Tourism and Travel Commons^™

Data Mining In Tourism Data Analysis: Inbound Visitors To Japan, Valeriya Shapoval, Morgan C. Wang, Tadayuki Hara, Hideo Shioya

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The increasing power of technology puts new, advanced statistical tools at the disposal of researchers. This is one of the first research articles to use a data mining tool—namely, decision trees—to analyze the behavior of inbound tourists for the purpose of effective future destination marketing in Japan. The research results of approximately 4,000 observations show that the main motivation for visitors' future return is not driven by experiences had during their most current visit but rather by experiences anticipated in the future, such as visiting hot springs or immersing themselves in beautiful natural settings. The data mining method largely excludes …

The Identification And Differentiation Of Festival Stakeholders: A New Perspective, Mathilda Van Niekerk, Donald Getz

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This article sets out to identify, differentiate, and categorize festival stakeholders by means of a multidimensional approach. Festivals are coproduced by a collection of stakeholders, and festival organizers facilitate the festival outcomes by interpreting stakeholders' contributions, aims, and concerns. Based on an extensive literature review, a theoretical framework was developed that illustrates how previous studies have typically identified and differentiated festival stakeholders by listing them or by means of a one-dimensional approach. For this study, an online survey was developed and administered to festival organizers in the US, testing the possibility of identifying, differentiating, and grouping festival stakeholders from a …

Applicability And Usefulness Of The Stakeholder Strategy Matrix For Festival Management, Mathilda Van Niekerk

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This article examines the applicability and usefulness of the stakeholder strategy matrix in the context of festival management. An extensive literature review gave rise to the development of an online survey. Data for the study were collected from festival managers in the US. This empirical study indicated that internal and external festival stakeholders differ from each other in significant ways, and that different management strategies should be used to manage them. The stakeholder strategy matrix appears to be more effective for the management of internal festival stakeholders and the least effective for managing external festival stakeholders. Based on the results …

Playing For First Place: An Analysis Of Online Reviews And Their Impact On Local Market Rankings, Dipendra Singh, Edwin N. Torres, April Robertson-Ring

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Whereas past research studied the impact of online reviews on a hotel’s image, the present study analyzes the impact of various measures of customer engagement on the local market ranking of a hotel. For these purposes, the researchers collected data on a sample of hotels including the number of reviews, absolute rating (i.e. 1-5 stars), and market ranking (i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd place) on TripAdvisor. The authors tested the relationships between number of reviews, market ranking, overall rating and number of booking transactions. Results revealed that the absolute rating of the hotel was a significant factor in determining its market …

Let's 'Meetup' At The Theme Park, Edwin N. Torres, Marissa Orlowski

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Many people enjoy theme park and other leisure experiences with their families; however, today a great number of single, geographically mobile individuals desire to partake in such experiences. 'Meetup' is the world’s largest social network of local groups and thus allows for both online and off-line (in person) interactions. Using an ethnographic approach, this study examines how individuals can enjoy activities centered on common activities, interests, and opinions (AIO) via immersion in a Meetup group over the course of a year. Notably, members visited with greater frequency, had less tolerance for long lines, and were more likely to attend special …

Are Travel Purchases More Satisfactory Than Nontravel Experiential Purchases And Material Purchases? An Exploratory Study, Galia Fuchs, Po-Ju Chen, Abraham Pizam

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Satisfaction derived from purchases can affect one's happiness and quality of life. Previous studies illustrated that this effect is not equal across purchase categories. Specifically, experiential purchases were found to bring more satisfaction and happiness to consumers than material purchases. However, these comparison studies treated a variety of experiential purchases as one homogeneous category regardless of their nature of consumption. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to bridge this gap and to assess the difference in the level of satisfaction among the three purchase categories: material, travel (composite event experiential purchases), and nontravel experiential purchases (single event experiential purchases). …

Moderating The Impact Of E-Commerce Expenses On Financial Performance In Us Upper Upscale Hotels: The Role Of Property Size, Agnes L. Defranco, Cristian Morosan, Nan Hua

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The heavily fragmented hotel industry, embracing the changes in their guests’ use of electronic devices, has spent considerable resources to incorporate electronic commerce (e-commerce) practices. The extant literature offers inconclusive findings with regard to the effect of e-commerce on firm performance, especially when firm size is considered. Given the high fragmentation of size in the hotel industry, understanding its role in the deployment of e-commerce could result in substantial benefits for both hotel firms and consumers. Using the financial performance of 689 observations of over 110 hotels during 2007 to 2012, this study finds that e-commerce expenses positively impact firm …

Women At A Music Festival: Biological Sex Defining Motivation And Behavioral Intentions, Robertico R. Croes, Seung Hyan Lee

