Journal of Travel Research recent issues

Measuring Guest Satisfaction and Competitive Position in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry: An Application of Stance-Shift Analysis to Travel Blog Narratives

Crotts, J. C., Mason, P. R., Davis, B. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:20 PDT

The measurement of guest satisfaction and delight is the focus of this article. An application of a quantitative methodology known as stance-shift analysis is proposed and demonstrated on data composed of Internet blog narratives. The authors argue that the method provides both an efficient and effective means to determine a firm’s competitive position in producing satisfied guests who will not only come back but also recommend the firm to others. Specifically, the method produces relatively detailed evaluations to determine the following: How satisfied are my guests? What are they telling others about their experiences? How is my property performing in creating satisfying guest experiences when compared with the competition? What are my property’s strengths and weaknesses in its competitive environment?

A Comparative Study of the Use of "Iconic" versus "Generic" Advertising Images for Destination Marketing

Litvin, S. W., Mouri, N. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:20 PDT

This research reports the results of an empirical study that compared the effectiveness of two advertising approaches, "generic" versus "iconic," in affecting a destination image. While politics may dictate that a state (as studied herein) or national tourism office may feel the need to spread advertising funds across a range of destinations, the experiment conducted for this study suggests that a focus on well-known iconic sites may well represent the more effective approach.

The Quality of Guest Comment Cards: An Empirical Study of U.S. Lodging Chains

Bartkus, K. R., Howell, R. D., Barlow Hills, S., Blackham, J. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:20 PDT

This study examines the quality of guest comment cards used by major U.S. lodging chains. To accomplish this objective, guidelines for comment card design were developed through a review of the relevant literature. The guidelines focus on eight issues: (1) return methods, (2) introductory statements, (3) contact information, (4) number of questions, (5) space for open comments, (6) number of response categories for closed-ended questions, (7) balanced versus unbalanced response categories for closed-ended questions, and (8) question wording. Using a sample of 63 lodging chains, the most common deviations from guidelines include a lack of secure return methods, the use of positively biased response categories, and insufficient writing space for open comments. To improve the quality of comment card feedback, these and other limitations should be corrected. Managerial implications and directions for future research are included.

The Dependence of Tourism SMEs on NTOs: The Case of Finland

Seppala-Esser, R., Airey, D., Szivas, E. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:20 PDT

This article reports on a study to explore the level of dependence of small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs) in Finland on the resources of the Finnish Tourist Board (FTB). A tool to measure resource dependence was developed. The overall importance of specified resources, the level of exchange of these resources acquired from the FTB, the existence of alternative sources for similar resources, and access to them were assessed. The level of dependence of Finnish tourism SMEs on the FTB was reported to be moderate. Differences were, however, identified among different types of enterprises. The size of enterprises, their proportion of foreign guests, their marketing planning, and their cooperation with others affected the level of resource dependence. The FTB resources on which tourism SMEs were most dependent were destination marketing and marketing knowledge. Results contribute to an understanding of the role of national tourism organizations.

Images of the Other: Selling Study Abroad in a Postcolonial World

Caton, K., Santos, C. A. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:20 PDT

Representation of cultural Others in tourism texts is an important concern. Thus far, analyses of mass-mediated tourism representations have focused on promotional materials produced by for-profit agencies or by governments charged with encouraging development through tourism. Lacking have been assessments of materials produced by non-profit brokers with humanitarian missions. This study interrogates the promotional literature of one such agency, Semester at Sea (SAS), to determine whether its representational practices differ from the mainstream. Grounded in postcolonial theory and employing content, semiotic, and discourse analysis, it argues that although SAS embraces a mission of promoting cross-cultural interaction and global citizenship, the program nevertheless continues to (re)produce hegemonic depictions of non-Westerners, asserting a Western superiority ideology by polarizing the West and the Rest into binaries of modern-traditional, technologically advanced-backward, and master -servant and decomplexifying the globalization process by presenting the non-West as exotic, culturally pristine, and filled with happy natives.

