The impact of the Asian financial crisis on Japanese demand for travel to Hong Kong: A study of various forecasting techniques

The Asian financial crisis has drawn worldwide attention because of its significant economic impact on local economics, especially on the economy of a tourism‐dependent destination. Unfortunately, there have been very few articles about the relationship of the Asian financial crisis and tourism demand forecasting. This relative lack of prior studies on the Asian financial crisis and tourism demand forecasting is particularly true in the context of Hong Kong. This article reports on a study that utilized officially published data to test the accuracy of forecasts of Japanese demand for travel to Hong Kong, measured in terms of the number of Japanese tourist arrivals. Seven commonly‐used tourism forecasting techniques were used to determine the forecasting accuracy. The quality of forecasting accuracy was measured in five dimensions. Experimental results indicated mixed results in terms of forecasting accuracy. Overall, artificial neural network outperformed other techniques in three of the five dimensions.     

Asian medical marketing,a review of factors affecting Asian medical tourism development

Recently, medical tourism has been considered as a profitable economic sector in developing countries. In this study, we have reviewed articles from 2000 to 2017 on medical tourism marketing in Asian countries. We have found that perceived service quality and satisfaction are the most important factors to attract medical tourists. Moreover, a lack of factors like coordination among medical market stakeholders, medical services quality, insurance coverage, and effective laws are the major barriers to medical travel cited in studies. The results suggest that more specific models should be presented for Asian medical marketing, especially in niche markets of this industry.     

中国旅游研究的国际影响力分析——基于对2001～2012年国内外旅游类核心期刊论文的统计

文章通过对2001～2012年间中国两岸四地作者旅游类国际期刊论文的检索和统计,分析发现：（1）中国作者发表的论文总量呈增长趋势,且大陆的增幅尤为明显;（2）中国大陆作者独立发表的论文数量、大陆学术机构的贡献度及论文被引频次较低;（3）通过对不同时期两岸四地论文的关键词分析提取出的研究热点和研究方向发现,中国作者的旅游研究总体从宏观转向微观,由预测、规划转向动机、满意度研究,其中,大陆和港澳台的研究各偏重于不同的方向。文章还从《旅游学刊》文章被国际期刊论文引用的角度进行分析,研究发现,大陆学者正在以学术交流和学生联合培养的方式合作发表论文并引用中文旅游学术期刊文章,从而使之产生一定国际影响力。通过对国内外核心期刊的分析,研究近10年中国旅游研究的国际影响力变化趋势及其影响因素,为旅游学术共同体尤其是大陆学者提升其学术成果的国际影响力提供方向参考。     

Thirty years of research on tourism and hospitality management in China: A review and analysis of journal publications

The tourism industry in China has undergone rapid development since 1978 and is foreseen as being the world's largest tourism market by 2020. However, no comprehensive review of literature in this context has been completed, and international academics have little understanding of China tourism research. This paper aims to provide an overview of 119 articles selected from six leading English language academic journals published from 1978 to 2008. Content analysis points to the evolving trend in Asian universities in terms of journal contributions. Consumer behavior has gained popularity as a research topic, and will likely remain as a prevalent research theme in the near future. A tendency toward multiple-authorship, rather than single authorship, and more sophisticated methodological procedures has also been found. Future analysis may focus on including other forms of publications and Chinese language journals to capture the full picture of China tourism.     

Issues Surrounding Asian Students Hospitality Management in Australia

ABSTRACT

Similar to many western nations, the education of international students by Australian universities has developed into a major industry. Since 1994, the number of international students studying for an Australian qualification has risen by 146% (IDP Education, 2001). The majority of these international students come from the traditional South East Asian countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia mainly to study Business and Economics programs. Growth in international student demand is forecast to continue to rise with countries such as China demonstrating significant growth (IDP Education, 2001).

This paper attempts to present an analysis of the major issues surrounding the education of Asian students. While mention is made of the predictable problems that all international students face when studying in a foreign country, the focus of this paper concentrates on Asian students' learning approaches and styles and associated problems. This paper evaluates research conducted among all Asian students studying in Australia; however, the focus of this paper is those Asian students who are studying Hospitality and Tourism Management at undergraduate level.

