International travel Industry is currently facing a major transformation phase including globalization, localization, expanded travel information network, simplified travel-process and acceleration in labor migration. Since its intangible product is t...
International travel Industry is currently facing a major transformation phase including globalization, localization, expanded travel information network, simplified travel-process and acceleration in labor migration. Since its intangible product is the main item in the industry, developing an online-based information network is the utmost demand in travel industry.
The research on “Brand Community” is continuously conducted since it was an industry highlight in 2000. Brand Community provides social comforts through active interactions among community members, and it also provides both social and psychological space.Especially, community members tend to have a strong bond with co-members and differentiate them from other groups by its shared brand.
However, regardless of its demand in the industry, results gained from researches on “Brand Community” are insufficient. Regarding the rapid expansion of Korea travel industry, in-depth studies on “Brand Community” is not conducted yet.
The purpose of this research is analyzing, while tour operators and tour retailers are settling down its status in the industry, the correlation between the traits of tour operator and related concepts for searching possible influences of “Brand Community” of tour operators on Sense of Community, Community Loyalty, and Brand Attitude.
On this research, documentary study and empirical study are conducted simultaneously. First, the theoretical system of tour operators is developed by using various sources such as publications, related studies, documents and statistics in related area. Second, for the empirical study, questionnaires, developed through the study of documentary records, conducted on three tour operators: H, M and O travel company. Collected results are sorted with SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 5.0.
Followings are remarks found through the empirical study,
First, the empirical study on “Brand Community” is conducted on tour operator.
Second, the validity and suitability of variables extracted from previous studies are approved by both an exploratory analysis and validity analysis. In addition, the found variables can be applied, as determining variables, for further researches.
Third, the research proves the process of how the activity of “Brand Community” of tour operators influences Brand Attitude with logical evidences and empirical records.
Followings are practical implications on “Brand Community” of tour operators in marketing point of view.
In this research, the characteristics of Brand Community of tour operators including information, interactivity, brand reputation, reward and entertainment provide indirect influences on Sense of Community and Community Loyalty. In addition, Sense of Community has positive effects on Community Loyalty, and Community Loyalty eventually leads members to have brand attitude. Therefore, “Brand Community” must be expanded beyond an on-line based space and it needs to be an active space for retailers to fulfill their needs. Tour Operators can also utilize this cyber space, as a marketing tool, for developing a long-term relationship that drives positive brand attitude from retailers.
This research is conducted only on three tour operators as a sample, and questionnaires are given to limited retailers working in Seoul-based travel agency. Regarding its limited samples and boundary, a broader sample range and in-depth researches are requested. Furthermore, a parallel research onon-line and off-line brand community could produce useful outcomes for a better understanding of “Brand Community.”