Perceived Discrimination in the Context of High and Low Interactions – Evidence from Medical and General Tourists

Abstract

This study explored the antecedents and consequences of perceived discrimination of tourists. Both general and medical tourists, who represent contexts of low and high interaction with service providers, respectively, were interviewed in-depth regarding their travel experiences in Hong Kong. The critical incidence approach was applied to identify unfair treatment and other relevant factors. Similarities and differences were found between the discriminatory experiences and antecedents of medical tourists and general tourists. The findings indicate that some unfair treatments were subsequently attributed to discrimination; because of their unique travel motivations, medical tourists more easily attributed unfair treatment to discrimination. Moreover, four groups of factors were identified as antecedents to perceived discrimination: cultural, employee, tourist and situational factors. The results suggest that the relationship between perceived discrimination and post-visit behavioral intentions is moderated by the perceived value of the trip. The practical implications of our findings are discussed.

Keywords:

• perceived discrimination
• Hong Kong
• antecedents
• tourists

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge the permission of the Taylor & Francis Group to reproduce a figure in the article of Gianfranco Walsh titled ‘Disadvantaged consumers’ experiences of marketplace discrimination in customer services' in Journal of Marketing Management, published 01 February 2010.