Quality of Relationships of Travel Agencies with Each Group of Partners


- Quality of relationships with partners who are travel agents:


The general opinion of the interviewees showed that in many cases, travel agents have "encroached" on the territory of travel businesses by not only acting as intermediaries for travel businesses or suppliers in the industry but also designing package programs to sell to tourists - activities that are normally carried out by travel businesses. The lack of consistency in implementing the price policy of travel companies is clearly demonstrated through the change in the price of tourism programs of some agents. The results of the assessment of the quality of the relationship between businesses and travel agents also showed that: 30% of businesses and agents do not trust each other; 9% said that the two sides do not understand each other; 11% said that the two sides do not share the advantages and risks in business activities and related work and 23% said that commitments are not properly implemented between the two sides. According to the total criteria measuring partnership quality, the assessment score is at an average level (3.0 points) and about 17% of businesses and their agents have poor partnership quality.

- Quality of relationships with partners who are competing businesses:


The assessment score of the quality of partnership with competitors of travel businesses is the lowest compared to all other partners (2.5 points). The synthesis of interview results with experts - managers also shows that: the situation of organizing copycat tourism programs makes the mass tourism programs of most Vietnamese travel businesses have no difference, the phenomenon of dumping prices to attract customers is also a problem affecting the revenue, profit and customer market of many travel businesses.

In Vietnam, by the end of October 2011, the total number of international travel businesses licensed to operate was 957 (Travel Department, General Department of Tourism). Compared to nearly 2 years earlier (December 2009), the number of international travel businesses increased by 161, from 796 to 957. Despite having a history of more than 50 years of tourism development, the number of businesses


Tourism industry is growing rapidly, but according to many experts in this field, Vietnam has not yet effectively exploited its tourism potential.

5


4

3.1

3.0

3

2.7

2.9

2.5

2


1


0

Housing Authority

water

Supply unit

grant

Travel Agent Community Competitors

local painting

The interview results show that, although there is a wide network of travel agencies across the country, the separate, small-scale and unprofessional business habits of most domestic tourism businesses are still a weakness that managers admit. The survey results also prove this reality when over 50% of travel businesses said that they do not trust, do not understand and do not share the advantages and difficulties in business. About 34% of businesses do not have compatible policies and cultures and also do not ensure the implementation of common commitments. On average, according to the criteria for measuring the quality of partnerships, over 43% of travel businesses participating in the survey have poor quality relationships with partners who are competing businesses.



Rating Points

Figure 3.4. Quality of travel agency relationships with each group of partners


- General assessment:


According to the assessment in the Vietnam Tourism Marketing Plan 2008-2015, the disconnection between different factors in the tourism sector (management units


tourism resources, state tourism management agencies, and tourism industry participants) have created great difficulties in linking and building tourism products, reducing the ability to diversify the customer market and reducing profits from tourism business activities [7]. Thus, along with the survey results, it can be affirmed that the quality of relationships between Vietnamese travel businesses and partners is still limited. The highest score for the quality of partnership relationships belongs to partners who are suppliers (3.1); followed by travel agents (3.0) and local communities (2.9). The two groups of partners with the lowest scores are state management agencies (2.7) and competing businesses (2.5), both below average (Figure 3.4).

It is worth noting that the highest score is only average (3.1/5), showing that the quality of relationships between Vietnamese international travel businesses and all surveyed partner groups is still very limited. Therefore, it is necessary to intervene in factors affecting the quality of partnership relationships as well as measures to adjust and change from awareness to implementation of partnership activities to help businesses and partners understand each other better, strengthen trust and be willing to share more in related work so that businesses can achieve better business results.

3.2. The impact of factors affecting the quality of partnership


The impact of factors affecting the quality of partnership is shown in the adjusted research model of the thesis (pages 67-68) with 05 hypotheses - from hypothesis H1 to H5. Before testing each hypothesis by regression method, correlation analysis was performed to check the correlation relationship between variables.

