Growth of Budget Hotels in China: Antecedents and Future

The Chinese hotel industry is undergoing brisk growth, particularly in the budget hotel segment. Thus, an exploratory study was conducted to determine the factors facilitating growth of the budget hotel market. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threat analysis was undertaken to identify future trends and to assess market potential. Relevant implications and suggestions were made to the industry so as to remedy the identified weaknesses and overcome the threats. Some regression models about the expansion of different star-rated hotels in China were also developed. It was found that overall disposable income was the most significant factor in explaining and predicting the number of budget hotel rooms.     

The Environmentally Friendly Programs in Hotels and Customers' Intention to Stay: An Online Survey Approach

This study surveyed customer perceptions about the environmentally friendly programs (i.e., green programs) in hotels and analyzed the degree to which such programs influenced customers' hotel selection. Data were collected from online travel communities by conducting Web-based online surveys. A total of members from 63 travel-related online communities participated in the survey. Multiple regression analysis results showed that the significant factors that affected client hotel selection were: Solid waste and water programs in guestrooms, energy programs, solid waste and water programs in housekeeping, and biodiversity programs. However, water program by customers' option did not influence customer decisions to stay at environmentally friendly hotels. Results also showed differences in customer awareness and demand for environmentally friendly hotels based on gender, income, and age.     

Customer Equity Models for Mainland China and Taiwan's Economy Hotels

The economy hotel industry in Mainland China has grown rapidly in the last 20 years. At the same time, Taiwan has aggressively marketed development for the last five years. This work develops a customer equity model for economy hotels and compares model differences for Mainland China and Taiwan. In total, 297 completed questionnaires were collected in Mainland China and 318 in Taiwan. Model testing was conducted through structural equation modeling (SEM). Analytical results reveal that travelers focused more on relationship equity and brand equity in Mainland China, while travelers in Taiwan focused on value equity and brand equity, and that strengthening these will strengthen customer equity. Finally, implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

海水浴场紫外线强度与海滩活动适宜性研究

紫外辐射过强会对身体产生许多负面影响.在海滩进行旅游活动的同时,怎样享受阳光,而又尽量避免紫外线危害,是每个海滩游客需要注意的问题.本文采集全国18个浴场天气状况数据,采用辐射传输方程计算得出各浴场2003-2004年泳季(中午12时)紫外线指数,计算泳季紫外线指数均值及10日滑动平均值;归纳大陆浴场紫外线强度及其分布特征.根据世界卫生组织及中国气象局紫外线分级标准拟定的评价标准进行评价,得出中国大陆18个浴场泳季适宜、较适宜和不适宜海滩活动的日数.并根据紫外线指数与泳季长度把大陆浴场划分为短泳季弱辐射型、长泳季弱辐射型、短泳季强辐射型、长泳季强辐射型4种类型.     

我国酒店在线预订价格竞争的实证研究

在线旅行预订已经成为消费者日益青睐的旅游产品消费模式,其中酒店的在线预订增长量尤其明显。目前在酒店在线预订市场中,既有旅行在线代理商也有酒店官网,且两者竞争越来越激烈。这两种主要的酒店在线预订其价格有没有显著性差异？不同类型酒店差异表现是否一致？文章借用配对样本￡检验方法对我国酒店在线预订价格竞争进行实证研究,深度剖析两种在线预订渠道的定价规律及形成原因,并提出相关建议。     

住客酒店点评对调节焦点个体的说服效果

网络Web 2.0时代,游客在预订酒店时常常通过查询先前住客点评内容来了解酒店情况。住客生成的网络点评内容是影响口碑效果的重要因素,但点评内容正负性和详略性的作用现有研究还存在一些争议。以调节焦点理论为基础研究酒店预订中住客点评的说服效果,通过2×2×2实验研究发现,负向酒店点评对预防焦点个体的说服效果更优,正向酒店点评对促进焦点个体的说服效果更优,详尽的酒店点评内容对预防焦点个体的说服效果更大,简略的酒店点评内容对促进焦点型个体的说服效果更大。     

中国大陆外方管理饭店人力资源管理现状及对策研究

本文通过抽样调查方式对中国大陆外方管理饭店(简称外管饭店)的人力资源管理现状、问题进行了分析。研究结果表明外管饭店与其它性质的饭店相比具有更大的自主权、裙带关系较少、重视员工培训和发展、更有效的激励系统以及良好的劳资关系等特征。国际饭店集团正在采取人才本土化战略,以获得更大竞争优势。外管饭店也面临着员工素质不高、人才流失、员工表现不理想、职业道德总体较低和中外员工文化差异等问题。作者认为人力资源管理的重点应该放在培训及激励员工两方面。     

