Journal of Hospitality and Tourism

Volume 19, Issue 2, 2014

Letter from the Editor Articles of Special Topic Social Networking for Employee/Management

Page 1

Communication in the Hospitality Industry JANE F. BOKUNEWICZ A Practical Guide to Giving Students a Competitive

Page 17

Advantage for Employment by Teaching them Social Media Tools BILL QUAIN, MICHAEL SCALES, & CLIFF WHITHEM ĞŶĂŶĚ:ĞƌƌǇ͛Ɛ͗,ŽǁdŽĞŶĞĨŝƚ&ƌŽŵĞŝŶŐĂŽƌƉ

Page 35

XANSHUNTA L. POLK Social Media and Technology: The Influence

Page 59

ŽŶ,ĂǁĂŝŝ͛Ɛ,ŽƚĞůƐ CATHRINE LINNES, PAUL KOWALSKI, JOSEPH LEMA, WENDY LAM & JEROME AGRUSA ZĞŶĂŝƐƐĂŶĐĞƌƚƐ&ĂŝƌĞ͛ƐĐŽŶŽŵŝĐΘ^ŽĐŝŽ-‐Cultural

Page 74

Impacts on a Local Community SIRIPORN MCDOWALL, JAY M. LILLYWHITE, JENNIFER E. SIMONSEN Call for Papers

Page 96

Historically and Predominantly Black Colleges and Universities, Consortium of Hospitality Educators

Published at: Tuskegee University The Andrew F. Brimmer College of Business and Information Science Tuskegee, Alabama 36088

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism

ISSN: 1535-‐0568 (print) ISSN: 2329-‐9479 (online)

Volume 19, Issue 2, 2014

Editor-‐in-‐Chief Dr. Steven R. Lonis-‐Shumate, Tuskegee University Assistant Editor-‐in-‐Chief Dr. Cynthia Mayo, Delaware State University Dr. Ernest Boger, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Associate Editor Dr. Faye Hall Jackson, Tuskegee University Executive Editor Dr. Deanne Williams-‐Bryant, Virginia State University Editorial Board Dr. Jerome Agrusa, Hawaii Pacific University Dr. Wendy Agrusa, Hawaii Pacific University Dr. Wintson Awadzi, Delaware State University Dr. Beverly Bryant, North Carolina Central University Dr. Desmond Omotayo Brown, University of Kentucky Dr. Rachel Chen, University of Tennessee Dr. K.S. (Kaye) Chon, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Dr. Ruppert Downing, University of Illinois Dr. Francis Kwansa, University of Delaware Dr. Daniel Lema, University of Southern Mississippi Dr. Karen Lieberman-‐Nissen, Purdue University Dr. Li-‐Chun Lin, Montclair State University Dr. Peter J. Linden, Chicago State University Dr. Mary McCray, Virginia State University Dr. Pender Noriega, Argosy University Dr. Megan Johnson, Tuskegee University Dr. David Rivera, East Carolina University

Dr. Jeremy Wolter, Auburn University



Volume 19, Issue 2, 2014 Social Networking for Communication 0

Letter from the Editor Articles of Special Topic Social Networking for Employee/Management

Page 1

Communication in the Hospitality Industry JANE F. BOKUNEWICZ A Practical Guide to Giving Students a Competitive

Page 17

Advantage for Employment by Teaching them Social Media Tools BILL QUAIN, MICHAEL SCALES, & CLIFF WHITHEM ĞŶĂŶĚ:ĞƌƌǇ͛Ɛ͗,ŽǁdŽĞŶĞĨŝƚ&ƌŽŵĞŝŶŐĂŽƌƉ

Page 35

XANSHUNTA L. POLK Social Media and Technology: The Influence

Page 59

ŽŶ,ĂǁĂŝŝ͛Ɛ,ŽƚĞůƐ CATHRINE LINNES, PAUL KOWALSKI, JOSEPH LEMA, WENDY LAM & JEROME AGRUSA ZĞŶĂŝƐƐĂŶĐĞƌƚƐ&ĂŝƌĞ͛ƐĐŽŶŽŵŝĐΘ^ŽĐŝŽ-‐Cultural

Page 74

Impacts on a Local Community SIRIPORN MCDOWALL, JAY M. LILLYWHITE, JENNIFER E. SIMONSEN Call for Papers Page 96 Historically and Predominantly Black Colleges and Universities, Consortium of Hospitality Educators

Published at: Tuskegee University The Andrew F. Brimmer College of Business and Information Science Tuskegee, Alabama 36088



Dear Reader:

