- Sustainable Tourism, Destination Image, Place Attachment, Destination Branding, Experiential Marketing, Mauritius & the Mascarene Islands, and 10 moreMega event impacts, Senior Travel, Tourists Emotions, Tourists Motivation, Qualitative methodology, Service Quality, South Africa, Brand Image, Airlines, and Cultural Differencesedit
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Book chapter looking at destination branding for the Province of KwaZulu Natal South Africa
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This paper reports on an innovative qualitative method, a mobile ethnography, where visitors are asked to use mobile technological devices such as smartphones to identify service gaps, evaluate service journeys, and help improve tourist... more
This paper reports on an innovative qualitative method, a mobile ethnography, where visitors are asked to use mobile technological devices such as smartphones to identify service gaps, evaluate service journeys, and help improve tourist services. This research is part of a projet "Service Design in Tourism" that was funded by the European Union under the CIP framework.
Keywords: qualitative research, mobile ethnography, service design
Keywords: qualitative research, mobile ethnography, service design
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This is the pre-publication version of the paper. For the authoritative version please consult the journal website.
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The main objective of this paper is to segment the accommodation and service preferences of females who participate in girlfriend getaways (GGA). A sample of 540 female travelers revealed five distinct clusters of preferences based on the... more
The main objective of this paper is to segment the accommodation and service preferences of females who participate in girlfriend getaways (GGA). A sample of 540 female travelers revealed five distinct clusters of preferences based on the importance scores assigned to hotel attributes. The clusters are then profiled on their performance scores on hotel attributes and demographic characteristics. The results indicate that the GGA market is heterogeneous in its accommodation and service preferences but homogeneous in its demographic characteristics. Accommodation suppliers and marketers must recognize the growing importance and profitability of this segment of the female traveler market. Implications for product development, targeting and positioning strategies, and service enhancements for this market are suggested.
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Segmentation has several strategic and tactical implications in marketing products and services. Despite hard clustering methods having several weaknesses, they remain widely applied in marketing studies. Alternative segmentation methods... more
Segmentation has several strategic and tactical implications in marketing products and services. Despite hard clustering methods having several weaknesses, they remain widely applied in marketing studies. Alternative segmentation methods such as fuzzy methods are rarely used to understand consumer behaviour. In this study, we propose a strategy of analysis, by combining the Bagged Clustering (BC) method and the fuzzy C-means clustering method for fuzzy data (FCM-FD), i.e., the Bagged fuzzy C-means clustering method for fuzzy data (BFCM-FD). The method inherits the advantages of stability and reproducibility from BC and the flexibility from FCM-FD. The method is applied on a sample of 328 Chinese consumers revealing the existence of four segments (Admirers, Enthusiasts, Moderates, and Apathetics) of the perceived images of Western Europe as a tourist destination. The results highlight the heterogeneity in Chinese consumers’ place preferences and implications for place marketing are offered.
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The present study is aimed at segmenting participants’ motivation for attending the Interamnia World Cup (IWC) in 2012 and identifying whether motivational profiles differ by demographics and post-consumption behaviors. The IWC is an... more
The present study is aimed at segmenting participants’ motivation for attending the Interamnia World Cup
(IWC) in 2012 and identifying whether motivational profiles differ by demographics and post-consumption
behaviors. The IWC is an annual event hosted by the city of Teramo-Italy and is aimed at young participants
interested in the sport of handball. Based on a sample of international sport tourists (n = 242), the study
uncovers four clusters of participants (Indifferent, Enthusiast, Socializer, and Competitive). The results confirm
that the youth segment of sport tourists is not homogeneous on motives to attend a sporting event. The
four identified segments differ by socio-demographics, overall satisfaction, revisit, and recommend intentions.
Implications for attracting participants to IWC and marketing of youth sporting events in general are
suggested.
(IWC) in 2012 and identifying whether motivational profiles differ by demographics and post-consumption
behaviors. The IWC is an annual event hosted by the city of Teramo-Italy and is aimed at young participants
interested in the sport of handball. Based on a sample of international sport tourists (n = 242), the study
uncovers four clusters of participants (Indifferent, Enthusiast, Socializer, and Competitive). The results confirm
that the youth segment of sport tourists is not homogeneous on motives to attend a sporting event. The
four identified segments differ by socio-demographics, overall satisfaction, revisit, and recommend intentions.
