The Utility of Blockchain Technology in the Electronic Commerce of Tourism Services: An Exploratory Study on Romanian Consumers

Blockchain technology is considered one of the most revolutionary innovations that has much to offer the tourism industry, having a positive impact among consumers with the help of interactive applications but also easy to use. Tourist services must constantly evolve in a society where the consumer has everything a click away and his requirements are demanding when it comes to quality leisure. Blockchain technology has the power to change the course of the travel experience, offering the customer more autonomy, but the applications developed by the providers can offer transparency and trust to the customers from the moment T0, when the desire to go on a trip is born, until the end at which it should provide feedback. So far, digital and tourism specialists have not agreed on the development of blockchain-based applications, although the benefits are great for both consumers and tourism service providers, as in this publication we can see a series of advantages that blockchain technology can offer the tourism field. This paper also investigates the satisfaction that the Romanian consumer has after purchasing tourist services through e-commerce applications, a satisfaction that can be an additional motivation for specialists to implement blockchain technology. Following the research in this paper, it can be seen how important it is to develop a series of easy-to-use applications, because if the consumer does not manage to use the applications, this affects the degree of satisfaction and the intention to continue using the online applications for the purchase of tourism services.

Research on the influence of online photograph reviews on tourists' travel intentions: rational and irrational perspectives

PurposeThe study aims to explore the effects of photograph quality on visual appeal, perceived usefulness and viewers' travel intentions from rational and irrational perspectives while simultaneously providing some references for the management and marketing of tourism destinations.Design/methodology/approachThe study comprises four experiments combined with structural equation modeling to explore the influence mechanism of photograph quality on travel intentions.Findings(1) Higher-quality photographs offer greater visual appeal and perceived usefulness to viewers, and these relationships are moderated by the photograph source. Specifically, high-quality photographs generated by other tourists have more visual appeal and perceived usefulness to viewers. However, there are no significant differences in the impact of low-quality photographs generated by other tourists and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) on visual appeal and perceived usefulness. (2) Visual appeal and perceived usefulness significantly affect viewers' travel intentions, and visual appeal positively affects perceived usefulness. (3) Travel experience positively moderates the effects of visual appeal and perceived usefulness on viewers' travel intentions.Originality/valueThe study explores the effects of the visual appeal (irrational factor) and perceived usefulness (rational factor) associated with photograph quality on viewers' travel intentions. Photograph source and travel experiences have moderating effects on this influence mechanism.

Sustaining Faculty Development through Visiting Scholar Programmes: A Transformative Learning Perspective

International academic visits by university faculty members are common around the world. While most researchers approach such an international experience in terms of intercultural communication and acculturation, in this study we view the travel experience as a learning opportunity in light of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (TLT). Drawing on Singleton’s ‘3H model’ (head-heart-hands), we find that the outcomes of transformative learning (TL) are related to cognitive, affective and behavioral domains, the prevalence of which were then explored among 314 visiting scholars. The results are further interpreted by drawing on key concepts from TLT to better understand the learning process. We conclude that the international experience is beneficial for scholars’ sustainable development, and call for more study abroad opportunities for Chinese university faculty.

Travel Motivations and Travel Careers of Malaysian Backpackers

The study's two primary goals are to determine the main travel motives of Malaysian backpackers and to examine the variations in travel motivations across three categories of backpackers: first-time, repeat, and serial. The results were collected using a self-administered online survey adopting a convenience sample technique. The non-normally distributed data were examined using exploratory factor analysis, median score assessment, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests on a sample of 249. Stimulation is the most crucial factor motivating backpackers, while recognition is the least important. The study also found that backpackers' motivation varied with travel experience. Due to limited research on Asian motivational travel determinants, notably among Malaysian backpackers, this study's motivational features are drawn from other countries. Future research should focus on non-Western motivators impacting backpackers. There is a need for more research on Asian tourism, notably Malaysian backpackers at various stages of their travel careers.

