Group Package Tour Research Articles

Examining service shortfalls

Chinese inbound tourism constitutes Australia’s fastest growing and largest international tourist market. Currently, most of this travel is conducted via group package tours (GPTs). While there is anecdotal evidence of dissatisfaction with some aspects of Chinese tourists’ service experience such as commission-based shopping, little empirical evidence is available about the salient dimensions of service quality or their respective performance. The aim of this study is to identify the core service components offered by Chinese GPTs and to examine any service shortfalls. Findings from a survey of 520 tourists revealed three dimensions of Chinese package tour service: attractions, tour leader and food and accommodation. The study identified significant gaps between expectation and performance across all dimensions. Theoretical and service quality implications for researchers, tour operators and policymakers are presented and discussed.

The Effect of Tour Leaders’ Emotional Intelligence on Tourists’ Consequences

There has been little discussion on the impact of tour leaders’ emotional intelligence on tourists’ consequences although the study of emotional intelligence has gained attention in the tourism industry. Empirical data to assess emotional intelligence, affect, rapport, and customer satisfaction were collected from 54 tour leaders and 526 tour members participating in group package tours in Taiwan. Cross-level analysis with hierarchical linear models revealed that a tour leaders’ emotional intelligence could cultivate tour members’ positive affect and tour leader–member rapport, and lead to tourists’ satisfaction. Furthermore, the study discusses management implications and suggestions for future research.

Relationship between the arrangement of shopping activities and consumer prepurchase perceptions of group package tours

ABSTRACTShopping is an indispensable part of a group package tour and an activity that substantially affects the travel experience and quality. However, few studies have focused on shopping-spot types and arrangements. This study examined the effects of shopping-spot types and arrangements in trip itineraries on consumer prepurchase perceptions. Survey data were collected from 282 outbound tourists in Taiwan. A 2 × 2 mixed factorial design was employed to test the hypotheses. Our main results demonstrate that a process-oriented shopping spot combined with an official tour itinerary was preferred by consumers. By contrast, a product-oriented shopping spot combined with a tourist shopping habitat was less preferred by consumers. The findings suggest strategic directions for travel managers to design package tour itineraries and conduct marketing planning. Managerial implications of this study and future research directions are discussed.

Mainland Chinese and Japanese Tourists in Taiwan: The Travel Mode and Shopping Expenditures

This paper uses quantile regression to investigate the travel mode and the shopping expenditures of over 7000 Chinese and Japanese tourists interviewed as part of the 2012-2013 Annual Survey Report on Visitor Expenditures and Trends in Taiwan. Results show that most Chinese tourists prefer to travel in group package tours, whereas most Japanese tourists prefer to travel independently. Both Chinese and Japanese tourists traveling in package tours purchase considerably more than individual travelers. Chinese visitors with high disposable income who travel in group tours had the highest shopping expenditures. Travelers over 40, those with college education or with higher income, and females had higher shopping expenditures than tourists in other demographics. Consequently, promotional marketing campaigns focusing on these travel segments could lead to significant increases in consumption and thus benefit Taiwan’s tourism industry and economy.

Building customer satisfaction with tour leaders: the roles of customer trust, justice perception, and cooperation in group package tours

ABSTRACTThis research developed a theoretical model to explain the relationship between customer trust, justice perception, cooperation, and satisfaction in the tourism context. Survey data were collected from 309 customers of outbound group package tours in Taiwan. Empirical results indicated that both customer trust and justice perception have direct and positive influences on customer satisfaction. Compared with justice perception, customer trust has a more crucial role in the tour leader–customer satisfaction relationship. Furthermore, customer cooperation partially mediates the effects of customer trust and justice perception on customer satisfaction. Therefore, cooperation is the mechanism that explains how customer trust and justice perception are associated with satisfaction. These results demonstrate the importance of customer cooperation and imply that travel managers should strengthen customer trust and justice perception to enhance customers’ cooperative behaviors and strengthen their satisfaction.

