Can community-based tourism contribute to sustainable development? Evidence from residents’ perceptions of the sustainability

In this paper, the research gaps in sustainable tourism development were addressed by examining residents' perceptions of the sustainability of community-based tourism based on tourism area life cycle theory. The survey questionnaire was distributed to the residents of six Taiwanese communities, and it was designed to determine the residents' perceptions of the economic, socio-cultural, environmental, and life satisfaction sustainability of tourism. In total, 849 usable questionnaires were collected. The analytical results further elucidated the sustainability of nature-based tourism and suggested that the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental sustainability varied significantly in the consolidation, development, and involvement stages of community-based tourism development. The four dimensions of sustainability were evaluated according to the pre- and post-development perceptions of tourism sustainability, and significantly different results were obtained. The study concludes that the residents’ perceptions differed across the developmental stages; thus, managers should consider the development opportunities and adopt appropriate strategies across different development stages.     

Evaluating tourism-linked empowerment in Cuzco,Peru

This study evaluates processes of tourism-linked empowerment in four communities outside Cuzco, Peru. Linking Rowlands’ power framework to ethnographic work in the region from June through December of 2013, findings suggest that tourism association members in each community, while experiencing generative empowerment in the form of enhanced agency, collectivity, and self-awareness, have also been the recipients and purveyors of non-generative empowerment in the form of enhanced domination. Potential factors influencing these processes are also identified, pointing to practical ways community-based tourism can better foster generative rather than merely sustainable (i.e., zero-sum) forms of empowerment in the region.     

Luxury shopping abroad: What do Chinese tourists look for?

Considering rapid economic development, rising household income, and the emergence of middle-class consumers in mainland China, a growing number of Chinese consumers are traveling to other countries and regions for tourism and shopping. Studies have shown that Chinese customers often express intentions to engage in luxury shopping, driven by factors such as brand consciousness, social comparison, and innovative fashion (Zhang & Kim, 2013). Although the trend of Chinese outbound tourism aimed at luxury shopping continues to expand, little is known about Chinese luxury shoppers' behavior when abroad. This study attempts to investigate Chinese luxury shoppers' preferences in shopping destinations, relevant attributes of preferred luxury shopping destinations, and potential underlying dimensions among identified attributes. Results revealed an attribute list comprising 3 dimensions (human touch, prestige, and good value) and 17 items. These findings reflect Chinese luxury shoppers' concerns and preferences about shopping overseas. Implications and future research directions are also discussed.     

Social-ecological resilience and community-based tourism: An approach from Agua Blanca,Ecuador

Socio-ecological resilience (SER), as a theoretical framework, provides an original approach to the study of socio-ecological sustainability, affirming that sustainable development can only be achieved in sufficiently resilient socio-ecosystems. Sustainability is one of the major challenges facing tourism. Therefore, the exploratory application of this theoretical approach to tourist contexts could be particularly apt. Practically all current modes of tourist operation profess a commitment to sustainability, but this is much more significant in experiences of community-based tourism (CBT). This paper presents an ethnographic case study in Agua Blanca, an Ecuadorian community that engages in turismo comunitario, a community-based tourism development strategy. The study explores the expediency of studying socio-ecological resilience in tourist research and attempts to open up new pathways for analytical and methodological development.     

Corporate reputation,satisfaction, delight,and loyalty towards rural lodging units in Portugal

This paper enriches the model of delight and satisfaction that Oliver et al. (1997) propose and Finn (2005) modifies, with a suggested causal relationship between disconfirmation and arousal and the introduction of two new variables: the lodging unit's corporate reputation and perceived quality. The modified model is applied to rural tourism accommodations in Portugal and validated using PLS (Partial Least Squares). The results suggest that the lodging unit's reputation is a more significant determinant of loyalty than satisfaction or even delight. This study further supports the conceptualization of customer delight and customer satisfaction as distinct constructs. Results may help managers of rural tourism accommodations to develop and implement more successful relationship marketing strategies.     

Tourism on two wheels: Patterns of motorcycle leisure in Wales

The motorcycle leisure sector has evolved from a rebellious culture of the 1950s to a large mainstream market sector today. Motorcycle touring has grown significantly in recent years, with a shift to larger capacity motorcycles and an increase in the average age of motorcyclists. The demographics of this group has meant that, increasingly, motorcycles are used for leisure purposes rather than commuting. Peripheral locations, with a high proportion of the mountain and scenic roads favoured by motorcyclists, have seen a dramatic influx of these recreationists. Despite this significance there has been little academic work on the subject, or concerted efforts to embrace this market sector by destination marketing organisations. This paper discusses the findings of an investigation into the motorcycling leisure and tourism sector in Wales, UK, examining travel patterns of motorcycle tourists, motivations and preferences of this group and the potential economic impact.     