ISSN: 1535-‐0568

The new academic year is nearly upon us which means that it is time for a fresh start͙a clean slate. These beginnings always bring hope of

Andrew F. Brimmer College of Business and Information Science

newness. New classes, new students, new research endeavors, new methods, etc. Many of the articles in this volume will provide faculty and industry

trainers with new methods to educate students and employees alike. Although there was not a call for a ͞theme͟ for this edition, many of the

articles highlight social media and its uses in education and in industry. There are also thought provoking articles that focus on current industry trends of corporate social responsibility and economic impacts. The findings and conclusions of these articles have practical implications for staff, management, and faculty. Again, I ask that you please continue to discuss publication opportunities in the Consortium Journal with your colleagues. It is vital that we have a steady stream of quality manuscripts under review so that we can continue to provide readers with exceptional material. Thank you for your support. Sincerely Steven R. Lonis-‐Shumate, Ph.D.

Consortium Journal of Hospitality and Tourism 19:2, 2014, 54-73 ISSN: 1535-0568

Social M edia and Technology: The I nfluence RQ+DZDLL¶V+RWHOV CATHRINE LINNES College of Business Hawaii Pacific University PAUL KOWALSKI College of Business Hawaii Pacific University JOSEPH LEMA Hospitality & Tourism Management The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey WENDY LAM Hospitality & Tourism Management Hawaii Pacific University JEROME AGRUSA Hospitality & Tourism Management Hawaii Pacific University This research focuses on the impact of social media on toda\¶V KRWHO industry. Reference will be centered on TripAdvisor due to its dominant market position within the travel industry market segment. Specifically, this study will examine how: (1) social media technologically connects and interfaces with customers for feedback, reviews, and surveys, in order to reach more users and to increasingly gain popularity; (2) TripAdvisor

Address correspondence to Jerome Agrusa, PhD, Hospitality and Tourism Management at Hawaii Pacific University, (808) 544-9341, [email protected]

55

Social Media and Technology

interfaces with Facebook and is present on other social media websites like LinkedIn and Twitter; (3) every year, TripAdvisor awards destinations DQG SURSHUWLHV ZLWK WKH 7UDYHOHUV¶ &KRLFH DZards; (4) once awarded, these destinations and properties will bear primary sequence in main search engines and will therefore gain popularity; (5) with these advantages, the hotel industry is to be educated and made aware of the dynamics of social media and the importance of monitoring; (6) one of the main reasons why social media like TripAdvisor increases in popularity is WKH JURZLQJ UHOLDQFH RI FRQVXPHUV¶ RQ ILUVW KDQG EORJV DQG UHYLHZV IRU both current and post stays; (7) as a result, there is a growing importance paid by Hoteliers towards social media, which requires changes of behavior and skills of leaders to adapt to social media; (8) and finally, 7ULS$GYLVRU¶VLPSDFWRQKRWHOSURSHUWLHVLQ+DZDLL KEYWORDS: Social media, technology, Hawaii hotels, TripAdvisor

INTRODUCTION In this modern age of travel and tourism where ultra-competition exists in all areas, consumers have also become increasingly conscious of their purchase decisions. &RQVXPHUV GHSHQGHQFH RQ ILUVW KDQG IHHGEDFN RWKHUV¶ SHUVRQDO experiences, as well as recommendations from trusted parties has increased as options have multiplied across various segment i.e. product/services, geographic location, price structure, amenities/ facilities, packages, etc. Over the last decade, human behavior has seen an increasing familiarity and GHSHQGHQFH RQ WHFKQRORJ\ QDPHO\ ³7KH ,QWHUQHW´ $V WKH QXPEHU RI LQWHUQHW XVHUV around the world increases, so do the users of travel review websites. Web based programs have thus evolved through the Internet to increase sales and at the same time provide resources that allows consumers to purchase or acquire support to make the purchase decision (Shankar, Smith, & Rangaswamy, 2003). Live feed systems that have emerged through the Internet allow consumers to communicate and relay their feedback. With the advancement of technology and the increasing importance for communication, social media was established via the Internet that served multiple purposes for both consumers as well as sellers.

Linnes et al.

