TOURISMOS: An International Multidisciplinary Refereed Journal of Tourism |
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Volume 7, Number 2, 2012
To download Volume 7, Number 2 in PDF form please click here (the file is approximately 12,9 MB and it opens in a new window). To download individual papers published in Volume 7, Number 2 in PDF form please click here (access is provided through DOAJ in a new window).
COMPARING CUSTOMER-SATISFACTION EVALUATION METHODS, IN THE
CONTEXT OF INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE SITES
Werner Gronau, Andreas Kagermeier, Carsten
Muller &
Christine M. Scherl There is a rich variety of customer satisfaction
evaluation techniques, nevertheless rarely other approaches than the
attribute-orientated ones are used. Therefore the article gives a short
overview on existing alternatives and their specifics in the first part.
The second part focuses on an evaluation of those methods in a practical
way, by applying a bunch of methods in the context of leisure research.
Based on an industrial heritage site, attribute-orientated-,
incident-orientated approaches as well as silent hooping techniques are
applied, in order to research their specifics and to evaluate the data
provide by each methodological approach. Specific opportunities and
threats are elaborated for each method in the context of leisure
research. TOURISM
AND NEUROSCIENCE: A PRELIMINARY APPROACH Giuli
Liebman
Parrinello Tourism studies,
generally considered multi-, inter- and even post-disciplinary, has not
yet embraced neuroscience, despite the fact that the latter has been
extending its domain in the last decades, opening up to human consciousness,
as well as to social issues, arts and the humanities. This paper argues
that it is also necessary for tourism social studies to take into account
recent developments in this field. Bearing in mind a broad
conceptualization of the tourist experience, an attempt will be made to
indicate formulations in neuroscience which potentially cast new light on
various aspects of tourism. The following points are evidenced:
post-cartesian embodiment (seemingly already a common background);
so-called qualia, linked to phenomenological experience; the issue of the
‘extended mind’; the discovery of mirror neurons; neuroethics, which can
clearly be seen in relation to the ethics of tourism. In conclusion, the
recent popularization of neuroscience through brain imaging is briefly
explored. THE KEY DETERMINANTS OF AND BARRIERS TO INTERNET ADOPTION IN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED HOTELS Jennifer
Kim Lian Chan The present paper
presents qualitative empirical evidence that addresses why internet
usage/adoption is low and how it can be improved in small and medium-sized
hotels in Malaysia. It explores the key barriers to and influencing
factors of internet adoption in a sample of 25 Malaysian small and
medium-sized hotels based on a theoretical framework of the organisational
innovation and resource-based view theories. Key barriers to internet
usage include owner/operator characteristics, cost and investment, firm
size and internet access. Operator/user’s assessment of perceived resource
readiness, perceived potential utility and perceived performance seem to
be the key influencing factors. The proposed holistic internet adoption
framework also serves as a novel tool and a useful guide for individuals
and ICT policymakers for improving and implementing e-commerce/internet.
This paper adds to the internet adoption and decision literature and
advances the theoretical and practical understanding of internet usage in
small and medium-sized hotels, but requires further validation in other
countries. THE RECENT CHANGES IN PLACE FORMATION AND THE TRADITIONAL CITY IDENTITY OF ANTALYA Ruya Ehtiyar,
Volkan Altintas, Aylin Aktas Alan & Seher
Oren The latest place
formation of Antalya and as regards of the traditional city development
has started in 1950s. Today the rapid change of Antalya is the biggest one
of Turkish history of which definition has become gradually difficult.
This change has occurred to a large extent without scientific and
democratic plan. Problems like instability of social structure, migration,
deviating urbanization, housing built without acquiring the land rights,
structural and environmental pollution have seen in Antalya so many
serious precautions should be taken to realize the place formation of city
accurately. In this research, it is aimed at solving the problems of the
place formation of Antalya and as regards of the changes in traditional
identification that have been detected by all components in the city and
city side with its functional structure. In addition, identifying the
criteria, which will be effective on explaining and existence of urban
identity, could develop. A COMPARISON OF THE PROJECTED AND THE PERCEIVED IMAGE OF CYPRUS Anna
Farmaki The purpose of
this research is to identify and compare the projected and perceived
images of Cyprus following repositioning. Secondary sources such as
brochures, advertising campaigns and tourism websites were used to
identify the projected image and a survey was performed to measure the
perceived image.