Implications for attracting participants to IWC and marketing of youth sporting events in general are
suggested.
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This study investigates students from Generation Y (Gen Y) perceptions of hotel disintermediation in France and also considers the influence of User Generated Content on travellers’ choice of accommodation. A sample of 378 student... more
This study investigates students from Generation Y (Gen Y) perceptions of hotel disintermediation in France and also considers the influence of User Generated Content on travellers’ choice of accommodation. A sample of 378 student travellers from France was used to uncover the underlying dimensions of disintermediation perceptions. T-test and cross tabulations indicated that demographics such as gender and age had a significant influence on perceptions. The results suggest that hotel managers and travel agencies should monitor Gen Y perceptions of the benefits and constraints of using the internet and travel agencies for hotel booking. Accommodation providers should create affective commitment in their young customers through online channels to maintain long-term relationships.
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Modeling behavioral intentions remain an important area of research in tourism. This study empirically tests a model linking tourists' emotional experiences, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The model proposes that satisfaction... more
Modeling behavioral intentions remain an important area of research in tourism. This study empirically tests a model linking tourists' emotional experiences, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The model proposes that satisfaction mediates the relationship between tourists' emotional experiences and behavioral intentions. Data were collected from international tourists visiting Petra, a UNESCO world heritage site. Contrary to theoretical predictions, results do not support the mediating effect of satisfaction on the relationship between emotions (joy, love, positive surprise, and unpleasantness) and behavioral intentions. Findings offer important strategic marketing implications for Petra in relation to branding and managing destination experiences.
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Limited research exists on the tourism outbound market from the Middle East. To address the literature gap, this study investigates young UAE travel motivations and perceptions of Paris as a luxury tourist destination. Data were collected... more
Limited research exists on the tourism outbound market from the Middle East. To address the literature gap, this study investigates young UAE travel motivations and perceptions of Paris as a luxury tourist destination. Data were collected from residents living in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Cluster analysis uncovers three distinct clusters; enthusiasts, unconvinced, and convivials. Multiple discriminant analysis confirms the validity of the three-cluster solution. The three groups differ by their perceptions of Paris and overall attitude towardtoward luxury consumption. Findings offer important implications for destination marketers in terms of advertising, segmentation and positioning strategies.
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The purpose of this study is to identify the nature of conflicts generated between DMOs and other stakeholders in the process of place marketing. The Western Cape and Cape Town form the basis of a case study that explores stakeholders’... more
The purpose of this study is to identify the nature of conflicts generated between DMOs and other stakeholders in the process of place marketing. The Western Cape and Cape Town form the basis of a case study that explores stakeholders’ perceptions. In-depth interviews with 58 stakeholders using a phenomenological approach were undertaken. The use of a qualitative approach requires credibility of interpretation, which was achieved by triangulation of findings with the literature. The findings indicate the existence of four broad themes in the data: defining the destination product, marketing awareness of the destination, brand associations and marketing channels. For example, the first theme relates to conflicts in the way the product is defined for marketing purposes. Alignment of stakeholders’ needs and DMOs may not necessarily happen following a branding process for a city destination. Implications for destination management and stakeholder management are suggested.
Keywords: place marketing, conflicts, stakeholders, phenomenology, Cape Town
Keywords: place marketing, conflicts, stakeholders, phenomenology, Cape Town
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The purpose of this study is to identify the role, importance and outcomes attributed to human resource development (HRD) by line managers in the Mauritian hotel industry. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from a purposive... more
The purpose of this study is to identify the role, importance and outcomes attributed to human resource development (HRD) by line managers in the Mauritian hotel industry. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from a purposive sample of 135 hotel line managers. A two-step procedure was followed to analyse data. First, thematic analysis identified key themes in the textual data. Second, the artificial neural software CATPAC was used to generate interrelationships among the themes. Results show that HRD is related to organisational success, service quality improvements, sharing of knowledge and improvements in operational efficiency. Four key outcomes of HRD were identified: improvements in staff attitude, better teamwork, enhanced productivity and better service delivery. The findings indicate the prevalence of a need-driven approach to HRD and the link between HRD and corporate strategy is not clear. Results have implications for organisational and destination competitiveness.
