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Article
Publication date: 4 September 2017

Marios Sotiriadis

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to suggest a conceptual framework for linking intangible cultural heritage (ICH) to tourism for managerial actions at destination level; and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to suggest a conceptual framework for linking intangible cultural heritage (ICH) to tourism for managerial actions at destination level; and to empirically investigate and validate the value of this framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes a conceptual framework for pairing ICH with tourism. The utility of this framework was empirically investigated by means of case study (Cretan Diet Festival, Greece) using the technique of interview.

Findings

Findings suggest that: the proposed framework constitutes a good as a planning tool useful in achieving an integrated approach and as a management tool in assessing the effectiveness of ICH projects; the crucial success factors in this area; and culinary-based festival could be a constructive platform on certain conditions.

Research limitations/implications

Because of its exploratory nature, the study has inherent drawbacks. The suggested framework should be finalised. Future studies could explore the perspective of visitors. More empirical studies are needed to provide further corroboration of the findings.

Practical implications

Practical implications of this is in the field of strategic management. It contributes to consider approach and adopt managerial action plans in the field of developing and implementing a mutually beneficial partnership between ICH and tourism.

Originality/value

It is the first study that suggests and empirically investigates a framework for linking ICH to tourism at destination level, taking a strategic management perspective. It provides an integrated approach incorporating the main issues.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2017

Marios D. Sotiriadis

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to perform a synthesis of academic research published between 2009 and 2016 regarding the changes in tourism consumer behavior brought about…

20859

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to perform a synthesis of academic research published between 2009 and 2016 regarding the changes in tourism consumer behavior brought about by the use of social media (SM); and to suggest a set of strategies for tourism businesses to seize opportunities and deal with resulting challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

A volume of 146 peer-reviewed journal articles were retrieved from two major databases. Content analysis of this academic research has been performed, exploring the effects of online reviews on tourism consumers and providers.

Findings

The content analysis identified three main research themes that were investigated by scholars and classified into two major categories, namely, consumer perspective and provider perspective: the antecedents (factors motivating and influencing tourists); the influence of online reviews on consumer behaviour; and the impact of these reviews on tourism businesses (providers’ perspective).

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on a literature review and outcomes reported by previous studies; hence, the suggestions are indicative rather than conclusive. Some publication sources were not included.

Practical implications

This paper suggests a range of adequate strategies, along with operational actions, formulated for industry practitioners in the fields of management and marketing.

Originality/value

It provides an update of the state of published academic research into SM and an integrated set of management and marketing strategies for tourism providers in seizing the opportunities and dealing with the challenges raised in a digital context.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Abstract

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Androniki Kavoura and Aikaterini Stavrianeas

The purpose of this paper is to examine visitors’ perceptions and relevant importance of social media when choosing a Mediterranean destination and also to explore the extent in…

2722

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine visitors’ perceptions and relevant importance of social media when choosing a Mediterranean destination and also to explore the extent in which they believe it is important for them to belong to an online community with shared characteristics among its members.

Design/methodology/approach

A stratified, based on nationality and gender, sample of 301 respondents of foreign arrivals of visitors in the Athens airport, Greece was collected in June and July 2014 based on the official Athens Airport Authorities Arrival Research. This is a partially exploratory research.

Findings

Differences between age groups as far as the importance attributed to social media as sources of information about a tourism destination were found. The respondents, when using the internet for gathering information about a tourism Mediterranean destination, consider different online channels. Facebook is among the most important sources of information for them associated with the tourism destinations. Official web sites/blogs of the destination are the first source and photo sharing sites are the second most preferred source; sharing aesthetics of photos was found to contribute to the feeling of belonging to an on line travel community.

Research limitations/implications

Further research will contribute to the development of greater understanding of the strategic approaches to social media and their use to promote a destination. Greek diaspora would be interesting to examine and geographical differences among groups.

Practical implications

The paper denotes the importance for destination management organizations and companies, to fully employ the social media in their marketing efforts.

Originality/value

The present study increases our understanding of the adoption of online and traditional communications in the visitor’s process for Athens, Greece, shedding light to the literature existing on the significance attributed to the online travel community belonging from visitors through sharing aesthetics of photos and associations of ideas based on age differences.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Soultana Tania Kapiki, Jing Fu and Lei Mou

The purpose of this paper is to take a holistic view of the body of knowledge of the second wave of Chinese outbound tourists so as to develop a strategic framework towards…

1022

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to take a holistic view of the body of knowledge of the second wave of Chinese outbound tourists so as to develop a strategic framework towards positioning Greece in the China outbound tourism market.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey adopted a perspective from knowledge management, investigating a deeper understanding of the knowledge about, from and for the Chinese tourists, and Greece was taken as a case study. An online survey with quantitative aspects was conducted from October 2013 to January 2014.

