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Exploring Buddhist Travelers'Expectations Toward Buddhist-ThemedHotelsKam Hung a , Carey Goh a , Hanqin Qiu Zhang a , Chaohua Tang b &Chifung Lam ca School of Hotel and Tourism Management , The Hong KongPolytechnic University , Kowloon , Hong Kong , Chinab Director of Human Resources in the Shanghai Supreme HotelManagement Company Limited , Shanghai , Chinac Tutor in the Department of Finance , Chinese University of HongKong , Hong Kong , ChinaPublished online: 24 May 2013.

To cite this article: Kam Hung , Carey Goh , Hanqin Qiu Zhang , Chaohua Tang & Chifung Lam (2013)Exploring Buddhist Travelers' Expectations Toward Buddhist-Themed Hotels, Journal of China TourismResearch, 9:2, 191-206, DOI: 10.1080/19388160.2013.781971

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Exploring Buddhist Travelers’ Expectations TowardBuddhist-Themed Hotels

佛教旅游者对佛教主题酒店期望初探

KAM HUNGCAREY GOHHANQIN QIU ZHANGCHAOHUA TANGCHIFUNG LAM

Despite the growing trend and demand, religious tourism, particularly Buddhisttourism, has rarely been touched upon in scholarly research. Building on the casestudy of Mount Putuo, one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, this studyexplores Buddhist travelers’ expectations toward Buddhist-themed hotels and providesrecommendations on the development and management of Buddhist-themed hotels.Research results based on in-depth interviews and Delphi exercises are in line withprevious research findings in other religious contexts that Buddhist tourism is amixture of pilgrimage and tourism experiences. Employees’ appearance, Buddhist-themed decor, and tranquil environment, among others, are found to be highly expectedby the Buddhist travelers. In light of the rising demand for tourism in general and forBuddhist tourism in particular in China, and given the fact that a mass population offollowers of Buddhism are found in the country, the findings of this research providetimely and useful insights to the industry.

KEYWORDS. Buddhist-themed hotels, tourist expectations, religious tourists,China, Delphi

伴随着日益增长的出游率，旅游需求研究日趋成熟与专项化，但宗教旅游，特别是佛教旅游尚未获得学术界应有的关注。基于此，本文通过选取中国四大佛教名山之一的普陀山为例，综合运用深度访谈法和德尔菲法，探索佛教旅游者对佛教主题酒店的期望，并提出相应的佛教主题酒店的发展及管理建议。本文研究结论与以往在其他宗教背景下的研究结论一致，即佛教旅游是朝圣体验和旅游体验的综合体。研究结果表明，员工着装、佛教主题酒店装饰和安静环境

Journal of China Tourism Research, 9: 191–206, 2013Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLCISSN: 1938-8160 print / 1938-8179 onlineDOI: 10.1080/19388160.2013.781971

Kam Hung is an Assistant Professor in the School of Hotel and TourismManagement atThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China (E-mail: kam.hung@polyu.edu.hk).

Carey Goh is an Assistant Professor in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management atThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China (E-mail: carey.goh@polyu.edu.hk).

Hanqin Qiu Zhang is an Associate Professor in the School of Hotel and TourismManagement at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China(E-mail: hanqin.zhang.qiu@polyu.edu.hk).

Chaohua Tang is the Director of Human Resources in the Shanghai Supreme HotelManagement Company Limited, Shanghai, China (E-mail: tangchaohuacn@hotmail.com).

Chifung Lam is a Tutor in the Department of Finance at the Chinese University ofHong Kong, Hong Kong, China (E-mail: kelvinlam@baf.cuhk.edu.hk).

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是佛教旅游者最为期望的三大因素。鉴于国人对于旅游，尤其是佛教旅游持续增长的需求，同时中国拥有大量佛教信徒，本文的研究发现将对中国旅游产业提供及时和有意义的借鉴。

关键词: 佛教主题酒店，旅游者期望，宗教旅游，中国，德尔菲法

Introduction

Since the implementation of the open door policy in 1978 by Deng Xiaoping (aninfluential figure of the Communist Party in China), the Chinese hotel and tourismindustry has been experiencing unprecedented growth. After three decades of develop-ment, the total number of international tourist arrivals increased 71.9% from 1.8million in 1978 to 130 million in 2008 (China National Tourism Administration[CNTA], 2010). The domestic tourism industry displayed similar growth, with over1.3 billion domestic trips recorded in 2008 compared to 200 million domestic trips in1984 (CNTA, 2010). The rapid development of tourism businesses has driven thedevelopment of hotels in China. The total number of hotels in China surged from 296in 1981 to 300,000 in 2009, among which 5% of them were star-rated hotels (CNTA,2010).

