Differentiated price loss aversion in destination choice: The effect of tourists’ cultural interest

This article looks into the differentiated effects of loss aversion depending on whether individuals show cultural interest when choosing a destination. Based on the fact that perceived value implies not only sacrifices but also the expectations of a certain level of quality and prospects of satisfaction, together with the idea the Prospect Theory applies to tourism prices, the article states the hypothesis that interest in culture when choosing a destination lowers people’s loss aversion. By incorporating the reference-dependent model into a Multinomial Logit Model with Random Parameters – which controls for heterogeneity – the empirical application shows that culture-interested tourists are less loss averse; i.e. the negative effect of finding a higher than expected price diminishes with cultural interest. The expectation of enjoyment of these attributes and the more conscious attitude toward maintenance/restoration activities of cultural sites are hypothesized to lead prices to be evaluated differently when selecting a destination.     

Applying loss aversion to assess the effect of customers’ asymmetric responses to service quality on post-dining behavioral intentions: An empirical survey in the restaurant sector

Using the loss aversion concept, this paper attempts to investigate the relationship between service quality and customers’ post-dining behavioral intentions in the restaurant sector. Incorporating the DINESERV instrument, the results gained from a Chinese chain restaurant indicate that a decrease in service quality from the reference point (customer's expectation) will decrease the perceived service value and customer satisfaction, but that an increase in service quality may not have significant effects on these two behavioral constructs. Moreover, the behavior-related causal relationships underlying service quality suggest that perceived service value and attitudinal loyalty succeed in acting as mediating variables within the model.     

Linking loss aversion and present bias with overspending behavior of tourists: Insights from a lab-in-the-field experiment

Building upon Prospect Theory and Hyperbolic Time Discounting models, we explore how behavioral factors influence the probability of overspending among outbound leisure travelers. We construct our data in two steps. First, we collect demographics and travel-related variables from a random sample of 314 Singaporean tourists across different age groups and income levels. Second, we conduct a field experiment to measure their risk and time preferences, specifically loss aversion and present bias. We then explore the link between the measured preferences to overspending behavior. The findings reveal an interesting link between loss aversion, present bias and traveling expenditure patterns: outbound tourists with high loss aversion and high present bias are more likely to overspend. Finally, our study also highlights the role of group identity in de-biasing. Specifically, individuals are more likely to behave according to standard economic models when making decisions in groups.     

From measurement scale to sentiment scale: Examining the effect of sensory experiences on online review rating behavior

The crucial role of sensory dimensions in customer experiences has been supported in literature. However, traditional self-reported sensory measurements have limited capacity in capturing the multi-dimensional experiences sensed by individuals and articulating the distinct effect of different sensory dimensions on actual behavior. This study is the first attempt to test the effects of positive and negative experiences involving all five senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch) on customer ratings. The sensory experiences reported in social media reviews were captured and explored using text mining and sentiment analysis. The findings show that although the majority of customers’ experiences were positive, the negative sensory experiences had higher effect on customer rating. Furthermore, the five senses had different weights in forming overall experience, which provides theoretical contributions to the literature on sensescapes, prospect theory, and discourses on satisfiers and dissatisfiers.     

Pictures vs. reality: Roles of disconfirmation magnitude,disconfirmation sensitivity,and branding

This study aims to increase our understanding of the effects of food pictures in formulating customers’ expectations and performance evaluation, which, in turn, affect customer satisfaction, trust, and behavioral intentions in the restaurant context. Extending the expectancy disconfirmation theory, we have conducted three experimental designed studies involving a total of 1105 customers. Specifically, study 1 explores three disconfirmation magnitudes (low, moderate, high) and their impact on customer evaluations and behaviors. Study 2 demonstrates the interactive effects of disconfirmation magnitude and branding on customer trust, suggesting that branding mitigates the negative effect of disconfirmation magnitude on trust. Study 3 includes individual differences of disconfirmation sensitivity to explain the variation of the expectancy disconfirmation model, revealing that customers with higher disconfirmation sensitivity are less likely to be satisfied and trust a restaurant as the disconfirmation magnitude increases. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided.     