Applying Systems Thinking to Sustainable Golf Tourism

Woodside, A. G. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:21 PDT

This article examines the issues and criticisms concerning golf, tourism, and the environment and considers how golf—tourism—environment relationships might achieve economic well-being for a region while avoiding vicious cycles of destruction to local environments and the quality of life of local residents. The examination proposes the use of systems thinking, cause mapping, and system dynamics modeling and simulations of golf, tourism, and environmental relationships to help achieve workable solutions agreeable to all stakeholders. Sustainable relationships that include golf, tourism, and environmental objectives require crafting government policies via stakeholder participation of all parties that such relationships affect—recognizing and enabling this requirement needs to be done explicitly—to reduce conflicts among stakeholders and avoid system failures.

Segmentation of Visitors to a Heritage Site Using High-resolution Time-space Data

Tchetchik, A., Fleischer, A., Shoval, N. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:21 PDT

A novel method of data collection based on high-resolution time-space data recorded by global positioning system units was used to segment visitors to the Old City of Acre heritage site in Israel. This technique of accurately tracking the temporal and spatial behavior of visitors carrying the global positioning system units overcomes the well-known limitations of traditional data collection methods. Discrete-choice methods and a system of censored regressions were used to identify the decision-making process at each stage of the visit. The segmentation of the visitors was based on these decisions. It was found that different attributes associate the visitors with different segments at each level. Although the findings might be site specific, the data collection and the segmentation method could be used by tourism planners and decision makers at other sites.

Predicting Travelers' Choice of Information Sources and Information Channels

Gronflaten, O. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:21 PDT

Disintermediation is often portrayed as a choice between travel agents and the Internet. This simplification ignores the facts that many Web sites marketing travel services are run by travel agents and many businesses offering travel services online also offer these services through other channels. This article considers disintermediation from an information search perspective and explores the issue both as a choice between two information sources (travel agents vs. service providers) and as a choice between two information channels (face to face vs. the Internet). Using binomial logistical regression, sets of variables are identified that seem particularly relevant for predicting the outcome of these choices. Travel style, age, and nationality were found to be particularly good predictors of travelers’ predisposition to search for information from a travel agent face to face rather than consulting a tourism service provider directly online.

Exploring the Theoretical Framework of Emotional Solidarity between Residents and Tourists

Woosnam, K. M., Norman, W. C., Ying, T. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:21 PDT

Residents and tourists within destinations are often portrayed as being separate from each other, possessing little in common. Such an approach can undermine the potential for a dynamic, intimate relationship to exist between residents and tourists. This research offers the theory of emotional solidarity, put forth by Emile Durkheim, as a theoretical framework to examine the relationship between residents and tourists. In addition, a series of focus groups with residents of a coastal South Carolina county was conducted to ascertain residents’ feelings about tourists and commonalities with tourists (i.e., shared beliefs, shared behavior, and interaction). Themes corresponding to constructs from Durkheim’s model were generated from the qualitative data analysis. Findings are discussed, along with practical implications and future research options.

Birding Festivals, Sustainability, and Ecotourism: An Ambiguous Relationship

Lawton, L. J. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:01:21 PDT

A survey of 108 U.S.-based birding festivals reveals overall basic adherence to ecotourism criteria, although cluster analysis reveals four distinct subgroups whose members are labeled as normatives (47%), minimalists (30%), recruiters (15%), and fund-raisers (8%). Formal identification with ecotourism through promotion or membership was low and did not predict cluster membership or increase in visitor numbers. Hence, while ecotourism organizations could benefit from an influx of birding festival memberships, the reciprocal benefits for birding festivals with regard to performance and sustainability outcomes are unclear.

The Impact of the Financial and Economic Crisis on European Tourism

Smeral, E. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

This study¹ concentrates on analysing and forecasting demand for international travel of the EU 15 countries in terms of tourism imports at constant prices and exchange rates. Starting out from a description of the key macroeconomic factors, it then analyses their effect on tourism demand and develops forecast models. Two scenarios are evolved to project demand for foreign travel in 2009 and 2010, and their findings are discussed. Subsequently, proposals are developed for strategies aimed to mitigate the consequences of the crisis.

Tourism, a Classic Novel, and Television: The Case of Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Mansions and Grand View Gardens, Beijing

Ryan, C., Yanning, Z., Huimin, G., Song, L. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

This article reports a study of the importance of the classic Chinese novel, The Dream of the Red Mansion, in attracting visitors to Grand View Gardens in Beijing. That site was built as a replica of a Qing Dynasty palace for a popular television series. The study found that 52% of the 308 respondents stated that the novel was very or extremely important in attracting them to the gardens. The article seeks to go beyond this statistic by examining how familiarity with the novel might help explain some of the statistical findings and concludes by arguing that if one is to obtain an understanding of the tourist experience of a place made popular by fiction, then it is also necessary to engage in cultural, media, and literary studies as well as conversations and surveys of visitors. Hence, the text of the novel is itself part of the data set.

