Carol Y. Lu

Service quality and customer satisfaction: qualitative research implications for luxury hotels.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to determine whether luxury hotel managers and customers have the same understanding of service quality and satisfaction and whether there is a disparity between services offered by luxury hotels and the way customers actually experience them. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used interviews with managers and guests of 5-Star hotels in Taiwan and qualitative analysis to understand definitions and perceptions of luxury, service quality and satisfaction. Findings – The major findings of the study were that: there were no fundamental disconnects in the respective understandings of managers and guests; however, the two groups used different language to describe luxury, service quality and satisfaction; the managers evaluated satisfaction in terms of services provided, but the guests conceptualized satisfaction in terms of value received for the price of lodging; and luxury, service quality and satisfaction were closely related in the minds of the managers and gu...

The potential for active online learning in Taiwanese tourism degree programs based on online educational experiences of graduate students.

Online learning has been developed in Taiwan to make it convenient for people who are in different locations to experience synchronous learning. This study used a phenomenological approach to examine the learning motivations of Taiwanese graduate students in online educational settings to predict the role online instruction could play in tourism programs. The study suggested that synchronous online communication engages more students than asynchronous communication in synthesizing and applying knowledge and targeting the learning focus on problem solving and critical reflections to increase student-learning motivation and satisfaction. The findings also indicated that Taiwanese graduate students feel that clear course objectives and teaching instruction from faculty members contributed most to their learning satisfaction during synchronous online learning.

Sensation Seeking, Message Sensation Value, and Destinations A Cross-Cultural Comparison

This study investigated whether advertisements with different (high or low) message sensation value (MSV) had different impacts on consumers with different (high or low) sensation-seeking (SS) trait with regard to their destination image perceptions and behavioral intentions through a cross-cultural comparison. The results indicated that for U.S. samples, matched MSV and SS trait (low–low) had stronger influence on consumers’ destination image perceptions than mismatched MSV and SS trait (low–high); while for Chinese samples, matched MSV and SS trait (high–high) had stronger influence on consumers’ behavioral intentions and destination image perceptions than mismatched MSV and SS trait (high–low). In addition, culture was found to moderate the effect of MSV and SS trait on consumers’ destination image and behavioral intentions. Finally, destination image was found to be a significant predictor of behavioral intentions.

The Study of International Students’ Behavior Intention for Leisure Participation: Using Perceived Risk as a Moderator

ABSTRACT As a result of globalization and internationalization, along with encouragement from the Taiwanese government, recent years have seen an increase in international students coming to Taiwan. Subsequently, the experiences of international students—their study, lifestyle, and adaptability to the new environment—have attracted much research attention. Active participation in local leisure activities has been suggested to help international students quickly adapt to life in Taiwan. However, individuals’ different perceptions of risk may influence their intentions to engage in such helpful activities. This article applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a framework, and uses perceived risk as a moderator to explore international students’ intention to participate in leisure travel activities while staying in Taiwan. The study found that there exists a strong relationship between attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control and intention to travel for leisure.

An Exploratory Study on RV Travel in Taiwan: College Students' Perceptions

The purpose of this study was to assess a sample of what the next generation of Taiwanese recreation and tourism-related majors expected from a potential recreational vehicle (RV) experience. University students in 2 locations were surveyed to identify which one of the advantages of RV use might inspire them to make the investment in this type of recreational resource. The image of RV purposes and benefits were measured, and a series of t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were used to analyze the responses. The results demonstrated that respondents were very interested in RV activities, and this group of advocates for recreation and tourism preferred facilitated campgrounds and looked toward being able to afford more luxurious RVs as they age. In other results, participants ranked sanitary conditions the most desirable and microwaves as least desirable in terms of the services and amenities of the RV. Results of the study may be useful to RV marketers.