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Article
Publication date: 9 December 2022

Hengyun Li, Lingyan Zhang, Rui (Ami) Guo, Haipeng Ji and Bruce X.B. Yu

This study aims to investigate the promoting effects of the quantity and quality of online review user-generated photos (UGPs) on perceived review usefulness. The research further…

1089

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the promoting effects of the quantity and quality of online review user-generated photos (UGPs) on perceived review usefulness. The research further tests the hindering effect of human facial presence in review photos on review usefulness.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on review samples of restaurants in a tourist destination Las Vegas, this study used an integrated method combining a machine learning algorithm and econometric modeling.

Findings

Results indicate that the number of UGPs depicting a restaurant’s food, drink, menu and physical environment has positive impacts on perceived review usefulness. The quality of online review UGPs can also enhance perceived review usefulness, whereas facial presence in these UGPs hinders perceived review usefulness.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that practitioners can implement certain tactics to potentially improve consumers’ willingness to share more UGPs and UGPs with higher quality. Review websites could develop image-processing algorithms for identifying and presenting UGPs containing core attributes in prominent positions on the site.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to present a comprehensive analytical framework investigating the enhancing or hindering roles of review photo quantity, photo quality and facial presence in online review UGPs on review usefulness. Using the heuristic-systematic model as a theoretical foundation, this study verifies the additivity effect and attenuation effect of UGPs’ visual elements on judgements of online review usefulness. Furthermore, it extends scalable image data analysis by adopting a deep transfer learning algorithm in hospitality and tourism.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 35 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 May 2021

Mingming Hu, Mengqing Xiao and Hengyun Li

While relevant research has considered aggregated data from mobile devices and personal computers (PCs), tourists’ search patterns on mobile devices and PCs differ significantly…

Abstract

Purpose

While relevant research has considered aggregated data from mobile devices and personal computers (PCs), tourists’ search patterns on mobile devices and PCs differ significantly. This study aims to explore whether decomposing aggregated search queries based on the terminals from which these queries are generated can enhance tourism demand forecasting.

Design/methodology/approach

Mount Siguniang, a national geopark in China, is taken as a case study in this paper; another case, Kulangsu in China, is used as the robustness check. The authors decomposed the total Baidu search volume into searches from mobile devices and PCs. Weekly rolling forecasts were used to test the roles of decomposed and aggregated search queries in tourism demand forecasting.

Findings

Search queries generated from PCs can greatly improve forecasting performance compared to those from mobile devices and to aggregate search volumes from both terminals. Models incorporating search queries generated via multiple terminals did not necessarily outperform those incorporating search queries generated via a single type of terminal.

Practical implications

Major players in the tourism industry, including hotels, tourist attractions and airlines, can benefit from identifying effective search terminals to forecast tourism demand. Industry managers can also leverage search indices generated through effective terminals for more accurate demand forecasting, which can in turn inform strategic decision-making and operations management.

Originality/value

This study represents one of the earliest attempts to apply decomposed search query data generated via different terminals in tourism demand forecasting. It also enriches the literature on tourism demand forecasting using search engine data.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 33 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 February 2018

Hongbo Liu, Hengyun Li, Robin B. DiPietro and Jamie Alexander Levitt

This paper aims to examine the effects of perceived authenticity at an independent, full-service mainstream ethnic restaurant and the moderating effects of diners’ cultural…

5842

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effects of perceived authenticity at an independent, full-service mainstream ethnic restaurant and the moderating effects of diners’ cultural familiarity and cultural motivation on the influence of perceived authenticity on perceived value and behavioral intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 417 self-administered questionnaires were collected from customers of an independent, full-service Italian restaurant in southeastern USA. The data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Restaurant authenticity has a positive influence on perceived value. Respondents who are more familiar with and interested in Italian culture and food tend to attach more value to the restaurant authenticity. Respondents tend to use authenticity to convey quality judgment of the restaurant.

Research limitations/implications

First, this study advances previous literature on dining authenticity by incorporating cultural familiarity and cultural motivation. Second, this study extends the theoretical framework of perceived quality of ethnic restaurants by connecting authenticity perceptions and quality assessment.

Practical implications

Results suggest that the managers at independent, full-service mainstream ethnic restaurants should focus on the restaurants’ environment and atmospheric authenticity, especially for customers who possess cultural familiarity and cultural motivation, while also ensuring the quality of food and service.