Evaluating Travel Risks From the Freelancer Perspective

This study developed an evaluation model for addressing the travel risk of freelancers in group package tours (GPTs) to extend the existing literature regarding travel risk. A focus-group method was used to generate sample items, and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach was used to develop and validate a model for evaluating the travel risk of freelancers. Based on expert opinions, the travel risks of freelancers were identified and categorized as financial, transportation, social, hygiene, scenic spot, and general risks. Based on the findings, the results of this study may be useful to freelancers in the tourism industry in Taiwan and in other countries. Implications for management and future research are discussed.

The impact of other group members on tourists’ travel experiences

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of other group members on the travel experiences of Chinese tourists participating in domestic package tours. Design/methodology/approach Based on the critical incident technique, usable responses were obtained from 253 tourists regarding the influence of other group members on their travel experiences in the same group package tour (GPT). Findings The results show that the travel experiences of Chinese tourists on a domestic package tour are affected by three general factors, namely, appearance, behaviors, and language of other group members. Research limitations/implications This research mainly involves samples of young tourists. The findings may not be able to generalize to elderly tourists. Future studies may involve samples from various age cohorts. Practical implications The findings offer new insights and directions for GPT operators and tour guides to improve tourism management and tourist experiences. Social implications This study contributes to tourism literature about customer-to-customer interaction by identifying the major categories of other customers’ characteristics or behaviors that may positively or negatively influence a GPT tourist’s travel experience. Originality/value This study enriches the existing literature by investigating the attributes of other group members that may affect the travel experiences of a domestic GPT participant. Tourism firms can formulate better strategies and staff training to enhance tourists’ travel experiences.

Constructing a Travel Risks’ Evaluation Model for Tour Freelancers Based on the ANP Approach

This study constructs a new travel risks’ evaluation model for freelancers to evaluate and select tour groups by considering the interdependencies of the evaluation criteria used. First of all, the proposed model adopts the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to identify suitable evaluation criteria for evaluating travel risks. Six evaluation criteria and 18 subcriteria are obtained. The six evaluation criteria are financial risk, transportation risk, social risk, hygiene risk, sightseeing spot risk, and general risk for freelancer tour groups. Secondly, the model uses the analytic network process (ANP) to determine the relative weight of the criteria. Finally, examples of group package tours (GPTs) are used to demonstrate the travel risk evaluation process for this model. The results show that the Tokyo GPT is the best group tour. The proposed model helps freelancers to effectively evaluate travel risks and decision-making, making it highly applicable to academia and tour groups.

Impact of Group Package Tour Dimensions on Customer Satisfaction (an ANNs Application)

This study examines the main dimensions of a traditional group package tour and their impacts on customer satisfaction by using artificial neural networks approach. Data obtained from the Russian tourists visiting Antalya, Turkey are analyzed for testing the neural network model. Five nodes at the input layer of the neural network model were: Airline (AL), Transfer (TRF), Hotel Guide (HG), Info (INF), and Hotel (H), which offered three hidden neurons related to single output layer of customer satisfaction (SAT). The optimal fit between inputs and output was achieved with a feedforward network with a single hidden layer of three neurons. The three hidden neurons: “Over Promises and Under Delivered,” “Home from Home,” and “Tourism-Built Environment,” were also examined by their influence on the SAT of two customer segments, who are named as the “positivists” and “negativists.”

Tour Leader Attachment and Customer Citizenship Behaviors in Group Package Tour: The Role of Customer Commitment

The tour leader plays a critical role in travel decisions. Recently, the attachment theory has been extended into the domain of travel behavior. However, little academic attention has been paid to the attachment of tour leader. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of tour leader attachment on customer citizenship behaviors (CCBs). Furthermore, the study investigated the extent to which customer commitment mediates the relationship between tour leader attachment and CCBs. Online survey data from 459 tourists indicate that tour leader attachment is positively related to CCBs. Furthermore, customer commitment mediates the relationship between tour leader attachment and CCBs. Implications of these findings as well as future research are subsequently discussed.

