Ksenia Kirillova

Tourism and Existential Transformation: An Empirical Investigation

Couched in the context of the experience economy 3.0, this research conceptualized transformations as changes in existential authenticity and anxiety, and phenomenologically explored the essence of a transformative tourist experience and subsequent long-term changes. This research uncovered nine chronologically ordered themes in which existentially oriented concerns were prevalent. It found that tourists did not reflect on existential givens in situ until a triggering episode initiated the meaning-making process. Existential anxiety felt post-trip was found to motivate tourists to resolve pertinent existential dilemmas and to initiate meaningful life changes. Participants sustained enhanced existential authenticity and became more sensitive to existential anxiety in their lives thereafter.

VOLUNTEER TOURISM AND INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY: THE ROLE OF INTERACTION WITH HOST COMMUNITIES

ABSTRACT This research introduced the concept of intercultural sensitivity to investigate the relationships between the context of volunteer tourism and the change in intercultural sensitivity, empirically assessing the supposition that volunteer tourism facilitates cross-cultural understanding. As a theoretical backdrop, the study utilized Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) postulating that one’s journey towards greater intercultural sensitivity consists of six consecutive stages along the enthnocentrism–ethnorelativism continuum. Canonical correlation analysis of the survey data revealed that quality of interaction with the host community was the most significant predictor of change in intercultural sensitivity. Additionally, this study demonstrated that volunteer tourism is linked to positive and negative changes in intercultural sensitivity and therefore has the potential to simultaneously promote and inhibit cross-cultural understanding.

Travelers’ food experience sharing on social network sites

ABSTRACT The proliferation of social media offers new avenues for understanding traveler information sharing behavior. The purpose of this study was to explore the patterns of traveler food sharing experiences on soial network sites, their triggers, and consequences as well as the inter-relationships among these factors. Thirty-three semi-structured interviews and subsequent thematic analysis revealed five major sharing motivation domains including Social and relational, Self-image projection, Emotion articulation, Self-archiving, and Information sharing, all of which were situated along the two continuums (self–others and psychology–functionality) of a two-dimensional plane. This research uncovers fresh insights that are unique to travelers’ food experience sharing and offers theoretical contributions as well as practical implications for destination marketers.

Destination Aesthetics and Aesthetic Distance in Tourism Experience

ABSTRACT Given the paucity of scholarly attention to the aesthetic component of tourism experience, this research attempted to empirically explore the roles of destination aesthetic qualities and “aesthetic distance”, that is, the perceived difference between the aesthetic properties of a destination and those of a tourist’s home environment, in the tourist’s aesthetic judgment and vacation satisfaction. The results validated a six-factor structure of aesthetic qualities, namely locale characteristics, scope, upkeep, accord, perceived age, and shape. This research noted that when tourists evaluate their home environment more positively in terms of upkeep and scope than vacation environment, they tend to perceive a destination as less beautiful. Only aesthetic distance in scope of experiential features influences vacation satisfaction. Relevant practical implications are discussed.

Dissecting Chinese adolescents’ overseas educational travel experiences: movements, representations and practices

This study analyses the overseas educational travel experiences of Chinese adolescents through the lens of the mobilities paradigm. Corresponding to three aspects of mobilities, namely movements, representation and practice, this study examines the activities, associated consequences and fulfilled values drawn from the overseas experiences of Chinese adolescents. A means-end method is used to collect and organize the data. An analysis of 50 interviews identifies 7 activities, 9 consequences and 5 values. A contextual deliberation of the findings furthers the understanding of Chinese adolescents’ mobilities by using the three aspects of mobilities to deconstruct their travel experiences. The transitional features of the life stage of Chinese adolescents and Chinese society today are also discussed.

What triggers transformative tourism experiences

ABSTRACT This research investigates triggers of transformative tourism experiences and their circumstances through the lenses of existential philosophy. Drawing on descriptive phenomenological method, 10 narratives were gathered and analyzed for this purpose. We found that triggering episodes tend to occur at the end of travel, to evoke intense mixed emotions and heightened cognition, to engender the sense of transiency, demarcation, and connection to something grand. It furthermore appears that when triggers are co-created by tourists, an extraordinary experience is a result; transformative experience, however, occurs when triggers are also made sense of. We present a theoretical model that outlines transformative mechanisms of tourism experiences and discuss practical implication as related to tourism experience provision and destination marketing.

A cross-cultural validation of the perceived destination restorative qualities scale: the Chinese perspective

ABSTRACT Leisure travel entails a necessary tourist–environment exchange, understanding of which becomes critical when considering the role of tourism in providing rest and relaxation. The aim of this study was to understand the restorative functions of tourism destinations in the Chinese context. We attempted to confirm the cross-cultural stability of the measurement scale of perceived destination restorative qualities (PDRQ) and the relation to its nomological network including destination setting, overall sense of recovery, and satisfaction. The construct dimensionality was confirmed; however, contrary to the Western literature, the effects of destination restorativeness on recovery and satisfaction were more pronounced in urban rather than nature-based vacations for Chinese travelers.

Factors Influencing Customers’ Intention to Use Instant Messaging to Communicate with Hotels

The means of computer-mediated communications continue to evolve along with the rapid development of IT. Realizing the importance of maintaining a close relationship with customers, hospitality organizations have started adopting new media such as Instant Messaging (IM) applications to communicate with customers. Customers’ intention to adopt IM to communicate with hotels are remained unknown. This study explores factors influencing customers’ intention to use IM to communicate with hotels based on the technology acceptance model and computer-mediated communication theories. Using an experimental design, online survey and nested logistic regression analysis, the findings reveal that age and perceived usefulness of IM exert substantial influence on customers’ intention to use IM for hotel-customer communication. This study provides several theoretical and practical implications.

Willingness to Travel With Pets: A U.S. Consumer Perspective

The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand U.S. pet-owners’ perception of traveling with pets as well as to gain insights into their willingness to take pets on leisure trips. Regression analysis revealed that motivators and emotional attachment influenced willingness to travel with pets while perceived constraints and satisfaction with existing pet-related hospitality and tourism services did not significantly predict travel-with-pets intentions. Further inquiry indicated that although household income affects willingness to travel with pets, all predictors equally appeal to pet owners regardless of their socio-demographic characteristics, suggesting that these factors are of universal concern to pet owners. Given the insights from this research, industry practitioners could cater to needs and desires of tourists with pets, linking industry practices with consumer preferences, and thus achieving higher customer satisfaction and retention.

What do Parents Look for in an Overseas Youth Summer Camp? Perspectives of Chinese Parents

ABSTRACT Sending children to overseas summer camps has quickly become a popular practice for Chinese parents. The sizable market as a result of the potency of the Chinese economy and the current lack of understanding of parental decision-making factors are the primary motivating factors for this research. Specifically, this research attempts to shed light on the perspectives of Chinese parents concerning the specific traits and characteristics of overseas summer camps they perceive as attractive and what benefits they seek from such an experience for their children. Employing the notions of push (internal) and pull (external) factors as a theoretical backdrop, this study tested a model of perceived attractiveness of overseas youth summer camps via a sample of 234 Chinese parents. The findings suggest that both push and pull factors positively contribute to the perceived attractiveness of overseas summer camps. While sharing similar preferences with Western customers in some aspects of a summer camp, the Chinese parents were found to have unique camp attribute preferences and motives. Theoretical as well as relevant practical implications are discussed.