Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

Srikanth Beldona; Kunwei Lin; Joanne Yoo

2012 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881211248772

Purpose – As mobile devices amass greater capabilities that include broadband internet and global positioning systems (GPS), the relevance of location based marketing (LBM) services has gained increased attention among tourism researchers and marketers alike. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of personal travel innovativeness, information privacy and the type of delivery method (pull vs push) on the perception of potential value in LBM programs. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from travelers at two large airports in the USA. A 2*2 design that comprised LBM (services vs promotions) and the delivery method (pull vs push) combined with two primary covariates, namely personal travel innovativeness and information privacy, evaluated the potential value of LBM programs amongst consumers. Findings – The findings indicate that personal travel innovativeness has a significant impact on the perception of potential value in LBM. Additionally, the pull delivery method was more amenable to customers when compared with the push delivery method. Research limitations/implications – There are significant implications for practitioners in the way LBM programs can be conceived and implemented. Also, marketing messages can be produced based on the relevance of the findings. Originality/value – The paper is the first to directly ascertain the impact of the delivery method and travel innovativeness in an emerging domain of LBM using a synthesis of constructs.

Erdogan Ekiz; Catheryn Khoo‐Lattimore; Faranak Memarzadeh

2012 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881211248817

Purpose – Given the importance of negative word of mouth and growing number of hotel customers who leave their complaints on the web, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the complaints posted by guests who have stayed at luxury hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – The dataset for this paper is a compilation of hotel reviews collected from TripAdvisor between November 2010 and January 2011. A thematic analysis was used in order to identify emergent themes from the dataset, which were explored and discussed in relation to the existing literature on complaining behavior as well as the aims of the study. The six phases of analysis outlined in the relevant literature was used to guide data analysis. Findings – Analysis of the 320 scripts produced a total of 1,453 different incidents. Results of the analysis produced 54 different themes. A frequency analysis conducted to rank these 54 themes in terms of how frequently they are stated. Some of the extracted themes and their frequency from the most significant to least are as follows; “rooms”, “arrogant and/or clueless staff” and “failure to respond”. Practical implications – Rooms as the setting of the accommodation services, received the highest number of complaints from the luxury hotel guests, and suggest that Malaysian hoteliers should focus on the basics of accommodation and provide tangible quality factors. Moreover, the findings of the analysis suggest that the luxury hotels are suffering from service failures caused by inexperienced, unprofessional, misbehaving staff, which calls for strong recruitment, training and continuous improvement on the hoteliers' part. The findings highlight some important measures that hoteliers can use as guidelines to further improve their service offerings. Originality/value – Customers who share dissatisfying experiences and disseminate negative word‐of‐mouth have been a significant challenge for companies who under‐deliver. This problem is more of a major concern today with the aid of technology and the speed of internet. Despite the increasing importance, comparatively little has been written on how guests use the internet to share their experiences.

Marios Soteriades

2012 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881211248781

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential contribution of some approaches, i.e. value‐chain, strategic marketing, electronic marketing and clustering, and to suggest a conceptual framework allowing improving effectiveness in the field of promoting tourism destinations. Hence, the paper puts forward a conceptual framework allowing attaining an integrated approach in tourism destination marketing. Design/methodology/approach – The approach adopted and implemented for this study is a desk research based on extensive literature and well‐established theories. Findings – The paper provides insights into a comprehensive approach to destination marketing planning and implementation and suggests a conceptual framework encompassing approaches contributing to improve effectiveness and efficiency in the field of destination marketing. Practical implications – The factors influencing e‐marketing and clustering approaches are highlighted and a set of recommendations are put forward for destination marketers. Originality/value – Destination marketing organisations all over the world have to implement innovative and appropriate approaches; and use adequate tools and techniques in order to improve their marketing activities effectiveness and efficiency. The paper successfully addresses the complexity in the field of destination marketing due to the various stakeholders involved and to the nature of tourism product/experience. Therefore, this paper successfully suggests a conceptual framework contributing to improve effectiveness and efficiency of activities of destination marketing organizations by adopting an integrated approach based on well‐established theories.

Thomas A. Maier

2012 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881211248790

Purpose – In the hotel industry today, web site marketing and third party distribution metrics are of critical importance in understanding the effectiveness of hotel revenue management objectives. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new model which tests hotel web‐effectiveness using the following variables: reach, content, consistency and price parity (RCO2P). Design/methodology/approach – For the current RCO2P study, the hotel sample was broken down into two segment groupings of five hotels: luxury; and upper‐upscale. The ten full‐service hotels were monitored over a 90‐day period using room rate quotations and ordinal values across 14 dimensions based on three pre‐selected arrival dates. Findings – Results of the RCO2P study indicated preferential display sequencing emerged as a significant factor in the reach category among all hotel properties reviewed. Only six of ten properties were measured as having achieved optimal web‐effectiveness, while poor price‐parity competency reflected the most situation‐critical performance among sampled hotel properties. Originality/value – International comparative research methodologies were examined and determined to be effective models of certain hotel web‐effectiveness dimensions; however, a comprehensive hotel web‐effectiveness measurement model is still lacking which can better inform hotel industry executives. Therefore, future research should incorporate a best practice research approach combining the current RCO2P study elements with other web‐effectiveness measurement criteria based on the collective best practices identified among the research studies reviewed.

Ergün Kaya; Murat Azaltun

2012 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/17579881211248808

Purpose – Supply chain management (SCM) has become important in the service sector nowadays, because customer satisfaction is dependent on the efficiency of supply chain activities. Hotels are operations where personal guest satisfaction is a major priority. A large and diverse range of supply factors are gathered according to the requirements of guests, and then service is provided. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of SCM and information system (IS) in five‐star hotels. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from senior management and relevant department authorities of five‐star hotels in Istanbul by asking them open‐ended questions. The findings were evaluated with descriptive analysis and different conditions of usage information systems in SCM were presented and then issues were determined. Findings – The findings were evaluated in five groups; four of them being: First, purchasing, inventory management, warehousing, customer relationship and service production processes in these enterprises are mainly being carried out by conventional methods. Second, internet is being used instead of fax as a means of communication in the supply chain. Third, respondents say that the use of information systems is reflected in the speed, reliability, easy access, low cost applications and time saving within the supply chain process. Fourth, Netsis program is the most frequently used and the advantage of its ERP applications are also being used. Research limitations/implications – The findings were evaluated by descriptive analysis method. Because of the low number of participants, statistical analysis does not give meaningful results. Consistency of responses given by participants is tested by the investigation of cross relations between the questions. Originality/value – In this paper, the supply chain structure in hotels, and supply chain information systems are being examined through the interactions of the members. To achieve this goal, the relationship between information systems and the supply chain structure has been established and the role of information systems in SCM is determined with the help of corporate information systems.