Wai Mun Lim

Elucidating the aesthetic and operational characteristics of UK boutique hotels

Purpose – The paper seeks to clarify the aesthetic and operational characteristics of UK boutique hotels so as to obtain a clearer definition of boutique hotels.Design/methodology/approach – Since an official list of boutique hotels is not available, the study looked at 15 consortia recognised as operating bona fide boutique hotels by a few authoritative sources (e.g. Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the RAC). Web sites of each boutique hotel were scrutinised by content analysing vital operational characteristics and aesthetic features that were presented. A comparative analysis was then carried out with the findings and interviews obtained from four boutique hotel managers to establish the common characteristics of boutique hotels.Findings – The paper describes the aesthetics and operational characteristics of UK boutique hotels, indicating what can be found in a boutique hotel. One of the many important findings of this study suggests that the majority of boutique hotels are not privately owned, contradicting p...

Perceived Benefits and E-Commerce Adoption by SME Travel Agents in Developing Countries Evidence from Egypt

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in developing countries, are regarded as slow adopters of technology, especially e-commerce. Travel agents are a typical category of SMEs, experiencing changes in the travel market structure, caused by the use of e-commerce. E-Commerce adoption is a means of supporting agents’ future survival and competitiveness at a time when many are facing the threat of disintermediation from the global travel market. The investigation of e-commerce adoption by SMEs in developing countries represents an emerging area of research, with only a limited number of studies undertaken to date. This research aims to examine the perceived benefits of an advanced level e-commerce adoption by Egyptian travel agents. Structural equation modeling is used to categorize a set of perceived benefit factors for e-commerce adoption, and establish a relationship with the level of adoption. Results indicate that marketing and competition benefits, essential benefits that support strategy and development, and business efficiency benefits all positively contribute to decisions that lead to an advanced level of e-commerce being adopted.

Factor Analysis of Variables Affecting e-Marketing Adoption by UK Independent Hotels

This paper analyses the range of influences affecting the adoption of Internet technology by UK independent hotels. An extensive review of variables found in previous studies were examined together with variables found in Davis’s (1989) Technology Acceptance Model. These variables were then factor analysed, resulting in two sets of factors pertinent to the understanding of the independent hotelier’s decision to adopt Internet technologies: Endogenous and Exogenous factors. Seven key factors were found, they are: (1) Perceived marketing benefits of Internet technologies; (2) Perceived ease-of-use and affordability; (3) Attitude; (4) Perceived usefulness of Internet technologies; (5) Customers’ pressure; (6) Competitive intensity; (7) Entrepreneurship.

Egyptian Travel Agents and e-Commerce

The rapid growth of the Internet has provided travel agents with the opportunity to embrace it as an extension of their traditional activities. An effective website could potentially bring the world into the customers’ home, and increase their loyalty to the enterprise. The evaluation of websites is one of many ways to benchmark travel agents’ websites against their competitors, and to determine their enhancement directions. This research aims to highlight information offered on Egyptian travel agents’ websites; and to rank these websites in relation to their readiness for electronic commerce. Surveyed websites showed that the most frequent features are company information and contact details. Websites that have been ranked as practicing 1st phase e-commerce are the majority, while websites supporting the 2nd and the 3rd phases are few, and for between websites ranked as practising 4th phase e-commerce are a minority.

Web Marketing Features of UK Rural Hospitality Businesses

This paper evaluates the operational environment of rural hospitality enterprises as the sector is recognised making significant contribution to the UK economy. Most enterprises in the sector are small and medium sized hospitality organisations (SMHOs) and were found in previous studies to lack the resources and relevant skills to manage web-related tasks. This study has therefore collated website features from past studies and investigated if they were employed by UK rural hospitality businesses (n=325). These were then factor analysed to reveal four key uses of website marketing by UK rural hospitality businesses’: Information provision, Communications, Promotions and to enhance Transactions.

Drivers of e-commerce adoption in Egyptian travel agents.

Benefits gained from e-commerce adoption, drivers pushing agents to adopt it, and inhibitors hindering the adoption are examples of factors positively or negatively affecting e-commerce adoption. Drivers of adoption could be internal or external pressures on travel agents to adopt technology in order to support their future survival in the travel and tourism global market. Mixed method approach is used in this study to investigate the drivers of e-commerce adoption in the Egyptian travel agents. Findings revealed that adapting to technology changes is the strongest driver of to adopt e-commerce by travel agents.