Which consumer feedback metrics are the most valuable in driving consumer expenditure in the tourism industries? A view from macroeconomic perspective

The link between consumer feedback metrics and consumer expenditure at the microeconomic level has been extensively examined. However, little is known at the macroeconomic level about the influence of consumer feedback metrics on consumer expenditure. Relying on actual data concerning consumer feedback metrics and consumer expenditure, the present study examines the influence of various consumer feedback metrics on consumer expenditure in the tourism industries. Our study collected data about consumer feedback metrics and consumer expenditure over the period 2008–2017. The findings indicate that consumer satisfaction and consumer effort score (CES) are the best performing consumer feedback metrics in hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies industries. Furthermore, the top-2-box performs best for predicting consumer expenditure in online booking industry. The findings reflect the significance of consumer feedback metrics on the economy as a whole; therefore, efforts to boost consumer feedback metrics should consider a national agenda.     

Why do you cruise? Exploring the motivations for taking cruise holidays,and the construction of a cruising motivation scale

The purposes of this study were to develop a measurement scale for motivation to cruising and to examine the role of cruising motivation on intention to cruise. The motivation measurement scale was developed by following the procedures recommended by Churchill (1979). The scale was tested and found to be both reliable and valid. The role of cruising motivation on intention to cruise was tested with an online panel survey and it was found that cruising motivation has a positive influence on cruising intention. Based on the study results, some marketing implications were provided to the cruise industry.     

The impact of country and destination images on destination loyalty: a construal-level-theory perspective

This study examined the impact of a stereotypical image of a country and the image of a tourism destination on destination loyalty. In particular, this study compared these impacts between two groups of destinations – long- and short-haul international destinations – from the perspective of construal-level theory. Data were collected from 500 Taiwanese tourists in 2014 and analyzed through multiple steps, including MANOVA, ANOVA, CFA, and SEM with multi-group analysis. The results showed that both a widely held image of a country and a destination image are likely to affect tourists’ loyalty to a destination; however, country stereotyping plays a more important role than the destination image does in predicting the behavioral intention to visit a long-haul destination. Theoretical and practical implications for marketing of international destinations are provided.     

Coaches’ migration: a qualitative analysis of recruitment,motivations and experiences

This study examines sport coaches’ perceptions about their experiences abroad. Coaches are part of a diverse new set of mobilities occurring in the sport labour market. However, few authors explored the individual cases of coaches’ migration. Here, we examine coaches’ recruitment process, motivations to migrate and their experiences abroad. Participants were five migrant coaches chosen through purposive sampling to achieve a pool of deep and rich data regarding the research topic. Data was collected using semi-structured interview questionnaires. For the exploration and analysis of the qualitative data, we used MAXQDA 11 software package. The results showed that all coaches migrated through an informal mechanism of recruitment which relied on their networks. Their discourse suggested they fit three types of migration referred in the literature: ambitionist, cosmopolitan and pioneer. Their experiences abroad were mainly related to their professional career and adaptation. All coaches reported that their experience was positive and they recommend that other coaches migrate as well. These results are important for the understanding of sport migration not least because coaches are at the core of the migration process of various stakeholders.     

Trends in tourism and development : A ‘Third World’ perspective

The rapid development of mass tourism to the ‘Third World’ by tour operators and tourism developers in the developed world has taken advantage of the willingness of ‘Third World’ governments to participate in projects which promise vital foreign exchange. The anticipated social and economic benefits from tourism have not been forthcoming and most of the profits involved have been retained within the economies of the developed world. Various organizations are now at work to counteract the negative impacts of the developing ‘Third World’ tourism industries, and to educate the tourist to appreciate the realities of ‘Third World’ destinations.     

The joint effect of consumer and service providers’ culture on online service evaluations: A response surface analysis

National culture exerts substantial influence on consumers' expectations, satisfaction, and evaluations. Despite that, within a service-based context, two cultures are met, that of the customer and that of the service provider, the existing literature systematically explores the effect of customer culture in isolation neglecting the impact of the provider's culture or their joint effect. We fill this gap by considering the concomitant effect of customer and provider cultural factors on passenger evaluations of airline carriers using a large dataset of reviews that covers the majority of countries. Employing a response surface methodology, our study provides significant advantages over methods based on cultural distance scores in revealing more complex non-linear relationships. This multi-dimensional approach provides new insights for assessing the impact of national culture on customers' service perceptions and evaluations, thus bringing significant implications for researchers and service providers.     

