John L. Crompton

Motivations for pleasure vacation.

Abstract Crompton, John L., “Motivations for Pleasure Vacations,” Annals of Tourism Research, October/December 1979, VI(4):408–424. The study is concerned with identifying those motives of pleasure vacationers which influence the selection of a destination. It also seeks to develop a conceptual framework capable of encompassing such motives. Empirically nine motives were identified. Seven were classified as socio-psychological, namely: escape from a perceived mundane environment, exploration and evaluation of self, relaxation, prestige, regression, enhancement of kinship relationships, and facilitation of social interaction. The two remaining motives, novelty and education, formed the alternate cultural category. The latter were noted to be at least partially aroused by the particular qualities that a destination offered. By contrast socio-psychological motives were found to be unrelated to destination attributes. Here the emphasis shifted from the destination itself to its function as a medium through which socio-pschological needs could be satisfied. The research data suggest that the tourist industry may usefully pay greater attention to socio-psychological motives in developing product and promotion strategies.

Quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions

Performance quality was conceptualized as the attributes of a service which are controlled by a tourism supplier, while satisfaction referred to a tourists emotional state after exposure to the opportunity. A structural equations model hypothesized that perceived performance quality would have a stronger total effect on behavioral intentions than satisfaction. This hypothesis was confirmed. The analysis also indicated that the perceptions measure of quality fitted the hypothesized model better than data derived from the subjective disconfirmation measure. Results suggested that evaluation efforts should include assessment of both performance quality and satisfaction, but since performance quality is under managements control it is likely to be the more useful measure. Keywords: perform- ance quality, satisfaction, behavioral intentions, festival, structural equations. # 2000 Else- vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Image Differences between Prospective, First-Time, and Repeat Visitors to the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Destination image was conceptualized as evolvingfrom an organic image, through an induced image, to a complex image. These image phases were linked to the informative, persuasive, and reminding functions of promotion. Data were analyzed from a sample of 568 prospective, first-time, and repeat long-stay winter visitors to the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. These three subsamples were considered likely to be reasonably reflective of the three stages of image evolution. Significant differences on all five of the image factors which were derived were found between nonvisitors and the other two subsamples. Length of stay was found to significantly affect image on two of the five factors. Differences in image based on respondents proximity to the Valley were revealed on only one of the five factors.

An Assessment of the Image of Mexico as a Vacation Destination and the Influence of Geographical Location Upon That Image

A sample of 617 student respondents was drawn from 12 universities, in different parts of the United States. Semantic differential instruments were used to measure respondents descriptive and importance dimensions of thei.- image of Mexico. The analysis indicated major differences between the two image dimensions. Those image attributes which respondents considered to be important when considering a vacation in Mexico were related primarily to sanitation and safety. The most positive attributes respondents reported about Mexico related to climate and low costs. Measurement of respondents descriptive image of Mexico indicated that the farther away respondents resided from Mexico, the more favorable was their image of that country as a vacation destination. Analysis indicated that the regional differences were not significant. However, significant differences were found on 12 of the 30 individual attributes which were used to measure image.

ATTITUDE DETERMINANTS IN TOURISM DESTINATION CHOICE

Abstract A two stage approach to travel destination choice was developed based on the construct of an evoked set. The two stages were evolution of an evoked set from the awareness set; and destination selection from the evoked set. It was hypothesized at both stages that travel destination choice depends upon attitude toward each alternative. Attitude was operationalized as the difference between perceived inhibitors and perceived facilitators. A longitudinal approach was used to collect survey data from respondents at both stages in their decision process. Results of the tests suggested that attitude was influential in determining whether a potential destination was selected as part of the evoked set and in selecting a final destination.

Measuring novelty seeking in tourism.

Abstract The purposes of the study were to define the construct of novelty in the context of tourism, to conceptualize its role in the destination choice process, and to develop an instrument to measure novelty. The novelty construct was comprised of four interrelated but distinctive dimensions: thrill, change from routine, boredom alleviation, and surprise. A 21 item instrument was developed to measure the construct and its dimensions. The scale was judged to have content validity by an initial panel of experts. It was demonstrated to have convergent, theoretical, discriminant, and criterion validity in terms of its expected correlations with other measures. Items measuring the dimensions were internally consistent, and both test-retest and split-half reliability were satisfactory.

Insights into the repeat vacation phenomenon.

Abstract The study focused upon the repeat visitor. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire at two Texas Highway Visitor Centers and through indepth personal interviews with a small sample. A majority of the sample were returning to a destination that had been visited before. Compared to those visiting a destination for the first time, repeat visitors were more likely to be older individuals seeking relaxation and visiting a friend and/or relatives on their vacation. The qualitative component of the study uncovered five factors which contributed to people returning to a familiar destination. They were a reduced risk that an unsatisfactory experience would be forthcoming; an assurance that they would find “their kind of people” there; emotional childhood attachment; to experience some aspects of the destination which had been omitted on a previous occasion; and to expose others to an experience which had previously been satisfying to respondents.

Developing and Testing a Tourism Impact Scale

A 35-item tourism impact scale was developed. It was de rived from an initial pool of 147 impact items drawn from personal interviews and the literature, and it was refined us ing classical scale-development procedures. The scale com prises seven domains: social and cultural, economic, crowd ing and congestion, environmental, services, taxes, and community attitudes, although the latter two domains did not always emerge as independent factors. Testing was under taken with three independent samples drawn from communi ties exhibiting different tourism characteristics. The scale was demonstrated to have dimensional distinctiveness and stability, internal consistency, content validity, and conver gent validity. Tourism impacts were assessed by measuring both belief and affect toward the impact attributes.

STRUCTURE OF VACATION DESTINATION CHOICE SETS

Abstract The variety of choice sets that have been described in the consumer behavior decision process literature are integrated into a structure and related to the context of tourism. To be selected as the vacation destination when a nonroutine, high-involvement type of decision process is used, destinations are conceptualized to be included in an individuals initial consideration set, late consideration set, action set and interaction set. The sets are described and operationally defined. Implications are discussed of using the choice structure taxonomy as an analytical tool for destinations to ascertain their relative strengths and weaknesses at different transition points in prospective visitors selection processes.

An Empirical Investigation of the Relationships between Service Quality, Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions among Visitors to a Wildlife Refuge.

A model was developed in which quality of performance and quality of experience were conceptualized as direct antecedents of overall service quality and visitor satisfaction, which influence behavioral intentions. Eight hypotheses postulating the interrelationships between these five constructs were tested using structural equation modeling. Data for the study were collected from 282 visitors to a wildlife refuge. Seven of the eight hypotheses were supported. Results verified the existence of service quality and visitor satisfaction at both the transaction and global levels. At the transaction level, service quality (i.e. quality of performance) contributed to visitor satisfaction (i.e. quality of experience); while at the global level, visitor satisfaction influenced service quality. Both overall service quality and overall visitor satisfaction were found to directly influence visitors future behavioral intentions, and were confirmed as being different constructs.