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Publication A Comparative Analysis of the Travel Motivations of Ecotourists and Conventional Tourists in Wisconsin(2012) Maleski, GloriaThe growing field of ecotourism has led to several studies assessing the travel motivations of ecotourists. This study further examines ecotourists by comparing their travel motivations to those of conventional tourists. It is found that conventional tourists consider some natural aspects of travel to be important travel motivations; however, ecotourists place significantly more importance on nature as a travel motivation than conventional tourists. Furthermore, ecotourists considered experiencing and being in nature to be important considerations when making the decision to travel while conventional tourists were more concerned with the cost of the trip and the entertainment available at the site.Publication Antecedents of Effective Environmental Management in a Hotel Setting: A Test of the Value-Belief-Norm Theory(2012) Rubin, Simon D.; White, Dave D.; Lee, Woojin; Basile, GeorgeThe purpose of this quantitative study is to test the validity of a behavioral theory in the context of environmental hotel management. The lack of theoretical consideration in previous studies on environmental attitudes of hotel/resort managers warrants an investigation of a theory with the potential to better explain behaviors that support the goals of environment management systems. The goal of this research was to document the values, beliefs, personal norms, and environmental management support behaviors of managers in a hospitality setting to test the behavioral theory. Data were collected from a sample of hotel and resort managers in the Phoenix metropolitan area by using a survey of well-documented items from previous research on the theory. Results suggest the theory is successful in explaining environmental management support behaviors. Implications for practitioners as well as researchers are discussedPublication Hotelier Attitudes toward Sustainability in Virginia Beach(2012) Burrows, Rachel; Rozier Rich, Dr. SamanthaThis study examined Virginia Beach hoteliers’ knowledge surrounding sustainable tourism, awareness of sustainable programs offered both on the local and national levels, and evaluation of the current sustainable programs available in Virginia Beach. The Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau distributed a sustainability-focused survey to the General Managers of all hotels in Virginia Beach city limits. With the various programs available and limited success to this point, it is imperative to get hoteliers involved in order to continue to work toward Virginia Beach’s vision of being a sustainable destination. In order for Virginia Beach to continue to position itself as a premier sustainable destination, its leaders must educate their hoteliers of the programs available in order to increase engagement.Publication Tourist destination image: advantages and limits of transferring face to face qualitative data collection onto the Internet(2012) Frochot, Isabelle; Mosarola, JeanThe research presented investigates the advantages and limits of transferring a qualitative research approach (by interviews) onto the Internet. Internet offers the possibility to reproduce, to some extent, the interactive characteristics of face to face interviewing and these possibilities are tested in the research. A study on 200 consumers of ski resorts shows that while Internet opens up new dimensions to qualitative data collection, it cannot fully replace the presence of an interviewer. Results also indicate that image and word descriptions have different effects upon respondents’ answers and that Internet provides some interesting scope to encourage creative response from consumersPublication Accommodating Taste Variations in Tourist Satisfaction Analysis(2012) Wu, Lingling; Zhang, JunyiIt has been indicated that tourists’ satisfactions with each component of the destination have significant, positive, and direct effects on overall satisfaction. However, the existing researches have not satisfactorily represented individual heterogeneity in tourist satisfaction analysis. It is expected that the levels of importance attached to each component will vary across different tourists. To accommodate such kind of taste variations, this study employs the ordered probit model with random effect parameters to investigate the influence of component satisfaction on overall satisfaction. The model is applied to analyze tourist satisfaction in Kyusyu, Chugoku and Shikoku regions of Japan. The empirical results confirm the existence of taste variations in tourists’ valuation of three components, namely tourism resource, transportation system and supporting facilities. The finding has important practical implications for both destination management and policy makingPublication Impact of Summer Residential Camps on the Tourism System(2012) Xu, Shuangyu; Rozier Rich, Dr. Samantha; Gacio Harrolle, Dr. Michelle; Kelley, KatherineA study was conducted to understand the contributions of organized summer camps to the tourism system, as well as their contributions to the local economy. The sources of information families used for trip planning were also explored. Results revealed that summer residential camps in Western North Carolina can be a catalyst for the travel and tourism industry. In addition to the generation of considerable economic impact and substantial tax revenues, summer camps also draw the majority of camp families and staff to travel great distances to local areas, spend large amounts of money there, and actively participate in tourist opportunities.Publication Capacity Building and Institutional Development Partnership: University of Florida and Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa(2012) Thapa, Brijesh; Pennington-Gray, Lori; Russo, Sandra; Friedheim, Eric; Geldenhuys, Sue; Coetzee, WillieCapacity building and institutional development through training is a key component for the vitality and