Outbound Travel Research Articles

Decision Making in Outbound Incentive Travel for Indian Corporates: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Key Factors and Influences

Objective: This study aims to explore the factors and influences shaping decision-making in outbound incentive travel for Indian corporates, with a specific focus on the collaborative relationships among Destination Management Companies (DMCs), Incentive Planners, and corporate clients. The research problem centers on understanding the dynamics and key elements that drive decision-making processes in this context. Theoretical framework: The research is grounded in the widely recognized PESTEL model, which encompasses Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors. This theoretical framework provides a comprehensive lens to categorize and analyze the various factors and influences that impact decision-making in outbound incentive travel. Furthermore, a modified P2ESTEL model is proposed to enhance the understanding of how these factors specifically shape travel planning and decision-making. Method: To achieve the research objectives, a qualitative research design was employed. In-depth interviews were conducted with industry experts, including Incentive Planners and Destination Management Companies (DMCs), who possess extensive knowledge and experience in outbound incentive travel. Thematic analysis was applied to the interview data to identify key themes and subthemes, offering valuable insights into the decision-making processes and the factors that play significant roles. For data coding and representation MAXQDA software was utilized. Results and conclusion: The study identified several key factors and influences that shape decision-making in outbound incentive travel for Indian corporates. These include destination attractiveness, travel experience, participant preferences, organizational goals, competition, and market trends. The modified P2ESTEL model provided a comprehensive framework for understanding the specific impact of these factors on decision-making. Implications of the research: This study has important implications for decision-making strategies, stakeholder collaboration, and the effectiveness of outbound incentive travel initiatives for Indian corporates. By considering the identified factors and influences, decision-makers can make more informed choices that align with their organizational goals, create more rewarding travel experiences for participants, and stay competitive in the market. Originality/value: This study contributes to the emerging literature on decision-making in outbound incentive travel for Indian corporates by providing a nuanced and in-depth understanding of the factors and influences involved. The proposed modified P2ESTEL model offers a novel approach for analyzing and comprehending the complexities of decision-making in this context. The findings of this study hold academic significance and practical value for professionals involved in outbound incentive travel planning and management.

Locked in: Australia’s COVID-19 Border Closures and the Right to Leave

Abstract In March 2020, Australia became one of a handful of democratic states worldwide to adopt a blanket prohibition on the right of citizens to leave its territory, whether temporarily or permanently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Health Regulations, which bind all members of the World Health Organization (‘WHO’), including Australia, provide an international legal framework to guide the public health response to the international spread of disease in a manner which respects human rights and fundamental freedoms. The right to freedom of movement in international human rights law is enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (‘ICCPR’), which Australia ratified in 1990. Although states can place restrictions on freedom of movement to protect public health, they must be appropriate to achieve their protective function, the least intrusive instrument which might achieve the desired result, and proportionate to the interest to be protected. This article argues that in adopting sweeping restrictions on outbound travel, Australia re-purposed aspects of its migration control regime—ordinarily employed to externalise its international border and prevent people from entering the country—in order to prevent Australian citizens and permanent residents from leaving Australia. The outbound travel restrictions further bypassed an analysis of the intrusiveness and proportionality of the measures themselves, and shifted the burden onto individuals to request an exemption where the regulation of exit proved overly intrusive or disproportionate in their particular circumstances. In examining parliamentary transcripts, press statements by government officials, and recently revealed data regarding outbound travel exemptions, this article raises serious questions regarding the legality of the restrictions over time and their implementation in light of international law.

Seasonality patterns of the Chinese outbound travelers: Evidence from eight leading tourist destinations in Asia

The Chinese outbound market has surpassed that of any country in the world in recent years. It specifically became the leading source market for many Asian countries. In this respect, this study uses a monthly dataset of tourist arrivals from 1995 to 2019 to investigate the seasonality patterns of Chinese outbound tourists in eight tourist destinations in Asia popular among Chinese tourists. The Gini coefficient and the Seasonal Index were used to examine the seasonality patterns. The results of this research reveal a generally consistent pattern across all destinations examined, confirming the occurrence of two distinct peaks (i.e., February and July to August) and off-peak (i.e., March to June and November to December) periods. The findings further show the expansion of the Chinese market has considerably softened the seasonality in the inbound tourism of the countries studied. Finally, key implications of the study findings are discussed, highlighting some practical insights that might help practitioners manage seasonality.

Unlocking the Benefits of Outbound Incentive Travel: A Comprehensive Review Study

Purpose
 The objective of this research was to contribute to the literature on incentive travel programs and provide a foundation for future research in this area. To highlight the social implications of outbound incentive travel programs, including their potential impact on employee well-being, customer relationships, tourism, economic development, and the environment.
 Theoretical Framework 
 A framework for knowledge generation and theory development in incentive travel is attempted through the literature review.
 
