PurposeAs mobile devices amass greater capabilities that include broadband internet and global positioning systems (GPS), the relevance of location based marketing (LBM) services has gained increased attention among tourism researchers and marketers alike. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of personal travel innovativeness, information privacy and the type of delivery method (pull vs push) on the perception of potential value in LBM programs.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from travelers at two large airports in the USA. A 2*2 design that comprised LBM (services vs promotions) and the delivery method (pull vs push) combined with two primary covariates, namely personal travel innovativeness and information privacy, evaluated the potential value of LBM programs amongst consumers.FindingsThe findings indicate that personal travel innovativeness has a significant impact on the perception of potential value in LBM. Additionally, the pull delivery method was more amenable to customers when compared with the push delivery method.Research limitations/implicationsThere are significant implications for practitioners in the way LBM programs can be conceived and implemented. Also, marketing messages can be produced based on the relevance of the findings.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to directly ascertain the impact of the delivery method and travel innovativeness in an emerging domain of LBM using a synthesis of constructs.

Purpose Regulatory focus theory proposes that people make decisions and engage in the pursuit of goals based on either promotional goals indicating sensitivity to gains/nongains or preventional goals reflecting sensitivity to losses/nonlosses (Aaker and Lee, 2001). The purpose of this study is to examine the roles of regulatory foci and their impact on the perceived value and usage of location-based services (LBS) in travel experiences. Design/methodology/approach Travel planning strategies are framed along promotional or preventional lines to evaluate regulatory focus orientation and respondents’ perceptions of value in location-based marketing (LBM) services are examined. Regression analysis evaluates the primary relationships, followed by analysis evaluating the mediating effects of “travel interest messages” (discount coupons, etc.) in the regulatory-focus-perceived value in LBM relationship. Findings The findings indicate that the effects of promotional focus are significantly greater than those of preventional regulatory focus. Additionally, the importance of travel interest messages (discount coupons, maps, etc.) was more significant with a promotional regulatory focus than preventional regulatory focus orientation. Practical implications The findings provide proof of regulatory focus as a differentiator in travel consumption behavior and demonstrate how it can be used to effectively target marketing messages to augment the travel experience. Destination marketing organizations can apply regulatory focus theory in organizational settings in the areas of leadership, decision-making and front-line employee creativity that can enhance the delivery of memorable travel experiences. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine the relationship between gains-focused/risk-averse travel planning and their impact on perceptions of value in LBS programs in travel experiences.

The importance of the online travel search environment is well documented. In this context, trademarks play an instrumental role in resolving customer confusion in the search environment. An important element of the online search environment is the organic search output that is typically displayed on the left side of the search results screen on major search engines. This study evaluated the organic search listing performance in a U.S.-based search context of hotel trademarks (websites) on three search engines (Google, Yahoo! and MSN [later Bing]) across four countries (United States, United Kingdom, China, and India) over two separate time periods (years 2007 and 2009) for three tiers of lodging operation (economy, midscale, and upscale). Findings indicate that there are significant differences across countries, across lodging tiers and over time periods. The study draws attention for hoteliers to focus on website optimization and trademark control in the online information space.