56

Market capture and maximization have become a common goal for service providers. There are numerous websites known for offering advice from real travelers as well as a variety of travel options and planning features. These travel websites compile the opinions and experiences of many previous customers in one convenient place, making it easily accessible to virtually anyone. Because word-of ±mouth advertising is so powerful, these websites can have a great influence in attracting customers (De Bruyn & Lilien, 2008). Owens (2012) argues that user-generated reviews are critical in the decision making process and may reassure a customer on their decision to commit to the reservation Travel review websites have essentially revolutionized word-of±mouth advertising. With multiple websites that allows for hospitality organizations to be marketed as well as rated, for instance, Yelp, Four Square, Facebook, Urbanspoon, and Twitter; this study will focus on TripAdvisor and its significant contribution and impact on the hotel industry in Hawaii. It has been over 15 years since the social era started and 7ULS$GYLVRU KDV VXFFHHGHG WR EH WKH ZRUOG¶V ODUJHVW WUDYHO VLWH 7ULS$GYLVRU D TripAdvisor assists potential guests in making their decision where to stay or where to dine along with other sources of information on a destination. Founded in 2000 by Stephen Kaufer, TripAdvisor is one of the first usergenerated websites. Information about hotels, flights, vacation rentals, and restaurants as well as the yearly 7UDYHOHUV¶&KRLFH winners can be found on the website. Twelve years later, TripAdvisor has over 260 million monthly visitors and over 125 million reviews which covers over 3.1 million accommodations, restaurants, and tourist attractions (TripAdvisor, 2013a). The website is available to the public without any charge. The travel website is ILQDQFHG WKURXJK DGYHUWLVHPHQWV 7ULS$GYLVRU¶V VHUYLFHV DUH YHU\ YHUVDWLOH DQG UDQJH from publishing reviews about travel destinations to comparing prices of hotels and flights, while showing the lowest price available on the Web. TripAdvisor is used by customers for different purposes. One of the most common purposes is to research the destination prior to travelling or visiting a restaurant and making a decision based upon the reviews. The travel website also posts forum discussions, which can be helpful to customers in making a decision if the selected destination, hotel or restaurant will meet their needs and expectations. Access to the ZHEVLWH¶VLQIRUPDWLRQGRHVQRWUHTXLUHEHLQJDUHJLVWHUHGXser as well as posting a review, but it is highly recommended as it allows personalizing the website. The use of Trip Advisor is slowly becoming an integral part of trip planning. According to Ong (2012), 61% of those surveyed stated they use reviews to narrow down their choices. In addition, nearly all the respondents of a Travel Weekly survey indicated WKDW UHYLHZV KDYH DW OHDVW ³VRPH LQIOXHQFH´ DQG DSSUR[LPDWHO\ RQH LQ ILYH UHVSRQGHQWV

57


VDLG WKDW UHYLHZV KDYH ³9HU\ 0XFK ,QIOXHQFH´ RQ WKHLU WUDYHO FKRLFHV. The survey also stated that 98% of the respondents who used travel review websites said they would use them again (Chipkin, 2012). Due to these factors, review websites such as TripAdvisor VKRXOGEHDWRSSULRULW\IRU+DZDLL¶VKRWHOPDQDJHUV TripAdvisor is used worldwide and operates in 34 countries including websites in North America, South America, Australia, Europe and Asia (TripAdvisor, 2013). In China, the company operates under the brand daodao.com and kuxun.cn (TripAdvisor, 2014a.). Currently about more than 20,000 hotels and restaurant can be found on the travel website daodao.com even though it was just launched recently in 2009. Daodao is becoming one of the biggest travel websites and is constantly expanding in China as well as worldwide. The company manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands and together the sites attract more than 69 million monthly visitors (ComScore, 2012).

(1) Social Media Technological Connects and Interfaces Customers for Feedback, Reviews and Surveys Before social media gained the importance and reputation which it currently has LQ WRGD\¶V VRFLHW\ FXVWRPHUV ZHUH UHVWULFWHG WR H[FKDQJH LQIRUPDWLRQ ZLWK WKHLU WUDYHO agents, friends or families. Recommendations or information about the destination were UHVWULFWHG DQG EDVHG RQ WKH LQGLYLGXDO¶V SHUFHSWLRQ 5DUHO\ ZHUH FXVWRPHUV DEOH WR compare multiple reviews about a destination. Although times have changed, the importance of word of mouth (WOM) recommendations are still one of the most dominant factors prior to making a travel decision (Looker, Rockland, & TaylorKetchum, 2007; Smith, 1993). Through the use of the Internet and the increase of communication, WOM has gained even more importance. Websites such as TripAdvisor connects customers with each other and makes information and reviews about hotels, vacation rentals and restaurants accessible to the broad public. TripAdvisor also allows customers to compare different reviews of past customers with each other and includes a ranking of similar properties. Therefore, the customer can compare similar restaurants and hotels at the desired destination with each other. In addition, Trip Advisor hosts forums about different travel related topics. The opportunities to network or to gather information are endless.

Linnes et al.

