A Study of Experiential Quality,Equity, Happiness,Rural Image,Experiential Satisfaction,and Behavioral Intentions for the Rural Tourism Industry in China

This study aims at examining the interrelationships among experiential quality, equity, happiness, rural image, experiential satisfaction, and behavioral intentions for the rural tourism industry in China. The data used in this study were based on a sample of 694 rural tourists staying in Sansheng Flower Town of Chengdu, indicating that the proposed model fits the data. The result of this study will assist rural tourism management in developing and implementing market-orientated service strategies to increase experiential quality and equity, and enhance the image and experiential satisfaction of rural tourists in order to generate favorable intentions to return or revisit the same rural village.     

An empirical study on the influence of economy hotel website quality on online booking intentions

This study investigates the potential theoretical relationships among economy hotel website quality, eTrust, and online booking intentions in China. A questionnaire survey was performed, and 298 samples were collected from the users of three economy hotel websites (7 days, Home Inns, and Hanting Hotel) in Guangzhou, China. Results of a detailed data analysis demonstrate the influence of the four dimensions of economy hotel website quality (usability, ease of use, entertainment, and complementarity) on eTrust and online booking intentions. Specifically, (1) the usability, entertainment, and complementarity of economy hotel websites significantly positively affected eTrust; on the contrary, the influence of ease of use on eTrust was insignificant; (2) complementarity showed a more positive influence than the three other attributes on online booking intentions; and (3) eTrust significantly positively influenced online booking intentions. These findings contribute to economy hotel online marketing in China by bridging the gap between the exploration of hotel website quality and its influence on online booking intentions.     

Revisiting the host city: An empirical examination of sport involvement,place attachment,event satisfaction and spectator intentions at the London Olympics

This paper tests a model based on hypothesized relationships among sport involvement, place evaluations; at the level of venue and host city, and event satisfaction as antecedents of behavioral intentions. The relationships are explored among a sample of people attending the 2012 London Olympic Games (n = 603). Spectators completed questionnaires at event venues, providing responses at the place and time of the consumptive experience. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to determine the dimensions of the constructs and to test the validity of measurement items. The structural model indicated that sport involvement and place attachment influenced revisit intentions but this was not the case for event satisfaction. This suggests that although tourism will benefit when spectators experience a psychological connection with event venues, the Olympic Games offer a distinctive event experience that does not have a direct influence on intentions to revisit the host city.     

The impact of website quality on customer satisfaction and purchase intentions: Evidence from Chinese online visitors

With the increasing popularity of online shopping and being the most populated country in the world, China is one of the major online markets now and is likely to become the largest market in the future. In the academic literature, website quality has generally been recognized as a critical step to drive business online. As such, numerous studies have been devoted to website quality and evaluations. Research efforts are, however, in need of understanding the use of websites in regards to online customers’ behavior, especially Chinese customers. This study developed and empirically tested a conceptual model of the impact of website quality on customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. Results indicated that website quality has a direct and positive impact on customer satisfaction, and that customer satisfaction has a direct and positive impact on purchase intentions. While the influence of website quality on purchase intentions exists, customer satisfaction does significantly mediate this effect. Drawing on the empirical findings, managerial implications and recommendations for future research are offered.     

The effects of perceived service quality on repurchase intentions and subjective well-being of Chinese tourists: The mediating role of relationship quality

The current study provides and tests an integrated model that examines two relationship quality constructs (overall customer satisfaction, customer-company identification) as mediating variables between Chinese tourists' lodging service quality perceptions and two outcomes (repurchase intentions, subjective well-being). The results of a study with domestic Chinese hotel guests (n = 451) provide support for the proposed model. Specifically, the results indicate that overall customer satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between perceived service quality and repurchase intentions and subjective well-being, respectively. Customer-company identification partially mediates the relationship between perceived service quality and repurchase intentions and subjective wellbeing, respectively. We provide empirical validation that customers do, indeed, identify with hospitality providers, and this, in-turn, provides positive consequences for both the service provider (i.e., repurchase intentions) and the customer (i.e., subjective well-being). Managerial implications are provided, limitations noted, and future research directions suggested.     

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.     

An empirical analysis of attendance at a commemorative event: Anzac Day at Gallipoli

This paper tests the influence of various attributes of event attendance on visitor satisfaction. The Anzac Day commemoration at Gallipoli, Turkey, provides the backdrop for the study. The significance of this place and event is born out of the involvement of the Anzac soldiers (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) in the First World War and their battles against Turkish forces at Gallipoli in 1915. Fittingly, Anzac Day, the 25th of April, the day of the landings, is a national day of commemoration in Australia and New Zealand. Data for this study was collected by an exit survey of 331 Australian attendees at the Gallipoli commemorations. In addressing the aim of this study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was undertaken as a basis for the subsequent development of a model of satisfaction using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results indicate that aspects relating to the amenities, transport and ceremonies held at Gallipoli are significant predictors of event satisfaction. This research provides a positive contribution to the understanding of customer satisfaction in event settings, extending the limited research on attendee satisfaction to investigate its elements in relation to a large-scale commemorative event associated with battlefield tourism.     

