Contemporary Experiences Of Chinese Tourists In Italy

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  Contemporary experiences of Chinese tourists in Italy: An on-site analysis in Milan Philip L. Pearce a , Mao-Ying Wu a, ⁎ , Manuela De Carlo b , Andrea Rossi b a School of Business, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia b Department of Marketing and Economics, IULM University, Via Carlo Bo 1, 20146 Milano, Italy a b s t r a c ta r t i c l e i n f o  Article history: Received 28 March 2013Accepted 1 April 2013Available online xxxx Keywords: Chinese touristsMilan Expo 2015Experience economyOn-site experiencesGroup touristsIndependent tourists This exploratory research used insights from studies of the experience economy to explore Chinese tourists'on-site involvementinawesterniconicsite — theDuomoandthePiazzainMilan.Itadoptedaholisticapproachand assessed Chinese tourists' on-site sensory, affective, cognitive and activity based responses as well as theirrelationshipexperiences.Informalinterviewsandafollow-upquestionnairebasedsurveywereconducted.Find-ings from this study add speci fi c detail to the currently limited information about on-site experiences, and par-ticularlytheChineseviewsofkeyattractions.TheanalysisofthedataalsoexaminedthevariedexperiencesoftheChinese independent tourists and their counterparts on group tours. The independent tourists spent a largeramount of time in the space and attended to more detail, but were less positive and somewhat more critical of the site features and local interaction. Speci fi c items of concern at the site offer management implications forthe city of Milan which will host the World Expo in 2015.© 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. 1. Introduction ThesheernumbersofoverallChineseoutboundtourists – 82millionoutbound tourists in 2012 growing to an anticipated 100 million by2020 – provide rich opportunities for tourism growth as well as someconcerns for setting managers in the chosen destinations (ChinaTourism Academy, 2013). Abundant evidence exists that Chinese tour-ists are now travelling in ever increasing numbers outside of Asia(Arlt, 2006; Sparks & Pan, 2009; Xu & McGehee, 2012). Due to the his-torical links (e.g. Marco Polo and the Silk Road) and formal educationinChineseschools(e.g.anawarenessofRenaissanceandrepresentativeworks of western artists and writers), it is not surprising that contem-porary Chinese tourists have an interest in Italy. The key cities of inter-est are Milan, Rome, Florence and Venice. For Chinese tourists, thesecitiesprovidestrongvisualandthematicconnectionswhichhelpde fi neEurope and the western world (Csrcliano, 2011).In reviewing Chinese outbound tourist studies, the authors notedthat there has been considerable research, including review papers onthe overall growth of Chinese tourism (Cai, Li, & Knutson, 2007; Zhou,King, & Turner, 1998), studies of motivation (Hua & Yoo, 2011; Huang& Hsu, 2005), involvement in speci fi c activities (Xu & McGehee, 2012;Yeung & Yee, 2012), marketing strategies (Pan & Laws, 2003; Tse &Zhang, 2012), and the in fl uences of Chinese culture (Mok & Defranco,2000).On-sitetouristexperiences,however,haveseldombeenstudied.The study, thus, focusses on Chinese tourists' on-site experiences in aniconic site within Milan.The theoretical basis for this research is experience studies. It hasbeen observed that rewarding and positive tourist experiences lieat the heart of successful tourism (De Botton, 2002; Morgan, Lugosi,& Brent Ritchie, 2010; Ryan, 2000). Recently, researchers have sug-gested that it is important to measure multiple aspects of how peoplerespond to settings. For the participant, experience tends to be aholistic and integrated fl ow of reactions and emotions as they movethrough space and time. Based on the ideas of Schmitt (2003)andthe contributions offered byBaerenholdt, Haldrup, Larsen, and Urry(2004)andCutler and Carmichael (2010), this study concludes that tourists' experiences can be understood as analogous to the multiplecontributions which make up listeningto an orchestra. The contribut-ing elements to tourist experience should include the sensory inputs,the affective reactions, the cognitive mechanisms used to think aboutand understand the setting, the behaviours available and the relevantrelationships which de fi ne the participant's world (seeFig. 