Segmentation by motivation for rural tourism activities in The Gambia

In The Gambia, as in many other African countries, rural areas rarely profit from the turnover earned in the country's tourism sector. In academic and political literature, however, rural tourism is frequently identified as a diversification strategy that may trigger local economic development in remote communities. To promote rural tourism development, further knowledge is required to understand why tourists are motivated to engage in distinct tourism market segments. In this study, survey data was collected from 450 tourists in The Gambia using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was constructed to identify the key characteristics and motivations of tourists so that the significant market segments could be categorized and the (latent) tourist demand for rural tourism activities could be gauged. This study identified four distinct segments of tourists in The Gambia: heritage & nature seekers, multi-experiences seekers, multi-experiences & beach seekers, and sun & beach seekers. Drawing on our key findings, we conclude by identifying a development path that could diversify Gambia's tourism sector. The development path would also include event-based rural tourism initiatives that align with the motivations of the identified market segments and may additionally benefit rural communities by reducing economic leakage rates.     

免税购物游客感知价值的量表开发与实证检验

游客感知价值源自营销学领域的顾客价值理论,是游客基于感知利得与利失的权衡对旅游产品或旅游服务的总体评价,已成为旅游企业稳固竞争优势的新动源。现阶段,国内外免税购物市场竞争局势日渐激烈,免税购物游客感知价值研究能为免税店管理方提供科学的运营管理依据。文章以有消费经历的免税购物游客为研究对象,研究区域为三亚国际免税城,运用SPSS 22.0和AMOS 17.0软件对正式调研所获得的324份有效样本数据进行实证分析。在梳理游客感知价值测量相关文献的基础上,严格遵循量表开发的规范步骤(确定构念范围、发展初始测项、纯化初始测项、预调研、正式调研、探索性因子分析、验证性因子分析、信效度检验),开发了包含6个维度24个测项的免税购物游客感知价值量表,6个维度分别为感知环境价值、感知成本价值、感知管理价值、感知功能价值、感知服务价值、感知声誉价值,并通过构建结构方程模型检验了量表的稳定性。最后,总结了研究的理论贡献与管理启示。     

Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism in Manuel Antonio and Texel: A Tourist Perspective

This paper examines tourist perceptions of sustainability in Manuel Antonio/Quepos, Costa Rica and Texel, The Netherlands. It also reviews tourist opinions of site-specific sustainability aspects and assesses differences between tourist types and their perceptions of sustainability. The ecological dimension of sustainability was perceived the most important, followed by social-cultural and economic dimensions. Among tourists to Manuel Antonio/Quepos there was no distinctive difference between the last two dimensions while the economic dimension was far less important among Texel tourists. Loss of local lifestyles and processes of urbanisation were the most serious problems perceived in Manuel Antonio/Quepos. For Texel, a fewrespondents indicated problems such as increase of prices, urbanisation and loss of local lifestyles. Results demonstrate tourist awareness of sustainability issues and that in the long run this awareness might lead to changes in tourist preferences.     

Toward an understanding of online information processing in e-tourism: does national culture matter?

Tourism is undoubtedly among the industries that better reflect the effects of globalization, technological advances (i.e. the Internet) being one of the most relevant drivers. Given the current market saturation of this sector, a better understanding of how tourists from different cultures process online information and forge their attitudes and behavioral intentions is called for. Nevertheless, national culture may have a major influence on the effectiveness of online tourist marketing activities. This study contributes to the extant body of knowledge via the analysis of the influence of perceived risk on how tourists process the information while browsing a tourist destination website, form their attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the destination. The effect of national culture on such antecedents is examined via a cross-cultural research to compare Spanish and British cultures. A theoretical model is proposed to integrate the effect of perceived risk and variables regarding technology acceptance on tourist responses.     

Short-haul city travel is truly environmentally sustainable

With rising interest in and concern about climate change and environmental sustainability, and the significance of the tourism industry worldwide, the impact of tourism-related activities and behaviors on the environment has become a key area of research. In particular, transport related to tourism has come under scrutiny for its contribution to the ecological footprint of tourism of a destination, mostly accounted for by the dominance of air travel. This study contributes to research in this area by identifying the types of travel situations in which tourists make environmentally friendly choices about travel modes and, consequently, which types of tourism destinations should seek to develop and promote in order to minimize the environmental impact of the tourist sector on both an individual destination and global scale.     

