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Prof. Dr. Babak Taheri
Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK

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Editorial
Published: 21 July 2021 in Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research
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ACS Style

Hossein Olya; Babak Taheri. Introduction to the Special Issue: Nature-Based Solutions in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Hossein Olya, Babak Taheri. Introduction to the Special Issue: Nature-Based Solutions in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hossein Olya; Babak Taheri. 2021. "Introduction to the Special Issue: Nature-Based Solutions in Hospitality and Tourism Management." Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research , no. : 1.

Original article
Published: 14 February 2021 in International Journal of Consumer Studies
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This study extends current understanding of how gender shapes value co‐creation, perceived service quality, and turnover intention within health and fitness clubs. Survey responses were collected from 485 fitness club customers in Iran. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) was deployed to demonstrate the effects of predictor variables while fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to identify combinations of value co‐creation behaviours capable of predicting model outcomes. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) was also employed to identify the value co‐creation factors required to achieve low turnover intentions and high service quality perceptions. Results reveal the moderating role of gender in shaping the complex combinations of value co‐creation factors leading to low turnover and high perceived quality; fsQCA findings demonstrate how this differs between male and female consumers. NCA findings suggest that fitness club managers should foster an interactive environment through advocacy programmes, promoting responsible behaviours, and boosting tolerance, to encourage both male and female customers to participate in co‐creation processes. This is the first empirical study to apply complexity theory to explore whether service quality perceptions and turnover intentions vary across gender via structural and configurational modelling.

ACS Style

Hossein Olya; Babak Taheri; Anna Farmaki; Martin Joseph Gannon. Modelling perceived service quality and turnover intentions in gender‐segregated environments. International Journal of Consumer Studies 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Hossein Olya, Babak Taheri, Anna Farmaki, Martin Joseph Gannon. Modelling perceived service quality and turnover intentions in gender‐segregated environments. International Journal of Consumer Studies. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hossein Olya; Babak Taheri; Anna Farmaki; Martin Joseph Gannon. 2021. "Modelling perceived service quality and turnover intentions in gender‐segregated environments." International Journal of Consumer Studies , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 18 December 2020 in Journal of Business Research
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Using the theories of complexity and the spiral of silence, this paper aims to understand how combinations of perceived news, brand gender, and participation explain conditions leading to brand love and customers’ attitudinal loyalty within online contexts. Drawing from a two-stage, mixed-method approach, results indicate that passive participation and brand masculinity are necessary to increase love and attitudinal loyalty to a brand, while perceived news informativeness and entertainment, brand femininity, and active participation are sufficient but not necessary. The study offers theoretical and practical insights that may guide further research and strengthen marketing attempts to improve customer engagement with online fan pages.

ACS Style

Anna Farmaki; Hossein Olya; Babak Taheri. Unpacking the complex interactions among customers in online fan pages. Journal of Business Research 2020, 125, 164 -176.

AMA Style

Anna Farmaki, Hossein Olya, Babak Taheri. Unpacking the complex interactions among customers in online fan pages. Journal of Business Research. 2020; 125 ():164-176.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Farmaki; Hossein Olya; Babak Taheri. 2020. "Unpacking the complex interactions among customers in online fan pages." Journal of Business Research 125, no. : 164-176.

Journal article
Published: 05 November 2020 in Journal of Business Research
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Customer needs in service settings are idiosyncratic. Responding to these unique needs requires frontline employees to be creative. Little research looks at the drivers of service employee creativity. We aim to fill that void by assessing two potential key creativity drivers, control mechanisms and management orientations. We collected data from frontline employees and their managers and used multilevel mediation modeling, configurational modeling and analysis of necessary conditions. Multilevel analysis revealed that the influence of process and social controls on employee creativity are fully mediated by self-control, whereas the effects of cultural control are partially mediated. The effect of the service orientation of management on employee creativity is partially mediated by self-control, whereas the effect of profit orientation is fully mediated. Causal models from employee control mechanisms and management orientation configurations provide a deeper insight of sufficient conditions leading to employee creativity. Necessary employee control mechanisms and management orientations are identified.