58

(2) TripAdvisor Interfaces with Facebook and Other Social Media Trip Advisor recognized the need to market their website on a variety of social media websites. Internet marketing allowed the company to advertise their services and product free of charge. TripAdvisor is represented on the following social media websites: a. 2Q /LQNHG,Q WKH ZRUOG¶V ODUJHVW ,QWHUQHW EDVHG SURIHVVLRQDO QHWZRUN website with more than 277 million registered members in over 200 countries (LinkedIn, 2014). TripAdvisor has currently 43,726 followers from LinkedIn as of February, 2014 b. On Facebook, which is a social networking service with more than 1.23 billion active users as of December 31, 2013 (Facebook, 2014a), Facebook users have currently 740,804 likes on TripAdvisor and 21,054 are talking about it (Facebook, 2014b). Facebook allows creating and joining interest groups and becoming a fan of a page. Organizations like TripAdvisor use this as a form of free Internet advertisement. In 2007, TripAdvisor paid Facebook.com $3 million GROODUVIRUWKH³:KHUH,YH%HHQ´DSSOLFDWLRQDOORZLQJWKHPWRFDSWXUH a brand new market (Biggs, 2007; Kafka, 2007; McCarthy, 2007). First introduced in the U.S, the UK followed a few months later. This partnership allows users an instant personalization of both websites. It is advertised on TripAdvisor to sign in via a Facebook account. In DGGLWLRQ WR LW D GLUHFW OLQN RQ WKH FRPSDQ\¶V ZHEVLWH FDQ EH IRXQG where users can sign into TripAdvisor through their Facebook account and therefore connect both of their profiles. Critics mention that the application is an opt-out initiative for its Facebook users. This means that if a Facebook user has not actively disabled the feature in the settings, by visiting TripAdvisor while being logged into the Facebook account both webpages are connected and instantly personalized. Once both accounts are connected, customers are always able to log into their TripAdvisor account via Facebook without requiring another password. This application acts like a personalized travel planner and DOORZV XVHUV WR FRQQHFW ZLWK WKHLU )DFHERRN IULHQGV¶ UHYLHZV DQG opinions about their latest trips and dining experiences in various ways. The application will post on behalf of the user status updates and photos on the news feed and therefore share the users travel advice

59


on Facebook. In addition, when researching a destination of interest on TripAdvisor, the user will see which of their Facebook friends have been to that location and what their feedback was. Since this partnership has been launched, 100 million people have been part of this instant personalization (May, 2014). The cooperation with Facebook allows better coverage within the social media network itself. The recent numbers indicate that the average user has over 190 friends iQ WKHLU VRFLDO QHWZRUN %DFNVWURP $ 7ULS$GYLVRU¶V review and opinion is not only shared on the website itself, but is also shared on Facebook, which in return is able to reach more users. TripAdvisor is one of eight partners worldwide that have access to this form of instant personalization. TripAdvisor is currently the only travel site. Adam Medros, the Vice President of Global Products at 7ULS$GYLVRUVWDWHG³:HWKLQNWKDW¶VDUHDOO\SRZHUIXOLGHDWKDWSHRSOH inherently do want to share their experiences and their content with WKHLU IULHQGV ,I WKH\ JLYH XV WKHLU SHUPLVVLRQ ZH¶OO LQFUHDVLQJO\ DVN for that permission, to be able to make it easier for your friends to discover the things that you like. And to get ideas and recommendations for the triSV WKDW WKH\¶UH SODQQLQJ´ 6DZHUV p. 1). c. On Twitter, which is a real-time information network that connects private users as well as businesses with its customers, TripAdvisor has currently 1.2 million followers and a total of 9,756 tweets published by the administrators (TripAdvisor, 2014b). Twitter allows the quick sharing of information and news with the group of followers and DQ\RQHZKRLVLQWHUHVWHGLQWKHFRPSDQ\¶VSURGXFWVDQGVHUYLFHV7KLV provides an opportunity to build relationships and to engage with customers outside of the familiar website. Beyond the website which TripAdvisor has on Twitter, the company is currently not looking into D GHHSHU LQWHJUDWLRQ DFFRUGLQJ WR $GDP 0HGURV ³:H¶YH FHUWDLQO\ looked at that and all the other social QHWZRUNV:H¶GFRQVLGHUGRLQJ it, but the main thing we want to figure out is what are we getting from LW":H¶YHGRQHDOLWWOHWHVWLQJDQGXVHUVDUHOLWWOHPRUHUHWLFHQWDERXW pressing a button and sharing it out to their Twitter network and followers´6DZHUVS d. Google+, which has been just recently launched on September 20 th 2011, is a social networking and identity service operated by Google

Linnes et al.