The mediating role of psychological distress between ostracism,work engagement,and turnover intentions: An analysis in the Cypriot hospitality context

Drawing on the conservation of resources and job-demands resource theories, this study proposes and tests psychological distress as an underlying mechanism mediating the relationships between workplace ostracism, work engagement, and turnover intentions. Furthermore, it investigates how resilience and perceived external employability condition the aforementioned relationships. Four- and five-star full-time hotel employees provided the data for this study. The findings suggest that psychological distress mediated the relationship between workplace ostracism and turnover intention, but did not mediate the workplace ostracism-work engagement linkage. Also, workplace ostracism plummeted the work engagement of less resilient employees, and surprisingly aroused that of more resilient employees. Finally, the result did not support the argument that employees with perceived high external employability would have stronger turnover intentions compared to those with lower external employability. This study offered new insights into the interface between workplace ostracism, engagement, and turnover intention, and relevant theoretical implications and address to managers are further discussed.     

Is the hotel classification system a good indicator of hotel quality?: An application in Spain

This paper analyses whether the hotel classification system is a good indicator of hotel quality, where quality is defined to be satisfying the expectations and needs of the client. We conducted our research in Spain, where a five-category system using stars is employed. To be exact, the hotel sector of one autonomous community (Cantabria, located in northern Spain) was studied, given that it is these autonomous regions that have exclusive authority to regulate and promote tourism. The results of the study confirm that even though significant quality differences are seen between the different categories, the ranking by quality does not correspond to that by categories. This supports the idea that quality is associated with the delivery of a service according to client expectations, more than it is with establishment category.     

Critical factors in the identification of word-of-mouth enhanced with travel apps: the moderating roles of Confucian culture and the switching cost view

The constant changes in new technology are affecting China's tourism environment. Tourists have become increasingly reliant on travel apps when searching for a tourism destination. This study reinvestigates whether the perception of an app advantage influences word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions through satisfaction and stickiness in the dynamic tourism environment of China. Mediation–moderation hypothesis is applied to build a conceptual framework of support for a proposition explaining how travel apps influence WOM. This study also explores the role of Confucian values and switching costs in this context. These findings provide important insights into why and when travel apps influence tourists’ tourism behaviors.     

An analysis of members' perspectives of service quality in Hong Kong tourist association membership system

The objectives of the study were (1) to evaluate members' satisfaction and expectation towards the quality of services provided by the HKTA membership system; (2) to identify the performance “gap” between members' satisfaction and expectation in the HKTA membership system; and, (3) to explore the impact of members' satisfaction level in participating in the HKTA membership system. A comprehensive survey was conducted and a Simple Random Sampling plan was used to survey 600 members. It was found that 28 out of 32 attributes had negative performance “gaps.” The likelihood of participating in HKTA activities was dependant on the members' satisfaction in “Increase social awareness,” “Opportunities to liaise with business associates” and “Upgrading staff through training courses.” The implications of the findings were discussed and recommendations were proposed.     

Investigating beliefs,attitudes, and intentions regarding green restaurant patronage: An application of the extended theory of planned behavior with moderating effects of gender and age

This study aims to identify customer belief structures underlying the cognitive process of green restaurant patronage by applying the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). The extended TPB model includes two additional predictors (past behavior and dining frequency) and two moderators (gender and age) to predict customers’ intention to visit green restaurants. This study followed recommended two-phase survey procedures. Salient beliefs of the target population were elicited in the first phase, and the relationships between those beliefs and other TPB constructs were analyzed in the second phase. Perceived behavioral control emerged as the most significant determinant followed by attitude and subjective norm in the Korean green restaurant context. The findings support the inclusion of past behavior as an additional predictor and confirm the moderating effects of gender and age. This study provides useful implications for effective marketing strategies for green restaurants.     

A two-way causal chain between tourism development and quality of life in a small island destination: an empirical analysis

This study postulates that tourism development (TD) and residents' quality of life (QoL) may have an intrinsically reciprocal relationship. The possible connection between TD and QoL is investigated in the island of Aruba, with economic development as a mediating variable. This investigation contributes to the literature by emphasizing the active role of QoL in the relationship with TD through a subjective well-being approach, and by expanding our understanding of the development concept. The study also advances the scope of tourism theory by presenting new propositions. The methodology consists of applying exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses combined with structural equations modeling. The results suggest that TD has a direct and indirect impact on QoL, and that QoL has an indirect effect on TD, via economic development. These findings provide new insights on the dimensions that shape the link between TD and QoL.