With government support of tourism development, various forms of tourism haveemerged in China. Religious tourism is a special interest. The demand for this form oftourism comes mainly from the domestic market. This might be related to a long-established history of Buddhism in China. Buddhism was introduced to China duringthe Han Dynasty. The four most famous Buddhist sites in China are Mount Jiuhua inAnhui, Mount Putuo in Zhejiang, Mount Emei in Sichuan, and Mount Wutai inShanxi.

In light of the demand for Buddhist tourism from domestic travelers, some hotelowners have expressed their interests in developing Buddhist-themed hotels. A fewinitiatives have been undertaken to date to develop Buddhist-themed hotels in China.Examples of such hotels are provided in Table 1. Despite these emerging marketopportunities for providing Buddhist-related accommodations for Buddhist travelers,there is a lack of understanding of what Buddhist customers desire from such hotels. Toassist hotel managers in developing religious-themed hotels, this study aims to explorethe expectations of Buddhist travelers toward Buddhist-themed hotels and recommendhow hotels can meet such needs. It should be noted that this research work intends toserve as a preliminary study for understanding travelers’ needs in Buddhist-themedhotels. The main purpose is not to generalize results to other settings; rather, it is astepping stone toward achieving such a goal.

Literature Review

Religious tourism is defined as a type of tourism that consists of tourists traveling forreligious reasons (Lefebvre, as cited in Vukonic, 1996). Travelers involved in religioustourism include both religious and nonreligious people. Griffin (2007) referred to thesenonreligious travelers as “accidental” religious tourists “who intentionally travel forreasons related to religion or spirituality in their quest for meaning” (p. 17). Althoughreligion is the main motivator for religious tourists, travelers involve themselves inreligious activities as well as traveling activities such as sightseeing, entertainment, andrecreation (Zhang, Huang, Wang, Liu, Jie, & Lai, 2007). In addition to basic tourist

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needs, they are also seeking a genuine religious experience in religious attractions(Blackwell, 2007; Rotherham, 2007; Ryan, 2002). Scholars have classified these reli-gious attractions into different categories. For instance, Shackley (2003) developed fiveclassifications for religion-based attractions: natural phenomena, buildings and sitesoriginally constructed for religious purposes, buildings with religious themes, specialevents, and secular sites. In their definition of religious attractions, Nolan and Nolan(1992) included pilgrimage shrines, structures or sites with religious importance, andreligious festivals. Based on these categorizations, religious attractions can be dividedinto three categories:

1. Buildings directed at religious purposes2. Sacred sites with religious themes3. Religious events and festivals

With 60% of the world population claiming to be religious (United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], as cited in Zhanget al., 2007), the developing potential of religious tourism is enormous, with moreand more people motivated to travel for religious purposes (Mintel InternationalGroup Ltd., 2005). This has been evidenced by some studies (e.g., Timothy & Olsen,2006) that show an increasing number of religiously motivated tourists in recent years.The increasing number of tourists traveling to religious attractions has motivatedscholars to investigate its sustainability (Din, 1989; Henderson, 2003; Nolan &Nolan, 1992; Pavicic, Alfirevic, & Batarelo, 2007; Ryan, 2002; Shackley, 2003;Zhang et al., 2007). For Example, Zhang et al. (2007) raised the importance of adoptingprinciples of sustainable development to retain the religious tourism resources in China.Drawing an example fromMalaysia where Islam is the state religion, Din (1989) foundthat a difference between the religion of the host and the guest may influence howservice is supplied to the guest. Nolan and Nolan (1992) discussed some examples ofmanagement strategies in Europe’s religious tourism system in minimizing the conflictof interest of pilgrims and tourists. Borrowing from the management literature, Ryan(2002) suggested sustained value creation in managing new tourism. He pointed out theobligation of stakeholders in tourism development in contribution to the cultural,spiritual, and religious fulfillment of tourists.

Some research has also shown an interest in the impact of religious tourism on hostcountries (Blackwell, 2007; Din, 1989; Henderson, 2003; Nolan &Nolan, 1992; Pavicicet al., 2007; Raj & Morpeth, 2007; Rotherham, 2007; Ryan, 2002; Shackley, 2003;Shinde, 2007; Timothy & Olsen, 2006; Zhang et al., 2007). For example, Rotherham

Table 1. Buddhist-Themed Hotels in China.

