Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Elevating the boutique appeal: generating a sense of place in luxury hospitality through virtual tours

Elevating the boutique appeal: generating a sense of place in luxury hospitality through virtual... Place identity refers to the combination of physical setting, social interactions, emotions and associated meanings. This research paper aims to broaden knowledge about boutique concepts and to examine the role of advertisement types suited to generate a heightened sense of place for customers. The design and delivery of tangible and intangible components of the boutique service experience are investigated to better understand business-relevant customer outcomes.Design/methodology/approachAn introductory qualitative study explores the key features and managerial relevance of the boutique appeal as a means to communicate personalization and a sense of place. Interviews with managers of a boutique catering service are conducted and thematically analyzed. A quantitative follow-up study examines the effect of the boutique appeal on hotel image, purchase intention and willingness to pay.FindingsA boutique hotel appeal is more attractive to customers (compared to traditional luxury appeals) when it is advertised using visually engaging virtual tours because it augments customers’ sensation of place identity. The mediating psychological mechanism, place identity, represents the essential emotional component evoked by boutique concepts and its positive effect on managerially relevant customer outcomes.Originality/valueThis paper provides insight for the design and management of boutique concepts to better shape and predict consumer responses in various luxury hospitality industries. The process by which customers identify with the location where the service is provided, socialize with staff and attach meaning to these settings evokes a sense of place identity, a critical resource in the process of value co-creation. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality Emerald Publishing

Elevating the boutique appeal: generating a sense of place in luxury hospitality through virtual tours

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/elevating-the-boutique-appeal-generating-a-sense-of-place-in-luxury-TCkijL2QjE
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
2752-6666
eISSN
2752-6674
DOI
10.1108/cbth-05-2022-0121
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Place identity refers to the combination of physical setting, social interactions, emotions and associated meanings. This research paper aims to broaden knowledge about boutique concepts and to examine the role of advertisement types suited to generate a heightened sense of place for customers. The design and delivery of tangible and intangible components of the boutique service experience are investigated to better understand business-relevant customer outcomes.Design/methodology/approachAn introductory qualitative study explores the key features and managerial relevance of the boutique appeal as a means to communicate personalization and a sense of place. Interviews with managers of a boutique catering service are conducted and thematically analyzed. A quantitative follow-up study examines the effect of the boutique appeal on hotel image, purchase intention and willingness to pay.FindingsA boutique hotel appeal is more attractive to customers (compared to traditional luxury appeals) when it is advertised using visually engaging virtual tours because it augments customers’ sensation of place identity. The mediating psychological mechanism, place identity, represents the essential emotional component evoked by boutique concepts and its positive effect on managerially relevant customer outcomes.Originality/valueThis paper provides insight for the design and management of boutique concepts to better shape and predict consumer responses in various luxury hospitality industries. The process by which customers identify with the location where the service is provided, socialize with staff and attach meaning to these settings evokes a sense of place identity, a critical resource in the process of value co-creation.

Journal

Consumer Behavior in Tourism and HospitalityEmerald Publishing

Published: Feb 8, 2023

Keywords: Value co-creation; Place identity; Advertising appeal; Virtual tour; Boutique concept; Hospitality service

References