Comparing local and foreign perceptions of service quality of five-star hotels in Sri Lanka

Using the SERVQUAL model, this study analyses the survey data from 400 local and foreign guests of five-star hotels in Sri Lanka. The study discovered local visitors were less satisfied with the assurance aspect of hotel service, while foreign visitors were less satisfied with the empathy aspect. Overall, foreign visitors had higher expectations and perceptions of hotel service compared to locals. The study demonstrates variations between local and foreign visitors’ perception and satisfaction of hotel service quality. This sheds light on differing treatments expected by foreign visitors than their domestic counterparts which is useful in strategic decision-making and service improvement.     

成都大熊猫繁育研究基地入境游客满意度评价实证研究

成都大熊猫繁育研究基地由于其占有绝对优势的区位条件,已成为中国展示大熊猫最重要的窗口,近年来,其入境游客的比例远远高于国内游客,因此,对入境游客满意度的研究尤为重要.在目前对该熊猫基地领域的研究尚处于空白的情况下.本文基于深度访谈和问卷调查,采用SPSS11.5统计软件对调查结果进行了较为详细的人口学特征分析,再结合I/P分析法,对吸引力因子重要性、满意度,以及期望值与满意度进行对比分析,最后综合定性和定量研究结论,提出了进一步开发的意见和建议,旨在提高该景区的可持续发展能力,增强入境游客满意度,尽快建设成成熟的国际旅游景区.同时,也为同类型旅游区的建设和发展提供了可资借鉴的数据.     

Research priorities in park tourism

Park tourism is a large and important activity on which a substantial body of research work has been published. This paper reviews that work in the light of the issues now faced by parks and park tourism, and argues that there are significant research gaps that urgently need additional work. The paper outlines 10 such areas, including: visitor use monitoring; park tourism economic impact monitoring; park finance; professional competencies for tourism management; building public support; visitor satisfaction; licenses, permits, leases, and concessions for tourism; pricing policies; management capacity; and park tourism governance. The paper suggests that work in these areas is so important that the long term political and social relevance, effective management and sustainable future of many parks and protected areas depend on the results. It points to the park creation phase being over after about 150 years of growth, and the need to move more effectively into the long-term management phase. A number of key questions arise. The numerous parks must fulfill their conservation mandate and they must be financially secure. They almost certainly must forge links to tourism, yet not be dominated by tourism's demands, creating, therefore, a new and sustainable research-based relationship.     

主客观数据融合的热点园亭景观意象 感知评价研究

景观意象感知是传播中国古典园林文化的重要途 径,但对其进行定量评价的方法尚不多见。首先以苏州四大古 典园林的园亭为研究样本,遵循意象传播中主客体交流的规 律,综合利用游客GPS数据和问卷数据挖掘游客感知热点园 亭;然后采用主客观融合的综合赋权方法,对热点园亭的景观 意象因子进行权重解析和综合评价;最后建立园亭景观意象感 知评价体系,并探明园亭景观意象感知的形成与传播途径,揭 示园亭景观意象感知评价的意义。结果表明：提出的评价体系 能够较好量化游客对于园亭景观意象要素的主观认知,其中的 意象因子感知权重与游客感知满意度有较高的一致性。在风景 园林设计实践中,可运用该评价体系对景观意象要素进行精准 设计,进而提升游客感知满意度。     

基于游客感知的古村落旅游资源评价研究

游客感知是客观全面评价古村落旅游资源的一个重要方法。以浙江古村落为例,针对古村落旅游资源复杂性和多层次性,基于游客感知设计调查问卷,在专家知识和德尔菲法的基础上,通过层次分析法和模糊综合评判相结合构建评判指标体系模型,可提高古村落旅游资源环境评价的可靠性、准确性和客观性,为古村落的保护与开发提供基础参考。     

Enhancing a Delphi study on family-focused prevention

This article discusses how additional inquiries can enhance Delphi findings. We argue that inquiries aimed at supporting and refining Delphi findings is both theoretically and practically meaningful. We illustrate our argument on the basis of a framework for family-focused prevention that was developed through a Delphi study. The results of individual and group interviews conducted as a follow-up to the implementation of the framework provided us with effective ways to support and refine it. We draw the conclusion that adequate follow-up inquiries can enhance Delphi findings, from theoretical and application perspectives.     

Meeting planners’ use and evaluation of convention and visitor bureaus

The MICE industry represents one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. Yet, it is only in recent years that the economic contribution of this industry segment has been recognized and the relationships among the various industry players have been examined in more depth. This study focuses on the relationship between meeting planners and convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs). Results of the study indicate that association meeting planners utilize CVBs more frequently than corporate planners. Meeting planners mainly use free rather than fee-based CVB services, with destination information and referral services being the most popular. The desire to deal directly with suppliers represents the major reason for meeting planners bypassing CVBs in their convention/meeting planning. Implications of the study results are discussed.     

Catalysts for transformative learning in community-based ecotourism

This paper illustrates how community-based ecotourism (CBET) is a site of experiential learning which may encourage transformative learning for visitors. An experiential CBET curriculum is identified which is centred on ecotourists' nature, adventure and cultural experiences. In this curriculum, Nature Shock, Adventure Shock and Culture Shock serve as Concrete Experiences in Kolb's [1984. Experiential learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall] experiential learning cycle, and may potentially act as disorienting dilemmas to stimulate transformative learning. These three types of disorienting dilemmas are discussed with reference to literature on wildlife and nature tourism, adventure tourism and outdoor education, and international volunteer tourism, respectively. Three empirical case studies of CBET in Southeast Asia are used to provide context to the discussion. Finally, the paper provides an elaboration of six pedagogical themes pertaining to how the transformative learning of visitors to CBET projects might be enhanced.     

Uncovering Micro‐Practices and Pathways of Engagement That Scale Up Social‐Driven Collaborations: A Practice View of Power

This paper explores how large‐scale social‐driven collaborations might grow in scale and help promote political change. We present the results of a qualitative investigation of a complex platform where multiple and hybrid collaborations co‐exist and where civil society plays a central role. Based on a longitudinal comparative case study, we draw a processual model describing micro‐practices and pathways of engagement. We show that the emergence of these collaborations requires a new type of convener, one that is able to manage the interplay between the sharing/co‐creation of abundant resources and the coordinated decentralization of informal authority. Our study extends existing debates on the role of resources and authority, showing the complementarity between possession and practice perspectives of power. Finally, we identified synergies between collaboration and social movement literatures, particularly showing that large‐scale collaborations could be mobilized to refine social movement agendas and achieve more purposive collective action.     

The quest for expansive intellectual property rights and the failure to disclose known relevant prior art

Expansive patent portfolios may be used by firms to fence off technological space for commercialization, impede the commercialization efforts of competitors, and enhance bargaining power in cross‐licensing negotiations. Low quality patents with claims that overlap those of other patents contribute to these portfolios and patent strategies. By failing to disclose known relevant prior art during the patenting process, inventors and their firms may be granted low quality patents with intellectual property claims which would not otherwise have been granted. We find that the failure of inventors to disclose known relevant prior art increases as they gain experience with the patenting process. Such failure is also greater among inventors employed by relatively small, poorly performing firms that rely on outsourced legal counsel during the application process. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.