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Publikationsansicht. 31740838. An investigation into international tourists' perceptions of Cape Town as a holiday destination : one destination - an unforgettable experience / (2003).Prayag, Girish. Abstract. Word... more
Publikationsansicht. 31740838. An investigation into international tourists' perceptions of Cape Town as a holiday destination : one destination - an unforgettable experience / (2003).Prayag, Girish. Abstract. Word processed copy.. Thesis (M. Bus. Sc. ...
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""Although consumer behaviour is one of the most researched areas in the field of tourism, few extensive reviews of the body of knowledge in this area exist. This review article examines what we argue are the key concepts, external... more
""Although consumer behaviour is one of the most researched areas in the field of tourism, few extensive reviews of the body of knowledge in this area exist. This review article examines what we argue are the key concepts, external influences and opportune research contexts in contemporary tourism consumer behaviour research. Using a narrative review, we examine the consumer behaviour literature published in three major tourism journals from 2000 to 2012. Of 519 articles identified and reviewed, 191 are included in this article. We examine the development of and scope for future research on nine key concepts, including decision making, values, motivations, self-concept and personality, expectations, attitudes, perceptions satisfaction, trust and loyalty. We then examine three important external influences on tourism behaviour, technology, Generation Y and the rise in concern over ethical consumption. Lastly, we identify and discuss five research contexts that represent major areas for future scholarship: group and joint decision making, under-researched segments, cross-cultural issues in emerging markets, emotions and consumer misbehaviour. Our examination of key research gaps is concluded by arguing that the hedonic and affective aspects of consumer behaviour research in tourism must be brought to bear on the wider consumer behaviour and marketing literature.
Keywords: consumption, travel, behaviour, marketing, research agenda
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Keywords: consumption, travel, behaviour, marketing, research agenda
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"This study examines the propensity for long-haul independent travel amongst young Chinese travelers and evaluates the corresponding management implications. The paper reports findings of a survey of 403 potential travelers to Western... more
"This study examines the propensity for long-haul independent travel amongst young Chinese travelers and evaluates the corresponding management implications. The paper reports findings of a survey of 403 potential travelers to Western Europe. Three clusters of visitors were identified based on their service expectations and profiled using their motives and socio-demographics. Unlike previous studies emphasizing the homogeneous behavior of the Chinese outbound market (e.g. packaged tours and group travel), our findings suggest a nascent Chinese independent travel segment that does not conform to Western conceptualizations of the ‘typical’ attitudes and behaviors of such visitors. This may portend the end of backpackers as a discrete group as the outbound Chinese market diversifies and engages Western Europe’s independent travel infrastructure in multiple ways. Recommendations are offered for managing expectations, marketing independent travel amenities and facilities, and service provision to these visitors.
Keywords: Mainland China, outbound tourism, Western Europe, service expectations, segmentation, independent/backpacker travel
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Keywords: Mainland China, outbound tourism, Western Europe, service expectations, segmentation, independent/backpacker travel
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"Market segmentation is ubiquitous in marketing. Hierarchical and non-hierarchical methods are the most popular for segmenting tourism markets. These methods are not without much controversy. In this study, we use bagged clustering on the... more
"Market segmentation is ubiquitous in marketing. Hierarchical and non-hierarchical methods are the most popular for segmenting tourism markets. These methods are not without much controversy. In this study, we use bagged clustering on the push and pull factors of Western Europe to segment potential young Chinese travelers. Bagged clustering overcomes some of the limitations of hierarchical and non-hierarchical methods. A sample of 403 travelers revealed the existence of four clusters of potential visitors. The clusters were subsequently profiled on socio-demographics and travel characteristics. The findings suggest a nascent young Chinese independent travel segment that cannot be distinguished on push factors but can be differentiated on their perceptions of the current independent travel infrastructure in Western Europe. Managerial implications are offered on marketing and service provision to the young Chinese outbound travel market.
Keywords: segmentation, bagged clustering, push-pull factors, independent/backpacker travel, Western Europe
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Keywords: segmentation, bagged clustering, push-pull factors, independent/backpacker travel, Western Europe
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