Findings

The knowledge about the Chinese tourists depicts a young, well-educated segment with a predominance of female and western China residents. The knowledge from the Chinese tourists reveals that they prefer: visiting islands and heritage sites; safety while travelling; a faster visa process; a direct flight between China and Greece; and making a trip combined with other Schengen countries. The knowledge for the Chinese tourists indicates that purchasing tourism products/services online provides better price, is enjoyable, convenient and time-saving; and the top five digital platforms often used are Ctrip, Qunar, QQ, Weibo and WeChat, which could be effective tools for the promotion of Greek tourism in China.

Originality/value

This research offers a first step to investigate the knowledge of Chinese tourists for the destination of Greece. The findings help to propose a strategic knowledge framework for the Greek tourism authorities so that Greece can become a more active player in the Chinese outbound tourism market.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Michela C. Mason and Andrea Moretti

The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of golf tourism in a Mediterranean golf resort located in Italy. Based on a systematic literature review, this…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of golf tourism in a Mediterranean golf resort located in Italy. Based on a systematic literature review, this research develops and tests a context-specific “integrated model” in order to shed further light on the complex discordance in the literature with new empirical data. Furthermore, the present study attempts to establish a framework to provide a better understanding of golf tourism behavior in terms of specific segmentation profiles. This will contribute to a more targeted approach to marketing and promotional activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applied structural equation modeling to verify the path relationship of golf tourists quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioral intention. The final step was to include the suggested moderator variables (age and playing experience) into the model in order to gain further insights. Furthermore, multiple group analyses were calculated in comparing two sub-samples.

Findings

This study provides an improved understanding of the role of quality, perceived value, satisfaction on behavioral intentions in golf tourism. Four out of the six hypotheses of the study were confirmed. Precisely, perceived value did not have a direct significant effect on behavioral intentions and quality was not significantly related to overall satisfaction. The empirical results suggest that all three variables appear to have a direct effect on golf tourists’ behavioral intention. Satisfaction was determined to be the best predictor, followed by quality and perceived value. Furthermore, the moderating variables exert a significant influence on some of the proposed relationships.

Research limitations/implications

First, the current model explores the impact of only two moderator variables of golf tourists such as age and years of playing experience. Second, the study is limited to a Mediterranean destination; the analysis and measurements should thus be replicated in different contexts to test their adaptability to different golf tourism destinations. Another important limitation is the cross-sectional nature of the data.

Practical implications

This research provides important insights the ability to generalize this chain of effects across golf tourists under significantly different conditions. Furthermore, it has important implications for managers of companies that have plans to implement adequate market segmentation strategies in order to expand their business. Based on the finding it is crucial for managers in the golf industry to focus on perceived value for young tourists golfers and on quality for experienced golfers. Managers should customize relationship management programs and develop promotional and pricing strategies for younger golf tourists and exclusive quality services for more experienced golfers.

Social implications

As urban lifestyle life becomes more prevalent in modern society, golf tourism relaxes and gives back a sense of calm and peace of mind to the players. Escape from everyday demands and duties is another classic travel motive; many want to get away from the stress and boredom of their daily lives and fill their holidays with a range of exciting and new physically challenging experiences. Therefore, it can be seen that the term of environment conservation improve the sustainability of golf sport tourism in a Mediterranean destination.

Originality/value

The inclusion of moderating variables in the proposed model is one of the unique aspects of this research. Dealing with the different groups of golf tourists, the authors put the emphasize on the importance of using two types of appropriate tools: on the one hand, grouping tools which are appropriate to the tourism consumption (demographic variables), and on the other hand, grouping tools which are appropriate to the study of the sports market (years of a plying experience). Combining these two types of criteria will lead marketers to more accurate analysis of golf tourists’ behavior.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Irene Tilikidou and Antonia Delistavrou

The purpose of this paper is to examine simultaneously all types of ethical tourism and investigate some of the factors able to affect it; and to explore the number and the size…

1201

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine simultaneously all types of ethical tourism and investigate some of the factors able to affect it; and to explore the number and the size of green hotels’ customers segments.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey in the urban area Thessaloniki, Greece. Probability, large enough household sample. “Intentions to visit a green hotel”, “Boycotting” and “Discursive Activities” towards unethical hotels were investigated. External (EC)/Internal controls (IC) and past experience served as potential antecedents of behavioural intentions.

Findings

Intentions to visit a green hotel were found to correlate strongly both with other people’s impact (EC) and with respondents’ perceptions about their own means (IC); intentions are moderately influenced by previous experience. Clustering indicated that the “Willing” segment (26.6 per cent) gathered consumers, who obtained higher scores than their counterparts in the other two segments, namely “Hesitant” (40.4 per cent) and “Reluctant” (33 per cent).

