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Article
Publication date: 15 August 2023

Alastair M. Morrison, Sudin Bag and Kousik Mandal

This paper aims to investigate the effects of virtual reality experiences (VREs) and emotions on holiday destination visit intentions by applying the stimulus-organism-response…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effects of virtual reality experiences (VREs) and emotions on holiday destination visit intentions by applying the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework. It also examined the role of amateur photography as a moderator in the relationship between VREs, emotions and visit intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected through a structured survey questionnaire administered in India, and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine relationships among variables. The formal survey was preceded by a pilot study. The partial least squares-SEM product indicator technique was applied to measure the moderation effect of amateur photography.

Findings

When people have high levels of positive emotions in the pre-travel stage with VRE participation, their intentions to visit destinations are stronger. Amateur photography moderated the relationships between user interactivity, memorable experiences, mental imagery and visit intentions. No significant moderating effect was found between emotional experiences and visit intentions.

Practical implications

The results indicate that creators of virtual reality (VR) communications should concentrate on producing interactive and visually striking VR content, as the research found that VR experiences with tourism-related activities have a significant impact on potential visitor emotions. Therefore, VR producers should incorporate authentic and distinctive elements into contents, giving viewers realistic and trustworthy VR tourism experiences. Destination marketers should evoke emotions in people to increase motivations to visit the VR-presented places. Destination marketers should create VR content with hedonic elements, fostering a connection and desire to visit the destination presented in the VR. For example, destination marketers can enhance the sensory aspects of VR content with audio, video, haptics and artificial intelligence, encouraging people to be emotionally captivated and fully immersed. The findings indicate that amateur photography has a significant moderating effect on prospective tourists’ intentions to visit a place presented in VR. Thus, destination marketers are advised to provide photogenic and relevant content to users. By using amateur photography, destinations can market their attractions to potential visitors in a more interactive and relatable manner. Showcasing images taken by amateur photographers presents a genuine perspective of the offerings, thereby increasing visit intentions among prospective visitors. Additionally, amateur photography helps promote the destination in a positive light, emphasizing the attractions and other offerings, and this encourages potential visitors to consider the destination as a travel option, thereby increasing visit intentions. Encouraging amateur photographers to take and share images also increases their engagement with the destination, creating a sense of community and connection and ultimately driving visit intentions. Destination marketers should embrace VR tourism content as a means of promoting their destinations to potential customers by considering the three crucial elements of memorable experiences, emotional experiences and mental imagery. In essence, destination management organizations and other decision makers should develop complete VR communication plans that incorporate interactive and visually striking activities. This can be done by creating VR experiences for prospective tourists, which will enable them to pick their preferred destinations at the pre-travel stage. Through this approach, an effective destination marketing strategy can be established.

Originality/value

This research has value in making several potential contributions to the tourism applications of VR. It is the first study to use and test the S-O-R framework to analyse tourist behaviour from the perspective of emotions generated by VR applications. The analysis focuses on India’s tourism market, which has not been explored much in the context of VR and from the perspective of a developing country. The research emphasizes the use of VR as a tool to understand tourist behaviour rather than just focusing on visit intentions. The findings provide valuable insights into the importance of VR in tourism. The knowledge generated will contribute to the understanding of the impact of VR experiences on emotions and visit intentions and the moderating effect of amateur photography. It has practical implications for destination marketers in developing effective marketing strategies that enhance tourists’ emotions and motivate visit intentions.

目的

本研究运用刺激-机体-反应(S-O-R)框架, 探讨虚拟现实体验(VREs)和情绪对度假目的地旅游意向的影响。还研究了业余摄影在VREs、情感和访问意图之间的关系中的调节作用。

设计/方法/方法

通过在印度进行的结构化调查问卷收集原始数据, 并使用结构方程模型(SEM)来检查变量之间的关系。在正式调查之前进行了一项试点研究。采用PLS-SEM结果指标方法测量业余摄影的调节效果。

研究发现

当人们在旅行前的VRE参与阶段拥有高水平的积极情绪时, 他们访问目的地的意愿会更强。业余摄影调节了用户交互性、纪念体验、心理意象和访问意图之间的关系。情绪体验与访问意向之间无显著调节作用。