The paper identifies both positive and negative images of Asian students and highlights several misperceptions regarding Asian students that are commonly held by western academics. Finally, the paper presents an overview of what strategies might be adopted by western academics in order to make Asian students' experiences at western universities more enjoyable and successful.     

中国旅游研究的国际影响力研究--基于2001-2014年中国学者旅游类SSCI论文统计分析

通过对2001—2014年间中国作者旅游类国际期刊论文的检索和统计,分析发现：（1）近两年来,中国大陆作者发表的论文数量增幅尤为明显;（2）中国大陆作者独立发表的论文数量有所增加,但大陆学术机构的贡献度及论文被引频次仍较低;（3）中国学者在TM上发表的论文有较强的国际影响力;（4）国际论文的数量来看,中国港澳地区学者发表旅游类SSCI论文数量略多于中国台湾学者;（5）中国台湾和中国香港的高被引文章比例较高,在国际旅游学界有较大的影响。通过对不同时期论文的关键词分析提取出的研究热点和研究方向发现,中国作者的旅游研究总体从宏观转向微观,并且对旅游者行为的态度和感知研究更加深入,将对国际旅游学术界的相关领域产生一定的学术影响。     

Providing a More Successful Education Experience for Asian Hospitality Management Students Studying in Australia

ABSTRACT

Economic necessity and political influence has resulted in many western universities striving to increase the number of international students choosing their institution. The consequences of increased numbers of international students has implications for teaching staff and domestic students. This research is focused on international students from Asia studying the Bachelor of Business (Hospitality Management) at The University of Queensland and is set in the context of those students' learning experience. Focusing on issues of teaching and learning styles, the research is based on the suggestion that Asian students have to make a substantial adjustment in terms of their learning styles in order to succeed in a Western University.

The empirical research focuses on Asian students' motivation, choices and expectations of their learning experience in Australia and identifies difficulties those students have experienced. Insights of staff within the School of Tourism and Leisure Management at the University of Queensland are also discussed, particularly focusing on cultural issues.

This article concludes with several recommendations concerning strategies that could be, and are being adopted by The University, academic staff and Asian students.     

近十年我国旅游学术共同体成果的h指数测度与评价

h指数是一项评价科学家科研绩效的定量指标,一个人的h指数越高,表明他的论文影响力越大。文章对2003~2012年我国旅游学术共同体(学术期刊、旅游研究者、高等院校及科研机构等)的旅游研究成果应用h指数进行测度和评价。h指数的计算兼顾了论文的数量和质量,弥补了单纯以论文数量来测度和评价学术共同体成员(如学术期刊、研究者和学术机构等)成果学术影响力和贡献度的不足,增加了旅游学术影响力的评价维度,较为全面客观地反映了我国旅游学术共同体成员的科研生产力和学术影响力,更为全面客观地测度和评价了近十年来我国旅游学术研究的概貌和特征,对旅游学术共同体成员成果进行了评价和排序。     

The relevance of mobile tourism and information technology: an analysis of recent trends and future research directions

Although there have been studies concerning information and communication technologies adoption in the tourism industry, the research trends of mobile tourism (m-tourism) are still not very clear due to the short development time and emerging nature of the technologies. To fill this gap, this study reviewed and analyzed articles related to online reviews of tourism and hospitality published in academic journals between 2002 and 2015. Through a keyword-driven search and content analysis, 92 articles are identified as relevant and classified into three topics. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of this promising research direction by presenting the interesting classification methods used by relevant publications and their insights. This paper also discusses significant topical and methodological trends, and contributes to an overall understanding of existing research and its limitations.     

Online travel purchasing: A literature review

Over the past two decades, there has been an increasing focus on the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), as well as the impact that they have had on the tourism industry and on travelers’ behaviors. However, research on what drives consumers to purchase travel online has typically been fragmented. In order to better understand consumers’ behavior toward online travel purchasing, this article offers a review of articles that were published in leading tourism and hospitality journals, the ENTER proceedings, and several articles from other peer-reviewed journals, found on the main academic search databases. The antecedents of online travel shopping found are classified into three main categories: Consumer Characteristics, Perceived Channel Characteristics, and Website and Product Characteristics. Finally, this study identifies several gaps and provides some orientation for future research.     

