Cláudia Seabra

Drivers of in‐group and out‐of‐group electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM)

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to address a recent call for additional research on electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM). In response to this call, this study draws on the social network paradigm and the uses and gratification theory (UGT) to propose and empirically test a conceptual framework of key drivers of two types of eWOM, namely in‐group and out‐of‐group.Design/methodology/approach – The proposed model, which examines the impact of usage motivations on eWOM in‐group and eWOM out‐of‐group, is tested in a sample of 302 internet users in Portugal.Findings – Results from the survey show that the different drivers (i.e. mood‐enhancement, escapism, experiential learning and social interaction) vary in terms of their impact on the two different types of eWOM. Surprisingly, while results show a positive relationship between experiential learning and eWOM out‐of‐group, no relationship is found between experiential learning and eWOM in‐group.Research limitations/implications – This is the first study inve...

The influence of terrorism risk perception on purchase involvement and safety concern of international travellers

Abstract Using a sample of 600 international tourists travelling in Portugal, Spain and Italy, this study identifies key issues related with terrorism, risk perception, involvement and safety concerns of international tourists. A structural equation model reveals that tourists are motivated to acquire information about terrorism in the media, revealing attention to and interest in news regarding this topic, which in turn influences directly their risk perception. This risk perception influences directly the tourist’s involvement in trip planning, specifically information seeking before and during the trip. Tourists’ risk perception and involvement finally influences their safety concern. Discussion centres on the implications of this model for both theory and tourism management strategies. Last, recommendations are proposed to tourism service and destination managers and promoters regarding ways to deal with terrorism and tourists’ safety concerns.

TerrorScale: A Scale to Measure the Contact of International Tourists with Terrorism

Terrorism is unfortunately part of our lives and will not simply disappear. Accepting its presence, the management and prevention of its negative consequences is a key issue. This is imperative not only for countries where terrorist attacks occur, but also for countries that may be affected indirectly. It is necessary to further consider this issue and create more effective instruments for crisis management, ideally based on cooperative solutions among industry, government agencies and tourism-related academic institutions. Although research on terrorism has been undertaken in the tourism domain, the specific concept of tourists’ contact with terrorism has never been operationalized. In this paper we develop a scale that measures the contact of tourists with terrorism. Insights from an empirical study of 600 international tourists indicate that this multi-dimensional scale incorporates three types of contact: 1) Direct, 2) Indirect and 3) Attention to/ Interest in Terrorism on the Media. Discussion centers on implications of this scale for theory development and in the context of strategic destination crisis management decisions. Directions for future research are also presented.

Travel content creation: The influence of travelers’ innovativeness, involvement and use of social media

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine factors that affect the likelihood to create travel content online. Research has shown that there are far more people consuming social media than generating it. However, online travel marketers need to pay attention to travelers that share their experiences online, as they have the potential to drive sales. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted to collect data for this study, by sending e-mail invitations to colleagues, students, personal contacts and other email contacts composed of Portuguese Internet users. A total of 244 complete responses were considered valid to test the hypotheses through partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings – The results reveal that travelers’ level of involvement with tourism products, innovativeness and use of social media directly influences writing reviews about travel experiences online. Research limitations/implications – First, the data used in this study were based on a conveni...

The influence of motivations in tourists’ involvement

Abstract One of the main aspects in the consumer behaviour is the concept of involvement because it influences the decision rules used by tourists to reach the final decision. An empirical study of 600 international tourists reveals that motivation to relax, influences tourists’ involvement with the trip. A structural model shows that when tourists are motivated to relax they get directly more involved with their trip (pleasure and information seeking). The motivation to relax also influences indirectly the tourist involvement with the evaluation and quality perception of the trip through its influence on involvement with the trip planning. Discussion centres on the implications of this model to theory and management specifically to the development of tourism and services strategies.

Stories of culture: the power of Storytelling in Cultural Tourism Destinations

Cultural tourism in which Storytelling is an important part of is increasingly relevant these days. Not only because it´s an unique product, but also because it fills the gap between residents and tourists, bringing them closer together in a way that traditional tourism would never be able to do. However the existing information about this subject is still scarce, particularly in the tourist industry. This paper aims to present a conceptual review on Storytelling, as well as to show its importance to tourism.

Holistic Tourism: Motivations, Self-Image and Satisfaction

Holistic Tourism: Motivations, Self-Image and Satisfaction Holistic tourism has become a new and alternative form of tourism and an important trend among tourists who seek programs and experiences that would allow them to achieve balance between mind, body and soul. Choosing holistic tourism means that a tourist can enjoy a different and full experience which goes beyond the simple contact with cultures, people, places or landscapes. It focuses on self-transformation and on an attempt of people understanding more about themselves. It is crucial we understand each person´s view about this new type of tourism since this perspective will surely bring potential new investors to this product. Knowing what every tourist values, feels and needs- in terms of personal fulfillment- can turn this new type of tourism into a competitive one. This study includes an empirical research conducted through questionnaires to 300 holistic tourists in four different Portuguese destinations: Azores, Geres, Lisbon and Algarve. The results allowed a better understanding of the holistic tourists’ characteristics, their main motivations, self-image perception and satisfaction levels while taking part in holistic tourism.

The STUDENTSCALE: Measuring Students’ Motivation, Interest, Learning Resources and Styles

5th Global Innovation and Knowledge Academy Conference, GIKA 2015, Valencia, Spain, July 14-16, 2015, Proceedings

Dark Tourism: Concepts, Typologies and Sites

Dark Tourism: Concepts, Typologies and Sites Dark Tourism, understood as the type of tourism that involves a visit to real or recreated places associated with death, suffering, misfortune, or the seemingly macabre, is not a new concept, even from a touristic point of view. In fact, places of war, disasters, death and atrocities always fascinated humans and are subject to visits. People have long been drawn, purposefully or otherwise, towards sites, attractions or events linked in one way or another with death, suffering, violence or disaster. The concept of dark tourism has been designed and studied for the last years and many are the destinations around the world where it has been implemented, playing an important role in both a country’s economy and its image. However, there is a gap in literature about this specific type of tourism. The main goal of this paper is to present a literature review about this new tourism product where the thrill seeking is the main motivation. Specifically, it’s our intent to present some Dark Tourism definitions, history and evolution, as well as, to introduce its typologies and identify the most important dark tourist sites all over the world.

Comparing CB-SEM and PLS-SEM results: an empirical example

Many scholars view PLS-SEM as less rigorous than CB-SEM, namely due to is less restrictive assumptions. The main objective of this research is to compare the results of both approaches, for a given model, to examine if there are, indeed, noteworthy differences. The study shows that the results obtained in both approaches are very similar. These findings provide useful insights to researchers