KJC Korea
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By testing the relationship between the tourism public officers' self-esteem, knowledge sharing, and attitude toward enhancing job speciality, this study examined the necessity of tourism organization development in the Korean local government. Data were collected from 486 tourism public officers of 42 Korean local governments. Results showed that the public officers' self-evaluation of their job speciality was positively related to their attitude toward educational development. In addition, the public officers' negative evaluation of their job speciality and their cognition of importance for their job task were positively associated with their attitude toward developing a new tourism professional position and recruiting tourism professional as tourism officers. Also, the public officers' self evaluation of their job specialty had positive relationship with their need for career development. Several practical and theoretical implications of this study were also suggested.

This research analyzed the structural characteristics of stakeholders' networks which works in the process of bidding and organizing of a convention. Fifteen representative stakeholder groups of Gwangju convention industry were carefully selected and the social network analysis was applied to analyze the networks. Results demonstrated that there were different network structural characteristics in the process of bidding and organizing conventions. Results also showed that a few stakeholders dominated the relationships and had substantial influences over the other stakeholders. However, more complex and diversified relationship patterns were found in the organization phase. Findings from this study coud help stakeholders of the Gwangju convention industry, especially Gwangju Convention & Visitors Bureau, develop a better efficient collaborative relationships in different stages of convention management.

This study explored the cross cultural differences of convention participants' motivation and decision making process. Data were collected from 357 international and local participants of five conventions which were held from May to September 2004 in Seoul and Jeju, Korea. Results showed that the participants who had collectivistic disposition showed higher external motivation than participants who had individualistic disposition. In terms decision making process, contrary to previous studies, people who had collectivistic disposition placed more importance on the physical security factor than individualistic participants. Results from a structural equation model also showed that there was a significant difference between the individualistic group and collective group in terms of the effects of motivation on decision marking process. Findings from this study suggest that cross-cultural difference is an important factor which influences on participants' motivations and decision -making process.

This study was to examine the travel behavior patterns of Japanese free independent travelers in Busan, Korea. 332 sample from the secondary data of '2008 Busan Foreign Tourists Survey' was used for empirical analyses. Results indicated that the Japanese free independent travelers had more diverse travel purposes compared to the most package travelers. In addition, the Japanese free independent travel was likely to have previous visits to Busan. In terms of tourism information source, the Japanese free independent travelers were tended to heavily rely on the word of mouth from their friends, families, and colleagues. While package travelers mostly relied on travel agents, internet also appeared to be an important information source for the Japanese free independent travelers, Based on the findings of this study, practical implications and suggestions for the future research were also addressed.

This paper was to theoretically examine core constructs of destination brand management such as destination brand equity, destination preference, and destination loyalty, and to empirically test the structural relationship between the identified constructs. For this purpose, data were collected from 949 domestic and foreign tourists who visited Jeju in 2008 from major segmented markets(Korea, Japan, China and United States and Europe). Results showed that all the three dimensions of destination brand equity significantly impacted destination preference. Also, in turn, the destination preference influenced destination loyalty. Results also indicated that out of the three dimensions of brand equity, perceived quality of the destination brand was most likely to impact on the destination preference. Finally, while all the paths of the model were statistically significant among the domestic tourists, the path from destination brand image to the destination preference was not significant among the foreign tourists.

This study was to investigate characteristics of curriculums of tourism management major at Korean universities. It also examined if the curriculums meet the needs of Korean tourism industry. Data were collected from the web sites of the 7 oldest tourism management departments in the seven regions of Korea. Results showed that there were many introductory courses of tourism management in the curriculums. However, there were lack of sequence and balance in many curriculums. Furthermore, practical subjects were not enough to meet the needs of tourism industry. Findings from study suggest the necessity of discussion and consensus of Korean tourism scholars to make a standard tourism management curriculum.

The concept of ecotourism resource interpretation has recently drawn some attentions from tourism and outdoor recreation researchers in Korea. However, almost no research to data has actually examined the important elements of ecotourism resource interpretation and its' level of performance from the ecotourists perspective. Using a 405 sample of birdwatching tourists in the Chunsoo Bay, Korea, this study evaluated 28 ecotour guide inter- pretation elements using an IPA analysis. Results showed that birdwatching tour guides were perceived to perform well 13 out of 28 interpretation attributes in areas related to accurate knowledge and information about birds and enthusiastic interpretation with articulate and clear voice. In contrast, the enjoyable communication skill of the birdwatching tour guides fell into the concentrate here quadrant. Several points were made from the perspective of ecotourism resource interpreter education.

This paper introduced the concept of travel destination 'love mark' and examined the relationship among the tourism storytelling, tourists expectation of destination love mark, and intention to visit. Data were collected from 323 people at four provinces of Korea on May 2009. Results indicated that out of six dimensions of tourism storytelling elements, level of descriptiveness and authenticity were most likely to influence on the tourists expectation of a destination love mark. Results also showed that the tourists expectation of destination love mark tended to impact on their intention to visit and inform by word of mouth. Based on the finding of this study, several practical implication were also discussed.

This study examines tourists visiting the Bongha village, the residence of former president of Korea Roh Moo Hyun, as to their perceptions and experiences at this culturally unique destination. Drawing upon a fandom theory, it is suggested that fans tend to view the object of fandom as an extension of self through a projection and introjection process, which underlies the causal linkage between the degree of fandom and self-image congruity. Also, the self-reflective nature of fandom consumption indicates that the degree of self-image congruity can be an effective predictor of tourists‘ satisfaction at Bongha village. Data were collected from 212 visitors of the village on November 2008. Results support the causal linkage between the degree of fandom and self-image congruity, which in turn positively affects on-site satisfaction at the Bongha village. However, these hypothesized relationships are corroborated only when the direct measure of self-image congruity is used. Theoretical implications of this exploratory study are discussed in relation to the growing power of popular icons and a phenomenon of fandom.

