Usability of Chinese Destination Management Organization Websites

Information Communication Technology (ICT) has had a large impact on tourism industry. In Mainland China (hereafter known as China), the increasing popularity of Internet applications to its tourism industry is evident by the rapid growth of Chinese tourism websites. In 2005, e‐tourism in China has reached an income of RMB12.5 billion or US$1.63 billion, showing that although a small percentage of Chinese use the Internet, their online consumption is still considerable. While the e‐tourism market seems promising, there exist a limited number of prior studies on website evaluations in the context of China. This research explores usability, a contemporary issue of website design, and focuses on the provincial Destination Management Organization (DMO) websites in China. Research findings include a checklist of criteria for assessing DMO website usability. Findings showed that China's DMO websites had medium problems, and the best and worst performing destinations were Beijing and Ningxia. In addition, the usability indices had no significant relationship with website performance and level of tourism regional development which was represented by total tourism income in the destination. Findings of this study would be of interest to readers for better understanding the current development of DMO websites in China. Industrial practitioners may consider adopting a similar approach to evaluate their websites.     

An Analysis of The Lowest Fares and Shortest Durations for Air-Tickets on Travel Agency Websites

Despite the existence of numerous published articles on website evaluations, the present tourism literature has no prior studies that examined the topics of lowest fares and shortest durations for air-tickets that are offered by travel websites. This study reports the findings of a study that investigated the practices of five online travel agency (OTA) websites. In terms of lowest airfares and the shortest in-flight durations (hereafter known as shortest durations) in four destinations for travelers who originated from Hong Kong, empirical findings showed the regional OTA outperformed other global leaders in airfares. Likewise, a smaller scale OTA offered lowest-fare air-tickets with the shortest durations. Practical implications are offered at the end of the article.     

The Influence of Reviewer Demographic Information Provision on Trust and Purchase Intent for Users of Online Websites

E-commerce websites are increasingly interested in how to effectively utilize online reviews to positively influence consumer decisions. One potential mechanism is providing socio-demographic information about reviewers along with the reviews. This study investigates how consumer decision outcome variables (e.g., perceived usefulness, trust and purchase intent) change when reviewers’ age and gender are provided and when a consumer’s and reviewer’s age/gender are same or similar. The hotel industry was utilized as the context. The results from the experiment showed that, regardless of the compatibility of the provided demographic information (reviewers’ vs. consumers’), providing reviewers’ age and gender positively impacted consumers’ perceived online trust, and about half of the participants processed and remembered the demographic information. It was additionally noted that people who could remember reviewers’ demographic information had not only more trust in the reviewer, the specific company’s website, and the specific hotel itself, but also higher intention to recommend and book the hotel.     

Exploring Disagreement Prevention and Resolution in Travel Decision-Making of Young Chinese Travelers

This study examines the decision-making processes of young Chinese travelers, with a particular interest in understanding points of disagreement and resolution processes. On the basis of interviews with 25 young Chinese travelers, this study found that while a small number of travelers did not perceive any disagreement, or did not voice their disagreement, the majority of interviewees described the decision-making process as being characterized by periods of disagreement. It was found that Chinese cultural values including “forbearance” and “authority” influence travelers’ disagreement prevention. The strategies for disagreement resolution were primarily influenced by two Chinese cultural values: “reciprocity” and “conformity”.     

韩国国家形象感知与旅游意向研究——以中国潜在旅游者为例

文章将旅游研究领域的国家形象界定为国际旅游者对目的地国家的总体认知和情感的心理表征,并将其划分为宏观国家形象和微观国家形象两个构成部分.以韩国作为旅游目的地国家,中国潜在旅游者作为调查对象,探讨潜在旅游者对韩国国家形象的感知,检验国家形象构成维度及其与旅游意向之间的关系.研究表明,宏观国家认知形象由国家特征、国家能力、国民特征、环境管理和国家关系5个维度构成,微观国家认知形象由旅游环境、旅游设施和文化氛围3个维度构成.国家情感形象对潜在旅游者的旅游意向有显著影响;微观国家认知形象显著影响国家情感形象,宏观国家认知形象中的国民特征因子显著影响国家情感形象;国家认知形象通过国家情感形象的中介作用对潜在旅游者的旅游意向产生影响.研究结论为韩国和中国旅游管理部门提升国家形象,应对旅游市场全球化的挑战以及参与国际旅游竞争提供一定的借鉴意义.     