Questionnaires including closed and open-ended questions evaluating
destination attributes and perceived image were disseminated to 393
British tourists. The
research identified the differences between the two concepts, revealing
that the marketing strategy of Cyprus has not managed to enhance
destination image. The paper
concludes with recommendations on marketing Cyprus tourism.
A MODEL FOR EXPLOITING e-CRM IN B-TO-B
e-COMMERCE
Meltem Caber, A. Ak?n
Aksu & Tahir
Albayrak In international
tourism and travel literature, importance of the business-to-business
(B-to-B) relationships and the role of e-CRM implementations are widely
ignored. However, sophisticated relationships among to wholesalers (tour
operators) and retailers (travel agencies) quite deserve to further
interests of the academicians. Therefore, proposed model of this research
was generated to examine to B-to-B electronic commerce environment in
travel sector and the roles of e-CRM features in wholesaler-retailer
relationships. Structural equation modeling results indicated that
satisfaction of the retailer travel agencies’ sales staff was positively
and significantly effected by the website quality of the wholesaler tour
operators’ extranet system. The results indicated any statistically
significant relationship between customer services of the tour operator
and satisfaction of the travel agencies’ sales staff.
AN
INTERDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS OF TOURIST LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE
Aikaterini
Gkoltsiou & Theano S. Terkenli This article
presents a new methodological framework for assessing the structure of
coastal tourist landscapes, bearing the potential for development, in
order to adjust to all sorts of other tourist landscapes. Through a
combined application of landscape indicators, remote sensing and landscape
character assessment methods, the proposed framework aims at the
measurement of attributes of the state of a landscape. The paper,
accordingly, proceeds from a) an extensive literature review, based on the
elements and aspects of tourism and landscape that comprise the tourist
landscape and on qualitative and quantitative landscape assessment
methods, to b) the presentation of the proposed methodological framework and set
of indicators and c) ends with a series of conclusions on the
applicability of the proposed methodological framework, in a tourist
landscape context. WOMEN
IN HOTEL MANAGEMENT IN ZIMBABWE: CAREER AMBITIONS, PROGRESSION TACTICS,
AND CAREER CHALLENGES
Muchazondida
Mkono Research
investigates career ambitions, progression tactics and challenges among
female hotel managers in Zimbabwean hotels. Data was gathered
through a questionnaire survey of 84 female hotel managers in Zimbabwe.
Most female hotel managers in Zimbabwe aspire to attain top management
positions. However, they face several challenges in their attempts to
achieve their career goals. To enhance their career progression prospects,
there is a clear need to adopt more aggressive tactics, especially with
regard to undertaking further study. For the industry there is need to
institutionalise policies and structures that are more “woman-friendly”.
However, cultural norms and values pose a major challenge for the change
process. Further, women should take responsibility for their own careers.
