Hospitality And Hospitality And Tourism ResearchTourism Research

The beginnings of ResearchThe beginnings of Research• Started in the late 18th centuryStarted in the late 18th century• during the middle ages (dark ages) during the middle ages (dark ages)

sources of knowledge came from:sources of knowledge came from:– Pope/PriestPope/Priest– traditiontradition– knowledge of the heartknowledge of the heart– knowledge of the body - rational knowledge of the body - rational

thinkingthinking

– MagiciansMagicians– observationobservation– philosophersphilosophers– scientistsscientists– scientific knowledge based on natural scientific knowledge based on natural

sciences - that is man in relation to sciences - that is man in relation to environmentenvironment

In the hospitality/tourism In the hospitality/tourism industry research industry research

focuses on:focuses on:• social sciencesocial science• natural sciencenatural science• non-science (religious)non-science (religious)• pseudo-science (palmestry)pseudo-science (palmestry)• horoscope (faith)horoscope (faith)

AssumptionsAssumptions• Classical theory - people are working Classical theory - people are working

because of paybecause of pay• Systems theory - people are happy Systems theory - people are happy

working not only because of pay but working not only because of pay but the treatment they get from the the treatment they get from the managementmanagement

• Cultural theoryCultural theory

• Theories have models, proponents, Theories have models, proponents, strengths and weaknessesstrengths and weaknesses

• knowledge builds up theoriesknowledge builds up theories• Data is collected in order to:Data is collected in order to:

– describedescribe– analyzeanalyze– predictpredict– controlcontrol

Research requires...Research requires...

• TIMETIME• TALENTTALENT• ATTITUDESATTITUDES• MONEYMONEY

Overview of Tourism Overview of Tourism ResearchResearch

• It allows you to find out attributes of your It allows you to find out attributes of your visitors including:visitors including:– origin, age, education, income and spending origin, age, education, income and spending

habits, travel patterns, lifestyles and values, habits, travel patterns, lifestyles and values, activity preferencesactivity preferences

• It gives you an understanding on:It gives you an understanding on:– what they like and dislike about a destinationwhat they like and dislike about a destination, ,

– How much they think a certain travel How much they think a certain travel experience is worth,experience is worth,

– the sources they use for travel the sources they use for travel informationinformation

– their impression of your advertising their impression of your advertising messagesmessages

– how satisfied they were in their visit.how satisfied they were in their visit.

TYPES OF TOURISM TYPES OF TOURISM RESEARCHRESEARCH

• Visitor Profile Studies - demographicsVisitor Profile Studies - demographics

• Satisfaction - measure the quality of Satisfaction - measure the quality of service provided at a business or a service provided at a business or a destinationdestination

• Economic Impact - determine what new Economic Impact - determine what new money is brought into the community from money is brought into the community from tourismtourism

• Images - determines the perception Images - determines the perception on the destination by visitors or non- on the destination by visitors or non- visitorsvisitors

• Information - determines where and Information - determines where and how consumers search for travel how consumers search for travel informationinformation

• Inquiry Conversion - determines how Inquiry Conversion - determines how many people actually traveled to a many people actually traveled to a destination versus how many people destination versus how many people inquired about the destinationinquired about the destination

• Market share - measures the Market share - measures the percentage of the market one holds - percentage of the market one holds - of the total available market of the total available market ( arrivals - national, regional, local)( arrivals - national, regional, local)

• Carrying Capacity - study the Carrying Capacity - study the feasibility of tourism activity in a feasibility of tourism activity in a certain area (events to be hosted)certain area (events to be hosted)

Research Objectives and Research Objectives and Research TypesResearch Types

• Exploratory ResearchExploratory Research– to become familiar with the basic facts, to become familiar with the basic facts,

people and concerns involved in...people and concerns involved in...

– To develop a well-grounded mental To develop a well-grounded mental picture of what is occurring in...picture of what is occurring in...

– To generate many ideas and develop To generate many ideas and develop hypotheses on...hypotheses on...

– To determine the feasibility of doing To determine the feasibility of doing additional research on...additional research on...

– To formulate questions/refine issues To formulate questions/refine issues for more systematic inquiry on...for more systematic inquiry on...