ACS Style

Filipe J. Coelho; Heiner Evanschitzky; Carlos M.P. Sousa; Hossein Olya; Babak Taheri. Control mechanisms, management orientations, and the creativity of service employees: Symmetric and asymmetric modeling. Journal of Business Research 2020, 132, 753 -764.

AMA Style

Filipe J. Coelho, Heiner Evanschitzky, Carlos M.P. Sousa, Hossein Olya, Babak Taheri. Control mechanisms, management orientations, and the creativity of service employees: Symmetric and asymmetric modeling. Journal of Business Research. 2020; 132 ():753-764.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Filipe J. Coelho; Heiner Evanschitzky; Carlos M.P. Sousa; Hossein Olya; Babak Taheri. 2020. "Control mechanisms, management orientations, and the creativity of service employees: Symmetric and asymmetric modeling." Journal of Business Research 132, no. : 753-764.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2020 in Tourism Management
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Medical tourism (MT) is a valuable component of many national service economies. Understanding the marketing and recruitment of MT patients is therefore an important consideration for MT providers. Research shows that word of mouth (WoM) remains the most important acquisition channel in this sector. Yet, there is only a limited understanding of antecedent factors behind a patient referral. We develop a framework for WoM, finding support for tourism factors, service quality and perceived value as key antecedents on WoM referrals. We further extend the MT literature by integrating a novel perspective on value creation that surfaces the experiences of frontline service providers for the first time. This paper incorporates two complementary studies, one with a focus on value creation, the other on perceived value. By combing the two in a mixed-methods approach, we emphasise the role of service delivery on WoM. Several implications can be drawn from the study's findings.

ACS Style

Babak Taheri; Dominic Chalmers; Juliette Wilson; Norin Arshed. Would you really recommend it? Antecedents of word-of-mouth in medical tourism. Tourism Management 2020, 83, 104209 .

AMA Style

Babak Taheri, Dominic Chalmers, Juliette Wilson, Norin Arshed. Would you really recommend it? Antecedents of word-of-mouth in medical tourism. Tourism Management. 2020; 83 ():104209.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Babak Taheri; Dominic Chalmers; Juliette Wilson; Norin Arshed. 2020. "Would you really recommend it? Antecedents of word-of-mouth in medical tourism." Tourism Management 83, no. : 104209.

Journal article
Published: 13 May 2020 in International Journal of Hospitality Management
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Food waste remains a serious environmental and economic concern within the hospitality and tourism industry. This study therefore investigates how managers, chefs, and employees in all-inclusive hotels view the impact of food waste and extant waste reduction processes in their workplaces. It explores (1) why and how food waste occurs, (2) employees’ perceptions of the reasons behind food waste, and (3) how it can be reduced in all-inclusive hotels. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were undertaken with 33 individuals working in all-inclusive hotels in Turkey. The findings indicate that guest behaviors, preferences, and attitudes are perceived as the primary stimulants of food waste. The findings also suggest that guests’ cultural backgrounds influence their eating behaviors, further contributing to the volume of waste generated. As such, this study provides a nascent exploration of employee perceptions of the reasons behind food waste, and how best to reduce it, in the all-inclusive resort hotel context.

ACS Style

Bendegul Okumus; Babak Taheri; Ibrahim Giritlioglu; Martin J. Gannon. Tackling food waste in all-inclusive resort hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management 2020, 88, 102543 .

AMA Style

Bendegul Okumus, Babak Taheri, Ibrahim Giritlioglu, Martin J. Gannon. Tackling food waste in all-inclusive resort hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 2020; 88 ():102543.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bendegul Okumus; Babak Taheri; Ibrahim Giritlioglu; Martin J. Gannon. 2020. "Tackling food waste in all-inclusive resort hotels." International Journal of Hospitality Management 88, no. : 102543.

