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.     

The Effects of Korean Pop Culture on Hong Kong Residents' Perceptions of Korea as a Potential Tourist Destination

The goal of this study is to assess the influences that Korean pop culture has on Hong Kong residents' perceptions of Korea as a potential tourist destination. Among the 500 distributed questionnaires, 456 were collected. Finally, 440 usable surveys were used for data analysis after eliminating 16 questionnaires with multiple missing answers that were deemed unusable. Data analyses produced many meaningful results. For example, respondents who were less educated and tended to spend more on Korean cultural products had a higher intention to visit Korea after they tasted Korean food. Expenditures on Korean cultural products were a significant contributor to Hong Kong residents' intention to visit Korea after experiencing the three types of Korean pop culture used in this study. Results of this study confirm those of previous studies, which found that the media had a significant influence on a person's choice of tourist destination.     

South Korea's Medical Tourism Destination Brand Personality and the Influence of Personal Values

Adopting Aaker's brand personality scale, this study aimed to determine South Korea's medical tourism destination personality. Based on a survey of US consumers, the results indicate that South Korea's medical tourism destination personality comprised three dimensions: sincerity, competence, and ruggedness. Furthermore, sincerity and competence positively influenced consumers' willingness to travel to South Korea for medical care. This study also found that personal values, in particular excitement, self-respect, sense of belonging, and being well respected, were significant positive predictors of South Korea's medical tourism destination personality. Marketing implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered. This study serves as a starting point for further research on medical tourism destination brand personality.     

A Path Analytic Model of Visitation Intention Involving Information Sources,Socio-Psychological Motivations,and Destination Image

Abstract

This study develops and tests a model to examine the organization of informational, motivational, and mental constructs on visitation intention in a path analytic framework. The findings indicated that variety (amount) and type of information sources used and socio-psychological travel motivations determine travelers' perceptual/cognitive evaluations that, in turn, form their affection (feelings) about tourist destinations. A traveler's intent to visit, then, is determined by a combination of perceptual/cognitive and affective evaluations, information sources used, and travel motivations. However, destination image (cognition and affect) appeared to mediate the relationship between visitation intention and stimuli (information sources) and consumer factors (socio-psychological travel motivations). Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed and future research areas are suggested to better understand travelers' destination selection process.     

A Comprehensive Cost Analysis on New System Structure for Nature-Based Tourism Destination: Perspective of Front and Back Stage Decoupling

To cope with several common problems in nature-based tourism destinations, including resource inefficiency, environmental pollutions and poor service quality, the paper proposes a new structure of service system for tourism destination in which some of the back-stage functions can be decoupled from the service system of individual tourism organizations and integrated into shared service centers and thus the overall scale of the back-stage functions of the destination can be reduced and equivalence of the front–back structure of the destination can be achieved to facilitate the above problems solving. Based on this understanding, a comprehensive costs analysis is conducted to explain the advantages of the new structure over the traditional one by considering three important factors involved in the above problems: the environment, service quality and operation costs. Finally, a case study on rural tourism in China is undertaken to justify this analysis.     

Accurately Identifying and Comparing Sustainable Tourists,Nature-Based Tourists,and Ecotourists on the Basis of Their Environmental Concerns

The current study, using a confirmatory factor analysis, developed a multi-item scale consisting of 3 dimensions that exhibited necessary reliability and validity. Based on this Nature-Based, Eco- and Sustainable Tourists (NES)-scale, and by utilizing a cluster analysis, the study identifies 4 distinct segments among a sample of the Norwegian population: nature-based tourists, ecotourists, sustainable tourists, and mass tourists. The analysis shows that while the ecotourists make up the largest segment, the mass tourists represent the smallest segment. Using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), the resulting 4 segments are later compared on the basis of their environmental concerns. The findings suggest that the ecotourists are the most environmentally concerned whereas the mass tourists are the least environmentally concerned. Finally, based upon the overall findings of the study, a new inductive model is developed. This model highlights the interaction between different types of alternative tourists and mass tourists, by showing, inter alia, that nature-based tourism has over the years become a form of mass tourism. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are also discussed.     