Travel preferences of Asian gay men

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) travel is an emerging theme within tourism academia. However, most research to date has focused on the Western context. The reviewed literature appears to assume gay market to be homogenous. The present study contributes to understanding of Asian gay men travel preferences. Qualitative analysis of interviews with Asian gay men is undertaken. Findings suggest that the following categories impact travel decisions among Asian gay men: centrality of being gay to self-identity, degree of disclosure of personal sexuality to others, level of disposable income, purpose of travel, safety and conservativeness of the destination. Moreover, the findings provide a classification for gay tourist attractions. The classification of gay attractions includes the following categories: site/event, exclusivity, popularity, commercialisation, type of benefits provided and political activism. The results point to high diversity of travel preferences among Asian gay men. Treatment of LGBT travellers as a single market is critiqued.     

An overview of cruise tourism research through comparison of cruise studies published in English and Chinese

The concept of cruise tourism should be examined given the rapid growth of this segment of travel worldwide. Rapid increases in cruise tourists and port construction have been observed in China, but systematic research on cruise tourism in China remains unavailable. Hence, this study conducts a thorough review of cruising studies published in top English tourism and hospitality journals and eminent Chinese journals. A content analysis of 62 cruising studies in English and 26 cruising-related articles in Chinese identifies trends in research and methodology and the differences between English and Chinese cruise tourism literature. Significant research topics and methodology trends are discussed and future research directions are also presented.     

A Review of Personality Research in the Tourism and Hospitality Context

Most commentators agree that human relations are central to tourism and hospitality. Different personalities thus display different reactions to the same task. This article provides an overview of prior studies on personality in the context of tourism and hospitality. Using EBSCOHost's Hospitality & Tourism Index, the largest online database for tourism and hospitality research, we analyzed published articles on the topic. Broadly speaking, prior studies can be grouped into the seven dimensions of disposal, biological, intrapsychic, cognitive, social, and adjustment in personality research, plus brand personality. Interestingly, our results show although the Internet has become one of the major marketing channels for hospitality and tourism, only a small number of published articles are related to consumers' online behavior. We thus propose that this area be further researched in the future.     

Mixed methods in sustainable tourism research: an analysis of prevalence,designs and application in JOST (2005–2014)

This article analyses the use of mixed methods in papers published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism over the 10 years, 2005–2014. First, a content analysis of the articles shows that mixed methods are used primarily for expansion and development of results, and less often for triangulation or complementarity. Sequential designs are slightly more popular than simultaneous designs, with qualitative research preceding the quantitative element. In the majority of cases, both the quantitative and qualitative methods have equivalent importance, yet where one is dominant, this is usually the quantitative part. Second, we contextualise the content analysis by exemplifying the use of mixed methods in selected papers, using commentary from authors who have recently published mixed methods papers. We reflect on the reasons for, strengths and weaknesses of using mixed methods, and we argue that mixed methods provide sustainable tourism academics with more opportunities for pragmatic transformative research for societal change, and increasing research reliability in relation to social desirability bias, stakeholder comparisons and transdisciplinarity. The paper notes the need for greater understanding of mixed methods by researchers, its special value and growing importance in sustainable tourism research, and its challenges and strengths for authors and editors.     

Eurocentrism,capitalism and tourism knowledge

Global hegemonic structures of power have been a subject of debate among social scientists for decades. However, issues addressing the ‘subjugation of the intellect’ and forces shaping knowledge production – globalisation, capitalism and neo-colonialism – remain understudied in tourism. Drawing upon critical theories of Eurocentrism and capitalism, in this paper we explore and address the ideological impacts of existing global power structures on the next generation of tourism ‘knowledge producers’ in Asia. More specifically, this work critically discusses the ontological and epistemological beliefs – and subsequent methodological choices – of a group of Asian PhD scholars. The empirical material presented in this paper highlights that persisting forms of Eurocentric ideology embedded in capitalist structures of power permeate non-Western academic circles.     

