Papers 2011~ Present by Dr Thu-Huong Nguyen
— More visitors are nowadays travelling to destinations in search of culinary experiences. Food f... more — More visitors are nowadays travelling to destinations in search of culinary experiences. Food functions not merely as physiological sustenance but also as a destination experience enhancer, providing opportunities to learn about destination culture through direct encounters with local cuisines. This study aimed to identify the international visitor preconceptions of local Indonesian food and the factors influencing their expectations prior to dining with the local food in the country. A questionnaire-based survey involving 349 international visitors was completed. The results revealed seven new emerging factors expected as relating to: staff quality, sensory attributes, food uniqueness, local servicescapes, food authenticity, food familiarity, and food variety. Further, there were significant differences in the level of dining expectations amongst participants who travelled to Indonesia for the first time compared to those who had visited the country before.
Visitors are increasingly travelling to destinations in search of culinary experiences. As a cons... more Visitors are increasingly travelling to destinations in search of culinary experiences. As a consequence, many Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) have sought to stimulate visitation by capitalising on the appeal of dining opportunities involving local food. However, such initiatives will only be effective if tourism providers have a thorough understanding of how visitors respond to the dining experiences that are offered. This paper proposes a conceptual framework of international visitor dining experiences with local food, by examining the experiences in the course of the pre-, during, and post-dining phases. With the visitor experience as its core, the framework takes into account the influence of both internal and external factors on the visitor experience. It is intended that the proposed framework will provide a more complete understanding of the visitor dining experience in destination settings.
Papers by Dr Thu-Huong Nguyen
International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, Apr 5, 2022
Purpose This study aims to examine service quality in Nigerian general hospitals and determines p... more Purpose This study aims to examine service quality in Nigerian general hospitals and determines possible differences in service quality perceptions between employees and patients. Design/methodology/approach Using the Servqual scale, data was collected from 328 employees and patients of two government hospitals in Abuja and Delta states. Analysis was carried out using SPSS 26 package for constructs reliability frequency, mean, standard deviation and t-statistics. Findings The study found significant differences in the perception of service quality between employees and patients of the Nigerian general hospitals. While employees gave a high rating to empathy, patients rated it low. Also, the patients’ poor perception of tangible did not match the employees’ high perception. Other specific findings are patients’ unfavourable assessment of the physical facilities and judged the staff to lack professional dressing. Patients felt the hospitals could not provide necessary equipment for their procedures and thus considered their services unreliable. Practical implications Reliability was perceived as a significant problem in this study; therefore, the hospitals management should ensure correct diagnoses and treatment results of the highest quality and timely services. Also, the management should invoke strong relationships between the employees and patients to earn patients’ trust. Employees should ensure to listen to patients’ complaints and find solutions promptly. Patients need health-care workers’ support and rely on their abilities; Therefore, health-care workers should be highly dependable and show empathic behaviour in discharging their duties. Health-care managers must access employees‘ and patients’ particular perceptual gaps and reconcile the difference before further quality improvement initiatives. Originality/value The findings in this study strengthen the clamour for assessing service quality from both employees and patients’ views in public hospitals. Hospital service quality is complex and primarily judged from the patients’ perspective. This study showed that health-care quality means different things to all stakeholders.
PROCEEDING FOR GLOBAL TOURISM CONFERENCE (GTC) 2021, 2021
This study focuses on the Australian hotel organisation and their organisational resilience (O.R.... more This study focuses on the Australian hotel organisation and their organisational resilience (O.R.) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Its objectives are to leverage the “Hotel Resilience model” developed by MeliánAlzola et al. (2020) and the Benchmark Resilience Tool to gain indications of the level of O.R of the Australian hotel sector, to determine the relationship between the hotel O.R. indicators and the financial outcomes and to document O.R. related tactics and strategies implemented in the Australian hotel industry during the Global pandemic. By adopting a qualitative research approach using experts’ interviews with 10 hotels general or operations managers, the study found that there was no formal awareness of or adoption of formal O.R. frameworks within the participating hotels nor was there any indication of an appetite for the implementation of any O.R. frameworks, also as a result of lack of data, the study was unable to determine a link between O.R. indicators and financial o...
