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Travel, tourism and hospitality research: A handbook for managers and researchers
Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Research: A Handbook for Managers and Researchers J. R. Brent Ritchie and Charles R. Goeldner, eds. John Wiley and Sons (605 Third Ave. New York NY 10158, U.S.A.) ISBN O-471-84225-7, 1987, xx + 516 pp (tables, figures, index, chapter bibliographies), $39.95 (cloth).
University
Donald Getz of Waterloo, Canada
Educators, students and practitioners have waited a long time for this volume, and the wait was worthwhile. The book is so ambitious and comprehensive that its contents can only be described in general terms: numerous experts have contributed their experiences and skills to provide a compendium of methods, concepts, and techniques valuable to everyone interested in the fields of tourism and hospitality. Originally a project of the Travel and Tourism Research Association, it grew into a publication of major international significance. The editors intended that it “consolidate the rapidly expanding knowledge base related to research” (p. viii) in the field, and that it should find use both as a complement to texts and as a general reference. The many contributing “leading experts” were told to strive for readability and rigor, and this objective was largely fulfilled. It is rare, for example, that a reader can find the personal opinions of well-known authors on the state of research or management alongside technical discussions of research methods. Ritchie, at the University of Calgary (Canada), and Goeldner, at the University of Colorado (USA), have effectively used associate editors from academia, government, and industry to obtain the right balance between educational and practical content. Most of the associate editors and contributors are North American, but several overseas authors are included. Some of the material is familiar, having found its way into books and journal articles, but much of it appears to be freshly written for this book. Dave& Tourism, and Hospitality Research is organized in eight major sections and 43 chapters. The editors admit to having identified 55 topics to be covered, but they could not obtain all the contributions required to complete their list. Readers are expected to be selective, seeking out the chapters appropriate to their needs. However, the book can certainly be used as a fairly thorough text in research methodology courses, or as a supplement to management and The purpose of this department is to publish reviews or sbstracts of recent publications in or related to the study of tourism. The abstracts in ‘Publication Notes” arc of articles, books, edited volumes, proceedings, theses, bibliographier, directories and the like. The appearance of sn abstract here does not preclude its full review in a future insue. Individuals interested in submitting reviews should write directly to the Chief Editor for Publications in Review, Donald Gets (Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3Gl). Unsolicited reviews will not be accepted.
589
590
PL-BLIC.\TIOSS
IS
RE\.IE\\’
planning courses. The editors also suggest that it be used in specialized seminars. Part 1 gives an overview of management and research, with the aim of sensitizing managers to research needs and methods. It will equally sensitize researchers to management applications. Various disciplinary approaches are briefly mentioned by Gunn, while Ritchie contributes a particularly useful systems approach to integrating research in management. Two other chapters deal with the role of research in policy formation, including the basics of management information systems. “Fundamentals of Tourism Research” are covered in Part 2, with five chapters on definitions/measurement, planning a research investigation, demand forecasting and estimation, scaling and attitude measurement, and sampling. Taken together, these chapters offer a research design course in miniature, but one hopes that readers will have had a full research design course prior to reading this book, or are consulting it as part of such a course. The juxtaposition of demand forecasting and attitude measurement with these design chapters is somewhat curious, although admittedly they constitute major aspects of research in the travel-related fields. Various settings of research are examined in the third part of the book, including national, regional, and municipal perspectives. It is noteworthy that separate chapters are devoted to urban areas and to developing nations, as their particular research needs are often overshadowed by literature on senior government agencies and the developed nations. Goeldner’s article on information sources concludes this section. “Some Disciplinary Perspectives” is the cautious title of Part 4. Unfortunately, it does not include contributions from all the key related disciplines, and The first chapter deals with the geography of this is an important limitation. tourism. Psychological and social-psychological perspectives are dealt with only indirectly, through Plog’s very informative discussion of psychographics. Plog’s contribution is an example of one of the handbook’s strengths, in that it combines the personal opinions of a well-known author with very practical methodological advice. Environmental design and land use issues are covered, with the emphasis on planning. A chapter on political dimensions of tourism is excellent, but does not present a systematic political science approach to the study of tourism. Economics, anthropology, and sociology are conspicuous by their absence, although a sifting of other chapters reveals some pertinent contributions from these fields. One hopes that future editions of this handbook will be somewhat more systematic in presenting the fertile contributions of other disciplines and fields. ‘An Industry Sector Perspective” is taken in Part 5, with chapters devoted to retailers and whoelsalers, conventions and meetings, events and attractions, restaurants, personal transportation modes, small tourism businesses, and the intercity bus and rail industry (the latter mistakenly identified as covering the “Trail” industry). This is excellent material to present in the same book as =purer” research articles, especially since some of the suthors include facts and analyses of the industry sectors along with appropriate research lines. The chapter on small businesses includes several useful model surveys. Again, some omissions are evident: hotels and other commercial accommodations; international and national airlines; cruises; national parks; community festivals; and cultural and historical attractions. To be fair, inclusion of all the possible sectors would hopelessly enlarge the book, but some of these missed sectors are too important to ignore completely. The sixth part brings together six chapters on the impacts of tourism. Frechtling’s three chapters are devoted to economic impacts, including techniques for impact estimation and assessing the costs and benefits of tourism. Social and environmental impacts are assigned separate chapters. The chapter on human