They could strengthen their promotion chances by undertaking postgraduate
business leadership courses at esteemed institutions, and by being more
assertive of their capabilities. The research focuses on Zimbabwean female
hotel managers, whose career ambitions, progression tactics and challenges
have not yet been
documented. ELECTRONIC
MARKETING PRACTICES AT HOTELS IN TURKEY AND A SURVEY WITH FOUR AND FIVE
STAR HOTELS
Dilek Kekec Morkoc & Lutfi
Atay Marketing
activities to provide competition advantage, particularly electronic
marketing have been a very important need for hotel operations. Through
electronic marketing tools, hotel operations can have access to more mass
of people faster with less cost. Electronic marketing of hotels in Turkey were not analyzed
enought and in this survey, it was questioned how much hotel
establishments in Turkey benefited from electronic marketing practices and
how much they could keep up with the changes in electronic marketing. With
this purposes, it was intended to determine the level of electronic
marketing practices and electronic marketing elements via their own
website, according to the types and classes of hotel establishments. The
method of content analysis was used. According to data of collected
from hotels’ web sites in
Marmara Region, %96.8 of
hotels are covered by search engines and five star hotels & chain
hotels were found more dynamic and were allowing the practices for
electronic marketing. EXAMINATION OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND
TOURISM IN BARBADOS: TESTING THE SUPPLY-SIDE HYPOTHESIS
Mahalia Jackman & Troy
Lorde The goal of this
study is to examine the supply side hypothesis of tourism demand, that is,
to answer the question: Does economic growth in Barbados spur tourism
growth. Results suggest that there is
a long-run relationship between real GDP in Barbados and tourist
arrivals. Specifically, we
find that a 1% expansion in real GDP is associated with a 1.2% increase in
tourist arrivals. Further, our Granger causality
test suggests that the supply-side hypothesis is valid for
Barbados. ACCESSIBILITY VERSUS ADVERTISING FOR MOUNTAIN TOURISM: THE CASE OF NAFPAKTIA Evgenia Bitsani & Androniki
Kavoura The paper examines
the factors influencing visitors’ preferences in the mountainous area of
Nafpaktia, Greece and the implications for an advertising communication
programme. The study is a survey and 500 respondents filled in a
questionnaire. It describes visitors’ characteristics, the research and
the estimation of the number of visitors of the area, the description of
the reasons of visiting the area, the duration of their stay and the
research and analysis of their needs and expectations. The empirical work
succeeds in making a theoretical and practical contribution to the way
sustainable development presented for Nafpaktia, Greece can consist of a
typical recourse for mountainous disadvantageous areas of the
Mediterranean. Tourism management in mountainous regions may concentrate
on the ways of attracting the visitors and mainly on accessibility,
tourism infrastructure, preservation of natural beauty contrary to the
hypothesis made that informative advertising promotional material locally,
nationally and internationally is a necessity.
FOR WHOM
THE MENU INFORMS: A MARKET SEGMENTATION APPROACH TO NUTRITIONAL
INFORMATION ON RESTAURANT MENUS
Bharath
M. Josiam, Charles R. Foster & Gauri Bahulkar
Foodservice
operators are being mandated to provide nutritional information (NI) on
their menus to enable diners to make informed choices. However, there is
little research on who would utilize NI on menus. This study utilizes
Cluster Analysis to segment and profile diners at full-service restaurants
that need, and would utilize NI on menus in full-service restaurants in
the USA. Cluster Analysis identified two distinct segments - Health
Cognizants and Fast-Lane Foodies. The Health Cognizant segment, has
positive attitudes towards NI, feels the need for NI, and would utilize it
to make dining decisions. They tend to be females, those aged 35 to 65,
and those belonging to the higher income and college educated strata. This
segment already practices a healthy lifestyle and employs various
healthful strategies while making dining decisions. The Fast-Lane Foodies
are not particularly concerned about NI on menus. Implications are
provided. THE BRAND IMAGE OF A SMALL ISLAND DESTINATION Perunjodi Naidoo, Prabha Ramseook-Munhurrun
& Ramesh
Durbarry Brand image is a prominent marketing tool for
destination marketers. A
strong brand image implies having an upper-hand over competitors and thus
preventing tourists from shifting their purchase intentions to other
destinations. This paper
examines the brand image attributes of a small island developing state. It
also determines the gap between tourists’ expected and perceived brand
image attributes. The study uses a focus group to guide the design of the
questionnaire. Using factor analysis, the results indicate that the
attributes performances exceed expectations, reinforcing the positive
brand image of Mauritius. It is also found that the destination’s
attractiveness, up-market products, tourist attractions and the tropical
setting were among the key
factors in determining the brand image of the destination. The study also suggests that
over-promising promotional campaigns may affect the brand image of small
island developing destinations.