The perceived benefits of agritourism: The provider’s perspective

This study examines the perceived benefits of agritourism by examining the importance of this activity in accomplishing 16 goals of farmers receiving visitors for recreation on their farms. This study also examines several farm household and business attributes associated with the accomplishment of four goal dimensions driving agritourism development. Data were derived from a survey conducted among 164 agritourism farms in Missouri. Results showed that agritourism mostly serves to capture new farm customers, educate the public about agriculture and enhance the quality of life for the farm family, which represents both, economic and non-economic benefits. Organized by goal dimensions, findings showed that agritourism is perceived as most important for market related goals, suggesting that the economic role of agritourism should not only be measured in terms of increased profits but also as a marketing tool. Four significant regression models showed that several farm business and household attributes are associated to the perceived agritourism benefits within four goal dimensions, suggesting opportunities for tailored promotional messages and policy considerations for the entrepreneurial development of agritourism.     

How Cultural Differences Cause Dimensions of Tourism Satisfaction

Abstract

This paper develops a conceptual model of the relationship between different cultural values and how they influence consumer satisfaction in the tourism industry. It is hypothesized that cultural differences manifest themselves in different levels of importance being placed upon different aspects of service, and the differences between the levels of importance and the actual service received cause differences in the levels of satisfaction. These hypotheses are tested using 269 independent samples of levels of importance and 411 independent samples of satisfaction of tourists from four cultural groups (Australian, USA/Canadian, Japanese, Mandarin speakers) who visited Melbourne, Australia in the period May-September, 1996. The analysis develops dimensions of importance and satisfaction separately for each cultural grouping, and uses structural equation modeling (Amos 3.6) to develop the causal model measuring the way in which importance of service dimensions cause dimensions of satisfaction. Conclusions from the analysis show little evidence of a causal relationship between importance of service quality attributes and satisfaction. However, significant differences are found between cultures for different levels of satisfaction resulting indirectly from differences in the importance and actual levels of service received.

The implications for cultural differences affecting tourism satisfaction are discussed.     

Perceived attributes of Asian foods: From the perspective of the American customers

The objectives of this study were to examine and compare the attributes of six types of Asian foods (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese) as they are perceived by American customers. To achieve these objectives, a questionnaire examining the attributes of Asian foods was developed. The data was collected through a web survey completed by 424 American customers of the six types of Asian food. Importance-performance analyses showed that across the six types of Asian foods some common attributes were perceived. However, the analyses also indicated that each type of Asian food was perceived to have its own particular characteristics, signifying each cuisine's uniqueness when compared to other types of Asian foods. The results suggested basic information pertinent to marketing strategies for positioning and product development for Asian food restaurants.     

Community-building and amenity migration in community-based tourism development. An approach from southwest Spain

Many of the localities that promote community-based tourism (CBT) are subject to processes of openness, mobility and amenity migration that: (1) call into question the concept of community required to understand CBT; and (2) foster the existence of 'outsider' residents who are increasingly playing prominent roles in the development of CBT. This paper uses an ethnographic case study to analyze the participation of amenity migrants in the development of CBT and the effect this has on community building. To this end, the bonding relations that link and structure the local tourist sector are examined. The findings invite us from a theoretical and practical perspective to: (1) take into consideration the participation of amenity migrants in the development of CBT; (2) reflect on an appropriate concept of community to study or promote CBT experiences; and (3) consider that the development of CBT and community building are inherently and recursively linked processes.     

Freedom restriction and non-member customers’ response to loyalty programs

In loyalty program (LP) literature, research on how non-loyalty program members would react to preferential treatment is scarce. Nested within reactance theory, this paper suggests that negative customer responses arise due to the perceived threat to freedom and that the effects are moderated by the importance of freedom and relationship norms. Through two 2 × 2 between-subjects-design experiments, our results indicate that when the perceived threat to freedom of receiving LP benefits is high, non-member customers show increased anger, decreased attitude towards the company, and decreased intention to revisit. Similar results are observed when a company presents the image of building a communal relationship with its customers and when non-member customers perceive a high threat to freedom in terms of receiving the LP benefits. Both studies indicate that the interaction effects are less pronounced when non-member customers perceive a low threat to freedom of receiving the LP benefits.     

Effects of campus foodservice attributes on perceived value,satisfaction, and consumer attitude: A gender-difference approach

This study explores a conceptual framework incorporating interrelationships among campus foodservice attributes, perceived value, satisfaction, and effects of these on consumer attitude. Mediating roles of perceived value and satisfaction as well as gender differences in attitude formation process also are investigated within the conceptual framework. Results confirm that enhanced performance in service and product quality, menu, and facility have favorable effects on perceived value, satisfaction and, ultimately, on consumer attitude. However, the attitude-formation process and mediating roles of perceived value and satisfaction differ notably between male and female consumers.     

What Facilitates a Festival Tourist? Investigating Tourists’ Experiences at a Local Community Festival

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of festival attributes and tourism facilitators on tourist satisfaction. The results of this study show that festival attributes has a positive and significant effect on tourists' satisfaction. Data analysis also revealed a positive and a significant effect of intrapersonal facilitators and structural facilitators on tourists' satisfaction. However, interpersonal facilitators do not allow a significant impact on tourists' satisfaction in the festival context. One of the most important findings is that festival commercialization is the strongest predictor of tourists' satisfaction. Structural facilitators are regarded as of primary importance in determining the satisfaction of festival tourists. Future research is needed to investigate other important antecedents of tourists' satisfaction across other festivals or locations, and to identify the complex nature of festival tourists' satisfaction. Finally, a longitudinal approach will better elucidate the relationships between measurement variables and their antecedents.