The relationships between the seriousness of leisure activities,social support and school adaptation among Asian international students in the U.S.

Although social support is a significant contributor of school adaptation, Asian international students tend to have a lack of social support. To build up social support, leisure engagement could be an effective way for Asian international students. In particular, taking leisure seriously may have important effects on Asian international students to build strong social networks and obtain a sense of belonging to help them adapt to school. A total of 190 Korean and Chinese international students were focused to explore the relationships between the seriousness of leisure activities, social support and school adaptation among Asian international students attending U.S. colleges/universities using structural equation modeling. While the model showed an acceptable model fit to the sample data, the results indicate that engaging in leisure seriously has a positive association with gaining social support from friends. Furthermore, social support from friends was not only a predictor of school adaptation but also acted as a mediator between the seriousness of leisure activities and school adaptation. We also found that the seriousness of leisure involvement maintained a direct effect on school adaptation. This study advocated the importance of serious leisure engagement in the lives of Asian international students adapting to college.     

Does ecotourism contribute to sustainable destination development,or is it just a marketing hoax? Analyzing twenty-five years contested journey of ecotourism through a meta-analysis of tourism journal publications

ABSTRACT

Conducting a periodical systematic review on a given field of study enables to comprehend the conceptual development of a discipline. A decade has passed since the last in-depth systematic review on contemporary ecotourism research has been published. This study is, therefore, executed to systematically analyze ecotourism research articles published in the previous twenty-five years and thereby to reassess the past, understand the present and envisage the future of ecotourism development. 470 articles published in nine top-tier tourism journals are screened and analyzed. Thematic and summative content analyses are employed to examine the contents of each publication. The findings highlight that over the years, researchers have examined myriads of ecotourism research themes. Despite fluctuations over the years, the overall publication trend shows growth. Most ecotourism studies are conducted in developing countries, with Asia taking the lead followed by Africa and Latin America. However, in terms of researchers’ domicile, the USA becomes the first followed by Australia, the UK, and Canada. Despite modest successes, overall, the contribution of ecotourism towards sustainable destination development remains indiscernible. The current study provides up-to-date insight into the ecotourism literature by highlighting the main themes and trends of ecotourism research over the last twenty-five years. Research findings also enhance our understanding of the evolution of ecotourism research and ignite further study in ecotourism by suggesting issues that merit rigorous investigation.     

Smartphones in Tourism and Hospitality Marketing: A Literature Review

Smartphones are a growing marketing platform whose increasing popularity affects tourism by helping tourists communicate and share information while traveling. Considering the growing significance of smartphones in tourism and hospitality, this study analyzed 104 articles related to smartphones that were published in academic journals and papers presented at conferences from the perspective of both marketers and consumers. The number of studies on smartphones was found to have increased between the years 2000 and 2013. In particular, the number of studies focused on the consumer perspective was larger than that focused on the marketer perspective. This paper contributes to academic research by identifying areas that lack emphasis and providing an agenda for future research.     

The human dimensions of wildlife tourism in a developing country: watching spinner dolphins at Lovina,Bali, Indonesia

The number of cetacean watching tourism operations in developing countries has doubled in the past decade. Practices are typically unregulated and not informed by research, especially research into the human dimensions of the tourist experience. Dolphin watching tourism at Lovina, Bali, started in the late 1980s when local fishers formed self-regulating cooperatives. Up to 180 dedicated operators use small fishing vessels to carry passengers to watch dolphins close to shore. Most tourists come from western countries, although the industry also attracts Asian visitors. Most visitors are tertiary-educated. Tourist satisfaction ranges from low to medium. While there was no significant difference between the average satisfaction of western and Asian tourists, the associated variables were different. The satisfaction of western tourists was associated with encounter management, preferred number of boats and the number of dolphins seen. Encounter management was the only variable associated with the satisfaction of Asian tourists. Satisfaction was positively associated with willingness to recommend the tour: western respondents who felt neutral to very comfortable with their dolphin encounters were more likely to promote the tour. Better understanding of the tourist experience is crucial in designing sustainable marine wildlife tourism in developing countries; such research appears to be rare.