Research article
Published: 09 January 2020 in Journal of Travel Research
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Framed by social exchange theory and Weber’s theory of substantive and formal rationality, this study investigates the mediating role of residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts. It examines whether community attachment, environmental and cultural attitudes, economic gain, and community involvement directly impact upon residents’ support for tourism development, or if their influences are mediated by perceptions of tourism impacts. Data were collected from residents within two historical cities in Iran: Kashan and Tabriz. The findings reveal that residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts play a significant mediating role in shaping the relationships between community attachment, environmental attitudes, and economic gain on support for tourism development. However, the results do not support the indirect effects of cultural attitudes and involvement on support for tourism development. This study thus extends extant knowledge by highlighting the mediating role played by residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts, comparing direct and indirect effects on support for tourism development.

ACS Style

Martin Gannon; S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh; Babak Taheri. Assessing the Mediating Role of Residents’ Perceptions toward Tourism Development. Journal of Travel Research 2020, 60, 149 -171.

AMA Style

Martin Gannon, S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh, Babak Taheri. Assessing the Mediating Role of Residents’ Perceptions toward Tourism Development. Journal of Travel Research. 2020; 60 (1):149-171.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martin Gannon; S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh; Babak Taheri. 2020. "Assessing the Mediating Role of Residents’ Perceptions toward Tourism Development." Journal of Travel Research 60, no. 1: 149-171.

Journal article
Published: 23 December 2019 in Annals of Tourism Research
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This paper draws upon Bourdieusian literature to examine how capitals are exchanged between stakeholders in volunteer tourism settings. Through exploratory interviews at schools in Cambodia and Kenya, we identify how volunteers and hosts cognise objectified cultural value for volunteer schools. However, due to the financial hardship associated with volunteer projects, the findings illustrate how a negotiated understanding is reached for Western volunteers' economic value. This study applies an interactionist perspective to examine how social interaction and cognition precede Bourdieu's structural capital exchanges. We argue that meaning development significantly influences capital exchange and, thus, by applying the theoretical framework of Bourdieu's practice theory with Blumer's symbolic interactionism we consolidate two previously un-synthesised concepts and contribute a new avenue for sociological research.

ACS Style

Jamie Thompson; Babak Taheri. Capital deployment and exchange in volunteer tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 2019, 81, 102848 .

AMA Style

Jamie Thompson, Babak Taheri. Capital deployment and exchange in volunteer tourism. Annals of Tourism Research. 2019; 81 ():102848.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jamie Thompson; Babak Taheri. 2019. "Capital deployment and exchange in volunteer tourism." Annals of Tourism Research 81, no. : 102848.

Research article
Published: 21 October 2019 in Journal of Travel Research
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Underpinned by complexity theory, this study investigates whether the influence of social and physical servicescape on international travelers’ dissatisfaction and misbehavior differs between two characteristically different international airports in Iran. Partial least squares (PLS) and multi-group analysis (MGA) were employed to test the conceptual model. The results revealed significant differences between the effects of physical servicescape on travelers’ dissatisfaction and misbehavior across both airports. However, the results did not support any differences between the effects of social servicescape on travelers’ dissatisfaction and misbehavior between both airports. Additionally, using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study identified multiple configurations of physical and social servicescape dimensions leading to traveler dissatisfaction and misbehavior. In doing so, the results highlighted the conditions leading to low traveler dissatisfaction and misbehavior scores, confirming the applicability of complexity theory in explaining international traveler behavior in airports, providing implications and directions for future research in the process.

ACS Style

Babak Taheri; Hossein Olya; Faizan Ali; Martin Joseph Gannon. Understanding the Influence of Airport Servicescape on Traveler Dissatisfaction and Misbehavior. Journal of Travel Research 2019, 59, 1008 -1028.

AMA Style

Babak Taheri, Hossein Olya, Faizan Ali, Martin Joseph Gannon. Understanding the Influence of Airport Servicescape on Traveler Dissatisfaction and Misbehavior. Journal of Travel Research. 2019; 59 (6):1008-1028.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Babak Taheri; Hossein Olya; Faizan Ali; Martin Joseph Gannon. 2019. "Understanding the Influence of Airport Servicescape on Traveler Dissatisfaction and Misbehavior." Journal of Travel Research 59, no. 6: 1008-1028.

