A semester with a Dr Fox : The need to go beyond SETs
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: e-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching Vol. 2, no. 1 (2008), p. 21-27
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Most higher education institutions use some form of Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) in order to gather information to gauge teaching performance and unit suitability. The value of SETs has come under increasing scrutiny, particularly in light of the Dr Fox study, which indicated that students are assessing charisma more than content. Similar results to the earlier study were found by the author during the process of moderating a teaching unit with a Dr Fox who had received good student feedback, and yet turned out to have poor subject. Most higher education institutions use some form of Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) in order to gather information to gauge teaching performance and unit suitability. The value of SETs has come under increasing scrutiny, particularly in light of the Dr Fox study, which indicated that students are assessing charisma more than content.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003006038
VFR Travellers - Visiting the destination or visiting the hosts?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Asian Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research Vol. 2, no. 1 (2008), p. 60-70
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Significant component of tourism. Despite this, VFR Travel has been largely ignored by marketing practitioners, and has remained underresearched in many domains. VFR Travel tends to be overlooked in marketing campaigns because travellers have been regarded as individuals who cannot be influenced because of their perceived minimal economic impact. However, VFR travellers are not always attracted solely by the hosts. The attractiveness of the destination can also have an influencing role on VFR trips. While little research has been done to examine these issues, this paper utilizes a whole tourism systems model to examine linkages between VFR tourists and destination regions. Comparative analysis compares VFR research undertaken in two different regions in Australia. This approach shows that VFRs are often influenced to embark on VFR trips because of the attractiveness of a destination. As such, while any region can attract VFRs because of the hosts, the attractiveness of a region as a tourist destination can influence the length of stay of visitors and as such, enhance the impact of VFR Travel on a local economy.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003006151
Using Smartphones and Facebook in a Major Assessment: The student experience
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: e-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching Vol. 4, no. 1 (2010), p. 19-31
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of an alternative form of assessment employing new technology, such as smartphones and Facebook which are two modern tools that are rapidly increasing in popularity and application in the business environment. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts an experimental approach to examine whether these technologies could not only provide students with relevant skills but also increase their learning experience. Research findings and implications – Eleven out of the 12 students reported that the use of smartphones and Facebook increased their motivation, independent learning and sense of responsibility.The implications from this paper are that integrating new technologies into assessment was beneficial to students who had experience with the new technology, however, not all students were capable of using the technology and this requires further work when implementing new technology.
VFR travellers: How long are they staying?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference 2010: Adding value through research p. 494-507
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travellers is a substantial segment of tourism in many destinations around the world. However, relative to its size, research has been lacking; commencing only around twenty years ago, and gaining momentum only this century. Research into VFR traveller profiles and characteristics has been limited, and some of what has been done conflicts with other findings. One such component, which is important for destinations, is length of stay. Whilst some of the research has indicated that VFR travel is associated with long length of stay, other research indicates that it is more linked with shortbreak tourism. This research has considered this concept, for VFR travellers compared with non-VFR travellers at three contrasting destinations in Australia. Based on quantitative research using probability sampling, VFR travellers were compared to non-VFR travellers at the popular tourism destination, Sunshine Coast (south-eastern Queensland); the northern Queensland destination of Townsville; and the inland Victorian destination of Ballarat. Whilst the average length of stay varied between all three destinations, relative to non-VFR travellers, there was no significant difference between VFR and non-VFR travellers. Therefore, VFR travel was not found to be associated with either short or long stay at the three destinations considered. However, length of stay was greater, the more popular the destination is with tourists. As such, VFR travellers stay at more attractive destinations longer than at less attractive destinations, but not at any significantly different level to non- VFRs
VFR travel : An examination of the expenditure of VFR travellers and their hosts
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Current Issues in Tourism Vol. 10, no. 4 (2008), p. 366-377
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003007184
The VFR Trilogy
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 18th Annual CAUTHE Conference 2009 - See Change: Tourism & Hospitality in a Dynamic World, Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle, Western Australia 10th-13th February 2009
- Full Text: false
- Description: The purpose of this research paper is to present three VFR models, the VFR trilogy, to enable implementation of materials into the syllabus for tourism units at universities. Despite VFR travel representing around half of Australia’s domestic travel market, VFR fails to be given much more than a cursory mention in core tourism teaching textbooks, and does not even make it to the index of other tourism textbooks. The failure of VFR travel to be discussed in tourism textbooks, results in VFR being overlooked in the teaching syllabus, since teaching often revolves around the textbooks. Future tourism marketers and future tourism managers therefore graduate with their tourism degrees, with a complete disregard for the potential of VFR travel as a marketing segment for the business that they will end up working within. Having developed three VFR models that assist in developing an understanding of VFR travel, the purpose of this paper is to assist in developing a better understanding of this tourism phenomenon, and provide the mechanism for which current and future teaching in tourism can include coverage of VFR travel.