Effects of Travel Motivation, Past Experience, Perceived Constraint, and Attitude on Revisit Intention

Huang, S., Hsu, C. H. C. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

This study developed and tested a structural model in examining the effects of mainland Chinese visitors' travel motivation, past experience, perceived constraint, and attitude on their intention of revisiting Hong Kong. Data were collected through telephone interviews (n = 501) in Beijing and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings indicate that one of travel motivation's underlying dimensions, shopping, positively affected Beijing tourists' revisit intention to Hong Kong; past experience, as measured by the number of prior visits and satisfaction, also positively influenced revisit intention. Disinterest was the only constraint factor significantly negating revisit intention. In addition, attitude was found to play a significant mediating role in the total effect of satisfaction on revisit intention. Results suggest that in addition to further strengthening Hong Kong's "shopping paradise" image, destination marketers and managers should promote more novel features of local attractions and appeal to the relaxation need of repeat visitors.

The Effect of Online Information Search on Image Development: Insights from a Mixed-Methods Study

Li, X., Pan, B., Zhang, L., Smith, W. W. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

This study explores the potential effects of online information search on tourists' destination image development. Specifically, the terms baseline image and enhanced image are proposed to distinguish the different stages of image development in tourists' minds before and after active online information search. A mixed-methods study, which asked college students to develop a one-week travel plan in China via online search, was designed. Results show that participants' overall image and affective image about China experienced significant and positive changes after online search, while cognitive image basically remained the same. Nevertheless, when asked to describe their image changes, most participants reported changes regarding their cognitive beliefs about China. Furthermore, the qualitative data evidenced the interaction between participants' online information search process and image development.

Small-Business Owners' Knowledge and Rural Tourism Establishment Performance in Spain

Hernandez-Maestro, R. M., Munoz-Gallego, P. A., Santos-Requejo, L. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

A review of the literature reveals that the entrepreneur's knowledge is a source of competitive advantage within the firm. This investigation assesses the relationships among small-business owners' knowledge and service quality performance in rural tourism in Spain by considering two measures of service quality: objective and perceived quality. Data from a paired sample of tourists and small-business owners were analyzed with an overall model that contains different types of variables (including dichotomic) and constructs (formative and reflective). Consequently, the partial least squares approach was used. The results reveal the positive and strong influence of small-business owners' education on objective quality, but small-business owners' experience does not seem to play any role for service quality. In addition, objective quality precedes perceived quality. Implications for the sector are derived from the findings.

Residents' Perceptions towards the Impacts of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Zhou, Y., Ap, J. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

The aim of this article is to identify and examine the host residents' perceptions towards a mega event, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and its impacts. An impact scale comprising 20 impact items with four factors—social-psychological impacts, urban development impacts, economic development impacts, and social life impacts—was developed. It was found that the majority of respondents perceived the impacts of the 2008 Games very positively, particularly for those related to the social-psychological, urban development, and economic development factors. Residents' perceptions towards some social life impacts (e.g., overcrowding, higher prices) were mixed. Based on their different social representations (i.e., perceptions towards the impacts of the Games), residents were classified into two groups: "embracers" and "tolerators." The three most significant factors that influenced residents' perceptions towards the Beijing 2008 Olympics were residents' perceptions/attitudes about government performance, their preference of more tourism development, and tourism-industry work experience.

Visitors' Preferences for Interpretation at Heritage Sites

Poria, Y., Biran, A., Reichel, A. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

Research on interpretation at heritage settings commonly centers on the display. The current study highlights visitor preferences for on-site interpretation, an essential element in the management of heritage tourist attractions. This research focuses on the Wailing Wall, a religious "must-see" attraction in Jerusalem. The role of interpretation as a facilitator of emotional experience rather than a means to gain knowledge is explored. Results indicate the need to customize the interpretation to meet visitor preferences and motives. Furthermore, the study reveals the need to capture heritage tourism not only as a search for naïve nostalgia or a simplified romantic version of the past but also as a more complex phenomenon. Implications for marketers and heritage site operators are suggested, highlighting the need to adopt innovative approaches to the management of heritage tourist attractions and provide different interpretations for different visitors.