Journal article
Published: 24 July 2019 in Tourism Management
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In response to the increasing ubiquity of social media platforms, improved consumer choice, and technological progress, the importance of consumer-generated content (CGC) continues to grow for organizations marketing their destinations, products, and services to tourists. Yet, despite the importance tourists place on CGC and information shared via social media, there remains a lack of academic focus in this area. To address this gap, we use a rigorous multi-step scale development procedure to create a scale centered on understanding the importance consumers attach to social media sharing (ISMS) from a tourists' perspective. Studies conducted across different contexts (Turkey and Scotland), comprising 1183 participants, were used to validate the newly developed ISMS scale. The scale indicates internal consistency and reliability, alongside construct and predictive validity. Directions for future research and the practical implications of the newly developed ISMS scale are discussed by way of conclusion.

ACS Style

Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu; Babak Taheri; Fevzi Okumus; Martin Gannon. Understanding the importance that consumers attach to social media sharing (ISMS): Scale development and validation. Tourism Management 2019, 76, 103954 .

AMA Style

Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu, Babak Taheri, Fevzi Okumus, Martin Gannon. Understanding the importance that consumers attach to social media sharing (ISMS): Scale development and validation. Tourism Management. 2019; 76 ():103954.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu; Babak Taheri; Fevzi Okumus; Martin Gannon. 2019. "Understanding the importance that consumers attach to social media sharing (ISMS): Scale development and validation." Tourism Management 76, no. : 103954.

Journal article
Published: 16 July 2019 in The Service Industries Journal
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ACS Style

Babak Taheri; Martin Joseph Gannon; Muhammet Kesgin. Visitors’ perceived trust in sincere, authentic, and memorable heritage experiences. The Service Industries Journal 2019, 40, 705 -725.

AMA Style

Babak Taheri, Martin Joseph Gannon, Muhammet Kesgin. Visitors’ perceived trust in sincere, authentic, and memorable heritage experiences. The Service Industries Journal. 2019; 40 (9-10):705-725.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Babak Taheri; Martin Joseph Gannon; Muhammet Kesgin. 2019. "Visitors’ perceived trust in sincere, authentic, and memorable heritage experiences." The Service Industries Journal 40, no. 9-10: 705-725.

Articles
Published: 05 June 2019 in Journal of Sustainable Tourism
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This study investigates whether the perceptions and attitudes of residents living within the vicinity of heritage tourism sites differ from those living further afield. It examines residents’ attitudes toward tourism development; community attachment; environment and culture attitudes; economic gain; and involvement, alongside the moderating role of distance from heritage tourism sites. In doing so, it investigates how the aforementioned factors influence residents’ perceptions of tourism development in their city. Data was collected from inhabitants of Kashan and Tabriz, two historic cities couched within Iran’s growing heritage tourism sector, and analyzed using partial least squares - structural equation modeling. The findings demonstrate significant differences between the perceptions of tourism impacts, economic gain, environmental and cultural attitudes, and involvement between residents living within the vicinity of heritage tourism sites and those living further afield. However, these findings contradicted the hypotheses; identifying higher positive perceptions, environmental and cultural attitudes, economic gain, and involvement for residents living far from heritage tourism sites. Further, the findings did not support the moderating role of distance for the effects of influencing factors on residents’ perceptions. Therefore, this study proffers significant theoretical contributions and practical implications with regards to developing sustainable tourism in Iran.

ACS Style

S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh; Babak Taheri; Martin Joseph Gannon; Ali Vafaei-Zadeh; Haniruzila Hanifah. Does living in the vicinity of heritage tourism sites influence residents’ perceptions and attitudes? Journal of Sustainable Tourism 2019, 27, 1295 -1317.

