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The rapidly changing business environment is a forcing destinations to innovate in order to remain competitive. Innovation is increasingly recognized as being important for destination development. In times of economic uncertainty, a comprehensive overview of the factors of mountain destination innovativeness can contribute to the better development of mountain destinations. Research has identified important elements of innovativeness that contribute to mountain destination development and has determined the factors that comprise these elements. The elements of mountain destination innovativeness are tested for their importance in the first part of the analysis. An exploratory factor analysis is then conducted using only the more important elements to form three factors that represent the underlying dimensions of mountain destination innovativeness. The results show that mountain destination innovativeness incorporates the factors of sociocultural sustainability and stakeholder participation, environmental sustainability (natural environment) and proactiveness. Research provides knowledge for researchers as well as for stakeholders in mountain destinations, especially mountain destination managers, who will be able to identify the important factors of mountain destination innovativeness to focus on in order to increase destination development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourist satisfaction has been considered as a tool for increasing destination competitiveness. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of tourists' satisfaction in an island mass destination this study has taken Crete as a case with the aim to identify the underlying dimensions of tourists' satisfaction, to investigate whether tourists could be grouped into distinct segments and to examine the differences between the segments and their sociodemographic and travel arrangement characteristics. A segmentation procedure based on destination dimensions produced three clusters: the 'Higher-Satisfied'; the 'In-Betweeners'; and the 'Lower-Satisfied'. The implications and the conclusions of the study are provided in relation to the marketing of the island of Crete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing popularity and accessibility of virtual reality (VR) presents an opportunity for destination marketers to leverage its strengths to attract visitors. However, VR's benefits over more traditional media formats remain unclear. This paper reports results from two experiments that compared the impacts of consuming destination marketing material through VR with other media formats. The measured impacts include destination image, perceived advertising effectiveness, and behavioral intentions. Further, the dual experiments allowed for a comparison between different VR content styles (i.e. active vs. passive). Results show that more active VR content largely outperformed other media formats, but with a more passive style of VR these benefits were mostly muted. The findings have direct theoretical and practical implications relating to VR tourism marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing popularity of family travels and the importance of the daily local tours in the sharing economy, there is no research combining both and it is still very much lacking. Hence, this paper seeks to explore family experiences of the daily local-guided tours offered on a sharing economy platform, Withlocals, utilizing online narratives. To attain this aim, this study applies netnography approach and involves a total of 867 family experience reviews. As a result of the analysis, eight components revealed: local guides' attributes, awe, learning, memorable, child-friendly activities, engaging tour members, family-friendly tips, and novelty. The outcomes serve as indicators for local guides in addressing the essentials and expectations in family local-guided experience. As well as having practical implications, the results yield valuable theoretical insights for family tourism literature by opening a new door for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it has been perceived that hotel consumers using online travel agencies (OTAs) are overall price sensitive, a dominant use of OTAs in hotel booking suggests that there are more diverse consumers in terms of price perception. As such, this study investigates the price sensitivity of the Online Travel Agency (OTA) consumer segments, using price sensitivity measurement (PSM) by using factor analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed four OTA consumer segments, i.e., planned bargain seekers, enthusiastic shoppers, deal hunters, and apathetic shoppers. Differences in price sensitivity was confirmed among these segments. This study uncovers the characteristics of OTA consumers who are more (less) price sensitive. By using PSM, this study presents and compares the optimal pricing points across the customer segments in terms of monetary values. Based on the findings, this study provides theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers sometimes travel to a destination for the main purpose of enjoying the food and services a restaurant can offer. These restaurants are termed destination Restaurants. This study explores what constitutes such an experience at destination restaurants and how such experience influences visitors' sense of place development for the destination they travel to and their revisit intention for the place. Data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to tourists dining in destination restaurants in Hwayang-Dong in Chungbuk province, South Korea. Based on a convenience sample of 244 participants, the results suggest that a destination restaurant experience compromises seven components including 'Food quality', 'Locale image', 'Restaurant atmosphere', 