Clifford Lewis

Self-identity and Social Norms in Destination Choice by Young Australian Travellers

Demand for domestic tourism in Australia is in decline, particularly for young Australian travellers (YATs) who prefer to travel overseas. Although models exist to explain destination choice, many of these have limitations, including the assumption of a rational consumer and a focus on the functional attributes of travel and tourism. Further, there has been a tendency to replicate studies, albeit in different contexts, rather than search for new insights into destination choice. With the aim of better explaining the decision of destination choice by YATs, focus groups comprising representatives from the population of interest were conducted. The approach was to examine tourism from a sociological perspective, drawing on theories of ritual, ritual inversion and fashion. The results reveal the importance of self-identity and social norms in destination selection. It is concluded that destinations that contribute to enhancing one’s self-identity, particularly when they are consistent with one’s existing or aspirational social group, are more likely to be visited by YATs.

A critical assessment of the role of fashion in influencing the travel decision and destination choice

While the word fashion is often associated with clothing and accessories, the objective of this paper is to argue that as a broader concept, fashion has relevance to tourism. It is argued that fashion can influence behaviour and both the decision to travel, and the destination selected may in some cases be a fashion statement by the traveller. Following discussion as to the meanings and explanations of fashion, a conceptual model is presented having the purpose of demonstrating how fashion can be a moderating variable in the travel decision and destination selection process. The model proposes the influence of fashion on leisure tourism, and is a foundation for future studies to further investigate fashion and tourism.

Towards a Framework for Web 2.0 Community Success: A Case of YouTube

Although ample research has been conducted on the topic of community, there is still much research to be done on online communities. More specifically, there is a paucity of research on the topic of building successful Web 2.0 communities like YouTube-the top ranked Web 2.0 video sharing website. In this paper, a framework for Web 2.0 community success is proposed based on a theoretical review and an empirical study of YouTube using a dual approach consisting of content analysis and grounded theory interviews. The findings identify specific internal and external factors that are important for the success of YouTube as a Web 2.0 community. A framework of Web 2.0 community success is also proposed, which is useful in the planning and administration of Web 2.0 Communities.