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study aims to assess whether biological sex impacts motivation and experience at a music festival in Curacao and is premised on different consumption behavior induced by biological sex. Differences in motivations and behavioral intentions based on biological sex were observed. The study further revealed that biological sex plays an important role in framing the experience and behavior intentions of the female segment. This finding is relevant as females are becoming an important mainstream at music festivals and travel and leisure consumers. Biological sex as a predictor of motivation and behavioral intentions has wider effects than just increasing demand; it …

The Influence Of Others On The Vacation Experience: An Ethnographic Study Of Psychographics, Decision Making, And Group Dynamics Among Young Travelers, Edwin Torres

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The vacation experience is often enjoyed in the company of others. Whereas scholars have focused on the consumer behaviors of mature travelers, young travelers have received less attention. The present study explores customer-to-customer interactions among young travelers (in their 20s and 30s) within a European tour-group setting. Furthermore, it attempts to understand the influence such travelers have on one another. The decision-making patterns, role of the tour guide, group dynamics, and psychographic preferences are studied from an ethnographic approach. Results indicate that the young travel segment is not as homogeneous as previously conceived. Notable differences in activities, interests, and opinions …

Destination Competitiveness: A Comparative Study Of Hong Kong, Macau And Singapore, Louise Todd, Anna Leask, Alan Fyall

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This article presents a comparative study of the destination competitiveness of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau and those strategies developed to enhance their future positions in the global destination “marketplace.” The methodology adopted is secondary in nature in that a critical review of the existing literature was conducted along with a synthesis of current practices across the three city-state destinations. The 15 Cs Framework provides the research parameters for the study in that it advocates an inclusive approach to those challenges and opportunities facing destinations as they seek to enhance their overall competitiveness. In particular, the study explores the specific …

Tourism Potential To Benefit The Poor: A Social Accounting Matrix Model Applied To Ecuador, Robertico Croes, Manuel A. Rivera

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The study examines the distributional effects of tourism expansion applying a Social Accounting Matrix model to the case of Ecuador. Specifically the study examines what share of tourism expansion benefits poor people. The study finds that tourism has large multiplier effects on the Ecuadorian economy and has the potential for substantial benefits to the poor. The study also found that distributional effects of tourism development are spread across all household incomes in both urban and rural areas benefiting the lowest and low households the most. Tourism has the potential of reducing inequality and is pro-poor in the case of Ecuador. …

The Internationalization Benefits Of A Music Festival: The Case Of The Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival, Manuel Rivera, Kelly Semrad, Robertico Croes

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

A longitudinal research design was used to assess the potential internationalization benefits that may occur when hosting a music festival in a small island destination. A macroeconomic analysis was used to assess these benefits. The results reveal that a music festival may make a positive economic impact and provide internationalization benefits for a small economy under the eclectic paradigm and the OLI Framework. The study contributes to the understanding of music festivals as a strategic resource to enhance the competitiveness of small island destinations.

The Return On Investment For Undergraduate Degrees In Hospitality And Tourism Management, Asli D. Tasci, Abraham Pizam, Robertico Croes, Po-Ju Chen

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Increasing concerns regarding the value of higher education in the USA have motivated several organizations to calculate the return on investment (ROI) for college education by employing diverse methodologies. This study evaluates these methodologies by using data from a survey of alumni of Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. The results reveal that the highly publicized low ROI for college education might be inaccurate, confusing and misleading for several reasons, among which is the assumption of zero income while studying, causing debt to be the total of a student’s expenses. Data reveal that Rosen College …

Creation Of A Professionalism Scale For Hospitality Students: An Exploratory Study, Tammie Kaufman, Peter Ricci

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The hospitality industry is dependent on a professional staff to exceed guests’ expectations. Existing research has focused primarily on the various attributes necessary for success in the hospitality industry. The primary focus of this research was professionalism and hospitality students’ self-perception of their professional attributes. Data collected from a focus group of hospitality human resource managers were used to develop a professionalism scale. The scale produced five factors that explained 53.6% of the variance in the responses. Students were more likely to agree in their preparedness for the interview process, but less in agreement of their preparedness for workplace issues. …

Intercultural Interactions Outside The Classroom: Narratives On A U.S. Campus, Xinran Lehto, Liping A. Cai, Xiaoxiao Fu, Yi Chen

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study provides a picture of the interactional experiences between domestic and international undergraduate students outside the classroom on a US campus. Based on 9 focus group sessions, 8 distinctive themes emerged as a result. The study revealed some similarities but many differences between domestic and international students, illuminating the lack of and barriers to intercultural learning. The findings highlight the challenges and opportunities currently faced on US campuses, thereby making a timely contribution to efforts at developing students’ readiness to be successful in a global and multicultural environment.