原创性/价值

本研究对虚拟现实的旅游应用有几个可能的贡献。这是第一个使用并测试刺激-生物-反应(S-O-R)框架的研究, 从VR应用产生的情感角度分析游客行为。分析集中于印度的旅游市场, 而在VR的背景下和从一个发展中国家的角度来看, 印度的旅游市场还没有得到太多的探索。该研究强调将VR作为一种了解游客行为的工具, 而不仅仅是关注游客的意图。这些发现为VR在旅游业中的重要性提供了有价值的见解。所产生的知识将有助于理解VR体验对情绪和访问意图的影响以及业余摄影的调节作用。这对目的地营销人员制定有效的营销策略, 增强游客的情绪和激发旅游意图具有实际启示。

Finalidad

Esta investigación analizó los efectos de las experiencias de realidad virtual (VREs) y las emociones en las intenciones de visita a destinos vacacionales aplicando el modelo estímulo-organismo-respuesta (S-O-R). También examinó el papel de la fotografía amateur como moderador en la relación entre las VREs, las emociones y las intenciones de visita.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Los datos primarios se recogieron mediante una encuesta con cuestionario estructurado administrado en la India, y se utilizó la modelización de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para examinar las relaciones entre las variables. La encuesta principal fue precedida de un estudio piloto. Se aplicó la técnica PLS-SEM para medir el efecto moderador de la fotografía amateur.

Resultados

Cuando las personas poseen un alto nivel de emociones positivas en la etapa previa al viaje con participación en VRE, sus intenciones de visitar destinos son más fuertes. La fotografía amateur moderó las relaciones entre la interactividad del usuario, las experiencias memorables, las imágenes mentales y las intenciones de visita. No se encontró ningún efecto moderador significativo entre las experiencias emocionales y las intenciones de visita.

Originalidad/valor

Esta investigación tiene el valor de hacer varias contribuciones potenciales a las aplicaciones turísticas de la realidad virtual. Es el primer estudio que utiliza y pone a prueba el marco estímulo-organismo-respuesta (S-O-R) para analizar el comportamiento de los turistas desde la perspectiva de las emociones generadas por las aplicaciones de RV. El análisis se centra en el mercado turístico de la India, poco explorado en el contexto de la RV y desde la perspectiva de un país en desarrollo. La investigación hace hincapié en el uso de la RV como herramienta para comprender el comportamiento de los turistas, en lugar de centrarse únicamente en las intenciones de visita. Las conclusiones aportan valiosas ideas sobre la importancia de la RV en el turismo. Los conocimientos generados contribuirán a comprender el impacto de las experiencias de RV en las emociones y las intenciones de visita, así como el efecto moderador de la fotografía amateur. Se presentan implicaciones prácticas para los responsables de marketing de los destinos turísticos a la hora de desarrollar estrategias de marketing eficaces que potencien las emociones de los turistas y motiven las intenciones de visita.

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2023

Erose Sthapit, Peter Bjork, Dafnis N. Coudounaris, Jano Jiménez-Barreto and Tan Vo-Thanh

This study proposed and tested a new conceptual model of memorable volunteer tourism experiences (MVTEs) by examining the effects of novelty, meaningfulness, experience…

Abstract

Purpose

This study proposed and tested a new conceptual model of memorable volunteer tourism experiences (MVTEs) by examining the effects of novelty, meaningfulness, experience co-creation and experience intensification on MVTEs. It also examined the relationships among MVTEs, psychological resilience (PR) and behavioural intention (BI), including that between novelty and BI.

Design/methodology/approach

The study modelled the proposed relationships by analysing data from an online survey using Amazon Mechanical Turk. In total, 241 responses were used in the data analysis.

Findings

This study extended the MVTE construct and included four key antecedents that influence tourists' MVTEs. The study also documented the predictive capability of MVTEs for PR and BI.

Practical implications

Volunteer tourism organisations should offer new and diverse activities for volunteer tourists, such as nature conservation, wildlife protection and construction.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the antecedents and outcomes of MVTEs using the stimuli–organism–response theory.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 January 2024

Dilara Eylül Koç and Şevki Ulema

Tourist guides undertake many versatile roles as a requirement of their profession. The realisation of these roles also affects the performance of the guide. Findings obtained…

Abstract

Tourist guides undertake many versatile roles as a requirement of their profession. The realisation of these roles also affects the performance of the guide. Findings obtained from empirical evidence on the effects of the tour guide's performance on memorable tourism experiences and the intention to revisit the Cappadocia region shed light on the importance of these elements on each other. Accordingly, the primary purposes of this research are to measure the effect of tourist guides' performance on memorable tourism experiences and the impact of memorable tourism experiences on revisit intention (RVI). For these purposes, the survey technique obtained data from 569 domestic and foreign tourists who participated in guided tours in the Cappadocia region. According to the results of the research, it has been observed that the performance of the tourist guide influences the memorable tourism experience, and the memorable tourism experience affects RVI. In light of the results, suggestions to tourism stakeholders and researchers are listed.