Assessing Hotel Cost Control Through Value Engineering: A Case Study on the Budget Hotels in a Middle-sized City in China

This study employed a value engineering approach to identify and evaluate the factors integral to the efficiency of operation and management of the budget hotel sector in China. A combination of qualitative panel judgments and quantitative statistics was applied in the analysis of a Chinese budget brand which is publicly listed in the USA. Findings reveal that out of the six categories of costs identified, the two items of standard room cost and energy & maintenance achieved the ideal value, while lease rental and human resources are overvalued, with franchise fee and refurbishment cost being undervalued. The implication for hotel investors as well as operators is that for the budget sector to fully realize its potential, a delicate balance needs to be obtained so that resources can be more evenly distributed and customer experiences enriched.     

An Investigation of Gen-Y's Online Hotel Information Search: The Case of Hong Kong

The Internet has made searching for hotel room information and making online reservations common practices among hotel guests. Despite constantly changing consumer behavior and widespread application of online hotel information sources, limited studies have been conducted to examine the online sources used frequently by customers and the related attributes of such sources. As such, drawing from an online questionnaire survey with 205 respondents, findings in this study indicate that there are no socio-demographic effects on future purchase intention of Generation (Gen) Y travelers. Moreover, websites of suppliers (e.g. official websites of hotels), travel intermediaries (e.g. Hotels.com), and social media (e.g. TripAdvisor) are the three major types of websites used by Gen Y hotel guests. Travel intermediary websites are often used to search for hotel information, whereas social media websites are used to make reservations. Based on these findings, implications for hotel managers are discussed.     

Multilevel Analysis of the Relationship Between Type of Travel,Online Ratings,and Management Response: Empirical Evidence from International Upscale Hotels

The diverse characteristics of customers and hotels have been identified as relevant to online customer satisfaction at the individual level. In this study, a comprehensive examination is conducted, through the use of a multilevel, nested model and secondary data set. The results show that both online review experience and management response frequencies can positively affect customer satisfaction. Additionally, hotel managers need to pay more attention to customers who have less online review experience when they carry out targeted response strategies. The findings have various implications for both academic researchers and hotel operators.     

Chinese Hotels in the Eyes of Chinese Hoteliers: The Most Critical Issues

Chinese hotels have undergone a series of reforms in the past three decades. With both increased demand and supply of hotel products and services, it is important for hotel practitioners and governing bodies to understand challenges that face the current Chinese hotel industry so that a proactive plan can be formulated to guide further hotel development. The current study conducted six focus groups with 46 Chinese hoteliers to explore the most critical issues, concerning the Chinese hotel industry. In total, the hoteliers identified 38 issues to be critical to the hotel industry in China. The issues were further ranked based on the level of importance to the industry.     

论国际青年旅馆在中国的发展方向

国际青年旅馆运动发展已近90年历史,在我国只有两年,作为一种新型旅馆形式,它能否在中国大陆上发展起来,可发展多大规模?应在哪里发展?预期效果如何?国内外旅游界目前对此研究停留在概念阶段,而理论意义上的研究成果尚未及见.本文研究了国际青年旅馆的形成因素和中国现有青年旅馆发展现状,探讨了中外青年旅馆之间在机理上的差异,论证中国青年旅馆未来发展趋势、模式和举措.     

论我国经济型饭店发展的产业示范意义

本文讨论了我国经济型饭店发展的产业示范意义。对于民族饭店业而言,经济型饭店的示范意义在于以品牌为中心建立了产品形象、通过跨地域经营获得规模经济以及采用多模式扩张提高增长速度。对于整个中国饭店业而言,经济型饭店的示范意义在于通过产品差异化创新获得了很好的绩效。认识到这些意义,我们可以从更具有战略性的高度去看待今天中国经济型饭店的发展。     

网络点评对民宿顾客住宿意愿的影响——信任的中介作用探讨

网络点评是影响民宿顾客住宿意愿的重要因素。本研究以信任理论为基础,从顾客需求视角探讨民宿顾客对网络平台的信任和对民宿主人的信任在网络点评和民宿顾客住宿意愿之间的作用。研究发现:(1)网络点评对民宿顾客住宿意愿的直接影响效应显著;(2)顾客信任的二维度(对网络平台的信任和对民宿主人的信任)在网络点评和民宿顾客住宿意愿之间起串联中介作用,但是顾客信任的两个维度不能单独在网络点评和民宿顾客住宿意愿之间起中介作用。本研究揭示了网络点评对民宿顾客住宿意愿的作用路径,为民宿营销提供了新视角。     

The Channel That Offers the Lowest Online Room Rates: A Case Study of Hotels in Hong Kong

Online distribution channels increasingly serve as platforms hotels can use to offer competitive room rates to attract price-sensitive customers and maximize yield. Capturing the lowest and highest daily room rates over a 360-day period from five of the most popular online travel agencies, and two batches of data showing the lowest room rates over 28 days from a last-minute bookings website, this study compares the lowest prices offered. The results indicate that no single online channel outperforms the others in any of the hotel star-rating categories, and that the last-minute reservation service provides the lowest hotel room rate across different star ratings.     