All variables measuring business performance in terms of economics, competition and visitor satisfaction are significantly related with p < 0.01. Partnership quality is positively and significantly related to all three measures.


economic performance, competitiveness and visitor satisfaction. Relationship quality is significantly related to economic performance at R =

0.394 and p < 0.01. Partnership quality also has a significant relationship with business performance in terms of competitiveness at R = 0.344 and p < 0.01. For business performance in terms of tourist satisfaction, partnership quality also has a significant relationship at R = 0.452 and p < 0.01.

All variables affecting partnership quality are significantly related to each other and to partnership quality with p < 0.01 14 . Among them, partnership participation is significantly related to partnership quality at R = 0.626 and p < 0.01 14 .

0.01. Partner status/role is significantly related to partnership quality at R = 0.512 and p < 0.01. Information and technology sharing is significantly related to partnership quality at R = 0.765 and p < 0.01. Cultural similarity is significantly related to partnership quality at R = 0.639 and p < 0.01. Personal relationship is significantly related to partnership quality at R = 0.672 and p < 0.01. Except for partner role variable which is not significant with economic business results, all other independent variables are significantly related to business results in all three aspects with p < 0.01, except partner role with competitive business results with p < 0.05.

Among the control variables, firm size has a significant relationship with economic and customer performance at R of 0.171 and 0.167, respectively, p

< 0.05; enterprise age has a significant relationship with economic business results at R = 0.195, p < 0.05; enterprise business scope has a significant relationship with customer business results at R = 0.193, p < 0.05. Some control variables also have a significant relationship with each other such as: enterprise age and size; ownership form and business scope. Table 3.1 shows the pairwise correlation between the variables.

14 In order to limit and eliminate the phenomenon of multicollinearity between independent variables in the research model, to handle the limitations of the multivariate regression model with the Quality of Partnership when the factors are correlated with each other, the variance inflation factor - VIF (variance inflation factor) of these variables was tested. The results of the VIF values ​​of the variables are all <10 (Table 3.2) showing that although the independent variables are correlated, they are at an acceptable level (according to Hair: VIF >= 10: there is a phenomenon of multicollinearity) [26].

85


Table 3.1. Pairwise correlations between variables


Variables

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

1

Collaborative participation














2

Position/Role of Partner

0.448 **













3

Sharing of information and technology

0.577 **

0.481 **












4

Cultural similarities

0.418 **

0.260 **

0.535 **











5

Personal relationship

0.504 **

0.321 **

0.545 **

0.610 **










6

Business size

-0.100

0.139

-0.088

-0.113

0 .005









7

Business age

0.016

0.208 *

0.090

-0.027

0.077

0.367 **








8

Business scope

0.032

0.170 *

0.046

-0.041

-0.048

0.024

0.056







9

Form of ownership

-0.078

-0.181 *

-0.099

-0.081

-0.055

-0.009

0.054

0.866 **






10

Quality of partnership

0.626 **

0.512 **

0.765 **

0.639 **

0.672 **

-0.065

0.078

-0.070

-0.031





11

Business Results – Economy

0.363 **

0.151

0.353 **

0.371 **

0.388 **

0.171 *

0.195 *

0.008

-0.023

0.394 **




12

Business Results – Competition

0.396 **

0.188 *

0.392 **

0.261 **

0.331 **

0.093

0.148

0.015

-0.014

0.344 **

0.750 **



13

Business Results – Customers

0.378 **

0.430 **

0.501 **

0.400 **

0.364 **

0.167 *

0.118

0.193 *

-0.149

0.452 **

0.531 **

0.574 **


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Quality of Relationships of Travel Agencies with Each Group of Partners

N= 105, **p =< 0.01; * p =<0.05 (2-tailed).


The hypotheses in the adjusted research model are tested using multivariate regression analysis. Figure 3.5 presents a summary of the results of hypothesis testing. The results of multivariate regression analysis show that all factors affecting the quality of partnership have a positive relationship with the quality of partnership; the quality of partnership has a positive relationship with business results (will be presented specifically in section 3.3) with the impact level denoted by the corresponding β shown in Figure 3.5.