'Price Fairness', 'Ingroup socialization', 'Ease of conversation', and 'Immersion'. The research showed that locale image, atmosphere, ease of conversation, and immersion significantly affect overall restaurant experience satisfaction. The findings also demonstrated that the destination restaurant experience positively affects tourist place attachment and destination revisit intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the tourism industry. A successful recovery from the pandemic requires a clear understanding of the 'new normal', including tourists' perceived risks, safety perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to travel. Guided by the Risk Perception Attitude (RPA) Framework, this study investigated female business travelers' risk perception attitude and willingness to travel in the COVID-19 climate. This study segmented the sample into four distinct RPA groups, including the Avoidance, Proactive, Responsive, and Indifference groups. These groups differ in some demographic characteristics and the strength of willingness to travel. Findings also showed that anxiety, perceived safety, and consumer confidence mediate the relationships between the sample's RPA and willingness to travel, but the exact relationship varies by groups. Finally, this paper discussed the theoretical contributions and practical implications of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to investigate factors associated with Mainland China's senior overseas travel motivations and the role in explaining preferences, sociodemographic and travel features. The study was conducted with 496 seniors. The statistical analyses included factor analysis, cluster analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and chi-square test. Result showed that eight domains defined the overseas travel motivations of Mainland Chinese seniors. Cluster analysis produced a five-cluster solution based on motivations. The cluster with lowest motivations were older, primary school graduates with lowest income and generally low set of preferences. Ultimately, understanding motivation can effectively promote travel among the aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the tourism industry in Albania has had an impressive growth in the last years, it is currently facing several challenges. This study examines the determinants of Albanian tourism small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance. More specifically, the direct effects of customer orientation (CO) on performance and its indirect effects mediated by innovativeness and innovation behavior are investigated. Quantitative data from a survey conducted on 211 Albanian tourism SMEs, together with qualitative information gathered from personal interviews, are considered. Results indicate that CO has a direct positive impact not only on performance but also on both innovativeness and innovation behavior. However, none of these two dimensions of innovation play a mediating role in the relationship between CO and performance. Implications from these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates online travel purchasing (OTP) motivations of Russian tourists as a neglected research topic in the literature. Data were collected from 403 Russian tourists visiting Antalya, Turkey. Convenience, hedonic, socialization and economic motivations were identified as the main underlying OTP motivations. Furthermore, cluster analysis on OTP motivation dimensions yielded three market segments: multi-benefit seekers, convenience lovers and utilitarian benefiters. Differences among the segments in terms of their demographic profiles and online purchasing behaviours were additionally tested by cross-tab analyses with χ 2 tests. Finally, study findings revealed that influences of OTP motivations on behavioural intention to buy tourism-related products might differ across the segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the importance of social media for domestic tourism consumers, small-medium enterprises (SMEs) include online marketing using Facebook in their strategic communication efforts. Using unique tactics to embed unidentified messages, they exploit open and closed Facebook groups under the disguise of organic users. This study evaluates the entrance of small domestic tourism business owners into Israeli Facebook groups, analyzing their consumer engagement tactics using virtual ethnography (netnography) as a research method. Netnography is a qualitative approach to data collection in virtual communities. In this research, the procedure was multistep: observation, qualitative data collection of closed and open tourism Facebook groups, and analysis and presentation of results as well as their implications. Key findings indicate that SME marketing efforts mimic organic user activities, exploiting virtual characteristics on Facebook groups (e.g. a sense of community, belonging, and trust). Another notable phenomenon is the undisclosed marketing communication tool kit employed to transmit message. It includes tactics such as separation of private and business profiles, exploitation of family relations, and repeat recommendations. This research adds to the understanding of online tourism marketing in virtual communities by analyzing the messaging optimization tool kit for targeting Facebook-using audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate Iranian tourists' travel motivations to Turkey and their satisfaction level with all-inclusive package tours to this country. Based on an in-depth literature review, a questionnaire was developed and data were collected from 383 Iranian tourists who stayed in resort hotels in Antalya, Turkey. The research findings reveal that entertainment, being a family friendly destination, weather, cultural resources and quality of resort hotels were the main motivational factors among Iranian tourists for