Natural soundscapes and tourist loyalty to nature-based tourism destinations: the mediating effect of tourist satisfaction

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of natural soundscapes on tourist behaviors in a nature-based tourism destination. A behavioral model depicting the relationship among tourist attitudes to natural soundscapes, natural soundscape image, tourist satisfaction, and loyalty is examined using structural equation model and bootstrapping analysis. Results indicate that tourist attitudes directly affect natural soundscape image but do not affect tourist satisfaction and loyalty. The natural soundscape image directly affects tourist satisfaction and indirectly affects tourist loyalty when mediated by tourist satisfaction. Positioning natural soundscapes as a novel tourism attractor, theoretical and managerial implications are presented.     

A framework to account for the tourism carbon footprint at island destinations

Given concerns over greenhouse gases and the role of tourism in generating such environmental externality, a consistent carbon measurement framework is needed. This paper combines principles derived from production and consumption accounting measures to better allocate the responsibility for carbon emissions. Utilizing a boundary that includes domestic tourism expenditure, inbound tourism expenditure, and local spending associated with outbound travel, this paper (a) proposes a framework to measure the domestic total carbon effect and foreign-sourced effect, and (b) applies the analytical framework to Taiwan. The empirical study indicates that the carbon emissions for domestic tourism industries, international aviation, and imports accounted for 47%, 28% and 25% of the tourism carbon footprint. It is suggested that an island's dependence on both aviation and international trade leads to a larger share of emissions outside their geographic territory with respect to tourism development.     

Travel queries on cities in the United States: Implications for search engine marketing for tourist destinations

Given the growing importance of search in online travel planning, marketers need to better understand the behavioural aspect of search engines use. Built upon a number of previous studies, the goal of this research is to identify patterns in online travel queries across tourist destinations. Utilizing transaction log files from a number of search engines, the analysis shows important patterns in the way travel queries are constructed as well as the commonalities and differences in travel queries about different cities in the United States. The ratio of travel queries among all queries about a specific city seems to associate with the “touristic” level of that city. Also, keywords in travelers' queries reflect their knowledge about the city and its competitors. This paper offers insights into the way tourism destinations are searched online as well as implications for search engine marketing for destinations.     

Building the Destination Brand: An Empirical Comparison of Two Approaches

Destination brand strategies have in the main assumed that consumers actively seek and process information about potential destinations with their choice determined on the basis of a favorable attitude toward the destination. This article examines an alternative approach to destination branding, which relates to building the salience of the destination to increase the likelihood that the destination will be considered in purchase situations. The study examines the predictive validity of brand salience measures for a set of travel destinations compared with the predictive validity of traditional attitude-based measures. The results of the research provide empirical support for a salience approach to destination marketing for domestic tourism in Australia.     

Residents,their use of a tourist facility and contribution to tourist ambience: Narratives from a film tourism site in Beijing

Any tourist site open to local residents represents a point where residents and tourists become a back drop for the experiences of the other. This paper examines a specific Beijing film tourism attraction, Grand View Gardens, and the manner in which the site is used by local residents, the meanings attributed to it, and residents' role in creating an ambience for tourists. Residents have a daily connection with the site, and form audiences for events held at the Gardens. They often interact with tourists, becoming a source of information for tourists. The paper examines residents' motives for using such attractions, their attitudes towards tourists and suggests they possess a role in the creation of a sense of place that is valued by tourists. The paper fills a gap in an under-researched area, where, in the Chinese context, both residents and visitors form backdrops to each other's experience of place.     

Gambling destinations and the effect of gambling results on tourist satisfaction and loyalty

ABSTRACT

Tourists visiting gambling destinations are likely to participate, to some or to a great extent, in gambling activities. Therefore, their gambling experience contributes to the evaluation of their experience at the destination. This study investigates the effect of gambling results on the overall satisfaction and loyalty of 7431 tourists visiting Macao by estimating a set of ordered probit models. The results indicate an asymmetric effect on the overall satisfaction: the negative effect of a losing outcome outweighs the positive effect of a winning outcome. Both winning and losing gambling outcomes have a positive and similar effect on the likelihood to recommend the destination, and the likelihood to revisit is affected in a positive way only by a winning outcome. The main determinants of tourist satisfaction and loyalty are further verified and the influence of tourist profile variables is also explored. Theoretical and managerial implications are outlined based on the results.     