H1

H6a

H2

Β6a=0.504

MATTER

H3


H4

RELATIONSHIP AMOUNT

OPPOSITE TO

Author

H6b

Β6b=0.341

H6c

Β6c=0.502

H5

- Form of ownership

- Business size

- Business age

- Business scope

COOPERATION PARTICIPATION β1 = 0.147


BUSINESS RESULTS

- Economy

PARTNER POSITION/ROLE β2 = 0.137


BUSINESS RESULTS

- Compete

INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL SHARING

β3 = 0.386

CULTURAL SIMILARITY β4 = 0.200

BUSINESS RESULTS

- Guest satisfaction

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP β5 = 0.221


Figure 3.5. Results of testing hypotheses


The regression model for partnership quality was significant (F = 54.65; p

< 0.001). The value of Adjusted R 2 is 0.72, indicating that 72% of the variation in partnership quality is explained by the five independent variables in the model. The results of the multiple regression analysis for partnership quality are presented in Table 3.2.


Table 3.2.

Results of multiple regression analysis for partnership quality


Variable

Quality of partnership

Variable influencing factors

(β)

(t)

(p)

(VIF)

Collaborative participation

0.147

2,164

0.033*

1,715

Position/Role of Partner

0.137

2,250

0.027*

1,382

Sharing of information and technology

0.386

5.252

0.000***

2.014

Cultural similarities

0.200

2,907

0.005**

1,762

Personal relationship

0.221

3.107

0.002**

1,886

R 2 adjustment

0.721

N = 105; *p= <0.05; **p = < 0.01; ***p = < 0.001 (2-tailed)


The results of the regression analysis showed the impact level of each factor affecting the quality of partnership relationships of Vietnamese travel businesses. The impact level of the 05 factors is ranked in decreasing order as follows: Information and technical sharing; Personal relationships; Cultural similarities; Participation in cooperation; and finally the role of partners. The impact of these factors on the quality of partnership relationships is analyzed in the following contents.

3.2.1. Impact of Collaborative Participation


Research Hypothesis 1 (H1) states that Participation of parties in partnership has a positive relationship with partnership quality. As expected, the results of the survey data analysis show that participation of parties has a strong relationship with partnership quality in a positive direction with β1 =

0.147 (p < 0.05). Thus, H1 was confirmed.


According to the interview results, one of the conditions to improve the quality of partnership is the enthusiasm of the partner to support and help when requested. Results


The survey has proven the above statement when it showed that the level of influence of cooperation participation on the quality of partnership accounts for 13.5% of the total number of influencing factors 15. Because cooperation participation is measured by the positive attitude of the parties when participating in common work ; the attention each party gives to the other side and the encouragement each party gives to each other when solving common problems. , these manifestations are necessary conditions to enhance the quality of partnership. According to the survey results, the attitude of active participation in the

Joint work was rated highest (4.2 points), followed by mutual encouragement to solve common problems (4 points) and finally each party's concern for each other (3.9 points). Although only ranked fourth among the five factors affecting the quality of partnership, the influence rate of cooperation participation on the quality of partnership also accounts for 13.5%, so businesses need to pay appropriate attention to this factor to enhance the quality of the relationship.

3.2.2. Impact of Partner Position/Role


Research hypothesis 2 (H2) states that the partner's position/role with the enterprise has a positive relationship with the quality of their relationship with the enterprise. The test results show that the partner's role has a positive and significant relationship with the quality of the partnership at β3 = 0.137 (p < 0.05). Thus, H3 is concluded to be correct.

Although the level of influence is not as great as the remaining factors (about 12.5%), the importance of the position/role of the partner on the quality of the relationship cannot be denied. According to the survey results, among the partners of the travel business, the role of suppliers with the highest average rating compared to the remaining partners (4.6) has shown the most important role of this partner for the travel business. The tourist market and the local community are both in second place with an average rating of 4.3.



15 Sum the influence of all factors affecting partnership quality (∑β) to 100% to calculate this value.

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