Chinese Student Travel Market to Australia: An Exploratory Assessment of Destination Perceptions

ABSTRACT

Chinese students form the largest international student travel market for Australia and approximately a quarter of Australia's international student enrollments are mainland Chinese. Despite the significance of the market, little is known about Chinese student travelers. This study offers an exploratory assessment of the perceived image of Australia in the Chinese student market. Through a self-completion questionnaire, data regarding the pre- and post-arrival perceptions of Australia were collected from Chinese students on the Gold Coast. The study identified natural scenery/attractions and agreeable environment/climate as the strengths of Australia. Historical attractions and shopping related opportunities were the weaknesses of Australia as a tourist destination. A factor analysis was performed on both pre- and post-arrival perception data. Different structural patterns emerged from the two sets of data suggesting a modification effect of actual experience on the destination perception. The results also suggest that destination marketers should emphasize the general environment in Australia when marketing to the Chinese student market.     

Online Complaining Behavior in Mainland China Hotels: The Perception of Chinese and Non-Chinese Customers

Examining hotel customer feedback is vital for effective service recovery and improvement. The main objective of this study is to analyze online complaints about hotels in Mainland China and to examine the relationship between culture and other factors that affect the intention to complain online. Content analysis was performed for 822 complaints about hotels in major Chinese cities drawn from TripAdvisor and Ctrip. Complaints made by Chinese and non-Chinese customers were compared and 11 major complaint categories were identified. A two-way contingency table analysis demonstrated that traveler age, hotel price, and travel partner significantly influenced the online complaints made.     

Online Shopping of Travel Products: A Study of Influence of Each Dimension of travelers' Attitudes and the Impact of travelers' Online Shopping Experiences on Their Purchase Intentions

This study examines the impact of three attributes (perception of convenience, perception of merchandise options, and perception of value) on travelers' attitudes toward different online agencies online shopping for travel products and the impact of online shopping experiences on their online purchase intentions. The collected data arises from an Internet survey of registered members of an online travel service company that caters to leisure travelers. The study finds that perceptions of convenience and value are two valid dimensions that measure travelers' attitudes. Findings also confirm that those two attitudes' attributes and travelers' online shopping experiences exert significant influence on their online purchase intentions. Travelers have a more positive attitude toward travel portal websites than toward companies' branded websites in terms of perception of convenience, perception of merchandise options, and perception of value.     

Online Customer Experience and Its Relationship to Repurchase Intention: An Empirical Case of Online Travel Agencies in China

The study reported here examines the relationship between flow experience and repurchase intention by focusing on the joint mediating effects of loyalty. Data were taken from a survey of shopping experiences, at online travel websites, of 325 customers in China. The results show that flow experience has a significant effect on repurchase attention. Moreover, interactive speed, skill, challenge, perceived control, telepresence, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use are positively related to flow experience. Lastly, the findings show that loyalty, to some extent, acts as a mediator between flow experience and repurchase attention.     

Engagement-Based Loyalty: The Effects of Social Media Engagement on Customer Loyalty in the Travel Industry

In this article, we investigate the relation between customer loyalty and social media engagement. Two dimensions of customer loyalty are considered: affective and conative loyalty. We distinguish two forms of social media engagement: consuming of social media (passive engagement) and contribution to social media (active engagement). In a survey among 1,050 customers of a travel agency, the level of engagement of customers with the company’s social media activities is measured in relation to their degree of loyalty. Results show a partial positive relationship between social media engagement and customer loyalty: only consuming social media is directly related to affective loyalty.     

Multilevel Analysis of the Relationship Between Type of Travel,Online Ratings,and Management Response: Empirical Evidence from International Upscale Hotels

The diverse characteristics of customers and hotels have been identified as relevant to online customer satisfaction at the individual level. In this study, a comprehensive examination is conducted, through the use of a multilevel, nested model and secondary data set. The results show that both online review experience and management response frequencies can positively affect customer satisfaction. Additionally, hotel managers need to pay more attention to customers who have less online review experience when they carry out targeted response strategies. The findings have various implications for both academic researchers and hotel operators.     

The Importance of Food Safety in Travel Planning and Destination Selection

Summary

This study investigates the strength of the relationship between the destination choices of respondents and the perceived risk of food-borne illnesses, as well as respondents' sources of information regarding food safety prior to traveling. Results indicate that food safety was of secondary importance to respondents with frequent travelers more willing to discount the use of food safety in their travel decisions. Female respondents were likely to regard food safety as more important than their male counterparts. Africa was the top region that most respondents would avoid due to food safety concerns. Friends and relatives, travel agents, and magazines and newspapers were the most common sources turned to for health and food safety information. Travel agents were not perceived as a reliable source of food safety information.     

Working in Macau Casinos: The Perceptions of Hong Kong Tertiary Students Majoring in Hospitality

This study examines the perceptions of students at a Hong Kong tertiary institution majoring in hospitality as to the importance of various job selection criteria in considering whether to work in the Macau casino industry. A total of 259 valid survey questionnaires were returned and the results showed that the respondents perceived good wages as the most important job selection criterion. Significant differences between respondents in the perceived importance of individual criteria were also found. The implications of these are discussed and suggestions are made for future research.     