Occupational Self-Perceptions Of Hotel Employees: An Exploratory Study, Arie Reichel, Galia Fuchs, Abraham Pizam, Yaniv Poria

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study aimed to reveal the occupational self-perceptions of rank-and-file employees in the Israeli hotel industry. Due to the exploratory nature of the study a qualitative research approach was adopted. The findings are based on 40 semistructured interviews with current and former Israeli hotel employees. The results revealed that almost all participants had disconcerting negative perceptions of rank-and-file occupations in the Israeli hotel industry. The themes emerged as relevant to the understanding of employees' occupational self-perception were classified into four groups: working conditions, occupational profile, job characteristics and requirements, and moderating factors linked with the reputation of the hotel and …

Stars, Diamonds, And Other Shiny Things: The Use Of Expert And Consumer Feedback In The Hotel Industry, Edwin Torres, Howard Adler, Carl Behnke

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Over the past few years, researchers have studied the topic of online consumer feedback. Most of these studies focus on consumer decision making, and managing a hotel's image.Consequently, more research could explore consumer-generated feedback from the viewpoint of hotel operations and service quality improvement. The present research explored the ways in which hotel General Managers use feedback from consumers (namely online), experts, and internal sources to improve service quality. A combination of a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews were utilized. The study targeted General Managers of upscale hotels.Quantitative data was analyzed using multiple and simple regression analysis, correlations, and ANOVA. …

Attributes Influencing Meeting Planners' Destination Selection: A Case Of Orlando, Florida, Adi Hayat, Kimberly Severt, Deborah Breiter, Khaldoon Nusair, Fevzi Okumus

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The current study used Orlando, Florida as a case study, and investigated whether there are differences between the three meeting planner types (association, corporate, third party) in regard to destination selection attributes. The study further identified attributes that affect future bookings to Orlando. Data were collected from a nationwide survey of meeting planners with a usable sample of 2,388 completed phone surveys and 118 completed online questionnaires. One significant difference was found between the three meeting planner types. This research was performed in the midst of the recent recession and explored the impact the recession has had on planning meetings. …

Interpersonal Trust, Organizational Culture And Turnover Intention In Hotels: A Cross Level Perspective, Ahmet Ozturk, Murat Hancer, Yao-Chin Wang

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The aim of the present study was to understand the influence of interpersonal trust and organizational culture on employees’ turnover intention. The data of the study were collected from 252 hotel employees in Turkey. Study results showed that both affective trust and cognitive trust were negatively related to hotel employees’ turnover intention. Furthermore, clan organizational culture, adhocracy organizational culture, and market organizational culture were also negatively related to turnover intention of hotel employees. However, the results indicate that hierarchy organizational culture does not have a significant impact on hotel employees’ turnover intention. The findings provide valuable theoretical and practical implications …

Are There Gender Differences In What Drives Customer Delight?, Edwin Torres, Xiaoxiao Fu, Xinran Lehto

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose– This paper aims to understand how male and female hotel guests become delighted customers. It aims to present the similarities and differences along with respective implications for theory and application.

Design/methodology/approach– During a period of three months, tourists were interviewed at an upscale Florida hotel. A total of 208 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The script for the interviews was based on an interview protocol used by Crotts et al. Adapted from a previous customer delight study (Torres and Kline), a codebook was developed to determine the salient themes that emerged during the interview process. Interviews were coded independently by …

Annual Impact Of Paid Internship Programs At A Hospitality Management Program – A Case Of The Largest Hospitality Management Program In North America., Robertico R. Croes, Tadayuki Hara

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Hospitality management programs across the nation increasingly favor internship programs in their academic curriculum. Internships play an important role in the reputation of academic program by widening the network with the industry and recruiting prospective students. However, little consideration has been given to the economic impact prompted by internship programs. This study focuses on the economic impact of paid internship over a regional economy. Paid-internship programs prompt economic transactions incurred as a consequence of payment of wages to the internship students in exchange for their labor inputs in the industries’ delivery of goods or services. In 2012, a total of …

The Role Of Tourism In Poverty Reduction: An Empirical Assessment, Robertico Croes

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper assesses how tourism affects absolute poverty beyond its effects on growth in two developing countries. In particular, the author explores whether tourism spending leads to a decline in the proportion of people below the poverty line. An error correction model is applied to estimate the relationship between poverty and tourism spending. The results reveal that tourism does matter for the poor, but that it does not appear to have systematic effects, and that tourism development matters most for the poor at the lower levels of economic development. The findings from the two developing country case studies show differing …

Online Hotel Booking Experience: Flow Theory, Measuring Online Customer Experience And Managerial Implications, Anil Bilgihan, Fevzi Okumus, Khaldoon Nusair

