Accessibility, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Natural Environment as a Tourist Resource

JON GRIFFIN DONLON

ABSTRACT
This article discusses ethical questions associated with Americans with disabilities contrasted to/with the spiritual needs and desires of population members outside that cohort. Approaching outdoor settings as a tourism (or human leisure) resource, this article provides a recapitulation of the historic roots of two streams of thought: inherent Civil Rights and the inherent value of pristine wilderness. Then it explains in detail how these two values come into contact and competition. Although discussion is focused on the situation in the U.S., it generalizes to potential situations in other social contexts. Last, it suggests that these two perspectives, equal accessibility and uniform Civil Rights, create a profound moral dilemma.

Keywords: ADA, disability, ethics, tourism, wilderness introduction


Efficiency Measurement in the Hotel Industry: Output Factor Constrained DEA Application

ŞULE TARIM* - HASAN IŞIN DENER** - ŞAHAP ARMAĞAN TARIM***
Başkent University
Hacettepe University
Hacettepe University

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to measure efficiency of hotels using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and to assess the applicability of the DEA technique as a performance measurement tool in the tourism industry. In this framework, the DEA model has been used in efficiency analysis with an upper limit constraint on output factor values. The scope of this study has been limited to 4- and 5-star hotels in the Turkish Riviera-Antalya. The efficiency scores obtained from the DEA indicate that 4-star hotels are more efficient than 5-star hotels.

Keywords: Efficiency, hotel industry, data envelopment analysis (DEA)

Designing Self-Reply Questionnaires to Survey Tourists: Issues and Guidelines for Researchers

MARK B. ORAMS* - STEPHEN J. PAGE**
Massey University at Albany
University of Stirling

ABSTRACT
The use of self-reply questionnaires as a data collection instrument is common in tourism research. However, while there is a long tradition of use of these instruments in social science research, there has been little discussion of the particular needs and challenges created by tourism situations. This paper blends both theory, practical and experience to suggest a range of issues and guidelines which researchers may find useful in preparing a self-reply questionnaire. A number of technical issues associated with surveys are also addressed. A number of principles and examples of good practice from the literature on survey methods and survey design together with the problems of using this positivist mode of data collection in tourism scenarios are developed.

Keywords: Questionnaire design, research, tourists.

Exploring the Importance of Hotel Features Among Guests Using a Multi-Attribute Scaling Approach

AVIAD A. ISRAELI
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

ABSTRACT
This paper employs a multi-attribute analysis procedure, which is common in the decision science literature, and focuses on the features that are important to hotel guests in Israel. The perspective of this study is that knowledge of the features that are important to customers can improve hotel management practices and may also provide a setting in which satisfaction may result. The analysis develops a hierarchy of features, and then, using a weighting method, these features' importance is computed. The empirical study evaluated these features among 396 tourists in different locations in Israel. The main results are reported, and the study provides some insights for managers, some customer-oriented management practices, and suggestions for future research.

Keywords: Multi-attribute weighting, hospitality management, quality service, customer satisfaction.