Encounters with the Self: Women’s Travel Experience in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love and Cheryl Strayed’s Wild

This article examines representations of women’s travel experience in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia (2007) and Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. A Journey from Lost to Found (2012). Both authors rely on and, at the same time, subvert generic conventions of masculine and feminine traveling while creating their narrative personas. Alluding to pre-modern cultural meanings of travel and adopting the roles of spiritual pilgrims, the authors renounce their former lives, examine their past mistakes, undergo a transformation and finally regain control of their lives. Paradoxically, though going on a journey is a prerequisite for self-redemption, travel is no longer represented in these texts as an encounter and confrontation with the outer world but rather as a solipsistic practice.

Introduction

When physical travel to a specific place is prohibited or otherwise difficult or impossible, digital travel provides a promising alternative. The technology to do this is now widely available and many people have the possibility to meet with others digitally, and thus alleviate the social effects of physical isolation. Digital travel can also be source of pleasure and entertainment, and many people spend time exploring and interacting in digital places, realistically rendering in 3D games. But despite the recent upsurge in virtual social interaction, it does not meet many of the psychosocial aspects of the travel experience. In this book, we take a fresh look at the nature of the telepresence experience in digital environments. We also address a number of relevant questions, such as whether these experiences can seem real to the digital traveller and, if so, under what conditions and on what grounds.

Feeling Present in Virtual Environments

We compare and contrast different current theoretical accounts of telepresence, including presence as a pretence (a simulation of reality), as pretending (making believe the virtual world is real), as a perceptual illusion (“the illusion of non-mediation”), and as embodied attention to the surrounding (or apparently surrounding) environment. These views are well-accepted in the field, and can be seen as contributing to a virtual travel experience, which is a kind of illusion. When we feel highly present, we believe in the perceived world in which we experience ourselves to be—it is in that moment real to us. Creating that effect is a key part of a convincing digital travel experience. To have that experience, we must be attending to the digital world, feeling as if we are physically surrounded by it. Our imaginations are involved in how we perceive our surroundings, and in how we conceptualise being there.

THE USE OF TRAVEL BLOG WRITING IN A TERTIARY LEVEL ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES COURSE

Blogs can be used as constructive means in EFL teaching allowing learners to exert control over their own writing and enabling them to communicate with the global community of internet users. Among different types of blogs, travel blogs can be employed as pedagogical means for real life based learning and L2 writing improvement. Through travel blogs, learners can both explore different places and write about their travel experience in L2. However, the use of travel blog writing in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has not yet been investigated. In this study, travel blog writing was integrated into a tertiary level ESP course aiming to improve learners’ linguistic skills in the fields of tourism and travel. The research investigates the learners’ views about blog writing as a part of their ESP course through a questionnaire and interviews. According to the findings, travelling and writing about the tourist attractions of one’s city via a personalized blog was found to increase writing motivation but the experience was also defined to be demanding as it requires heavy workload. Overall, this experience was reported to enhance autonomous, reflective and collaborative learning, increase cultural awareness and contribute to learners’ self-expression and L2 writing improvement.

The Impact of Destination Image on Tourist Behavior: Karbala as a Case Study

The destination image is regarded as one of the elements affecting visitors' choices in selecting tourist locations that satisfy their wants and aspirations in a way that corresponds to their expectations of such places. The destination image influences tourist behavior by stimulating tourist desires to travel and engage in tourist activities, as well as influencing that behavior in the travel decision-making process during the pre-trip, trip, and post-trip phases. The destination image is also linked to visitor satisfaction with regard to their appraisal of their travel experience and the extent to which that experience meets or comes near to their earlier expectations. Therefore, the current study looks at the image and personality of religious, tourist, and commercial brands, as well as how they connect to future tourist behavior. The study considered Karbala city, Iraq, as a case study. The study was based on the in-filed study technique, which was represented by a questionnaire that was delivered to the study sample, which consisted of seven first-class hotels in Karbala city, with 40 copies of the questionnaire handed over to the administrative personnel at these hotels. The study discovered that the cognitive image, emotional image, and destination personality all had different effects on global image and behavioral intentions for first-time and recurrent visitors. Additionally, the findings show that the qualitative remarks focused heavily on attractions, culture, and the environment. The practical consequences are explored, and destination personality and behavioral outcomes for first-time and recurrent visitors were designed and evaluated independently.