旅游地属性与旅游者感知态度和购后行为的关系——以九寨沟风景区为例

识别旅游地的属性对于旅游地形象、满意度以及旅游者的重游意愿和推荐意愿的效用是非常重要的.本文以九寨沟风景区为案例,采用因子分析和回归分析等方法,研究发现:①九寨沟风景区地方属性可以分为资源价值和人文环境氛围、接待服务、自然旅游资源和环境3个维度.②不是九寨沟所有的地方属性都对其形象的形成、满意度、重游意愿和推荐意愿有显著作用,在18个属性中只有11个属性与旅游者的感知态度和购后行为有关.可以构建旅游地属性与旅游者的感知和态度关系的结构模型.③九寨沟风景区地方属性的效用和感知质量的高低是不完全耦合关系.研究可以为旅游地的旅游开发与管理提供建议,有助于旅游地采取针对性的改善措施与市场营销策略.     

Towards Understanding User Perceptions of a Tourist-based Environmental Monitoring System: An Exploratory Case Study

This paper examines user perceptions of a tourist-based environmental monitoring system which supports park visitor engagement with the environmental monitoring of specific sites within two National and one Regional Park in Victoria, Australia. The system allows park visitors (tourists) to actively participate in the care and management of the park by voluntarily contributing to web-based photographic records. The primary objective of this exploratory case study research is to identify who the tourist users are, their perceptions of the system, their motivation for using it, and the benefits that they perceive are derived from using the system. The study found that respondents indicated a strong concern for the environment and appreciated the simplicity of the system and the on-going connection it provides to the park-management process. Importantly, respondents found the system to be a valuable source of engagement with the environmental monitoring and management process.     

Travel Motivation,Destination Image and Visitor Satisfaction of International Tourists After the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake: A Structural Modelling Approach

This study investigates the relationships between travel motivation, destination image and overall satisfaction of international tourists visiting Sichuan province after the great Wenchuan earthquake of 2008. Did the earthquake influence tourist’ motivations for visiting Sichuan either positively or negatively, and did the earthquake affect their image of the province as desirable travel destination? Survey data collected from 346 international tourists in Chengdu, the provincial capital, revealed that respondents were primarily motivated by Sichuan's traditional attractions – its scenery and the giant pandas native to the area rather than by the earthquake. Structural equation modelling revealed a statistically significant relationship between travel motivation and overall visitor satisfaction, as well as relationships between travel motivation and types of destination image. Furthermore, both positive and negative destination images seem to have an effect on overall satisfaction. This study implies that international tourists to Sichuan tend to visit for its scenery and wildlife; the 2008 earthquake has had little effect on their travel motivations and destination images; and these visitors hold positive images of the province.     

Cave Tourism: Tourists' Characteristics,Motivations to Visit,and the Segmentation of Their Behavior

Geotourism is one among many types of ecotourism or nature tourism. Cave tourism within geotourism has gained popularity in Korea. The study's objectives include cave tourists' characteristics, segmenting them according to motivation factors, and finally identifying who they are. The sample population for this research consisted of tourists who have visited the Hwansun Cave in Samchuk City. Among a total of 547 questionnaires distributed, 537 questionnaires were used for further data analyses. On the basis of cluster analysis using the motivation factors, cluster 1 was named an “escape-seeking group”, cluster 2 was termed a “knowledge- and novelty-seeking group”, cluster 3 was called a “novelty-seeking group” and cluster 4 was termed a “socialization group”. Differences in socio-demographic variables, beliefs about cave tourism resources, preferred cave tourism products, satisfaction with this tour, willingness to participate in another cave tour and belief in the value of cave tourism resources were found among the four clusters. The study's findings were expected to be helpful in understanding who they are.     

Gender Equity and Social Marketing: An Analysis of Tourism Advertisements

This study applies a social marketing approach to study the gender equity issue in tourism advertising. Using a geographic strata approach, vacation guides of destination marketing organizations from all the states in the United States are examined to investigate gender image representations. A total of 394 pictures are visually analyzed and coded using Goffman's framework on gender and media relations. Mixed results in terms of both blatant and subtle visual cues depicting relationships between men and women are reported. Thereafter, important implications for social marketing are drawn and a means-end quality-of-life framework is suggested.     

