Tekle Shanka

Intrastate Travel Experiences of International Students and Their Perceptions of Western Australia as a Tourist Destination

This paper presents initial findings from a study examining the impact on Western Australian (WA) tourism of the growing number of international students in the state. Focusing on one university with the largest number of international students (3,946 onshore students in 2000) the study examines the intrastate travel behaviour and student perception of WA as a tourist destination. Both undergraduate and postgraduate international students were sent a self-administered questionnaire and this paper presents the findings of travel experiences of these students while doing their studies in the state. The results indicate the importance of the international student market for regional tourism and confirm its contribution to the domestic tourism market.

Credibility of online reviews and initial trust: The roles of reviewer’s identity and review valence

This article investigates the main and interactional effects of review valence and the presence of source identity on consumer perception of credibility of an online review and initial trust of travel services being reviewed. An experimental design is developed involving 639 travel consumers. Results indicate that a negative online review is deemed more credible than a positive online review, while a positive online review leads to a greater initial trust than a negative review. These findings apply when the identity of the reviewer is disclosed. However, when the reviewer’s identity is not disclosed, there is no significant difference between positive and negative reviews either in terms of perceived credibility or impact on consumer trust. Theoretical and managerial implications, limitations and future directions are also discussed.

An Investigation into the Perceived Importance of Service and Facility Attributes to Hotel Satisfaction

SUMMARY In a complex service environment such as the hotel sector, assessing the perceived importance of services and facility attributes provides management with information not only to benchmark their service level provision, but also to retain and increase their customer base. The present study examines the perceived importance of the service and facilities attributes provided by a 3-star hotel. Results of the self-administered survey of 101 guests of three 3-star hotel properties in Perth (Western Australia) indicated that 13 of the 18 attributes were perceived as important. The 18 services and facility attributes were factor-analysed and three components emerged: physical facilities service experienced and services provision. These three components were found to significantly contribute to the overall importance rating of the hotel attributes. Statistically significant differences were noted for age and residence on the physical facilities and services provided components. Results were discussed and implications with further research opportunities were suggested.

Destination image and choice intention of university student travellers to Mauritius

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influences of information sources, namely organic sources and induced sources, on perceived destination image and destination choice intention of university student travellers to Mauritius.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a convenience sample in a large university in Western Australia. A self‐administered questionnaire was designed using established scales. In total, 388 usable responses were collected and analyzed using a variety of statistical techniques.Findings – The perceived attractiveness of Mauritius as a vacation destination is based on the fact that tourists picture the island as one which offers good value for money and cheap travel. Both information sources are found to have an influence on perceived destination image and destination choice intention. Perceived destination image is found to predict destination choice intention.Research limitations/implications – The sample is limited to potential tourists in Western A...

Tertiary education: an investigation of location selection criteria and preferences by international students – The case of two Australian universities

This paper identifies and analyzes factors that influence international student selection of universities and the role that education marketing plays in the process. The research for the paper was inspired by work done by Canterbury on education marketing, published in the Journal of Marketing for Higher Education. The study empirically tests key constructs in service marketing. According to Canterbury it is time that higher education marketing theoreticians and practitioners alike looked beyond our similarities to other applications of service marketing to understand how some of our markets and our services might differ. To this end, the current study examines the views of international students undertaking their studies in two universities, one on the east coast and the other on the west coast of Australia. It reports the findings of international students’ choice factors in selecting an Australian university environment.

A corespondence analysis of sources of information used by festival visitors

Information sources used by festival visitors need to be examined due to the increasing competition within the events sector as a result of growth in the number and size of events being staged. The article provides an analysis of a visitor profile of a major wine festival staged in the Swan Valley wine region of Western Australia (WA). A survey was conducted over the five weekends of the staging of the 2002 festival. Data were analyzed using correspondence analysis techniques to underpin the underlying dimensionalities of the sources of information based on age groups, group composition, and usual place of residence of intrastate, interstate, and international visitors. Results indicate that the most common source of festival information was personal through word-of-mouth across all visitor groups. Other sources of information that also had some significance include newspapers and radio. The results provide information for developing a theoretical framework for events information search behavior, and managerial implications for festival organizers are presented.