AMA Style

S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh, Babak Taheri, Martin Joseph Gannon, Ali Vafaei-Zadeh, Haniruzila Hanifah. Does living in the vicinity of heritage tourism sites influence residents’ perceptions and attitudes? Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 2019; 27 (9):1295-1317.

Chicago/Turabian Style

S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh; Babak Taheri; Martin Joseph Gannon; Ali Vafaei-Zadeh; Haniruzila Hanifah. 2019. "Does living in the vicinity of heritage tourism sites influence residents’ perceptions and attitudes?" Journal of Sustainable Tourism 27, no. 9: 1295-1317.

Articles
Published: 02 May 2019 in The Service Industries Journal
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This research explores the interplay between brand image, communitas, volunteer work engagement and affective commitment to develop understanding of the importance of fostering communitas experiences within voluntary organisations and communicating these to volunteers. The research draws on a survey of 1248 active Scout volunteers in Scotland, structural equation modelling using SmartPLS3 was used to develop a new theoretical model which measured both brand image and work engagement as second-order constructs. The findings indicate brand image has a positive relationship with communitas, work engagement, and affective commitment amongst volunteers, and that communitas and work engagement positively mediate the relationship between brand image and volunteer affective commitment. Consequently, we suggest non-profit managers should facilitate and deliver powerful communitas experiences for volunteers to enhance their engagement and affective commitment by emphasising communitas throughout volunteering programmes.

ACS Style

Ross Curran; Babak Taheri. Enhancing volunteer experiences: using communitas to improve engagement and commitment. The Service Industries Journal 2019, 1 -23.

AMA Style

Ross Curran, Babak Taheri. Enhancing volunteer experiences: using communitas to improve engagement and commitment. The Service Industries Journal. 2019; ():1-23.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ross Curran; Babak Taheri. 2019. "Enhancing volunteer experiences: using communitas to improve engagement and commitment." The Service Industries Journal , no. : 1-23.

Journal article
Published: 28 April 2019 in Annals of Tourism Research
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Festivals provide opportunities for experiential consumption, attracting both first-time and repeat visitors. However, current understanding of the perceptual and behavioural differences between these groups remains incomplete. This study investigates how experiential purchase quality influences experience self-connection and braggart word-of-mouth, for both first-time and repeat visitors, using a mixed-method approach. The qualitative (n = 32) and quantitative (n = 909) results together reveal that the combinations of experiential purchase quality dimensions stimulating experience self-connection and braggart word-of-mouth in repeat visitors differ significantly from those for first-time visitors, emphasising the need for festival managers to pay close attention to how different visitor groups perceive and prioritise experiential purchase quality dimensions. The findings thus extend current understanding of how braggart word-of-mouth emerges in an experiential consumption context.

ACS Style

Martin Gannon; Babak Taheri; Hossein Olya. Festival quality, self-connection, and bragging. Annals of Tourism Research 2019, 76, 239 -252.

AMA Style

Martin Gannon, Babak Taheri, Hossein Olya. Festival quality, self-connection, and bragging. Annals of Tourism Research. 2019; 76 ():239-252.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martin Gannon; Babak Taheri; Hossein Olya. 2019. "Festival quality, self-connection, and bragging." Annals of Tourism Research 76, no. : 239-252.

Review article
Published: 14 January 2019 in International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to review and synthesise recent studies in the sharing economy literature and identify the knowledge gap and future opportunities for hospitality and tourism researchers.Design/methodology/approachThe study commences by introducing sharing economy models and strategic frameworks for profitable service enabler performance. Following this, it identifies emerging overarching theories (e.g. complexity theory, social exchange theory, norm activation model, and value co-creation) and some emerging themes (i.e. trust and reputation, disruptive behaviour, choice and segmentation, pricing strategies, socially excluded consumers, personality and satisfaction) in current hospitality and tourism studies from top-tier journals.FindingsThe findings of the study suggest new paths for advancing theoretical and practical implications for hospitality and tourism studies.Practical implicationsThe themes, models and overarching theories reviewed in this study are relevant and insightful across the fulcrum of hospitality and tourism research. It offers several useful guides for practitioners and academics to trace relevant literature on different aspects of sharing economy and perceptibly highlight the gaps in existing studies.Originality/valueThe paper provides new directions to broaden interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches undertaken by scholars within both the field of hospitality and tourism management and beyond.

