Experiences and value perceptions of an ecotourism trip – an empirical study of outbound Chinese tourists

Entertainment is a feature of some tourism settings and acts as a key pull factor for visiting certain destinations. Research-based studies about entertainment and the tourist experience are, however, rather limited. This study pursued this research opportunity and explored international tourists’ experiences in an iconic performance-based entertainment, the Impression Sanjie Liu in southern China. More than 350 tourists’ spontaneous reviews posted on TripAdvisor were analyzed through Leximancer software. It was found that international tourists were generally positive toward the culturally distinctive style of the entertainment. Despite the challenge of comprehending meanings and the language, they were impressed with the grand spectacle, the performances of many people, and the context. The disruptive behavior of other tourists, particularly the domestic Chinese tourists, troubled some international tourists. Implications for both academic research and the tourism entertainment industry are offered.

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Explaining the embodied hospitality experience with ZMET

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management ◽

10.1108/ijchm-10-2017-0709 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 (11) ◽

pp. 3442-3461 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mingjie Ji ◽

Brian King

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Empirical Study ◽

Research Method ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Embodied Experience ◽

Content Type ◽

Embodied Experiences ◽

Chinese Tourists ◽

Methodological Considerations ◽

Scholarly Attention

PurposeScholars have rarely applied an embodied perspective when studying hospitality experiences. They have given even less attention to methodological considerations. This paper aims to introduce Zaltman’s Metaphor elicitation Technique (ZMET) to explore various domains of the embodied experience.Design/methodology/approachIn demonstrating the applicability of the ZMET procedure to understanding embodied hospitality experiences, the researchers present a study of emotional encounters that involve the dining experiences of Chinese tourists with Western cuisine. The focus of the paper is on data collection, i.e. detailing the step-wise procedures of ZMET that have received minimal scholarly attention.FindingsThrough the medium of this empirical study, the ZMET example uncovers deep metaphors and answers previously unanswered questions about embodied experiences. The detailed information and nuanced insights that are generated through this ZMET application offer the prospect of enhanced understanding of the hospitality experience.Originality/valueThis investigation contributes an innovative research method to the embodied experience in the hospitality and tourism context.

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