Why visit theme parks? A leisure constraints and perceived authenticity perspective

Using the leisure constraints concept, this study investigates the effects of leisure constraints on authenticity, a topic that remains largely unexplored. It investigates impact of constraints to traveling overseas on visitors’ perception of the existential authenticity of theme parks that recreate the architecture, culture, environment, and atmosphere of a foreign location in their home country, and the impact on their motivation and intention to visit these attractions in the future. Using survey data of visitors of European-themed parks based in Taiwan, this study shows that theme parks may be perceived as existentially authentic, and constraints to touring overseas may affect existential authenticity perception and act as antecedent for motivation to visit theme parks. The effect differs from one type of leisure constraint to another. Scenery motivation positively influences existential authenticity and future visit intention. Existential authenticity prompts future visit intention.     

景观化理念下主题体验餐厅的营建

餐厅是商业空间中一类特殊形态,尤其是时下商业营销模式正向着"体验式"方向不可逆地发展,餐厅也在逐渐形成一股新的"体验式"主流。本文简略描述了上海主要商圈内主题餐厅的大致类型,并对不同类别的主题餐厅中同一景观元素的营造差异作了相应的统计分析。针对主题餐厅中的餐饮景观方面、配置景观方面、服务景观方面的尚存问题提出了相应的解决对策。     

城市主题街区旅游开发中的问题与对策研究——以长沙市黄兴南路步行商业街为例

主题街区是伴随着城市旅游的兴起和发展而产生的一种新型旅游资源,既能体现地方文化特色、塑造良好的城市形象,又能推动当地旅游业的发展,带来一定的经济效益.然而,不同功能的主题街区有其特定的发展模式和运行机制,独具特色的旅游功能决定其特定的生存条件和获利方式,在房地产、商业和旅游几大行业竞争都异常激烈的今天,只有运用符合其内...     

Customer emotions minute by minute: How guests experience different emotions within the same service environment

For years, the importance of customer emotions has been recognized in the service literature. Despite existing research, the discrete emotions generated by each service encounter within the theme park setting deserves more attention. The present research uses a quantitative research method to ascertain the various customer emotions experienced throughout the theme park experience using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Data was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression as well as correlation analysis. Results indicate that the emotions most likely to produce a satisfying theme park experience take place when enjoying rides, dining, and interacting with others. In contrast, the emotions generated while buying tickets were negatively associated with a satisfying theme park experience. Based on the results of this study, the authors provide a series of recommendations to generate positive emotions at key service encounters within the theme park experience.     

Measuring delightful customer experiences: The validation and testing of a customer delight scale along with its antecedents and effects

The construct of customer delight has captured the attention of scholars and managers alike. Nevertheless, its definition and measurement vary across scholarly literature and several quantitative scales were developed before extensive qualitative research on customer delight, which provided further clarification on the nature of this construct, was even conducted. Consequently, the present research draws upon the conceptual and qualitative work in the field to validate a survey instrument in order to measure customer delight. The authors collected data in four major service industries—hotel, restaurant, retail, and theme park. Following the five-stage scale development and validation approach, the researchers then refined a customer delight scale. The scale was found to have appropriate levels of validity and reliability. Finally, the authors proposed and tested the antecedents and consequences of customer delight using structural equation modelling. The proposed scale allows managers to measure the incidence of customer delight in their organizations.     

主题公园上市公司现状分析与发展对策研究

本文从资产状况、盈利状况、业务结构和成长性四个方面对我国主题公园上市公司经营状况作了比较分析。各公司之间经营情况存在明显差异,但都存在接待人数和门票收入增长乏力、收入结构单一等问题。最后提出了主题公园上市公司可持续发展的若干对策。     

Self-congruity and flow as antecedents of attitude and loyalty towards a theme park brand

Brand loyalty is believed to be a sustainable advantage for theme parks. Since theme parks represent a man-made environment purposefully built for specialized market segments, studying factors that lead to brand loyalty for theme park products is of strategic importance. These factors have yet to be identified in the current literature, however. Recognizing the potential influence of self-congruity and flow in the theme park consumption experience, and thus its influence on loyalty, the current study investigated the effect of these constructs on visitor attitude and loyalty towards a theme park brand. The results revealed that both self-congruity and flow are the antecedents of visitor attitude and brand loyalty. The theoretical contributions of this study, as well as managerial implications concerning image projection, branding strategy, and park experience design, are discussed.     

Priority queues: Where social justice and equity collide

Multilevel queues have become a common feature in service sector contexts, examples include ‘guest lists’ at night clubs and ‘priority boarding’ in air travel. This paper explores multilevel queueing systems within the context of theme parks, specifically their effects on consumers. Previous studies have focussed on single line systems and multilevel queues remain under-researched. By applying social justice and equity theory, the paper uses a mixed methods approach with site visits to theme parks followed up by two factorial experiments. The analytical contribution of the paper is its application of theoretically underpinned queueing research. The empirical gap addressed is multilevel queueing systems. The overall contribution of the paper offers new theory identifying tensions that exist between consumers in different queueing levels. If social justice is achieved for one group then it will create inequity for another; if equity is achieved then it will create injustice.     

A multilevel analysis of the service marketing triangle in theme parks

ABSTRACT

This study explores multilevel relationships between employees and visitors within 25 theme parks in Taiwan. The adapted constructs with corresponding items of interactive, internal, and external marketing were developed based on the service marketing triangle theory and previous literature. The results show that interactive marketing influences visitor satisfaction and behavioral intentions; internal marketing influences interactive marketing, and moderates the effect of interactive marketing on satisfaction; external marketing influences satisfaction; and satisfaction affects behavioral intentions. This study demonstrates that examining the influence of cross-level service marketing on internal and external customer satisfaction is crucial to the operational success of theme parks.     

Integrating the tourist gaze with the social servicescape: Implications for creating memorable theme park experiences

This research examines how the social servicescape-directed gaze (i.e., perceptions of similarity, appearance, and behavior of other customers) influences theme park visitors’ affective states and experiences. A quantitative, survey-based research design was adopted with a total of 561 theme park patrons participating in the study. Results of structural equation modeling analyses reveal that similarity and behavior positively affect visitors’ feelings of arousal and curiosity, which in turn contribute to memorable theme park experiences. Other visitors’ appearances, however, are not a significant predictor of affect/experience. From a theory standpoint, this research represents a first attempt to study the tourist gaze at theme parks and makes a unique contribution by integrating the three dimensions of the social servicescape with the theoretical lens of the tourist gaze. Practically, this research provides suggestions for theme park management to create more memorable experiences by leveraging the social servicescape-directed gaze among visitors.