Research limitations/implications

Incomplete demographical analysis, limited geographical area, social desirability. Future research might consider the employment of Theory of Planned Behaviour.

Practical implications

Communication strategy of green hotels should utilize important people’s suggestions. Targets should be persuaded that green hotels are neither more expensive nor more difficult to find. Travel searching engines should include the green key attribute. Need to create and promote the image of an ethical hotel being a concept beyond a green hotel.

Originality/value

All types of ethical tourism simultaneously examined. EC/IC provided significant evidence of impact on intentions. Cluster analysis of the ethical tourism market.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Zhibin Lin, Guangren He and Ilias P. Vlachos

The purpose of this paper is to examine Chinese tourists’ experience of Britain based on a conceptual model of tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty, and to identify key…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine Chinese tourists’ experience of Britain based on a conceptual model of tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty, and to identify key issues that tourism organisations could address to provide an excellent experience for Chinese tourists.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in collaboration with a tour operator; and 275 valid responses were received. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling was used for data analysis.

Findings

The key destination attributes of Britain such as heritage sites, natural scenery and customer service provide an excellent experience for Chinese tourists. Other British destination attributes such as shopping facilities, food, accommodation, entertainment and night life are less impressive.

Research limitations/implications

The sample was drawn from Chinese tourists visiting Britain on package tours, which limits the generalisation of results to other Chinese tourists and other European/Mediterranean destinations.

Practical implications

There are two key challenges for British destination tourism managers: first, to maintain the current quality levels in the attributes that generate tourist satisfaction; and second, to concentrate on improving attributes with low performance ratings such as shopping, food and drink, accommodation, entertainment and night life. As the characteristics of Chinese tourists are culture-specific rather than destination-specific, tourism managers in other European destinations may find these recommendations useful too.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to examine Chinese tourists’ experience of a European destination. The results reveal unique characteristics of Chinese tourist requirements, which provide useful implications for tourism organisations to adapt their service strategies to better cater to this growing group of travellers.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Walesska Schlesinger, Amparo Cervera and Carmen Pérez-Cabañero

– The purpose of this paper is to examine quality of service experience as reported by tourists in seven northern and southern Mediterranean cities.

633

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine quality of service experience as reported by tourists in seven northern and southern Mediterranean cities.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-report study was used to gather data from 1,362 tourists. Once validity of Otto and Ritchie’s (1996) scale had been confirmed, ANOVA and the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyse the data.

Findings

Tourists in all destinations highlighted the importance of the dimension peace of mind. Significant differences between tourists in the northern Mediterranean and those in the southern Mediterranean were observed in two quality of service experience dimensions: hedonics and involvement.

Research limitations/implications

Although the sample was large, this study’s scope was limited to seven Mediterranean tourist cities. Further research is therefore required to generalize findings to other Mediterranean tourist destinations.

Practical implications

Knowledge about quality of service experience dimensions may help tourism managers innovate and improve services. Tourists perceive northern Mediterranean destinations differently from destinations in the southern Mediterranean. Tourists report high tourist involvement in northern destinations, whereas in the south, tourists emphasize destinations’ hedonic features. These implications are also valuable for European policymakers.

Originality/value

The study compared quality of service experience in northern and southern Mediterranean tourist destinations. To do so, it analysed a sample of 1,362 tourists from seven Mediterranean cities. This research is the first to analyse quality of service experience in the Mediterranean.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2015

Marios D. Sotiriadis

– The purpose of this article is to suggest a framework to be used as a strategic planning tool for culinary tourism projects at destination level.

4126

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to suggest a framework to be used as a strategic planning tool for culinary tourism projects at destination level.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on theoretical background of strategic planning and Leiper’s tourism model, a conceptual tool is suggested. Its value is investigated through an empirical study that was performed, which employed a qualitative research method (discussion groups of experts).

Findings

The article suggests a framework to be used as a strategic planning tool for culinary tourism projects. The empirical study identified the merits, drawbacks and limitations of the framework to be taken into account. It can be used only in combination with other tools to achieve a comprehensive approach to designing, managing and marketing culinary tourism assets strategically.

Research limitations/implications

Because of its exploratory nature, the study has inherent drawbacks. The suggested framework should be finalised. Future studies could explore the perspective of visitors deeply and should also investigate the appropriate tools to be implemented at operational management level.

Practical implications

In the fields of strategic management and marketing, the study enhances a comprehensive approach. It contributes to positioning and analysing culinary tourism within the context of a whole destination system. It provides an additional tool for destination planners and managers to be used along with other tools in performing their tasks at strategic level.

Originality/value

It is the first study that suggests and empirically investigates a strategic planning tool at destination level, based on the theoretical backgrounds of strategic planning and tourism system. It provides an integrated approach incorporating the main issues to be dealt with in the field of culinary tourism.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 27 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

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