旅游者恢复性环境感知与游后行为意向——影响机制和边界条件

游客恢复性环境感知作为联结旅游体验和健康的重要环节,是游客与旅游地环境交融形成的综合性体验,是游客管理研究的新视角,但游客恢复性环境感知对游后行为意向的积极效用还未得到深入理解。文章从注意恢复理论出发,应用Mehrabian-Rusell模型,探讨游客恢复性感知、满意度对游后行为意向的影响及游客涉入的调节作用。通过问卷调查收集数据,得到547个有效样本,使用结构方程建模。研究发现:游客功能类恢复性感知(一致性、新奇)正向影响情感类恢复性感知(迷人、兼容性、逃逸);兼容性比迷人对满意度的正向影响更大;新奇比逃逸对游后行为意向的正向影响更大;兼容性与满意度在"一致性、新奇-游后行为意向"的结构中有多重链式中介作用;迷人、兼容性对满意度的影响受游客涉入的正调节。游客恢复性感知对游后行为意向的影响过程表现为"环境刺激认知-情感-意向"三阶段传递机制。最后讨论了上述发现对目的地营销与管理的启示。     

Human resources development for tourism in rural communities: A case study of Kerala

Considering the relative backwardness of rural areas, human resources development (HRD) seems to have a very important role in rural tourism development. However, tourism HRD in rural communities is affected by a number of drawbacks. In the absence of any significant private sector presence, especially during initial stages, the public sector need to take the initiative in equipping and empowering the local community to meaningfully participate in tourism. This paper suggests a multi‐pronged approach to educate and empower the members of the host community, the tourism industry personnel, and visitors to facilitate rural tourism development, which is sustainability‐oriented and can help localize the benefits. The experience of Kerala provides an example of how the public sector initiated HRD activities could contribute to the development of rural tourism, especially in engendering local entrepreneurial endeavors and giving tourism a higher profile. The Kerala experience represents some of the issues in HRD for rural tourism and suggests potential strategies for other rural communities involved in tourism development.     

滨海旅游目的地游客感知价值的影响因素研究——以广西北海银滩国家级旅游度假区为例

把握影响游客感知价值的关键因素,有助于促进旅游目的地竞争力的提升。以广西北海银滩国家级旅游度假区为研究区域,采用携程旅行网北海银滩游客网络评论资料作为研究样本,运用扎根理论方法构建包括5个主范畴和18个对应范畴的滨海游客感知价值影响因素模型,并运用复杂系统的决策实验和评估实验法（Decision making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory,DEMATEL）模型构建滨海游客感知价值影响因素的关系矩阵,识别影响滨海游客感知价值的关键因素。研究发现：资源和环境、管理和保护、设施和服务、情感和成本价值构成了滨海旅游目的地游客感知价值的重要维度,天气条件、海滩规模、海滩管理和保护、游客愉悦感、游客娱乐体验项目、旅游基础设施及服务是影响滨海旅游目的地游客感知价值的关键因素。据此提出促进我国滨海旅游目的地游客感知价值提升的相关建议。     

Foodstagramming in the travel encounter

This research investigates a new phenomenon – foodstagramming, in which tourists embark on capturing and sharing food photos – using a mixed-methods approach in three studies. Study 1 assesses how foodstagramming experiences are phenomenologically constructed in a field inquiry. Studies 2 and 3 undergo a rigorous scale development process by setting forth a foodstagramming benefit scale, which measures tourist perceived value in capturing and sharing of food photos in social media. These two studies further test its nomological network via a relationship leading from impression management to travel satisfaction through foodstagramming benefits. Results address the conundrum in the literature, which conjectures why self-expression, enrichment of dining experience, social connection, virtual community engagement, and special occasion memory underpin the foodstragramming phenomenon and how they could reap favorable travel outcomes. This research further contributes to the hospitality and tourism industry with insights on technology mediated dining and travel experiences.     

Tourist experience quality and loyalty to an island destination: the moderating impact of destination image

This study aims to explore the relationships among tourist experience quality, perceived value, perceived price reasonableness, tourist satisfaction with tour experience, and loyalty to an island destination by considering the moderating effect of destination image. The survey was distributed in person at an international airport. The findings revealed that tourists’ involvement with tours is the core of perceived value and price reasonableness, which increases tourists’ satisfaction. Perceived value is a stronger mediator between involvement and satisfaction than perceived price reasonableness. The moderating effect of island image is also uncovered. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed based on the findings.     

