Search results

This paper aims to shed light on differences in the patterns of online rating behavior that Chinese- and English-speaking travelers adopt when making hotel reviews on TripAdvisor.

A dual analysis was conducted on 800 online reviews for eight hotel brands. The brands, which are currently operating in Bangkok City, are considered to be representative of their categories. The hotels were selected based on their abilities to meet the quantitative and qualitative requirements of the text mining strategy adopted in this study.

The results reveal that, with respect to all of the hotel service attributes (i.e. Service, Cleanliness, Room, Sleep Quality, Location, Value and Overall), the ratings offered by the English-speaking guests were higher than the Chinese-speaking travelers. Based on the qualitative analysis, the ten service attributes which had the most impact on traveler satisfaction were distinguished. These attributes were then classified into three broadly themed categories including intangible service, tangible service and staying experience. The results from the word frequency analysis also helps to clarify which features are drawing attention from travelers from different backgrounds.

This study contributes to tourism and hospitality literature by confirming certain differences in the online rating behavior of Chinese- and English-speaking hotel guests.

This study aims to understand the satisfaction and needs of eastern and western travelers as hotel guest, based on their experiences as seen in guest reviews and review topics.

Considering 2,965 and 1,035 western and eastern traveler reviews, respectively, from 47 countries, obtained from TripAdvisor listed-hotel in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap city in Cambodia, this study investigates the differences in hotel guest satisfaction and needs by using topic modeling (i.e. latent Dirichlet allocation [LDA]).

The results reveal differences in the online preferences, experiences, expectations and behaviors of hotel guests from different cultural backgrounds. Though western and eastern travelers appear to place similar emphasis on service, location, room and destination. The westerners more likely focus on meal and online reservation, whereas the easterners focus on hotel facility.

Reviews were obtained from only two cities in Cambodia, which is not an adequate representation of the diverse travelers visiting the country.

The comparison highlighting the similarities and dissimilarities between western and eastern traveler perspectives enable hoteliers to understand guests’ preferences and their hidden changes in (dis)satisfaction and leverage it to improve hotel service quality, increase occupancy and, thereby, maximize profits.

This study contributes to the literature on hotel guests’ experiences by presenting the difference in perceptions of service experience of western and eastern travelers, through topic modeling.

This study aims to develop an assessment scale for university service quality (university SQ) and examine University Service Quality assessment model (UNIQUAL) of higher education during the pandemic.

Two studies applied a mixed-method design to develop and validate the UNIQUAL scale. In-depth interviews and literature reviews were conducted to refine the initial dimensions and items of UNIQUAL in Study 1. Item analysis, EFA and CFA were then conducted to purify item refinement, scale refinement, purification and validation in Study 2. Finally, a confirmed UNIQUAL model was analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using Smart-PLS 4.0.

The research confirms the four-factor structure of UNIQUAL, with a total of 16 items, to be a valid and reliable scale for the assessment of the service quality (SQ) of universities. Having adopted the bias-corrected and accelerated (BCa) bootstrap approach to study 5,000 subsamples from 27 countries, the authors found “responsiveness” and “empathy” to be significantly associated and have positive relationships with students' satisfaction with university SQ. Furthermore, university SQ and satisfaction were mediated by “health and safety” concerns.

The newly developed UNIQUAL scale would be of value to educators and authorities of higher education to assess the SQ of their universities to enhance the effectiveness of student learning. The improvement in satisfaction with higher education's SQ ultimately helps in retaining both international and local students amidst concerns about traveling and studying during the pandemic.

COVID-19 has affected the private and public sectors worldwide. Millions of students have been affected by schools being shut down and substituted with distance-learning programs. Thus, the assessment of the quality of university services has become an important support mechanism for retaining the sustainability of higher education.

The UNIQUAL scale provides a conceptual model and validates an assessment tool. The research hypotheses confirm the relationship between university SQ and satisfaction from the perspective of international students.

This study investigates how virtual reality (VR) travel attributes (e.g. sense and quality of information) influence spectators' flow experience, how emotion and past experience affect enjoyment and examines the impact of flow experience and enjoyment on satisfaction and booking or visiting intention.

The VR tour stimuli were fabricated using scenic views from the National Aquarium in the USA. Participants were equipped with Matterport VR and audio headsets and started their virtual travel. Once the participants completed their VR tours, they were asked to complete the questionnaire. Using the stimulus-organism-response theory, 303 valid responses were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The results showed that the sense and quality of information in VR travel positively and significantly impacted the flow experience. Moreover, emotions and past experiences positively and significantly influenced the enjoyment of VR travel. Similarly, flow experience and enjoyment positively and significantly affect satisfaction. However, satisfaction with VR-related tourism experiences negatively affects users' bookings and visiting intentions.

This study concludes that, from Thai tourists' perspectives, virtual travel should be used as a solution only during the pandemic because, in the long term it can cause a loss to the business chain in the tourism industry.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no prior research has examined the influence of past experiences and emotions on satisfaction with VR travel.