Travel blogs on China as a destination image formation agent: A qualitative analysis using Leximancer

The Internet spreads tourism information around the world and specifically travel blogs function as an online version of word-of-mouth (eWOM). This research explored the role of blogs as a destination image formation agent for China's inbound tourism. Data were collected from 630 bloggers who wrote on two blog websites about their travels within China in 2011 and 2012. The bloggers on TravelBlog.org and TravelPod.com were mainly from English-speaking countries. Qualitative analysis using Leximancer software was applied and identified nine major textual themes and the relationships among these themes. In order of relative importance, the themes were place, Chinese, people, food, train, city, hotel, China, and students. The research indicated that international tourists tended to have positive images of China.     

A novel decision support model for satisfactory restaurants utilizing social information: A case study of TripAdvisor.com

Decision support models for satisfactory restaurants have attracted numerous researchers' attention. Many extant models do not consider the active, neutral and passive information in online reviews all at once. Moreover, they ignore the effect of interdependence among criteria on tourists' decision-making. To cover these defects, this study proposes a restaurant decision support model using social information for tourists on TripAdvisor.com. The model introduces fuzzy sets to denote online reviews and utilizes Bonferroni mean to consider interdependence among criteria. Furthermore, it uses a novel similarity measurement which can handle sparse data in fuzzy environments. To validate the model, we conduct a case study of TripAdvisor.com which compares the proposed model with four other models. The performance of each model is evaluated by the metric called the mean absolute error. The study shows that the proposed model can effectively support tourists' decision-making and it performs better than the other four models.     

Analysis of wildlife tourism experiences with endangered species: An exploratory study of encounters with giant pandas in Chengdu,China

This research examined wildlife tourism experiences in a unique site and species combination: giant pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (CRBGPB) in Sichuan, China. Content analysis was undertaken on tourist reviews of CRBGPB on TripAdvisor.com in early 2012. The thematic analysis qualitative method was adopted in examining respondents' written reviews of experiences interacting with giant pandas. ROST CM6 and NVivo 8 were used for the content analysis and qualitative coding.A variety of tourist experiences, motivations, and preferences were revealed. Although respondents' experiences were varied, satisfaction increased with closer encounters and interactions with the giant pandas. The thematic analysis identified three features of the wildlife tourism experiences at CRBGPB: tourists, giant pandas, and settings. Implications and management recommendations were identified for sites offering wildlife tourism experiences.     

Does it matter who gets a better price? Antecedents and consequences of online price unfairness for advantaged and disadvantaged consumers

This study examines the moderating role of price inequalities in the antecedents and consequences of perceived price unfairness. We test a moderated mediation model on a sample of 994 consumers exposed to a hotel booking scenario either with an advantaged price (n = 496) or a disadvantaged one (n = 498). Our results show that the mechanisms through which perceived price unfairness is formed and its influence on price satisfaction and WOM significantly differ based on price inequalities. Furthermore, these findings highlight the importance of managing the potential negative consequences of unfair pricing not only for disadvantaged consumers, but also for advantaged ones.     

Pricing in the sharing economy: a hedonic pricing model applied to Airbnb listings

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the impact of a variety of variables on the rates published for Airbnb listings in five large metropolitan areas in Canada. The researchers applied a hedonic pricing model to 15,716 Airbnb listings. As expected, the results show that physical characteristics, location, and host characteristics significantly impact price. Interestingly, more reviews are associated with a drop in price. This information is useful to hosts who are forming a pricing strategy for their listings as well as for Airbnb, who needs to support them. The paper raises important questions about pricing in the sharing economy and suggests avenues for future research in this area.     

Structural effects in national parkgoing

Abstract

Studies of outdoor recreation commonly mobilize “individual‐level” variables, such as personal characteristics (e.g., age, sex, socioeconomic status), personality, psychological needs, life experiences, and attitudes in testing for explanations of different participation styles. Seldom is attention directed to the explanatory importance for these studies of “system‐level” or contextual variables, such as structural and cultural patterns. Structural‐effects analysis is used in this exploratory study to test the importance of a system‐level variable (social‐class structure) for the relationship between two individual‐level variables, socioeconomic status and national parkgoing. Several status variables were found to be positively associated with the frequency of the respondents’ national parkgoing. But more importantly, these relationships were materially affected by the class structures of the respondents’ home communities. Working‐class persons in a predominately middle‐class population displayed significantly higher rates of parkgoing than their class counterparts in a predominately working‐class population. Conversely, the parkgoing rates of middle‐class persons were lowered by their residence in a predominately working‐class population. These findings suggest the utility of integrating system‐level (contextual) variables and individual‐level variables in explanatory models of recreational participation.     