visiting Turkey. Main reasons for the participants for selecting all-inclusive package tours include predetermined schedules, service quality, set price and elimination of extra spending. The research findings show a high level of satisfaction with all-inclusive package tours. However, there were differences among respondents based on gender and age. The study concludes with offering specific theoretical and practical implications. Suggestions for future research are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterized as involving ‘Japanese traditionalism elements’, Ryokan-style accommodation includes full food and beverage service, futons and spas (hot springs), and emphasizes local traditional food. Although these Japanese traditional hotels are famous for their excellent service, traditions, and are a unique accommodation experience for overseas visitors, research into the Ryokan market segment remains limited. The aim of the current study is to provide a better understanding of the decision-making of that market segment of travelers from Korea that use Ryokan-style hotels. The data were collected (N = 328) from Korean visitors to Japan during February and March of 2015. Segmentation of tourists by selection attributes resulted in three clusters: ‘personal service seekers’ (36.9%), ‘physical environment seekers’ (21.1%), and ‘spa & gourmet, systematic service and reputation seekers’ (42.0%). There were statistically significant differences between the three clusters with respect to the characteristics of Korean tourists. The implications of this study are discussed relative to possible future Ryokan marketing strategies and to future research on this accommodation type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the literature on service quality, marketing, and tourism, the present study tests a comprehensive model of the effects of perceived quality (PQ) on loyalty in the context of a tourism destination. Using a sample of 249 residents from the United Kingdom and the United States who visited Australia between 2008 and 2012, this research applies partial least squares–structural equation modeling to examine these relationships. PQ is operationalized as a multidimensional construct determined by six destination dimensions: natural and well-known attractions, variety of tourist services, quality of general atmosphere, entertainment and recreation, general environment, and accessibility. Our results support the conceptualization of PQ as a “reflective first-order, formative second-order” model (also referred to as a molar, or type II, higher order model, see Diamantopoulos A, Riefler P, and Roth KP (2008) Advancing formative measurement models. Journal of Business Research 61(12): 1203–1218). Results from this study found that the six reflective first-order dimensions of PQ form the higher (second)-order PQ construct. Moreover, PQ has a stronger effect on loyalty (both direct and indirect through satisfaction) compared to perceived value, which only exercises an indirect effect on loyalty. The study presents new insights on the operationalization of PQ and the network of causal relationships among PQ, value, satisfaction, and loyalty in tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, the Asia-Pacific region's world market share of international travelers has increased, as America's and Europe's shares have fallen. China (People's Republic of China) has become the world's biggest tourism source market with an overseas spend of US$292 billion in 2015, fueling opportunities for the region and beyond. Now, Asia Pacific outbound travel is extending past short-haul interregional travel to long-haul destinations, specifically Europe. To realize this potential, European destinations need a better understanding of the Chinese traveler; their perceptions of destinations, awareness, and loyalty. This study measures the brand equity of Switzerland and Austria as perceived by Hong Kong Chinese tourists. Structural equation modeling results indicate that destination brand image and associations significantly impact brand loyalty, whereas destination awareness does not, contrary to past interregional research findings. Understanding the influence of brand components on overall brand equity supports the efficacy of the brand equity model for interregional destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of shopping attributes on shopping satisfaction by considering asymmetric relationships between these constructs. In addition, the study examines how the effects of various attributes differ according to nationality by using data collected from German, Dutch and British tourists in the historic town of Side. First, factor analysis results reflected 'tangibles', 'staff' and 'products' as the underlying shopping attributes. Next, an asymmetric impact performance analysis was used to categorize shopping attributes according to both their performances and their asymmetric effects on shopping satisfaction. Analyses of the results revealed that attributes' categorization varied according to country of residence. While the products attribute was identified as an excitement factor with high performance for German tourists, it was a basic factor with high performance for the British tourists. These findings confirmed the asymmetric effects of the attributes on satisfaction. The study concluded with theoretical and managerial implications of the findings and future research recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to assess the perceived importance of the attributes that form the destination image (DI) based on general vacation experiences and opinions of travelers and (2) to compare the expected performance of Turkey’s attributes in attracting travelers from the emerging markets (i.e. China as well as Arab countries) using importance–performance analysis (IPA). The data were gathered