Inbound Travel Research Articles

Impact of Online Travel Agencies on Inbound Travel Agent Operations in Sri Lanka: A Study of Traveller Buying Behaviour

NSBM Journal of Management is published by the National School of Business Management (NSBM), Colombo.The principal objective of the journal is to provide a medium for disseminating findings of study and research addressing issues, practices and developments in Management. Scholars and practioners are invited to publish their work in the field of Management taking either a positivistic or a nonpositivistic approach. Thereby, the journal promotes free and unbiased opinion, networking and sharing of experiences on matters of importance to organizations and society.

Invading Muslim Bodies in the Era of Trump

Invading Muslim Bodies in the Era of Trump

Importation of travel-related infectious diseases is increasing in South Korea: An analysis of salmonellosis, shigellosis, malaria, and dengue surveillance data.

BackgroundInternational travel has an important role in transmission of emerging infectious diseases. We described the imported infectious diseases in Korea from 2003 to 2012, and to analyze association of travels with the change in the incidences.MethodsWe used National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System to investigate the incidence of salmonellosis, shigellosis, malaria, and dengue. Data from Korea Tourism Organization was used to describe the inbound and outbound travelers by their age group, gender, and purpose of travel. We assessed association between international travel and the incidence of the infectious diseases, and seasonal variability.ResultsAmong 1849 imported cases, dengue comprised the largest number with 631 cases. The proportion of imported cases among total cases gradually increased from 4.1% in 2003 to 30.3% in 2012 (P < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the number of travelers and the number of imported cases of shigellosis, dengue (P < 0.001), but not for malaria. Seasonal variability was observed for importation of salmonellosis, shigellosis and dengue fever (P = 0.005).ConclusionInternational travel was associated with the incidence of imported infectious diseases in Korea. Pre-travel consultation for international travelers planned to visit endemic area should be recommended strongly.

Inbound tourism in Thailand: Market form and scale differentiation in ASEAN source countries

Utilizing Thailand's inbound tourism statistics for the period 1996 to 2015, we focus on the change and differentiation of its inbound tourism sources from the ASEAN countries. The results are as follows: first, the number of tourists to Thailand from ASEAN countries and Thailand's foreign exchange earnings saw an average growth rate of more than 10%. Second, we find that only few ASEAN source countries are star markets, while most of them belong to the dog or child market categories. Third, by employing the distance decay pattern, we highlight a significant Boltzman curve between inbound tourists and travel distance; moreover, bilateral trade emerges as an important factor for Thailand's inbound tourist flows. Fourth, using five indicators, we investigate scale differentiation within these countries, and find a Primacy Index value greater than 2, suggesting that although the market seemed highly concentrated, a balanced development trend is apparent.

Importation of yellow fever into China: assessing travel patterns.

Rapid increase in trade and a growing air passenger market encourages high travel volume between the regions associated with increasing risks of such importations including China. Eleven Chinese workers infected during the 2016 yellow fever (YF) outbreak in Angola imported YF into China highlighting the potential for spread into Asia. Using outbound and inbound travel data, we assessed travel patterns from and to YF endemic countries in relation to China. Among YF endemic countries, Angola has the second highest number of travellers into China and also receives the second highest number of Chinese visitors. We estimated that China needs around half a million YF vaccine doses to cover their population travelling to YF endemic countries. The recent importation cases into China also unmasked the low YF vaccination coverage among Chinese travellers and workers to Angola, indicating the need to ensure better adherence to the International Health Regulations.

The role of United States Visa Waiver Program on cross-border travel

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the role of the United States Visa Waiver Program on inbound travel. We employ Difference-in-Difference estimation using panel data on US inbound travel. We conclude, ceteris paribus, that admitting a country to the programme increases inbound travel from the origin country to the US by between 29% and 44% depending on the specification.

