Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

Sanjay Chib; France Cheong

2011 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881111173730

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe multiple case studies based on free/open‐source software (F/OSS) web applications. F/OSS web applications were deployed to create a demo web‐portal for Swiss small‐ and medium‐sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs). The web‐portal will demonstrate web applications for the purpose of F/OSS awareness and their subsequent trials. Design/methodology/approach – Multiple case studies using rapid prototyping methods to deploy F/OSS web applications were used. Findings – It was found that a web‐portal for increasing awareness and enabling interactive trials in the context of web applications suited to service organisations such as the SMTEs would enable further investigation regarding F/OSS adoption in the SMTE community. Research limitations/implications – Major components deployed in developing a web‐portal provide a limited set of trials and do not represent the wide range of F/OSS applications which might be applicable to the SMTE community. Originality/value – F/OSS applications, especially web‐based business applications, are increasingly being adopted for commercial purposes. However, building awareness and enabling exploration of such applications in the context of SMTEs is still a rare occurrence.

Ajay Aluri; Radesh Palakurthi

2011 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881111173749

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of demographic factors (age, gender, education, income) on consumer attitudes and their intentions to use radio frequency identification (RFID) in the hotel industry. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative research methodology was used in this study. The methods used for this study are both descriptive and causal modeling tests. This research study used web‐survey method for collecting and analyzing data. The measurement model was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis using the maximum likelihood method and structural equation modeling was used to estimate the parameters of the structural model. Findings – The results indicate that there are few differences in consumer attitudes and intentions in terms of the demographic factors. It can be concluded that consumer differences can be associated with consumer attitudes that are determined by age. The results for demographic factors, gender, income, and education levels indicate no difference in the attitudes and intentions of consumers to use RFIDs. Research limitations/implications – Considering the fact that “trendy and hip” hotels are emerging in the industry, it is vital to understand the perceptions of Gen Y and Gen Z on specific RFIDs. A future research to study the influence of consumer demographics on security and privacy concerns is highly recommended in the hotel industry. The study may not have the complete list of population members who are frequent travelers in the US hotel industry. Practical implications – Older consumer may consider themselves too old, less innovative, and having low cognitive capabilities to use RFIDs. Hotel organizations may provide familiar RFIDs to young consumers. The costs of RFID technologies are diminishing and hotels can offer RFIDs that enhances user benefits and experience. On the other side, hotels can use RFIDs to improve efficiency and employee performance. Originality/value – This study provided significant insights by empirically investigating consumer differences and its influence on attitudes and intentions to use RFIDs. The results of this study fill the gaps in understanding consumer behavior to use RFIDs in the hotel industry. In addition, exploring consumer attitudes and intentions to use RFIDs could facilitate hotel organizations to make right investment decisions on RFIDs.

Jonathon Day; Liz Ward; Suh‐hee Choi; Chen (Zara) Zhao

2011 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881111173758

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the demand curve for information on tourism destinations and accommodation. The current study compares the demand curves for this information to trends described by Chris Anderson as the “long tail”. Design/methodology/approach – The current study examines the demand for information about accommodation establishments and destinations in Australia through the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW). The study examines the demand for information received through the ATDW in 2009 for 5,600 Australian destinations and over 33,200 accommodation listings. Demand for information was measured by page impressions (PIs). Over 10 million PIs were received for destinations and more than 17 million PIs were received for accommodation listings, all of which were examined. Findings – The current research shows that both accommodation and destination demand curves display the extended demand curve typical of the long tail phenomenon. The analysis also shows that demand curves within the aggregate demand curve also follow “long tail” demand curves. The study contributes to understanding of the demand curve for tourism information for Australian product using the ATDW. Originality/value – The paper provides analysis of tourism information demand in the context of the “long tail” phenomenon.

Jin Young Chung; Faiz I. Anuar; Hanyoung Go; Ulrike Gretzel

2011 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881111173767

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test if and how interactive thematic maps can encourage the formation of tourists' perceptual maps of attractions in a destination. Design/methodology/approach – Data were derived from 365 online trip planners generated by users of the Amish Country web site from 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008. Given the nature of the data set, network analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. Findings – Network analysis findings demonstrate that the things to do (TTD) included in the interactive Heritage Trail map were more frequently bundled together in the saved trip plans than TTDs included in other sections of the web site. Further analysis suggests that some additional non‐Heritage TTDs could be included in the Heritage Trail map due to their perceptual proximity. Practical implications – The findings provide evidence that interactive maps on web sites can play an important role in tourists' planning behavior, which has significant implications for online tourism marketing. The findings also provide insights as to how online behavioral data can be used to derive marketing intelligence. Originality/value – This study contributes to the theoretical development of the role of interactive maps in travel planning and also illustrates the usefulness of network analysis for investigating tourism‐related issues.

Jacques Bulchand‐Gidumal; Santiago Melián‐González; Beatriz González López‐Valcárcel

2011 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881111173776

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether offering free Wi‐Fi improves hotels' online ratings, which are considered a measure of customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical research was conducted using the salient features of downloaded reviews (e.g. dates and types of travelers) of 26,439 hotels in 200 destinations. Findings – It was found that offering free Wi‐Fi helps hotels improve their ratings by up to 8 percent. Business centers and room service are irrelevant to customers. Allowing pets can improve ratings by up to 1 percent. Business hotels clients are systematically more dissatisfied than those who stay at non‐business hotels. Research limitations/implications – The quality of the Wi‐Fi offered (e.g. its speed, ease of use, and areas of availability) was not measured. It would also be interesting to perform further analyses based on the profiles of the reviewers. Practical implications – Hotels must offer free Wi‐Fi and should consider information and communication technologies as a way to improve customer satisfaction. Originality/value – The number of hotels studied guarantees accurate results. The study provides a clear measurement of the improvement that can be achieved by offering a specific amenity and assesses the relative significance of other hotel amenities (i.e. business centers, room service).