Perceived risk and risk-relievers in online travel purchase intentions

Although the Internet offers numerous benefits, some consumers are still reluctant to purchase travel products online due to perceived risk. Travel products are associated with higher risk not only because of their tangibility, but also because they typically involve higher cost and complex choices. Additionally, the perceived risk of purchasing travel products online is magnified by privacy and risk involved. This study investigates perceived risk associated with online travel purchasing by Taiwanese consumers with a special focus on their reaction to risk-relievers provided on travel websites. Data were collected through participant observation of the searching/purchasing process of online travel products by the Taiwanese consumers. The results show some risk-relievers are considered to be more effective in reducing perceived risk related to online travel purchase. Based on this finding, it is suggested that travel websites should try and develop risk-relievers aimed at supporting consumers in the prepurchase phase in order to reduce perceived risk, which may lead to positive online travel purchasing intentions. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Visiting the trenches: Exploring meanings and motivations in battlefield tourism

This paper provides insights into the motivations and experiences of tourists who visit sites associated with war and conflict, specifically 25 individuals who participated in a tour of the World War One battlefields of the Somme and Ypres. The paper discusses the narratives of four of these individuals to illustrate in detail how such battlefield tours offer opportunities for pilgrimage, collective and personal remembrance and event validation. All of the participants had a prior interest in warfare, which was a key influence on their battlefield tour experiences. For the study participants battlefield tours emerge as complex, deeply meaningful and in some cases life-changing experiences

A shot in the dark? Developing a new conceptual framework for thanatourism

Whilst tourists’ fascination with visiting sites associated with death and human tragedy has received considerable academic and media attention, the scholarly literature on so-called ‘dark’ or thanatourism remains fragmented. Thus, this paper synthesises the extant literature and discusses the differing definitions of thanatourism, particularly highlighting the key differences between the terms dark tourism and thanatourism. The paper’s substantive contribution to the field, however, is its development and presentation of a conceptual framework of thanatourism which attempts to bring greater coherence to this fascinating but diverse area of tourism inquiry