Hotel Name in English Hotel Name in Chinese City Province

Rushi Hotel 如是酒店 Xiamen FujianLandison Putuoshan Resort 普陀山雷迪森庄园 Zhoushan ZhejiangHuaxingsi Puti Hotel 华兴寺菩提宾舍 Shenzhen GuangdongXizhao Temple Hotel 金台夕照会馆 Beijing BeijingGraceland Yard Hotel 觉品酒店 Beijing BeijingBuddha Zen Hotel 圆和圆客栈 Chengdu SichuanFamen Temple Hotel 法门寺佛光阁酒店 Xian Shanxi

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(2007) explored how visits to religious sites provide opportunities for economic regen-eration and community sustainability in the UK. Development issues relating toChinese religious tourism were analyzed and discussed in Zhang et al. (2007). Theauthors highlighted the differences in the incentives for religious tourism betweeneastern and western China.

A broader theme of research found in the literature is religious tourists’ travelmotivations. In Blackwell’s (2007) study, travel motivation for religious tourism wasassessed within a theoretical framework of content theories and process theories. Basedon the continuum of travel proposed by Smith (1992), Pavicic et al. (2007) addressedissues of a combination of motivations pertaining to sacred and secular travelers. Theauthors pointed out the multiple and changing motivations of travelers along a con-tinuum.However, given the over 30 years of development, there has been little attentiongiven to research on religious tourism (Kasim, 2011; Shinde, 2007; Simone-Charteris &Boyd, 2011; Timothy & Olsen, 2006). In particular, most religious tourism studies aredirected toward Christianity/Catholicism (Arellano, 2007; Blackwell, 2007; Griffin,2007; Pavicic et al., 2007; Scheer, 2007) or have originated from Muslim countries(De-Pinho & De-Pinho, 2007; Rashid, 2007). Studies on Buddhist tourism have beenlargely overlooked in the literature.

Although Buddhism is the fourth largest religious group in the world afterChristianity, Islam, and Hinduism, with 7.13% of world population adhering to thisreligion (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010), it is rarely investigated in the context oftourism. A review of tourism literature only found that it sparingly discussed. Forinstance, Philip and Mercer (1999) discussed the commodification of Buddhism incontemporary Burma and found that a strong relationship has been establishedbetween Buddhism and tourism. In a research work exploring the relationship betweentraveling and myth, spirituality, and religion, Lee (2006) found a political link betweenreligion and traveling. As the major religion in South Korea, Buddhism plays animportant role in political decisions and ideological direction on the way people traveland appreciate a destination. In more recent research, Ryan and Gu (2010) used datacollected from a famous Buddhist mountain—Wutaishan—to investigate Buddhistthought as a means of understanding the tourist experience.

This research contributes to the literature on religious tourism in general andBuddhist-themed hotels in China in particular. China possesses the largest number ofUNESCO world heritage sites in the world. Among the 37 world heritage sites, onethird are religious sites (United Nations World Tourism Organization [UNWTO],2011). Specifically, Mount Wutai and Mount Emei are listed for its Buddhism proper-ties, landscaping, and architecture. The religion has a long history in the country. Thenumber of Buddhist followers has risen rapidly in recent decades and is estimatedto reach 200 million people, about 15% of the population in China (Juan, 2010).According to Zhang et al. (2007), many popular tourist attractions in China arereligious sites, and for Buddhist travelers, the 736 established temples and monasteriesin the country are major attractions for both general tourists and pilgrims (Yashpal,2008). Many of these temples have close relationships with other temples in theworld, which facilitates visitation for religious purposes. Moreover, Buddhist tourismis of higher value due to its higher repeat visitor rate than normal tourism (UNWTO,2011). Travelers look for a different travel experience each time they take a trip tovisit these religious sites. On major Buddhist holidays, such as the birth andenlightenment of Gautama Buddha and Guan Yin, the WESAK Day (a holy dayobserved by Buddhists), and Gautama’s Renunciation Day, millions of travelers from

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all over the world travel to monasteries or other places sacred to the event to worshipBuddha.

The number of visits to these sites has increased as a result of rapid economicgrowth in China and its neighboring countries. As stated in Ryan’s (2002) study, thenumber of visitors to two of the four sacred mountains of Buddhism in China, namely,Putuo andWutai, was 5.26 and 3 million, respectively, in 2007 and 2008. Given the factthat a multilane highway opened in 2010, it is not overly optimistic to state that currentvisitation has reached far beyond these figures. China is seeking World Heritage sitestatus for places of religious significance, many of which are Buddhism related, andthere will be a profound increase in Buddhist travelers in the future. These past andfuture changes not only result in a new level of demand for Buddhist tourism but also ashift in Buddhist travelers’ consumption patterns.