from a sample of 426 prospective Chinese and Arab travelers during two prominent travel expositions in Dubai and Shanghai using face-to-face interviews with structured questionnaires. Comparative factor analysis and two generated IPA grids for each sample provided important insights into the perceived DI of emerging markets. More specifically, study findings provide valuable practical management information to destination management organizations in Turkey that want to design tailored marketing strategies for emerging markets. Further practical and theoretical implications are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotions are crucial to explaining consumer behavior. Following an in-depth review of the literature, we identified three types of emotional stimuli affecting consumers: emotions produced by the item being purchased, emotions related to various aspects of the evaluation process, and emotions stemming from factors unrelated to the purchase itself. Previous studies have identified two approaches to analyzing emotions, namely, a categorical approach, which looks at basic emotions, and a dimensional one, which studies the dimensions of the emotions. Although these approaches are thought to be complementary, very few studies have been conducted on the subject, and none have specifically examined it in the context of the tourism industry. We have thus conducted a detailed and empirical study measuring the basic emotions and emotional dimensions elicited by hotels in 841 tourists. We demonstrate the existence of differences in both basic emotions and emotional dimensions among tourists and the additional benefit of using both approaches to study them. The results of this research will facilitate the design of appropriate marketing strategies, thereby helping hospitality managers adapt to the different established tourism segments defined by emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore the applicability of brand personality in the economy hotel segment and whether hotel brand personality could differentiate between similar hotel brands. Courtyard and Hampton Inn are used in this study. The results of this study suggest that brand personality dimensions can be clearly delineated in the economy hotel sector, in consistent with Aaker’s dimensions, ruggedness, competence, excitement, sophistication, and sincerity. Moreover, similar hotel brands can be perceived differently based on their personalities. Additionally, although common brand personality factor structure can be used to describe economy hotel brands in general, specific hotel brand does exhibit some unique dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mature market in Ireland as a tourism cohort is viable in terms of both size and disposable income. Not only is this, but international travel by the mature market in Ireland is a relatively new phenomenon, presenting opportunities for targeting this group. Previous research has indicated the heterogeneous nature of this cohort and the need for segmentation within this group has been documented. However, in an Irish context little or no research has been conducted into the motivations and behaviour of this tourism segment. Therefore, taking a sample of 500 mature Irish individuals, this article incorporates the multivariate techniques of both factor and cluster analyses to segment the mature tourism market in Ireland based on an examination of their push and pull (Dann, 1977) travel motivations. From this analysis, four distinctive segments are identified, namely enthusiastic travellers, cultural explorers, escapists and spiritual travellers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This exploratory study aims at closing an inherent gap in the literature on research on private parks. Specifically, the aim of this study is threefold: (a) to identify the push and pull factors that influence decisions to visit private parks; (b) to examine the differences in these push and pull factors for different sociodemographic groups; and (c) to investigate the interrelationships among these push and pull factors. Data were collected from 228 visitors who were intercepted at various locations in a private park. The survey instrument assessed the reasons for visiting the park (push factors) and evaluated how well the park performed on a series of selected park attributes (pull factors). The results of a factor analysis revealed three push factors and three pull factors. Other analyses included an evaluation of the interrelationship between these factors in terms of different sociodemographic subgroups and a general correlation analysis on the interrelationship among push and pull factors. This study provides useful managerial and practical implications for park managers, policymakers and communication strategists to gain an understanding of how push and pull factors affect tourists and their choice of private parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the literature on visitor satisfaction, return likelihood, and customer segmentation, this study applies a Chi-square Automatic Identification Detector segmentation technique to segment European visitors on their likelihood to revisit selected Mediterranean sun-and-sand destinations. The Chi-square Automatic Identification Detector procedure distinguishes five segments in terms of return likelihood, with different levels of satisfaction according to the respondents’ repeat visit status, occupation, and country of residence. The findings are further discussed in the framework of the literature on return likelihood. Marketing implications and suggestions for Mediterranean sun-and-sand destination managers are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the dimensionality of tourist perceived value in a context that is rarely studied, community-based homestay tourism. A survey of 353 tourists to homestay