 Design/ Method / approach
 A chronological analysis of the literature on incentive travel and event tourism is the focal point of this study. With reference to seminal contributions, key terms and concepts are underlined. Journals, publications, and research pertaining to this topic have been reviewed using content analysis. Each article was subjected to a series of content analyses, where the type of content, nature of the research, theme and sub-theme, publication year, type of journals, area or city focus, type of data and analysis tool used, respondent and author profile were all taken into consideration. A total of 45 papers were categorized according to the year they were published and then analyzed using the descriptive analysis approach.
 Findings 
 The findings of the study are likely to provide a comprehensive understanding of outbound incentive travel programs and their potential benefits and challenges, and offer practical guidance for organizations looking to implement these programs in a responsible and effective manner.
 
 Research, Practical & Social implications 
 The study may identify gaps in the existing literature on outbound incentive travel programs, highlighting areas for future research and exploration.
 
 Originality/ value 
 the study has the potential to contribute to both academic research and practical applications related to outbound incentive travel programs, and may have broader implications for organizational culture, values, and social responsibility.

Exploring homesickness among international students in China during border closure

It is nearly three years since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 crisis as a pandemic. Since its inception, border closures have been subscribed to by many countries as an extreme policy tool to curb the rate of infection amid emerging variants. China, one of the earliest countries to implement this measure just opened its borders to international students for inbound and outbound travel with several preconditions. Homesickness, a grave discomfort because of its cognitive hallmark of destabilizing the affective states and routine activities of individuals has been underexplored in many studies on the COVID-19 impact on education. This phenomenological study is the first to explore the level of border-closure-induced homesickness among international students in an Asian context (China). International students (n = 20) sampled from five universities in China were interviewed on how the COVID-19-engineered border closures have prompted homesickness among them and their development of coping skills. The thirteen (13) themes that emerged from the study suggest that the students suffered from somatic and psychological symptoms of homesickness. The social and academic life of students were negatively affected. Participants in the study relied on frequent phone calls, entertainment, and indoor and outdoor activities such as exercise and campus excursions as coping strategies against homesickness. It is advocated that higher education leaders in China put in measures to hasten the acculturation of international students to minimize their homesickness. Further research areas such as taking a keen focus on maladaptive symptoms of homesickness are also discussed.

Suboptimal health status, COVID-19 psychology, and cultural value impact on post-pandemic outbound travel

ABSTRACT Suboptimal health has become a core public health challenge, especially during the pandemic. This study adopts an interdisciplinary perspective to examine the relationships between suboptimal health status, COVID-19 fear and stress, cultural values, and outbound travel. A theoretical model was evaluated using data from 800 Beijing residents, 439 of whom were in suboptimal health. Four dimensions of suboptimal health (fatigue, mental status, immune system, and cardiovascular system) significantly affected COVID-19 stress and fear. Post-pandemic travel intention was positively related to fatigue symptoms and leisure and life enjoyment but negatively associated with COVID-19 stress. Suggestions for highlighting travellers’ health status and promoting holistic health through post-pandemic travel are provided.

Equilibrium analysis of morning commuting and parking under spatial capacity allocation in the autonomous vehicle environment

This study analytically investigates the morning commuting and parking patterns of autonomous vehicles (AVs) under different spatial road capacity allocation schemes (i.e., capacity split between inbound and outbound travel directions). Given that self-driving AV might park far away from commuters’ destination, we investigate equilibrium departure/arrival and parking patterns for AVs subject to the spatial road capacity allocation. We also analyse the system optimum traffic pattern for AV morning commute under a given capacity allocation scheme. Furthermore, we examine optimal capacity allocation strategies under user equilibrium and system optimum AV traffic patterns, respectively, which aim to minimise the total system travel cost. Numerical studies are conducted to illustrate the model and analysis. The results reveal the sensitivity of different efficiency metrics with respect to AV parking supply and road capacity allocation schemes, and provide insights into the infrastructure management with future automated transport.

Love More and Buy More? Behavioral Economics Analysis of Travel Preference and Travel Consumption

This study examined the interaction between travel preference and travel consumption from the perspectives of traditional and behavioral economics and analyzed the impact of travel preference on travel consumption using survey data. The WLS regression model was adopted to examine the influence of travel preference on travel consumption and the mediating role of travel demand in the relationship between travel Preference and travel consumption. The results showed that: (1) for domestic travel, the travel preference has a positive impact on travel consumption through the mediating role of travel demand; and (2) for outbound travel, the travel preference has a positive impact on outbound travel consumption through the mediating role of outbound travel demand under the transaction utility and loss aversion effects. Thus, our findings confirm previous evidence on the relevance of tourists’ preferences as a good predictor of travel consumption in the case of Chinese travelers.

