The repeat travel market for Taiwan: A multi-stage segmentation approach

Despite the importance of market segmentation, the growth of the travel and tourism industry in Taiwan, and the repeat travel phenomenon in tourism, relatively few studies have examined the behavior of repeat travelers in the East Asia region. The present study was designed to fill this gap. This exploratory study applied multistage segmentation in the context of repeat travel behavior to Taiwan. It examined the socio-demographic profile, trip characteristics and expenditures of Taiwan inbound repeat travelers. The results indicated that nationality, income, type of travel arrangements and information search behavior significantly affected repeat travel behavior. In terms of travel expenditures, males spent significantly more than females. Those travelers between 40 and 60 years old tended to spend the most when they visited Taiwan compared to other groups. Chinese travelers were most likely to have traveled to Taiwan more than once among all nationalities compared in this study. Those from Korea and Japan spent the most money among all nationality groups. This study provided several significant implications for the marketers of tourism in Taiwan.     

Modelling Long Distance Pleasure Travel Mode Using Perceived Modal Attributes

Modelling transport choice behaviour traditionally has been addressed using objective measures of attribute data: price, time, etc. The authors argue that actual brand attributes may not be a good casual influence on consumer choice of long distance tourism travel. Choice is more likely to be a function of brand perceptions or brand image, which in turn is a function of past experience, expectations, promotional influences, family life stage and other personal factors. The authors re-examine data gathered in 1985 on tourist travel between Perth and Sydney or Melbourne, Australia; about 2400 miles. The authors model actual behaviour in terms of market share as a function of respondents' perceptions of travel mode attributes using a customised Multinomial Logit program which develops separate explanatory models for identified market segments. Results demonstrate the improvement in predictability over non-segmented models. Implications for tourism operators in promotions, product design and market targeting are discussed.     

Analyzing Destination Images: A Perceptual Charting Approach

Abstract

Heterogeneity of perceptions is a neglected issue in market segmentation studies. Only recently parametric approaches toward modeling segmented perception-preference structures such as combined MDS and Latent Class procedures have been introduced. A completely different nonparametric method is based on topology-sensitive vector quantization (VQ) for consumers-by-brands-by-attributes data. It maps the segment-specific perceptual structures into bar charts with multiple brand positions exhibiting perceptual distinctiveness or similarity. A brief introduction into the VQ methodology is followed by a sample study on three urban destinations competing on the world travel markets. City images serve as the underlying behavioral constructs. Preferential data are based on respondents' comes-closest-to-ideal-city judgments and incorporated into the perceptual positions of city profiles. Perceptual charting works on two levels of aggregation named prototypes and perceptual sub-structures. The results demonstrate how this method prevents the analyst from drawing erroneous conclusions due to uncontrolled aggregation.     

Market Segmentation in Time of Crisis

SUMMARY

The MICE sector (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions), has generated high foreign exchange revenue for the economy worldwide. In Thailand, MICE tourists are recognized as 'quality' visitors, mainly because of their high-spending potential. Nonetheless, Thailand's MICE sector has been influenced by a number of crises in the past since September 11, 2001. While a number of researchers have discussed the tourism market segmentation strategies during a crisis situation, less effort has focused on the MICE sector. Using Thailand as a case study, this research has adopted Seaton and Bennett's (1996, p. 31) concept of tourism market segmentation in order to understand the market segmentation strategy implemented by organizations in the MICE sector in time of crisis.     

A Gay Tourism Market

ABSTRACT

There is a commonly held view that gay men, in particular, are frequent and intensive holiday-makers. This is explained by reference to distinctive characteristics relating to income and leisure time and to distinctive values and attitudes. Gay men's travel patterns are believed to be unique and such as to offer good prospects to those, such as tour operators and hoteliers, willing to target this market. The evidence for these beliefs is examined in this article. Many of the assertions are based on limited-coverage survey samples; recent US evidence suggests that the very positive views of the economic status and distinct purchasing patterns of gays are exaggerated. It is, nonetheless, apparent that there is a market segment that it is 'economic' to target but which is unlikely to be representative of gay men. It is apparent that existing surveys are incomplete and are an inappropriate basis for targeting the gay consumer. The article also includes a discussion of marketing approaches to which, it is claimed, gay men are responsive. Whilst the targeting of the gay tourism market does have the effect of validating gay lifestyles, the article includes discussion of other more negative issues that may flow from the perpetuation of the 'myth' of the affluent, care-free gay con-sumer. These include issues such as the generation of a false sense of liberation and distraction from the pursuit of more fundamental aspects of equality. Lifestyle marketing in the context of the gay tourism market has wider and significant implications than those that are usually of direct concern to the marketer; they reach to the core of the nature of homosexuality and its acceptance in society.     

