The perceptions of tourism research
A Critical Review of Jing Bill Xu,2009, Perceptions of Tourism Products, Tourism Management Journal, Vol 31, 2010 (5):607-610.
S. L. J. Smith (1994) is one of the few researchers to design a tourism product framework, using this framework Jing Bill Xu (2009) has conducted a study on the perceptions of Tourism Products. The research focused on demand rather than supply to propose a new model of the tourism product from a marketing perspective. By surveying a number of students from The School of Hotel and Tourism Management in Hong Kong, China, the study reveals that similar to Smith's (1994) breakdown into the five elements into Tourism Product (Physical Plant, service, hospitality, freedom of choice and involvement) Physical plant is most important. This element should b`e the core of the elements with the other complementary elements in a surrounding circle. However as only 79 tourism students were eligible to take Jing Bill Xu's (2009) survey (main point of study) a number of limitations could be brought forth and therefore this study would not be adequate. In conjunction with Smith's decomposition of the 5 elements the research does provide some evidence and guidence into which elements are most important, mostly from a marketing view. Jing Bill Xu (2009) show's that although it is clear the physical plant element is most important in the majority of cases, a tourism product comes into existance when the five elements are correctly and successfully intergrated to catch the attention of tourists and further satisfy their multiply needs.
However, the limitations in this article are quite significant especially in regards to the proposed new model of tourism product. The minimal number of participating students in the survey amd their analysis could have strongly sided the outcome as they were predommantly female and all had the same interests in tourism.Also their inability to understand the differences between the elements, particuarly service and
S. L. J. Smith (1994) is one of the few researchers to design a tourism product framework, using this framework Jing Bill Xu (2009) has conducted a study on the perceptions of Tourism Products. The research focused on demand rather than supply to propose a new model of the tourism product from a marketing perspective. By surveying a number of students from The School of Hotel and Tourism Management in Hong Kong, China, the study reveals that similar to Smith's (1994) breakdown into the five elements into Tourism Product (Physical Plant, service, hospitality, freedom of choice and involvement) Physical plant is most important. This element should b`e the core of the elements with the other complementary elements in a surrounding circle. However as only 79 tourism students were eligible to take Jing Bill Xu's (2009) survey (main point of study) a number of limitations could be brought forth and therefore this study would not be adequate. In conjunction with Smith's decomposition of the 5 elements the research does provide some evidence and guidence into which elements are most important, mostly from a marketing view. Jing Bill Xu (2009) show's that although it is clear the physical plant element is most important in the majority of cases, a tourism product comes into existance when the five elements are correctly and successfully intergrated to catch the attention of tourists and further satisfy their multiply needs.
However, the limitations in this article are quite significant especially in regards to the proposed new model of tourism product. The minimal number of participating students in the survey amd their analysis could have strongly sided the outcome as they were predommantly female and all had the same interests in tourism.Also their inability to understand the differences between the elements, particuarly service and