sustainability of the tourism industry in South Africa. The overall advancement of qualified, trained and skilled labor force is crucial, given the rate of growth and future trends. In order to address this major need, the University of Florida and Tshwane University of Technology have formulated a three-year partnership (2009-2012) to strengthen curriculum, research, and faculty enhancement initiatives in tourism management in South Africa. This presentation will outline and expand the partnership objectives and accomplishments. This example can be a model for international academic partnerships.Publication CAPACITY BUILDING PARTNERSHIP: A MODEL FOR INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COLLABORATION TO IMPROVE TOURISM EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND INDUSTRY OUTREACH. University of Florida, USA and the State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Russian Federation(2012) Stephenkova, Svetlana; Pennington-Gray, LoriThe proposed model of international collaboration between the University of Florida (UF), USA, and the State University of Nizhni Novgorod (UNN), Russian Federation, aims to strengthen teaching process, research, and industry outreach in partner institutions. The model includes curriculum development and delivery, faculty training, student exchange, facilitation of research through creation of a center for tourism research at UNN, and involving industry professionals in the education process. When implemented, the project will contribute to producing better specialists in the area of tourism and hospitality management and, on a larger scale, positively transform societies in both the Nizhni Novgorod region, Russia, and the state of Florida, USA.Publication Food Tourism and Branding Tropical North Queensland(2012) che, Deborah; Wright, Rose; Rae, RobynAgricultural producers in Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) have diversified through food tourism. This paper examines how industry and stakeholders see regional cuisine and local agricultural production as fitting into overall destination development and the region’s brand. A focus on local foods, including development of the Taste Paradise food brand, can strengthen TNQ’s ‘tropical paradise’ tourism brand. By moving beyond a reef and rainforest focus, which is increasingly problematic given climate change predictions, expanding the TNQ brand through food can help the region tap into new segments, increase awareness of TNQ as a multiexperience destination, and sustain agricultural producers.Publication Tea Tourism: Examining University Faculty Members’ Expectations(2012) Zhou, Mi; Hsieh, Yuchin (Jerrie); Canziani, BonnieTea tourism is emerging worldwide as a new type of sustainable cultural tourism; a market to which little academic attention has been paid. This study surveyed a total of 246 university faculty members in United States, China, and Taiwan with regard to their perceptions of tea tourism, including their levels of interest in various tea tourism activities and importance of tour components. The findings of this study revealed that demographic factors, cultural backgrounds, and self-reported expertise with regard to tea culture were significantly associated with respondents’ expectations towards tea tourism. Practical recommendations in tea tourism marketing were provided.Publication A Preliminary Assessment of Traveler’s Emotional Response to Their Vacation(2012) Kerstetter, Deborah; Usher, Lindsay; Iarmolenko, SvitlanaDespite the fact that researchers have linked individuals’ interpretation of their emotions to behavioral outcomes such as well-being, resilience and service evaluation, few researchers have studied emotions during a vacation. We rose to the challenge by conducting a study that involved the use of a diary, which individuals completed each day of their vacation. Respondents used the diary to document their emotions on the modified Differential Emotions Scale and through a follow-up open-ended question. Results provided support for the notion that emotion is a multidimensional construct, and converged with past research that suggests existing emotion scales may not be entirely appropriate for the measurement of emotions in a pleasure travel context. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed and directions for future research are noted.Publication Gender Differences in Travel Constraints and Changed Travel Pattern after a Senior Travel Program Introduces: A Case Study of the Florence County Senior Travel Program(2012) Ahn, Young-joo; Wooten, Dr. Marian H.; Norman, Dr. William C.; McGuire, Dr, FrancisThe purposes of this study were to explore pleasure travel constraints among adults aged 50 and over and investigate the gender differences of pleasure travel constraints. Moreover, this study investigated whether there were changed pleasure travel patterns among a specific group of older adults since an organized tour opportunity is available in their resident county, Florence County, South Carolina. The findings of this study indicated that female travelers perceived more travel constraints, however, they had a higher level of travel interest than males. Comparing the proportion of changed pleasure travel patterns with the FCPRD travel program, most of female travelers chose to participate in the FCPRD travel programs. As the FCPRD organized travel program was introduced, female travelers appeared to take more opportunities to travel than males.Publication Applying the Consumption Emotions Set to sport tourism(2012) Krohn, Brian D.Research has highlighted the natural relationship between tourism and the concepts of hedonic experiences and experiential consumption. Understanding the emotional response to an experience can help marketers highlight important aspects of the satisfaction judgment. The purpose of this paper was to test the Consumption Emotions Set developed by Richins to verify its applicability in a sport tourism context. Results from confirmatory factor analysis indicate that while the scale has