Asian Australian student travel preferences: An empirical study

Students represent a potentially viable segment of international travel. The changing demographics of international travel would indicate that students represent a growing proportion of international travelers. Recent estimates indicate that this segment constitutes 20 percent of all international travelers. Despite the substantial size and economic significance of the student segment of the international travel industry, little is known about the characteristics of this portion of the industry ‐ the patterns of behavior and motives of students travelling overseas ‐ or how they plan their travel. A review of the literature indicates that very few studies exist on international travel by students. This paper provides an insight into the discrete market of students. The sample comprised students from Australia Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Hong Kong. Students at a university in Perth, Australia were surveyed to determine their international travel experience during the past two years. The inf...

The perception of Ethiopia as a tourist destination: an Australian perspective.

Tourism marketing has been an uphill struggle for Ethiopia, a country rich in history, culture, flora and fauna and other tourist attractions, yet it trails far behind its next door neighbors — Kenya and Tanzania. Besides the general adverse factors common to developing countries, the international image of Ethiopia leaves much to be desired. The country is perceived as famine stricken, war ravaged and politically unstable. The most recent problems in Ethiopia received world attention, effectively concentrating on issues of deprivation and abject misery. Under such conditions, it is very hard to imagine that Ethiopia would be considered as a tourist destination. However, no study has been undertaken to assess the perception of the public in general and tour operators in particular about Ethiopia as a tourist destination. This study was therefore undertaken to determine how a selection of potential travelers and tour operators perceive Ethiopia as a tourist destination and to identify areas that need speci...

Examining a Consumption Values Theory Approach of Young Tourists Toward Destination Choice Intentions

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to examine young Australian tourists’ consumption values, perceived beneficial image and tourist’s destination choice intention towards Mauritius as a tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through an intercept method of Australian consumers in a downtown shopping complex. A self-administered questionnaire was used; 408 usable questionnaires were collected, and regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Findings – Only emotional/epistemic, social and functional values were found to significantly influence perceived beneficial image of the tourism destination. Only social and conditional values were found to significantly influence destination choice intention. Practical implications – Communication initiatives should focus on functional and conditional values such as quality of infrastructure and personal safety benefits. Destination planners and marketers should emphasize emotional values in their programs, as these values b...

Regionalism in Tourism-The Case for Kenya and Ethiopia

Abstract Africa represents a continent of almost infinite tourism potential and yet it lags far behind the rest of the world as a tourist opportunity. There are clearly pockets of excellence, countries that have, and are achieving significant tourism outcomes. However, these are the mi-nority-what of the remainder? In this paper a single regional coupling is proposed between two countries that appear on the surface to be ill matched. Closer inspection reveals that the senior partner in capitalizing on tourism development, Kenya, is in need of revitalization whilst the junior partner, Ethiopia, has great potential that is yet to be capitalized on. They share a significant geographical feature-the Rift Valley-and both have substantial assets in terms of flora and fauna. Ethiopia, regarded as the cradle of human origin, has substantial historical attractions, exemplified by the Historic Route. In this paper, elements of the need for, and, benefits of collaboration are outlined. This modest approach to regionalism in terms of tourism, could become, if successful, a model for other regional activities in the continent. Africa and specifically sub-Saharan Africa represents a range of exciting tourism opportunities by many standards. In terms of product, whether it is the flora or fauna, or locations, it would appear to be a tourism marketers dream. Unfortunately its true potential in terms of tourism has not been realized. At tourism conference after tourism conference, this part of the world is seen to be the “Orphan Annie” of tourism. This situation is reflected in the majority of comparative tourism statistics. Whilst numerous authors have identified reasons for this, solutions are more difficult to develop. In this paper, the concept of regionalism as a possible solution is developed in terms of two adjoining sub-Saharan countries, Kenya and Ethiopia.