Journal of Social Studies in Tourism
Year:2019 | Volume:6 | Issue:12 |Papers Count:7

Strategic alliances stand among the most prominent collaborations between businesses. In service businesses such as tourism, due to heterogeneity in key elements, dominance of SMEs and high sensitivity of the industry regarding the environmental changes, strategic alliances experienced more referrals. There seems to be no comprehensive study on how strategic alliances form in niche areas of tourism, like medical tourism, in Iran. This study focused on identifying the formation of strategic alliances among Iranian medical tourism businesses. Using snowball sampling, 17 experts in medical tourism were selected. Through semi-structured interviews, the data was gathered, and it was analyzed with MAXQDA10 software using theme analysis. Results showed that the goals behind the formation of medical tourism businesses could be categorized in eight key themes: 1) lifting legal barriers; 2) the contingencies of industry; 3) personal interests; 4) organizational goals; 5) customer-related goals; 6) strategic goals; 7) economic goals; 8) securing national interests.

Given the increasing level of competition among service companies, the role and the importance of intangible assets have increased. A brand is an intangible asset that is the most important factor in distinguishing a company and creating a competitive advantage for it. In the competitive environment of the tourism industry, maintaining and developing the market share result from the brand performance. Since the role of staff is significant in transferring the company‟ s brand contracts to customers (in service companies), this research tried to understand why the brand management system was important. It also tried to empirically investigate the effect of the brand management system on brand performance at the employee level, and the mediation effects of brand identity, brand commitment, and brand loyalty. The statistical population of this research included employees of travel and tourism companies in Tehran. To get a sample size, the study used available sampling and Cochran‟ s formula. This is an applied research, and data analysis is descriptive and correlational. To analyze the data of the questionnaire, the study used confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model. The results showed that the brand management system had no direct effect on the brand performance at the employee level. However, the brand management system indirectly influenced brand performance through brand identity, brand commitment, and brand loyalty.

A tourist behavior in the destination forms as a meaningful behavior in the form of a social action, of which relationship with others is the most important element. Through the description and analysis of the type and frequency of tourist relationships, and social capital resulting from them, one can predict a tourist behavior, attachment, and loyalty to the destination. This study examined the effect of the relationship network among pilgrims from Isfahan in the host community on their loyalty to Sarshur neighborhood in Mashhad. This research followed the survey method. In 2016, 150 pilgrims from Isfahan were selected during the day of Arbaeen and the week following it. Results showed that the average size of the relationship network of Isfahan pilgrims in Sarshur neighborhood was 2. 11 People (range: 0 to 9). The average of the general index of Isfahan pilgrims‟ attachment to Sarshur neighborhood was 4. 31 (range: 3. 06 to 5) and the loyalty index was 4. 43 (range: 1 to 5). The results of the model of structural equations by AMOS software showed that two causal ways used in this model can explain 80% of the loyalty variance of Isfahan pilgrims. The social capital of the relationship network among Isfahan pilgrims in this neighborhood increased their attachment. This attachment (through increased satisfaction) caused an increase in tourists‟ loyalty.

The perceived value of a brand is a basic concept for brand purchase and is considered as a valuable and necessary asset. Marketers need to identify the effective factors on brand purchase intention to promote their products and aim for improving the perceived value of the brand. This study tried to test the concept in tourism and test the effect of the perceived value of tourists on purchase intention (candy) and brand image. The statistical population was all the tourists who visited the city of Bojnord. Based on Krejcie and Morgan sampling table, 384 tourists were selected randomly. A localized questionnaire was used to collect data. Using structural equation modeling and LISREL, the study investigated the conceptual model and the research hypotheses. The results showed that the perceived value of tourists had a positive and significant effect on the brand image and purchase intention toward the candy. Tourists‟ mental image had also a positive and significant effect on the purchase intention. The results showed that the tourism marketers could increase the tendency of tourists to purchase Bojnord candy by improving the index of the perceived value of the candy and by making efforts to brand these local souvenirs, which could lead to developing the tourism industry.

This study examined the relationship between environmental attitude and sustainable development of ecotourism, and the mediating role of travel motivation and environmentally responsible behavior of ecotourists in Mahdishahr and Semnan. The population included all ecotourists in Mahdishar and Semnan. The participants were 250 (122 males and 128 females) and were selected via a Convenience Sampling method. All participants completed the scales of environmental attitude, motivation, environmentally responsible behavior and sustainable development of ecotourism. Using LISREL, the data were analyzed by the path analysis model. The results showed that environmental attitude did not have a direct influence on the sustainable development of ecotourism. Environmental attitude had a direct, positive and significant influence on travel motivation and environmentally responsible behavior. Environmental attitude had an indirect, positive and significant impact on sustainable development of ecotourism with the mediating role of travel motivation and environmentally responsible behavior.

Recreational tourism is an important form of domestic tourism in Tehran, based on the statistics of the National Center of Statistics and the views of the experts. This paper tried to propose models for predicting effective variables on predicting domestic demands for recreational tourism in Tehran. The study used the monthly information between 2001 and 2015. The independent variable was the number of domestic recreational tourists in Tehran, and the dependent variables were selected based on Delphi and Fuzzy DEMATEL techniques. The model framework was a combination of regression, the fuzzy neural network, and SVR algorithm. The combinations of these methods helped measure prediction errors and compare methods. Results showed that the proposed hybrid approach of regression and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) could have a better prediction compared to other methods for predicting domestic recreational tourism.

This paper is a part of a survey. It applies structural equal modeling techniques to analyze factors that influence tourism destination loyalty. The approach was “ Tourism as a customer. ” The customer buys leisure services from the provider and the destination. One model in this approach is the European Customer Satisfaction Index. Based on this model, variables influencing the loyalty of tourists to the host community are not just the service provided by the host community. Rather, loyalty is correlated to the image of the destination, and the related expectations of that image. The statistical population was the families and parents of the martyrs in Mashhad. The sample included 400 cases selected by stratified sampling. Based on regression coefficients, perceived value and perceived quality were factors that influenced trip satisfaction. The final model of path analysis showed perceived value and perceived quality influenced trip satisfaction. Perceived quality impacted life satisfaction both directly and indirectly. We considered this perceived value as a mediate variable. Perceived quality leads to a positive evaluation of travel achievement, and it increases trip satisfaction.