Traditionally, temples provide accommodation to visitors and followers. ManyBuddhist travelers are not satisfied with a simple day tour but prefer overnight orweekend stays. Xu (2011) stated that many Buddhist temples promote an experientialtype of product for its visitors but at the same time are facing difficulties in offeringenough rooms for the dramatically increased overnight demand. As a result, manyhotels have been constructed. The author also suggested the building of theme hotels inreligious destinations.

Despite the current growth and potential of Buddhist tourism in China, limitedstudies have been conducted to understand Buddhist travelers’ needs regarding theiraccommodations. Sherratt and Hawkins (1972) indicated that religion possesses anunseen force in which believers cannot be manipulated in an ordinary way. Therefore,the mindset of religious tourists may differ from that of other travelers. Hotels targetingreligious tourists should pay extra attention to their customers’ needs with regard tohotel design and services. Although the basic function of a hotel is to provide accom-modations to travelers, hotels need to differentiate themselves from their competitors inorder to maintain market competitiveness. However, as Cai (2004) pointed out, one ofthe major problems in Chinese hotels is the adoption of a “Me-Too” approach in hoteloperations, which results in a lack of personality in many hotels. Pursuing a theme isone way that a hotel can differentiate itself from competitors. Holjevac (2003) predictedthat the future of the hotel industry will be hotels with a clear focus, such as green hotels,eco hotels, spa hotels, educational hotels, and vacation hotels. In addition to identifyinga niche for the hotels, understanding target customers’ expectations is important for thesuccess of hotels. Wind, Green, Shifflet, and Scarbrough (1989) employed an extensivecustomer-based approach to design the “Courtyard byMarriott.” The hotel turned outto be a huge success. The chain started with three test hotels and quickly expanded toover 300 hotels in 1994 and over 900 hotels in 2011 (Courtyard byMarriott, 2011;Windet al., 1989). Zins (1998) also studied consumer choice preference for different themehotels and found that personal values and lifestyle patterns have a significant impact onthe choice of a vacation hotel. In conclusion, these studies signal the importance ofdeveloping a hotel with a clear niche and a good understanding of customers’ needs.Developing Buddhist-themed hotels based on the understanding of Buddhist custo-mers’ expectations is likely to differentiate some hotels from other Chinese hotels.

Hence, to provide a reference point for hotel developers and managers, this articleexplores Buddhist customers’ expectations toward Buddhist-themed hotels in Chinafrom the perspectives of both Buddhist travelers and tourism practitioners. The specificobjectives of this study are to

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1. understand Buddhist travelers’ expectations of Buddhist-themed hotels.2. rank the importance of Buddhist travelers’ expectations of Buddhist-themed hotels.3. make recommendations about how aBuddhist-themed hotel should be designed and

managed.

Research Methods

Study Site

Mount Putuo in Zhejiang was chosen as the site for the case study to explore the topic ofinterest. It is located east of Hangzhou Bay and is one of the four sacred Buddhistmountains in China. The Mount is also an important national scenic site that attractslarge Buddhist crowds every year. According to Buddhist literature,Mount Putuo is theplace where Guanyin saved many sailors and people who were in distress (Yashpal,2008). During different Guanyin festivals on various lunar calendar days such asFebruary 29, June 19, and September 19 (the birthday, the enlightenment day, andthe Renunciation Day of Guanyin, respectively), Buddhists from all over the countrycome to visit Mount Putuo, worship Guanyin, and attend meetings. In 2005, MountPutuo won the bid for hosting the first International Buddhism Forum. Mount Putuohas also held many large events such as the Mount Putuo Guanyin Cultural Festivaland the Mount Putuo International Buddhism Product Expo. During those events,various activities were organized, including fellowship meetings, Buddhist musicals,worship events, the Lotus Light Festival, cultural seminars, and Buddhist culture travelproduct exhibitions that aim to attract Guanyin believers, Buddhists, and othertourists.

Data Collection

The study consists of two phases. In phase 1, semistructured face-to-face interviewswere conducted to gain an understanding of Buddhist travelers’ needs during their hotelstays. The intent of the interviews was to gain insight into Buddhist travelers’ expecta-tions of hotel design and services. Because the development of Buddhist-themed hotelsin China is a recent phenomenon, identifying a qualified sample and selecting partici-pants randomly was deemed impractical. Therefore, convenience sampling was appliedin this preliminary study. Five participants were recruited for interviews via theresearchers’ personal networks, including the vice chairperson of the ZhoushanVisitor Bureau and four Buddhists from Zhoushan where Mount Putuo is located.An interview protocol, which is a list of predetermined questions and topics to be asked,was used. Open-ended questions were asked in the interviews to generate insightfulinformation from respondents. The average length of each interview was about anhour. In the interviews, participants were asked to suggest what Buddhist-themedhotels can do to cater Buddhist travelers’ needs. The interviews were transcribed andwere read through several times to make sense of the data. Coding and labeling wereconducted during the process of data analysis to identify the common threads amongthe data. Then the data were categorized into different themes for easy interpretation.The items generated from the interviews were further evaluated for their importance inphase 2. The Delphi method, which is a useful technique for reaching a consensusamong experts, was used to explore the concerns and expectations of Buddhist travelers