Originality/value

This study makes an initial attempt at studying the role of authenticity in a mainstream ethnic restaurant context and adds to the knowledge of restaurant authenticity from the perspectives of cultural familiarity, cultural motivation and perceived quality.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 October 2020

Hengyun Li, Fang Meng and Bing Pan

With the growing online review manipulation and fake reviews in the hospitality industry, it is not uncommon that a consumer encounters disconfirmation when comparing the existing…

1641

Abstract

Purpose

With the growing online review manipulation and fake reviews in the hospitality industry, it is not uncommon that a consumer encounters disconfirmation when comparing the existing online reviews with his/her own product or service evaluation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of review disconfirmation on customer online review writing behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a mixed-method combining online secondary big data modeling and experimental design.

Findings

Review disconfirmation influences customers’ emotional responses embedded in the review; a customer who encounters review disconfirmation tends to exert more reviewing effort, manifested by writing longer reviews; negativity bias exists in disconfirmation effects, in that negative review disconfirmation shows more significant and stronger effects than positive review disconfirmation.

Practical implications

Findings from this study provide important managerial implications for business owners and marketers who attempt to influence online reviews. The study suggests that fictitious online review manipulation might be detrimental to the business.

Originality/value

This research contributes to two literature streams, including research on the social influence of online consumer reviews, and the relationship between disconfirmation and consumers’ post-consumption behavior, by extending the influence of disconfirmation from the offline context to the online context.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 32 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 June 2019

Zili Zhang, Hengyun Li, Fang Meng and Yuanshuo Li

This paper aims to examine the influences of the number of hotel management responses and especially the textual similarity in hotel management responses to online reviews on…

1992

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the influences of the number of hotel management responses and especially the textual similarity in hotel management responses to online reviews on hotel online booking.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used the data from 437 hotels in New York City on Expedia. The data specifically include online reviews, management responses and real-time number of online hotel bookings, which were merged to create one dataset for this study. To calculate the management response similarity, three widely recognized text mining functions of calculating textual similarity were adopted in this model. Fixed-effect panel data model was then used to examine the influence of management response to consumer online reviews on online hotel booking volume.

Findings

The empirical results demonstrate that the number of management responses to consumer online reviews does not significantly affect hotel booking; compared to none or only one management response, or management responses with low similarity, management responses with high similarity can significantly reduce the hotel booking on Expedia.

Practical implications

This study suggests that the similarity of management responses influences customers’ hotel booking, and hotel managers should avoid providing too similar management responses.

Originality/value

First, this study, for the first time, proposes the concept of management response similarity and its measurement methods. Second, this study takes an initial attempt to empirically test the influence of response similarity on hotel booking by using secondary data online.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 February 2019

Hengyun Li, Zili Zhang, Fang Meng and Ziqiong Zhang

This study aims to investigate how prior reviews posted by other consumers affect subsequent consumers’ evaluations and to what extent the review temporal distance can increase or…

2508

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how prior reviews posted by other consumers affect subsequent consumers’ evaluations and to what extent the review temporal distance can increase or reduce the social influence of prior reviews. In this study’s restaurant context, review temporal distance refers to the duration between dining time and review time of a dining experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The data of paired online restaurant reservations and reviews are analyzed using Ordered Logit Model. Two robustness checks are conducted to test the stability of the main estimation results.

Findings

The empirical results demonstrate that consumers’ restaurant evaluation is socially influenced by both the prior average review rating and number of prior reviews; review temporal distance has a direct negative effect on consumers’ restaurant evaluation; and review temporal distance increases the social influence of prior reviews.

Practical implications

This study suggests that online review matters. Both restaurants and the online review platforms should encourage consumers to share their experiences and post online reviews immediately after their consumption.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature on electronic word-of-mouth, social influence and psychological distance. First, the bi-directional nature of social influence on electronic word-of-mouth for experience-oriented product is documented. Second, for the first time, this study examines how review temporal distance could affect the social influence on consumers’ restaurant evaluation.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2023

Yang Yang, Hengyun Li and Wesley S. Roehl

The purpose of this study is to test the local impact of COVID-19 pandemic on hotel performance at the individual property level, and further examine the roles of hotel attributes…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to test the local impact of COVID-19 pandemic on hotel performance at the individual property level, and further examine the roles of hotel attributes and business mix in potentially moderating or intensifying the impact of a crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 5,090 hotel properties in Texas, USA from January 2020 to December 2021, this study estimates a monthly hotel performance model to evaluate how the pandemic affected hotels’ operational performance based on revenue per available room.

