Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR) An International Journal of Akdeniz University,

Pages 89-115

Authors: Satish Chandra BAGRI and Devkant KALA

Satisfaction is an excellent predictor of tourist behaviour as it influences the choice of destination, consumption of products and services, the decision to return and maintain lasting relationships. This paper analyzes the level of tourist satisfaction with destination attributes using the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), based on the information obtained from 200 domestic tourists visiting Trijuginarayan, an emerging spiritual and adventure tourist destination located in Garhwal Himalaya in Uttarakhand state of India. The results obtained show that attributes related to tourism product of spiritual and cultural nature, atmosphere and climate, a variety of tourist activities, hospitality and safety are significant factors in determining tourist satisfaction, whereas basic facilities such as accommodation, transportation, tourism infrastructure and hygiene and sanitation at destination are of significant importance in satisfaction evaluation. Findings also reveal that tourists were satisfied with the core products, but were dissatisfied with basic tourist facilities offered at the destination. Based on the results, the paper concludes that tourism stakeholders must outline effective strategies for holistic development and improving performance of attributes in the given destination.

Pages 135-137

Authors: Maximiliano E. KORSTANJE

Book Review

Pages 141-164

Authors: Peter ROBINSON

Urban Exploration (U.E.), the activity of exploring hidden parts of the city, is increasingly discussed in a range of academic papers, yet the aspects of this activity which are associated with travel and consumption have not been explored. However, there have been a number of related calls for research. This paper identifies that U.E. requires greater critical inquiry. It is noted that U.E. draws common themes with heritage tourism, adventure tourism, otherness, authenticity and risk, yet is a contradiction to the homogenised tourist experience. It is suggested that U.E. can thus be interpreted as a form of tourism which is outside of accepted norms of behaviour, decision making and typologies and which has significant meaning for future research. Thus, the paper proposes a model which identifies opportunities for further research beyond the current spectrum of tourism academia.

Pages 1-17

Authors: Xuan V. TRAN

The purpose of this study is to estimate the effects of economic factors on the demand for luxury hotel rooms in the United States during the 16-year period (1998 - 2013). The average daily rate of six types of hotel rooms, gross domestic product and two recessions (2001 and 2007-2009) are considered as independent variables in the sample of the time series data set of 192 points to predict luxury room night stays of customers by ex-post data. Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model is employed to select the best model of luxury hotel demand on its determinants in the short and long run relationships. Findings indicate that in the long run, (1) the US residents would stay more nights in luxury hotels when their income increases; (2) the Canadian and UK might not visit or stay in the luxury hotels in the U.S. when their income or luxury hotel price increases; and (3) the German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese visitors would stay in the luxury hotels in the U.S. when their incomes increase no matter what the luxury hotel price increases. In the short run, the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean might not stay in the luxury hotels in the U.S. when their income or hotel price increases. The English would stay in the luxury hotels when their income or luxury hotel price increases. Finally, the two US economy recessions in 2001 and 2007-2009 do not affect the demand for luxury hotel rooms in the long run.

Pages 40-58

Authors: Maximiliano E. KORSTANJE

This text contains a set of personal experiences, product of my personal ethnographies in well-known airports, as well as a conceptual discussion around non-place´s theory. Marc Augé, a famous ethnographer, formulated this thesis to express a deep analysis about the philosophy of modernity and mobility. He is convinced that modernity has been changed into a new way, hyper-modernity, which is a producer of “non-places”, spaces of anonymity that effaces the attachment to past. This essay-review not only contradicts with such a radical idea, but also presents contrary evidence respecting to airports as disciplinary mechanism of control, oriented to disseminate to citizens, the main values of society.

Pages 62-87

Authors: Aíne CONAGHAN, James HANRAHAN, and Emmet McLOUGHLIN

Tourism destination management has significant importance in controlling many impacts of tourism, thus insuring its sustainability. Destination management requires the integration of different planning tools, approaches and concepts that help shape the management and daily operation of tourism related activities. This study examines the sustainable management of a tourism destination, focusing on County Clare, Ireland. Qualitative interviews were conducted with tourism stakeholders. Additionally a theoretical framework incorporating the various elements that emerged from the theory was also utilised to examine existing tourism strategies and plans. Stakeholders all agreed it would be an advantage to have a Destination Management Office (DMO) lead that would co-ordinate destination management. However, it was found many tourism visions lack consistency and a timeframe with only a few addressing sustainability itself. Also the multiple regulations and guidelines identified by the framework were not communicated effectively to both stakeholders and policy makers when managing tourism in County Clare.