ACS Style

Levent Altinay; Babak Taheri. Emerging themes and theories in the sharing economy: a critical note for hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 2019, 31, 180 -193.

AMA Style

Levent Altinay, Babak Taheri. Emerging themes and theories in the sharing economy: a critical note for hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 2019; 31 (1):180-193.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Levent Altinay; Babak Taheri. 2019. "Emerging themes and theories in the sharing economy: a critical note for hospitality and tourism." International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 31, no. 1: 180-193.

Editorial
Published: 19 October 2018 in The Service Industries Journal
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ACS Style

Babak Taheri; Sameer Hosany; Levent Altinay. Consumer engagement in the tourism industry: new trends and implications for research. The Service Industries Journal 2018, 39, 463 -468.

AMA Style

Babak Taheri, Sameer Hosany, Levent Altinay. Consumer engagement in the tourism industry: new trends and implications for research. The Service Industries Journal. 2018; 39 (7-8):463-468.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Babak Taheri; Sameer Hosany; Levent Altinay. 2018. "Consumer engagement in the tourism industry: new trends and implications for research." The Service Industries Journal 39, no. 7-8: 463-468.

Articles
Published: 19 September 2018 in Tourism Recreation Research
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Using data collected from 538 Iranian tourists undertaking the religious pilgrimage of Umrah (i.e. voluntary travel to the holy city of Mecca at any time throughout the year), this study investigates the concept of play and its relationship with self-expression and hedonism in an Islamic tourism context. By testing a theoretically derived structural model, the findings suggest that self-expression strongly influences tourists’ sense of play. Here, play is realised when tourists feel that they can express themselves freely and augment their self-image while travelling, irrespective of the religious context. Nonetheless, the pilgrimage environment is characterised by the religious congregation – with tourists engaging in communal experiences that reflect themselves and their faith. Therefore, the ideal experience, where tourists feel a sense of escapism from the pressures of everyday life, is a product of their ability to project, develop, and ratify their self-concept. Finally, the study suggests that pilgrimage managers and marketers should focus on the importance of play, enabling their destinations to heighten the intensity of the ‘enjoyable’ elements of religious travel (e.g. group camaraderie, escapism and positive emotional reactions) alongside their inherent religious benefits.

ACS Style

Sean Lochrie; Ian W. F. Baxter; Elaine Collinson; Ross Curran; Martin Joseph Gannon; Babak Taheri; Jamie Thompson; Ozge Yalinay. Self-expression and play: can religious tourism be hedonistic? Tourism Recreation Research 2018, 44, 2 -16.

AMA Style

Sean Lochrie, Ian W. F. Baxter, Elaine Collinson, Ross Curran, Martin Joseph Gannon, Babak Taheri, Jamie Thompson, Ozge Yalinay. Self-expression and play: can religious tourism be hedonistic? Tourism Recreation Research. 2018; 44 (1):2-16.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sean Lochrie; Ian W. F. Baxter; Elaine Collinson; Ross Curran; Martin Joseph Gannon; Babak Taheri; Jamie Thompson; Ozge Yalinay. 2018. "Self-expression and play: can religious tourism be hedonistic?" Tourism Recreation Research 44, no. 1: 2-16.