TRANSITIONAL
DEVELOPMENTS AND SPATIAL RE-ORGANIZATION OF SPA TOURISM IN GREECE
Marilena
Papageorgiou & Marie-Noelle
Duquenne The present paper
seeks to confirm that spa tourism is now in a period of transition
following extensive, questionnaire-based fieldwork in GRADUATES
BETWEEN LEVEL OF THE TOURISM EDUCATION AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE TOURISM AND
HOSPITALITY WORK FIELD
Tarek Sayed Abdel
Azim This research aims
to follow up the career progress of graduates of the faculty of tourism
and hotels, Minia University. In addition, it seeks to investigate if
there is a gape between the tourism education and the work market
according to the experience of graduates. A survey was conducted of a
convenient sample of graduates from the three different departments
(tourist studies, hotel studies and tour guidance) of the faculty of
tourism, Minia University. The results revealed that 76% of graduates are
employed in general, and the majority (78%) among them is employed in the
hospitality and tourism sector. Although a great number of graduates join
the sector shortly after graduation, half of them faced difficulties in
work which are represented in the most cases in the incompetence of
foreign languages followed by the shortage of experience. More males than females
intend to leave their work in the tourism
field. FinancialS menu at EUROPEAN
RESTAURANTS
Giuseppe
Torluccio This paper
highlights the main profiles of SME’s (small and medium enterprises)
financial structures, focusing particularly on hospitality and tourism. A
sample of European hotels and restaurants is empirically investigated.
Financial and accounting statements are analysed through comparisons
between several European countries. Tourism is known to experience two
different management issues: real estate and industry-specific management.
Although they are very similar, tourism property management is strongly
related to seasonality. The business cycle impact on financial structure
is significant, and so does the effect on risk. Therefore, this research
also investigates both short and long-term financing. The former needs
specific control of cash inflows and outflows. It is necessary to deal
with specific financial needs to set up specialized financing facilities.
Seasonality also impacts on the financing cycle. Operation management is
smoothed during overloaded periods by using various strategies.
Additionally, cash flow management benefits from better financial
forecasts. Reflections on tourism, development and
sustainability
Rocio Serrano-Barquin, Carolina
Serrano-Barquin, Alexandre Panosso-Netto, Marcelino
Castillo-Nechar & Gandhi
Gonzalez-Guerrero This paper presents some reflections on the need to
contribute to the construction of alternative paradigms for the
relationship between tourism, local development and sustainability. These
paradigms need to be constructed from an environmental perspective that
integrates natural and cultural (social, political and economic) factors
rather than analyzing them separately. The paper also exposes the need to
include different sectors of society, communities and regions that have so
far remained relegated, via community participation, preservation of the
environmental, cultures, local identity and autonomy, and diversification
of economic activities. Finally the paper presents four categories of
analysis that incorporate the principles of sustainable development and
responsible tourism: the hommoecosystem, rational-intuitive use,
harmonious and ethical tourism, and integrative participatory
planning. HOTEL MANAGERS' BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS CHANGE
UNCERTAINTY IN GREECE
Kleanthis Katsaros & Athanasios
Tsirikas Organizational change is an intrinsic attribute of
nature that provokes emotional and psychological effects. However, today
there is a rising concern about the pace, frequency and content of change.
Consequently, employees’ tolerance-of-ambiguity rises as a critical
competitive advantage that facilitates organizations to react quickly and
change successfully. The paper examines managers’ emotional and cognitive
attitudes in the workplace and their influence in tolerance of change
ambiguity. The research sample consists of 180 Greek hotel managers. The
results of the principal components analysis indicate that three factors
characterize managers’ emotions, namely pleasure, arousal and dominance;
and two their involvement respectively, namely importance and interest.