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on Buddhist-themed hotels. In phase 2, the Delphi method was applied to evaluate therelative importance of Buddhist travelers’ expectations of a Buddhist-themed hotel. Aquestionnaire was designed based on the 48 expectation items generated from theinterviews. A panel of 30 experts was formed to perform the Delphi exercise. Theparticipants included 20 Buddhists and 10 tourism professionals. All participants hadan understanding of Buddhism and previous experiences staying at hotels. Becausecontinuous commitment of experts is crucial in a Delphi study, the qualified expertswere recruited via the researchers’ personal network to enhance the likelihood of theircommitment to this study.

Two rounds of surveys were conducted in the Delphi exercise. The first round ofsurveys was conducted via e-mail. A follow-up phone call was made with each parti-cipant after sending out the e-mail to clarify any confusion on survey questions. In thefirst round of Delphi, participants were asked to choose 30 items that they felt wereessential in a Buddhist-themed hotel and to rank the importance of each of the 30expectation items using a 5-point Likert scale (1¼ least important, 5¼most important).The second round of surveys was conducted with the same panel of experts in a meetingroom. Twenty out of 30 panel members participated in this exercise. Because consensuswas reached among the experts after the second round of surveys, no further round ofsurveys was conducted.

Findings

A number of expectations were identified in the interviews, which can be divided intofour major themes:

1. Lobby and public areas2. Hotel rooms3. Food and beverage4. Buddhist-specific services

In total, 48 expectation items were generated from the interviews (Table 2). Though themajority of expectations were religious specific, some items (such as the need forbathtubs, banning smoking in restaurants, and employee grooming) were just asapplicable to general travelers’ needs.

In the first round of Delphi, 30 expectation items were chosen from all fourcategories, with 7 from lobby and public areas, 7 from guest rooms, 11 from foodand beverage, and 5 from Buddhist services (Table 3).

The items were then ranked in the second round of Delphi based on their impor-tance to the customers of Buddhist-themed hotels. After calculating the scores for eachitem, it was found that the maximum score was 84 out of 100 and minimum score was59. Employee appearance appeared to be the most important among all expectationitems, followed by the hotel’s Buddhist-themed decor, tranquil environment, largefunction room, transportation services, seating arrangement in guest rooms, and soon. Because the overall scores of some items were identical, the same ranking was givento items that were scored the same. Therefore, only 20 rankings were given to the 30expectation items (Table 4).

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Table 2. Buddhist Travelers’ Expectations Toward Buddhist-Themed Hotels.

Lobby and public areasConvey Buddhist culture via various means such as hotel signs, logo,

and printing materialsPlay Buddhist music as hotel background musicDecorate the hotel to illustrate Buddhism’s solemn, classic, and simple spiritProvide a tranquil environmentList all Buddhism-related activities on Mount PutuoSet aside a room for worshipping and displaying statues of BuddhaProvide room for morning and evening meditationProvide doctrine lecture roomHave a Buddhism gift shop in the hotelDecorate the corridors of each floor with Buddha or Buddhist-themed paintingsMake transportation reservations for hotel guests

Guest roomEquip each guest room with a tea setProvide sutra and Buddhist readings in each guest roomProvide a safe incense burner in each guest roomProvide Buddhist clothes in each guest roomProvide meditation equipment such as a cushion in each guest roomProvide Buddhist music CDs and a CD player in each guest roomIf possible, ensure that the attendants on each floor are also BuddhistsInstall high-quality carpet in each guest roomInstall hardwood floors in each guest roomProvide bedding and linens with Buddhism-related patterns or picturesEnsure that washrooms have doors because washrooms are considered

to be “dirty” places in BuddhismProvide a bathtub in each guest roomInstall window shades or curtainsProvide seating for meeting guests in each hotel roomHave a mini-bar in each room with beverage supplies