The impacts of geographic and social influences on review helpfulness perceptions: A social contagion perspective

Identifying and presenting helpful reviews to customers can significantly affect their purchase decisions. Although review helpfulness has been extensively explored in tourism research, extant studies have not sufficiently emphasized the unique characteristics of tourism products and investigated review helpfulness perceptions from both geographic and social influence perspectives. In this study, drawing on social contagion theory, we developed a theoretical framework to examine the impact of social contagion, specifically geographic and social proximities, on perceived review helpfulness. Our empirical analyses of Yelp restaurant reviews indicated that geographic and social influences have varying impacts on review helpfulness perceptions. Additionally, social contagions significantly moderated the impacts of various review- and reviewer-related factors, and product characteristics further moderated the contagion effect on perceived review helpfulness. This study provides valuable theoretical and methodological contributions to research on review helpfulness, especially in tourism contexts, and lays out the practical implications for various stakeholders.     

The application of social psychology theories and concepts in hospitality and tourism studies: A review and research agenda

The purpose of this study was the review of 282 papers that pertain to the application of social psychology theories and concepts presented in 12 leading academic journals published between 1999 and 2012. The papers were sorted by theory and concept, application level, journal, publication year, subject area, and statistical technique. The most frequently used theories were found to be social exchange, equity, and cognitive dissonance theories. The present paper offers a pioneering attempt to evaluate the use of social psychology theories and concepts in hospitality and tourism studies as well as identifying future research opportunities.     

Complementary services at hotels in accordance with their pricing strategy and the price sensitivity of tourists

This study proposes a procedure for defining, assessing and classifying free or payable complementary hotel services. These services are susceptible of being provided to holiday hotel tourists at mature sun-and-sand destinations to increase guest satisfaction and hotel profitability. Following this procedure, an empirical study was carried out, by means of in-depth interviews, Delphi’s methodology among experts on tourist hotels, and a survey, which was distributed to a sample of 1100 tourists. As a result, a set of complementary services was obtained. These services may be (1) dispensable or susceptible of being eliminated or reduced due to their low importance and frequency of use, (2) essential, as they must be provided because they are very relevant and frequently used, and (3) desirable, because they must be provided due to their high relevance for tourists.     

Intercultural sensitivity and tourism patterns among international students in Korea: using a latent profile analysis

The purpose of this study is to examine the intercultural sensitivity of international students in Korea based on Chen and Starosta’s [(2000). The development and validation of the intercultural communication sensitivity scale. Human Communication, 3, 1–15] intercultural sensitivity scale using a latent profile analysis and to discuss tourism patterns of each group segmented by intercultural sensitivity. According to the analysis, international students were classified by intercultural sensitivity with four groups: introverted observer, defensive bystander, favorable crowd, and veteran. Based on their characteristics and tourism patterns of each group, theoretical and practical implications were suggested. Considering the growing overseas education particularly in non-English-speaking countries and its significant influence on tourism, this study connected the multiple constructs in various fields such as intercultural contact, international student mobility, and tourism, providing a quintessential example of multidisciplinary research.     

基于连通性与敏感性的山岳型景区生态安全格局构建——以山西省云丘山为例

山岳型景区是重要的旅游目的地,景区活动关乎山地系统生态安全。构建山岳型景区生态安全格局是保护生态系统关键物种要素与维护生态系统整体功能的重要手段,也是景区可持续发展的重要保障。本文以山西省云丘山景区为例,选取吕梁山脉代表性珍稀物种褐马鸡（Crossoptilon Mantchuricum）,基于GIS技术提取生态源地,运用最小累积阻力模型（Minimum Cumulative Resistance,MCR）与重力模型提取生态廊道并构建生态网络;综合连通性与敏感性对生态网络进行分析,提出云丘山景区生态安全格局优化建议。结果表明：云丘山景区生态源地总体规模较小,空间分布不均;网络连通性属于中等水平,位于网络核心区的源地间廊道较多,呈网状连接,位于网络边缘区的源地间廊道单一,呈树状连接;根据敏感性评价将景区划分为极度敏感、高度敏感、中度敏感、轻度敏感、不敏感5种类型区,生态网络所处区域整体敏感性程度较低,但仍存在高风险节点;根据生态廊道所处不同敏感性环境提出“降扰性保护”“恢复性保护”“修建性保护”3种廊道构建与优化建议。研究结果将为云丘山景区生态保护工作提供科学依据。