- Description: 2003007345
Opportunities for commercial accommodation in VFR travel
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Tourism Research Vol. 12 , no. 4 (2010), p. 334-354
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This research explores the extent to which VFR travellers utilise commercial accommodation in the Sunshine Coast, Australia, and profiles the characteristics and behaviours of this particular type of VFR traveller. The research indicated that 26% of the VFRs stayed in commercial accommodation (CVFRs). This closely aligned with research using the same method in a comparative destination, Ballarat, Australia, indicating that 22% of VFRs stayed in commercial accommodation. CVFR travellers occupied similar types of commercial accommodation as non-VFRs and engaged in similar tourism activities. However, they came from different generating regions and used different sources of information for planning their trip. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
VFR Travel: It is underestimated
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: CAUTHE 2011 National Conference
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel is a substantial form of tourism worldwide. In Australia, official data measure VFR in one of two ways: purpose of visit or accommodation. This is only a measurement of those factors, yet tourism practitioners often mistakenly use these data to state the size of VFR travel in their destination. Based on quantitative research undertaken in three contrasting destinations in Australia, estimates for the size of VFR travel in those destinations is provided. These results highlight that using official dala for measuring VFR travel will underestimate this segment in any Australian destination. Using the VFR definitional model as a conceptual model, this research has estimated that VFR travel represents 48 percent of Australia's total overnight tourism market.
- Description: E1
VFR travel : It is underestimated
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tourism Management Vol. 33, no. 1 (2012), p. 74-79
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel is a substantial form of tourism worldwide. In Australia, official data measure VFR in one of two ways - purpose of visit or type of accommodation. However, this is only a measurement of those factors; it is not a measure of the size by volume of VFR travel. Yet tourism practitioners often mistakenly use these data to state the size of VFR travel in their destination. Based on quantitative research undertaken in three contrasting destinations in Australia, estimates for the size of VFR travel in those destinations is provided. These results highlight that using official data for measuring VFR travel will underestimate this segment in any Australian destination. Using the VFR definitional model as a conceptual model, this research has estimated that VFR travel represents 48% of Australia's total overnight tourism market. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
Empirical testing of the theory of partial industrialisation in tourism
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Barry, Brooke
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management Vol. 20, no. 2013 (2013), p. 43-52
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Businesses that are typically associated as belonging to ‘the tourist industry’ may find that tourists are only part of their business mix and may or may not strategically target tourists as a distinct segment. That is, businesses that serve tourists also serve non-tourists. As such, tourism is only ‘partially industrialised’. Despite being acknowledged three decades ago, only two empirical studies of tourism's partial industrialisation exist in the field. The aim of this research is to examine partial industrialisation in tourism (PIIT) in the Australian inland city of Ballarat, Victoria. This research provides additional empirical evidence to support the theory of PIIT, and provides evidence to highlight that figures often used in industry to support tourism represent a considerable exaggeration of the situation.
The stress of the family holiday
- Authors: Schänzel, Heike , Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Family tourism : Multidisciplinary perspectives p. 105-124
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
VFR travellers of the future
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Tourism and demography p. 73-86
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this chapter is to : Highlight the importance of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel now and in the future; Discuss key demographic trends related to VFR travel and analyse the findings from a study of VFR tourism to two Australian including destinations, including: VFR travellers represent a substanial form of solo-travellers and single-person households are forecast to grow in the future. VFR travel represents a hidden form of travel for children travelling without parents (linked with emerging niche market, the 'grand-traveller'); VFR travelly utilise commercial accomodation, and their usage of this is likely to increase; VFR travel has important social benefits to families; VFR travel will grow as a market segment for older travellers, especially those in the final stages of the family life cycle.
- Description: 2003008919
Burnt at the Student Evaluation Stake – the penalty for failing students
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: e-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching Vol. 6, no. 1 (2012), p. 1-13
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) are a common device for assessing units and teaching ability in higher education. Despite the wealth of research in the area of SETs, little has been done to examine student and academic perceptions of SETs. This research examined student (n=235) and academic (n=49) perceptions concerning SETs at one Australian regional university. Almost one-third of respondents felt that some students punish academics for failing their work by giving the lecturer low scores on the SET form. Thus, academics can essentially be burnt at the student evaluation stake as punishment for failing students.