Designing the Ideal Undergraduate Program in Tourism: Expectations from Industry and Educators

Ring, A., Dickinger, A., Wober, K. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

Globally, there are numerous undergraduate programs available in tourism that differ in content aims and scope. It is hard to judge which programs are preferable and on what criteria to base choice. Thus, this article provides a content analysis of 64 bachelor programs taught in English. The actual programs are compared to indicators identified in literature review. Furthermore, an adaptive conjoint analysis identifies the importance and utilities of different subject areas and themes that can compose a tourism program. The population is specified in a broad manner, including academics as well as industry professionals from both the private and public sectors. Results show that there are discrepancies between existing programs and what academics and industry professionals perceive as being important. The research offers recommendations on which topics and issues should be included in a tourism curriculum and provokes discussion on adaptation of existing curricula for the future.

"You Felt Like Lingering . . .": Experiencing "Real" Service at the Winery Tasting Room

Charters, S., Fountain, J., Fish, N. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:22:15 PDT

There is a growing body of research on the experience of visitors to winery tasting rooms, and their expectations and satisfaction. This overview uses qualitative research in Australia and New Zealand to examine a number of themes relating to the visitor's experience in the tasting room, including the impact of the size of the winery, the nature of the service encounter, and the effect of paying for wine. The significance of these themes is placed in the context of the experience economy and the provision of hospitality generally. The practical relevance of the article is to relate consumers' expectations and perceptions of tasting rooms to the goals of wineries generally, and also the issue of wine quality as a significant factor in the experience, with some specific recommendations for further research and for the implementation of practical outcomes for a successful tasting room.

Price Bundling and Travel Product Pricing Practices Used by Online Channels of Distribution

Kim, J., Bojanic, D. C., Warnick, R. B. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

Price bundling is one of the most prevalent marketing practices in many industries, including hospitality and travel. Virtually all types of firms in the hospitality and travel industry, from suppliers such as hotels and airlines to intermediaries such as travel agents, are encouraging customers to purchase travel "packages" rather than a single component of travel to save money and streamline the purchasing process. The purpose of this research is to determine whether the practice of price bundling by online travel agents results in actual monetary savings for consumers (i.e., lower prices) relative to the prices charged by individual service providers (i.e., hotels and airlines) through their own online Web sites. The results indicate that there are monetary savings in the form of lower prices realized by consumers who purchase bundled offerings from online travel agents, and there is an interaction effect between channel and hotel class.

Growth Accounting for Hotel and Restaurant Industries

Smeral, E. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

The availability of new data files from an EU research project has made it possible to analyze the sources of long-term supply growth in the hotel and restaurant industries of eight selected countries. This study is the first to use the growth accounting model to analyze growth determinants in the hotel and restaurant sector in an international context. The model allows isolating the impact of capital services of information and communication technology and non—information and communication technology, the impact of quantitative labor inputs measured by working hours and labor composition, and the influence of multifactor productivity on value-added growth in the hotel and restaurant industry. It provides a conceptual framework, which is of fundamental importance for policy evaluation. An analysis of the results shows that in most cases the greatest contribution to growth is derived from the quantitative labor input, followed by capital services of non— information and communication technology.

Game-Theoretic Approach to Competition Dynamics in Tourism Supply Chains

Yang, S., Huang, G. Q., Song, H., Liang, L. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

This article considers two tourism supply chains (TSCs). Each TSC is assumed to consists of three sectors with the following service providers—a theme park operator, accommodation providers, and tour operators. Game theory is used to investigate the cooperation and competition between these two TSCs, between the three sectors within each TSC, and between the enterprises within each sector when configuring and marketing package holidays. Several important findings are obtained. First, a larger membership in each of the TSC sectors strengthens the sector's overall capacity and intensifies the internal competition, thus reducing members' profits while other sectors benefit from this internal competition. Second, decision makers of the two competing TSCs should adopt appropriate product differentiation strategies by carefully positioning their package holiday products to optimize their performance. Third, the theme park would benefit from integration with the accommodation provider. There exists a win-win situation in which the performances of both TSCs could be improved, if the integration adequately increases the TSCs' preference.

