Virtual Reality Technology is increasingly becoming popular in the tourism sector. So far, the most researched application is the marketing of destinations. In contrast, the technology has also been ...mentioned as a means to limit or reduce the number of tourists at a specific sight or destination. In this respect vr is considered as a substitute for the actual trip. This paper addresses this issue by looking at the possibility to apply vr-technology to transfer the real-life experience into the digital world. In a qualitative research framework, visitor behaviour and experience are investigated when encountering vr sights in order to better understand items driving technology adoption. Structured content analysis is applied for data analysis where coding follows an adjusted Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model. For interpretation purposes a pure qualitative framework was chosen. We find that enjoyment is an important driver for vr technology acceptance, whereas facilitating conditions and outcome expectations seem to be obstacles for it. Perceived usefulness is evaluated controversially. While the technology is not acknowledged as a substitute for a regular holiday trip, especially for travellers who take pleasure in active holidays or appreciate social interaction, it was recognised as an alternative for special occasions such as brief getaways from everyday life or short city trips. Overall, when appropriately implemented the technology might not only be useful to decrease visitor concentration in touristic hotspots or to decrease negative aspects associated with frequent travel but could further be applied to sites where visitors do not engage physically because sites are too distant, expensive, inhospitable, unsafe or fragile.
In the tourism industry, it is critical to prioritise safety and health measures to guarantee the satisfaction and well-being of local communities and tourists. This study analyses the publication ...patterns, geographic dispersion, most-cited articles, and thematic emphasis on safety and health research in the tourism industry. Our empirical investigation utilised Scopus and Web of Science datasets, which were analysed using ScientoPy and VOSviewer. The results showed a significant increase in research activity during the 2000s, suggesting that researchers emphasised the significance of safety and health practices in the tourism industry. China is the most prolific contributor, producing 154 publications, more than 50% of which were published between 2021 and 2022. The term ‘health tourism’ arises as the predominant subject of investigation in safety and health research on the tourism industry, having beenfeatured in 215 publications. Significantly, 19% of publications utilising the term ‘health tourism’ were published between 2021 and 2022, suggesting continued enthusiasm and a recent upsurge in scholarly endeavours within this crucial field. Since 2018, the terms ‘tourism destination’, ‘tourism industry’, ‘satisfaction’, ‘public health’, ‘wellness’, ‘tourism safety’, ‘China’, ‘COVID-19’, ‘mental health’, ‘well-being’, and ‘health and wellness’ have dominated the emerging subfield or niche area of studying safety and health in the tourism industry.
The aim of the study is to evaluate the process of crisis communication of 4-star business hotels during the coronavirus epidemic and to compare their communication during the first and second waves ...of the epidemic. As part of the qualitative research, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with the employees responsible for crisis communication within the surveyed hotels. The research is based on Fall and Massey’s (2005) three-step crisis communication model, examining the stages of preparation, response and recovery.The result of the empirical research shows that, although the strategic management of the hotels was not prepared for an upcoming crisis, they managed to develop a crisis communication plan based on their previous protocols, force majeure contracts and newly acquired knowledge that they could successfully apply during the COVID-19 crisis. The authors of the study were the first to research the crisis communication of Hungarian business hotels during the first two waves of the coronavirus epidemic. The conclusion of the study is that change was needed in the marketing communication strategy after the first wave, as travellers wanted to see messageswith a more positive tone. This change proved to be successful; it is worthwhile to continue external communication through several channels and it is not enough to use only a Facebook page.
In response to the contemporary trend of tourists actively seeking novel, unique, and distinctive experiences, this study explores the relationship between tourists’ perceptions of the uniqueness of ...tourism products and their expectations. Specifically, it focuses on the coastal destinations of Piran and Portorož in Slovenia, analysing four unique experiences: Gourmet Olive Tours, Fonda Fish Garden, The Disappearance of Tartini’s Violin, and E-bike Extravaganza Mareatour. Using a quantitative approach, the study supports the hypothesis that the perceived uniqueness of new tourism products significantly influences tourists’ expectations. The findings support the hypothesis, revealing that the perceived uniqueness of an experience is closely tied to its incorporation of local character and a strong experiential or personal touch. For instance, the Gourmet Olive Tour experience, perceived as the most unique, offers tourists immersive encounters within a landscape park and interactions with a local olive family. Furthermore, the study identifies a hierarchy of expectations among tourists, ranging from increasing knowledge of the local offer, traditions, and history, to seeking unique activities and having confidence that the experience will meet their expectations. In conclusion, the research underscores that consumers harbour high expectations for unique experiences, underlining the importance of infusing tourism products with experiential and emotional elements. The positive correlation between perceived uniqueness and expectations underscores the imperative for crafting distinct and memorable tourism offerings. The study enriches our understanding of the relationship between perceived uniqueness and expectations, offering insights for destination marketers creating distinctive tourism products. It also provides recommendations for future research, enhancing scholarly discourse on tourism product development and consumer behaviour.
Although the hospitality industry is growing rapidly, several studies show that the industry still lacks a skilled workforce to meet demands. This condition is exacerbated by the fact that many ...hospitality students change their career aspirations after they graduate. The purpose of this research is to explore the factors that influence the career goals of hospitality students in Indonesia. A self-administered survey was utilized to collect data from Indonesian hospitality students. A total of 430 questionnaires were gathered for statistical analysis. The data were analysed by using the partial least squares structural equation modelling tool that gives proof of data dependability and validity. The empirical results show that the students’ intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation significantly influences undergraduate hospitality students’ career goals. Similarly, the study also found that career exposure and third parties positively influence hospitality students’ career goals. The findings in this study are beneficial for hospitality businesses in preparing and establishing their strategy in the recruitment process. Meanwhile, for higher education institutions, they can better prepare their students by providing various learning opportunities such as seminars, so that students can get career exposure and attain a realistic picture of their future careers.