Early warning indicators? The effect of consumer and investor sentiments on the restaurant industry

This study looks at the influence of cyclical fluctuations of the consumer confidence index (CCI) and the volatility index (VIX) as early-warning indicators of the variations in restaurant performance. The industry has traditionally focused on past data and on microeconomic influences to anticipate its future performance, a procedure that does not consider possible cyclical fluctuations in restaurant performance metrics. These fluctuations are driven by sentiments of consumers and investors. The study uses the cyclical component of the applied data, followed by unit root and cointegration testing, with subsequent application of the Limited Information Maximum Likelihood technique. The results show both indicators have an effect on restaurant performance, where VIX has an impact on the current, expected, and overall restaurant performance, while the CCI’s influence is only partial (current performance). Policy-makers and planners could benefit from anticipating features of indicators to assess and steer the future performance of the restaurant industry.     

Diversity of offerings and consumer’s expenditure: an exploration of agritourism in China

ABSTRACT

As diversification becomes a pressing issue in China’s agritourism, extant literature provides insufficient and controversial findings on its influence. This research investigates the influence of the diversity of offerings on consumer’s expenditure, considering its interactive effects with quality and distance, by conducting analyses of hierarchical regression, multiple-linear regression and exploratory factor analysis. It is found that the diversity of offerings does not affect consumer’s expenditure alone, but interactively with quality and distance; consumer’s expenditure can be maximised with an optimal distance depending on the diversity of offerings; and there are four main business models of agritourism in China.     

Does the geographic proximity of products influence a consumer’s decision? An evaluation in a restaurant

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The impact of perceived benefits and risks on current and desired levels of outsourcing: Hotel managers’ perspective

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the interactions between perceived benefits and risks of outsourcing and outsourcing adoption from the hoteliers’ perspective. Data were collected from 123 hotels in Egypt using a list of 32 hotel activities. Results revealed that managers’ perceived benefits of outsourcing had a direct positive effect on the current level of outsourcing, while indirect effects on the desired level of outsourcing. Interestingly, results confirmed the mediating role of current outsourcing between managers’ perceived benefits and the desired outsourcing. However, the perceived risks of outsourcing had a nonsignificant moderating effect. The findings provide implications for both theory and practice.     

A patron,a referral and why in Macau casinos—The case of mainland Chinese gamblers

Delivering high quality service tends to improve the loyalty of valued customers. Operators should have an understanding of how customers react to the service provision. The current investigation is undertaken in Macau casinos and explores the relationship between service quality and loyalty of casino members and non-members with a focus on gamblers from the mainland China. Gamble loyalty is operationalized on the basis of attitudinal and behavioural dimensions. A quantitative method is used to explore these relationships. Casino service quality is measured by using a newly developed four-dimensional scale named CASERV. The results indicate that service quality explains significant variance in gambler attitudinal loyalty but not behavioural loyalty for casino members and non-members. In particular, service delivery contributes substantially to gambler attitudinal loyalty. Surprisingly, non-members report higher level of service quality perceptions and are more likely to act as referral for the casino and to spread positive word-of-mouth communications; whereas members do appear to patronize the casino more frequently and to play longer in the casino of their first choice during their visit in Macau. Implications of these findings are provided for practitioners and researchers.     

Sex: The Power of the Powerless? The Use of Sex as a Spousal Influence Strategy in Vacation Purchase Decisions

This study is the first to test empirically the common notion regarding sexual manipulation as a spousal influence strategy during couples' vacation purchasing decisions. The study examined whether the use of sex as a spousal influence strategy is more prevalent among individuals who have less marital power than their spouses. Marital power is treated as two-dimensional: the first dimension is objective and composed of actual economic resources; the second is subjective and composed of feelings. A sample of 192 married or cohabiting men evaluated their own and their partner's use of sex as a means of exerting influence during a vacation decision process. Female subjects with low levels of subjective marital power and male subjects with low levels of objective marital power used sex as a spousal influence strategy at a higher frequency. The study found that during a vacation decision process, the use of sex as a spousal influence strategy is impacted by the marital power balance between the spouses. Second, economic power is not the dominant factor that affects the use of this influence strategy; rather, it is interpersonal power that is influential. The findings imply that sex may be used as a power strategy by the powerless.     

