This thesis aims to explore and describe the images of China in the Western tourist material. There is much literature talking about images of China; however, among the existing scholarship so far few have investigated from the angle as we do. We use social constructivism and representation as main theories and combined with central concepts of the tourist gaze, stereotypes and the other, and post-colonialism and orientalism. Moreover, we conduct a case study by applying qualitative discourse analysis in order to find out the stereotypes and orientalist ideas of China depicted in the tourist material. The findings show that in the perspective of western tourist material, China is representative of the Orient. The analysis also concludes that China is seen as a country with 5,000-year civilization whose people have lots of virtues; a developing economic power; a not so democratic socialist country; a potential threat and a global actor with increasing influences. Our thesis contributes to the existing literature on China research and tourism research—marketing and political implications for its national image improvement and tourism development.

Factors influencing tourist behavior have been a focal point in tourism research for decades. Efforts to unveil the determinants that shape travel behavior stem not only from pure academic interest, but from practical business considerations (Pizam & Mansfeld, 1999). Destination personality, self-concept, and congruence between self-concept and destination personality (SC-DP congruence) are among the factors that are believed to influence tourist behavior. However, little research has been undertaken to understand the impact of these factors on tourist behavior. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects destination personality, self-concept and SC-DP congruence on tourist behavior. A theoretical model that attempts to investigate the influence of destination personality, self-concept, and SC-DP congruence on tourist behavior was developed and tested empirically. Specifically, the model proposed that tourist behavior is affected by destination personality, self-concept, and SC-DP congruence. Particularly, self-concept consists of four aspects, including actual self-concept, ideal self-concept, social self-concept, and ideal social self-concept; hence SC-DP congruence also includes fours such facets. Furthermore, tourist involvement is examined to see whether it would moderate the relationship between SC-DP congruence and tourist behavior. Data were collected using an online panel survey in December 2008. A total of 663 usable responses were obtained. Pearson correlation, structural equation modeling (SEM), and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. For the SEM analysis, the sample was randomly split into two groups. One was used to test the model and the other was used for model validation. The findings suggested significant influences of destination personality, self-concept, and SC-DP congruence on tourist behavior. Findings of this study also showed that there are significant and positive relationships between destination personality and self-concept. However, tourist involvement was found to have no moderating effect on the relationship between SC-DP congruence and tourist behavior. The study also provided managerial implications for destination marketers based on the research results. / Ph. D.

Sex tourism is one of the world's most controversial industries. While it generates tremendous revenue to the sex tourism destinations, the industry has been condemned as the two main reasons trafficking of women and children exist. Despite this, little research has examined the motivation of sex tourists. The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the sex tourism phenomenon and, more specifically, motivation of tourists. This study is exploratory and qualitative in nature. Two key propositions are addressed (1) The person's level of perceived modernity relates to the perceived level of personal needs; and (2) The person's level of perceived personal needs relates to the person's desire of travel for sexual participation. A mixture of qualitative methods was utilized. The data was collected using semi-structured personal interviews with thirty-three male sex tourists who traveled to Pattaya, Thailand in 2005. The transcribed data was constantly compared and the interviews revealed four substantial themes with eight subsequent categories. It was discovered that sex tourists were pushed by two main motivational drives: physical and psychological needs which came together as personal needs. Physical needs consisted of "physical problems" and "unmet sexual needs." The psychological problems included "hedonistic drive" and "modernity." The physical gains (tangible attributes) and psychological gains (sense of belonging, freedom and excitement, and power reestablishment) attracted sex tourists to the sex tourism destinations. Therefore, modernity, one of three constructs in this study, was also supported as an important factor which indirectly affected the motivation of the sex tourists. The last chapter presents the study contribution, implementation, and suggestions for future research. For knowledge contribution to the academic field, this present study reinforces the reliability of Iso-Ahola's (1982) escaping-seeking motivation model. It provides both academic and tourism practitioners a better idea of what sex tourist motivational factors are. The knowledge of sex tourist motivation can assist tourism practitioners at the sex tourism destinations to improve positioning their destinations in the world tourism market. For the tourism academics, this study offers an exploratory ground for future research to build on both qualitatively and quantitatively in order to form a more rigorous sex tourist motivation model. / Ph. D.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to analyze guest/customer satisfaction surveys of a casual dining restaurant in the Orlando, Florida area; specifically, to analyze if there is a difference between satisfaction levels of tourist and non-tourist guests. The guest satisfaction surveys were analyzed on eight dimensions of satisfaction; Pace of Service, Service Overall, Server Communication & Accuracy, Food (Taste & Quality), Food Preparation, Bar (Beer, Wine, & Cocktail), Gratefulness, and Atmosphere in whole (including atmosphere and cleanliness).The eight dimensions were evaluated in the GPS (guest pulse survey) based on a Net Promoter Score, or NPS® system, and were compared by guest type: tourist versus non-tourist. Multiple linear regression analyses results concluded that the dimensions of Pace, Service Overall, Food, Food Preparation, and Atmosphere were predicators of Overall Satisfaction for tourist respondents. Service Overall, Server Communication, and Gratefulness were predictors of Overall Satisfaction for nontourist respondents

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Museums and tourism have had a long and interrelated history. In this paper this relationship is reviewed in general, and the contemporary issues common to them both in the 1990's are discussed. This relationship is also explored in the context of the Oregon Coastal Zone. Two projects set on the Oregon Coast, involving museums, tourism and other organizations, the Bandon Community Archaeology project and the Lincoln County Interpretation project, are presented as alternatives to existing tourism opportunities. Both projects provide an alternative type of tourist experience where education and interpretation are the primary vehicles for creating benefits not only to tourists, but to the host community as well. These benefits may reduce possible negative impacts from tourism. / Graduation date: 1991