Are we all environmental tourists now? The role of biases in social comparison across and within tourists,and their implications

From a management and research perspective, it is important to get a better understanding of what influences tourists in their decision to choose environmentally friendly travel options, and how these are related to social cognitive processes. This paper reports findings from two separate studies investigating the role of biases in social comparison, with particular reference to tourists' perception of their personal roles as environmentally friendly tourists, and especially tourists’ views of the environmental attitudes of other tourists. Samples of N = 1607 and N = 2076 tourists, respectively, were obtained for two studies in Western Norway. Results indicate that tourists perceive themselves to hold more pro-environmental attitudes than other tourists (i.e. “typical tourist”, “average tourist”, “tourists”). This suggests that there are differences in the perception of the self and others when it comes to social comparisons concerning issues of environmental sustainability. The findings also suggest that tourists hold overly positive views of themselves generally concerning issues of environmental sustainability and that their environmental attitudes reflect perceived desirable standards. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed from a social psychological perspective, and implications for tourism managers and researchers noted.     

The Role of Service Quality,Perceived Value,and Relationship Quality in Enhancing Customer Loyalty in the Travel Agency Sector

Relationship quality is crucial to enhancing a tourist’s loyalty. Little empirical research has been conducted to link service quality, perceived value, and relationship quality to customer loyalty in the travel agency sector. This study attempts to investigate the role of service quality, perceived value, and relationship quality on customer loyalty among tourists. Relationship quality consists of three components: customer satisfaction, customer trust, and customer commitment. Structural equation modeling is used to test the linkages between the six variables that have been identified. Findings reveal that service quality and perceived value of a travel package are antecedent factors to the relationship quality with a travel agency; three components of relationship quality significantly influence a customer’s loyalty to a travel agency.     

The dimensions of rural tourism experience: impacts on arousal,memory, and satisfaction

ABSTRACT

Rural tourism is driven by the search for unique and memorable experiences in particular settings, but knowledge on visitors’ experiences in rural destinations is still scarce. This paper analyzes the rural tourism experience of Portuguese tourists who answered an online survey (N = 252). The paper aims at validating, in the rural tourism context, a previously proposed tourist experience scale, and analyzing the relationships between the experience, arousal, memory, and satisfaction. Results reveal that the rural tourism experience dimensions of education and esthetics positively predict rural tourists’ arousal, whereas escapism and esthetics determine memorability. Finally, implications for rural tourism marketing are discussed.     

The roles of perceived internal and external benefits and costs in innovation co-creation: lessons from Japan

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that motivate tourists to engage in collaborative efforts with tourist destinations for the co-creation of innovative tourism products. Targeting tourists who have visited Tokyo for tourism purpose, the study verifies the antecedents of tourists’ intention to co-create, which include perceived benefits (PB), perceived costs (PC), subjective norms, and ability to co-create tourism innovation. This study further reveals that PC do not have a significant impact on tourists’ intention to participate in innovation co-creation activities, while the other antecedents play important roles. Also, separating PB and costs into internal and external factors, perceived internal benefits (PIB) play a significant role in motivating tourists to participate in co-creation, while perceived external benefits do not. Practical implications are provided for destinations such as Japan to encourage tourists to share their valuable knowledge to improve tourism products and services of tourist destinations.     

湿地公园游客感知价值研究

游客感知价值作为旅游目的地竞争优势的新来源,已经得到旅游学者的广泛重视。随着湿地公园作为旅游目的地吸引力的不断增强,湿地公园之间的竞争也将日趋激烈,湿地公园游客感知价值成为湿地公园竞争力管理的标准。文章以西溪和溱湖两大湿地公园为案例地,检验湿地公园游客感知价值量表,探讨湿地公园游客感知价值的结构特征。通过探索性和验证性因子分析,研究得到包括23个题项6个维度的游客感知价值量表,6个维度分别是：环境价值、特色价值、服务价值、管理价值、知识教育价值和成本价值。其中,特色价值、管理价值、知识教育价值是湿地公园感知价值的独特维度。溱湖游客对特色价值和知识教育价值的感知显著高于西溪游客。文章最后讨论了研究的理论贡献和管理意义。     