The paper examines characteristics, strategies, and the business environment of ten small firms within the tourism and hospitality industry in the southern region of Poland. The qualitative analysis ...is based on online surveys and Zoom interviews with ten female entrepreneurs regarding economic, sociocultural, and environmental factors contributing to the firms’ success. The results indicate that female entrepreneurs developed resiliency to overcome market challenges during their first years of operation, the financial crisis of 2007, and the COVID-19 pandemic. They faced numerous difficulties that hindered their business growth and the most significant barrier included limited availability of low-cost financing. Their strategies focused on transformation aimed towards sustainability, public involvement, conservation, education, and green efforts, which contributed to the firms’ growth. Recognizing market characteristics and the needs of their local communities, employees, and customers as well as cultural preservation and environmental sustainability have been critical to the firms’ growth and entrepreneurial success.
This study aimed to explore how brand awareness and brand image influence customers’ intention to book hotels online. It also examined the role of quality perception, price perception, and value ...perception as mediators, both separately and in combination. Data was collected from 514 online travellers to North Indian hotels based on a judgemental sampling technique which was then analysed with the application of structural equation modelling involving confirmatory factor analysis followed by path analysis. The data analysis software Analysis of Momentum Structure (AMOS)- 20 was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis and PROCESS macro-3.4 on Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)-23 software was used to perform path analysis involving the measurements of latent constructs. The results confirm that value perception serves as a mediator in the relationship between brand awarenessand booking intention, as well as brand image and booking intention in both serial and parallel mediations. Perceived quality alone does not mediate the relationship between brand awareness or brand image and booking intention. However, the significance of the impact emerges when brand image precedes perceived quality as a mediator between brand awareness and booking intention. This study managed to throw light on the importance of two major brand attributes in influencing customers’ booking intention. This can give clarity on the success factor of both established businesses and new-born start-ups.
Wellness tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries (Global Wellness Institute, 2018).Wellness tourism has developed into a very important tourism market segment around the world over ...the past two decades or so. This is especially so for Thailand, where wellness tourism has become one of country’s most important tourism markets. In addition to attracting high-end tourists from developed and developing countries, wellness tourism also increases the economy of small or developing countries (Jagyasi, 2022). Thai massage has a strong link to wellness tourism as it is a key service for wellness tourism. In terms of the massage business, tourist confidence is the perception of service quality that influences a purchase decision. Service quality and tourist confidence are intertwined, which then leads to income and economic development. Therefore, examining service quality within Thai massage in relation to tourist confidence is important for exploring the crucial factors influencing international tourist confidence in Thai massage. The results of this research may lead to service quality development to encourage confidence among international tourists who are a significant source of foreign revenue. This research aims to examine the effect of Thai massage service quality on international tourist confidence. A survey of 400 international tourists was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand between March and May 2019, using a structured research questionnaire to collect all necessary data, which was then used to test the research hypotheses using multiple regression analysis. The study concluded that three out of five elements of service quality affect international tourist confidence. These elements include ‘Empathy,’ ‘Tangibility,’ and ‘Responsiveness,’ while ‘Assurance’ and ‘Reliability’ did not have a significant effect on tourist confidence. The findings of this research establish an empirical relationship between empathy, tangibility and responsiveness of Thai massage businesses and international tourists’ confidence. This insight of the study may help the massage business to have a better understanding about the elements of service quality that influence international tourist confidence.
Due to the inadequate literature for fully understanding service quality in the spa industry, this article has the objective to review the related literature to obtain a conceptual understanding of a ...spa service quality framework. The method is based on a systematic review of related literature by analysing service models/dimensions from past studies and integrating them to obtain a comprehensive framework of spa service quality. Based on the proposed framework, the four themes (dimensions) of spa service quality are identified: (1) spa programmes and products, (2) physical environment, (3) customer-employee interaction, and (4) service outcome. The overview suggests that using a single service model is insufficient to fully understand the spa service quality framework because of its distinct characteristics. The findings can help researchers and spa practitioners to thoroughly understand the overall framework of spa service quality. In particular, the combination of physical environment (technology-based equipment) and better customer-employee interaction can contribute to service innovation for the spa industry. The overview helps to extend the theoretical knowledge (framework) of the traditional SERQVUAL and three-dimensional models (physical, interaction and outcome quality) by adding the product dimension as an additional component of the spa service quality framework.
The study aimed to analyse the factors that impact the satisfaction and revisiting intention of medical tourists in Jordan. A theoretical model consisting of seven variables, namely service quality, ...risk perception, value for money, destination attraction, tourist-friendly environment, satisfaction and revisit intention was framed based on previous literatures. For testing of the model a methodological approach was followed. First, the survey was conducted among medical tourists visiting the top ten hospitals in Jordan, resulting in the collection of 395 responses. Then a structural equation model was employed to analyse the data. The study found that the independent variables, including service quality, value for money, and destination attraction had a significant impact on the satisfaction and revisit intention of medical tourists. The analysis also revealed that the tourist-friendly environment had a significant influence on satisfaction but did not significantly impact revisit intention.However, the study did not provide evidence of any significant impact of risk perception on satisfaction and revisit intention. Aligning with the findings, the government and private entities of Jordan can prioritize maintaining the quality of services, enhancing the attractiveness of the destination, and ensuring a tourist-friendly environment. They can also consider addressing and mitigating the risk perception of medical tourists, as it was not found to impact the tourist’s satisfaction and revisit intention.
PDF