The relationship between tripographics, demographics and travel information sources: a case analysis of inbound travellers to Tanzania

The relationship between tripographics, demographics and travel information sources: a case analysis of inbound travellers to Tanzania

The relationship between tripographics, demographics and travel information sources: a case analysis of inbound travellers to Tanzania

Despite travel information search behaviour being a long standing issue in both practice and research, variables that relate to the use of different travel information sources by travellers is yet to be tested and confirmed in different contexts. This study aimed at testing the variation in the use of the different sources of travel information with demographics and tripographics by focusing on tourists visiting Tanzania. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire with 625 valid cases obtained that were subjected to a series of one sample t-tests, repeated measure ANOVA, and one-way ANOVA. The results indicate the presence of significant variations in the use of different sources of travel information with gender, education, planning horizon, extent of decision made prior to traveling, and travel arrangements. The results offer practical implication to travel marketers and policy makers in the use of different demographic and tripographics variables in order to effectively market their travel products.

Socio-demographic portrait of Russian travelers

Purpose Focuses on the social and demographic features of inbound and outbound Russian travelers, in particular, on target groups of travelers and the challenges they face in Russia. Design/methodology/approach Draws on analysis of Synovate Comcon Russian Target Group Index and TNS Marketing Index databases, Rosstat data, expert round table discussion with author participation and observation and interviews in tourist-related sites during 2014-2015. Findings The most important factors for domestic tourism are family status, employment, income and education. Demographic target groups for internal tourism in Russia include: low-income retired persons; groups of students; working qualified experts and family travelers. The most important factors affecting external travel are region of residence, the size of the city and income status. Political challenges (including the closure of Russians of destinations in Egypt and Turkey) tend to reinforce economic crisis and national currency depreciation. Nevertheless, forecasts of industry development predict a slow recovery over the next few years up to 2019. Originality/value Outlines the demographic and social target groups of inbound and outbound Russian travelers described in the context of new circumstances in Russia. This information could be used by practitioners to develop travel and tourist packages for Russian tourists.

A multilevel Gini decomposition approach to measuring the geographic concentration of tourism

This research highlights findings from an application of a multilevel Gini decomposition method to measure the degree of spatial concentration of tourism markets in Australia. The overall level of spatial concentration in Australia is decomposed into two levels: inbound country and travel purpose. While travel purpose is an important factor associated with the concentration patterns of tourism, the nature of its impact differs significantly by country of origin. Due to the variation in market share and the market’s underlying dispersal characteristics, an increase in the share of one market may require a more than proportionate increase in the shares of several markets in order to counterbalance the spatial concentration pressures. Findings show that considering only one factor in the decomposition process can hide important offsetting influences of market segments on concentration and dispersion.

The pernicious impact of visa restrictions on inbound tourism: the case of Turkey

ABSTRACTVisa policies have been important instruments of control for the movement of people and what they effectuate depends on their character. They impede the flow of people when they are restrictive; they facilitate the entry and admission of people when they are liberal. Turkey has been using visa policies liberally for long to stimulate tourism growth. In this paper, the log-linearized version of gravity-type models is used to analyze Turkey’s tourism demand relating inbound travel to visa requirements, macroeconomic variables, distance and regional contiguity. The countries are segmented into clusters according to travel freedom their citizens enjoy using the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index by employing the two-step cluster analysis. It is found that the visa restrictions imposed on a country has a detrimental impact of 29 percent on average on inward mobility and this impact is on the higher side for countries with almost visa-free travel.

Foreshock ions observed behind the Martian bow shock

The Mars Express Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms experiment contains ion and electron instruments for conducting plasma measurements. On January 23, 2012, during in-bound travel of Mars Express in the southern hemisphere of Mars from its dawn side toward periapsis at dusk, the plasma instruments measured foreshock-like ion beams extending from outside the bow shock and into the magnetosphere, continuing to a distance of about a proton gyroradius from the bow shock. These ion beams were mostly protons, were observed to have energies greater than solar wind protons, and were not gyrating, in agreement with reflections of the solar wind proton beam. Furthermore, in the foreshock region the ion energy gradually decreased toward the magnetosheath, in agreement with an acceleration by outward-directed electric field in the bowshock. The observations also suggest that this electric field exists even inside the magnetosheath within the distance of a proton gyroradius from the bow shock.

Do travel visa requirements impede tourist travel?