Semantic Representation of Tourism on the Internet

Xiang, Z., Gretzel, U., Fesenmaier, D. R. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

With the huge amount of information available on the Internet and the increasing importance of online search, understanding the tourism domain is essential for effective online marketing. This study focuses on the semantic representation of the tourism domain with respect to information provided on tourism-related Web sites and travelers' information needs as expressed through search engine queries. The results show that huge discrepancies exist between the domain ontology derived from tourism Web sites and the one emerging from user queries. This study offers useful insights into the challenge of representing tourism products and services through Web sites and provides directions for developing Internet-based systems that can better support travel planning.

Facilitating Content Analysis in Tourism Research

Stepchenkova, S., Kirilenko, A. P., Morrison, A. M. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

The article proposes a new methodological approach to facilitate content analysis of electronic textual data in a more efficient and transparent way. The textual data are processed iteratively by two software products, CATPAC and WORDER. This approach permits smoothing of the original textual data, identification of the variables of interest, frequency count of the occurrences of these variables in the texts being processed, storage of frequency results in general purpose statistical packages, and subsequent dimensional reduction of word-frequency data by means of factor analysis. Application of this methodology is illustrated on three examples of destination-image studies, which cover content analyses of open-ended responses to e-survey questions, texts from tourism Web sites, and newspaper articles. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposed research technique, its contribution to tourism studies, and the place of the approach within the quantitative paradigm of content analysis are also discussed.

Global Tourism Competitiveness and Freedom of the Press: A Nonlinear Relationship

Das, J., DiRienzo, C. E. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

Several studies have empirically explored the determinants of tourism demand and supply as well as the factors that affect destination or tourism competitiveness. However, no prior research has considered the role that uncensored information plays in a country's ability to compete globally in the tourism industry. Using the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, a new measure of tourism competitiveness developed by the World Economic Forum, and the Freedom of the Press Index created by Freedom House, this study concludes that countries that enjoy a free press as well as those that have a restricted press can be competitive in the tourism industry.

Understanding the Museum Image Formation Process: A Comparison of Residents and Tourists

Moreno Gil, S., Ritchie, J. R. B. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

This study seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the image formation process as it relates to museums with a view to comparing and contrasting tourists and residents as the two main target segments for this high-quality attraction. This study theoretically develops and empirically tests a measurement model of the museum image formation process, integrating the processes for both residents and tourists. The model also examines visitor motivations and information sources as conditioning variables. Finally, it studies the effect of visitor image on satisfaction with the museum visitation experience. The results of this study suggest that residents and tourists have some differences in their image formation process following visitation to a museum. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Social Distance: The Missing Link in the Loop of Movies, Destination Image, and Tourist Behavior?

Tasci, A. D. A. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

Visual information, especially delivered through movies, is believed to have an influence on destination image and consumer behavior. Based on the theory that knowledge about an object might cause feelings toward the object, visual information through movies can be assumed to affect not only destination image but also social distance between groups and, thus, to affect tourist behavior regarding the destination. With a quasi-experimental design, this study investigates if there is a relationship between visual information from movies and consumer-behavior variables, including destination image, destination desirability, visit intention, and social distance, taking Turkey as a case in point and a promotional movie as the stimuli. Results provide partial support for potential impact of movies on the consumer-behavior variables included in this study. Implications and future research suggestions are provided.

Israeli Guests and Egyptian Hosts in Sinai: A Bubble of Serenity

Uriely, N., Maoz, D., Reichel, A. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

This study explores the interactions between tourists and service employees of countries that have been traditionally hostile to each other. Based on a qualitative research of Israeli tourists and Egyptian service providers in the Sinai Peninsula, this study exposes five practices through which both parties emphasize constructive elements of interaction and avoid possible obstruction of peaceful encounters. The study indicates that the practices of the involved parties were provisionally abandoned after terrorist attacks in this region and then gradually reinstated. Accordingly, the guest—host encounter examined in Sinai is conceptualized as a two-party "bubble of serenity" and analyzed in terms of its authentic or inauthentic nature.