Victoria University eBooks, 2003
The Vietnamese tourism employment sector is lacking professional and generic skills. Tourism trai... more The Vietnamese tourism employment sector is lacking professional and generic skills. Tourism training programs are being questioned over their responses to the sector’s requirements. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from a triad of stakeholders: (1) academics in VET and HE tourism training institutions, (2) human resource managers, and internship mentors in tourism companies, and (3) recent graduates and current final-year students in tourism training courses; this paper addresses educational issues concerning tourism graduate employability skills. The results show contradictions in the participant stakeholder perspectives. Tourism companies are not satisfied with graduate outcomes. However, the HE institutions counter this criticism and argue support for equipping graduates with essential skills through both curricular and extra-curricular activities. Yet the students attribute their skill acquisition mostly to external factors. The findings add empirical insights from a developing country on the current debate concerning stakeholder roles in equipping graduates with employability skills in tourism.
More visitors are nowadays travelling to destinations in search of culinary experiences. Food fun... more More visitors are nowadays travelling to destinations in search of culinary experiences. Food functions not merely as physiological sustenance but also as a destination experience enhancer, providing opportunities to learn about destination culture through direct encounters with local cuisines. This study aimed to identify the international visitor preconceptions of local Indonesian food and the factors influencing their expectations prior to dining with the local food in the country. A questionnaire-based survey involving 349 international visitors was completed. The results revealed seven new emerging factors expected as relating to: staff quality, sensory attributes, food uniqueness, local servicescapes, food authenticity, food familiarity, and food variety. Further, there were significant differences in the level of dining expectations amongst participants who travelled to Indonesia for the first time compared to those who had visited the country before.
International Journal of Tourism Research, Feb 11, 2011
Despite growing academic interest in meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) tra... more Despite growing academic interest in meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) travel in recent years, there has been little investigation of the comparative information search behaviours of MICE travellers on the basis of their country of origin and cultural background. This paper proposes that country of residence and primary language spoken are significant factors in explaining the information searching and travel behaviours of MICE travellers. The sample population included Japanese‐, English‐ and Chinese‐speaking MICE travellers. A self‐completion questionnaire was administered to travellers undertaking MICE‐related travel in Taipei, Taiwan. Some significant differences were identified between the three respondent groups. The findings demonstrate the important role that is played by internal and external information sources among MICE travellers as a predictor of their subsequent travel to Taiwan. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Routledge eBooks, Aug 2, 2004
The study examines differences in cultural values and travel motivations between Vietnamese migra... more The study examines differences in cultural values and travel motivations between Vietnamese migrants (Viet Kieu) and Vietnamese in Vietnam. The study finds that Viet Kieu have acculturated and moved away from traditional cultural values and towards "Western" cultural Values. They are less motivated to travel by a desire to maintain home links than was anticipated by "home" Vietnamese. In promoting travel marketers may be able to use the level of acculturation to appeal to migrants links with both countries and thus complex messages may be required. Literature Review The number of migrants and migrant communities in first world countries has increased significantly, which has resulted in an increase in travel by migrants between their new and old countries. Levitt (1983) suggested that there are no truly isolated cultures. What personal, social and consumption changes occur as people cross cultures? The present research addresses the translocation of peoples across national borders and the effect this has on consumption motivations in regards to "home" travel, by examining how migrant acculturation influences travel motivations for Vietnamese migrants to Australia (Viet kieu) as compared to Vietnamese in Vietnam. A conceptual framework is proposed which provides a basis for examining the relationship between Viet kieu "adapted culture" and travel motivations.
CAUTHE 2006: To the City and Beyond, 2006
Informit is an online service offering a wide range of database and full content publication prod... more Informit is an online service offering a wide range of database and full content publication products that deliver the vast majority of Australasian scholarly research to the education, research and business sectors. Informit is the brand that encompasses RMIT Publishing's online products ...
