Exploring the potential of hub airports and airlines to convert stopover passengers into stayover PDF
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Exploring the potential of hub airports and airlines to convert stopover passengers into stayover visitors: Evidence from Singapore Chuanzhong Tang BSc, Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao BBA, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences Master of Aviation Management, Griffith University Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management Griffith Business Group Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2014 Exploring the potential of hub airports and airlines to convert stopover passengers into stayover visitors: Evidence from Singapore Chuanzhong Tang BSc, Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao BBA, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences Master of Aviation Management, Griffith University Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management Griffith Business Group Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2014 Abstract This thesis examines the potential of transfer hubs and affiliated airlines, through selected services and facilities, to stimulate future stayover visits by stopover passengers, thereby securing new market opportunities for the host destination. Since the transit region is often regarded as a taken-for granted non-discretionary space which the tourist must cross to reach their final destination, it is usually neglected by most tourism researchers and very few studies have been conducted focusing on this area. Nevertheless, the transit component significantly influences local landscapes and economies. Additionally, some transfer hub facilities in the transit region are now being marketed to transit passengers as tourism attractions in their own right, thus blurring the distinction between the transit and destination components of Leiper’s basic whole tourism system model. Transfer hubs, where stopover-to-stayover conversion can potentially occur, need to be recognised explicitly as a distinctive part of the transit region in Leiper’s model. It is apparent that certain facilities and services provided by the airport and airlines also possess, through their conversion potential, some characteristics of a destination. They are no longer simple facilities in the transit region only providing utilitarian transport services for the tourists. Concurrently, neither meets the definition normally associated with ‘tourist attractions’. Occupying the blurred boundaries between the transit region and the destination region, these facilities and services can be described as a type of ‘quasi-destination’. The exemplary characteristics of Singapore, through the combined efforts of Singapore Changi International Airport and the national carrier Singapore Airlines position that country as an appropriate case study to examine this issue. A mixed methods approach is applied focusing on survey-based quantitative research and semi-structured interviews involving passengers 18 years of age or older who have transited through Singapore Changi International Airport with Singapore Airlines, but have not had a prior stayover visit to Singapore. Hierarchical cluster analysis, divided the sample into three clusters, namely, ‘High Influence’ cluster, ‘Selected III Influence’ cluster and ‘Low Influence’ cluster based on of the degree to which the nine selected clustered variables stimulated their interest to revisit Singapore as stayovers. The APSI framework (Awareness, Participation, Satisfaction, and Influence) was devised to analyse the interaction of the respondents with selected activities/services of Singapore Changi International Airport and Singapore Airlines. Singapore Girl service style, cabin food and cabin beverage offered by Singapore Airlines, and specialised souvenir shop and free internet service from Changi Airport have significantly strong influence in building up the re-visit interest of the stopover sample. The on-board Singapore promotion video provided by Singapore Airlines, and the Butterfly Garden and special themed exhibition or display in the terminal from Changi Airport demonstrate similar converting effectiveness but with growth potential to further increase their influence level. Appropriate strategic considerations are provided to maximise the conversion potential of the activities/services provided by Changi Airport and Singapore Airlines especially for those with low influence effectiveness such as the Orchid Garden and Koi Pond, Fragrant Garden, Cactus Garden, Fern Garden and Koi Pond, Bamboo Stripe, SIA boarding pass privileges, SIA Singapore stopover holiday package and SIA hop-on bus. Keywords: Quasi-destination, Transit region, Tourism system, Cluster analysis, APSI framework IV Statement of Originality This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. _____________________________ Chuanzhong Tang 21 July 2014 V VI Acknowledgement I would like to give my sincere thanks to my principle supervisors Professor David Weaver and Associate Professor Laura Lawton. I really appreciate your professional supervision during my four years of study. Your encouragement, support and solicitude are vital for my PhD journey and your academic sprite and personal characteristics inspired me a lot. Also, I would like to thank my parents and the other family members for giving me both spiritual and material support for my PhD study, without whom I could not complete this thesis. To all the staff and PhD students within the Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, thank you so much for your help and encouragement during my PhD study and I feel extremely lucky to have started my academic life in such a supportive place. Finally, I would like to show my appreciation to all of my friends, co-workers and students along my PhD journey, particularly Dr. Nan Chen, Dr. Xin Jin, Dr. Fangfang Shi, Dr. Wantanee Suntikul and Mr. Xinchao Tang. Your support, encouragement and understanding are important for my thesis completion and you have played such a significant role in my life. Thank you, all of you! VII VIII Publications Resulting from This Thesis Refereed Conference Papers: Tang, C. (2012). The Effectiveness of Airlines and Airports in Converting Stopover Passengers into Future Stayover Tourists at Hub Cities – Evidence from Singapore. Presented at 6th World Conference for Graduate Research in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure. Fethiye, Turkey Tang, C. & Weaver, D. (2013). The Quasi-destination as an Innovative Component of Tourism System - Evidence from Singapore. Presented at The International Conference on Tourism Transport and Logistic. Paris, France Tang, C. & Weaver, D. (2013) Using the APSI Method to Analyze the Quasi-destination, an Innovative Component of the Tourism System: Evidence from Singapore. Presented at World Research Summit in Tourism and Hospitality. Florida, USA Tang, C. & Weaver, D. (2014) Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Quasi-destination Using the APSI Framework. Presented at CAUTHE 2014. Brisbane, Australia IX X
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