- Description: C1
The demographic Dividend of VFT Travel: Evidence from Australia conference
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , King, Brian
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Global Tourism & Hospitality Conference and Asia Tourism Forum
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel is a large and important form of tourism in most developed countries. In Australia, VFR travel accounts for 48% of all tourism. Recent research has provided valuable insights into the length of stay, origins, mode of travel, and expenditures of VFR travellers. However, less attention has been devoted to their demographic attributes. To date, no research has compared the demographic attributes of all VFR travellers with those applicable to Non-VFRs. Based on a sample of 81,579 that covers the period 2010-2012, the present research demonstrates that the demographic profiles of VFRs and Non-VFRs in Australia are markedly different. It was found that a higher proportion of Non-VFRs were working full-time, living in capital cities and earning higher levels of household income. In contrast, a higher proportion of VFRs were working part-time, studying, or undertaking home duties. They were also significantly more likely to be pensioners or unemployed, part of a smaller household and earning a lower household income. They were more likely to be older and living alone. It is notable that socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have been acknowledged in the literature as being less engaged in tourism. However the present research provides evidence of their active participation in VFR travel. It is concluded that the provision of VFR travel opportunities may offer those who are not in a position to engage in other forms of tourism with prospective tourism related experiences.
Investigating the 'family life cycle' model in tourism
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Family tourism : Multidisciplinary perspectives p. 156-170
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
Family holidays - Vacation or obli-cation
- Authors: Schanzel, Heike , Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tourism Recreation Research Vol. 38, no. 2 (2013), p. 159-173
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
VFR Travelers: How Long are They Staying?
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tourism Review International Vol. 14, no. 2-3 (2010), p. 61-70
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) segment of travelers is a substantial segment of tourism in many destinations around the world. However, relative to its size, research has been lacking, commencing only around 20 years ago, and gaining momentum only this century. Research into VFR traveler profiles and characteristics has been limited, and some of what has been found conflicts with other findings. One such conflict relates to travelers' length of stay. While some research indicates that VFR travel is associated with long length of stay, other research indicates that it is associated with short-break tourism. The purpose of this research was to examine the length of stay for VFR travelers compared with non-VFR travelers at three contrasting destinations in Australia. Although the average length of stay varied among destinations, there was no significant difference between VFR and non-VFR travelers at each destination. That is, in this study VFR travel was not found to be associated with either short or long stay at the three destinations considered. However, length of stay was longer the more popular the destination was with tourists. As such, it is concluded that VFR travelers stay at more attractive destinations longer than at less attractive destinations, but not at any significantly different level to non-VFRs.
VFR travel: Why marketing to Aunt Betty matters
- Authors: Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Family tourism : Multidisciplinary perspectives p. 81-92
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
Introduction: Social media special issue
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Hay, Brian
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tourism, Culture and Communication Vol. 13, no. 1 (2013), p. 1-4
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: C4
Partial industrialisation in tourism: Modelling Ballarat
- Authors: Barry, Brooke , Backer, Elisa
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: CAUTHE National Conference 2012; The new golden age of tourism and hospitality
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Partial Industrialisation In Tourism (PIIT) is a concept first raised by Leiper (1979), who explained that rather than being one giant industry, that tourism was partially industrialised. Businesses that are typically associated as belonging to 'the tourism industry' may find that tourists are only part of their business mix and may not strategically target tourists as a distinct segment. That is, businesses that serve tourists also serve non-tourists. As such, tourism is only partially industrialised. Despite being raised three decades ago, only a handful of researchers have explored PIIT, and only two empirical studies exist in the field. The aim of this research was to examine the degree of industrialisation in tourism of 31 businesses across four industries in the city of Ballarat, Victoria, which are typically associated as belonging to 'the tourism industry'. This study found that the level of industrialisation in tourism varied across all industry types with some retailers reporting that fewer than 1% of their customers are tourists. Even those businesses more industrialised in tourism such as accommodation and tourist attractions admitted that tourists were not their only customers. Thus, this research provides additional empirical evidence to support the theory of PIIT, and provides evidence to highlight that figures often used in industry to support tourism represent a considerable exaggeration of the situation.