Travelers’ Perceptions of Crisis Preparedness Certification in the United States

Abstract

This study aimed to understand travelers’ perceptions about the benefits of tourism crisis preparedness certification and its potential to positively influence the travelers’ destination decision-making process. A survey of U.S. households revealed that, in general, travelers are neutral or not sure about certification and its relationship to safety, benefits, and future travel. The main predictors of likelihood to travel to a certified tourism prepared destination were as follows: (1) I have a great deal of confidence in such a crisis certification process; (2) I would feel safer when visiting a certified crisis prepared travel destination; (3) A certified crisis prepared destination would be safer to visit than one that is not; and (4) a crisis prepared certification benefits the visitor. The findings imply a need for a clear definition and conceptualization of tourism crisis preparedness certification. By extension, the benefits of certification should be articulated to travelers so they can make informed travel decisions.

Keywords

tourism crisis management demand U.S. travel industry certification preparedness

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Adanur

Allen

(1995). “First Results of the Effects of ISO 9000 in the US Textiles Industry.” Benchmarking for Quality Management & Technology, 110 (8): 829-39.

Anderson

N. H.

(1981). Foundations of information integration theory. New York: Academic Press.

Anderson

N. H.

(1982). Methods of information integration theory. New York: Academic Press.

Arana

Leon

(2008). “The Impact of Terrorism on Tourism Demand.” Annals of Tourism Research, 35 (2): 299-315.

Black

Crabtree

(eds.). (2007). Quality Assurance and Certification in Ecotourism, Vol. 5. Wellington, UK: CABI.

Blake

Sinclair

M. T.

Sugiyarto

(2003). “Quantifying the Impact of Foot and Mouth Disease on Tourism and the UK Economy.” Tourism Economics, 9 (4): 449-65.

Buckley

(2002). “Tourism Ecolabels.” Annals of Tourism Research, 29: 183-208.

Chafe

(2005). Consumer Demand and Operator Support for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Tourism. Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development & The International Ecotourism Society. http://www.responsibletravel.org/resources/documents/reports/Consumer_Demand_April_2005.pdf (accessed February 15, 2012).

Chafe

Honey

Martha

. (2005). “Consumer Demand and Operator Support for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Tourist.” http://www.responsibletravel.org/resources/documents/reports/Consumer_Demand_April_2005.pdf

10.

Chester

Crabtree

(2002). “Australia: The Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Program.” In Ecotourism and Certification: Setting Standards in Practice, edited by Honey

Washington, DC: Island Press.

11.

Conaghan

Hanrahan

Sligo

I. T.

(2003). “Demand for and Perceptions of Sustainable Tourism Certification in Ireland.” Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference: Dublin Institute of Technology.

12.

Conaghan

Hanrahan

(2009). “Global Conformity of Indicators for Eco-Certification Programs.” Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference: Dublin Institute of Technology.

13.

Conaghan

Hanrahan

(2010a). “Demand for and Perceptions of Sustainable Tourism Certification in Ireland.” Institute of Technology of Sligo. http://www.shannoncollege.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/THRIC-2010-Full-Paper-A.-Conaghan-and-J.-Hanrahan.pdf (accessed May 10, 2011).

14.

Conaghan

Hanrahan

(2010b). “Global Conformity of Indicators for Eco-Certification Programmes.” In Contemporary Issues in Irish and Global Tourism and Hospitality, edited by Gorham

Mottiar

http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=tfschhmtbook (accessed June 13, 2013).

15.

Conroy

(2001). “Can Advocacy-Led Certification Systems Transform Global Corporate Practices? Evidence from Some Theory.” Working Paper Series, 21. Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

16.

Crompton

J. L.

(1977). “A Systems Model of the Tourist’s Destination Selection Decisions Process with Particular Reference to the Role of Image and Perceived Constraints.” Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University.

17.

Dodds

Joppe

(2005). CSR in the Tourism Industry? The Status of and Potential for Certification, Codes of Conduct and Guidelines. Washington, DC: CSR Practice, Foreign Investment Advisory Service, Investment Climate Department.

18.

Ecotrans. (2001). “Ecolabels and Awards in Tourism in Europe.” http://www.eco-tip.org/eco-labels/ecolabels.htm (accessed June 12, 2012).

19.

Fairweather

J. R.

Maslin

Simmons

D. G.

(2005). “Environmental Values and Response to Ecolabels among International Visitors to New Zealand.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 13 (1): 82-98.

20.

Farrer

Dayan

(2009). “A Structured Approach for Reducing Bias in Surveys Using Online Access Panels.” www.printanddigitalresearchforum.com (accessed February 1, 2013).

21.

Faulkner

(2001). “Towards a framework for tourism disaster management.” Tourism Management, 22: 135-147.

22.

Faulkner

(2002). “Rejuvenating a Maturing Tourist Destination: The Case of the Gold Coast.” Current Issues in Tourism, 5 (6): 472-520.

23.

Font

(2002). “Environmental Certification in Tourism and Hospitality: Progress, Process and Prospects.” Tourism Management, 23: 197-205.

24.

Font

(2007). “Ecotourism Certification: Potential and Challenges.” In Critical Issue in Ecotourism: Understating the Complex Tourism Phenomena, edited by Higham

Burlington, MA: Elsevier. http://www.nubkk.nu.ac.th/picnews/s_1264237581.0750668784.pdf#page=405 (accessed February 20, 2012).

25.