– To develop techniques and a sense of To develop techniques and a sense of direction for future research on...direction for future research on...

Descriptive ResearchDescriptive Research– To provide an accurate profile of a groupTo provide an accurate profile of a group– to describe a process, mechanism or to describe a process, mechanism or

relationshiprelationship– to give a verbal or numerical picture of...to give a verbal or numerical picture of...– To find information to stimulate new To find information to stimulate new

explanations...explanations...– To present basic background To present basic background

information or a contextinformation or a context

– To create set of categories or type of To create set of categories or type of classificationclassification

– to clarify a sequence, set of stages or to clarify a sequence, set of stages or stepssteps

– to document information that to document information that contradicts prior beliefs about a subjectcontradicts prior beliefs about a subject

Explanatory ResearchExplanatory Research– To determine the accuracy of a principle To determine the accuracy of a principle

theorytheory– to find out which competing explanation to find out which competing explanation

is betteris better– to advance knowledge about an to advance knowledge about an

underlying processunderlying process– to link different issues or topics under a to link different issues or topics under a

common general statementcommon general statement

– To build or elaborate a theory so it To build or elaborate a theory so it becomes more completebecomes more complete

– to extend a theory or principle into new to extend a theory or principle into new areas or issuesareas or issues

– to provide evidence to support or refute to provide evidence to support or refute an explanationan explanation

MethodologyMethodology• What design?What design?

– descriptivedescriptive– exploratoryexploratory– explanatoryexplanatory

• What technique?What technique?– Case studyCase study– experimentexperiment– surveysurvey

• Who will be your respondents?Who will be your respondents?– PurposivePurposive– non-purposivenon-purposive

• What tools to be used? What tools to be used?

• How will you analyze the data?How will you analyze the data?

Importance of Topic Importance of Topic SelectionSelection

• Approach it with cautionApproach it with caution

• Most important consideration in Most important consideration in selecting a topic is to make sure it is selecting a topic is to make sure it is the one that you will enjoy working the one that you will enjoy working withwith

Problems usually Problems usually encountered in topic encountered in topic

selectionselection• Inability to narrow their topic so that Inability to narrow their topic so that

it could be fully treated within a it could be fully treated within a reasonable period of time,reasonable period of time,

• Finding a research question that is Finding a research question that is neither too broad nor too narrowneither too broad nor too narrow

POINTERSPOINTERS• Target audience - (population) those Target audience - (population) those

people who will be surveyed/those about people who will be surveyed/those about whom the study is conductedwhom the study is conducted

• Population must be of reasonable sizePopulation must be of reasonable size

• Good thesis question must be Good thesis question must be researchableresearchable

• Key words must be clearly definedKey words must be clearly defined

• Ideally, research question will have Ideally, research question will have few variablesfew variables

• Reasonable in breadth and in Reasonable in breadth and in depthdepth

• Consider the target audienceConsider the target audience

• Write with precision and clarity Write with precision and clarity definition section will help in definition section will help in clarifying words you use, but key clarifying words you use, but key words need to be as simple as words need to be as simple as possible.possible.

• Develop a plan for writing the Develop a plan for writing the thesis. Make a timetable to guide thesis. Make a timetable to guide you in meeting the deadlineyou in meeting the deadline

• Deadline will assist you in moving Deadline will assist you in moving from one task to the next until the from one task to the next until the thesis is completedthesis is completed

• keeping note cards in chapter 2 is keeping note cards in chapter 2 is beneficialbeneficial

• library hours is requiredlibrary hours is required

Research QuestionsResearch Questions• Should relate to aspects of the Should relate to aspects of the

industry with which you are a partindustry with which you are a part

• The end result of your research The end result of your research needs to be contribution to the needs to be contribution to the industryindustry

• Make sure that your research question Make sure that your research question is not a duplication of research that has is not a duplication of research that has been done alreadybeen done already

• Select questions that are doableSelect questions that are doable

• Is there a substantial body of literature Is there a substantial body of literature relating to the research questionrelating to the research question

Basis for choosing Basis for choosing research questionresearch question

• your interest in the questionyour interest in the question• the practicality of undertaking the practicality of undertaking

research on the questionresearch on the question• availability of a target population availability of a target population

with which to workwith which to work• doability of the thesisdoability of the thesis