I set out to determine how the contemporary Western female traveler is constructed in popular travel media, and how resonant such images were with female travel consumers themselves. Two periods of ads were compared - 2003-2004, with 1989-1990 - from three widely circulated travel magazines, to gauge any differences discernible over the course of fifteen years with respect to how female tourists are being depicted. Methods included quantitative tabulated comparisons of the gender of travel ad subjects, content analyses of ads featuring female tourists, and participant input from questionnaires and focus groups. The female travel consumers who participated in this study were demographically compatible with the readership of the magazines in which these ads are shown. An intensive interview with one executive at a creative agency responsible for several of the ads was also conducted. <br /><br /> Results indicated that, while representations of female travelers have significantly increased both numerically and relatively to those depicting other sorts of tourists in recent years, this trend does not broadly include more progressive representations of women's increased socio-economic independence and status. <br /><br /> Female travelers are predominantly portrayed in ads as: <ul> <li>Young and attractive</li> <li>Sexualized</li> <li>Passive</li> <li>Sleeping or reclining, seemingly more interested in lying around (decoratively) in a trance-like state and being "pampered" than in actively engaging with their environment. </li></ul> These portrayals were incompatible overall with what female travelers themselves reported they enjoyed doing when they travel, and in terms of what they reported they find resonant in travel advertising. Overall, participants found the travel ads featuring females to be unappealing. <br /><br /> However, there were indications that the ways female travelers are portrayed in ads are slowly evolving to better reflect wider spread female economic independence and autonomy. In particular, a new phenomenon shown in more contemporary ads was the emergence of a "female gaze". This finding coincides with the simultaneous sexualization of female travel ad subjects ? perhaps in reflection of a current post-feminist emphasis on sexual freedom for females. Also noted was an increasing de-emphasis on specific destinations in ads, in favour of a more idealized generic "placelessness. " Female participants in this study did not generally like this trend. There appeared to be some lag in the industry in recognizing that "regular" (i. e. older, average-looking) women are an important source of revenue, in terms of making a larger proportion of travel decisions. Several possible explanations were offered to address this apparent gap between how females in travel ads are being depicted, and the stated likes and preferences of actual female travel consumers who participated in this study. <br /><br /> Female traveler-participants in this study indicated they would very much prefer to see actively engaged, older and realistic-looking female subjects in travel ads, in specific destinations. They noted that travel is a particularly personal form of consumerism, often closely interwoven with one's own sense of personal identity. That result may in part explain the strong negative reactions of many participants to some portrayals in these ads. Tourism-related marketing industries could also do far better in terms of better cultivating the goodwill of female travel consumers, and more successfully attracting their favorable attention.

I set out to determine how the contemporary Western female traveler is constructed in popular travel media, and how resonant such images were with female travel consumers themselves. Two periods of ads were compared - 2003-2004, with 1989-1990 - from three widely circulated travel magazines, to gauge any differences discernible over the course of fifteen years with respect to how female tourists are being depicted. Methods included quantitative tabulated comparisons of the gender of travel ad subjects, content analyses of ads featuring female tourists, and participant input from questionnaires and focus groups. The female travel consumers who participated in this study were demographically compatible with the readership of the magazines in which these ads are shown. An intensive interview with one executive at a creative agency responsible for several of the ads was also conducted. <br /><br /> Results indicated that, while representations of female travelers have significantly increased both numerically and relatively to those depicting other sorts of tourists in recent years, this trend does not broadly include more progressive representations of women's increased socio-economic independence and status. <br /><br /> Female travelers are predominantly portrayed in ads as: <ul> <li>Young and attractive</li> <li>Sexualized</li> <li>Passive</li> <li>Sleeping or reclining, seemingly more interested in lying around (decoratively) in a trance-like state and being "pampered" than in actively engaging with their environment. </li></ul> These portrayals were incompatible overall with what female travelers themselves reported they enjoyed doing when they travel, and in terms of what they reported they find resonant in travel advertising. Overall, participants found the travel ads featuring females to be unappealing. <br /><br /> However, there were indications that the ways female travelers are portrayed in ads are slowly evolving to better reflect wider spread female economic independence and autonomy. In particular, a new phenomenon shown in more contemporary ads was the emergence of a "female gaze". This finding coincides with the simultaneous sexualization of female travel ad subjects ? perhaps in reflection of a current post-feminist emphasis on sexual freedom for females. Also noted was an increasing de-emphasis on specific destinations in ads, in favour of a more idealized generic "placelessness. " Female participants in this study did not generally like this trend. There appeared to be some lag in the industry in recognizing that "regular" (i. e. older, average-looking) women are an important source of revenue, in terms of making a larger proportion of travel decisions. Several possible explanations were offered to address this apparent gap between how females in travel ads are being depicted, and the stated likes and preferences of actual female travel consumers who participated in this study. <br /><br /> Female traveler-participants in this study indicated they would very much prefer to see actively engaged, older and realistic-looking female subjects in travel ads, in specific destinations. They noted that travel is a particularly personal form of consumerism, often closely interwoven with one's own sense of personal identity. That result may in part explain the strong negative reactions of many participants to some portrayals in these ads. Tourism-related marketing industries could also do far better in terms of better cultivating the goodwill of female travel consumers, and more successfully attracting their favorable attention.

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