60

Inc. The New York Times have declared that Google + as the answer to the social network Facebook DQG DV *RRJOH¶V ELJJHVW DWWHPSW WR ULYDO )DFHERRN 0LOOHU $UPDQR PHQWLRQHG LQ KLV DUWLFOH ³6L[ 6RFLDO0HGLD7UHQGVIRU´WKDW*RRJOHVWUXFNEDFNLQZLWK LWVIRUPLGDEOHLQLWLDWLYHWKDWDFWVDV*RRJOH¶V³VRFLDOOD\HU´WRWKHZHE (Armano, 2011). As of October 29, 2013, Google+ has a user base of more than 540 million surpassing Twitter´s 218 million monthly active users (Daily News, 2013). Adam Medros mentioned that Google+ ³:KHQ LW¶V ELJ HQRXJK DQG PDNHV D GHQW WKHQ \HDK EXW ULJKW QRZ Facebook is really the only platform that has meaningful scale and SURYLGHVDJUDSKWKDWFRXOGEHRIUHDOXVH´6DZHUVS Four Pillars Hotels in the UK stressed the impact of social media within the hospitality industry. It reported that the search volume on Google for hotels has lost a stunning 70% in the last six years. Instead travelers are using TripAdvisor, Kayak, and Expedia (May, 2014). In addition to social media, TripAdvisor offers a free mobile application for iPhone or iPad users. These free applications are advertised as the ideal tool to plan a trip as it will find the best places to eat, sleep, play wherever worldwide a user travels. Applications allow users to be instantly connected with their favorite websites and to follow news and trends as soon as they are published. For TripAdvisor, this means being connected in a more efficient way with its users, therefore an improvement in communication.

(3) 7UDYHOHUV¶&KRLFH$ZDUGV&UHDWHGE\7ULS$GYLVRU 7UDYHOHUV¶ &KRLFH DZDUG ZLQQHUV DUH directly awarded and advertised through TripAdvisor. Awarded by millions of travelers, the winners are published annually including a wide range of categories. The impact of TripAdvisor is tremendous, as it markets the destination itself, including beaches and cities, as well as selected hotels to the public. Therefore a city or area itself can suddenly increase in popularity due to the UHDFK RI ,QWHUQHW PDUNHWLQJ )RU +RQROXOX KDV PDGH WKH OLVW IRU ³7RS %HDFK 'HVWLQDWLRQVLQWKH86´DQGDOVR³7RS%HDFK'HVWLQDWLRQVLQWKH:RUOG´+RQROXOX ZDVUDQNHGDVQXPEHURIWKH³7RS'HVWLQDWLRQVLQWKH:RUOG´ ,Q DGGLWLRQ WR GHVWLQDWLRQV 7UDYHOHUV¶ &KRLFH DZDUGV DUH DOVR JLYHQ RXW WR Hotels in all categories worldwide ranging from bargain to luxury. Within Hawaii the ZLQQHUV IRU WKH ³7RS /X[XU\ +RWHOV LQ WKH 86´ DUH ZLWK QXPEHU VL[ WKH 6W 5HJLV

61


3ULQFHYLOOH 5HVRUWLQ .DXDLDQGZLWK QXPEHUWKH ³.DKDOD+RWHO 5HVRUW´RQ2DKX 7KHFDWHJRU\³7RS5HOD[DWLRQ6SD+RWHOVLQWKH86´OLVWVWKH³7UDYDDVD+RWHO+DQD´ on the Big Island as number 25. Being awarded benefits the property in numerous ways. The company can publish the title on their website, promote it within their property or use it as an email signature for their internal and external communication. These are just a few examples, how the company can take advantage of this free form of advertisement.

(4) TripAdvisor Itself Uses Review Ratings to Award Establish that Enable Search Engine Optimization 2QFH DZDUGHG WKH 7UDYHOHUV¶ &KRLFH DZDUG for example, the organization will bear primary sequence in main search engines, including TripAdvisor itself. When a customer searches for a desired travel destination, the properties which have been DZDUGHG WKH 7UDYHOHUV¶ &KRLFH DZDUG ZLOO EH OLVWHG ILUst. This is just another form of IUHHDGYHUWLVHPHQW3XWWLQJWKLVLQWRSUDFWLFHZKHQVHDUFKLQJIRUWKH7UDYHOHU¶V&KRLFH ZLQQHU³7KH.DKDOD5HVRUW´RQWKHVHDUFKHQJLQH*RRJOHWKHILUVWZHEVLWHZKLFKLVOLVWHG LVWKHSURSHUW\¶VKRPHSDJHWKHVHFRQGSDJH is the TripAdvisor website and the third one LV