EFTI Tourism Marketing Program Area

TOURISM MARKETING

Program Focus

To support industry partners through research in better understanding of consumer decision making process and behaviors that pertain to tourism products, services, and destinations.
To provide insight on integration of marketing research knowledge in the development of strategic plans for tourism destinations.
To provide research services in order to aid in sustainable destination marketing and management.

Research Areas

Consumer travel behavior and decision making
Tourist information search and travel planning
Visitors' profile and economic impacts
Destination and tourism products development and branding
Destination visioning and marketing
Effectiveness of tourism promotional programs
Destination visioning and strategic planning
Tourism impacts and development
Tourism and corporate social responsibility
Service quality and customer satisfaction

Research Projects

Benefits of Travel and Leisure (2008)
Profile and Economic Impacts of Visitors to Norfolk, Virginia (2006)
Destination Audit: Alachua County, Florida (2002; 2004)
Visitor Study: Marion County, Florida (2005)
Destination Visioning Process: Marion County, Florida (2005)
Strategic Plan for Vladimir, Russia (2005)
Visitor Study: Columbia County, Florida (2005)
Visitor Study: Pasco County, Florida (2004)
Visitors Study: Timucuan Preserve-Duval County, Florida (2004)
Economic Impact of Gaming Day Cruise Industry in Florida (2003)
Advertising Conversion Study: Alachua County, Florida (2002)
Developing a Strategic Market Plan for a New Tourism Venture: Gainesville, Florida (2002)
Profile and Economic Impacts of Visitors to Indian River County, Florida (2000)
Visitors to Welcome Centers: Alachua County, Florida (2000)
Visitor Study: Alachua County, Florida (2000)
Graduate Student Research
Sample Reports

Program Coordinator: Lori Pennington-Gray, Ph.D.

Dr. Pennington-Gray has been involved in numerous research projects in the state of Florida and other areas in the U.S. She has consulted with several destination marketing organizations, designing research to identify front-end positioning and results oriented evaluation. Some examples of past state-wide projects include: Examining the contribution of historic properties to the quality of life for Floridians; and Visit Florida – Festivals and Tourism Impacts. Lori has conducted visitor study research for Alachua, Marion, Columbia, Pasco and Indian River Counties and the coalition of counties marketing under the brand “Original Florida”. Other DMO research includes: St. John’s County Heritage Tourism Study; Alachua County Destination Audit; and Marion County, Destination Visioning; Economic Impact for Gainesville Arts Festivals and Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee.

Graduate Student Research

Antecedents to destination loyalty (Soon Ho Kim, Ph.D. Research: 2010)
Benefits sought and realized among study abroad students (Sarah Welch, M.S. Research: 2010)
Volunteer motivations and constraints among undergraduate college students (Richard Gage, M.S. Research: 2009)
Understanding corporate social responsibility in the tourism industry (Jung Eun Kim, Ph.D. Research: 2009)
Specialization and wine-related leisure: An exploratory analysis of wine tourism as a leisure pursuit (Sarah Becker, M.S. Research: 2009)
Effects of exposure time to travel information sources on familiarity, destination image, and intention to visit (Chul Jeong, Ph.D. Research: 2009)
Destination image and intent to travel to Bulgaria among US residents (Kristina Roberts, M.S. Research: 2009)
Destination message design on travel and tourism information web sites (Charles Lane, Ph.D. Research: 2007)
Theme park employee satisfaction, relationship marketing orientation and customer orientation (Matthew Wagenheim, Ph.D. Research: 2006)
Intergenerational solidarity as a way of understanding grandtravel (Catherine Palmeiri, M.S. Research: 2006)
Resident perceptions of the social impacts of tourism in the Daytona Beach Area (Erin Parks, M.S. Research: 2002)
Perceived travel constraints of people with physical disabilities (Kristin Korkki, M.S. Research: 2000)
An exploratory study of the determinants of tourists’ intention to return to the greater Orlando area (Kimberly Leahy, M.S. Research: 2000)
A visitor profile study of tourists to the Dalyan-Koycegiz region in Turkey (Pelin Karaca, M.S. Research: 1997)
The perceptions and behaviors of business travelers on frequent flier programs (Jamie Miller, M.S. Research: 1995)
Boycotts and their effect on tourism: A case study of Colorado's Amendment 2 (Michelle Hunnicutt, M.S. Research: 1993)
Measuring the occurrence of noncompliance in the collection of the tourist development tax (Neha Shah, M.S. Research: 1993)
Graduate Student Research (All Program Areas)

Sample Reports (Executive Summary)