Segmenting the College Educated Generation Y Health and Wellness Traveler

Generation Y is considered to be the next largest cohort group to significantly impact the health and wellness travel industry. This study sought to create a profile of the Gen Y health and wellness traveler using push and pull motivations and perceived wellness. K-means clustering revealed five distinct traveler segments. Wellness was found to be a motivating factor as well as the other internal and external motivators used in this study. Men were found to travel more for escape and women for the nightlife. Opportunities to both seek and avoid contact with others were revealed. Suggestions for future marketing messages for the Gen Y wellness traveler are offered.     

Using Twitter Data for Cruise Tourism Marketing and Research

The need to understand how social media affect the hospitality and tourism field has increased. This paper discusses and demonstrates social media analytics using Twitter data referring to cruise travel. This research also includes an in-depth analysis of tweets by three types of user groups: commercial, news/blogs, and private. The results show that not only were words related to travel, destination, industry, and emotion most frequently used in composing tweets, but celebrities, professional bloggers, cruise lines, and travel agencies actually led major subgroups on cruise topics on Twitter. Based on such findings, this study provides feasible marketing strategies.     

The Use of Problematic Integration Theory to Assess Destination Online Promotion Activities

Abstract

This paper uses problematic integration theory to assess destination online promotional activities often used to influence consumer travel purchase behavior. The model of destination online promotion activities assessment focuses on the link between consumers' online brand preference drivers (differentiation, quality, and value) and online market data (price, distribution, Web presence, promotions, direct online communication tool, and ad identification). The model is tested using the case of Australia (www.australia.com) and their efforts to attract a U.S. market. The study found Australia.com is a well-designed travel guide that provides information and emphasizes its aesthetic aspects. However, the Website's interactive aspects could be improved. By assessing destination online promotional activities, destination marketing organizations may be able to reduce underlying uncertainty regarding the destination and more clearly address the needs of their target markets.     

Diversity of offerings and consumer’s expenditure: an exploration of agritourism in China

ABSTRACT

As diversification becomes a pressing issue in China’s agritourism, extant literature provides insufficient and controversial findings on its influence. This research investigates the influence of the diversity of offerings on consumer’s expenditure, considering its interactive effects with quality and distance, by conducting analyses of hierarchical regression, multiple-linear regression and exploratory factor analysis. It is found that the diversity of offerings does not affect consumer’s expenditure alone, but interactively with quality and distance; consumer’s expenditure can be maximised with an optimal distance depending on the diversity of offerings; and there are four main business models of agritourism in China.     

Brand-as-Person versus Brand-as-User: An Anthropomorphic Issue in Tourism-related Self-Congruity Studies

Tourism self-congruity studies use two facets to personify destinations, namely, brand-as-person and brand-as-user. These features have been considered synonymous in previous research, and thus the differences between these facets, which may demonstrate biased congruity, must be investigated. This study uses projective techniques to personify brand-as-person and brand-as-user for two tourist destinations. Both facets are distinct and must not be used interchangeably in tourism-related self-congruity studies.     

The Relationships among Theatrical Components,Experiential Value,Relationship Quality,and Relationship Marketing Outcomes

Both marketing practitioners and academic researchers have traditionally recognized the major influence that relationship quality (RQ) has on relationship marketing outcomes. Differing from previous studies, this study proposes a more integrated model by including theatrical components and experiential value in the “RQ-relationship marketing outcomes” paradigm. The structural relationships among the variables are examined by adopting a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach in the context of a theme park. The results confirm the existence of the path “theatrical components → experiential value → RQ → relationship marketing outcomes”.     

Applying Interpretive Structural Modeling to the Planning of a Sequence of Marketing Strategies: A Case Study of the Architectural Tourism in Taiwan

Architectural tourism, the popular activity of visiting traditional buildings primarily for seeing and enjoying their architecture, offers opportunities for tourism industry. This study is focused on developing marketing strategies for architectural tourism in Taiwanese context. As a result of rapid development in Taiwan with the increasing population and higher residential density, most of the old houses in Taiwan have been replaced by the modern buildings. Despite this irreversible development, the remaining old styles can generate fresh business opportunities in the new age through adequate planning. Therefore, this study will use literature reviews and Interpretive Structural Modeling in order to determine an effective and scientific decision-making process to help develop marketing strategies for this sector. It will also be used as a reference for future researchers and as a benchmarking object for the other countries facing similar challenges.     

Examining destination images from travel blogs: a big data analytical approach using latent Dirichlet allocation

ABSTRACT

In the big data era, destination images have played an increasingly important role in tourism development. However, seldom tourism research has utilised big data analytics to examine destination images from travel blogs. Therefore, this study proposes and evaluates a big data analytical approach using latent Dirichlet allocation to extract attributes of online destination images from 140,286 travel blogs about 20 cities in China. Results reveal 14 dimensions with 54 attributes of destination images of the studied cities. Interesting findings are discovered between online destination images and tourism cities. This study also summarises the implications for tourism research and practice.     

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.     

Web-based permission marketing: Segmentation for the lodging industry

Permission marketing is becoming an important tool in maintaining relationships with travelers via the Internet. Its growing importance can be seen in tourism marketing, specifically in the lodging industry. With an increase in industry use, the effectiveness of this technique needs assessment. This paper initiates this process by examining current methods used to collect contact information for the purpose of permission marketing. Three segments of the market are identified and compared based upon their willingness to supply contact information. Significant differences were found in socio-demographics, online habits, trip characteristics, and website design preferences. Implications for lodging marketers are presented and future research topics are discussed.