How “Face” Matters: Chinese Corporate Tourists in Australia

ABSTRACTCorporate travel is a growing segment within the Chinese tourism market, yet despite the widespread belief that cultural values influence behavior, little research has examined the touring experiences of Mainland Chinese corporate travelers. This study, based on participant observations of 12 corporate group package tours, suggests that the “face” concept underlies the touring experiences of Chinese corporate travelers. The travelers emphasized the need to pay appropriate respect to one’s superiors, maintain relationships through gift-giving, and participate in social networking to establish and maintain positive relationships. Implications for tourism scholars and planners are provided.

Do Travel Product Types Matter? Online Review Direction and Persuasiveness

ABSTRACTBased on perceived risk and zone of tolerance theory, this study selected two popular tour-based products and two ticket-based products to investigate how travel product types and online review directions influence review persuasiveness. The study showed that travel product type and online review direction have a combined effect on online persuasiveness. Additionally, participants perceive negative reviews to be more persuasive than positive reviews for group package tours and packages of airline ticket and hotel accommodation products. However, positive reviews are more persuasive than negative reviews for budget airline ticket products. These findings have managerial implications both for product improvement strategies and for theoretical advances in hospitality and tourism.

The Impression Management Techniques of Tour Leaders in Group Package Tour Service Encounters

ABSTRACTFor group package tour settings, tour leaders may consciously or unconsciously utilize impression techniques to interact with groups. This study examines the impression behaviors of tour leaders based on a framework of five discrete techniques of impression management (ingratiation, self-promotion, exemplification, supplication, and intimidation). The findings of this study indicate the impressions of tour leaders as perceived by tourists can influence the personal interaction quality. Furthermore, the personal interaction quality can subsequently influence the repurchase intention of tourists, word-of-mouth communication, as well as the reputation of tour operators. The implications for tour operators and directions for future research are also discussed.

Does a Friendly Hotel Room Increase Senior Group Package Tourists' Satisfaction? A Field Experiment

This study uses a field experiment to investigate whether senior-friendly facilities in a hotel affect the satisfaction levels of senior tourists. This research also identifies the staff explanation effect with respect to tourists' satisfaction. A field experimental design was applied to examine the senior tourists' satisfaction with the group package tour. Senior-friendly attributes were obtained from the literature reviews, three focus groups, and in-depth interviews. Hotel rooms with senior-friendly facilities were designated as the first experimental group and senior-friendly rooms with staff explanation were designated as the second. A total of 397 valid questionnaires for senior group package tourists were retrieved. The results indicate that a room with facilities could significantly increase customers' satisfaction with respect to cleanliness, comfort, decoration, illumination, overall satisfaction, and room recommendation. However, staff explanation did not further increase or influence customers' satisfaction for a room with friendly facilities.

China's Generation Y's Expectation on Outbound Group Package Tour

This paper aims to identify China's Generation Y's (Gen Y) preference toward joining group package tour (GPT) when traveling abroad and explore their expectations on a number of service attributes. Six service attribute dimensions were identified through factor analysis, including: group leader/local guide(s), optional tour and shopping arrangement, safety, cleanness, and comfortableness, accommodation, activities, and shopping length and frequency. This study confirmed the importance of group leader/local guide(s) with a special emphasis on their honesty. It is found that current group and non-group travelers of Gen Y shared similar expectations on six service feature dimensions, while having different expectations on four service attributes: food hygiene, tour leader's emergency handle ability, Chinese food offering, and park as attraction choice. Results also showed that potential group travelers had higher concern over the factor of group leader/local guide(s) than non-group travelers.