International hotel development: A study of potential franchisees in China

Franchising is a strategic partnership formed by the franchisor and the franchisee, and consequently partner selection between the franchisor and the franchisee is critical to the long-term success of a franchise. However, the literature has primarily taken the viewpoint of franchisors, but failed to explore the perspective of the potential franchisees. As China represents a significant growth opportunity for international hotel franchisors, this study examines the perspective of China's domestic hotel operators regarding franchising and analyzes a mix of factors that may affect such perspective. The study of 182 Chinese hotel general managers shows that China's hotel practitioners have considerable interest in franchising and are knowledgeable about the concept as it pertains to hotels. The findings indicate that the length of work experience and educational background of Chinese hotel operators may influence their franchising preferences. Hotel chains that have strong brand awareness, supportive centralized reservation systems, and offer relatively high returns on investment at relatively low franchise fees, are most attractive to potential Chinese franchisees.     

世界遗产地旅游企业环境行为及其驱动机制——张家界饭店企业实证

世界遗产地旅游企业的环境行为直接影响到区域环境质量.文章利用6大类33个环境行为指标,对世界自然遗产武陵源所在地张家界市的饭店企业环境行为进行测度;同时,构建饭店企业环境行为影响因素量表,运用多元线性回归分析方法,探析饭店企业环境行为的驱动机制.研究表明:张家界饭店企业环境行为总体均值得分较低(1.72);6个环境行为指标组的均值分别为1.82、1.70、1.63、2.02、1.59和1.43,其中,环保知识掌握、环境管理沟通和节水管理等3个方面的环境行为表现较为欠缺;在大多数环境行为指标的得分上,高星级饭店并未与低星级饭店、社会旅馆拉开明显差距;利润动机、政府环境规制压力和其他利益相关者压力是饭店企业环境行为的主要驱动因素;管理层环境意识和事业动机对饭店企业环境行为绩效没有显著影响.     

Determinants of Customer Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry: An Application of Online Review Analysis

This study illustrates that determinants of customer satisfaction in hospitality venues can be identified through an analysis of online reviews. Using text mining and content analysis of 42,668 online traveler reviews covering 774 star-rated hotels, the study found that transportation convenience, food and beverage management, convenience to tourist destinations and value for money are identified as excellent factors that customers booking both luxury and budget hotels consider important and for which the performance is much satisfactory to them. Customers paid more attention to, but were less satisfied with, bed, reception services and room size and decoration. Most determinants of customer satisfaction also showed a consensus over luxury versus budget hotels, except for factors referring to lobby and sound insulation. As per its findings, the article concludes by presenting theoretical and managerial implications.     

Perceptions of Functionality and Usability on Travel Websites: The Case of Chinese Travelers

Despite the large increase in the amount of online purchases of travel-related products in recent years, previous studies on travel website analysis have concentrated mainly on assessing the quality of travel websites, customer purchase behavior, and website content analysis. In the context of Mainland China (hereafter known as China), with growing wealth of her citizens and the inclination to travel, more Chinese travelers have been, and will probably be, visiting worldwide destinations. In addition, many Chinese travelers will use the Internet to search, and subsequently to purchase, travel-related products and services. This study makes an attempt to analyze Chinese online buyers and online browsers on their perceived importance of travel website functionality (content) and usability (design) and their specific factors. Online buyers (e-buyers) are the Internet users who have previously purchased on travel websites, whereas online browsers (e-browsers) are the Internet users who have browsed travel websites but without making any purchases. The research findings showed that e-buyers did not differ significantly from e-browsers in most of the included factors. The findings of this research are expected to assist travel website developers to improve their websites and to attract more e-travelers.     

Modelling E-Marketing Strategies: Internet Presence and Exploitation of Greek Hotels

Abstract

Despite the wide use of the Internet in the tourism industry and the exponential growth of e-commerce, little is still known on how the new medium is transforming marketing practices and concepts. The purpose of this empirical study is to fill in this gap. Specifically, the study first analyses Internet's capabilities as well as the Virtual Marketspace and the marketing transformations that the Internet is creating. After reviewing models and strategies for Internet marketing, an e-marketing mix is proposed that exploits Internet capabilities. The latter is used in order to investigate and provide suggestions on the development of Internet strategies of hotels in Greece.