Details

Future Tourism Trends Volume 1
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-245-2

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2024

Erose Sthapit, Brian Garrod, Dafnis N. Coudounaris, Siamak Seyfi, Ibrahim Cifci and Tan Vo-Thanh

Based on stimulus-organism-response theory, this study aims to develop and tests a model of memorable heritage tourism experience (MHTE). The model proposes that experiencescape…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on stimulus-organism-response theory, this study aims to develop and tests a model of memorable heritage tourism experience (MHTE). The model proposes that experiencescape, experience co-creation, education and photography are important antecedents of MHTE, which is then a driver of place attachment.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were collected using a Web-based questionnaire of people aged 18 years and over who had a heritage tourism experience during the previous three months (February–April 2023). The survey was distributed in May 2023 using Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). A survey link was posted on MTurk, which remained active for the first week of May 2023. Out of the 283 responses received, 272 were valid responses from individuals who met the participation criteria.

Findings

Experiencescape, experience co-creation, education and photography were found to be positive drivers of the MHTE, with a positive relationship between MHTE and place attachment.

Originality/value

Many studies linked to memorable tourism experience (MTE) mainly replicate Kim, Ritchie, & McCormick’s (2012) MTE scale, regardless of the specific study context. This study offers an alternative framework through which alternative antecedents and outcomes of tourists’ MTE can be identified.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 January 2024

Erose Sthapit, Chunli Ji, Yang Ping, Catherine Prentice, Brian Garrod and Huijun Yang

Drawing on the theory of memory-dominant logic, this study aims to examine how the substantive staging of the servicescape, experience co-creation, experiential satisfaction and…

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Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on the theory of memory-dominant logic, this study aims to examine how the substantive staging of the servicescape, experience co-creation, experiential satisfaction and experience intensification affect experience memorability and hedonic well-being in the case of unmanned smart hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was used, with the target respondents being hotel guests people aged 18 years and older who had been recent guests of the FlyZoo Hotel in Hangzhou, China. Data were collected online from 429 guests who had stayed in the hotel between April and June 2023. Data analysis was undertaken using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results suggest that all the proposed four constructs are positive drivers of a memorable unmanned smart hotel experience. The relationship between the memorability of the hotel experience and hedonic well-being was found to be significant and positive.

Practical implications

Unmanned smart hotels should ensure that all smart technologies function effectively and dependably and offer highly personalised services to guests, allowing them to co-create their experiences. This will lead to the guest receiving a satisfying and memorable experience. To enable experience co-creation using smart technologies, unmanned smart hotels could provide short instructional videos for guests, as well as work closely with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure that smart technology systems are regularly updated.

Originality/value

This study investigates the antecedents and outcomes of a novel phenomenon and extends the concept of memorable tourism experiences to the context of unmanned smart hotels.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 36 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Harveen Bhandari, Amit Mittal and Meenal Arora

The study investigates the mediated moderation impact of Memorable Religious Experience (MRE) and Religiosity (REL) on the relationship between Memorable Tourism Experience (MTE…

Abstract

Purpose

The study investigates the mediated moderation impact of Memorable Religious Experience (MRE) and Religiosity (REL) on the relationship between Memorable Tourism Experience (MTE) and Attitude towards Pilgrimage (ATT) finally driving Recommend Intention (RCI) of visitors to a religious site. It suggests visitors' incentive variable religiosity can influence their decision to recommend visiting a religious destination.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses a quantitative cross-sectional approach wherein a self-administered survey was used for data collection from 223 pilgrims who visited a popular pilgrimage site. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for analysis.

Findings

The results showed that MTE has a significant influence on ATT which further influences RCI (a dimension of behavioral intention-BI) of visitors towards a religious destination. Further, MRE mediates the relationship between MTE and ATT. Nevertheless, REL illustrated a significant moderation influence on the relationship between MRE and ATT, further verifying the mediated moderation impact of MRE and REL in the model.

Practical implications

Recommendation of existing customers is one of the most powerful indicators of customer loyalty and usually leads to revisit. The research provides destination managers/tourism planners of pilgrimage sites to formulate appropriate marketing strategies to develop RCI and sustainable branding.