promise, it is important to adjust the scale to the context. Not all experiences evoke the full range of consumption emotions as presented by Richins.Publication Consumer Preference for Sustainable Tourism Certifications: A Choice Modeling Approach(2012) Lacher, R. Geoffrey; Oh, Chi-ok; Norman, William C.Certifying tourism businesses as sustainable has been proposed as a means to connect the academic goals of ecotourism to the industry. One obstacle that impedes the development of widely recognized sustainable tourism certifications is the lack of knowledge regarding consumer preferences for these certifications. A better understanding of consumer desires is needed in order to create sustainable tourism certifications that will generate price premiums for certified businesses and thus accelerate the growth of certified businesses. This study uses a stated-preference choice modeling approach to examine consumer preference for sustainable tourism certifications amongst international tourists in Tanzania. Results suggest that certifications that emphasize environmental sustainability are more important to tourists than certifications that emphasize cultural or economic sustainability. Additionally, the more stringent certifications provide relatively little increase in consumer utility. The implications of the findings on the development of sustainable tourism certifications are discussed.Publication A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS IN DESTINATION MARKETING(2012) Huang, Dr. Yu-Chih; Backman, Dr. Sheila J.Second life has been used by the travel and tourism industry as a collaborative and commercial tool for communicating with travelers as well as tourism enterprises in the areas of destination marketing (e.g. Tourism Ireland), business management (i.e. Starwood Hotels; Crowne Plaza; STA travel agents). However, few studies have applied theory to understand the significance of 3D virtual worlds to tourism destinations. Thus, the intent of the present study is to test the applicability the Self-Determination Theory in understanding the use of Second Life in destination marketing and its association to develop consideration and awareness for potential customers in their destination choicesPublication Self-image and product-image: Compensatory self-incongruity in tourism(2012) Duguay, BenoitPrior research demonstrates the influence of self-concept on consumption. The dominant theory is that of self-congruity, a concept that highlights the tendency of people to behave in a way that maintains consistency between their self-image and the product-image of goods and services they consume. This study differs from previous research in that it demonstrates the role of consumption as a means of compensation for people whose self-image is negative, as established by their weak self-esteem, and applies this knowledge to three products related to the tourism industry: restaurants, cultural shows and luxury products (e.g., lavish cruises and prestigious hotels).Publication Beer Tourists: Who Are They?(2012) Francioni, Jennifer; Byrd, Erick T.Craft beer as an industry has been growing rapidly across the United States over the past decade. This growth and interest has created an emerging niche market in tourism, beer tourism. The purpose of this study is to expand on the knowledge of who a beer tourist is based on demographics, psychographics, and motivational factors. Also, this paper explored if this miconiche could be further divided into more specific segments. Results from the study show that the main motivation for beer tourists to visit a brewery is related to experiencing/ tasting new beers and learning more about the beer, brewery, or industry. It was also found that visitor’s whose main travel purpose was to visit the brewery were statistically significantly different on 5 motivational items than those visitors who had an alternative main purpose to their visit.Publication Influence of experience and trip characteristics on satisfaction(2012) Krohn, Brian D.; Backman, SheilaFeelings of satisfaction have been shown to be an important concept when understanding the experience of the tourist as a gauge of the quality of the experience as well as a measure of potential for future behavior. Further research is needed to better understand what influences feelings of satisfaction. This paper examines the impact of levels of experience/ability and trip characteristics. Results indicate that players with higher levels of ability were more likely to be satisfied with the experience.Publication Differences Between Tourism Professionals’ Value of Sustainable Tourism(2012) Cardenas, David A.; Byrd, Erick T.This paper is an exploratory investigation to access the value a stakeholder group places on the different dimensions of sustainable tourism. Most definitions of sustainable tourism include three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. This study used on an online survey to determine if members of the Southeast Tourism Society understood that sustainable tourism included all three dimensions, and if they valued those three dimensions differently. Results and conclusions will be presented at the conference.Publication Revising Importance-Performance Analysis combined with Regression Model: Applied to Seniors’ Travel Motivations(2012) Yun, Dongkoo; Chung, Seung-Hoon; Kwon, Mun-HoThis study proposed a revised Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) approach that combines with a regression model due to the strong relationships between the 15 paired variables regarding seniors’ importance of motivations and perceived performance of experiences. Findings suggest that a combination of the traditional IPA results and predicted values (lines) from a linear regression analysis makes better understandings of the customers’ perceptions and behaviours in the target market, which is the senior travel market in this study. Future research should be undertaken to validate the revised IPA model suggested in this study using different constructs/variables in different markets