Why should I pay more? Testing the impact of contextual cues on perception of price unfairness for the price-disadvantaged segment in dual pricing

The practice of dual pricing is ubiquitous in the field of tourism. However, extant research has not focused on minimising the perception of price unfairness among the price-disadvantaged tourists. This study uses equity theory (Adams, 1965), categorisation theory, and the principle of dual entitlement to understand the impact of price as well as non-price related contextual cues on the perception of price unfairness among the price-disadvantaged (international) tourists. The results demonstrate that transaction similarity between the two (domestic and international) segments can be reduced by expressing international tourists’ entrance fees in international currencies, and by including a service element, which would decrease their perception of price unfairness. Furthermore, providing a legitimate rationale behind the increased entrance fee would further decrease their perception of price unfairness. Implementing these findings will help tourist sites in reducing the negative impact of the perception of price unfairness.     

Tourists’ willingness to pay for an accommodation: The effect of eWOM and internal reference price

Understanding the determinants of consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) is an important challenge especially for practitioners. This study evaluates the effect of external information (eWOM valence and volume) and internal information (internal reference price) on consumers’ WTP for an accommodation. The results of an online experiment (n = 766) show a direct effect of valence on WTP which is strengthened by both volume and the internal reference price. Consumers with high reference prices are more sensitive to the effect of an increase in valence. Moreover, internal reference price has a non-linear influence on WTP. The findings suggest the relevant role of eWOM as well as internal reference price in determining consumers’ WTP. The inclusion of these two variables in dynamic pricing strategies could lead to greater benefits for hospitality managers.     

Zero price effect on hotel demand: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment

A Choice Experiment is employed to analyze the effect of a free night promotion on hotel demand in the setting of a relatively underdeveloped area in China. Results from Error Components models show evidence in favor of a non-rational “zero price effect” (ZPE): with total price and all other aspects equal, people tend to choose the hotel which offers one free night. In addition, free pricing is shown to have stronger effects in diverting preferences than a trivial price (1 RMB). However, it is not the only successful psychological pricing strategy; its effects do not significantly differ from those of a materially equivalent discount. Building upon recent methodological innovations using Choice Experiments to study pricing strategy, this paper is the first to extend the technique to study the ceteris paribus ZPE. Our findings can help hotels make use of the ZPE to attract consumers.     

Hotel pricing at tourist destinations – A comparison across emerging and developed markets

The application of price hedonic theory in the hotel pricing domain has relatively ignored the destination and country-level differences. We compare hotel rents across tourist and non-tourist destinations for an emerging (India) and a developed (USA) market. Utilizing multiple regression on a combined dataset of 21,904 data points spread over 2458 unique hotels, we show that the nature of destination and market moderates the association between hotel attributes and rents. Further, the results show that hotels at tourist destinations enjoy a rent premium across markets. However, this rent premium is positively associated with star rating, only in emerging markets, and is stable in developed markets. We contribute to price hedonic theory by proposing destination and market variables as moderators. Globalization and industry concentration make location decisions recurring and flexible. The study aims to help hotel managers by providing a contextual framework for making these strategic investment decisions.     

Visitor perceptions of the role of tour guides in natural areas

This paper explores the potential of tour guides to contribute to the protection of natural areas by educating their customers through interpretation and modeling environmentally appropriate behaviors. Applying Cohen's (1985) model of the guides' role, modified by Weiler and Davis (1993) Weiler, B. and Davis, D. 1993. An exploratory investigation into the roles of the nature-based tour leader. Tourism Management, 14(2): 91–98. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], as a framework, it examines the potential role that kayak tour guides can play in shaping the experience of visitors to one marine area, the Pacific Rim National Park. It uses two approaches to explore the perceptions of clients about the role of kayak guides using: (1) a pre- and post-trip questionnaire and (2) participant observation. Results indicate that five of the six roles were rated high in importance, but one role, the communication role, was not as important. Comparing performance with importance attached to each role revealed congruence with five roles, but lower levels of performance in relation to importance with the role of “motivator of responsible behavior”. Variability within all of the importance and performance measures suggest that for some individuals, performance did not match importance, highlighting the need to consider market segmentation in future studies. These findings are discussed within the ecotourism paradigm, and their implications for protected area management and for visitor behavior modification are considered.     