Tip-Collection Strategies, Service Guarantees, and Consumer Evaluations of Group Package Tours

Tsaur, S.-H., Wang, C.-H. — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:43:57 PDT

Signaling theory proposes that consumers use signals, such as price and guarantee, sent by firms to form impressions of quality. Several tip-collection strategies and types of service guarantee are employed by travel agencies as pricing strategies and marketing tools, but empirical evidence for the effects of these strategies and guarantees on consumers' pre-purchase evaluation is lacking. This study employed a 2x3 between-subjects factorial design—with two tip-collection strategies (tipping by participants and included) and three types of service guarantee (none, attribute-specific, and full satisfaction)—to elucidate these effects. The results indicate that a group package tour (GPT) with a tips-included strategy and full satisfaction guarantee was preferred by our subjects because of higher expected service quality and willingness to buy, and the lower perceived risk. Research implications and future research directions are also discussed.

Publishing in the Journal of Travel Research: An Assessment of Manuscript Acceptance and Rejection

Perdue, R. R., Meng, F., Courtney, J. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

This article reports on a study that examined manuscript and review data for the Journal of Travel Research (JTR). Two sets of data were examined to address the question "what are the key issues affecting acceptance and/or rejection of manuscripts submitted for publication in JTR?" Manuscripts reviewed for publication in JTR are sent to three editorial board members for review. Reviewers are asked to (a) quantitatively rate the manuscript on a review form and (b) provide qualitative comments to the authors articulating their perspectives of the manuscript along with concerns and constructive recommendations. Stratified, random samples of these quantitative ratings and qualitative comments for both manuscripts that were subsequently rejected and manuscripts that were ultimately accepted for publication provided the data for this study. The article presents these data and concludes with recommendations for authors.

Measuring the Return from Australian Tourism Marketing Expenditure

Kulendran, N., Dwyer, L. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

Tourism Australia, the primary agency responsible for marketing Australia as a destination internationally, spends around 32% of its total marketing expenditure in Asian markets. Asia contributes around 40% of the visitor arrivals to Australia. When Tourism Australia invests public money to promote Australia as a tourist destination, there is a need to estimate the return per dollar investment. This article estimated the return per dollar investment in Asia using a dynamic modeling approach and cost-effectiveness analysis. The study found that the return per dollar investment is 17:1 for Asia and 8:1, 36:1, 3:1, and 7:1 for Japan, New Zealand, the UK, and the United States respectively. The results have implications for targeting the highest yield markets to increase the economic returns to Australia from its destination marketing activity. It is argued that the cost-effectiveness approach is a useful tool for destination managers to ensure the effectiveness of their marketing expenditure.

More or Better?: Quantity and Quality Issues in Tourism Consumption

Fleischer, A., Rivlin, J. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

The tourism industry faces a dilemma. To grow tourism expenditures, industry decision makers must either increase capacity or improve quality. The ability to decompose tourism expenditures into their quality and quantity components can provide insight to this process. In this study, a theoretical model of household demand for tourism was developed, distinguishing between quality and quantity of the households' vacations. Income and price elasticities for both level of quality and number of vacation days are derived. By applying this model to Israeli data, it was found that about half of the increase in vacation demand, measured in quality units, is due to increases in the level of vacation quality, and the other half to increases in the number of vacation days.

Online Versus Paper: Format Effects in Tourism Surveys

Dolnicar, S., Laesser, C., Matus, K. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

The popularity of online surveys is rising, yet the validity of survey data collected online is frequently questioned. This study compares online surveys versus paper surveys administered via regular mail in the tourism context, and examines in detail the extent and nature of survey bias resulting from survey format-specific respondent self-selection. Results suggest that (1) both online and mail samples deviate from census data population statistics regarding sociodemographics to the same extent (but differ in nature), (2) no differences exist in the contamination of data by response styles, (3) online respondents have a lower dropout rate and produce less incomplete data, and (4) responses to tourism-related questions differ significantly, indicating that survey format can dramatically influence results of empirical studies in tourism. Our findings show that neither pure online surveys nor pure paper surveys administered through regular mail are unbiased. Format-specific self-selection of respondents to participate leads to systematic biases in both cases, making multimethod survey approaches the most reliable way of data collection at present.

A Mediation Model of Tourists' Repurchase Intentions for Packaged Tour Services

He, Y., Song, H. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

This study examines the mutual relationships among tourists' perceived service quality, value, satisfaction, and intentions to repurchase packaged tour services from travel agents. A mediation model where tourist satisfaction is hypothesized as a key mediator of the relationships between perceived service quality and repurchase intentions, and between perceived value and repurchase intentions, is developed and tested using a substantial data set with a time span of 9 consecutive years, available from a well-established regional consumer satisfaction survey. While previous literature has suggested that quality perceptions impose a direct effect on tourists' repurchase intentions, this study shows that such effect is fully mediated by tourists' satisfaction. The mediating role of satisfaction is further supported by examining the direct and indirect effects of perceived value on tourists' repurchase intentions.