Financial and Administrative Measures for the Development of Tourism after COVID-19

The recent decades demonstrate that tourism is one of the sectors that develop the most consistently and form the backbone of the economies of many developed and developing countries. In this context, one of the main problems hindering the promotion of tourism services is the relatively high probability of force majeure situations. Whereas forced flight cancellations, floods, or hurricanes are local events, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken their toll on the entire tourism sector. Today, the tourism sector is one of the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This may provoke further regression given the weak global economy, geopolitical, social, and trade tensions, and uneven performance among major outbound travel markets. At the same time, over many years, tourism has been consistently proving its resilience and ability not only to recover from economic crises but also to contribute to a broader economic and social recovery. The goal of the present study is to develop proposals for the introduction of financial and administrative measures for the development of the tourism industry in the post-pandemic period. Data for the study are collected by means of document analysis and an expert survey. The study concludes that in order to overcome the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the sphere of tourism, a number of financial and administrative measures need to be developed and implemented at the level of state and local government institutions, particularly in Kazakhstan, to support the development of the tourism sector and stimulate the activities of tourism enterprise. For their part, the authors propose the key measures that should improve the financial sustainability and organization of the tourism sector in Kazakhstan.

Estimating the size of the monkeypox virus outbreak in Nigeria and implications for global control.

A multi-country outbreak caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV) has been unfolding across endemic and non-endemic countries since May 2022. Throughout April and May 2022, Nigeria reported 31 MPXV cases, of which 11 were confirmed via testing. In May 2022, three internationally exported cases of MPXV, presumed to have originated in Nigeria, were reported, suggesting that a larger than reported outbreak might be occurring in the country. We used previously established methods to estimate the true size of the MPXV outbreak in Nigeria. We estimated the incidence rate of exported MPXV cases among all outbound international air travellers from Nigeria during the time period of April and May 2022, using forecasted air traveller volumes. We then applied this incidence rate to the entire population of Nigeria during April and May 2022 assuming that the rate of infection was the same in Nigeria for both travellers and the resident population. Information on the subset of population that were considered to be travellers was obtained from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). We estimated that there were approximately 4000 (N = 4013; 95% CI: 828-11 728) active cases of MPXV in Nigeria in April and May 2022. This is approximately 360-fold greater than the confirmed number and approximately 130-fold greater than the reported number of cases in Nigeria. Our findings suggest that a larger outbreak than is appreciated may be ongoing in Nigeria. The observed international spread of MPXV offers important insights into the scale of the epidemic at its origin, where clinical detection and disease surveillance may be limited. These findings highlight the need to expand and support clinical, laboratory, and public health capacity to enable earlier detection of epidemics of international significance.

Emergence of BA.4/BA.5 Omicron Sub-lineages and Increased SARSCoV- 2 Incidence in Senegal

Background: The Omicron variant B.1.1.529 has led to a new dynamic in the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase in cases worldwide. Its rapid propagation favors the emergence of novel sub-lineages, including BA.4 and BA.5. The latter has shown increased transmissibility compared to other Omicron sub-lineages. In Senegal, the emergence of the Omicron variant in December 2021 characterized the triggering of a short and dense epidemiological wave that peaked at the end of February. This wave was followed by a period with a significant drop in the number of COVID-19 cases, but an upsurge in SARS-CoV-2 infection has been noted since mid-June. Objective: The purpose of this brief report is to give an update regarding the genomic situation of SARS-CoV-2 in Dakar during this phase of recrudescence of cases. Methods: We performed amplicon-based SARS-CoV-2 sequencing on nasopharyngeal swab samples from declared COVID-19 patients and outbound travelers that tested positive. Results: Ongoing genomic surveillance activities showed that more than half of recent COVID-19 cases were due to the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages that share two critical mutations associated with increased transmissibility and immune response escape. The circulation of recombinants between Omicron sub-lineages was also noted. Conclusion: Despite the lack of proven severity of BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages, their increased transmissibility causes a rapid spread of the virus, hence a surge in the number of cases. This rapid spread constitutes a greater risk of exposure for vulnerable patients. To tackle this issue, any increase in the number of cases must be monitored to support public health stakeholders. Therefore, genomic surveillance is an ever-essential element in managing this pandemic.

