Social Consciousness and Perceived Risk as Drivers of Crowdfunding as a Socially Responsible Investment in Tourism

This article is a first step in examining reward-based crowdfunding in tourism as a socially responsible nvestment where individuals collaborate with projects that contribute to the development of their communities in economic, environmental, and/or sociocultural terms. Thus, the present study develops a model where social consciousness and perceived risk are postulated to influence individuals' attitudes toward and intentions to participate in a project of crowdfunding. Based on a simulated crowdfunding project of "enotourism" that contributes to the development of a region in Spain, results reflect that the main drivers of individuals' overall attitude toward crowdfunding are social consciousness and platform risk. Additionally, individuals' intentions to fund the tourism project are influenced by their specific attitude toward the project and their overall attitude toward crowdfunding

How online search behavior is influenced by user-generated content on review websites and hotel interactive websites

ABSTRACT: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to advance in research on consumer Psychology of hospitality, since it investigates how online search behavior of users (particularly, information search and choice) is influenced by the opinions of other people in a new context characterized by the generalized use of Web 2.0 applications. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical research was carried out in the hotel sector in Iberian Peninsula, where two Web 2.0 applications are especially relevant for users: the review Web sites and the hotel interactive Web sites. A qualitative method (in-depth interviews with hotel managers) and a quantitative technique (personal surveys to a sample of 830 users) were used to conduct this research. Findings – The results indicates that the perceived influence on behavior of the user-generated content on these Web 2.0 applications is determined, in both cases, by the value of the information, the credibility of the sources and the degree of similarity between the user and the creators of content. Practical implications – Firms should have an active presence in the review Web sites and the hotel interactive Web sites, and use these platforms for market research and communication. Firms should engage users to post content, support their credibility and facilitate the evaluation of the content generators’ similarity. Originality/value – This paper is the first study in the hospitality literature that develops and empirically tests an integrative model explaining the perceived influence on behavior of user-generated content on Web 2.0 applications

Un enfoque de gestión de la imagen de marca de los destinos turísticos basado en las características del turista.

RESUMEN. La generación de asociaciones de marca favorables, fuertes y únicas en la mente de los turistas, más conocido como branding, resulta básica en la consecución de una buena imagen y posicionamiento de los destinos turísticos en sus mercados objetivo. En este contexto, en la investigación de turismo se ha puesto de manifiesto recientemente la necesidad de estudiar con mayor profundidad de lo hecho hasta el momento en la literatura la formación de la imagen de marca de los destinos, elemento central del ya mencionado branding. Este trabajo trata de aportar un enfoque completo acerca de la naturaleza y formación de la imagen de los destinos en la mente de los turistas. Para ello se analiza, por un lado, la naturaleza cognitiva- afectiva de la imagen (dimensiones perceptuales, cognitivas y afectivas, de los turistas) y, por otro, la influencia de los denominados factores estímulo –familiaridad en sus versiones experimental e informativa– y factores personales –motivaciones, valores y rasgos demográficos– en la imagen que forman los turistas de los destinos. La investigación empírica, en una primera fase cualitativa y en una segunda cuantitativa, se realizó en Cantabria. Los resultados que se obtienen del análisis, ejecutado con un total de 807 encuestas a turistas nacionales e internacionales, demuestran que la imagen que se tiene de un destino consta no sólo de evaluaciones cognitivas de los turistas sobre el lugar, sino también de sus sentimientos hacia el mismo. Además, se pone de relieve la necesidad de segmentar a los turistas según sus características personales y comportamentales a la hora de desarrollar actividades de comunicación y marketing dirigidas a crear o fortalecer el posicionamiento de los destinos en sus mercados objetivo.ABSTRACT. Generating favorable brand associations, to be strong and unique in the minds of tourists, better known as branding, it?s basic in achieving a good image and positioning of tourist destinations in its target markets. In this context, tourism research has recently highlighted the need to explore in greater depth than done so far in the literature the formation of the branding of destinations, the aforementioned core of branding. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive approach to the nature and formation of the destination’s image in the minds of tourists. Firstly, we examine the cognitive-affective nature of the image (dimensions perceptual, cognitive and affective tourists) and, secondly, influences on the so-called stimulus-familiarity factor in experimental versions and informative, and personal factors, motivations, values and demographic features in the image the tourist get at destination. Empirical research, in a qualitative and quantitative means were held in Cantabria. The results obtained from the analysis, performed with a total of 807 surveys of domestic and international tourists, show that the image people have of a destination has not only cognitive assessments of tourists over the place, but also keep true their feelings about it. Furthermore, the highlight is the need to segment the tourism according to their personal and behavioral characteristics in developing communication and marketing activities aimed to create or strengthening the position of the destinations in its target markets

Influence of country image on country brand equity: application to higher education services.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze how country image affects the dimensions of country brand equity (CBE) (i.e. awareness, image, perceived quality and loyalty) in the higher education sector, as well as the interrelationships between these dimensions. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative research with 208 international students who were starting the academic year at a Spanish university was performed to test the hypotheses. In accordance with the characteristics of the target population, the subjects interviewed were mainly from Europe and the Americas. Findings: The results indicate that the country image affects the perceived quality and awareness of the universities in the country. Additionally, a hierarchy of effects between the dimensions of CBE was found. In particular, loyalty toward the universities of a country is positively influenced by their perceived quality, which is affected by image and awareness of these universities. For its part, the image of universities is positively influenced by the awareness attributed to them by international students. Practical implications: These results have implications for marketing activities aimed at the internationalization of higher education institutions and, therefore, their appeal to international students. Originality/value: The paper’s findings represent an important step in the advancement of knowledge about CBE by taking as a basis a complex model that involves the different dimensions of this construct together with a relevant variable in international marketing, that is, country image