Yes. Using a travel visa data set developed by Lawson and Lemke (2012) and travel flow data from the World Bank and the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), we investigate the deterrent effect of travel visa requirements on travel flows. At the aggregate level, a one standard deviation more severe travel visa regime, as measured, is associated with a 30 % decrease in inbound travel. At the bilateral level, having a travel visa requirement on a particular country is associated with a 70 % reduction in inbound travel from that country. The gains associated with eliminating travel visas appear to be very large.

Demand for International Medical Travel to the USA

The USA has developed a global reputation for providing high-quality, cutting-edge medical care, and individuals from across the world travel to the country to receive care for complex medical conditions. Beyond this goal of higher quality of care, however, very little is known about the motivational patterns influencing medical travellers' decision making, including the extent to which existing tourism theory and forecasting models apply to this specialized group. The present study seeks to contribute to the knowledge base by developing and testing a macro-level model of international medical travel to the USA. Using country-level data from the US Department of Commerce, World Health Organization, World Bank and Central Intelligence Agency, a two-part regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with the presence and volume of inbound medical travel by country of origin. The results indicate that travel time and out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure are significant predictors of inbound medical tourism from a given country, and travel time, travel cost, services trade and the number of outbound travellers are significant predictors of the total volume of inbound medical travellers by country. The results are discussed in the light of existing tourism research, and guidance for hospitals, policy makers and the tourism industry is provided on where to target resources for developing relationships with providers and payers abroad.

The economic burden of overseas medical treatment: a cross sectional study of Maldivian medical travelers

BackgroundAccess to tertiary care is a problem common to many small states, especially island ones. Although medical treatment overseas (MTO) may result in cost savings to high income countries, it can be a relatively high cost for low and middle income source countries. The purpose of this study was to estimate the costs of overseas medical treatment incurred by the households of medical travelers from Maldives and assess the burden of medical treatment overseas on the government and on households.MethodsA survey was conducted of inbound Maldivian medical travelers who traveled during the period June – December 2013. Participants were stratified by the source of funds used for treatment abroad. Three hundred and forty four government-subsidized and 471 privately funded Maldivians were interviewed. Self-reported data on the utilization and expenses incurred during the last visit abroad, including both expenses covered by the government and borne by the household, were collected using a researcher administered structured questionnaire.ResultsThe median per capita total cost of a medical travel episode amounted to $1,470. Forty eight percent of the cost was spent on travel. Twenty six percent was spent on direct medical costs, which were markedly higher among patients subsidized by the government than self-funded patients (p = <0.001). The two highest areas of spending for public funds were neoplasms and diseases of the circulatory system in contrast to diseases of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system for privately funded patients. Medical treatment overseas imposed a considerable burden on households as 43 % of the households of medical travelers suffered from catastrophic health spending. Annually, an estimated $68.9 million was spent to obtain treatment for Maldivians in overseas health facilities ($204 per capita), representing 4.8 % of the country’s GDP.ConclusionsOverseas medical treatment represents a substantial economic burden to the Maldives in terms of lost consumer spending in the local economy and catastrophic health spending by households. Geographical inequality in access to public funds for MTO and the disproportionate travel cost borne by travelers from rural areas need to be addressed in the existing Universal Health Care programme to minimize the burden of MTO. Increased investment to create more capacity in the domestic health infrastructure either through government, private or by foreign direct investment can help divert the outflow on MTO.

Factors influencing medical travel into the United States

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate the potential of 24 country-level measures for predicting the number of outbound international medical travelers into the USA, including health and healthcare system, economic, social and diplomatic and travel pattern factors. Medical travel is recognized as a growing global market and is an important subject of inquiry for US academic medical centers, hospitals and policy makers. Few data-driven studies exist to shed light on efficient and effective strategies for attracting international medical travelers. Design/methodology/approach – This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of the 194 member and/or observer countries of the United Nations. Data for medical traveler volume into the USA between 2008 and 2010 were obtained from the USA Department of Commerce, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, Survey of International Air Travelers. Data on country-level factors were collected from publicly available databases, including the United Nations, World Bank and World Health Organization. Linear regression models with a negative binomial distribution and log link function were fit to test the association between each independent variable and the number of inbound medical travelers to the USA. Findings – Seven of the 24 country-level factors were significantly associated with the number of outbound medical travelers to the USA These factors included imports as a per cent of gross domestic product, trade in services as a per cent of gross domestic product, per cent of population living in urban areas, life expectancy, childhood mortality, incidence of tuberculosis and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus. Practical implications – Results of this model provide evidence for a data-driven approach to strategic outreach and business development for hospitals and policy makers for attracting international patients to the USA for medical care. Originality/value – The model developed in this paper can assist US hospitals in promoting their services to international patients as well as national efforts in identifying “high potential” medical travel markets. Other countries could also adapt this methodology for targeting the international patient market.