1).Theaimofthisstudy,thus,canbesubdividedintotwoaims.Firstly,it endeavours to develop an understanding of Chinese tourists and toexploretheirsensory,cognitive,behavioural,socialandemotionalen-counterswiththecentralheartofMilan.Secondly,itseekstodrawoutthe implications of these accounts for the presentation and manage-ment of the attraction space which is at the very core of tourism inMilan. Considering Milan is preparing for its international image andmanagement for the 2015 World Expo (De Carlo, Canali, Pritchard, &Morgan, 2009), this study is timely. 2. Research methods The key site of special interest in this research is the major cathe-dral in Milan – the Duomo – and the Piazza in front of the cathedral Tourism Management Perspectives 7 (2013) 34 – 37 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +61 7 4781 3130; fax: +61 4781 4019. E-mail address: [email protected](M.-Y. Wu).2211-9736/$ – see front matter © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2013.04.001 Contents lists available atSciVerse ScienceDirect Tourism Management Perspectives  journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tmp  which forms a large public space. On one side of the square there isa signi fi cant additional attraction which is open to the public. It isthe Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — the oldest shopping mall in Italy.The shops within the Galleria offer some of the most expensive andfashionable Italian stores in the country.This research was conducted through two steps. Informal inter-views were fi rstly adopted with 6 Chinese tourists, including bothindependent tourists and group tourists. Conversation with themhelped understand Chinese tourists' immediate on-site behaviourand perceptions of their time in the spaces of interest. These emicvoices from informal interviews were of assistance to the researchteam in constructing the questionnaire based survey. The question-naire based survey in Mandarin included 22 questions, two of whichwere open-ended items. The design of the survey followed recentwriting in the experience economy literature which stresses the ad-vantages of adopting a holistic approach to the multifaceted natureof experience (Pearce, 2011: 3 – 5). The core questions asked covered fi ve aspects of tourist on-site experience (e.g. sensory, affective, cog-nitive, activity based responses and the relationships).The on-site survey was conducted by two research assistants froma local university in Milan in June and July of 2012. The assistantsapproachedthosetouristswhomtheyidenti fi edaslikelytobeChinese.They con fi rmed the tourists' nationality before handing out the survey.To build a diverse sample of Chinese respondents, the assistants deliv-ered a copy of the survey to any small travel group where the partysize was less than 5. For tour groups, a maximum of four surveyswere presented to the group, which usually consisted of 20 – 35 people.These approaches were designed to ensure that the fi nal sample wasnot dominated by one style of tourist travel. In particular a desire tocollect response from a substantial number of independent touristsmotivated this approach to ensurethatthe diversityand heterogeneityof the travel experience could be sampled rather than relying on themore uniform patterns of the group tourists. In all, 220 copies of thequestionnaire were delivered, with 178 copies properly completed.Among the survey respondents, two thirds of them were indepen-dent tourists, while others were from tour groups. Travel with family(58 out of 178) and close friends (99/178) was the dominant travel-ling style. Most of the survey respondents had travelled to westerncountries before, with 1 – 2 times (71/178) and 3 – 5 times (45/178)as common frequencies. Mostly, the Chinese tourists spent less than2 days in Milan (66.1%) and less than 2 h in the study sites — theDuomo and the Piazza. 3. Research fi ndings The reporting of the component parts of experience in Milan con-sidersinturnthetourists'emotionalreactions,theirsensoryexperiences,the in fl uence of relationships on their experience and their appraisal of  Fig 1. The orchestra model of on-site experience.  