Repeat Travelers Research Articles

Experience identification: connecting online engagement to offline loyalty

Purpose This paper aims to examine the transformative role of experience identification in connecting online communities to offline experiences. This study also aims to understand if consumers in the pre-experience stage can identify with an experience and how this influences their subsequent evaluations, focusing on the impact of online community participation. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model, based on social identity theory, is tested using a two-study approach. Study 1 involves first-time cruisers in an online cruise community. Study 2 extends the findings to a broader range of travel experiences, including both first-time and repeat travelers. Findings Results suggest that experiential consumers can identify with an experience in the pre-experience stage through two key community participation variables – experience imagination and emotional significance. Experience identification directly influences loyalty, which subsequently impacts word-of-mouth and satisfaction post-experience. Practical implications Service providers should leverage forums, brand communities and social media platforms to enhance interactivity between experienced and first-time customers. Strategies are presented to foster user interaction and interconnectedness, boosting consumer satisfaction and loyalty and providing a competitive advantage from the outset of the customer journey. Originality/value Despite the recognized importance of experiential consumption, the marketing literature has largely focused on the actual consumption experience, overlooking the pre-experience stage. This research highlights the critical role of the pre-experience stage, showing that the value of an experience begins before the service encounter and continues after it ends.

Motivations, self-congruity and restaurant innovativeness as antecedents of a creative-food tourism experience: the moderating effect of first-time and repeat tourists

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the drivers of a creative food tourism experience (CFTE) and its effect on the tourists' perceived authenticity and satisfaction. Specifically, this study captures the importance to explain a CFTE of two sets of stimuli: internal stimuli, including push motivations for food travel (i.e. emotional, cultural and social) and the tourist self-congruity (i.e. actual and ideal) with the chosen food establishment; and external stimuli, referred to the pull motivation exerted by restaurant innovativeness.Design/methodology/approachData are obtained through a questionnaire completed by 407 food tourists who have traveled to visit a creative restaurant. The research model is tested using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsResults confirm the relevance of emotional and social motivations to enjoy a CFTE and the need to align the target tourists' self-concept and restaurant positioning. The most vital driver of the CFTE is the restaurant innovativeness, which suggests that entrepreneurship in gastronomy is critical to boosting food tourism.Originality/valueThis study expands the understanding of the role of food tourism motivations and self-congruity in the tourist experience and underlines the relevance of the restaurant's production process to create authentic and compelling experiences that improve the tourists' satisfaction. Moderation analysis considering the tourists' previous experience reveals that cultural motivations only exert a positive effect on the CFTE for first-time travelers. However, self-congruity is the strongest predictor of a CFTE for repeat travelers.

Travel arrangement as a moderator in image–satisfaction–behavior relations

With more and more destinations relying on repeat travelers, the inclination of tourists to revisit some destinations has become a significant topic of study. Therefore, the reasons for travelers’ revisits have been addressed in many research studies. These studies have determined several factors of the revisit inclination, such as satisfaction, destination image, and perceived quality. However, in most of the previous studies about the relationships among the destination image and tourists’ satisfaction, as well as their behavioral intentions to the destination, the moderating variables were not considered. Consequently, we analyzed the moderator effects of certain characteristics of different travel arrangements on the theoretical relationship among the destination image, tourists’ satisfaction, and their behavioral intentions to the destination. This article first identifies the similarities and differences among these two types of Chinese outbound travelers in terms of their demographic and trip characteristics. It then confirms that these two types of travelers differ in terms of the relationships among perceived destination images, satisfaction level, and future behavioral intentions using an invariance test of structural model. According to the multiple group cause-and-effect analysis, the results show that travel arrangement can largely affect either the relations between destination image and tourists’ satisfaction or their behavioral intentions. Moreover, the relationship between either destination image and tourists’ satisfaction or their behavioral intentions is generally stronger for independent visitors. Finally, the influences are discussed from both theoretical and practical perspective.

Determinants of Satisfaction with Holidays and Hospitality in Rural Tourism in Spain

An analysis of travelers’ satisfaction with a holiday trip to Spain’s Andalusia region found a distinct difference in the information sources used by first-time visitors and repeat visitors. In addition to determining the travelers’ satisfaction with the trip itself, this study also assessed the travelers’ satisfaction with the travel-related information they received before taking their trip. The framework for the study was a rural tourist trip, a little studied area. Repeat visitors relied primarily on their own experience in terms of expectations for their trips, and any external information sources they consulted had no effect on their satisfaction with the trip. Of the several external sources consulted by the first-time visitors, only mass-media advertising was associated with favorable satisfaction results for the first-timers. Other sources, including word of mouth, the internet, and noncommercial media placements (such as news stories), were associated with negative effects on satisfaction, perhaps because these sources created unrealistic expectations. Destination promotions attracted both new and returning visitors, but again the two groups had different views on which types of promotion were most effective. First-time travelers responded primarily to price discounts in some form, whereas repeat travelers were more inclined toward such nonprice promotions as gifts and prize drawings. For hospitality and tourism officials, the findings focus on the need to ensure that information sources are accurate and create appropriate expectations for first-time travelers. This may require more activity in social media, since internet sources apparently created incorrect expectations or simply offered the first-time travelers so much information that they felt overloaded.