PUBLICATIONS
IN REVIEU
591
resources is somewhat out of place, as much of it relates to labor issues from an employer’s perspective. The chapters in Part 7 look at specific data collection and analytical techniques: enroute surveys; Delphi; use of panels; qualitative methods; modeling simulation; and conjoint analysis. Some of the contributors provide sample instruments and data analysis advice. The list of techniques and applications is certainly not exhaustive, but when combined with earlier material, the range of described techniques is very wide. The final section offers several marketing-related chapters on the subjects of advertising conversion studies, market segmentation, and the estimation of potential international markets. A basic knowledge of marketing is required prior to making use of these articles, as they do not combine to give a unified or complete overview of marketing research. Some duplication and repetition is inevitable in a book of this kind, and the editors suggest that it is in fact useful to cover some important topics more than once. As it is likely that even textbook users will not undertake a cover-tocover reading, duplication is not a serious problem. Indeed, given the scope of material presented, educators would have to be cautious in assigning readings to fit particular course requirements. When faced by such a wealth of information and advice as the reader will find in Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Research, it is difficult to complain. Criticism of some serious omissions must be weighed against the problem of making the book too long or expensive. Repetition must be seen in the light of the likely eclectic uses of the handbook. The mix of technical and overview chapters is desirable, and so is the addition of personal opinion in places. For those readers not finding the technical depth they require regarding certain methods, the chapter-ending bibliographies will assist. The accompanying figures, tables, and sample instruments are valuable, and are clearly printed throughout. This will be a book of enduring significance, and will not quickly get out of date. However, it is to be hoped that the publisher will periodically issue new and augmented editions so that the Handbook can become the permanent, standard reference so needed in these fields. q o Review Assigned 7 February 1987 Submitted 26 April 1987 Accepted 22 May 1987 Third
World
People
Approaches
and Tourism:
to a Dialogue
By Ecumencial Coalition on Third World Tourism, Third World Tourism EcBangkok, 10900 umencial European Net. ECTWT (PO B ox 9-25, Bangken, Thailand). ISBN 974-87442-2-9, 1986, 145 pp (index, photographs), n.p. (cloth). David Simmons Lincoln College, New Zealand
Third World People and Tourism is a conference summary. It represents the deliberations of the Ecumencial Coalition on Third World Tourism (ECTWT), a Third World based organization, the Third World Ecumenical European Net (NET) a European based organization, and the World Council of Churches, at their Bad Boll consultation (Germany, March 19-22, 1986). The conference drew together some 140 people from 30 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, North America, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. Aside from representatives from Church groups, the conference attempted to bring together
University
Donald Getz of Waterloo, Canada
Educators, students and practitioners have waited a long time for this volume, and the wait was worthwhile. The book is so ambitious and comprehensive that its contents can only be described in general terms: numerous experts have contributed their experiences and skills to provide a compendium of methods, concepts, and techniques valuable to everyone interested in the fields of tourism and hospitality. Originally a project of the Travel and Tourism Research Association, it grew into a publication of major international significance. The editors intended that it “consolidate the rapidly expanding knowledge base related to research” (p. viii) in the field, and that it should find use both as a complement to texts and as a general reference. The many contributing “leading experts” were told to strive for readability and rigor, and this objective was largely fulfilled. It is rare, for example, that a reader can find the personal opinions of well-known authors on the state of research or management alongside technical discussions of research methods. Ritchie, at the University of Calgary (Canada), and Goeldner, at the University of Colorado (USA), have effectively used associate editors from academia, government, and industry to obtain the right balance between educational and practical content. Most of the associate editors and contributors are North American, but several overseas authors are included. Some of the material is familiar, having found its way into books and journal articles, but much of it appears to be freshly written for this book. Dave& Tourism, and Hospitality Research is organized in eight major sections and 43 chapters. The editors admit to having identified 55 topics to be covered, but they could not obtain all the contributions required to complete their list. Readers are expected to be selective, seeking out the chapters appropriate to their needs. However, the book can certainly be used as a fairly thorough text in research methodology courses, or as a supplement to management and The purpose of this department is to publish reviews or sbstracts of recent publications in or related to the study of tourism. The abstracts in ‘Publication Notes” arc of articles, books, edited volumes, proceedings, theses, bibliographier, directories and the like. The appearance of sn abstract here does not preclude its full review in a future insue. Individuals interested in submitting reviews should write directly to the Chief Editor for Publications in Review, Donald Gets (Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3Gl). Unsolicited reviews will not be accepted.