Food and beverageEstablish a professional Buddhist tea houseProvide different Buddhist tea choicesHave a Chinese restaurant with simple and solemn decorationHave a restaurant providing authentic Buddhist cuisineBan smoking in all hotel restaurantsHave a fully equipped function room with a minimum capacity of 200Have a special entrance and compartment for professional Buddhist practitionersProvide a VIP loungeDecorate each dining table with seasonal flowersDining tables should be made out of hard wood and be without tableclothsProvide brochure for demonstrating proper Buddhist table mannersProvide at least 100 different Buddhist food choicesHire a professional nutritionistEnsure that employees are properly groomedHave an independent kitchen for preparing Buddhist cuisine

(Continued )

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Discussions and Recommendations

The study first identified, via interviews, a number of expectations of Buddhist travelerstoward Buddhist-themed hotels. The expectation items derived from the interviewswere later jointly evaluated by Buddhists, Buddhist practitioners, and tourism profes-sionals in subsequent Delphi exercises to rank their relative importance in Buddhist-themed hotels. The items derived from the interviews concern different aspects of hoteloperations and were divided into four categories: lobby and public areas, guest rooms,food and beverage, and Buddhist-specific services. These items reflect travelers’ expec-tations not only regarding the “hardware” of the hotel (e.g., décor and facilities in lobbyand public areas, room details, and food and beverage requirements) but also the“software” of the hotel (e.g., tranquil environment, atmosphere, provision ofBuddhist-specific services, and attentive care of Buddhists’ needs). Therefore, managersof Buddhist-themed hotels should pay attention to hotel renovations and other hard-ware as well as services and other software.

In regard to the hardware of Buddhist-themed hotels, it is suggested that theBuddhist theme should be reflected in various aspects of hotel operations includingrestaurants, clubs, and guest room floors. The overall appearance of the hotel shouldcomplement local Buddhist attractions. The Buddhist theme should also be reflectedwithin the hotel’s interior in terms of color choice, decoration, and design. In addition,the design of the room should take Buddhist philosophy into consideration. BecauseBuddhists believe that washrooms are dirty places, the washrooms of hotel roomsshould be installed with doors. There should be an area for meditation inside theguest room to fulfill the need of worship. Cushions, sutra and/or Buddhist readings,and clothes may be provided in the room. Hotel restaurants should also cater to theneeds of Buddhist customers. Because Buddhist cuisine includes mainly vegetariandishes, an independent kitchen is recommended to avoid food contamination.Buddhist tea houses and Buddhist restaurants can also be established in the hotel.

In terms of software, hotel employees with Buddhist backgrounds or interests inBuddhism can be given priority in recruitment. Buddhist employees are more likely tobe sympathetic to Buddhist customers’ needs. Training can be offered to employees toteach them the history and cultural background of Buddhism and inform them aboutBuddhist-specific manners so that they can communicate effectively with hotel guests.Employees should also be trained to provide high-quality services, which is often

Table 2. Continued.

Buddhist specific servicesOrganize Buddhist-related activities such as lectures, meditations,

and tea performancesRemind guests of important Buddhist datesProvide professional Buddhist escorts for worshipsHelp guests arrange meetings with Buddhist mastersOrganize daily meditation activitiesDemonstrate proper worship procedures on printing materials

for Buddhist beginners or interested guestsOffer free incense for worshipping Buddha

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neglected in many Chinese hotels despite their magnificent hotel infrastructure andfacilities (Cai, 2004). Other Buddhist-specific services may include reminding guests ofimportant Buddhist dates and holidays, providing professional Buddhist escorts forworship, helping guests arrange meetings with Buddhist masters, demonstrating properworship procedures on printed materials for Buddhist beginners or interested guests,and offering free incense for worshipping Buddha. There should also be some inter-active venues for guests in the hotel such as a Buddhist tea house, where people candiscuss Buddhism and tea; a doctrine lecture room, where lectures can be offered to

Table 3. Results of First-Round Delphi.

Lobby and public areasPlay Buddhist-related music as hotel background musicDecorate the hotel to illustrate Buddhism’s solemn, classic, and simple spiritProvide a tranquil environmentList all Buddhist-related activities on Mount PutuoHave a Buddhist gift shop in the hotelDecorate corridors of each floor with Buddha or Buddhist-themed paintingsMake transportation reservations for hotel guests

Guest roomEquip each guest room with a tea setProvide sutra and Buddhist-related readings in each guest roomProvide a safe incense burner in each guest roomProvide meditation equipments such as cushions in each guest roomInstall shades or curtains on windowsProvide seating for guests in each hotel roomHave a mini-bar in each room with beverage supplies

Food and beverageEstablish a professional Buddhist tea houseProvide different Buddhist tea choicesHave a Chinese restaurant with simple and solemn decorationsHave a restaurant providing authentic Buddhist cuisineBan smoking in all hotel restaurantsHave a fully equipped function room with a minimum capacity of 200Decorate each dining table with seasonal flowersProvide brochure for demonstrating proper Buddhist table mannersHire a professional nutritionistEnsure that employees are properly groomedHave an independent kitchen for preparing Buddhist cuisine

Buddhist-specific servicesRemind guests of important Buddhist datesProvide professional Buddhist escorts for worshipsHelp guests arrange meetings with Buddhist mastersDemonstrate proper worship procedures on printed materials

for Buddhist beginners or interested guestsOffer free incense for worshipping Buddha

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Table4.