Journal article
Published: 08 August 2018 in International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
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Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale for host sincerity. Design/methodology/approach The ten-item host sincerity scale was developed by following a multi-stage scale development procedure (Delphi technique, qualitative interviews and surveys). Findings The findings reveal that host sincerity is a second-order construct with two underlying dimensions: “sincere social interaction” and “sincere emotional response”. By incorporating host sincerity into the consumer-based model of authenticity, the findings established significant relationships among all constructs, confirming the predictive validity of the host sincerity construct. Research limitations/implications Data were gathered from visitors to troglodyte heritage sites (Kandovan and Cappadocia). Future studies should test the newly formed sincerity scale at other cultural destinations to further explore the generalisability of the scale. Further, data were gathered from tourists. Future studies should consider host sincerity from a host perspective. Practical implications Cultural destination managers and local hosts can use this instrument as a supplementary tool to evaluate how sincere their hospitality offering appears to tourists. Originality/value This paper develops a host sincerity scale to explore the importance of sincere host–guest interactions and tourists’ emotional response to these interactions. It extends the consumer-based model of authenticity by drawing further attention to the importance and impact of host sincerity in stimulating memorable tourism experiences.

ACS Style

Babak Taheri; Martin Joseph Gannon; Renzo Cordina; Sean Lochrie. Measuring host sincerity: scale development and validation. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 2018, 30, 2752 -2772.

AMA Style

Babak Taheri, Martin Joseph Gannon, Renzo Cordina, Sean Lochrie. Measuring host sincerity: scale development and validation. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 2018; 30 (8):2752-2772.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Babak Taheri; Martin Joseph Gannon; Renzo Cordina; Sean Lochrie. 2018. "Measuring host sincerity: scale development and validation." International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 30, no. 8: 2752-2772.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2018 in Tourism Management
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Social media platforms and their associated user-generated content are of increasing significance to the perception of tourism brands amongst consumers. Online fan pages offer a unique opportunity for tourism managers to effect positive engagements between their brand and consumer base. By viewing these online environments in relation to Social Response Theory, this study discerns the impact of brand fan pages with human-like attributes, suggesting that anthropomorphic cues positively influence user engagement. Using PLS-SEM analysis, the study empirically tests a theoretically developed higher-order construct of these anthropomorphic Fan Page Cues, composed of three first-order factors: social interactive value, visual appearance and identity attractiveness. Findings indicate that a social media platform with human-like characteristics positively engages consumers, the theoretical and practical implications of which are clearly presented.

ACS Style

Rodrigo Perez-Vega; Babak Taheri; Thomas Farrington; Kevin O'Gorman. On being attractive, social and visually appealing in social media: The effects of anthropomorphic tourism brands on Facebook fan pages. Tourism Management 2018, 66, 339 -347.

AMA Style

Rodrigo Perez-Vega, Babak Taheri, Thomas Farrington, Kevin O'Gorman. On being attractive, social and visually appealing in social media: The effects of anthropomorphic tourism brands on Facebook fan pages. Tourism Management. 2018; 66 ():339-347.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rodrigo Perez-Vega; Babak Taheri; Thomas Farrington; Kevin O'Gorman. 2018. "On being attractive, social and visually appealing in social media: The effects of anthropomorphic tourism brands on Facebook fan pages." Tourism Management 66, no. : 339-347.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2018 in Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing
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ACS Style

Ozge Yalinay; Ian W F Baxter; Elaine Collinson; Ross Curran; Martin Joseph Gannon; Sean Lochrie; Babak Taheri; Jamie Thompson. Servicescape and shopping value: the role of negotiation intention, social orientation, and recreational identity at the Istanbul Grand Bazaar, Turkey. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 2018, 35, 1132 -1144.

AMA Style

Ozge Yalinay, Ian W F Baxter, Elaine Collinson, Ross Curran, Martin Joseph Gannon, Sean Lochrie, Babak Taheri, Jamie Thompson. Servicescape and shopping value: the role of negotiation intention, social orientation, and recreational identity at the Istanbul Grand Bazaar, Turkey. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 2018; 35 (9):1132-1144.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ozge Yalinay; Ian W F Baxter; Elaine Collinson; Ross Curran; Martin Joseph Gannon; Sean Lochrie; Babak Taheri; Jamie Thompson. 2018. "Servicescape and shopping value: the role of negotiation intention, social orientation, and recreational identity at the Istanbul Grand Bazaar, Turkey." Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 35, no. 9: 1132-1144.