The effects of environmental and luxury beliefs on intention to patronize green hotels: the moderating effect of destination image

Recent research has demonstrated a disconnect between environmental beliefs and behavior when it comes to the consumption of hospitality products. Unfortunately, while many consumers believe that hotels should engage in green practices, there is mounting evidence that such beliefs do not necessarily translate into actual purchases of sustainable products. The purpose of this research is to examine this issue by developing an integrated framework establishing the relationships among the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors associated with the consumption of the green hotel product. In particular, we are concerned with the effects of consumers' beliefs regarding the luxury-based trade-offs associated with staying in green hotels. Additionally, we seek to establish the role of destination image as a determinant of the relationships specified in the proposed nomology. The results support our overall hypothesis that the established disconnect between environmental values and sustainable hospitality consumption behavior is at least partially attributable to the cognitive evaluation of the attributes of the hotel's destination. Specifically, our results show that, while the belief that green hotels are less luxurious translates to unfavorable attitudes toward green hotels in urban tourism destinations, this relationship does not occur in nature-based tourism destinations.     

Sexual Minority Adults at a Seasonal Home Campground: An Examination of Common,Unique, and Diverse Leisure Motivations

We examined the motivations of sexual minority adults to vacation at a sexual minority-focused campground and how sexual orientation identity management was associated with leisure motivations. Twenty-nine men and 12 women who owned seasonal homes participated. In responses to open-ended questions, participants expressed many of the motivations typically associated with seasonal home leisure (e.g., socializing, escape, relax). The most frequently mentioned motivation was the sexual minority focus of the campground. The more participants were “out” in everyday life, the less likely they were to mention the sexual minority focus of the campground as a motivation for being there.     

基于表征视角的旅游目的地形象内涵及其建构过程解析——以丽江古城为例

旅游目的地的旅游活动与其说是一系列旅游产品的组合,不如说是一个过程、一组实践。以此为基点,文章从符号表征的视角重新审视旅游目的地形象的内涵及其建构过程,解释其中所发生的意义生产、嬗变和争斗的过程,发现旅游目的地形象是一种具有社会、文化、心理3个层面的概念,并具有以下特征：群体共享性和差异性;社会根源性和规范说明性;相对稳定性和长期动态性。旅游目的地形象的建构过程本质上是符号表征功能的运作,而旅游目的地形象建构的意义就在于规范和组织旅游目的地社群和旅游者群体内的旅游活动。     

The destination competitiveness of Kinmen's tourism industry: exploring the interrelationships between tourist perceptions,service performance,customer satisfaction and sustainable tourism

Based upon an empirical investigation, the study draws upon the responses of 1623 tourists in Kinmen to explore the notion of destination competitiveness and how it is related to customer satisfaction with tourists’ perceptions, service performance and destination competitiveness. It also considers the question of destination competitiveness and sustainable tourism development. Variables such as tourists’ pre-visit perceptions, post-visit satisfaction toward destination attractions and resources, willingness to recommend and revisit, and competitiveness with foreign destinations are tested. The results of the study suggest that there is no correlation between tourists’ overall satisfaction and destination competitiveness. Implications of the study outcome illustrate that a destination's unique tourism characteristics can be the most important variables for destination competitiveness. In Kinmen's case, battlefields, historic relics, beautiful scenery and travel security gave it a competitive edge, despite high prices. In addition, developing the destination's brand image was found to be critical for tourism marketers and authorities in the context of increasingly global tourism competition.     

Sustainable tourism,justice and an ethic of care: toward the Just Destination

While a strong knowledge base has developed in sustainable tourism, theoretical links to justice and ethics have been slow to emerge at the destination level, especially about fairness, equity and justice for disadvantaged local groups, including poor, minority and indigenous populations. This paper draws upon, and justifies the use of several key philosophical traditions and social-political perspectives on justice to tackle this issue. A case study illustrates a range of justice issues experienced by local Mayan residents in Quintana Roo, Mexico, related to procedural and distributive justice, fairness and equity in the development and marketing of their natural and cultural heritage for tourism, as well as discriminatory and exclusionary practices toward that ethnic minority. Together, theoretical and empirical insights corroborate the need for a justice-oriented framework that addresses the social and cultural well-being of disadvantaged populations, and attempts to ensure that the poor are better off through tourism development and marketing. Following Rawls’ concept of justice, and linked to Fainstein's Just City, a preliminary framework, based on a joint ethic of justice and care, is outlined to guide tourism development, marketing and policy making in the Just Destination and to offer performative resistance to a globalized culture of consumption.     