The moderating effect of cultural congruence on the internal marketing practice and employee satisfaction relationship: An empirical examination of Australian and Taiwanese born tourism employees

The role of internal marketing on building employee satisfaction has been empirically established. More than 200 internal marketing studies are evident in the literature yet few consider the role of an employee's own cultural background with no quantitative exploration to date. In response to this gap in the literature, this research seeks to understand whether cultural congruence (the degree to which an organisation meets an employee's cultural needs) moderates the internal marketing practice and employee satisfaction relationship in a culturally diverse work setting. A sample of 458 valid responses was received from English and Traditional Chinese online and face to face surveys of tourism employees in Australia who were both Australian and Taiwanese born. The data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group analysis. The results confirmed the positive internal marketing and employee satisfaction relationship. Further, this research contributes both applied and theoretical outcomes with empirical evidence establishing that cultural congruence can further strengthen the internal marketing and employee satisfaction relationship. Limitations and future research directions are outlined.     

Managing the experience co-creation process in tourism destinations: Empirical findings from Naples

The aim of this study is to investigate the main antecedents and consequences of experience co-creation in tourism. Based on an in-depth literature review, a survey was designed, and data was collected from 385 tourists visiting Naples, Italy. A path analysis revealed that the interactions among tourists and tourism service providers and the active participation of tourists are antecedents of experience co-creation in the tourism industry. Experience co-creation positively affects the satisfaction of tourists, their level of expenditures, and their happiness. Study results also revealed that the attitude of tourists of sharing their experiences with others does not influence experience co-creation. As one of the first studies in this area in the field of tourism, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing and empirically testing a model that shows three antecedents and three consequences of experience co-creation in tourism.     

Information source usage among motive-based segments of travelers to newly emerging tourist destinations

As a part of their travel planning, potential tourists engage in information search that assists them in decision-making. Though several studies have been conducted in relation to information sources, yet, much of these seem to be in relation to relatively well-known destinations. This note primarily aims at reporting the use of information sources among various motivation-based segments of travelers to the newly emerging tourist destinations of India's North-East. This is a region with tremendous tourism potential that has not been aggressively marketed so far. Analysis of primary data through a survey of visitors to the region using a factor-cluster segmentation approach resulted in three motive-based segments: Nature-loving Explorers, Nature-loving Vacationers and Change Seekers. These segments were found to exhibit differences in information source usage. The results hold implications for destination marketers of the region and would hopefully contribute towards better marketing strategies for its various destinations.     

Reinventing the gastronomic identity of Croatian tourist destinations

A unique and memorable gastronomic identity is an indispensable asset to any successful tourist destination. In this respect Croatia's tourism falls seriously short. Based primarily on “international” cuisine, the gastronomic offer of Croatian tourist destinations is predictable and conventional. This paper calls for a new, exciting gastronomic identity of Croatian tourist destinations founded on Croatia's exceptionally rich gastronomic heritage. Apart from the food offer itself, crucial to the success of this new identity will be its commodification and spectacularisation through the discursive practice of gastrospeak. Learning to appreciate and use gastrospeak will be an important future task for Croatian tourist destination management.     