基于旅游经历的目的地吸引力感知差异研究

关于旅游经历对旅游者目的地感知的影响,现有的研究文献从感知形象和感知价值等方面进行了探讨,但尚未出现从目的地感知吸引力角度进行的相关研究。目的地的初游者和重游者代表着两类具有不同旅游经历的目的地游客,本文的研究目的在于探讨二者对旅游目的地吸引力的感知及其差异。实证研究结果表明,目的地感知吸引力包含了整体环境吸引和观光体验吸引两个维度,重游者在整体环境吸引上的感知显著高于初游者,二者在观光体验吸引的感知上没有显著差异。     

Tourists' intention to visit heritage hotels at George Town World Heritage Site

George Town, Penang, has always been one of the most popular destinations among Malaysian and international tourists. In 2008, George Town was accorded a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS). With the listing, increasing tourist arrivals and intentions to visit heritage hotels have been very promising in recent years, prompting the emergence of the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings into heritage hotels. In line with this development, this study examines the effects of perceived price, experience quality, prior knowledge, perceived authenticity, and social influence on tourists’ intention to visit heritage hotels at the George Town WHS, Penang, with perceived value as a mediator. The findings indicate that perceived price, experience quality, prior knowledge, perceived authenticity, social influence and perceived value exert positive and significant effects on tourists’ intention to visit heritage hotels. The study also determines the mediating effect of perceived value on the relationships between independent variables and the intention to visit heritage hotels. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the attributes that affect tourists’ intention to visit heritage hotels at the George Town WHS and helps the owners and operators of heritage hotels to formulate future strategies in designing and promoting their services.     

Behavioural adaptation to climate change among winter alpine tourists: an analysis of tourist motivations and leisure substitutability

Understanding market responses to climate change impacts has important implications for the sustainability of Australia's winter tourism destinations. Utilising a framework incorporating push–pull tourist motivations and the theory of leisure substitutability, this study sought to explore how winter tourists in Australia will adapt to changes in snow cover in Australia's alpine regions under future climate change scenarios. The results of a questionnaire completed by 231 respondents indicated that tourist motivations were related to behavioural adaptation, and that there is a general preference among the current winter market for spatial substitution in the event of poor snow. Those motivated by recreation specialisation or snow-related attributes were likely to opt for spatial substitution, while tourists motivated by self-expression and après ski activities displayed resilience to poor snow conditions. The results demonstrate a clear division between leisure-driven tourists who valued participation in sport, and experience-driven tourists, who displayed higher resilience to reduced snow under projected climate change scenarios. These results have practical implications for winter tourism destinations, both in terms of targeting experience-driven tourists in the case of reduced snow as well as the longer term sustainability and viability of winter tourism destinations.     

Managing Tourism in Small Islands: The Case of Pulau Ubin,Singapore

Pulau Ubin is one of the few Singapore offshore islands relatively untouched by development and provides a striking contrast with the main island in terms of the natural and man-made environment. As such, it has a special appeal for residents and tourists who have been attracted there in increasing numbers. Current activity remains on a restricted scale, however, and impacts experienced to date have been limited although of growing concern to some environmentalists. Conditions are now changing as Pulau Ubin has been identified by the government, official bodies and the private sector as a suitable location for tourism and, in the longer term, urbanisation. This paper examines the management of the island and explores the proposals put forward by the various agencies involved and their implications, suggesting that it is in danger of losing those qualities which have made it a unique natural and cultural attraction. Whilst recognising the particular circumstances of the case, more general issues relating to the challenges of managing small island tourist destinations and achieving sustainability are also illustrated by the example.     

Exploring tourists' purchase intention of food-related souvenirs

This study aims to understand the association between food souvenirs and a destination. Most related studies focused on locally consumed food while this study aims at food that can act as a souvenir. Food image plays an important role in shaping destination brand and perceived tourist value, which consequently contributes to purchase intention for food souvenirs. In short, the study examines how local food consumption improves perceived tourist value, which eventually contributes to tourists' intention to purchase food-related souvenirs. 355 tourists who purchased brown sugar steamed cake while visiting Penghu Island in Taiwan were surveyed. The study performed structural equation modeling to test the mediating effects of destination brand and perceived tourist value on souvenir food image prompting purchase intention for food souvenirs. The findings indicate that food souvenirs image contributes more strongly through perceived tourist value than through destination brand.