Tour Leaders' Impression Management and Job Performance: Exploring the Moderating Role of Tourists' Self-Monitoring

A tour leader (TL) is a first-line service provider whose performance shapes a tourist's experience and satisfaction during a journey. We examine the moderating effects of the self-monitoring level of group package tour members on the relationship between the use of impression management (IM) tactics by TLs and tourists' subsequent job performance ratings (PRs) of a TL. Data from 485 responses of tourists from 59 outbound tour groups in Taiwan revealed that TLs' use of positive IM tactics – that is, ingratiation, self-promotion, and exemplification – is positively related to tourists' PRs. In contrast, their use of non-positive IM tactics – that is, supplication and intimidation – is negatively related to tourists' PRs. Furthermore, tourists' self-monitoring appears to weaken the effects of supplication and intimidation on their PRs. We also found that tourists' level of self-monitoring is a stronger moderator when TLs use supplication than when they use other tactics.

Risk Evaluation of Group Package Tour Service Failures that Result in Third-Party Complaints

ABSTRACT Third-party complaints usually indicate the most egregious service failures and represent customers’ higher order actions. To reduce or eliminate these critical failures and protect the long-term profits of service firms, the major potential failure modes need to be identified to enable preventive action. There is scant information in the tourism literature on third-party complaints about group package tours. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the risk prioritization of the critical potential service failure modes that result in third-party complaints about Taiwanese outbound group package tours. A novel approach to risk evaluation is used. Some managerial implications are addressed.

Tourists’ Perceptions of Group Package Tour Relative Parties’ Questionable Tour-Related Behaviors

This study identified important questionable behaviors conducted by tour group leaders, tour guides, travel agency reception personnel, and other tourists in group package tours and investigated how tourists perceive those questionable behaviors. Data for this study were obtained from tourists who had taken part in a Taiwanese group package tour in the recent year. Results of the study show that, leading to damage on others’ properties, violating principles on information giving and handling, inappropriate voluntary behavior, and violating pre-set itinerary were mostly perceived by tourists as inappropriate. Significant correlations between certain questionable behaviors and tourists’ general attitudinal statements were also verified. This study is beneficial in helping both academia and industry personnel better understand the behaviors that affect tourists’ perceptions. Keywords: Group Package Tour, Questionable Behavior, Tourists’ Perception

Selection of Outbound Package Tours: The Case of Senior Citizens in Hong Kong

Strong evidence points to an increasing number of senior citizens in the outbound travel market in Hong Kong. However, only a limited number of travel agencies in Hong Kong have paid attention to this potential market. This research investigates Hong Kong senior citizens' perceptions of the importance of the criteria used to select from the outbound package tours currently offered in the market and of the performance of these attributes. Importance–performance analysis (IPA) was carried out to analyze the data collected and categorize them into the four quadrants of the IPA grid. The results indicate the high mobility of senior citizens in Hong Kong and that they tend to join outbound package tours when traveling abroad. With regard to the provision of outbound package tours, they are generally satisfied with the performance of existing travel agencies, although some areas for improvement are noted. The findings also lend support to the high potential that exists in the senior citizen travel market and to the need for travel agencies to put extra effort into this niche market. Building upon previous literatures focusing only on selection criteria of group package tours, our study contributes further to the body of knowledge on seniors' travel decision making and the perception gap between them and the service providers. Recommendations to travel agencies regarding how to capture this market segment more effectively are also offered.

Using Fuzzy Preference Method for Group Package Tour Based on the Risk Perception

This study explores group package tour (GPT) itineraries based on comparative risk methodology using the fuzzy Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE). It combines the concepts of fuzzy sets to represent the uncertain information in intrinsic risks with PROMETHEE, a subgroup of Multi-Criteria Decision Making methods. Based on in-depth interviews with 40 GPT leaders, this study identifies comprehensive intrinsic risk factors. Furthermore, this study compares the risk perceptions associated with 12 factors by applying traditional PROMETHEE and fuzzy PROMETHEE methods to four itineraries. The PROMETHEE method can be used when the input data are numeric and crisp. The fuzzy PROMETHEE method is preferred when substantial uncertainties and subjectivities exist in GPT itinerary information. Finally, several academic and managerial implications about GPT tour risk controls are outlined.