Market escape through exchange: home swap as a form of non-commercial hospitality

The purpose of this paper is to examine home swap - a form of non-commercial hospitality that has witnessed a great expansion in the last decade. In conjunction with prior writings on various subjects related to home swap, this study can be utilized in compiling a preliminary conceptualization of home swapping, as a form of non-commercial hospitality, with its own characteristics. In particular this study identifies six dimensions of home swap, namely (a) escape of the market; (b) asymmetric exchanges (c) need for trustiness; (d) use of a hospitality exchange network; (e) demand for domesticity and (f) quest to experience local authenticity. The results of this study are being utilized to construct a preliminary conceptualization of home swapping as a distinct vacation alternative building on old virtues and using new technology

Cruise visitors’ experience in a Mediterranean port of call

This study aims to provide a better understanding on cruise travel experience by studying cruise ship passengers motivation, satisfaction and likelihood of return to the port of Heraklion (Crete, Greece). From the findings, it is evident that ‘exploration’ and ‘escape’ were among the main motivations of visitors, and ‘product and services’ as well as ‘tour pace’ were significant dimensions in shaping overall satisfaction levels. Nevertheless, onshore activities were restricted to sightseeing and shopping, because of the limited available time. Based on these findings, relevant proposals are made in order to provide positive port experiences

The determinants of foreign direct investment: a panel data study for the OECD countries

This study examines panel data evidence concerning empirical relevance between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attraction and its determinative effects. The main bulk of FDI is among the developed countries. Indeed, OECD countries has probably been the most potential group in undertaking FDI by caring out about 95% of the total outward FDI while, on average, 75% of the world FDI was directed into OECD countries. In this paper, we first present and analyse the theoretical/empirical findings on FDI, then we focus on assessing the relative significance of the factors that may attract FDI via a panel data regression analysis for a sample consisting of 20 OECD countries for 23 years (1975-1997). Our findings suggest that certain variables such as human capital and trade regime, as well as, the density of infrastructure appear to be robust under different specifications. Positive significance of the agglomeration factor is also observed, confirming the relevant theoretical propositions. However certain deferential variables, such as the governmental policy effect, could not be fully captured due to the statistical homogeneity of the sample

Measuring tourist satisfaction: a factor-cluster segmentation approach

Tourist satisfaction has been considered as a tool for increasing destination competitiveness. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of tourists’ satisfaction in an island mass destination this study has taken Crete as a case with the aim to identify the underlying dimensions of tourists’ satisfaction, to investigate whether tourists could be grouped into distinct segments and to examine the significant difference between the segments and sociodemographic and travel arrangement characteristics. A segmentation procedure based on destination dimensions produced three clusters: the ‘Higher-Satisfied’; the ‘In-Betweeners’; and the ‘Lower-Satisfied’. The implications and the conclusions of the study are provided in relation to the marketing of the island of Crete in the future