Daniel R. Fesenmaier

Risk Perceptions and Pleasure Travel: An Exploratory Analysis

This article investigates risk perceptions associated with pleasure travel. Psychophy sical scaling methods and multivariate analysis identified three basic dimensions of perceived risk: physical-equipment risk, vacation risk, and destination risk. Subsequent cluster analysis of the respondents based on the three risk dimensions identified three groups of travelers with substantially different risk perceptions regarding travel. The three risk groups differed in terms of the most recent trip taken and the benefits soughtfrom travel as well as basic demographic characteristics. Interestingly, relationships between risk perceptions and travel behavior appear to be situation-specific, suggesting that it may be difficult to generalize behaviors observed in the purchase of goods to travel decision making.

Pictorial element of destination in image formation

Abstract This study integrates theories from tourism destination choice, advertising, and landscape aesthetics to examine how content of promotional visuals affects destination image construction and interpretation. Three iterative phases of visual stimuli selection, focus groups, and a questionnaire were used. Results of the study indicated three landscape perception elements and four dimensions of image were projected by visuals. Analyses of covariance results supported landscape perception elements as significant predictors of image. Familiarity with the destination was significant across all image dimensions. Focus group results associated destination familiarity with affective evaluation of visuals and lack of familiarity with cognitive evaluation. Implications are discussed for image theory, marketing practice, and future research.

Expanding the functional information search model

Thisstudy used a decision-making and information search model as a framework for explaining the factors which influence the use of communications as they relate to recreation and tourism experiences. Traditionally, touristic information has been studied as a means to make destination choices. Studies have shown that not everyone who collects information actually intends to travel. An expanded approach to information search is taken where many of the leisure and recreation-based motivations are considered such as information for social, entertainment, visual, and creativity purposes. The findings expand the view of tourism information search process from a strict marketing context into a broader communication one.

Factors for Success in Rural Tourism Development

Since the 1970s, economic restructuring and the farm crisis have reduced rural communities’ economic opportunities. These changes have limited rural communities’ economic development options, making older development strategies less viable and forcing many to look for nontraditional ways to sustain themselves. One of the most popular nontraditional rural development strategies has been tourism and its associated entrepreneurship opportunities because of tourism’s ability to bring in dollars and to generate jobs and support retail growth. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine those factors that have helped rural communities successfully develop tourism and its entrepreneurship opportunities. Several focus groups were conducted with local businesspersons and leaders in six rural Illinois communities. The results clearly demonstrate the importance of the community approach to tourism development and that rural tourism development and entrepreneurship cannot work without the participation and collaboration of businesspersons directly and indirectly involved in tourism.

Defining the virtual tourist community: implications for tourism marketing

Abstract The notion of community has been a central element of the Internet since its inception. Though research on virtual communities have been extensive the concept appears to be ill defined and the understanding of members’ needs remains fragmented. The purpose of this article is to identify a theoretical foundation of the concept of a virtual tourist community based upon the core characteristics of a virtual communities and the fundamental needs of community members. Perspectives of how one can define and interpret virtual communities within the tourism industry are discussed and issues related to the functions of virtual communities are explored from the members viewpoint. Implications are made regarding virtual communities in the travel industry from marketing and design perspectives.

The Role of Smartphones in Mediating the Touristic Experience

Mobile phones have evolved to be smart computers (smartphones) supporting a wide range of information services that can be accessed anytime and from (almost) anywhere. With the increasing number of users and greater incursion into people’s life, smartphones have the potential to significantly influence the touristic experience. This study explores the mediation mechanisms of smartphones by examining stories provided by travelers related to their use of smartphones (and associated applications) for traveling purposes. The results reveal that smartphones can change tourists’ behavior and emotional states by addressing a wide variety of information needs; in particular, the instant information support of smartphones enables tourists to more effectively solve problems, share experiences, and “store” memories. The implications of these findings are important in that they suggest a huge potential for smartphones in changing many aspects of the tourism business.

Preparing for the New Economy: Advertising Strategies and Change in Destination Marketing Organizations

Information technology, especially the World Wide Web, has had a tremendous impact on the tourism industry over the past years. It is difficult for most destination marketing organizations, however, to keep pace with the evolution of new technologies, the emergence of innovative advertising strategies, the changes in the consumer market, and the growing competition due to increasing globalization. The National Laboratory for Tourism and eCommerce organized a workshop in an effort to identify effective strategies for tourism advertising on the Internet. The results indicated that information technology has led to a number of profound changes in the assumptions underlying communication strategies. It was concluded that the change occurring in the new economy involves a rethinking of who partners and competitors are and how networks with other organizations can increase organizational capacity to learn. Thus, it is argued that success of destination marketing organizations in the new economy is more about change in approach than technology itself.

Searching for the Future: Challenges Faced by Destination Marketing Organizations:

Threats in the external environment and changes in the industry’s markets and structures have challenged destination marketing organizations to change in fundamental ways. The strategic responses to these developments are essentially decisions to proactively shape, adapt to, or passively struggle through a crisis. Envisioning the future of tourism and examining possible ways of reaching various future scenarios are essential exercises in this process of deciding which strategic approach to adopt. In response to the increasing need for new visions of the future of tourism and particularly destination marketing, leading destination marketers from the midwestern United States were invited to participate in a large focus group to discuss the specific challenges encountered by their organizations. This article summarizes the issues raised and their implications for destination marketing organizations as well as tourism research.

An Exploration of Cross-Cultural Destination Image Assessment

The propensity of destinations to use the same visuals to lure tourists to their destinations, and the variety of cultures represented by target market countries, heightens the issue of meaning plurality in destination image perception. This article proffers multidimensional scaling analyses as a technique for examining cross-cultural image perception and provides an example to illustrate how the number and interpretation of image dimensions may differ between two cultures.

Modeling Participation in an Online Travel Community

This study contributes to the understanding of online travel communities by extending and empirically testing a conceptual framework of online travel community member needs. Specifically, the relationships between member needs and their level of participation in an online travel community are examined; in addition, the effects of duration of membership on the level of participation and the role of demographic differences in terms of member needs and participation are explored. The results show that social and hedonic needs have positive effects on level of participation while functional need has a negative effect. Membership status had an influence on level of participation and demographic characteristics were found to play important roles in terms of member needs and participation in online communities. Implications of these findings are discussed as they provide important guidelines for the development of online travel communities.