Font

Buckley

(eds.). (2001). Tourism Ecolabelling: Certification and Promotion of Sustainable Management. Wallingford, UK: CABI.

26.

Font

Harris

(2004). “Rethinking Standards from Green to Sustainable.” Annals of Tourism Research, 31 (4):986-1007.

27.

Frey

B. S.

Luechinger

Stutzer

(2007). “Calculating Tragedy Assessing the Costs of Terrorism.” Journal of Economic Surveys, 21 (1): 1-24.

28.

Ghazoul. (2001). “Barriers to Biodiversity Conservation in Forest Certification.” Conservation Biology, 15 (2): 315-17.

29.

Hamilton

J. M.

Tol

R. S. J.

(2007). “The Impact of Climate Change on Tourism in Germany, the UK and Ireland: A Simulation Study.” Regional Environmental Change, 7 (3): 161-72.

30.

Harris

S. M.

(2007). “Green Tick™: An Example of Sustainability Certification of Goods and Services.” Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 18 (2): 167-78.

31.

(1994). “Is the ISO 9000 Series for Total Quality Management?” International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 11 (9): 74-89.

32.

Honey

(ed.). (2002). Ecotourism and Certification, Setting Standards in Practice. Washington, DC: Island Press.

33.

Honey

Rome

(2001). Protecting Paradise: Certification Programs for Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism. Washington, DC: Institute for Policy Studies. Also available online at www.ips-dc.org.

34.

Honey

Stewart

(2002). “Introduction.” In Ecotourism and Certification: Setting Standards in Practice, edited by Honey

Washington, DC: Island Press.

35.

Huang

Tseng

Petrick

(2007). “Crisis Management Planning to Restore Tourism after Disasters: A Case Study from Taiwan.” Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 23 (2/3/4): 203-21.

36.

Jamal

Borges

Stronza

(2006). “The Institutionalization of Ecotourism: Certification, Cultural Equity and Praxis.” Journal of Ecotourism, 5 (3): 145-75.

37.

LePree

J. G.

(2009). “Certifying Sustainability: The Efficacy of Costa Rica’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism.” Florida Atlantic Comparative Studies Journal, 11 (2008-2009): 57-78.

38.

Lynch

(2004). Weathering the Storm. A Crisis Management Guide for Tourism Businesses. Leicester: Matador.

39.

Mihalic

(1999). “Emerald Article: Equity in Outgoing Tourism through Tourist Certificates.” Management, 11 (2/3): 128-31.

40.

Mintzberg

(1994). The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning: Reconceiving Roles for Planning, Plans, Planners. New York: Free Press.

41.

Morrison

Hsieh

Wang

(1992). “Certification in the Travel and Tourism Industry.” Journal of Tourism Studies, 3 (2): 32-40.

42.

Ozanne

L. K.

Vlosky

R. P.

(2003). “Certification from the U.S. Consumer Perspective: A Comparison from 1995 and 2000.” Forest Products Journal, 53 (3): 13-21.

43.

Pambudi

McCaughey

Smyth

(2009). “Computable General Equilibrium Estimates of the Impact of the Bali Bombing on the Indonesian Economy.” Tourism Management, 30: 232-39.

44.

Parsons

Grant

(2007). “Green Globe: A Global Environmental Certification Programme for Travel and Tourism.” In Quality Assurance and Certification in Ecotourism, edited by Black

Crabtree

Wallingford, Oxon: CABI, pp. 81-100.

45.

PATA Pacific Asia tourism Association. (2003). “A Guide to Developing Crisis Management Plans.” www.pata.org (accessed June 17, 2013).

46.

Pearson

Mitroff

(1993). “From Crisis-Prone to Crisis-Prepared.” Academy of Management Executive, 7: 48-59.

47.

Pennington-Gray

Cahyanto

Thapa

McLaughlin

Willming

Blair

(2010). “Destination Management Organization and Tourism Crisis Management Plans in Florida.” Tourism Review International, 13: 247-61.

48.

Philpott

Bichier

Rice

Greenberg

(2007). “Field-Testing Ecological and Economic Benefits of Coffee Certification Programs.” Conservation Biology, 21 (4): 974-85.

49.

Preble

J. F.

(1997). “Integrating the Crisis Management Perspective into the Strategic Management Process.” Journal of Management Studies, 34 (5): 769-91.

50.

Rivera

(2002). “Assessing a Voluntary Environmental Initiative in the Developing World: The Costa Rican Certification for Sustainable Tourism.” Policy Sciences, 35 (4), 333-60.

51.

Sasidharan

Sirakaya

Kerstetter

(2002). “Developing Countries and Tourism Ecolabels.” Tourism Management, 23: 161-74.

52.

Sönmez

Graefe

A. R.

(1998). “Influence of Terrorism Risk on Foreign Tourism Decisions.” Annals of Tourism Research, 25 (1): 112-44.

53.

Toth

(2002). “Exploring the Concepts Underlying Certification.” In Ecotourism and Certification: Setting Standards in Practice, edited by Honey

Washington, DC: Island Press, pp. 73-101.

54.

Crompton

J. L.

(1990). “Attitude Determinants in Tourism Destination Choice.” Annals of Tourism Research, 17 (3): 432-48.

55.

Crompton

J. L.

(1992). “The Roles of Perceived Inhibitors and Facilitators in Pleasure Travel Destination Decisions.” Journal of Travel Research, 30 (3): 18-25.