| Author: | Liu, Chenghua |
| Title: | Chinese outbound tourists' perception of driver-guide tours : a qualitative application of TPB model |
| Advisors: | Chan, Eric (SHTM) |
| Degree: | DHTM |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Subject: | Tourists -- China Chinese -- Travel -- Foreign countries International travel -- China Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | School of Hotel and Tourism Management |
| Pages: | ix, 177 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Chinese consumers with increasing amounts of disposable income are taking more and more international trips. One of the new travel modes they use is Driver-Guide Tours. Tourists who can afford Driver-Guide Tours can select this method to save time and avoid a number of potential travel issues. However, there is a lack of research on this travel mode from tourists’ perspective. This study examined how Chinese outbound tourists view Driver-Guide Tours for international trips and how they take advantage of Chinese migrants’ experience of living abroad and providing Driver-Guide Tour services to reduce their perceived risk and increase convenience. The theoretical framework was based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the additional construct of guanxi. The framework was used to identify tourists’ intention to reuse the service in four dimensions: Attitude, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Guanxi. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with Chinese tourists who had used Driver-Guide Tours abroad, and thematic analysis of the interview content was carried out to explore the customers’ perceptions of the Driver-Guide Tour service. Abductive analysis was then used to allocate the identified themes to the TPB constructs and derive new concepts. The findings suggested that of the four TPB constructs, Attitude and Guanxi most strongly influenced the tourists’ intention to reuse the Driver-Guide Tour service. Subjective Norm had a weak effect, and Perceived Behavioral Control had a weak or even negative impact on the intention to reuse. A new concept, Travel Mode Life Cycle, was developed. This study’s contribution to methodology concerns the use of the TPB in qualitative research. The theoretical contributions include the following findings. Tourists’ family life cycle affects travel mode selection; relations between tourists, drivers, and tour companies vary; travel mode has a life cycle; and drivers are immersed in local culture. As a practical contribution, the thesis presents two sets of suggestions. The first set concerns how tourists can select tour companies and drivers to ensure a satisfactory journey. The second set includes ways for tour companies to prepare tourists for their trips. In addition, the themes identified from the data analysis give tour companies an overall view of the Driver-Guide Tour service. Some tourists are not aware of the service, and tour companies should focus on these market segments to attract new customers. Last, government agencies should pay attention to the Driver-Guide Tour service and create appropriate infrastructure and regulations to support it. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6927.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.84 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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