Social comparison orientation and religious commitment influence on outbound travel intentions

ABSTRACT Tourists frequently engage in social comparison to track their success or assess their relative self-worth. Although the link between social comparison and travel behavior is evident in the marketing and tourism literature, the effect of social comparison orientation (SCO) on outbound travel intentions and its interplay with travel motivation, especially among religious or spiritually conscious tourist segments, remains unclear. Drawing on social comparison theory and the Stimuli-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study developed a conceptual model to examine the role of SCO, travel motivations, and religious commitment (RC) in shaping tourists' outbound travel intentions. This study adopted convenience sampling to collect survey data (n = 469) from Brunei Darussalam. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) and multiple-group analysis (MGA) in AMOS 23.0 software. Findings revealed that SCO significantly affects intentions to travel abroad. This further demonstrates that push and pull factors of travel motivation mediate the SCO's effect on travel intentions, while tourists' religious commitment moderates the effect of SCO on overseas travel intentions. This study extends prior works on tourism marketing and the S-O-R framework by demonstrating how SCO influences tourists' responses to international tourism through travel motivation. It offers a unique understanding of the role of SCO on international travel behavior (symbolic or status-oriented consumption) from the perspective of religious influence. Theoretical and managerial implications and future research areas are also discussed.

Investigating the Impact of SERVQUAL Dimensions on Customer Satisfaction: Evidence from Outbound Travelers in Sri Lanka

Investigating the Impact of SERVQUAL Dimensions on Customer Satisfaction: Evidence from Outbound Travelers in Sri Lanka

Examining service quality of hospitals in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia: Case of outbound medical travelers from the Maldives

The aim of this study is to examine how outbound Maldivian travellers who have received a medical service in any hospital in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, or Malaysia perceive the quality of the service levels. A survey questionnaire was used to gather cross-sectional data from 400 outbound medical travellers from the Maldives. Respondents who received overseas medical treatment at any hospital in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, or Malaysia were included in a random sampling selection. SPSS 25.00, and AMOS version 23.00 used for data analysis, including structural equation modelling. The findings reveals that the service quality dimension of tangible, empathy, efficiency, and safety positively and significantly influence hospital service quality. Contrarily, the level of improvement in medical care has a negligible effect. Hospitals in Thailand and Malaysia have overall service quality perceptions scores of 91.8 and 84.6 per cent, respectively, which is higher than those in India and Sri Lanka, indicating 67.2 and 77.6 per cent, respectively. The study highlights the necessity of improving hospital efficiency and safety in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia. This empirical study supports new findings of hospital service quality. As a result, academics may supplement their analyses of previously published literature with new data and empirical support from the medical industry in South Asia. The findings of this study minimise knowledge, empirical, and population gaps seen in recent literature on medical service quality related to outbound medical travellers from the Maldives.

Understanding the young middle-class Chinese outbound tourism consumption: A social practice perspective

There is a research gap focusing on the outbound travel of middle-class Chinese—a segment widely considered the major fuel behind China's outbound tourism boom. Drawing on a social practice perspective, this study deconstructs the travel of young middle-class Chinese to Chiang Mai to identify the patterns and mechanisms of their outbound tourism consumption. Data were collected via ethnographic fieldwork, retrieval of online travelogues, and post-trip interviews. Research shows that the young middle-class Chinese seek quality travel experiences facilitated by mobile technology, yet they remain price-sensitive. Their consumption also features a strong aesthetical dimension. They pursue relaxation and personal pleasure through travel and are content with superficial cultural experiences. Nevertheless, they show a high level of cross-cultural sensitivity. The study argues that the interplay of China's socio-economic life, destination attributes in relation to China, China's socio-technological context, and socio-cultural norms of the young generations underlies the young middle-class Chinese outbound tourism consumption patterns.

Forecasting Tourism in the EU after the COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted both business and social life over the last two years. Stop-and-go policies enacted as containment measures have further impacted the global economy, and tourism in particular. Tourism demand shows only weak signs of a sustainable recovery. The medium-term outlook remains highly uncertain, and yet few studies have addressed the development of the tourism and leisure industries in the years ahead. In this context, we forecast demand in selected EU countries in terms of total expenditure on outbound travel (tourism imports) using a panel pooled Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) approach. Baseline and downside scenarios are elaborated to project demand for foreign travel until 2025.