Originality/value

This study adds to the empirical studies conducted on REL by constructing a composite picture of the memorable tourism experience within a pilgrimage tourism context. The uniqueness lies in the attempt to investigate the mediated moderation impact of MRE and REL using a symmetric (PLS-SEM) approach.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2024

Wenyue Tang, Tengfei Zhang and Yang Yang

This study aims to discuss the formation mechanism of members’ emotional attachment to virtual travel communities from an online–offline perspective, focusing on the role of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to discuss the formation mechanism of members’ emotional attachment to virtual travel communities from an online–offline perspective, focusing on the role of offline tourism experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was designed to survey active travel enthusiast clubs that hold frequent offline tourism activities. A structural equation modeling method was used to estimate the model and test the research hypotheses.

Findings

Results demonstrated that offline travel experiences positively influenced online community attachment (i.e., community dependence and identity), and this effect was more pronounced than that of one’s sense of community (i.e., belonging, trust and immersion) on community attachment. Therefore, compared with online interaction, offline travel experiences played a greater part in strengthening virtual community attachment.

Originality/value

The study presents a pioneering effort on understanding how offline activities help shape the community attachment to virtual communities.

研究目的

本研究从线上-线下的角度探讨了人们对虚拟旅行社区的情感依恋形成机制, 着重关注线下旅游体验的作用。

研究方法

本研究设计了问卷, 对经常举办线下旅游活动的驴友俱乐部进行了调查。采用结构方程建模方法估计模型并验证研究假设。

研究发现

结果表明, 线下旅游体验积极地影响着线上社区依恋, 并且这种影响比社区感对社区依恋的影响更为显著。因此, 相较于线上互动, 线下旅游体验在增强虚拟社区依恋方面起到了更大的作用。

研究创新

本研究首次探讨了线下活动如何帮助塑造虚拟社区成员对虚拟社区的依恋。

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2023

Tai-Yi Yu, Jeou-Shyan Horng, Chih-Hsing Liu, Sheng-Fang Chou, Ming-Tsung Lee, Yung-Chuan Huang and Maria Carmen B. Lapuz

This study attempts to fill the research gap by extending sustainability literature and providing empirical evidence that considers sustainability marketing commitment (SMC) as a…

Abstract

Purpose

This study attempts to fill the research gap by extending sustainability literature and providing empirical evidence that considers sustainability marketing commitment (SMC) as a fundamental attribute of effective marketing strategy that consequently improves tourism service quality, as represented by service attractiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

In the current study, data was collected from 313 tourism and hospitality firms. To test the model, this study applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the relationships among environmental strategy, SMC, supplier trust and service attractiveness in a mediation-moderation setting.

Findings

The results indicate that the multiple mediation effects of environmental strategy may indirectly influence tourist attractiveness through SMC and tourism services. The two-way moderating effects reveal that supplier trust and socialization strengthen the service attractiveness development process, while three-way interaction discovered that socialization and supplier trust positively moderate the relationships between tourism services and service attractiveness.

Originality/value

Sustainable strategy is a future trend for tourism business management; however, unknown to most is the role of marketing and environmental strategy in tourism business due to lack of integration with concepts in marketing strategy, with the multidimensionality of tourism services, and with the function of trust and socialization, critically undermining analyses of service attractiveness. This paper combines corporate sustainability and sustainability marketing methods to explore how an environmental strategy can improve tourism services and enhance a destination's attractiveness based on a mediation-moderation mechanism.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 36 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2024

Qiuying Chen, Ronghui Liu, Qingquan Jiang and Shangyue Xu

Tourists with different cultural backgrounds think and behave differently. Accurately capturing and correctly understanding cultural differences will help tourist destinations in…

Abstract

Purpose

Tourists with different cultural backgrounds think and behave differently. Accurately capturing and correctly understanding cultural differences will help tourist destinations in product/service planning, marketing communication and attracting and retaining tourists. This research employs Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory to analyse the variations in destination image perceptions of Chinese-speaking and English-speaking tourists to Xiamen, a prominent tourist attraction in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The evaluation utilizes a two-stage approach, incorporating LDA and BERT-BILSTM models. By leveraging text mining, sentiment analysis and t-tests, this research investigates the variations in tourists' perceptions of Xiamen across different cultures.

Findings

The results reveal that cultural disparities significantly impact tourists' perceived image of Xiamen, particularly regarding their preferences for renowned tourist destinations and the factors influencing their travel experience.

Originality/value

This research pioneers applying natural language processing methods and machine learning techniques to affirm the substantial differences in the perceptions of tourist destinations among Chinese-speaking and English-speaking tourists based on Hofstede's cultural theory. The findings furnish theoretical insights for destination marketing organizations to target diverse cultural tourists through precise marketing strategies and illuminate the practical application of Hofstede's cultural theory in tourism and hospitality.

Details

Data Technologies and Applications, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9288

Keywords

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