villages was used to examine both functional and experiential aspects of perceived value, and structural equation models were used to verify the validity and reliability of the scales. Tourist perceived value was tested and illustrated through a parsimonious construct with five dimensions: (i) functional value (establishment); (ii) functional value (price); (iii) experiential value (host-guest interaction); (iv) experiential value (activity, culture and knowledge); and (v) emotional value. These dimensions were measured by 20 significant items. The results indicate that functional, emotional and experiential factors are important determinants of the perceived value of community-based homestay tourism. It is therefore recommended that host providers, marketers and governments should pay attention to the order of importance of these value dimensions to increase overall tourist value as well as to better develop the positioning strategies and promotion of this tourism niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competitiveness among destinations, the rising cost of marketing, and the need to maintain market share, inspire the event management of the Tenth-Month Merit-Making Festival (TMMF) to use the festival as a tourist destination and to focus on attendees' wants and needs. The TMMF is a religious celebration which has existed in Nakhon Si Thammarat (NT), a province in southern Thailand for more than a hundred years. Despite the longevity and significance of the TMMF, there is no systematic record of the festival's attendees. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare residents' and nonresidents' information sources, motivations, performance evaluations, and overall satisfaction with the festival. There were 243 residents and 80 non-residents participating in the study. The results revealed that friends and family were their best information sources. Arts and crafts were top attractions for both groups. Factors affecting residents' overall satisfaction were different from those of non-residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings of a study on tour leaders' service quality and their impact on a travel agency's reputation and word-of-mouth publicity. A survey was conducted with 431 tourists who joined package tours with a large travel agency in Hong Kong. Four factors with 16 attributes were identified. These factors were 'Professional attitude and ability', 'Presentation and communication ability', 'Professional knowledge' and 'Personal integrity'. Positive relationships were found between the tour leader's service quality factors and reputation, tour leader's service factors and word-of-mouth publicity. Implications of the findings are discussed and future research directions are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring tourist satisfaction plays an important role in marketing tourism products and services. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between destination attribute importance and performance, travel motivation, and satisfaction. It is hypothesized that tourist satisfaction of a destination is a function of attribute importance, performance, and travel motivation. A nature-based resort, serving as a short-term family vacation destination in South-east Virginia, was used as the study site for this research. Factor analyses were employed to identify the dimensions of the destination attributes on importance and performance, as well as tourist motivations. The composite delineated factors were used as indicators to measure the overall tourist satisfaction in the regression analysis. The results revealed that friendly/quality services and lodging performance are significant factors in determining the overall satisfaction, whereas food and location are of significant importance in the satisfaction evaluation. Travel motivation, family-friend togetherness' in particular, although not a statistical significant factor, practically explains its influence on the overall tourist satisfaction of a resort destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to 1) examine travel motivation of travelers to revisit Thailand, 2) determine whether there is a significant difference in travel motivation between first time and repeat travelers and among travelers with different demographic profiles, and 3) identify the impact of travel motivation on the likelihood of travelers to revisit Thailand. The result shows significant differences in travel motivations between first time and repeat travelers and among travelers with different demographic profiles and significance of positive impressions of the 'good food value, shopping, and a variety of things to do' and 'novelty seeking' on the likelihood of travelers to revisit Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of customer satisfaction is a primary goal for any service firm that would like to survive in this increasingly competitive market. Keeping tourists satisfied and delighted is even more important for the Mauritian tourism industry given that the destination faces fierce competition abroad. Developing a measure of hotel service quality is an important precursor to attracting and retaining tourists and hence ensuring the survival of hotels. SERVQUAL has been proposed as a generic measure of service quality that may be applicable to hotel services. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether SERVQUAL dimensions are pertinent to the hotel industry. Results from this study verify SERVQUAL dimensions, but demonstrate additional dimensions that are specific to the hotel sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates recent trends in the burgeoning leisure farm industry throughout Taiwan's rural regions. These leisure farms have developed quite fast and have increasingly thrived following government deregulation and encouragement. The leisure farm businesses have proven remarkably resilient, while the fallout from Taiwan's recent economic recession will no doubt produce new opportunities and challenges in rural economic development. The study herein uses both qualitative interviews and quantitative analyses. The study uses linear Structural Relations (LISREL) for analyzing the Structural Equation Model (SEM) that is developed and tested, which measures the casual relationships among resource, competitive, and performance advantages by implementing e-commerce for the leisure farm industry. Finally, the research proposes an optimal e-commerce strategic model for the leisure farm industry and management implications of this study are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, although exploratory by nature, uses benefit segmentation in order to understand how tourists differ in what they look for in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. The survey reveals that the sample studied can be grouped into three clusters according to their needs. These clusters can further be divided into two broad segments based on their attitudes to the environment: ecocentric and anthropocentric. The results show that these segments have differing profiles in terms of preferences and their behavioural characteristics. Thus, the analyses provide information beneficial to the appropriate allocation of limited resources by protected area's managers because the use of simple averages or majority opinions would conceal time heterogeneity of tourists' preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essential function that is recommended for destinations and tourism and hospitality organizations to undertake is to learn about developments in the external environment that may have a substantial impact on the competitiveness of their business. The healthy-living lifestyle has been gaining momentum in the USA and in various parts of the world; more than ever, programs, products, and regulations are being developed and implemented to cater to members of the mentioned lifestyle and to support the overall well being of societies. In the field of travel and tourism, health has been approached from the angle of tourism experiences' effects on an individual's well being. There has been no attempt to explore the characteristics of a healthy-living market segment and its travel motivational characteristics. This article presents the findings of a research project that aimed at unveiling the travel motivational characteristics of the healthy-living market segment along with its socio-demographic characteristics. In today's competitive environment, it has become a must to learn about a specific segment's characteristics. Destinations as well as tourism/hospitality organizations cannot afford to waste their resources on decisions taken based on personal opinions and not hard intelligence on specific markets of interest. Using the findings as guidelines, recommendations are presented on possible public and private sectors' roles in supporting the development and marketing of hospitality and tourism products and services positioned to cater to vacationers who have a healthy-living oriented lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature clearly provides support and empirical evidence linking personal values and consumption, and acknowledges cross-cultural differences in these values. Personal values have been shown to be efficient, measurable sets of variables that are less numerous, more centrally held and more closely related to motivations than demographic and psychographic measures. The list of values (LOV) is a widely used scale for the measurement of values in a variety of consumer behaviour contexts. It has been used for the purposes of cross-cultural comparison and in tourism behaviour research. Kahle has suggested the instrument is a viable candidate as a widely accepted measure for cross-cultural comparison of values. This paper examines the reliability and validity of the LOV in the context of Japanese tourism behaviour. Results suggest several problems with the scale in this context, and the paper discusses some philosophical and methodological issues in cross-cultural values research in tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of humans is to return from travelling with a souvenir of the experience. The purchase of a souvenir by a tourist serves as a tangible way of capturing or suspending in time an otherwise intangible experience. Many small businesses in the south-west region of the USA depend on souvenir sales for income. The purpose of this study was to assess south-western retailers' knowledge of tourists' souvenir purchase behaviour while visiting the area. Souvenir products, product attributes and store attributes were analyzed for differences in importance between tourists and retailers. Factor analysis and t-tests were administered. Findings indicated differences exist between tourists and retailers with regard to souvenir products, product attributes and store attributes. By better understanding the relationship between tourists and their retail needs, tourism-based retail businesses may increase revenues and the economic activity of a host area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the student market constitutes a significant portion of revenues in the travel industry, it has received little attention in tourism research. The primary purpose of this paper is to offer an alternate approach to segmentation and to subdivide the student market on the basis of travel activity preferences of Asian and domestic university students. When a division based on ethnicity is adopted, the study .findings suggest that the travel activity preferences of Asian and domestic college students are surprisingly similar. Subdividing this market by means of a factor-cluster segmentation methodology, however, yielded two cluster groups that