Television, Tourism, and Rural Life

Mordue, T. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

This article analyzes the relationship among dramaturgy, tourism, and rurality. Through an ethnographic study of Goathland in North Yorkshire—the filming location for the U.K. television drama series Heartbeat—the rural is shown to be a cultural performance that invokes certain lifestyle preferences that are both reliant and counterpoised to urban society. However, when urban viewers exchange the virtuality of television viewing for the corporeality of visiting the rural scenes that have become a familiar part of their cultural landscapes, the consequences are much more profound, nuanced, and complex than the demarcation of positive or negative impacts reified in certain managerialist discourses. Moreover, the article shows how the public and private spaces of the rural are being fundamentally transformed by the types of global consumption and mobility that "film-induced tourism" represents.

Understanding the Relationship between Tourism Destination Imagery and Tourist Photography

Garrod, B. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

Photography and tourism are widely considered to be intrinsically linked. Photographs play a crucial role in the promotion of tourism destinations, working through a range of media including brochures, television commercials, and picture postcards. Meanwhile the practice of photography is often held to be intimately related to the condition of being a tourist. Urry (1990) links these two phenomena, suggesting that they may constitute a self-reinforcing "closed circle of representation" in which tourist photographs both reflect and inform destination images. Using an innovative research approach combining visitor-employed photography with content analysis and quantitative statistical techniques, this article presents an empirical test of Urry's theory. Mixed evidence is found, suggesting that while in many respects the circle of representation may indeed be at work, in certain other respects it may not be. This suggests that a more fine-grained and nuanced understanding of the circle of representation is required.

Impact of Weather on Downhill Ski Lift Ticket Sales

Shih, C., Nicholls, S., Holecek, D. F. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

Skiing heavily relies on specific weather and environmental conditions to make participation both feasible and enjoyable. The lack of published research on the relationships among ski activity, weather, and climate is, therefore, surprising, especially in light of mounting evidence regarding climate change. The analyses of the influence of daily weather variations on daily ski lift ticket sales at two Michigan ski resorts presented here appear to be the first of their kind. Results suggest that weather variables such as minimum and maximum temperature, snow depth, and wind chill do indeed have a statistically significant impact on downhill ski lift ticket sales. The regression models developed could be used by outdoor recreation and tourism providers for both short-term decision making and longer-term planning and management activities, in particular those involving consideration of climate change and potential adaptation strategies.

Understanding Residents' Attitudes toward the Development of Industrial Tourism in a Former Mining Community

Vargas-Sanchez, A., Plaza-Mejia, M. d. l. A., Porras-Bueno, N. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

The topic of residents' attitudes toward tourism development has been analyzed by many authors, but there have been few studies that have included: (1) the impacts resulting from tourism perceived by residents of a particular region in a very early stage of tourism development, where, consequently, this industry is not yet economically important; (2) the relationship between the impacts of tourism perceived by residents and their degree of satisfaction with their community; and (3) a specific tourism segment, such as industrial tourism. The article presented here addresses these gaps in the literature, and focuses attention on the attitudes of the residents of Minas de Riotinto—a locality of the Spanish province of Huelva, traditionally involved in mining activity, which is now in decline and in the very initial phase of tourism development—toward greater development of tourism in their municipality, and on the factors that may determine and explain those attitudes.

Changes in Residents' Gambling Attitudes and Perceived Impacts at the Fifth Anniversary of Macao's Gaming Deregulation

Vong, F. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:46:58 PST

This article follows on an earlier study conducted on Macao residents' gambling attitudes and behavior when the local gaming industry deregulated in 2002. The objective is to examine if gambling attitudes and behavior have changed in the lapse of five years as gaming becomes more accessible. Results show that the respondents in 2007 had developed a more conservative attitude toward gambling in general. The same trend was observed among players and nonplayers. Three factors of perceived gaming impacts were found to influence overall gambling attitude. It was also found that table and slot games had increased in popularity and were replacing the more common forms of gambling prior to 2002. Implications for education, well-being of the society, public policies, and tourism destination theories are discussed.