Branding destinations versus branding hotels in a gaming destination—Examining the nature and significance of co-branding effects in the case study of Macao

This paper considers destinations and hotels operating within a gaming destination as co-branded experiential choice products. Specifically, it examines the overall and individual effects of visitors’ perceived brand equity of a gaming destination and their perceived brand equity of various hotels, including ‘flagship’ or branded hotels, in terms of influencing their reaction to a hypothetical brand loyalty scenario in which their intended and preferred hotel was unable to provide accommodation thus forcing them to either: (1) choose an alternate hotel in the destination and continue with the visit, (2) cancel the trip and choose another destination to visit, or (3) insist on staying at the preferred hotel but postpone the trip at another period. The study's expectation is that visitors’ response to such a hypothetical scenario is moderated by the relative influence of their perceived brand equity for the destination and for hotels. The emergent gaming destination of Macao is used as a case study for this purpose. The study's findings indicate that visitors’ overall destination brand equity perceptions—rather than hotel brand equity perceptions—is robustly significant when it comes to influencing visitors’ response to the brand loyalty scenario. Results of the study indicate several relevant implications for destination management organizations (DMOs) seeking to enhance their destination-branding efforts and for hotel operators, especially internationally branded hotel chains.     

The Learning Tourism Destination: The potential of a learning organisation approach for improving the sustainability of tourism destinations

Globalisation, increasing complexity, and the need to address triple-bottom line sustainability have seen the proliferation of Learning Organisations (LO) who, by definition, have the capacity to anticipate environmental changes and economic opportunities and adapt accordingly. Such organisations use system dynamics modelling (SDM) for both strategic planning and the promotion of organisational learning. Although SDM has been applied in the context of tourism destination management for predictive reasons, the current literature does not analyse or recognise how this could be used as a foundation for an LO. This study introduces the concept of the Learning Tourism Destinations (LTD) and discusses, on the basis of a review of six case studies, the potential of SDM as a tool for the implementation and enhancement of collective learning processes. The results reveal that SDM is capable of promoting communication between stakeholders and stimulating organisational learning. It is suggested that the LTD approach be further utilised and explored.     

地理学视角下社区参与旅游扶贫的空间效应与机理

在系统梳理社区参与和旅游扶贫相关研究成果的基础上,本文基于地理学视角,从“空间生产”“空间关联”和“空间正义的重构与消解”3个维度,构建社区参与旅游扶贫空间效应的分析框架,以审视旅游发展过程中社区与背景区域间的空间互动关系。研究认为：旅游活动在贫困社区中的介入过程,是社区经济、社会、文化等空间的演化过程;社区在参与旅游扶贫过程中具有空间生产和空间关联的属性;社区参与旅游扶贫空间效应的机理表征为“尺度机理”和“互动机理”;社区与背景区域因空间生产而产生互动,彰显旅游扶贫的空间关联效应,并通过空间生产和空间关联重塑社区及其背景区域间的空间正义格局。相关探讨可以拓展乡村旅游扶贫开发影响研究,深化对社区参与旅游过程及其作用机理的认识,对于新时期巩固脱贫攻坚成果和乡村振兴战略背景下社区旅游发展具有现实意义。     

International academic impact of Chinese tourism research: A review based on the analysis of SSCI tourism articles from 2001 to 2012

Between 2001 and 2011 Chinese authors published over 838,000 articles in SSCI rated journals, second only to authors in the United States. However Chinese tourism academics lagged behind their counterparts in obtaining such publications, with only 157 papers in the Thomson Reuters SSCI listing for tourism and hospitality. However in recent years the numbers of Chinese authored publications have significantly increased. The paper argues that access to SSCI ranked publications is important for Chinese tourism academics because (a) it helps inform the world of developments in Chinese tourism, (b) it is a recognition of the standards of Chinese research and a means of improving Chinese research and (c) it provides a motive for international collaboration between Chinese researchers and their counterparts.     

Construction and validation of a scale to measure tourist motivation to consume local food

Although the importance of the role of local food in tourism has begun to form an academic debate in the last decade, little effort has been invested in understanding what tourist motivations influence consumption of local food and beverages in a tourist destination and to develop a measurement scale for those motivations. Thus, this study adopted the comprehensive procedures of measurement scale development recommended by prior studies. The scale development procedure yielded a five factor measurement scale with acceptable levels of reliability and validity. Five underlying motivational dimensions of local food consumption were labelled: cultural experience; interpersonal relation; excitement; sensory appeal; and health concern. The outcomes and applications of the developed scale are discussed both in terms of theoretical and managerial implications.     

