Daniel Leung

Progress and Development of Information Technology in the Hospitality Industry Evidence from Cornell Hospitality Quarterly

In view of the synergistic interaction between technology and hospitality services, this article reports the findings of a study that analyzed articles related to information technology (IT) published in Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (CQ) and its predecessor, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly (CHRAQ), a first-tier journal that places emphasis on the application of research to hospitality businesses. Through an examination of content from CHRAQ’s inaugural issue in the early 1960s to the latest volume (in mid-2011), ninety-five articles were identified as relevant. A content analysis revealed that more than half of the articles focused on the hospitality industry in general and that a substantial number of IT-related articles had been published since the 1980s. This article contributes to a better understanding of the progress of the IT research conducted by hospitality researchers over the past five decades.

Distribution channel in hospitality and tourism: Revisiting disintermediation from the perspectives of hotels and travel agencies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reexamine several issues about disintermediation from the perspectives of tourism product/service suppliers (hotels) and traditional intermediaries (travel agencies), considering the move of the current distribution landscape toward disintermediation. Internet and mobile technologies offer various tools for consumers to search and purchase products/services from suppliers directly. Consequently, the necessity and role of traditional intermediaries in the industry become questionable. Design/methodology/approach – In all, six focus group interviews were conducted to collect primary data from ten managers of three traditional travel agencies and 11 managers from three business hotels in Hong Kong, which is a major travel destination in Asia with many world-class hotels and tourism facilities. Findings – Despite their different business backgrounds, the interviewees agreed on the increasing importance of Internet technology in the distribution of tourism products. Th...

A systematic review, analysis, and evaluation of research articles in the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly

This paper describes a review of articles published in the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly in the period 2008 to 2011. A content analysis approach was used to analyze 133 research articles making original contributions to the development of knowledge. The findings indicate that accounting and finance was the most researched area and that the hospitality sector receiving most attention from scholars was hotels. The authorship analysis also shows that most of the articles were written by academic researchers from the United States, illustrating the concentration of experience and practical expertise in that country. This paper is of interest to readers seeking information on the recent progress and development of hospitality research and practice in a top-tier hospitality journal.

Perceptions and strategies of hospitality and tourism practitioners on social media: an exploratory study.

The potential benefits of social media for the promotion of hospitality and tourism businesses have been well acknowledged in the existing literature. Most studies have, however, examined social media use and perceptions from consumers’ perspective. There is limited research addressing how service providers perceive and employ social media to influence the consumer’s decision making process. Using in-depth interviews with hospitality and tourism practitioners in Hong Kong, this study explores practitioners’ perceptions regarding social media and examines the strategies being applied in engaging social media to influence consumers’ decision making. The findings reveal that practitioners generally understand what social media represent and recognise their potential for business promotion as well as inherent challenges. Furthermore, they employ various social media applications and strategies in attempting to influence consumers’ decision making process. The findings hold implications for both practitioners and researchers.

Current state of China tourism research

Along with the tremendous growth of tourism development in China after its successful hosting of two international mega-events (i.e. the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games), a modest body of academic research on tourism in China has been developed since the start of the second decade of the new millennium. To supplement the continuous development of Chinas tourism industry, this study presents a review of 147 research articles from tourism journals during the period 2010–2012. Through content analysis, the empirical findings indicate that tourist behaviour and experience was the most researched theme, followed by culture and heritage studies. The trend of research collaboration, particularly international collaboration, was evident among the analysed studies. This study also presents the diversity in recent research in the realm of tourism in China in terms of research context, geographical coverage, data collection and analysis method, and institutional contribution.

Adopting web 2.0 technologies on chain and independent hotel websites : a case study of hotels in Hong Kong

With the unprecedented ability to empower travellers in producing and consuming travel information, Web 2.0 is fundamentally changing the way of traveller’s information search behaviour and affecting subsequent decision making. As such, many researchers asserted that more hotel companies have integrated the technology into their websites to enhance customers’ travel information searching experience. However, no prior studies were conducted on this phenomenon in the hotel context. This study purposes to explore Web 2.0 technology adoption among Hong Kong hotels. The factors influencing the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies are also identified and discussed. A content analysis of hotel websites and interviews with the hotel managers identified the difference in adoption rate between chain and independent hotels. The discrepancy is mainly attributed to the top managements’ perceived benefit of Web 2.0.

Asian wave in travel and tourism research.

ABSTRACT Although numerous tourism-related articles have been published by authors affiliated with Asian universities, operationalized here as the “Asian Wave,” little research effort has focused on examining such authorship. Adopting a publication counting method, this study analyzes articles published in four top tourism journals from 1999–2008 that are either Asia-focused or co-authored by researchers from Asian universities. The results reveal that both Asian research productivity and Asia-related contributions have increased over time, although there have been few inter-Asia and international research collaborations in the past decade. A discussion of the Asian Wave and suggestions for its further growth are provided.

An Analysis of Publications in the Journal of China Tourism Research

This article reports the findings of a study that analyzes the articles published in the Journal of China Tourism Research in the period 2005 to 2010. Findings of a content analysis of 125 articles revealed that tourist behaviors/experiences was the most widely studied area, and questionnaire surveys were the most popular method of data collection. Though it may not be a surprise that most authors were affiliated with institutes in Mainland China (hereafter known as China) and Hong Kong, it is interesting to note that the largest group of lead authors comprised postgraduate students. This article will be of use to readers to better understand what research has been conducted in the context of China tourism research.

The Impact of Culture on Hotel Ratings: Analysis of Star-Rated Hotels in China

The influence of cultural values on consumer behavior is well documented in tourism studies, yet limited research is reported on the link between cultural values and hotel ratings. In Chinese culture, “face” prevails in every aspect of interpersonal relationship and hinders aggressive behaviors in public, whereas the American society values decision making based on honesty and independence more than what is derived from giving face. The difference in this cultural value is likely to be a critical component of idiosyncratic ratings by companies from different cultural backgrounds. This study compares the ratings on a hotel guide published by the Chinese government and one Chinese online and three U.S. online distribution channels. Based on four a priori comparisons of ratings among the five channels, the hotel ratings on the Chinese sources are considerably higher than those on the U.S. channels, which can be attributed to the unique value of “giving face” in Chinese culture.

Applying the Technology-Organization-Environment framework to explore ICT initial and continued adoption: An exploratory study of an independent hotel in Hong Kong

This exploratory study aims (1) to examine the factors affecting information and communication technology (ICT) initial adoption and continued adoption decisions of an independent hotel, and (2) to develop an overarching framework for unifying those factors applying a Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework for further examination in future research. Drawing on the qualitative data solicited from four managers who were involved in ICT adoption of an independent hotel in Hong Kong, this study shows the complication of ICT adoption in the hospitality context. The current findings are expected to provide scholars, hoteliers, entrepreneurs and other interested parties with timely knowledge and insights on how a newly established independent hotel in a renowned tourist destination with mature tourism markets can strategically embrace ICT. Another contribution of the current study is to empirically verify and expand the applicability of the TOE framework in exploring ICT adoption by independent hotels.