589
590
PL-BLIC.\TIOSS
IS
RE\.IE\\’
planning courses. The editors also suggest that it be used in specialized seminars. Part 1 gives an overview of management and research, with the aim of sensitizing managers to research needs and methods. It will equally sensitize researchers to management applications. Various disciplinary approaches are briefly mentioned by Gunn, while Ritchie contributes a particularly useful systems approach to integrating research in management. Two other chapters deal with the role of research in policy formation, including the basics of management information systems. “Fundamentals of Tourism Research” are covered in Part 2, with five chapters on definitions/measurement, planning a research investigation, demand forecasting and estimation, scaling and attitude measurement, and sampling. Taken together, these chapters offer a research design course in miniature, but one hopes that readers will have had a full research design course prior to reading this book, or are consulting it as part of such a course. The juxtaposition of demand forecasting and attitude measurement with these design chapters is somewhat curious, although admittedly they constitute major aspects of research in the travel-related fields. Various settings of research are examined in the third part of the book, including national, regional, and municipal perspectives. It is noteworthy that separate chapters are devoted to urban areas and to developing nations, as their particular research needs are often overshadowed by literature on senior government agencies and the developed nations. Goeldner’s article on information sources concludes this section. “Some Disciplinary Perspectives” is the cautious title of Part 4. Unfortunately, it does not include contributions from all the key related disciplines, and The first chapter deals with the geography of this is an important limitation. tourism. Psychological and social-psychological perspectives are dealt with only indirectly, through Plog’s very informative discussion of psychographics. Plog’s contribution is an example of one of the handbook’s strengths, in that it combines the personal opinions of a well-known author with very practical methodological advice. Environmental design and land use issues are covered, with the emphasis on planning. A chapter on political dimensions of tourism is excellent, but does not present a systematic political science approach to the study of tourism. Economics, anthropology, and sociology are conspicuous by their absence, although a sifting of other chapters reveals some pertinent contributions from these fields. One hopes that future editions of this handbook will be somewhat more systematic in presenting the fertile contributions of other disciplines and fields. ‘An Industry Sector Perspective” is taken in Part 5, with chapters devoted to retailers and whoelsalers, conventions and meetings, events and attractions, restaurants, personal transportation modes, small tourism businesses, and the intercity bus and rail industry (the latter mistakenly identified as covering the “Trail” industry). This is excellent material to present in the same book as =purer” research articles, especially since some of the suthors include facts and analyses of the industry sectors along with appropriate research lines. The chapter on small businesses includes several useful model surveys. Again, some omissions are evident: hotels and other commercial accommodations; international and national airlines; cruises; national parks; community festivals; and cultural and historical attractions. To be fair, inclusion of all the possible sectors would hopelessly enlarge the book, but some of these missed sectors are too important to ignore completely. The sixth part brings together six chapters on the impacts of tourism. Frechtling’s three chapters are devoted to economic impacts, including techniques for impact estimation and assessing the costs and benefits of tourism. Social and environmental impacts are assigned separate chapters. The chapter on human
PUBLICATIONS
IN REVIEU
591
resources is somewhat out of place, as much of it relates to labor issues from an employer’s perspective. The chapters in Part 7 look at specific data collection and analytical techniques: enroute surveys; Delphi; use of panels; qualitative methods; modeling simulation; and conjoint analysis. Some of the contributors provide sample instruments and data analysis advice. The list of techniques and applications is certainly not exhaustive, but when combined with earlier material, the range of described techniques is very wide. The final section offers several marketing-related chapters on the subjects of advertising conversion studies, market segmentation, and the estimation of potential international markets. A basic knowledge of marketing is required prior to making use of these articles, as they do not combine to give a unified or complete overview of marketing research. Some duplication and repetition is inevitable in a book of this kind, and the editors suggest that it is in fact useful to cover some important topics more than once. As it is likely that even textbook users will not undertake a cover-tocover reading, duplication is not a serious problem. Indeed, given the scope of material presented, educators would have to be cautious in assigning readings to fit particular course requirements. When faced by such a wealth of information and advice as the reader will find in Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Research, it is difficult to complain. Criticism of some serious omissions must be weighed against the problem of making the book too long or expensive. Repetition must be seen in the light of the likely eclectic uses of the handbook. The mix of technical and overview chapters is desirable, and so is the addition of personal opinion in places. For those readers not finding the technical depth they require regarding certain methods, the chapter-ending bibliographies will assist. The accompanying figures, tables, and sample instruments are valuable, and are clearly printed throughout. This will be a book of enduring significance, and will not quickly get out of date. However, it is to be hoped that the publisher will periodically issue new and augmented editions so that the Handbook can become the permanent, standard reference so needed in these fields. q o Review Assigned 7 February 1987 Submitted 26 April 1987 Accepted 22 May 1987 Third
World
People
Approaches
and Tourism:
to a Dialogue
By Ecumencial Coalition on Third World Tourism, Third World Tourism EcBangkok, 10900 umencial European Net. ECTWT (PO B ox 9-25, Bangken, Thailand). ISBN 974-87442-2-9, 1986, 145 pp (index, photographs), n.p. (cloth). David Simmons Lincoln College, New Zealand
Third World People and Tourism is a conference summary. It represents the deliberations of the Ecumencial Coalition on Third World Tourism (ECTWT), a Third World based organization, the Third World Ecumenical European Net (NET) a European based organization, and the World Council of Churches, at their Bad Boll consultation (Germany, March 19-22, 1986). The conference drew together some 140 people from 30 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, North America, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. Aside from representatives from Church groups, the conference attempted to bring together