From the Pan-Yellow Sea Era perspective, this study evaluated the competitiveness of Saemangeum ecotourism development. Data were collected from 318 local resident of Gunsan city where 71% of Saemangeum is located in. Results of cannonical correlation analysis showed that lactationality and capacity of tourism development and appropriateness of tourism facility turned out to be the significant elements of strengthening the competitiveness of Saemangeum ecotourism development, while environmental degradation and long term investment cost were the factors of weakening the competitiveness. These imply that a balance point of view is needed for a sustainable Saemanguem ecotourism development. Based on these finding, several practical implications were also discussed.

The growth of the internet has caused the conventional reference group of consumers to expand its boundary to the cyber space of internet. This study investigated the effect of online reference group of internet consumers on the customers' tour package purchasing behavior. It also examined how such effects may vary according to the travel motives of the consumers. Data were collected from 217 participants of three exhibitions, which were held in KOEX, Seoul on October 2008. Results showed that information from all the two different types of on line reference groups made signifiant impacts on respondents' decision to purchase a tour package. Results also illustrated that travel motives of the respondents made different effects on decision criteria of purchasing a tour package. Several practical implications and limitations of this study were also discussed.

By comparing four competing models(i.e, research model, cronin et al model, satisfaction model and value model), this study tested the relationship between in flight service quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioral intention. In order to examine the four competing models, scales of performance-based service quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention developed in previous studies were modified and used. Data were collected from 378 Korean and Japan airline customers at Incheon International Airport on December 2009. Results revealed that the proposed research model proved as the best model to explain the relationship between the service quality, value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Results also indicated that the service quality may not be a good predictor of behavioral intention. Several implications and limitations of the stud were also discussed.

In this study, the relationship between user's perception, attitude, and information search effort on Internet tourism information was examined. Data were collected from 402 people at three subway stations and one domestic airport in Seoul, Korea. Results showed that perceived use of ease influenced perceived usefulness, and that perceived usefulness influenced both attitude and search effort on Internet tourism information. In addition, the respondents attitude also had an impact on information search effort. In terms of the total effect, perceived usefulness had the strongest effect on information search effort. These results supported both theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model. Limitation of this study and direction for future research were also discussed.

The study explored essential factors that influence tourists' continual usage intention of mobile tour information services. Based on Davis's Technology Acceptance Model, factors such as accuracy of tour information service, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, satisfaction, and continual usage intentions were adopted and research hypotheses were developed. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the relationships between the factors. Data were collected from 631 people who used mobile tourism information in 2008. Results showed that ‘accuracy of tour information service’, ‘perceived usefulness’, ‘perceived ease of use’ were all positively related to satisfaction and tourists' continual usage intention. In particular, ‘accuracy of tour information’ were found to be the most significant factor that influences continual usage intentions. The identified factors that influenced continual usage intentions on mobile services could be useful for analyzing the market trends and suggesting industrial guideline of mobile services.

This study explored the causal relationship between the residents' expectations, perceived impacts, place attachment, and willingness to support for a casino development. For this, data were collected from 437 citizens of Jeongseon County and Taebaek City. Results showed that residents' support was central to the casino development. Results also indicated that place attachment played an important role in enhancing residents' continuous support for casino development. In particular, residents who perceived the high level of positive sociocultural impacts from casino development showed the high level of place attachment. Findings from this study suggests that casino industrial developers should more consider corporate social respon- sibility for the community in their process of casino development.

This study explored the relationship between customers' consumption emotion, satisfaction and revisit intention in the context of upscale restaurant. Particularly, it focused on the moderating effects of switching cost. Data were collected on-line from 351 American people who visited an upscale restaurant in 2009. Results of structural equation analysis showed that both positive and negative emotions had a significant effect on satisfaction. In addition, repeat visit intention was found to be a positive function of satisfaction. Subsequent tests for metric invariances demonstrated the moderating role of monetary and non-monetary switching costs. Specifically, the strengths of the relationship between satisfaction and repeat visit intention was higher for low monetary and low non-monetary switching cost groups than their counter parts. Implications and future research areas were discussed.

Using the discrete choice model(Mixed Multinomial Logit Model), this study determined the factors of restaurant customers' choice behavior. In this model, both individual characteristics of the customers and family restaurant's attributes were considered together as independent variables and number of visit was regarded as the dependent variable. Data were collected from 488 customers at four biggest family restaurant in Seoul in 2008. Results showed that the attributes of the restaurants have greater effect on the brand choice behavior than the individual characteristics of customers. This study implies that in order to keep the business competitive over others, a family restaurant needs to find its central and significant attributes and deliver them to the customer properly.

The purpose of the study was to make a close inquiry into an effect of hotel brand image on employment decision of students majoring in hotel with regard to importance of special-grade hotel brand image in Seoul on the basis of preceding researches related to the existing brand image and hotel brand image. When the study examined results through empirical analysis, factor analysis results out of evaluation on scale of measurement were as follows. When the study verified hypotheses, difference analysis results of hotel brand image were partially selected and hotel selection attribute was also selected partially. In addition, employment decision factors of students majoring in hotel were partially selected. In multiple regression analysis, results of hotel brand image were dismissed. Therefore, it was judged that hotel brand image didn’t have an effect on students majoring in hotel. In multiple regression analysis of importance of hotel selection attribute, regression analysis results were partially selected. Therefore, it was judged that importance of hotel selection attribute had a significant effect on students majoring in hotel.