Sara Campo

Tourist Loyalty to Tour Operator: Effects of Price Promotions and Tourist Effort

This article analyzes the formation of the tourist loyalty to tour operator and the effects of price promotions and the consumers search for price promotions in the scheme of perceived price perceived quality satisfaction loyalty to tour operator. The main results indicate that perceived quality is the primary antecedent of tourist loyalty to tour operator. This variable affects loyalty to tour operator directly and positively, as well as indirectly by means of satisfaction. Second, price promotions do not directly erode the tourist loyalty to tour operator. The relationship that exists is indirect and low in quantity. Third, the effort invested by the tourist to find price promotions acts as a mediating variable of price promotions, such that the more intensive the consumers search for advantageous prices, the lower the negative and indirect effect of price promotions on consumer loyalty.

Hotel innovation and performance in times of crisis

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze the influence of innovation-based orientation on hotel performance, how the management’s perception of market turbulence moderates this relationship and the effect of an atmosphere of crisis. Design/methodology/approach – The research carried out used an on-line survey among four-star hotel managers in 52 Spanish cities. Findings – The results obtained indicate that the tendency of a hotel to innovate does not contribute directly and positively on short-term performance. However, it does confirm its importance when improving hotel performance in the medium- and long-term. This work discusses how the perception of technological turbulence influences the willingness to innovate, together with the effect that an economic-crisis-related-pessimistic management view has on marketing performance and long-term results. Originality/value – Reliable and valid scales, applicable to the hotel sector and useful both for researchers and managers, are provided to measure the tendency...

Effects of price promotions on the perceived price

Purpose – This paper seeks to incorporate the study of the effect of price promotions into the traditional scheme of perceived price.Design/methodology/approach – The model is validated with an empirical analysis and applied to the study of the purchase behavior of a tour package.Findings – The results point out that price promotions directly and indirectly affect the formation process of perceived price. Thus, some differences are observed in the intensity of the above‐mentioned relationship according to the tendency of the consumer to seek advantageous prices. The results obtained might therefore be of great help to service managers in scheduling their promotional activities.Originality/value – A theoretical model that captures the effect of promotions in the consumers price perception is configured.

Exploring non‐linear effects of determinants on tourists' satisfaction

Purpose – The effect of the antecedents of satisfaction on consumer satisfaction is an issue still under debate in the academic literature. Thus, the primary goal of this article is to analyze the relationship between two of the most important antecedents of consumer satisfaction – namely perceived quality and price.Design/methodology/approach – To analyze the relationship between tourist consumer satisfaction and its main antecedents, we performed an empirical study on such issues with regard to the purchase of a package tour.Findings – The results of this research are that the tourists perception of quality has a positive and significant effect on his or her satisfaction. This effect is of greater magnitude than the effect produced by perceived price. The present study identifies two components in the total effect of perceived price on satisfaction. Those components have opposite signs: the negative effect of the sacrifice perceived by the consumer and the positive effect that shows the influence of pr...

A Latent Class Analysis of Spanish Travelers’ Mobile Internet Usage in Travel Planning and Execution

A study of 476 Spanish travelers found mixed interest and use for the many travel-related mobile internet services that are involved in planning and executing a trip. The findings indicate that these Spanish respondents can be classified into four segments based on the timing of using mobile apps for over a dozen activities involved in travel planning and execution: Savvies, Planners, Opportunists, and Low-techs. Each segment exhibits distinct patterns of mobile internet services usage. Savvies tend to be heavy mobile device users both before and during their trip, while Planners make heavy use of mobile devices in advance of but not during their trip. The Opportunists show a pattern opposite the Planners, and fire up their phones and pads when they arrive at a destination. Low-techs generally do not participate in the mobile internet. The respondents generally saw four benefits from mobile device use: ubiquity, immediacy, personalization, and information access, but the four groups ranked those benefits differently.