Ran

king

Bud

dhistTravelers’Exp

ectation

s.

Ran

king

Exp

ectation

Item

sCategory

Total

Score

1Employ

eesshou

ldbe

prop

erly

groo

med

Foo

dan

dbeverage

842

Decoratetheho

teltoillustrateBud

dhism’ssolemn,

classic,an

dsimplespirit

Lob

byan

dpu

blicarea

833

Provide

atran

quilenvironm

ent

Lob

byan

dpu

blicarea

824

Haveafully

equipp

edfunction

room

withaminim

umcapa

city

of200

Foo

dan

dbeverage

815

Mak

etran

sportation

reservations

forho

telg

uests

Lob

byan

dpu

blicarea

806

Provide

seatingforgu

estsin

each

hotelroo

mGuestroom

797

Installsha

desor

curtains

onwindo

ws

Guestroom

787

HaveaChinese

restau

rant

withsimplean

dsolemndecoration

Foo

dan

dbeverage

788

Ban

smok

ingin

allh

otelrestau

rants

Foo

dan

dbeverage

759

Havearestau

rant

prov

idingau

thenticBud

dhistcuisine

Foo

dan

dbeverage

739

Havean

independ

entkitchenforpreparingBud

dhistcuisine

Foo

dan

dbeverage

7310

Haveamini-ba

rin

theroom

withbeverage

supp

lies

Guestroom

7211

Decorateeach

dining

tablewithseason

alflow

ers

Foo

dan

dbeverage

7012

Rem

indgu

estsof

impo

rtan

tBud

dhistda

tes

Bud

dhism

services

6913

Dem

onstrate

prop

erworship

procedures

onprintedmaterialsforBud

dhist

beginn

ersor

interested

guests

Bud

dhism

services

68

14Hireaprofession

alnu

tritionist

Foo

dan

dbeverage

6715

HaveaBud

dhistgiftshop

intheho

tel

Lob

byan

dpu

blicarea

6615

Equ

ipeach

guestroom

withateaset

Guestroom

6616

Provide

brochu

refordemon

strating

prop

erBud

dhisttableman

ners

Foo

dan

dbeverage

6316

Provide

sutraan

dBud

dhist-relatedread

ings

ineach

guestroom

Guestroom

6317

Offer

free

incenseforworshipingBud

dha

Bud

dhism

services

6217

Provide

asafe

incensebu

rner

ineach

guestroom

Guestroom

6217

Provide

meditationequipm

entsuch

ascushions

ineach

guestroom

Guestroom

62

(Continued

)

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Table4.

Con

tinu

ed.

Ran

king

Exp

ectation

Item

sCategory

Total

Score

17Provide

differentBud

dhistteachoices

Foo

dan

dbeverage

6218

ListallB

uddh

ist-relatedactivities

onMou

ntPutuo

Lob

byan

dpu

blicarea

6118

Decoratecorridorsof

each

floo

rwithBud

dhaor

Bud

dhist-them

edpa

inting

sFoo

dan

dbeverage

6119

Estab

lishaprofession

alBud

dhistteaho

use

Foo

dan

dbeverage

6020

Provide

profession

alBud

dhistescortsforworship

Bud

dhism

services

5920

PlayBud

dhist-relatedmusicas

hotelb

ackg

roun

dmusic

Lob

byan

dpu

blicarea

5920

Helpgu

estsarrang

emeeting

swithBud

dhistmasters

Bud

dhism

services

59

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educate guests on Buddhism; a small theater, where documentaries about Buddhismalong with interpretations can be provided; a Buddhism concert, where guests canexpress their passions to Buddha through singing; a room for meditation, worshipping,and displaying statues of Buddha; and/or education programs for guiding gueststoward an understanding of Buddhism’s philosophy, culture, history, doctrine, andmeditation practices.