Service Failure and Recovery in a Strategic Airline Alliance Context: Interplay of Locus of Service Failure and Social Identity

ABSTRACT

There has been a dramatic increase in the past decade in the number of strategic alliances and business networks. Yet, despite these trends in the business environment, the individual firm-customer dyad has remained the contextual focus of most services marketing research (Gittell, 2002 Gittell, J. H. 2002. Relationships between service providers and their impact on customers. Journal of Service Research, 4(4): 299–311. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Using a scenario study, this research investigates the effects of service failures in a strategic airline alliance setting, with a particular focus on locus of service failure and strength of social identification, on three alliance entities—a consumer's home carrier, the alliance partner airline, and the alliance. Study findings suggest that consumers' evaluations are more stable (less extreme) when the home carrier causes the service failure. In contrast, when a lesser known entity (partner airline) causes the service failure, consumers are more willing to rate that entity harshly. Furthermore, compared to weak identifiers, strong identifiers were not only more positive in their evaluation of the home carrier but also in their evaluation of the alliance, pointing to a halo effect, whereby positive evaluations of the home carrier are transferred to the alliance. Implications of study results are discussed and directions for future research provided.     

Measuring Corporate Social Responsibility in tourism: Development and validation of an efficient measurement scale in the hospitality industry

This article aims at developing an efficient measurement scale for corporate social responsibility in the tourism industry, given the contextual character that is recognized in the practice of this construct. Indicators were generated on the basis of a literature review and qualitative research. To assess the reliability and validity, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis were carried out. Results show a multidimensional structure of this construct—including economic, social, and environmental issues. This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field of social responsibility through its practical application regarding concepts of sustainable development which have mainly been theoretical. The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for many helpful comments and suggestions. E-mail: shumookh333alghamdi@hotmail.comView all notes     

The Determinant of the Hospitality Industry's Unsystematic Risk: A Comparison Between Hotel and Restaurant Firms

ABSTRACT

Unsystematic risk is accepted as an important factor in stock valuation. Despite the importance, little has been done to study the relationship of unsystematic risk to stock values in the hospitality industry. This study attempted to advance the understanding of financial variables that could be related to unsystematic risk of hospitality firms. Regression models were developed for hotel and restaurant firms, using unsystematic risk as the dependent variable and financial variables as independent variables. The major findings of this study indicate: 1) more profitable hospitality companies have less unsystematic risk, 2) reducing reliance on debt financing could reduce unsystematic risk, 3) the positive relationship between operating leverage and unsystematic risk, suggesting that decreasing operating leverage could mitigate the stock price volatility of hospitality firms, and 4) large hotel and restaurant firms have less unsystematic risk than small firms. This study should help management of hospitality firms incorporate effects of shareholder expectations into their operational decision making as an integral part of long-range financial planning.     

A Predictive Model of Chronic Time Pressure in the Australian Population: Implications for Leisure Research

Time pressure is a perception of being rushed or pressed for time. In its most extreme form, time pressure has implications for leisure, health and wellbeing. Although previous findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that time pressure affects large numbers of Australians (ABS, 1998 Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1998. How Australians use their time, Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Catalogue No. 4153.0 [Google Scholar]; Bittman, 1998 Bittman, M. 1998. The land of the lost long weekend: Trends in free time among working age Australians. SPRC Discussion Paper, 83 [Google Scholar]), no research has addressed chronic time pressure (ie. always feeling time pressured). This study aims to use selected demographic variables to develop a model to predict chronic time pressure in the Australian population. The implications of chronic time pressure for leisure research are also discussed.     

Exploring effective price presentation format to reduce decision difficulty and increase decision satisfaction

Variable pricing is frequently employed by service firms that adopt revenue management practices. This strategy is effective in stimulating and increasing revenue by appealing to customers with different levels of price sensitivity. However, by providing excessive price options, a company may cause choice overload for customers. Within the framework of behavioral economics, this study explores an effective price presentation strategy to mitigate choice overload due to a large assortment size of price options in the context of hotels. The findings of the experimental design study suggest that the number of categories that distinguish and organize price options positively affects consumers' perceived decision difficulty and consequent decision satisfaction when a large assortment size of price options is provided. This research extends the understanding of the effect of variable pricing on consumers' responses and provides marketers with guidance on how to manage variable pricing and its price presentation format.     

MEETING THE NEEDS OF TOURISTS: THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF AUSTRALIAN VISITOR INFORMATION CENTERS

Visitor information centers are primarily responsible for promoting local tourism products and services; and consequently, have direct impacts upon the economic, social, and recreational well‐being of the region in which they are located. Research highlights the importance of tailoring center facilities and services to meet the needs and interests of the traveling public, yet there are few studies specifically designed to pinpoint visitors' information requirements. This study was conducted during the mid‐year school holidays and explores tourists' use and perceptions of 18 Australian visitor information centers in Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, and Northern Territory. It uses Pearce's (2004 Pearce, P. L. 2004. The functions and planning of visitor centers in regional tourism.. Journal of Tourism Studies, 15(1): 8–17.  [Google Scholar]) Four Plus model to explore the functions of centers, identifies features that tourists regard as important, and provides an insight into the information needs and travel planning practices of those who use visitor information centers.