Sustainable Transport,Market Segmentation and Tourism: The Looe Valley Branch Line Railway,Cornwall, UK

This paper uses cluster analysis, a form of a posteriori market segmentation, to understand the attitudes of tourists and the local community towards using the Looe Valley Branch Railway Line. The research revealed five segments of users distinguished by their attitudes towards using the train. Following this, the paper discusses the implications of the survey findings for attracting more people to use the Looe Valley Line. It sets its findings in the context of the sustainable tourism aims of reducing transport congestion and emissions, as well as recent work on assessing the scope for sustainable transport development in the leisure and tourism markets.     

Students' summer tourism: Determinants of length of stay (LOS)

Studies scrutinizing the economic aspects of student tourism at the micro-level are rare in the literature. Set against this background, the present study examines the variation in a sample of Norwegian students' length of stay at summer vacation destinations in 2014. Three estimation methods – an OLS regression model, a Weibull survival model and a zero-truncated negative binomial regression model – provide qualitatively similar results regarding how a number of determinants affect length of stay. In particular, the results show that daily trip costs, booking time, tourism and trip motives, trip month and gender explain much of the variation in length of stay. Of special interest is the comparison of two segments differing on when trip duration is determined: the “pre-fixed” returners (75% of the sample) and the “open” returners (25%). In this regard, the results suggest that the “open” returners stay longer on their trips than the “pre-fixed” ones. Finally, the study provides some implications for future length of stay research.     

Dual-listings on international exchanges: the case of emerging markets' stocks

This paper examines the effects on stock returns of dual-listing on an international exchange. My sample consists of 70 firms from 10 emerging markets that dual-listed on the NYSE, NASDAQ and SEAQ-I (London) over the period 1991–1995. I evaluate whether an international dual-listing has any significant effect on returns, for the particular case of emerging markets' firms, and I proceed to investigate whether there is evidence to support an International Asset Pricing based explanation. In addition I compare the impact of US and London SEAQ-I listings. My results confirm previous empirical findings on international listings: the firms in my sample experience significant positive abnormal returns before listing and a significant decline in returns following listing. Evidence seems to be supportive of the segmentation hypothesis: dual-listing effects are more pronounced for emerging markets' listings and that pattern is similar across exchanges.
G15     

沿海欠发达地区经济联动开发模式研究——以江苏沿海开发为例

区域经济联动发展作为一种区域经济合作方式,受到密切关注。沿海欠发达地区面对经济高地的压力,要紧紧抓住其发展机遇,充分挖掘自身优势,打造新的经济发展模式,才能赶超经济发达地区。本文在总结国内区域经济联动发展理论与实践的基础上,提出沿海欠发达地区要建立多角度、多层次的经济联动开发模式。首先要实现城市联动,通过不断强化中心城市的集聚、扩散作用和壮大县域经济实力,打造经济中心与腹地经济联动发展的沿海经济圈;其次要实现产业联动,通过传统特色产业与新兴高科技产业联动和陆地产业与海洋产业联动相结合,打造支柱产业与新兴产业联动发展的沿海经济带;还要实现＂港口-城镇-产业＂联动,通过港口与城镇联动和港口与产业联动,打造港口、产业和城镇三位一体的港口经济区。希望可以为沿海欠发达地区的经济发展提供理论依据和借鉴参考。     

Human resources in Sino-foreign joint ventures: selected case studies in Shanghai,compared with Beijing

This article examines HRM in joint ventures (JVs) in Shanghai compared with those in Beijing using a case-study approach. It focuses primarily on issues relating to labour contracts, rewards and benefits, social insurance, trade unions and personnel policies, and describes current developments in China in each of these areas. In order to place these JV human resource practices in context, we also draw on interviews in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Shanghai and Beijing. Taking as a starting point a summary of traditional SOE 'iron rice-bowl' ( tie fan wan ) practices in the management of personnel, we ask to what extent HRM in the present JV sample differs from traditional methods and to what extent 'iron rice-bowl' practices continue despite foreign ownership. The extent to which HR practices in JVs are distinct from those in contemporary SOEs is also examined. We conclude that, although, as one would expect, foreign ownership has modified traditional practice, the degree and extent to which this is true varies widely. There is strong evidence of institutional and organizational continuity in 'iron rice-bowl' practices in both JVs and SOEs. Finally we propose a framework for categorizing the companies investigated in terms of their distance from traditional 'iron rice-bowl' HR practices and proximity to 'imported' practices. This consists of two 'pure' and two hybrid categories: pure 'iron rice-bowl'; hybrid I (predominantly local); hybrid II (predominantly imported): and, finally, pure imported. In this schema, the companies examined do not however group neatly according to whether they are JVs or SOEs.