Table 1 Chinese tourists' on-site experiences in Duomo and Piazza, Milan.On-site experiencesdimensionsKey concerns Analysis techniques Key fi ndingsEmotional(N = 178) a To identify an array of possible emotional feelingof Chinese touristsFrequency analysis Generally, positive emotions were reported, e.g. relaxed (48%), happy (44%),romantic (28%), peaceful (23%), energetic (16%) and surprised (10%).Unsafe, however, was also highly represented (12%).Sensory(N = 131)To research Chinese tourists' reaction to fi ve setsof sensory experiences — the smell, visual, taste,sound, space and weather issues.Repeated measuresone-way ANOVA b These fi ve sensory elements were perceived signi fi cantly differently;Chinese tourists enjoyed the visually attractiveness of the Duomo site most;Their on-site experiences of sound, space and weather, however, were closeto unpleasant.Relationships(N = 148)To identify how different forms of the tourists'social contacts (e.g. with travel companions, withthe local service staff and vendors, and with othertourists) contribute to their on-site enjoyment.Repeated measuresone-way ANOVAThe three aspects of social contacts contributed to Chinese tourists' on-siteenjoyment signi fi cantly differently;Travel companions were mostly positively viewed for an enjoyable trip;Interactions with other tourists and contacts with local service staff wereviewed only moderately positively.Behavioural(N = 178)To identify the most popular activities on the site. Frequency analysis The most popular activities were photography (53%), exploring the interiorpart of the site (38%), observing the exterior environment of the site (34%),shopping for fashion (33%), and eating and drinking (25%)Cognitive(N: variable)TounderstandhowChinesetouristsevaluatethesite;To identify the improvable issues for the on-sitemanagement;To report the most memorable on-site experiences.Frequency analysisand content analysisBenchmarking with other European sites, 61% of the respondents viewed thattheir experiences in Duomo site were better, while 35% of them considered theMilan site to be the equal of many others in Europe;Improvable site management: too many peddlers (33%), better facilities (24%,toilets, tap water, andshops), better interpretation (20%, guide,signs,mapsandinfo centre), cleanliness (19%, cigarette butts, garbage, and pigeon droppings),service and hospitality (9%), safety (8%, pick-pockets) and noise level (5%).Most memorable feature: the magni fi cent historical Cathedral (75%), speci fi cpaintingsandstatues(9%),shoppingandfashion(8%),diversityoftourists(5%),and food (3%). a The sample size for different dimension of on-site experience was different, because some survey respondents might not experience or might not comment on a certain aspectof the experience. b Repeated measures one-way ANOVA includes a series of tests, e.g. descriptive analysis, the Mauchly's test of Sphericity, tests of Within-Subjects Effects and Pairwise Comparison.35 P.L. Pearce et al. / Tourism Management Perspectives 7 (2013) 34 –  37   thesiteinrelationtootherEuropeansites.Table1presentskey fi ndingsand relevant issues.In addition to the general exploration of Chinese tourists' on-siteexperiences in the Duomo and Piazza, this study hypothesised thatthe Chinese independent tourists and package tourists might havedifferent on-site experiences. This hypothesis was based on a sampleof studies focusing onthe risingnumbers of Chinese independenttrav-ellers, who tend to be well-educated, younger, con fi dent, experienceseekers, who are high technology users and experienced in travelling(Csrcliano, 2011; Pearce, Wu, & Osmond, 2013; Tourism Australia,2012). The links were supported by the cross-tabulation analysis witha Chi-square test of demographic factors. It was found that there weresigni fi cant relationships between travel style and travel experience( χ  2 = 17.89, df = 3, p = .000) and the time tourists spent on site( χ  2 = 15.18, df = 4, p = .004). Independent Chinese tourists wereconsiderably more experienced travellers to Western countries thanthose package tour participant, and they tended to spend considerablymoretimeattheDuomoandPiazza.Thus,thehypothesispredictingdif-ferent components of their on-site experience was tested more fully(seeTable 2). 