Can tourism promotions influence a country's negative image? An experimental study on Israel's image

According to recent research, countries may have a positive image from a tourism perspective, but they may be seen as lacking from an economic or political viewpoint. As governments and destination management organisations spend large sums of money in promoting tourist attractions, the question of whether these activities also influence other aspects of a countrys image becomes relevant. The objective of the research is to determine the effect of tourism promotions on the image of the country and that of the destination as two separate concepts, in the case of Israel, a country subject to continuous conflicts. A 2 × 2 quasi-experimental design is utilised to investigate the influence of tourism promotional brochures. Additionally, a comparative perspective is used to determine whether people from diverse countries and backgrounds may be affected differently by the same information. The findings confirm that tourism brochures influence not only the image of the destination, but also that of the country. These effects are found to be different for respondents from the two different countries compared. The article focuses on understanding how tourism communication strategies may also be used to improve the image of a country, with potential benefits for international marketing and international relations.

Gossip in social networking sites

This study examines the effects of online gossip propensity in social networking sites (SNSs). We posit that online gossip propensity affects SNS identification, which in turn determines normative pressure and SNS engagement. The ultimate outcome is electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention. We also explore the impact of two types of SNS communication channel, i.e. handheld (mobile devices and tablets) and traditional (desktop PCs and laptops) computing devices. The data were collected from a questionnaire survey with 400 general consumers. Using a scenario approach, we asked the respondents how they would react to a special discount campaign for a popular beer brand ad posted on an SNS. Our structural equation modelling results indicate that online gossip propensity is indeed a significant driver of SNS identification. All hypothesised paths are supported, except the one from normative pressure to eWOM intention. Furthermore, SNS communication channels had a clear impact, since the latent means are greater for most of the constructs in the handheld computing device group than in the traditional computing device group.

Gossiping Behavior on Social Networking Sites: Does Gender Matter?

This study examines how gender affects online gossip on social networking sites. Based on gender theories and agency-communion theory, it is posited that achievement value, friendship value, and normative pressure differ according to gender (female vs. male), the level of propensity to gossip (high vs. low), and the interaction between the two. An experimental survey is conducted with 809 general consumers. Between-subjects multivariate analysis of covariance reveals that gender has an impact only on friendship value, whereas propensity to gossip affects achievement value and normative pressure. No interaction effects are observed. However, a subsequent analysis of covariance finds an interaction between gender and propensity to gossip through electronic word-of-mouth for a high-involvement product. In closing, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed while important limitations are recognized.

Understanding the identity of Ibiza, Spain

ABSTRACT In order to understand a destination brand, it is essential to define what its identity actually is and the dimensions that it is made up of. Kapferer’s brand-identity prism (Kapferer, J. N. (1992). Strategic brand management: New approaches to creating and evaluating brand equity. New York, NY: The Free Press) is used to respond to these questions in the context of Ibiza, Spain. A qualitative analysis was performed using focus groups, considering tourists who had visited Ibiza in the past. The results indicate that the six dimensions of the Ibiza identity prism are embodied in clubs and discotheques, an exciting personality, an atmosphere of harmony, moments of collective fusion, a clubber image, and the figure of a young, liberal tourist who loves to party. This identity is strong and stable over time, with limited possibilities for a radical repositioning.

Consumer Animosity and Affective Country Image

Studies have established in different contexts the effect of consumer animosity on buying intentions of the products originating from the country towards which this hostility is directed. Despite the increasing number of investigations dealing with this topic within the international marketing literature, there is a lack of research concerning the influence of animosity on the purchase of tourism products. The current study aims to provide a greater understanding on this issue and propose a scale to measure the animosity construct in connection to the purchase of tourism products. While the findings support the idea that consumer animosity towards a country has a significant influence in the individual’s decision to visit the place for tourism purposes, it determines that this effect is mediated by affective country evaluations. The study also contributes to a better understanding on how perceptions of places are constructed by individuals based on individual or national experiences, and how these in turn affect behavioural intentions.