Further, regression results illustrate the influence of dominance,
importance, job satisfaction and organizational commitment in managers’
tolerance-of-ambiguity. Concluding, the paper suggests certain policies
for increasing managers’ tolerance-of-ambiguity and thus, their
performance during change. RUSSIAN AND GERMAN TOURIST POTENTIAL AND
SATISFACTION IN SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF ALANYA
DESTINATION
Hulusi Dogan, Engin Unguren &
Suleyman Barutcu TThe purpose of
the present study is to investigate and compare the potential and the
satisfaction levels of Russian and German tourists visiting Alanya in
creating a sustainable competitive advantage in Alanya destination. It is
a common point that Russian and Germans are two nationalities most
frequently visited Alanya, town of Antalya in Turkey. Moreover, every year
many Russians and Germans decide to live in Alanya. So we wonder that how
global crisis effected Turkish tourism industry, especially Alanya, and
Russian and German preferences. The findings from the present study help
decision takers to create new marketing strategies for Russian and German
tourists. arguments in favor of Taxing Tourism: The
Lanzarote case study
Boyra
Josep, Pazienza Pasquale & Vila
Mar This work discuss the theoretical foundation for
the introduction of a taxation mechanism capable of collecting the
necessary and indispensable financial resources to carry out public
policies aimed at planning and managing tourism development. The research
focus on some dynamics observable in Lanzarote (Spain), where different
aspects and impacts of tourism development are identified and analyzed to
demonstrate the existence of external costs. The ascertainment of external
costs in Lanzarote leads the research to examine the theory of the “rent
capture” as Hartwick proposes to reach some conclusions as the use of tax
revenues for the enlargement of the carrying capacity of physical
facilities or the funding of research for improving destination management
strategies. The originality of this article is to delve into the
theoretical justification for the implementation of a taxation mechanism
at tourism destinations. PATRIMONY, SUSTAINABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
RECONSIDERED: A CRITICAL REVIEW
Korstanje Maximiliano
Emanuel Development and
sustainability are terms under a hot debate in anthropology academy today
and for a long time more. For one hand, the anthropology for development
will argue that societies are located in a continuum in search for
rationalization and social evolution; for the other hand, neo-Marxist
anthropologists (known as well as anthropology of development) will
emphasize the idea that some countries monopolize a major grade of capital
with the aim to dominate politically to others weaker counties. By
utilizing the ideology in educating undeveloped countries for an efficient
economic resources administration, First World deploys a combination of
financial assistance and ideological discourses enrooted in the paradigm
of development, heritage, cultural tourism and sustainability to keep the
control in a changing world. Likewise, the development not only is a
troublesome concept -in part very difficult to grasp- but also comprises a
mechanism to create a bridge between material exploitation and human’s
necessities. The present paper insists in the importance of development
critical in these types of issues.
CHANGES ON CAPITAL STRUCTURE OF THE FIRMS ON THE
OCCASION CRISIS AND SITUATION OF TOURISM COMPANIES TRADED
ON ISE
Dogan
Kutukiz, M. Akif Oncu & Ahmet
Akcan The capital
structures of the enterprises and the factors that affect these structures
have been dealt with extensively in literature. The experimental studies
of Modigliani-Miller conducted within the context of developed countries’
economic and institutional structures showed that capital structure does
not affect the enterprise value. On the other hand, other studies revealed
that the changes in the market affected the enterprises’ finance structure
and their finance preferences. In this study, the factors that determine
the structure of the tourism enterprises are studied in an environment
where market deficiencies abound. The study also looks at the changes that
are caused by these factors especially during the crisis of during crisis
period of 1998 – 2006. Volga River as
cultural-Aesthetic topos of tourism and travelling
Olga
Lysikova Today the role of
cultural heritage in the process of creation of the images of national
identity becomes the sphere of intent research interest. In the focus of
this interest there are the following matters: participation of tourists
in the processes of globalization and cultural exchange. Touristic world
is structured according to aesthetic criteria. In the pictures of the
artists of the XIX century who took off to travel down Volga, to observe
and to work in the open air we can trace artistic evolution of landscape
painting. The largest European river is a spatial object regularly
recalled in academic and artistic discourses, which is also scenery and a
place of observation for many generations of aborigines and tourists.