An integrative model of destination brand equity and tourist satisfaction

This paper develops an integrative model that includes the dimensions of destination brand equity (i.e. awareness, image, quality and loyalty), as well as a key behavioural variable that is tourist satisfaction. In particular, our paper aims to contribute to the literature: (1) by examining the relationships between the dimensions of destination brand equity, which is not a deeply investigated issue so far; and (2) by adding tourist satisfaction, a key concept in loyalty formation, to the variables usually considered in destination brand equity models. The model was tested in two samples, national and international tourists visiting a destination in Spain, in order to also explore the role of the geographical and cultural distance between tourist and destination. Our results from a multi-group analysis indicate: (1) a robust link between ?quality-satisfaction-loyalty? in both samples of tourists; (2) a chain of effects among awareness, image (separately considering the cognitive and affective dimensions) and perceived quality, although with the presence of some significant difference between both samples of tourists; and (3) a positive influence of cognitive image on affective image in both cases

Explaining the adoption of social networks sites for sharing user-generated content: A revision of the UTAUT2.

ABSTRACT: Despite the outstanding growth of social network sites in recent years, more research is needed to better understand how users' intentions to share their experiences with products and brands are formed through these applications. With this in mind, this study takes the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) as a reference and develops an extended model by considering the substitution of ?price value? with ?privacy concerns?, since social network sites are free applications, with no economic cost to users but with potential problems of self-disclosure. Our model also includes the interrelations between the explanatory variables postulated in the UTAUT2, an issue that is not considered in its original formulation. This approach is empirically tested through a quantitative study in the tourism industry, where social network sites have significant influence. The results from a sample of 537 tourists show that there are three main drivers of users' intentions to use social network sites to publish content about their experiences: performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, and habit. Additionally, our results support the existence of interrelations between the explanatory variables. Finally, three of the factors studied (i.e., facilitating conditions, social influence, and privacy concerns) do not have any influence on the intention to use social network sites to share content

Residents' attitudes and behavioural support for tourism in host communities

ABSTRACT: In our study of the "perceptions-attitudes-behaviours" sequence, we explain how resident perceptions of tourism's impacts on host communities influence not only their attitudes towards tourism, but also their attitudes towards tourists - i.e. a new variable that has recently been introduced in literature. Moreover, we introduce the behavioural support, a concept that denotes a higher level of involvement and engagement of residents with their communities in comparison with the traditional attitudinal support. Our results indicate: (1) the residents' perception of the positive economic and cultural impacts of tourism are the main variables influencing their attitudes towards tourism and tourists; and (2) both types of attitudes influence on behavioural support for tourism in host communities

The development of entrepreneurial alertness in undergraduate students

Purpose. The main goal of this work is to argue the theoretical validity of two competitive models that integrate entrepreneurial alertness in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and also to propose an explanation for the conceptual approach with a higher explicative ability. Design/Methodology/Approach. A total of 281 undergraduate students participated in the survey, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and competitive models. Findings. The research shows it is possible to defend and test two competing TPB models with entrepreneurial alertness (EA), which alerts other field researchers to consider more than one possibility. The model showing the impact EA has on attitude toward the behavior (ATB) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), as well as the model showing the impact of ATB and PBC on EA are both valid. The shared characteristic of the sample may explain a higher predictive power in the first model. Research limitations/implications. Research limitations/implications. The sample was limited to undergraduate students of one university. Practical implications. For educators and policymakers, these results highlight the need to include content related to EA in entrepreneurship education programs since it could trigger the entrepreneurial process. Originality/value. The paper is the first of its kind to demonstrate competing arguments for the role of EA in TPB

El valor de marca de los destinos turísticos: La influencia de la marca país y de la marca región.

ABSTRACT. This paper focuses on the customer-based brand equity for a regional tourist destination, and develops a theoretical model including the causal relationships between the dimensions of brand equity (awareness, image, perceived quality and loyalty). Accordingly, the loyalty of international tourists is considered as the main outcome variable for explanation in the theoretical model. Moreover, the paper adopts an international tourism approach and takes into account the hierarchy of destination brands, analyzing the influence of country destination image (i.e. country as umbrella brand) on the regional destination image. The empirical evidence obtained from a sample of 253 international tourists visiting a regional destination in Spain supports that loyalty towards the destination is positively influenced by the perceived quality of the destination, which in turn is directly influenced by the image and awareness of the destination. Additionally, our results support for the idea that the perceptions of international tourists of a regional destination are positively influenced by their perceptions of the country destination where the region is located. The country’s brand therefore acts as an “umbrella brand” for the region’s brand.RESUMEN. Este documento se centra en el valor de marca basado en el cliente para un destino turístico regional, desarrollándose un modelo teórico que incluye las relaciones causales entre las dimensiones del valor de marca (reconocimiento, imagen, calidad percibida y lealtad). En consecuencia, la fidelidad de los turistas internacionales se considera como la principal variable resultado a explicar en el modelo teórico propuesto. Por otra parte, la investigación adopta un enfoque del turismo internacional y tiene en cuenta la jerarquía de las marcas de destino, analizando la influencia de imagen de destino del país (es decir, el país como “marca paraguas”) sobre la imagen de destino regional. La evidencia empírica obtenida a partir de una muestra de 253 turistas internacionales que visitan un destino regional en España respaldan que la lealtad hacia el destino está influenciada positivamente por la calidad percibida del destino, que a su vez está directamente influenciado por la imagen y reconocimiento de marca del destino. Además, nuestros resultados muestran que las percepciones de los turistas internacionales de un destino regional están influenciados positivamente por sus percepciones sobre el destino país donde se encuentra la región. Por lo tanto, la marca de país actúa como un "marca paraguas" para la marca de la región