Findings

Results show that a 10% increase in the monthly number of confirmed COVID-19 cases led to a 0.522% decrease in hotel performance. Also, a series of moderators were identified within the pandemic–performance relationship: the negative impact of the pandemic was more severe among higher-end hotels and newer hotels; urbanization and localization diseconomies prevailed during the pandemic; and there was a smaller negative effect of COVID-19 on high rated hotels in the category of economy hotels.

Originality/value

The moderators highlighted in this paper shed light on the heterogeneity of COVID-19’s effects on hotel operations. Findings enrich the hospitality literature by considering business resilience in relation to the pandemic.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 36 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 March 2020

Hengyun Li, Fang Meng, Miyoung Jeong and Zili Zhang

Online reviews are often likely to be socially influenced by prior reviews. This study aims to examine key review and reviewer characteristics which may influence the social…

2673

Abstract

Purpose

Online reviews are often likely to be socially influenced by prior reviews. This study aims to examine key review and reviewer characteristics which may influence the social influence process.

Design/methodology/approach

Restaurant review data from Yelp.com are analyzed using an ordered logit model and text mining approach.

Findings

This study reveals that prior average review rating exerts a positive influence on subsequent review ratings for the same restaurant, but the effect is attenuated by the variance in existing review ratings. Moreover, social influence is stronger for consumers who had a moderate dining experience or invested less cognitive effort in writing online reviews. Compared to reviewers classified by Yelp as “elite,” non-elite reviewers appear more susceptible to the social influence of prior average review rating.

Practical implications

This study provides guidelines for mitigating the social influence of prior reviews and improving the accuracy of online product/service ratings, which will eventually enhance business and the reputation of online review platforms.

Originality/value

The findings from this study contribute to the electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) literature and social influence literature in terms of the bidirectional nature of social influence on eWOM.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 January 2022

Reyes Gonzalez, Jose Gasco and Juan Llopis

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a key player in the food services and restaurants sector; thus, the aim of this work consists in studying the previous…

1705

Abstract

Purpose

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a key player in the food services and restaurants sector; thus, the aim of this work consists in studying the previous research on ICTs in food services and restaurants in the context of tourism and hospitality through a systematic literature review.

Design/methodology/approach

The systematic literature review is performed on full papers published in journals included in the Journal Citation Report of the WoS in the category of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism. A total of 165 articles from 28 journals are analyzed, following different criteria, such as the research methods, perspectives, statistical techniques, geographical focus, topics, technologies, authors and universities.

Findings

The restaurant sector is more and more based on the creation of experiences and ICTs, through their multiple possibilities, can undoubtedly contribute to adding value to the simple meal and create and recreate experiences to attract and retain customers who are increasingly sophisticated and hooked on ICTs. ICTs are basic for managers taking decision at the highest level in food services and restaurants, so ICTs should not be seen as a technical tool but as an essential element for top management.

Research limitations/implications

This paper examined articles from very well-known tourism and hospitality journals, leaving aside others as well as different publication formats such as books or papers presented at conferences.

Originality/value

A significant contribution made with this paper is the availability of a list of topics in the context of ICTs in food services and restaurants. These topics are classified into three areas (Consumers, Suppliers and Environment and Tendencies) that can serve as a future research framework. The paper also provides useful information to restaurant managers about ICTs, to researchers for their future projects and to academics for their courses.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 34 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 January 2021

Antony King Fung Wong, Mehmet Ali Koseoglu and Seongseop (Sam) Kim

This study aims to examine the current state of the research activities of scholars in the hospitality and tourism field by analyzing the first 20 years of the new millennium.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the current state of the research activities of scholars in the hospitality and tourism field by analyzing the first 20 years of the new millennium.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal analyses using 14,229 journal articles as data source were realized by adopting BibExcel, Gephi and VOSviewer network analysis software packages.

Findings

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the hospitality and tourism research based on authorship and social network analysis, with patterns of prolific authors compared over four distinct periods.

Research limitations/implications

The hospitality and tourism academic society is clearly illustrated by tracing academic publication activities across 20 years in the new millennium. In addition, this study provides a guide for scholars to search for multidisciplinary collaboration opportunities. Government agencies and non-governmental organisations can also benefit from this study by identifying appropriate review panel members when making decisions about hospitality- and tourism-related proposals.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to use bibliometric analysis in assessing research published in leading hospitality and tourism journals across the four breakout periods in the new millennium.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

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