are given for improving online ecotourism marketing to better satisfy tourists' needs and expectations.     

Analysis of the Implementation of Celebrity Endorsement as a Destination Marketing Instrument

This study will investigate the implementation potential of celebrity endorsement to market destinations. Nine marketing experts in endorsement strategies expressed their views of the key elements to effective celebrity destination endorsement. Content analysis was used to find three categories that may moderate the effectiveness of celebrity endorsers, High‐Involvement Products, Celebrity Credibility and Celebrity Expertise. It seems that when products are high in psychological or social risk, such as the annual main holiday destination, the ‘right’ celebrity endorser could make an appropriate match and create a more favorable evaluation of the advertisement than a non‐endorsed advertisement. On the other hand, various issues regarding the tourist decision‐making process suggest that the choice for celebrity endorsement to market a destination is less appropriate.     

A content analysis of travel agency web‐sites in Korea

The Internet has become a dominant issue in today's tourism environment. This paper is to provide large travel agencies in Korea with a better understanding of their Web‐based competitive environment. A content analysis of the top 60 travel agencies Web‐sites in Korea suggests that many travel agencies do not develop their own Web‐sites and although travel agencies are using the Web, they have not, as yet, fully utilized capabilities of Web‐sites. This study also suggests some implications for successful cyber tourism marketing, including the establishment of a Web‐site, on‐line selling, customer supports, and cyber marketing mix strategy on the Web. Limitations and further research issues are also suggested.     

Assessing the Visibility of Destination Marketing Organizations in Google: A Case Study of Convention and Visitor Bureau Websites in the United States

Search engines are playing an increasingly dominant role in providing access to tourism information on the Internet. As such, it is argued that destination marketing organizations (DMOs) must have a substantial understanding of the visibility in search engines in order to create competitive positions within this important marketplace. The goal of this study was to develop a process to assess the visibility of DMO websites in one of the major search engines (i.e., Google). A set of 18 cities in the United States were selected to be used as case studies of the visibility of their convention and visitor bureau (CVB) websites in relation to travel queries identified using Google Adwords Keyword Tool. The results indicate that there are substantial differences in the relative positions of CVB websites on Google. In particular, there seems to be huge gaps among the search domains within CVB websites in terms of their visibility to online travelers and volume of search within those domains. This study offers a number of implications for research and practice of search engine marketing for tourism destinations.     

The effects of brand relationship quality on responses to service failure of hotel consumers

This article examines the applicability of Fournier's (1998) Brand Relationship Quality (BRQ) framework in the hotel industry, and also investigates the effects of BRQ on hotel consumers’ behavioral intentions, after service failures in high-class hotels. The empirical results show that BRQ is applicable to the hotel industry and has a moderating effect on consumers’ post-failure emotions, particularly in terms of influencing future behavioral intentions. However, this finding is not applicable when the service failures are severe.     

Determinants of Customer Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry: An Application of Online Review Analysis

This study illustrates that determinants of customer satisfaction in hospitality venues can be identified through an analysis of online reviews. Using text mining and content analysis of 42,668 online traveler reviews covering 774 star-rated hotels, the study found that transportation convenience, food and beverage management, convenience to tourist destinations and value for money are identified as excellent factors that customers booking both luxury and budget hotels consider important and for which the performance is much satisfactory to them. Customers paid more attention to, but were less satisfied with, bed, reception services and room size and decoration. Most determinants of customer satisfaction also showed a consensus over luxury versus budget hotels, except for factors referring to lobby and sound insulation. As per its findings, the article concludes by presenting theoretical and managerial implications.     

The Future of Internet Based Training in the Lodging Industry

ABSTRACT

It has become clear in recent years that the Internet has dramatically affected all aspects of hotel operations. Although the Internet has been primarily used as a medium for marketing and communications, it has the potential to reshape the way in which many other vital operations are performed, such as the distribution of training programs. The proliferation and popularity of the Internet now makes it possible to separate trainees and trainers by both time and location. This study examines expert's predictions of using Internet based training and identifies its benefits, drawbacks and barriers to entry in the lodging industry. The findings of the study have direct implications for hotel operators, training professionals, and technology vendors for their future training plan, budget, technology inputs, and product development.     

Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Green Hotel Attributes in Tourist Choice Behavior: The Case of Taiwan

Although many companies in the hotel industry aim to pursue more sustainable and socially responsible practices, the present literature shows mixed results with regard to tourist reactions to such moves, especially for the service quality perception impacted by implemented green practices and the willingness to pay more for such actions. Unlike previous research examining tourists’ preferences for separate green hotel attributes, this study identifies the determinants of tourists’ choice of green hotel attributes. Additionally, the study measures the willingness to pay (WTP) for such services, in the context of the Taiwanese market, using the stated preference of combined green hotel attribute scenarios. A multinomial logit (MNL) model is employed to estimate the relative influence of behavioral and facility attributes on choice behavior. Furthermore, the study examines determinants influencing respondents’ choice of green hotel attributes. A latent variable class model (LVCM) approach is applied in the estimation of the unobserved heterogeneity, and a total of 390 valid respondents were used in the analysis. The empirical MNL results indicate that while tourists prefer luxury rooms and the provision of personal toiletries, they are also willing to accept reduced service quality. Additionally, sex, income, and age have significant influences on tourist choice behavior. The results of the LVCM model demonstrate that respondents with high levels of the green consumption trait are more likely to choose hotels that have a greater number of environmentally friendly attributes. The implicit amount that tourists are willing to pay for room quality is around US$13, for the provision of personal toiletries is about US$22, and for service quality is US$12, but they also require a discount of approximately US$11 in order to accept the common practices of green hotels. This study is useful in providing the hotel industry and government with quantitative information that can be used to develop and implement better green hotel policies.     

Effects of value,affect, security,and web content on informational and transactions usage of the internet

The often cited potential benefits of the Internet have been its informational (communication) and transactional (distribution channels) use as marketing tools. This exploratory study developed and investigated a model of the antecedents of making on‐line hospitality and tourism product purchases. The findings suggested that security features and the informational use of the Web sites have a direct impact on purchasing on‐line. Suggestions are made for future researchers. Marketing implications for Web design and features were discussed.     

国内外酒店销售模式的差异分析及对策

酒店销售模式是酒店销售哲学的外在反映,国内酒店的销售太多地依赖于销售人员个人的销售能力,这和国外销售工作依靠完整的销售系统差别巨大,本文分析了这不同的销售模式并提出策略性建议,对于指导国内酒店的销售工作具有现实的意义。     

The Impact of Internet Travel Advertising Design,Tourists' Attitude,and Internet Travel Advertising Effect on Tourists' Purchase Intention: The Moderating Role of Involvement

Nowadays, Internet advertising has a great potential in increasing customer's purchase intention. According to the literature, involvement significantly influences customer's online behavior and purchasing process; however, much of the present literature concentrates on independent and/or dependent effect of involvement on online shopping. This study focuses on the moderating role of involvement to explore the relationships among Internet travel advertising content design, Internet travel advertising attitude, Internet travel advertising effect, and purchase intention. The study collects a total of 386 responses and the data are examined with structural equation modeling. The results demonstrate that involvement as a moderator had the greatest effect on the relationship between Internet travel advertising attitude and Internet travel advertising effect. Involvement also influenced the relationship between Internet travel advertising content design and Internet travel advertising attitude followed by the relationship between Internet travel advertising effect and purchase intention. In addition, several practical implications have been discussed.     

Hotel revenue management and the Internet: The effect of price presentation strategies on customers’ willingness to book

A decision that is intrinsic to the application of hotel best available rate (BAR) pricing is how to present the BARs for individual nights within a multiple-night stay to prospective hotel guests. We discuss two alternative price presentation strategies, a blended and a nonblended rate approach, and examine their effect on customers’ willingness to pay in the context of Internet-based reservation requests. Study findings indicate that a nonblended rate presentation approach generates higher willingness to book ratings than a blended rate presentation approach. Furthermore, when it comes to nonblended rates, familiarity with BAR pricing moderates the effect of rate sequence on customers’ willingness to book.     

Hotel roomrates under the influence of a large event: The Oktoberfest in Munich 2012

Surprisingly few studies deal with the implications of large events for hotel prices. We address this issue by modeling hotel prices in Munich under the influence of the Oktoberfest. By utilizing internet data from a metasearch provider for check-in dates prior to and during the Oktoberfest 2012, it is analyzed how the event affected the daily price level as well as price differentials between hotels. In general, average hotel prices are very volatile over time. Apparently, Munich hotels tend to set prices according to expected demand and vary those depending on the day of the week during the event. Ceteris paribus, roomrates are highest on Oktoberfest Friday and Saturday nights, followed by Oktoberfest weekdays and Oktoberfest Sunday nights, but there is a general and strong price-raising impact. Prices differ across hotels mainly due to the star category attributed to a hotel and the proximity to the event. Both price premia are time-dependent.