A comparison of the moderating effect of tourism reliance on the economic development for islands and other countries

Tourism is usually one of the top industries in most countries, especially islands. However, there is some question as to whether there is a negative potential impact if a country relies too much on tourism as a means of economic development to the detriment of other industries such as manufacturing and agriculture. The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of tourism reliance on the relationship between tourism development and economic development for regular countries and island economies, including “small island developing states” (SIDS). This study uses quantile regression on panel data from the WDI database from 1995 through 2014 for all of the countries that report tourism and economic data. The findings demonstrate that tourism reliance does have a moderating effect on the relationship between tourism development and economic development for all countries, but mainly at higher levels of economic development.     

The influence of artistically recreated nature on the image of tourist destinations: Lanzarote's art,cultural and tourism visitor centres and their links to sustainable tourism marketing

Can distinctive natural assets in tourist destinations be artistically recreated and used to improve destination image and attract more visitors? This paper analyses the formation of the tourist image based on artistically recreated local nature icons, and shows how those images can enhance the overall destination image. It focuses on the island of Lanzarote, a destination with its development based on promoting an environmental image founded on the creation of a network of multifunctional, high-quality art, culture and tourism centres exhibiting artistic recreation of its unique environmental assets. The methodology utilizes a questionnaire (n = 453) structural equations modelling approach in which the overall image of the destination is directly dependent on the image of the environmental conditions and indirectly influenced by the image of the artistically recreated centres. Results show that the destination's image is significantly grounded on the image of the art, culture and tourism centres using art based on Lanzarote's natural assets. They suggest that destinations have relevant opportunities to artistically enhance natural assets to improve their tourist image and marketing, that quality multi-functional visitor centres can be important within a sustainable tourism policy, and part of the emerging breadth of approaches taken by sustainable tourism marketing.     

Culinary tourism experiences: The effect of iconic food on tourist intentions

Iconic food is unique typical dishes that represent and identify a destination and motivate tourists to visit it. This study aims to analyse whether iconic food maintains its power of attraction once the visitor has enjoyed it. We examine the effect of the type of culinary experience on the behavioural intentions. The study compares individuals who have tried the iconic food versus those who have not, but who have enjoyed other local dishes. Data were provided by international tourists of a top culinary Spanish destination. Results indicate that iconic food reinforces the effect of perceived value on the intention to repeat the experience, while a generic experience with the local cuisine favours the intention to recommend. Based on these results, destination marketers should enhance iconic food, not only as a pull factor for first-time visitors but also as an experience that will bring back memories and motivate tourists to return.     

The role of affinity and animosity on solidarity with Ukraine and hospitality outcomes

The tourism and hospitality industry has had to make some hard decisions during the year 2022. Many major hotel chains have had to decide whether to stay or pull out of Russia, and which policies to implement toward individual Russian guests at their hotels outside of Russia. This study investigates solidarity as an important factor to understanding the conflict and its ramifications for the hospitality industry. The authors explore whether solidarity with Ukraine is driven by affinity toward Ukraine, or by animosity toward Russia. Further, the study demonstrates that place solidarity impacts two specific outcomes in the hospitality industry. The paper concludes by outlining implications for scholars and practitioners.     

Assessing the appropriateness of movies as vehicles for promoting tourist destinations

The risky decision about which movies to use as promotional vehicles must be made without assistance from either readily available data held by the industry or systematic criteria published by academia. To deal with such limitations, this study identifies which movie genres are most interesting (uninteresting) for the visitors of different types of holiday destinations—namely, beaches, cities, theme/amusement parks, spa/health resorts, mountains/lakes, cruise liners, and rural areas. Based on the results, specific guidelines are proposed to evaluate movie projects more systematically, so that destination promoters can choose (reject) those films with appropriate (inappropriate) genres for the target tourists.