Lifestyle Segmentation of Spa Users: A Study of Inbound Travelers to Hong Kong

Based on the increasing popularity of the wellness/spa trend and the growing numbers of inbound tourists to Hong Kong, it is crucial for spa industry experts to understand the ever-changing desires of consumers. The study aims to identify the lifestyle dimensions of international spa visitors to Hong Kong and to profile each segment based on their sociodemographic and travel characteristics. The study adopts a quantitative approach to segmenting international spa visitors in Hong Kong by lifestyle. The results of the lifestyle segmentation revealed five clusters of spa visitors. The segments are “health conscious and intellectual”, “average”, “family focused”, “pleasure oriented”, and “carefree”. It is found that the majority of travelers who visit spas in Hong Kong are health conscious and intellectual. In general, visitors prefer day spas, to visit with their partner or friends, and to enjoy body massage treatments.

Cross-border migration and travel: A virtuous relationship

The ongoing relationships between emigrants and their families, friends, and business contacts in their home countries can increase outbound and inbound cross-border travel, while cross-border tourism and business and study trips can trigger migration. New communication technologies, such as social media and video chat, only partially substitute for face-to-face meetings. In fact, the greater use of such technologies boosts demand for in-person meetings. Short- and long-term cross-border movements are becoming more complex, creating challenges for measuring immigration and for defining target populations for legislation and public policy.

A cointegration analysis of bilateral air travel flows: The case of international travel to and from the United States

Demand for international air travel has risen over the past decade causing international visitation to the US to reach a record high in 2012. This paper assesses the dynamic impacts of GDP, exchange rate, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks on bilateral air travel flows between the US and its 11 major travel and trading partners. An autoregressive distributed lag modeling approach is employed to estimate short- and long-run relationships between variables. Long-run results demonstrate foreign GDP as the major determinant of demand for inbound travel to the US and US GDP is a crucial factor affecting demand for outbound travel from the US. These findings support a strong linkage between economic growth and demand for international air travel. The real exchange rate has relatively little impact on the bilateral air travel flows. The US dollar appreciation against foreign currencies is found to reduce demand for inbound travel to the US, while having mixed effects on outbound travel from the US. In the short-run, economic growth tends to be a primary factor influencing international travel flows to and from the US. The 9/11 market shock has a detrimental short- and long-run effect on the bilateral air travel flows, implying that the impact of 9/11 is prolonged in international air travel markets.

Tourism and technology in the global economy: challenges for small island states

Purpose – This paper sets the stage for research on the willingness and readiness of a developing country to fully embrace the changes in tourism that are being facilitated by rapidly changing technological advancements. The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the technological advancements and the debates surrounding technology adoption within the context of Jamaica. Design/methodology/approach – Using Jamaica, a developing country low on internet penetration as the site of investigation, this work suggests that there are lessons to be learned from broadly assessing its context economically, socially and technologically. This specific case is juxtaposed against the theoretical works on diffusion of technology and the digital divide to indicate the way forward for the local tourist industry. Findings – The work shows that technology diffusion and adoption has become an important area of research globally. For countries that are heavily dependent on inbound travel from regions of the world with high technology penetration and a clientele which is increasingly expecting cutting edge technology to be part and parcel of their travel plans, this type of research and application of new technologies to the travel package are critical to survival and growth. Research limitations/implications – The practical application of this paper is that it suggests that Jamaica and other developing countries can learn valuable lessons from the debates and discussions in the literature relating to technology adoption in the tourism context. Originality/value – This paper is original in that it introduces a research concept that is new for the context of Jamaican tourist industry and places the research context within the theoretical framework on the digital divide.