4. Conclusion and discussions This study explores the Chinese tourists' on-site experiences atDuomoandPiazzasite inMilan.Ithasfournotablefeatures — a holisticapproachtoassesson-siteexperiences,afocusontheemergingmarket,an appreciation of two clearly identi fi able travel styles, and propitioustiming for the better preparation of an international event (Milan2015 World Expo). In particular, the study reaches beyond the meredocumentation of demographic facts and the recording of attractionsvisited. It seeks instead to use insights from studies of the experienceeconomy to explore in subtle detail the visitors' on-site involvementwith the city.The analysis of Chinese tourists' on-site experience suggests thatthe fi ve components of the experiences are intertwined with eachother and offers a holistic approach to facilitate the site management.Generally speaking, the Duomo and Piazza site has multiple merits,but there is also some space for improvement. At an overall level,only 61% of tourists perceived the Duomo and Piazza site as betteror much better than other European sites. They did consider the visu-al components of the site as the most enjoyable sensory experienceas well as one of most memorable elements of the site. Their space,sound, and weather experiences, however, were reported as less en- joyable. Experiences of those elements, actually, were close to un-pleasant. This fi nding about the cognitive and sensory experienceswas also consistent with their emotional experiences. Though gener-ally positive, 12% of them labelled the setting as “ unsafe ” . Chinesetourists encountered a large number of peddlers, who tried to sellthem small handicrafts and pigeon food. Due to the forceful style of peddlersandbeinginanunfamiliarenvironment,someoftheChinesetouristsfeltunsafe.Duetomanytourists, peddlers, andpigeons,sometourists felt it was crowded, noisy, and challenging for them to take aphotograph (a prime desired activity) in the Piazza. Some of the neg-ative feelings were further strengthened by the hot weather, limitedinterpretation(especiallyverylittleinMandarin,plusalackofguides,signs, and information centres), a lack of facilities (e.g. toilets and tapwater), and sometimes unsmiling service staff.ThisstudyalsopaidspecialattentiontotheriseofChineseindepen-dent tourists, who tend to be younger, experienced, con fi dent, and ex-perience seeking. A comparison between the tourists on group toursand independent tourists indicated some differences between thesetwo groups. It supported the previous observation that independenttourists are more experienced. Chinese independent tourists were sig-ni fi cantly more sensitive to and critical about the noise, crowing, andhospitalityissueson-site.Thisdirectioninthe fi nding,whichwassome-timesonlyatthelevelofaweaktrendinthedata,isofconcerntothosewhomanage thefuture image and destinationappealofMilan,not justfor the forthcoming 2015 Expo but also for the longer term. It is clearfrom the global fi gures of Chinese movements outside their own coun-try that many citizens are now building their con fi dence in being ableto travel internationally (UNWTO, 2011). An important implication of this combination of rising con fi dence and China's continued economicdevelopment is that future Chinese tourists are likely to be moredemanding and more critical of service situations which trouble themor which do not embellish and enhance their experience.Aspeci fi cimplicationofthiscasestudyisthatitistimelytoconsiderthe Chinese outbound market's evolving travel patterns, safety con-cerns, and speci fi c interpretation needs. Controlling issues of safetyand security and attending with more thoroughness to the educationalandinterpretiveneedsofChinesetouristsareitemsforattention.Theseimplications apply not just in central Milan but throughout Italy andfor all those places seeking to host the expanding Chinese market. References Arlt, W. G. (2006). China's outbound tourism. Oxon and New York: Routledge.Baerenholdt,J.,Haldrup,M., Larsen,J.,& Urry,J.(2004). Performing tourist places. Aldershot,Hants: Ashgate.Cai, L. A., Li, M., & Knutson, B. J. (2007). 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London: Penguin.DeCarlo,M.,Canali,S.,Pritchard,A.,&Morgan,N.(2009).MovingMilantowardsExpo2015:Designingcultureintoacitybrand.  Journal of Place Management and Development  ,  2 (1),8 – 22.  