Localizing Cultural Values on Tourism Destination Websites

Abstract

The present study contributes to the current localization literature by revealing the effects of localizing cultural values on tourism destination websites on users’ destination image and willingness to travel. Reporting on two tests, the first is an analysis of the depiction of cultural values on 48 New Zealand, 36 Indian, and 46 Chinese destination sites. Results indicate significant differences in the cultural values exposed among the three countries. The second study reports on an experiment requiring 400 New Zealand participants to visit four versions of a fictitious experimental destination website. Commensurate with motivations for holiday tourism, results indicate that the depiction of incongruent cultural values to a target audience on destination websites generates a more positive destination image and greater willingness to travel, contradicting the current localization literature. Finally, managerial implications are also discussed.

Overall Perceived Value of a Tourism Service Delivered via Different Media

“…This understanding is of particular interest in the international market as tourists' evaluations are influenced by cultural variations. These results are in line with those of earlier works that underline the need to adapt sales platforms appropriately, to better reflect the needs and specificities of target markets (Tigre, Gnoth, and Deans 2014).…”

“…Since the 1980s, various researchers have debated the most appropriate choice of dimensions to conceptualize culture (e.g., Hofstede 1980;Keillor and Hule 1999;Steenkamp 2001). However, it is the framework developed by Hofstede (1980) and Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov 2010) that has become established as the most dominant and influential cultural paradigm (Sivakumar and Nakata 2001;Steenkamp 2001;Tigre, Gnoth, and Deans 2014). Hofstede defines national culture as "the programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another".…”

Online Conversations: A Semantic Network Analysis of Cultural Differences in Conversations on McDonald’s Corporate Facebook Sites between Taiwan and the USA

“…American Facebook site operators wrote: "Our very own Chef Dan made an appearance on Good Morning America this morning (September 5th). Fifth, Taiwanese site operators often market their products with the direct and hard approach, which emphasizes the use of direct and confrontational appeals in forms of discounts and sale promotions [11] [17], with the words such as super value (chāo zhí), great value (yōu huì), half-price (bàn jià), coupons (yōu huì quàn), and buy one get one free (mǎi yī sòng yī). Also, Taiwanese operators tended to specifically indicate the price of their products (mài cuì jī zhī yào + $29) to market their products.…”

“…Compared with the direct and hard-sell approached adopted by the Taiwanese site operators, the American McDonald's site operators sell their products in a more indirect and soft way, which emphasizes a more suggestive and a softer emotional appeal with the focus on emotions, sentiments and entertainment [11] [17]. For example, they described their French fries as "Golden rays of light" (posted on July 7th), and promoted their company products writing "Falling for the Golden Arches" (posted on November 17th).…”

Airbnb Branding: Heritage as a Branding Element in the Sharing Economy

“…In addition, some authors [19,20] have suggested that tourist preferences are influenced by the heritage and cultural elements in destinations, despite the existence of other significant attributes that are unrelated to these. This influence of cultural elements can occur even before the visit, through the image created by tourism destination websites [21].…”