Opportunities and challenges in the contribution of wine routes to wine tourism in Italy – A stakeholders' perspective of development

Wine tourism in Italy, the largest wine producing country in the world, has achieved outstanding performance over recent years. However, various institutional, managerial, and professional delays in the field impede Italy from developing its full potential as a wine tourism destination, most likely because of the still unsatisfactory engagement of all possible stakeholders. A recent step forward has been the specific amendment regarding wine tourism provided by the 2018 Budget Law, anticipating regulatory norms for the sector. In this scenario, Italian wine routes, established by Law No. 268/1999 and consolidated by the law on vines and wine (Law No. 238/2016), should play a key role in the governance and management of the local wine tourism industry. However, the state of the industry presents opportunities and (above all) challenges. Our research contributes to exploring this scenario, providing evidence from the field and potential guidelines for development through territorial stakeholders' engagement.     

When does breach not lead to violation? A dual perspective of psychological contract in hotels in times of crisis

Implicit psychological contract (PC) represents the dynamic employee–employer relationship, and unlike explicit human resource (HR) practices, PC is an underexplored topic in the crisis management literature. By capturing the dual perspective of hotel employers and employees through interviews, this study investigates the content of PCs and breaches of PCs during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The study identifies salient dimensions of employer obligations such as safety assurance and of employee obligations such as personal protection. While employees emphasized the transactional contracts to protect their individual interests, the employers tried to balance the transactional and relational contracts. The study proposes a dynamic PC breach model that indicates contract breaches lead to varied responses through a complex interpretation process. In general, the study suggests that ensuring mutual consideration is the best way for hotel employees and employers to pull through a crisis.     

The catering industry as a source of campylobacteriosis in Europe—A review

Thermotolerant species of Campylobacter are the causative agents of the human illness called campylobacteriosis. The number of confirmed cases of human campylobacteriosis in the European Union followed a significant increasing trend in the period 2008–2012, and continued to be the most commonly reported zoonosis with 214,779 confirmed cases in 2013; the notification of human campylobacteriosis is today mandatory in most European Member States. Recent reports from the European Food Safety Authority have identified catering (catering services, restaurants, hotels, pubs, bars) as the most frequently reported setting for Campylobacter infection (EFSA and ECDC, 2015). As can be evinced from the analysis of the scientific literature, the quality of raw meat has been identified as a parameter of fundamental importance, but the contribution of incorrect food handling procedures is by no means negligible. In fact, poor hygiene during poultry meat preparation as well as inadequate cooking and cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat food were found to be the main causes for the spread of campylobacteriosis related to the catering industry.     

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics and leisure-time physical activity rates among youth in Canada: any evidence of a trickle-down effect?

Using nationally representative data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, we explored if the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics were associated with leisure-time physical activity rates among youth in Canada. No statistically significant changes were observed in the rate of moderately active/active youth in Canada or the province of British Columbia (BC) over the two-year time periods under investigation. At the regional level however, a significant increase in the rate of moderately active/active females from 2007–2008 (pre-event) to 2009–2010 (the year prior to the event and the year the event was staged) was observed in the Richmond, BC, health region (z = 2.05, p = .04). Previous conclusions that trickle-down effects do not occur are not supported by our data. Instead, we conclude that trickle-down effects may in fact occur, but may tend to be localised within certain communities (i.e. close to where Olympic events are staged) and among particular segments of a population.     

Generic dimensionality of hospitality in the hotel industry: A host–guest relationship perspective

The main objectives of this study are to identify the generic facets of hospitality for hotel services irrespective of their star rating, as well as to determine the impact of generic dimensionality on guest satisfaction. The responses of 305 local and foreign hotel guests in a questionnaire survey were analysed using a Structural Equation Modelling technique. The generic facets of hotel hospitality were identified as personalisation, comfort, and warm welcoming. Of the three, only personalisation and warm welcoming contributed significantly to predicting guest satisfaction. This study is aimed at adding to the body of related literature by sharing new insights on how the generic dimensionality of hospitality in its entirety differs from that of upscale hotel hospitality.