were significantly differentiated by variables such as gender, age, source of income, length of stay, marital status and travel group size. The ability to segment this market in terms of descriptors other than ethnicity allows marketers to focus their efforts differently in their attempts to target these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism industry in Brazil has been growing sharply in the past few years. Among its visitors, US citizens are one of the most important and attractive markets for the Brazilian tourism industry. h is believed, however, that most Americans still know little about Brazil and what it has to offer. This study had three objectives: determine the images that American citizens interested in travel and tourism have of Brazil as a travel destination, determine if they differentiate Brazil from neighbouring Hispanic countries and group them according to similar imagoes of Brazil. Online discussion groups on travel and tourism were used to obtain a sample of this population. The results indicated that 'natural attractions/interest' and 'vacation atmosphere/exoticness' were the two most important images of Brazil among the respondents. The results also indicated that respondents were unable to differentiate Brazil from Hispanic countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using national survey data on the long-haul pleasure travel market in the UK, this study compared British travellers bound for Asian, North American and Oceanic destinations on three different psychographic dimensions. Significant differences were found among the three travel groups in travel philosophies, travel benefits sought and destination attribute preferences. In contrast, demographic and socio-economic variables were found to be ineffective in diffentiating the British travellers. The research findings provided further empirical evidence of the valuable role that psychographic factors, such as attitudes and preferences, can play in understanding travel decision making. The results also indicated that destination areas should identify the benefits and attributes that are most highly valued by travellers from key countryof-origin target markets. Further, the study suggested that there was good reason for closer marketing alliances among individual countries within a region. Within each of the three broad travel regions reviewed in this study there existed more homogeneity, while between regions there appeared to be more heterogeneity in the psychographic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identified travellers’ perceptions of quality of hotel services and facilities among three hotel categories in Hong Kong: High-Tariff A, High-Tariff B and Medium-Tariff hotels. Using a factor analysis technique, the study generated seven hotel factors from 33 hotel attributes identified by the hotel guests. The seven hotel factors were ‘Staff Service Quality’, ‘Room Quality’, ‘General Amenities’, ‘Business Service’, ‘Value’, ‘Security’ and ‘IDD Facilities’. Results of ANOVA indicated that the ranking of the seven hotel factors was significantly different in the three hotel categories. Travellers’ mean ratings of their perceptions of hotel factors increased positively, according to the higher hotel category. The finding is typical, in the sense that when people pay more, they expect to get better quality services. The two most important hotel factors perceived by guests of High-Tariff A and High-Tariff B hotels were ‘Room Quality’ and ‘Staff Service Quality’, while the top priority for hotel guests staying at Medium-Tariff hotels was ‘Security’. Discussions and implications for future studies are also included in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study attempts to delineate destination image variations of the USA, based on sociodemographic and trip characteristics of West German travellers. Using factor analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure, this study determines six image factors and finds that the image of the US is significantly influenced by some demographic and trip characteristics of West German travellers. Suggestions are made for marketing implications and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study is concerned with identifying those destination attributes (pull) factors which influence European travellers' selection of Africa as a vacation destination region. It seeks to provide a database and an identification of a positioning framework within which the relevant tourism planners and promoters can promote the various sub-regions to selected European visitor markets. The research data suggests that African tourism marketers should pay attention to factors over which they have comparative advantage rather than trying to copy destinations in other parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A few studies in the travel research literature indicate a relationship between travel motivation and the use of information sources for travel decisions. This study will propose and test a causal model specifying these relationships using structural equation modelling. When specific client groups are matched with their preferred information sources, marketers can easily access the target group. The application of LISREL will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since the devaluation of the Canadian dollar, tourism profits in the US border towns have seen a worrying decline. This paper examines the historical causes of this decline, with particular reference to the cross-border town, Minot, in North Dakota, and suggests ways in which a radical and thoroughgoing reappraisal of policy, both through the CVB and Chambers of Commerce, could improve the fortunes of this formerly very prosperous large town by targeted marketing and carefully considered tourist benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]