Going back to its roots: can hospitableness provide hotels competitive advantage over the sharing economy?

While the customer experience is at the heart of the hospitality industry, experience-related research remains underrepresented. This gap is critical, particularly given the emerging threat of the sharing economy to the hotel industry along experiential factors. Using data from a survey of 630 customers who stayed at a hotel or an Airbnb, the authors use structural equation modeling to compare two models with alternative conceptualizations of the dynamics of experiential consumption in the accommodations industry. Building on the concept of the experiencescape from the branding and hospitality and tourism literatures, the model enhances Pine and Gilmore’s (1998) original experience economy construct by demonstrating the critical role of the dimension of hospitableness in facilitating favorable experiential and brand-related outcomes, particularly in the context of the hotel experience. The findings have important implications for the hotel industry’s strategic experience design initiatives and emphasize the need to use hospitableness in order to create a competitive advantage in a rapidly changing environment.Accepted manuscrip

Using segmentation to compete in the age of the sharing economy: testing a core-periphery framework

Airbnb has emerged as a credible competitive threat to the hotel industry. Consequently, hotel brands are having to rethink the experiences they provide to customer in an increasingly competitive environment. Despite these trends in the industry, experience-related research that examines and informs these developments remains under-represented in the hospitality and tourism literature. The present study offers a systematic approach to examine the potential differences in experiential consumption in the accommodations industry. Using a multiple-group analysis approach, it examines the moderating effects of individual characteristics and situational factors on the nature and dynamics of experiential consumption in the accommodations industry. The findings of the study culminate in the core-periphery framework of the hospitality consumption experience that can provide a relevant theoretical lens for future research into the different sectors and types of experiences within the hospitality and tourism industry. The study also outlines important implications for the hotel industry’s strategic experience design initiatives, from the standpoint of product development, the segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) process, and marketing communications.Accepted manuscrip

The accommodation experiencescape: a comparative assessment of hotels and Airbnb

PURPOSE: Accommodations providers in the sharing economy are increasingly competing with the hotel industry vis-à-vis the guest experience. Additionally, experience-related research remains underrepresented in the hospitality and tourism literature. This paper aims to develop and test a model of experiential consumption to provide a better understanding of an emerging phenomenon in the hospitality industry. In so doing, the authors also expand Pine and Gilmore’s original experience economy construct. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Using data from a survey of 630 customers who stayed at a hotel or an Airbnb in the previous three months, the authors performed a multi-step analysis procedure centered on structural equation modeling to validate the model. Findings The authors demonstrate that the dimensions of serendipity, localness, communitas and personalization represent valuable additions to Pine and Gilmore’s original experience economy construct. Airbnb appears to outperform the hotel industry in the provision of all experience dimensions. The authors further define the pathways that underlie the creation of extraordinary, memorable experiences, which subsequently elicit favorable behavioral intentions. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings suggest the need for the hotel industry to adopt a content marketing paradigm that leverages various dimensions of the experience economy to provide customers with valuable and relevant experiences. The industry must also pay greater attention to its use of branding, signage and promotional messaging to encourage customers to interpret their experiences through the lens of these dimensions. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study expands a seminal construct from the field of services marketing in the context of the accommodations industry. The Accommodations Experiencescape is offered as a tool for strategic experience design. The study also offers a model of experiential consumption that explains customers’ experiences with accommodations providers

The different shades of responsibility: examining domestic and international travelers' motivations for responsible tourism in India

To address the scarcity of research concerning the demand side of responsible tourism, the present study examines the motivations of domestic and international travelers in India. Data were collected using an Internet survey distributed via e-mail and Facebook to the clients of five responsible tourism operators in India. Using Dann's push–pull typology, factor analysis uncovered nine underlying motivations for responsible tourism, with significant differences between domestic and international travelers for these factors. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct segments of travelers – Responsibles, Novelty Seekers, and Socializers – that differ in their core underlying motivations for responsible tourism and in their socio-demographic characteristics. The study contributes one responsibility-specific push and one pull factor to the literature about travel motivation. Also the findings suggest that operators and destination marketers must develop their products and marketing communications to address the heterogeneity of motivations underlying responsible tourism.Accepted manuscrip

Making better places to visit: Using the product—country image framework to understand travelers’ loyalty towards responsible tourism operators

The present study examines the antecedents of travelers’ loyalty towards responsible tourism operators in India. A model of brand loyalty was developed by integrating two strands of literature: product—country Image (PCI) and extensive work concerning the concepts of destination image and destination loyalty. Results indicate tourists’ motivations to participate in responsible tourism and their perceptions of the destination and the operator’s brand constitute the determinants of their attitudinal and behavioral loyalty towards their operator.The study adds to our understanding of the demand side of responsible tourism while extending place image theory

Are there gender differences in what drives customer delight?

Purpose– This paper aims to understand how male and female hotel guests become delighted customers. It aims to present the similarities and differences along with respective implications for theory and application. Design/methodology/approach– During a period of three months, tourists were interviewed at an upscale Florida hotel. A total of 208 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The script for the interviews was based on an interview protocol used by Crotts et al. Adapted from a previous customer delight study (Torres and Kline), a codebook was developed to determine the salient themes that emerged during the interview process. Interviews were coded independently by three experienced reviewers using the process of content analysis. Findings– The results demonstrated that while men and women agreed on most aspects of the service experience that led them to feel delighted, there were other aspects of the delight experience that seemed to vary by gender. More specifically, female guests were more likely to be delighted by employee friendliness and professionalism. In contrast, male tourists appeared to be more likely to be delighted by having their needs met, by efficient and timely service and by the availability of complimentary amenities or upgrades. Research limitations/implications– The present study contributes to existing literature by demonstrating that men and women can potentially be delighted by different aspects of the service experience. Such information can potentially benefit hospitality industry practitioners to deliver service experiences desired by each gender. Originality/value– Ekinci et al. proposed that the ultimate evaluation of customer experiences can be highly individualized by elements such as personality. The present research argues that the process of delighting customers might be more complex than originally conceived. Accordingly, the results suggest: a universal set of criteria will tend to delight all guests, and a more specific set of criteria will potentially delight guests of a certain gender. Future research is encouraged to quantitatively validate the findings and explore other factors that impact customer delight such as personality, age, income and culture

The augmented convention offering: the impact of destination and product images on attendees' perceived benefits

In order to benefit from the significant dual spending of meetings, incentives, conventions/conferences, exhibitions/events (MICE) attendees, destination marketers have attempted to identify key success criteria that enable increased convention and exhibition participation. Given the significant growth of the MICE industry in Asia, this study examines the role of destination and product images on Chinese attendees' perceptions of the benefits acquired through convention and exhibition participation in the regions of Macau and Hong Kong. Data were collected using an intercept survey and a systematic random sampling procedure. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test a model that integrates two strands of literature from the fields of marketing and international business: Product–Country Image (PCI) and the Augmented Service Offering (ASO). Results show that a favorable overall destination image positively impacts the image of the MICE product of the destination, which, in turn, leads to a greater perception of personal and professional benefit acquisition. Based on these findings, the authors propose the Augmented MICE Offering as a theoretical framework that can serve as a foundation for more comprehensive inquiry into the decision-making process of the MICE attendee and postattendance behavioral impacts. The study also provides important positioning and communication implications for MICE destinations