Modeling Tourism Import: The Case of Oecd Countries

Research on outbound tourism demand has not kept pace with the rapid development of research on inbound tourism demand. Economic and non-economic factors of tourism import in countries of origin are investigated using static and dynamic panel data models. A period of 17 years and 35 OECD countries are included in the study. Income in the country of origin, the real effective exchange rate, trade openness, tourism export per tourist arrival, political stability of the country, persistence of habits, and two dummy variables are found to be statistically significant. Inelastic tourism demand factor coefficients show a relatively low level of sensibility of outbound travelers to the changes in their home country, whether related to economic or non-economic factors. Political stability proved to be the most important variable for tourism demand abroad. The unavailability of data on social and psychological demand-related factors turned out to be a problem for longer time series in OECD countries. However, the study provides an insight into how targeted policy measures could influence outbound tourism flows.

Stakeholders Approach in Halal Tourism Development Strategy: A Case Study in Ponorogo District

The contribution of Muslim-friendly tourist sector, or halal tourism, towards the growth of economy have been significantly increasing for the past five years. Indonesia occupies the top five of outbound Muslim Travel Countries. This country has natural resources and cultures that are related to Islamic world thus it is ready to turn into halal tourism destination. However, there is still a gap in understanding of halal tourism that some parties deny to carry halal tourism theme in various province nor areas in Indonesia. Hence, there is no good awareness of halal tourism in Indonesian society. Therefore, a strategy to develop halal tourism in Indonesia is enormously needed. This study aims to arrange a strategy in halal tourism development using stakeholder approach. This was a descriptive qualitative study that the data collection technique used primary data through focus group discussion with 30 speakers consisting of stakeholders; government, Department of Tourism and Culture, academicians, media, tourism business sector, and the societies. The results showed that Governments need to have clear concepts, indicators, and rule related to halal tourism. They also needed to build awareness to the relevant stakeholders of halal tourism concept. It was then followed by the tourism business sector that needed to get empowerment in a sustainable program to inform them about halal tourism concept. To academician, they could participate in researches about various strategies to develop halal tourism and collaborate in training, mentoring, and monitoring the implementation of halal tourism by tourism business sector and other stakeholders. The tourists also required to get education related to the importance of halal tourism thus they could promote, give testimonial experience about halal travel, appreciate the halal tourism, and went viral for it. Moreover, the societies needed to be empowered in increasing the tourism potentials around them, as well as given opportunities to collaborate with tourism business sector, and synergize with the other stakeholders. As for the media or press, they needed to be more active in promoting, giving information related to the existence of halal tourism in Ponorogo district since the help of the media brought positive impacts to gain the attentions of not only local travelers but also overseas tourists to visit Ponorogo tourism objects.

How trust in a destination's risk regulation navigates outbound travel constraints on revisit intention post-COVID-19: Segmenting insights from experienced Chinese tourists to Japan

How do tourists cope with outbound travel constraints post-COVID-19? This study explores the cognitive coping strategy of destination trust in risk regulation on abating outbound travel constraints and catalyzing revisit intention. Taking Japan as a destination, analysis of data collected from 556 experienced tourists from Mainland China uncovered four types of travel constraints: health concern constraint, structural constraint, geopolitical constraint, and disinterest. Only disinterest had a significant negative impact on revisit intention. Trust in the destination government significantly increased revisit intention and ameliorated all types of travel constraints. Trust in local residents and in the tourism industry relieved disinterest efficiently. Results of multigroup analysis revealed that compared with tourists who have visited Japan only once, tourists with two or more past visits had lower levels of outbound travel constraints, and the impact of disinterest on their revisit intention was significantly lower. They also showed higher trust in destination government and higher revisit intention. Moreover, health concern constraint was significantly reduced by trust in the tourism industry but to be significantly enhanced by trust in local residents among tourists with two or more past visits to Japan. The theoretical and practical implications for the recovery of tourism are discussed. • Only disinterest among outbound travel constraints significantly decreased revisit intention. • Trust in the government increased revisit intention and ameliorated outbound travel constraints. • Trust in local residents (TLR) and in the tourism industry (TTI) efficiently relieved disinterest. • Tourists with more past visits had lower travel constraints, higher trust in the government and revisit intention. • TLR and TTI affected on health concern constraint differently between two tourist groups.

COVID-19 POLLUTION AND TOURIST BEHAVIOUR

Corona virus brings the “Individuals, environment, and the community” all together in the same stage. The Indian travel industry is one of the main sources of income for many people who are directly or indirectly connected to the travel industry but the epidemic period of COVID-19 has affected the travel industry very badly. Delhi, the capital city of India is well known for producing the number of outbound travelers every year. In this paper, research is carried out to measures the perception of the traveler on travelling abroad as well as the impact of COVID-19 on Outbound travels. The results reveal that the psychological and health factors due to COVID-19 have negatively affected the tourist perception for choosing the outbound travel in future. This study proposes that the COVID-19 have a direct adverse effect on choosing outbound travel and directly affected the economy of the nation.