It was also found that though the majority of expectation items were directlyrelated to Buddhism, some items were related to general travelers’ needs during theirstay at hotels. These generic needs included making transportation reservations forhotel guests, providing window shades or curtains in hotel rooms, having a mini-bar inthe hotel room, and instituting a no-smoking policy in restaurants. This suggests thatreligious tourists expect that their journey to the religious sites can fulfill not only theirspiritual needs but their other general needs as travelers. Smith (1992) developed apilgrimage–tourism continuum of travel with pilgrimage at one end, tourism at theother, and religious tourism in the middle of the continuum. These study resultscorroborate Smith’s (1992) theory that religious tourism is a mixture of pilgrimageand tourism experiences. Past studies have made distinctions between pilgrimage andreligious tourism, with the former referring to journeying to a holy site for “spiritualpurposes and internal understanding” (Barber, 1991, p. 1) and the latter being a mix ofsecular and religious experiences (Lefebvre, as cited in Vukonic, 1996). Blackwell(2007) also pointed out that religious tourists’ motivations are multifaceted, consistingof a mixture of both religious and nonreligious experiences.

Therefore, when managing a religious-themed hotel, one should fulfill both reli-gious and nonreligious needs of travelers. For instance, participants ranked employeeappearance as the most important among all expectation items. Hotels should thusstrive to provide Buddhist guests with an experience that supports their religiousendeavors, such as Buddhist-themed hotel décor, as well as nonreligious expectations,such as employee grooming, a large function room, transportation services, no smokingin hotel restaurants, and mini-bars in the hotel rooms. Though these services may becommon in the hotel industry, these seemingly generalized services facilitate the reli-gious needs of Buddhist travelers. For instance, group worship and meditation arecommon in Buddhism. A large function room is needed for such gatherings. In addi-tion, convenient transportation services operated or arranged by the hotel can saveBuddhist travelers’ time in their commutes to religious sites.

A number of Buddhist-related expectations were listed by participants, withhotel décor ranked as the second most important expectation of Buddhist custo-mers. Participants suggested that the hotel décor should present Buddhism’s solemn,classic, and simple spirit. This is understandable given the theme of the hotel. Atranquil environment was the third most important element of a Buddhist-themedhotel. This is not surprising given the general requirement of a quiet environmentfor Buddhist meditation (Zhang et al., 2007). Most temples are located in tranquilplaces with limited populations, such as mountains. The other Buddhist-relatedexpectation items ranked in the top 10 included providing seating for guests ineach hotel room, equipping guest room windows with shades or curtains, having aChinese restaurant with simple and solemn décor, having a restaurant that providesauthentic Buddhist cuisine, and having an independent kitchen for preparingBuddhist cuisine.

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Conclusion

With an increasing number of people traveling for religious purposes, the future ofreligious tourism appears promising. This presents many business opportunities forreligious-themed hotels that would cater to religious travelers’ needs. This study pro-vides some understanding of Buddhist travelers’ needs and expectations of Buddhist-themed hotels. It is suggested that hotel managers should take these suggestions intoconsideration when developing Buddhist-themed hotels. Managers should aim tosatisfy this group of customers via not only the hotel’s hardware—that is, the hotel’sinfrastructure—but also its software—that is, the attributes that lead to the perceptionsof high value and a unique personality. Given the preliminary nature of the currentstudy, more research will need to be done to further our understanding of religioustravelers’ needs not only in Buddhist-themed hotels but also in other religious-themedexperiences, such as those related to Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Taoism.

The results of this study can also be compared with the actual experiences ofBuddhist travelers in hotels that are currently Buddhist themed. It would be interestingto see what these hotels have been doing that supports the findings of this study andwhether hotel guests recognize these items and/or whether they want something differ-ent from their experiences in these hotels. It should be noted that this research workserves as a preliminary study to understand travelers’ needs in Buddhist-themed hotels.The main purpose is not to generalize the results to other settings; rather, this study actsas a stepping-stone to expand our understanding of Buddhists’ expectations towardBuddhist-themed hotels.

To further comprehend the travel motivation of tourists for Buddhist-themedhotels, particularly that of the two distinct categories of tourists, namely, pilgrimsand general tourists, future research could explore the different intensities of religiousmotivation as conceptualized in Smith (1992). This research work bears some limita-tions. There is a trade-off between the level of commitment needed from the intervie-wees in this exploratory research and the randomness in the samples. Because the resultsobtained from this study were mainly through the Delphi approach, they should beinterpreted with caution because generalizing the result to other populations may causea concern. It is suggested that future research could further explore the motivation ofBuddhist travelers by adopting a larger scale survey and using random samples.

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge the contributions of FangnaWang, Xinshu Xu, Houmin Fu,and Junhong Xu for their input and assistance in conducting the research. This workwas supported by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Grant No. A-PJ88).

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