Perceived risks in travelling to the Islamic Republic of Iran

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify tourists ' concerns about perceived risks while travelling to the Islamic Republic of Iran, investigate whether such risks are in any way mitigated by a traveler ' s prior experience with the Islamic destination, and determine the impact of individual factors on tourists ' perceived risks. Design/methodology/approach – The study examined survey data of 258 international tourists during their visit to Isfahan, Iran. Confirmatory factor analyses and analysis of variance were utilised, in order to find measurement models for each of the constructs and to analyze the relations between these constructs and individual factors. Findings – The results reveal that visitors had concerns about physical, financial, and psychological risks. The results also show that respondent ' s individual characteristics such as gender, nationality, frequency of visits, and purpose of visit influenced their perceptions of risk. However, age and length of stay did not have significant impact on perceptions of risk. Respondents visiting friends and relatives were more likely to perceive Iran as safer than those on business or holiday. In addition, repeat travelers tended to have a more realistic perception about risks than did first-time travelers. The study ' s findings add to the literature by offering more insight on tourist perceptions of risk in travelling to Islamic destinations. Research limitations/implications – Sampling was one of the limitations identified in this study. The fact that convenience sampling was used meant that results were not immediately transferable to other Islamic destinations. The study could be replicated at other visitor attractions in Islamic destinations perceived to have high risks, in order to gain insight into the effects of perceived risk on visitation and visitor behaviour. Originality/value – The contribution of the research is to broaden the understanding of tourists ' concerns in travelling to Islamic destinations and the role frequency of visits, gender, nationality, and purpose of visit play for marketers when providing inbound tourists with facilities.

Perceived travel risks regarding terrorism and disease: The case of Thailand

This study aims to (1) identify tourists' concerns about perceived travel risks while traveling abroad, (2) explore whether such perceived risks affect tourists' decisions during crises, (3) investigate whether such risks are in any way mitigated by a traveler's prior experience with the foreign country, and (4) determine the impact of terrorism and the impact of diseases such as SARS and bird flu on Thailand's hospitality industry. We found that people did not discontinue traveling completely but did select different options from travel alternatives. If there was a high perceived risk of terrorism, instead of forgoing traveling completely, respondents would choose to travel to a less dangerous destination. Interestingly, while traveling during times of crisis, both first-time and repeat travelers perceived risks of deterioration and tourist satisfaction as their major concerns. However, first-time and repeat travelers showed differences in terms of their perceptions regarding disease risk, increase of travel costs, and travel inconvenience.

Understanding the motivation of travelers on repeat visits to Thailand

This study aims to 1) examine travel motivation of travelers to revisit Thailand, 2) determine whether there is a significant difference in travel motivation between first time and repeat travelers and among travelers with different demographic profiles, and 3) identify the impact of travel motivation on the likelihood of travelers to revisit Thailand. The result shows significant differences in travel motivations between first time and repeat travelers and among travelers with different demographic profiles and significance of positive impressions of the `good food value, shopping, and a variety of things to do' and `novelty seeking' on the likelihood of travelers to revisit Thailand.

A Study of the Impact of Travel Inhibitors on the Likelihood of Travelers' Revisiting Thailand

This study examined the impact of travel inhibitors on the likelihood of travelers in revisiting Thailand. A questionnaire survey was given to more than 510 randomly selected international travelers at Bangkok International Airport. A logistic regression was used to identify the impact of travel inhibitors on the likelihood of revisiting. It was found that “travel barrier” was the only significant attribute that had a negative impact on the likelihood of revisiting. It was also found that there were significant differences in the travel inhibitors between first time and repeat travelers and among travelers with different demographic profiles.

Information Search Behavior of Mainland Chinese Air Travelers to Hong Kong

This study is to explore the information search behavior of Mainland Chinese visitors traveling to Hong Kong. The results of comparisons among travelers with different travel experiences to Hong Kong reveal that there is no significant difference between first-timers and repeat travelers on their pre-trip planning characteristics and perceived level of influence of the information sources used. There is no statistically significant difference between Mainland Chinese business and pleasure travelers on their perceptions on the importance of most of the information sources used except for “Corporate travel department.” These two groups also display differences in the number of information sources used in making travel decisions to Hong Kong. Regardless of the respondents' purpose of the trip and prior travel experience to Hong Kong, empirical evidence clearly shows that travelers used several information sources in planning their trips. The results of this study will allow marketers in Hong Kong to better understand the Mainland Chinese travelers' information search behavior so that they can more effectively tailor marketing strategies to this major source market.

