TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of winery visitor group size on gratitude and obligation
AU - Kolyesnikova, Natalia
AU - Dodd, Tim H.
PY - 2008/8
Y1 - 2008/8
N2 - Building on reciprocity theory, the current study explores whether wine tourists feel a need to buy wine at tasting rooms due to a perceived need to reciprocate for services received. In this research, wine and souvenirs bought fully or partly out of the desire to repay hospitality and services received are identified as gratuity purchasing. Specifically, the study investigates the role of gratitude and obligation in wine tourist purchasing behavior. The results indicate that the higher visitor feelings of gratitude and obligation while at a winery, the bigger the expenditures. In addition, the research examines the effect of visitor group size on purchasing. It appears that visitors who travel to wineries in smaller groups experience higher levels of gratitude and obligation than visitors of larger groups. Consequently, visitors who come to wineries in smaller groups tend to spend more money on wine and/or souvenirs than larger groups. Managerial implications are discussed.
AB - Building on reciprocity theory, the current study explores whether wine tourists feel a need to buy wine at tasting rooms due to a perceived need to reciprocate for services received. In this research, wine and souvenirs bought fully or partly out of the desire to repay hospitality and services received are identified as gratuity purchasing. Specifically, the study investigates the role of gratitude and obligation in wine tourist purchasing behavior. The results indicate that the higher visitor feelings of gratitude and obligation while at a winery, the bigger the expenditures. In addition, the research examines the effect of visitor group size on purchasing. It appears that visitors who travel to wineries in smaller groups experience higher levels of gratitude and obligation than visitors of larger groups. Consequently, visitors who come to wineries in smaller groups tend to spend more money on wine and/or souvenirs than larger groups. Managerial implications are discussed.
KW - Gratitude
KW - Obligation
KW - Travel party size
KW - Wine tourism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=57649183233&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0047287507312411
DO - 10.1177/0047287507312411
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:57649183233
SN - 0047-2875
VL - 47
SP - 104
EP - 112
JO - Journal of Travel Research
JF - Journal of Travel Research
IS - 1
ER -