eLearning Courses Offered by Tourism Destinations: Factors Affecting Participation and Awareness...

ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 1

eLearning Courses Offered by tourism des4na4ons: Factors Affec4ng Par4cipa4on and Awareness among

Bri4sh and Indian Travel Agents

Nadzeya Kalbaska and Lorenzo Cantoni

Faculty of Communica4on Sciences Università della Svizzera italiana

Lugano, Switzerland

ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 2 2

Cantoni L., Kalbaska N., Inversini A. (2009)

Context (i)

4 types of eLearning courses according to the provider of the service:

ü Academic ü  Corporate ü  Independent ü Destinational


Travel Agents DMOs

eLearning courses about tourism desCnaCons

Context (ii)

ü  compe44on overcome (Buhalis&Law, 2008; Werthner&Klein, 1999)

ü  des4na4on image crea4on (Baloglu&Mangaloglu, 2001)

ü  coordina4on and educa4on of trade partners

(Bieger, et.al, 2009) ü  addi4onal channels to impact the market (Carey, et. al., 1997)

ü compe44on overcome (Morgan&Trivedi, 2007)

ü sa4sfac4on of the needs of a new consumer (Dolnicar& Laesser, 2007; Novak&Schwabe, 2009) ü specializa4on and constant upgrade of knowledge (Bowl&Tobias, 2012; Longworth, 2013; Milne, 2008; PhoCusWright, 2012) ü flexible mode of training (Collins, et al, 2003; O’Donnell, 2012)


There are some DMOs that offer training and accreditaPon online to retail travel agents to become ‘des$na$on specialists’

(Handbook on e-‐MarkePng for Tourism DesPnaPons, UNWTO, 2008)

Previous research (i)


Strong industry interest (ABTA, 2012; Tnooz, 2011; Travel Daily Media, 2013; Travel Market Report, 2011)

ü  No empirical research on: -‐ Use of ICTs for training of travel agents -‐ HRM of the travel agents and cer4fica4on processes

Previous research (ii)

ü  Limited research on: -‐ eLearning applica4ons within the hospitality and tourism sector (Baum&Sigala, 2001; Cho&Schmelzer, 2000; Haven&BoYerill, 2003; KuYainen&Lexhagen, 2012; Nadkarni&Venem, 2012;

Sigala, 2002, 2004)

-‐ Travel agents’ sector (Baloglu&Mangaloglu, 2001; Buhalis, 2000; Dolnicar&Laesser, 2007; Garkavenko&Milne, 2008; O’Connor, 1999;

Reid&Pearce, 2008; Sheldon, 1997)


Public: Travel Agents Providers: DMOs Tutors: not present à self-‐study asynchronous mode

Benchmarking studies in 2009 and 2012 (Cantoni & Kalbaska, 2010; Kalbaska, 2012)

Previous research (iii)


Content: Training modules on Geography, Culture, Languages, Tradi4ons, Accommoda4on, Transporta4on, Formali4es, I4nerary Planning, Selling 4ps, etc.


TesCng acCviCes: 75 cases use objec4ve tests


IncenCves ü cer4ficate ü suggested travel consultants’ list ü invita4ons to educa4onal trips


Research Goal: Recognise travel agents’ reac4on (par4cipa4on and awareness) on DMOs’ eLearning offers and factors influencing it

Methodology: Phone interviews through simple random sampling of officially registered TAs in the UK and India

QuesConnaire: 8 -‐ 14 close and open ended ques4ons. Dura4on: 8-‐10 min

Method (i)


Method (ii) Respondents: 725 phone calls à 462 interviews (UK -‐ 190; India -‐ 272) with travel sales staff Response rate: UK -‐ 55%, India -‐ 75% LimitaCons: respondents might have been influenced by supervisors and colleagues


103 (54.2%)

72 (26.5%)

United Kingdom India

57 (65.5%)

73 (36.5%)

United Kingdom India

Participation in destinational eL courses Awareness about destinational eL courses among those that haven’t participated

Results


ü  Country where travel agents are based United Kingdom India

ü  Gender Female Male

ü  Type of the agency

Independent business (self-‐employed, homework) Chain/franchising (e.g. Thomas Cook)

ü  Age <32 32-‐47 >47

ü  EducaConal level

Secondary school Voca4onal training University degree


ParCcipaCon in eL courses depends on ü country where travel agents are based (p=.000)

United Kingdom>India ü type of the agency (p=.032)

Chain/franchising>Independent doesn’t depend on ü gender (p=.051) ü age (p=.382) ü educaConal level (p=.636)

Awareness about existence of eL courses depends on ü country where travel agents are based (p=.015) United Kingdom>India doesn’t depend on ü age (p=.858) ü gender (p=.328) ü type of the agency (p=.365) ü educaConal level (p=.490)

Full Factorial Model of the Univariate ANOVA


ü  There is a demand on undertaking eLearning courses about tourism des4na4ons, though it varies on a country-‐by-‐country basis

ü  Factors that influence parCcipaCon in des4na4onal eLearning offers à country and type of the agency

ü  Factor that influence awareness about des4na4onal eLearning offers à country

Conclusions


ü  Replica4on of the study on different markets

ü  Analysis of the travel agents’ mo4va4ons and factors influencing them

ü  Evalua4on of formality and informality of eLearning offer in the percep4ons of the travel agents’

Future research lines


eTourism and eLearning research communiCes ü First empirical research on educa4onal strategies of the travel agents and HRM of the travel trade ü Analysis of the factors influencing par4cipa4on in and awareness about des4na4onal eLearning courses Industrial community ü Recommenda4ons on the eLearning experience improvements based on: generalizable rates of awareness and par4cipa4on in the UK and in India

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Implica4ons


questions & comments

www.elearning4tourism.com

Workshop – MOOCs Development for Tourism and Hospitality Curriculum

Friday 11.00-12.30 Room: Gold

eLearning Courses Offered by Tourism Destinations: Factors Affecting Participation and Awareness...

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