Cathy H.C. Hsu

Theory of Planned Behavior: Potential Travelers from China

Tourist behavior theories have been the focus of research in many tourism studies, but how travelers’ behavioral intention in choosing a travel destination is developed has rarely been investigated. This study tested the fit of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with potential travelers from Mainland China to Hong Kong as the sample (n = 328). Results showed that data fitted the TPB model moderately well and explained respondents’traveling intention. Attitude, perceived behavioral control, and past behavior were found to be related to respondents’travel intention. Recommendations were provided for government and tourism bodies to market Hong Kong as a destination for Mainland Chinese travelers.

Measurement of Korean Tourists’ Perceived Images of Overseas Destinations

This article identifies image attributes measuring the total attractiveness of overseas destinations to Korean tourists and investigates image attributes affecting Korean tourist choice behaviors of trip planning time frame, budgeted travel costs, and length of trip. The attractiveness of a destination was found to be defined by its adventurous atmosphere, scenery, environmental friendliness, availability of tourist information, and architectural style. Respondents’ perceptions of travel cost, destination lifestyle, availability of quality restaurants, freedom from language barriers, and availability of interesting places to visit affected their choice behaviors.

Expectation, Motivation, and Attitude: A Tourist Behavioral Model:

This study focuses on the previsit stage of tourists by modeling the behavioral process incorporating expectation, motivation, and attitude in the context of Chinese outbound travelers. An expectation, motivation, and attitude (EMA) model is proposed based on a comprehensive literature review. An instrument is developed based on previous tourism and marketing studies as well as focus groups to measure the variables in the EMA model. Data are collected from 1,514 Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou residents. Results of the study confirm the proposed relations that expectation of visiting an outbound destination has a direct effect on motivation to visit the destination; motivation has a direct effect on attitude toward visiting the destination; expectation of visiting the outbound destination has a direct effect on attitude toward visiting the destination; and motivation has a mediating effect on the relationship between expectation and attitude. Practical and theoretical contributions are discussed, with future research suggested.

Negative Word-of-Mouth Communication Intention: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

The current research employed the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical foundation to test the antecedents of negative word-of-mouth (WOM) communication intention. The hypothesized model proposed that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were associated with the negative WOM communication. The data and hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) by AMOS. Results from the maximum likelihood estimation showed that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were positively related to consumers’ negative WOM communication intention. Findings of this study demonstrated that the Theory of Planned Behavior is applicable in measuring consumers’ negative WOM communication.

The Impact of Customer-to-Customer Interaction on Cruise Experience and Vacation Satisfaction

While the role of customer-to-customer (C2C) interaction in shaping service experience has been recognized in the services marketing literature, empirical examination of this issue is limited. Similarly, investigation of tourists’ social contacts has mainly focused on the tourist—local community and tourist—service personnel dyads, while much less is known about tourist-to-tourist interactions. To fill this knowledge gap, this study has examined interaction between tourists on cruise vacations and its impact on the cruise experience and vacation satisfaction. An online survey is conducted with an American online panel (n = 613). The findings reveal that the quality of C2C interaction has positive direct impacts on the cruise experience as well as indirect effects on vacation satisfaction, mediated by cruise experience. Moreover, the quality of C2C interaction has suppressor effects on the quantity of C2C interaction. The results call for the incorporation of C2C interaction as one component of the relationship marketing theory.

Importance of Hotel Website Dimensions and Attributes: Perceptions of Online Browsers and Online Purchasers

The recent introduction of Internet technology to general business has led to its wide-scale application in the hotel industry. Consumers have been increasingly using the Internet to search for accommodation-related information on hotel Websites. To facilitate a better understanding of e-commerce, hospitality and tourism researchers have shown the importance of establishing content-rich and user-friendly Websites. The existing hospitality literature, however, has a very limited number of published articles that investigated the perceptions of hotel Website users on the importance of specific features on hotel Websites. The absence of prior studies on assessing the importance of hotel Website dimensions and attributes is particularly true in the comparison of online browsers who only search for information and online purchasers who have made online bookings. This article reports on a study that examined these two groups of international hotel Website users on their perceived importance level of specific dimensions and attributes on hotel Websites. Empirical evidence indicates that there was no significant difference in most of the included dimensions and attributes between these two groups of users. In addition, the respondents viewed that the included dimensions and attributes are important on Websites of 3-star or above hotels.

Volitional degrees of gambling behaviors

Abstract Predictors of gambling behavior were examined in an application of Fishbein and Ajzens theory of reasoned/planned action. The study focuses on explaining the volitional and nonvolitional aspects of gambling behavior. Based on an empirical data set, this study found that the theory of reasoned/planned action could be a useful study tool. Results indicated that decisions to gamble are largely a volitional process for casual participants. The level of previous gambling activity was also found to share variance with future gambling behavior, which pointed to a nonvolitional aspect. This article includes discussions on the implications of the findings and develops suggestions for future research.

Customers' perceptions on the importance of hotel web site dimensions and attributes

Purpose – Hotels at present have largely adopted e‐commerce to achieve different business goals. The existing hospitality literature, however, rarely investigates the importance of specific dimensions and attributes of hotel web sites from the perspective of web site users. In other words, what should be included on their branded hotel web sites remains unknown to hotel managers. This paper aims to report an exploratory study that investigated the perceived importance of dimensions and attributes on hotel web sites from the perspective of travellers.Design/methodology/approach – Through personal interviews with 304 travellers who had previously visited hotel web sites in the past year, the extent to which various hotel web site dimensions and attributes were perceived as important was examined.Findings – Empirical results indicated that respondents viewed reservation information as the most important dimension, and room rates as the most important attribute. In addition, respondents viewed that the includ...

Image assessment for a destination with limited comparative advantages

Abstract The purposes of this study were to identify the tourist image of a US state with limited comparative advantages and to suggest using the knowledge of the existing image to develop its competitive advantages. Telephone interviews were conducted with 417 individuals in 12 US states. Both the structured and unstructured queries showed that the state had a fuzzy image among respondents. Visitors and non-visitors held different images. Residents of nearby and far away states also had different perceptions. Practical applications of the findings in developing competitive advantages were suggested.

A Customer-Based Brand Equity Model for Upscale Hotels:

The authors propose a customer-based brand equity model for use in global branding efforts and research, based on a series of qualitative and quantitative studies. They find new dimensions of brand equity that need to be considered by lodging researchers and operators. Components of brand equity generated from literature review and focus groups are ordered in theoretical relationships and the model structure is assessed against rival structures. The model is tested with data collected from travelers in 12 major cities in China and validated across several subgroups of travelers. Results support the validity and reliability of the proposed model.