Volga River serves a certain highlighter of construction of national
identity, symbolizes historical succession of cultural heritage, is a
cultural-aesthetic topos of tourism and travelling filled with personal
images. THE
CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF LANDSCAPE THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY: TOURISM
PHOTOGRAPHY IN NAMIBIA
Aimilia
Voulvouli This essay
discusses the cultural construction of the Namibian landscape by tourism
advertising material, treating landscape photography as a language which
can be analysed through signs. Nevertheless, since signs require a
consensus of communication, a contextualisation of the pictures will also
be mada. Therefore, bellow I will attempt firstly, to discuss the
theoretical context in which the pictures will be analyzed, secondly, to
present the geographical context in which the pictures were born and
thirdly to discuss the pictures as signs by locating the points de capiton
within them. Tourism Planning and Policy in Selected
Mountainous Areas of Greece
Vlami
Aimilia, Tsamos George & Zacharatos
Gerassimos Mountains occupy approximately one/fifth of the
total surface of the earth and have been progressively transformed into
important tourist destinations. Many developed countries have traced and
implemented remarkable state interventions to promote tourism development
in their mountain areas. State planning, fundamentally, intervenes in a
compensating and balancing way, creating the necessary terms and
conditions for the smooth formation of the necessary tourist capital at
national, regional and local level. This paper evaluates the effectiveness
of the state tourism policy in selected mountain prefectures of Greece
(Ioannina, Evritania and Kastoria), according to the mountain zone
typology used by UNEP-WCMC. The evaluation of the three entirely mountain
prefectures according to selected aspects of the tourism policy
implemented and the hotel evolutionary geographical distribution
highlights a policy gap as regards tourism development in the Greek
mountain areas; such tourism development has been progressively
incorporated in the general regionalisation policy adopted of Greek
tourism. COMPETITIVENESS OF TOURISM
REGIONS IN HUNGARY
Lorant
David The results
presented in this research note are our first attempt to measure the
competitiveness of regions. Having compared the current results to the
previous studies of competitiveness, we can say that Hungary’s second most
important tourist destination is more affected than is justified by the
situation of in-country tourism competitiveness. Consequently a different
tourism development strategy should be adopted by the decision-makers.
While in Budapest and Central Danube Tourism Region, in some cases –
taking into consideration the conservation of environmental values - the
improvements in many areas may still be green-field and new investments,
as opposed to Lake Balaton Tourism Region, where primarily the development
of the existing infrastructure and quality improvement are the main focus.
With regard to the first region mentioned above, for some areas it may be
more desirable to increase the volume of tourists. For the Lake Balaton
Tourism Region a quality development program, of current services, is
needed. SUSTAINABILITY OF YOUTH TOURISTS IN
EVENT TOURISM: THE MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCES
Habibah Ahmad, Hamzah Jusoh & Noor
Alyanie Nor Azazi Youth tourists are becoming more influential as
one of the market potentials in both developed and developing countries.
Besides their conventional characters of being individuals, travels with
tight budget and preferred non guided tours or on backpackers, youth
tourists also play significant roles in event tourism which are more
specific in term of schedules and themes. However, youth sustainability of
event tourism is hardly discussed in tourism studies in Malaysia. Based on
a case study of Visit Malaysia Year 2007 and a convenient sampling of 130
respondents, this article draws the perspective of youth tourists in event
tourism. The findings showed that the clarity of youth tourists in event
tourism, form of participation and event suitability act as the mediating
factors that encouraged youths’ participation in event tourism. Sustainability of youth tourists
in event tourism also depends on the promotional campaigns and knowing the
youth tourists’ desires and capabilities.
Book
Reviews: THE TOURIST GAZE 3.0
Antonio Miguel
Nogues-Pedregal PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
Ana
Jovicic The
Challenges of Managing Tourism (Izazovi upravljanja turizmom)
Damir
Demonja Tourism
and Sustainable Development: Reconsidering a Concept of Vague
Policies
Vikneswaran
Nair The
Study of Tourism: foundations from
psychology Amir
Shani
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