Information search behavior of Hong Kong's inbound travelers‐a comparison of business and leisure travelers

The purpose of this study is to examine the information search behavior of Hong Kong's inbound tourists, in particular business and leisure travelers. The study clearly shows that business and leisure travelers demonstrate different information search behavior. ‘Personal experience,’ ‘Travel agency/tour company,’ ‘Airlines’ and the ‘Internet’ are most frequently relied upon by business travelers in searching for travel information, while leisure travelers prefer ‘Travel agency/tour company,’ ‘Friends or relatives,’ ‘Travel guide books,’ and ‘Personal experience.’ The study also reveals that the total number of information sources used and the length of pre‐trip planning lead‐time are significantly different between these two groups of travelers. First time travelers also have a longer pre‐trip planning lead‐time than repeat travelers. Furthermore, business and leisure travelers perceive the levels of influence of several information sources, including ‘Corporate travel departments,’ ‘Friends or relatives,’ ‘Travel guide books,’ and the ‘Internet,’ differently. These information sources were classified into five different dimensions, including ‘Media,’ ‘Neutral,’ ‘Retail,’ ‘Interpersonal,’ and ‘Personal experience.’ Analysis based on travelers' purpose for traveling and demographic information was performed. Leisure travelers perceive the level of influence of ‘Neutral’ sources as significantly higher, and those with lower household incomes perceived the level of influence of ‘Personal experience’ as lower. The results of this study will allow marketers in Hong Kong to better understand travelers’ information search behavior so that they can more effectively tailor their marketing strategies to these two major markets.

A Study of the Impactof Travel Satisfaction on the Likelihood of Travelers to Revisit Thailand

This study aims to: (1) examine the satisfaction of international travelers during their visit to Thailand; (2) determine whether there is a significant difference in travel satisfaction between first time and repeat travelers; (3) assess whether there is a significant difference in travel satisfaction among travelers with different demographic profiles; and, (4) identify the impact of travel satisfaction on the likelihood of travelers to revisit Thailand. An exit questionnaire survey was used to collect data. The target population was the international traveler who was checking in for departure flights to 13 countries at the Bangkok International Airport from June 1-4 and June 10-11, 2000. A three stage sampling approach including proportionate stratified, cluster and systematic random sampling was used to randomly select 590 international travelers. Descriptive statistics, independent sample mean t-test, exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. The result of the study revealed a significant difference in travel satisfaction between first time and repeat travelers, and among travelers with different demographic profiles, and the impact of travel satisfaction on the likelihood of travelers to revisit Thailand.

Challenges Facing Tourism Markets in Latin America and the Caribbean Region in the New Millennium

Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region outbound tourism will remain highly sensitive to current and future income and employment growth. As such, LAC outbound travel volumes and spending patterns will be adversely affected by the region’s worsening macroeconomic conditions and gloomy employment outlook. Weaker regional income and job growth will lead to lower consumer buying power and lower demand for such discretionary spending as travel. In addition, weaker LAC currencies will further discourage outbound travel flows, especially long-haul pleasure travel, in favor of cheaper and closer tourist destinations. The outbound flow of LAC travelers will most likely remain at a steady or possibly even at a slower pace instead of reaching rapid speeds in coming years. Competition to attract new LAC outbound tourists and encourage repeat travelers will get more difficult.

Cross-cultural comparison of the information sources used by first-time and repeat travelers and its marketing implications

This research is to investigate first-time and repeat German, French, and British travelers’ use of information sources. Three research questions are proposed to explore the differences in the use of information between repeat and first-time travelers and delineate the information usage pattern among the above three groups of travelers. Accordingly, this study analyzed the data collected from a series of in-flight surveys of German, British, and French travelers to the US between January 1997 and December 1997. The differences in regard to first-time and repeat travelers’ use of external information sources were revealed by logit analyses. A correspondence analysis was employed to further visualize travelers’ information usage patterns. This study indicates that past trip experience significantly influenced travelers’ use of information sources. In the conclusion section, various marketing implications are drawn.

Prevalence of Hepatitis A Antibody in Travelers from Hawaii.

Background: Hepatitis A is the most frequent vaccine-preventable infection in travelers to developing countries. Hepatitis A vaccine and immune serum globulin (IG) offer safe, effective protection against hepatitis A. Some travelers are already immune, however, and it is useful to try to identify subgroups with an anticipated high prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A (anti-HAV). Screening for antibody in these groups would often be a cost-effective alternative to routine use of hepatitis A vaccine or IG prior to travel. Methods: Prospective travelers to developing countries from Hawaii (n = 476) were tested for anti-HAV. Total antibody was measured by an enzyme immunoassay. Age, sex, birthplace, previous travel experience, and past history of hepatitis or jaundice were recorded for each traveler. Results: Overall prevalence of anti-HAV was 35.3%. Antibody prevalence increased progressively with age and varied significantly with birthplace and travel experience. Antibody prevalence was particularly high in travelers with a history of hepatitis or jaundice. Conclusions: Screening for preexisting immunity to hepatitis A is often worthwhile in extended stay or repeat travelers. This study suggests that screening may also be a cost-effective alternative to routine use of hepatitis A vaccine or IG in those travelers (i) born in the United States (including Hawaii) before 1930; (ii) born in Europe, Australasia, or Japan before 1950, (iii) born in developing countries; (iv) with increased travel experience; and (v) with a history of hepatitis or jaundice.