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ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 1
eLearning Courses Offered by tourism des4na4ons: Factors Affec4ng Par4cipa4on and Awareness among
Bri4sh and Indian Travel Agents
Nadzeya Kalbaska and Lorenzo Cantoni
Faculty of Communica4on Sciences Università della Svizzera italiana
Lugano, Switzerland
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 2 2
Cantoni L., Kalbaska N., Inversini A. (2009)
Context (i)
4 types of eLearning courses according to the provider of the service:
ü Academic ü Corporate ü Independent ü Destinational
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 3
Travel Agents DMOs
eLearning courses about tourism desCnaCons
Context (ii)
ü compe44on overcome (Buhalis&Law, 2008; Werthner&Klein, 1999)
ü des4na4on image crea4on (Baloglu&Mangaloglu, 2001)
ü coordina4on and educa4on of trade partners
(Bieger, et.al, 2009) ü addi4onal channels to impact the market (Carey, et. al., 1997)
ü compe44on overcome (Morgan&Trivedi, 2007)
ü sa4sfac4on of the needs of a new consumer (Dolnicar& Laesser, 2007; Novak&Schwabe, 2009) ü specializa4on and constant upgrade of knowledge (Bowl&Tobias, 2012; Longworth, 2013; Milne, 2008; PhoCusWright, 2012) ü flexible mode of training (Collins, et al, 2003; O’Donnell, 2012)
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 4
There are some DMOs that offer training and accreditaPon online to retail travel agents to become ‘des$na$on specialists’
(Handbook on e-‐MarkePng for Tourism DesPnaPons, UNWTO, 2008)
Previous research (i)
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 5
Strong industry interest (ABTA, 2012; Tnooz, 2011; Travel Daily Media, 2013; Travel Market Report, 2011)
ü No empirical research on: -‐ Use of ICTs for training of travel agents -‐ HRM of the travel agents and cer4fica4on processes
Previous research (ii)
ü Limited research on: -‐ eLearning applica4ons within the hospitality and tourism sector (Baum&Sigala, 2001; Cho&Schmelzer, 2000; Haven&BoYerill, 2003; KuYainen&Lexhagen, 2012; Nadkarni&Venem, 2012;
Sigala, 2002, 2004)
-‐ Travel agents’ sector (Baloglu&Mangaloglu, 2001; Buhalis, 2000; Dolnicar&Laesser, 2007; Garkavenko&Milne, 2008; O’Connor, 1999;
Reid&Pearce, 2008; Sheldon, 1997)
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 6
Public: Travel Agents Providers: DMOs Tutors: not present à self-‐study asynchronous mode
Benchmarking studies in 2009 and 2012 (Cantoni & Kalbaska, 2010; Kalbaska, 2012)
Previous research (iii)
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Content: Training modules on Geography, Culture, Languages, Tradi4ons, Accommoda4on, Transporta4on, Formali4es, I4nerary Planning, Selling 4ps, etc.
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TesCng acCviCes: 75 cases use objec4ve tests
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IncenCves ü cer4ficate ü suggested travel consultants’ list ü invita4ons to educa4onal trips
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 10
Research Goal: Recognise travel agents’ reac4on (par4cipa4on and awareness) on DMOs’ eLearning offers and factors influencing it
Methodology: Phone interviews through simple random sampling of officially registered TAs in the UK and India
QuesConnaire: 8 -‐ 14 close and open ended ques4ons. Dura4on: 8-‐10 min
Method (i)
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 11
Method (ii) Respondents: 725 phone calls à 462 interviews (UK -‐ 190; India -‐ 272) with travel sales staff Response rate: UK -‐ 55%, India -‐ 75% LimitaCons: respondents might have been influenced by supervisors and colleagues
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103 (54.2%)
72 (26.5%)
United Kingdom India
57 (65.5%)
73 (36.5%)
United Kingdom India
Participation in destinational eL courses Awareness about destinational eL courses among those that haven’t participated
Results
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ü Country where travel agents are based United Kingdom India
ü Gender Female Male
ü Type of the agency
Independent business (self-‐employed, homework) Chain/franchising (e.g. Thomas Cook)
ü Age <32 32-‐47 >47
ü EducaConal level
Secondary school Voca4onal training University degree
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 14
ParCcipaCon in eL courses depends on ü country where travel agents are based (p=.000)
United Kingdom>India ü type of the agency (p=.032)
Chain/franchising>Independent doesn’t depend on ü gender (p=.051) ü age (p=.382) ü educaConal level (p=.636)
Awareness about existence of eL courses depends on ü country where travel agents are based (p=.015) United Kingdom>India doesn’t depend on ü age (p=.858) ü gender (p=.328) ü type of the agency (p=.365) ü educaConal level (p=.490)
Full Factorial Model of the Univariate ANOVA
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ü There is a demand on undertaking eLearning courses about tourism des4na4ons, though it varies on a country-‐by-‐country basis
ü Factors that influence parCcipaCon in des4na4onal eLearning offers à country and type of the agency
ü Factor that influence awareness about des4na4onal eLearning offers à country
Conclusions
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ü Replica4on of the study on different markets
ü Analysis of the travel agents’ mo4va4ons and factors influencing them
ü Evalua4on of formality and informality of eLearning offer in the percep4ons of the travel agents’
Future research lines
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eTourism and eLearning research communiCes ü First empirical research on educa4onal strategies of the travel agents and HRM of the travel trade ü Analysis of the factors influencing par4cipa4on in and awareness about des4na4onal eLearning courses Industrial community ü Recommenda4ons on the eLearning experience improvements based on: generalizable rates of awareness and par4cipa4on in the UK and in India
17
Implica4ons
ENTER 2014 Research Track Slide Number 18
questions & comments
www.elearning4tourism.com
Workshop – MOOCs Development for Tourism and Hospitality Curriculum
Friday 11.00-12.30 Room: Gold