旅游企业社会责任对目的地形象及游客忠诚的影响研究

在旅游市场竞争日趋激烈的背景下,由旅游企业经营所引发的社会责任问题受到广泛关注,但学界关于旅游企业社会责任的影响研究还不够系统和深入.文章将旅游企业社会责任划分为6个方面,将目的地形象划分为认知形象和情感形象两个方面,并构建了旅游企业社会责任对目的地形象及游客忠诚的影响模型.实证研究表明,旅游企业社会责任在目的地形象及游客忠诚形成中发挥非常重要的作用,其中,经济责任、环境责任、游客责任、员工责任和法律责任对认知形象有正向影响,游客责任、员工责任和慈善责任对情感形象有正向影响;认知形象和情感形象不仅对游客忠诚产生直接影响,而且通过游客满意对游客忠诚产生间接作用.相比认知形象,情感形象对游客满意和忠诚的影响作用更大.     

遗产旅游地意象媒介传播机制——苏州园林与江南古镇的比较研究

旅游地意象既包括旅游者经实地体验形成的复合意象,也包括那些远离旅游地的潜在旅游者借助各类媒介信息所形成的引致意象.在新媒体时代,传媒在旅游地意象传播中所扮演的角色越来越重要,分析和研究旅游地意象媒介传播机制现已成为该领域前沿课题.为探索遗产旅游地意象媒介传播模式,文章结合苏州园林和江南古镇案例,采用焦点组访谈、内容分析、问卷调查等方法获取9365例样本的旅游目的地意象媒介传播数据,在质性分析基础上,通过在遗产旅游地意象属性因素与传播媒介因素之间建立结构方程模型,并根据系列研究假设验证结果,揭示出传统媒体与新媒体在遗产旅游地意象形成中的实际作用机制.结论认为,传统媒体与新媒体在文化遗产旅游地意象传播中存在功能互补,前者的优势在于遗产形态与形象推广,而后者的优势则在于遗产文化与意义诠释;借助传统媒体扣新媒体传播不同类型的遗产旅游地意象信息,能够在激发遗产旅游需求的同时,帮助公众更完整地理解遗产文化价值和精神内涵,从而在潜在旅游者中塑造更优良的遗产旅游地意象.在文化遗产旅游地意象传播中,传统媒体与新媒体的整合使用,代表着文化遗产旅游地意象传播的必然.     

Thailand as a tourist destination: Perceptions of international visitors and Thai residents

In the tourism industry, the perceptions of a tourist destination are critical to its image. Image can be either a mental image of a product created by a marketing department or an associative image of a product that is developed by the consumer. Tourism destinations must be careful about their image so the perception that they have is not different from the way that they are perceived by potential travelers. This study examines the perceptions of international visitors and Thai residents on the image of Thailand as a tourist destination. International visitors and Thai residents were both surveyed to determine their perceptions of the image of Thailand. Some results of the study found that Thai residents and international visitors felt cultural sightseeing, friendly people and food were significantly important when thinking of Thailand as a tourist destination, while international visitors felt that nightlife and entertainment were significantly more important than that of Thai residents.     

Developing a Typology of Chinese Shopping Tourists: An Application of the Schwartz Model of Universal Human Values

This study aims to develop a typology of Chinese shopping tourists based on the Schwartz values. As a medium for investigating rich segmented markets, values emerge as an alternative variable for personality, lifestyle, and other demographic and socioeconomic segmentation variables. Convenience sampling is adopted in this study, and 511 usable responses in China are obtained. Results of the factor analysis reveal the following five dimensions of personal values among Chinese shopping tourists: self-enhancement, universalism, assurance, self-direction, and benevolence. The cluster analysis, which used the aforementioned five dimensions, identify the following clusters: uncertainty (Cluster 1), passion (Cluster 2), balance (Cluster 3), and conservation (Cluster 4). This study provides insights into the nature of personal value of Chinese shopping tourists by applying the Schwartz values, and identifies the shopping travel characteristics of Chinese shopping tourists. The results of this study are expected to assist destination marketing organizations in creating strategies to provide better shopping environments and services for tourists, and to achieve higher levels of tourist satisfaction.