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The past decade has perceived a significant development of various Internet technologies including HTML5, Ajax, landing pages, CSS3, social media and SEO to name a few. New web technologies provide opportunities for e-commerce companies to enhance the shopping experiences of their customers. This article focuses the phenomenon of online experiences from a services marketing aspect by concentrating online hotel booking. Successful lodging management strategies have been associated with the creation of experience, which in turn leads to fruitful performance outcomes such as superior financial performance, enhanced brand image, customer loyalty, positive word of mouth and customer satisfaction. E-commerce researchers and …

Research Note: Biometric Technology Applications And Trends In Hotels, Anil Bilgihan, Ersem Karadag, Cihan Cobanoglu, Fevzi Okumus

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is to investigate the biometrics technologies adopted by hotels and the perception of hotel managers toward biometric technology applications. A descriptive, cross sectional survey was developed based on extensive review of literature and expert opinions. The population for this survey was property level executive managers in the U.S. hotels. Members of American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) were selected as the target population for this study. The most frequent use of biometric technology is by hotel employees in the form of fingerprint scanning. Cost still seems to be one of the major barriers to adoption …

Examining Key Drivers Of Customer Delight In A Hotel Experience: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, Edwin Torres, Xiaoxiao Fu, Xinran Lehto

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Welcoming all guests is the calling shared by those who work in the hotel industry. Everyday hoteliers strive to provide a service of excellence to all of those who visit. This can be somewhat of a complex endeavor, as hotels receive guests from different nationalities and cultures. Previous research in the area of customer delight has revealed some of the factors that define and drive the customer delight experience. Despite the emerging literature on the subject, the question remains: are guest from different cultures likely to be delighted by different things? In the present study, the researchers conducted extensive semi-structured …

Evaluation Of Tourism Competitiveness And Its Effects On Destination Management: Making A Difference In Costa Rica?, Robertico Croes

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study investigates whether the focus on inputs as measurement of tourism competitiveness provides a comprehensive understanding of the competitive position of a destination. Specifically the investigation is applied to Costa Rica in the context of the Central American region aiming at evaluating the impact of tourism competitiveness. The study applied descriptive and inductive statistics for an evaluation impact. This study found that the inputs focus is inconsistent with competitiveness as measured on the performance of a destination aiming at enhancing the quality of life. This inconsistency could confound a rational process of decisionmaking at the destination level. Two relevant …

One Experience And Multiple Reviews: The Case Of Upscale U.S. Hotels, Edwin Torres, Howard Adler, Xinran Lehto, Carl Behnke, Li Miao

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose– The present study aimed to understand the relationships between the various kinds of feedback received by hospitality operators. Information from guests, experts, and internal sources are often received, valued, and processed in various ways. The researchers sought to further explore the usage of such feedback and implications for theory and practice.

Design/methodology/approach– A survey was sent to hotel general managers of four‐ and five‐diamond properties around the USA using the listing of the American Automobile Association (AAA). A total of 140 responses were received. The researchers utilized correlations and canonical correlation analysis to help understand the relationships among the …

Exploring Pull Factor Influences At Campgrounds By Rv Association Members, Jill Fjelstul

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Recreational vehicles (RVs) are owned and/or rented by travelers of diverse ages, traveling parties, and agendas. RVs, in most cases, will be parked at a campground during use, lending to the question of what factors influence campground selection. The current study explored pull factors specific to RV campground attributes by members of a RV association, identified the general demographics of the respective RV association, and investigated campground travel decisions by members of the RV association. Findings from the current study can assist campground owners/operators in developing effective marketing strategies for attracting RV travelers with customized products, onsite amenities, and/or services. …

A Quantitative Study Exploring The Difference Between Gaming Genre Preferences, Anil Bilgihan, Cihan Cobanoglu, Khaldoon Nusair, Fevzi Okumus, Milos Bujisic

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Although gaming technologies have been in use for more than thirty years, there is a lack of academic researchin this area. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to identify the difference between age and gender ingaming genre preferences. A cross sectional online survey was administered with a sample size of 408. It wasfound that there is a statistical difference between age groups and their gaming preferences with the older generation focusing more on strategic gaming offerings while the younger generation tended to side more withaction games. The findings of this study provide insights for game developers.

Meeting The Challenge Of Assurance Of Learning: Perspectives From Four Business Schools, Jane Whitney Gibson, Regina A. Greenwood, Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, Shelley R. Robbins, Julie A. Teahen, Dana V. Tesone

Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

"Practice what you preach" is often a phrase used to emphasize the importance of maintaining one’s integrity through performing as one advises others. In the case of succession management, this phrase can be used to emphasize the differences between educators and practitioners. Furthermore, it is the practice of educators to instill in students the understanding that a succession plan is necessary in business practices. However, within the confines of higher education, succession management plans are rare. This brings into question if institutions are aware of the immoral implications that it establishes by teaching a concept itself is unwilling to implement.