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Mar 23, 2012
PurposeThis study seeks to examine the motivational and socio‐demographic characteristics of meet... more PurposeThis study seeks to examine the motivational and socio‐demographic characteristics of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) visitors to Taiwan in order to identify salient market subgroups or segments. The aim is to establish results with relevance to Asian destinations and with some more general applicability.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature and expert input a questionnaire was designed and pretested. Using convenience sampling, data were collected from MICE visitors to Taipei (Taiwan). Principal components, hierarchical cluster, K‐means, chi‐square and ANOVA analyses of the data provide information about MICE visitors and their segments.FindingsThree motivation‐based MICE segments are identified. Variable values suggest the following segment names – value seekers, no‐value seekers, and education seekers. Significant socio‐demographic differences are found between the segments. Results provide insight into MICE visitor decision making showing the role of business, education and leisure‐related motives. Discussion focuses attention on implications of the results for the development of tourism strategies.Originality/valueThe findings enhance understanding of the motivations of MICE visitors. The information adds to the knowledge that destination marketers can consider in developing a competitive edge. Since Taipei's MICE visitors should be similar to those of Asian competitors, results contribute to a better understanding of MICE business, education and leisure‐related motives and activities in Asia.
Australian & New Zealand Academy of Management, 2017
Australian & New Zealand Academy of Management, 2019
Effective leadership is seen as the key driver of growth in many sectors. Although not a new phen... more Effective leadership is seen as the key driver of growth in many sectors. Although not a new phenomenon in mainstream research, leadership in the field of tourism has only started to emerge. Despite limited research, leadership development programs (LDPs) do exist and are targeted to leaders (and potential leaders) in their destinations. However, leadership and LDPs cannot be effectively promoted to their target audiences without the concrete evidence of how such programs meet the needs of key stakeholders and their destinations. This paper proposes a conceptual framework of LDP outcomes, by assessing key stakeholder needs and destination leadership requirements along with intended and un-intended outcomes. With LDPs as the engine facilitating the change and innovation, the framework takes into consideration the leadership program context, input, process and product outcomes. It is intended that the proposed framework will provide a credible understanding of the long-term effects of LDPs on individuals, organisations and tourism destinations.
Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 2020
Previous research had already established that sustainable destination outcomes can be realized w... more Previous research had already established that sustainable destination outcomes can be realized when stakeholders engage in tourism destination management, yet the state of the needed engagement is still seen as problematic. It is evident that some change is required to enable behavioral change that will awaken a progress. Thus, new knowledge is needed to help advance this important destination management field. The aim of this exploratory case study was to present a new perspective which is underpinned by theories in the leadership and leadership development fields. The case study findings show that tourism-based leadership programs have the capacity to foster development of collective leadership capacity, which is needed to build the effective stakeholder networks that drive change at workplace, tourism destination, and community levels. The study suggests that sustainable development goals and sustained competitive advantage are developed through the bundle of collective leadersh...
Tourism Culture & Communication, 2017
Increasing numbers of visitors are seeking out culinary experiences when travelling overseas. Foo... more Increasing numbers of visitors are seeking out culinary experiences when travelling overseas. Food can enhance the destination experience, giving physiological sustenance and providing opportunities to learn about destination cultures through direct encounters with local cuisines. However, engaging with novel local food might arouse certain visitor expectations, particularly among those who have not visited previously. This study aimed to identify international visitor preconceptions of local Indonesian food and the underlying factors influencing expectations prior to their in-country experience of dining on local food. A questionnaire-based survey that was administered to 349 international visitors identified seven factors underlying their expectations: staff quality, sensory attributes, food uniqueness, local servicescapes, food authenticity, food familiarity, and food variety. A number of significantly different dining expectations were also highlighted between first-time and rep...
Uploads
Papers 2011~ Present by Dr Thu-Huong Nguyen
Papers by Dr Thu-Huong Nguyen