Table 2 Comparisons of Chinese independent tourists and package tourists' on-site experiences in Duomo and Piazza, Milan.On-site experiencesdimensionsAnalysis techniques Key fi ndingsEmotional Cross-tabulation with a Chi-square test The emotional reactions of the travellers in different travel styles were not signi fi cant at the .05 level.Sensory Mixed-model factorial ANOVA andindependent samples t testIndependent travellers and tour package participants did not have signi fi cantly different sensory experience atan overall level;Nevertheless, there were some apparent differences between the speci fi c sensory experiences of space andweather by the different travel groups; Independent Chinese tourists found them signi fi cantly less pleasant.Relationships Mixed-model factorial ANOVA andindependent samples t testSigni fi cant differences were observed between the two travel groups for their evaluation of the on-siterelationships;Both of the groups viewed most positively to their contacts with travel companions;Group tourists, however, were signi fi cantly more positive towards the interaction with local service staff andvendors.Behavioural Cross tabulation with Chi-square test Independent tourists showed more interest in exploring the interior part of the site (reading signs,interpretation, appreciate presentations).Cognitive Cross tabulation with a Chi-square test Tour group participants were signi fi cantly more satis fi ed with this speci fi c on-site experience in Milan.36 P.L. 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Tourist behaviour and the contemporary world. Bristol: ChannelView Publications.Pearce, P. L., Wu, M. -Y., & Osmond, A. (2013). Puzzles in understanding Chinese touristbehaviour; Towards a triple C gaze. Tourism Recreation Research , 38 (2).Ryan, C. (2000). From the psychometrics of SERVQUAL to sex: Measurements of touristsatisfaction.InA.Pizam,&Y.Mansfeld(Eds.), Consumerbehavior intraveland tourism (pp. 267 – 286). New York: The Haworth Hospitality Press.Schmitt, B. H. (2003). Customer experience management. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley& Sons.Sparks, B., & Pan, G. W. (2009). Chinese outbound tourists: Understanding their atti-tudes, constraints and use of information sources. Tourism Management  , 30 (4),483 – 494.TourismAustralia(2012). The Chinesetraveller: Segmentingof the Chinese market. Canberra:Tourism Australia.Tse, T. S. M., & Zhang, E. Y. (2012). Analysis of blogs and microblogs: A case study of Chinese bloggers sharing their Hong Kong travel experiences. Asia Paci  fi c Journalof Tourism Research .http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/10941665.2012.658413. UNWTO (2011). Tourism towards 2030: Global overview. Gyeongju: UNWTO.Xu,Y.,&McGehee,N.G.(2012).ShoppingbehaviorofChinesetouristsvisitingtheUnitedStates: Letting the shoppers do the talking. Tourism Management  , 33 (2), 427 – 430.Yeung, R. M. W., & Yee, W. M. S. (2012). A pro fi le of the mainland Chinese cross-bordershoppers: Cluster and discriminant analysis. Tourism Management Perspectives , 4 ,106 – 112.Zhou, L., King, B., & Turner, L.(1998). The China outbound market: An evaluation of keyconstraints and opportunities. Journal of Vacation Marketing  , 4 (2), 109 – 119. Philip L. Pearce is the Foundation Professor of Tourism,School of Business, James Cook University, Australia. He isfundamentally interested in the behaviour and experienceof tourists and tourist-host interaction. Mao-Ying Wu has recently completed her Ph.D in JamesCook University, Australia. She is currently working a post-doc researcher in the same university. She is interested inthe well-being of tourism communities, and tourist-hostinteraction in cross cultural contexts. Manuela DeCarlo isAssociate Professor atIULMUniversity,Milan Italy where she founded and directs the Master inTourism Management course. She is also Adjunct professorof Tourism management at Bocconi University, Milan. Herresearch focusses on place reputation and image, as well asIT capabilities in the hospitality and tourism sector.  Andrea Rossi is Lecturer in Tourist experience and design intheMasterinTourismmanagementcourseatIULMUniversity,Milan, Italy. He is interested in tourism innovation, touristexperience design and competitive tourism clusters.37 P.L. Pearce et al. / Tourism Management Perspectives 7 (2013) 34 –  37