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.     

A Webometric Analysis of Travel Blogs and Review Hosting: The Case of Catalonia

Today, destination-marketing organizations and researchers are increasingly focusing their attention on travel blogs and reviews due to their potential for projecting the image of a specific destination and for influencing travel behavior and decision making. However, the criteria used to select the Web sites hosting travel blogs and reviews for study are unclear, and very few quantitative or demographic studies about users (bloggers and readers) have been conducted. The aim of this study is to propose a method in which a webometric analysis is used to select the most suitable Web sites for a specific case study and to obtain information about users. The proposed webometric analysis consists of an integrated formula including visibility, popularity, and size metrics. This method was used to rank 11 suitable Web sites for studying the case of Catalonia.     

Analysis of Blogs and Microblogs: A Case Study of Chinese Bloggers Sharing Their Hong Kong Travel Experiences

Blogs and microblogs became popular in recent years among people who would like to share their travel experiences online. This is a phenomenon which marketers are interested in but know very little about. This exploratory study analyzes blog and microblog contents created by mainland Chinese visitors sharing their Hong Kong experiences, with the objective of gaining insights into how bloggers communicate their travel experiences and how this could help market a destination. Three hundred blog posts and 300 microblog posts are analyzed. Research results indicate a generally positive image of Hong Kong as a destination among the mainland Chinese bloggers. The study also profiles the bloggers by their usage pattern and identifies opportunities for using the social media for destination marketing purpose. While the case study is about Hong Kong, the research method and blogging patterns identified would also apply in other destination situations.     

Mediating Perceived Travel Constraints: The Role of Destination Image

This study assessed the mediating effects of destination image on the relationship between travel constraints and intention to visit. Structural equation modeling identified that destination image mediates between travel constraints and intention to visit, and thereby the negative impact of perceived constraints on intention to visit could be alleviated through the mediating effect of destination image. Thus, travelers can find the means to alleviate travel constraints through a negotiation mechanism. The findings provide practical implications for effective destination marketing programs in that the negative impact from travel constraints can, to a great extent, be mitigated.     

The Moderating Effects of Resident Characteristics on Perceived Gaming Impacts and Gaming Industry Support: The Case of Macao

Based on a joint use of social exchange and social representation theories, this study examined the moderating effects of resident characteristics on the relationships between perceived gaming impacts, gaming benefits, and industry support. The findings demonstrated that the relationships changed when the resident characteristics (age, education, tourism industry dependence, and community attachment) were introduced to the structural model as moderators. The study provides a better understanding of which subgroup of people within a community are more or less disposed to certain impacts of gaming. The theoretical and practical implications were discussed.     

Food and the Perception of Eating: The Case of Young Taiwanese Consumers

This study explores the food perception of young Taiwanese consumers, a growing market segment in the restaurant industry. An innovative qualitative tool known as the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) was employed to elicit deeper thoughts and emotions of young consumers. Twelve Taiwanese from Generation Y were invited to participate in a ZMET interview where they expressed their perceptions concerning food and eating through self-collected images. The data were analyzed using constant comparative method and charted on a consensus map. Five themes have evolved from the consensus map: health, trying new food, sharing, enhancing knowledge, and happiness. Findings reveal that young Taiwanese consumers are health-conscious and have high acceptance of novel food. They perceive food as a means of enjoyment and fostering social relationships. This study has contributed additional perspectives to existing literature by revealing the function of food in enhancing knowledge, as well as unveiling the deep-seated meanings of food associated with consumer's personal relevance values. Marketing implications for the restaurant industry targeting young Taiwanese consumers are proposed.     

我国旅游业线上与线下企业的竞合理论构建--基于扎根理论的探索性研究

"互联网+旅游"模式的发展与应用,改变了我国旅游市场的结构、实践方式与营销策略,加大了旅游业线上与线下业务的竞争与合作。本文以在线旅行社(线上)与传统旅行社(线下)的竞争与合作问题为研究对象,运用扎根理论分析方法对在线旅行社和传统旅行社的访谈信息进行挖掘,基于竞合二维模型构建竞合理论模型,从竞合的成因、互动与演化等视角,探索竞合过程的"推、拉、阻"等作用力。研究结果表明,旅游企业的战略需求、资源异质性以及风险分摊等因素推动竞合关系的形成和发展,提供综合服务、旅游信息共享、专业人才发展等因素拉动竞合关系演变,利益分配不均、企业文化差异性以及沟通渠道单一或闭塞等因素阻碍竞合关系的深入。本研究首次厘清了在线旅行社与传统旅行社的竞合机制,对实现线上与线下旅游企业的深度融合与互利共赢具有借鉴意义。