Description
The purpose of this paper is to explore whether tourists in Hawaii experience the
Bali Syndrome. The Bali Syndrome suggests that tourists in Polynesian destinations experience
artificial cultures. To explore the syndrome, the paper investigates whether tourists are interested in
purchasing Hawaiian souvenirs and memorabilia that are based on the state’s history and culture, as
well as the extent to which Hawaiian history and local culture motivates their Hawaiian sojourn.
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
The darker side of the servicescape: investigating the Bali Syndrome
Mark S. Rosenbaum Ipkin Anthony Wong
Article information:
To cite this document:
Mark S. Rosenbaum Ipkin Anthony Wong, (2007),"The darker side of the servicescape: investigating the
Bali Syndrome", International J ournal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 1 Iss 2 pp. 161 -
174
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Mark S. Rosenbaum, Carolyn Massiah, (2011),"An expanded servicescape perspective", J ournal of Service
Management, Vol. 22 Iss 4 pp. 471-490http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09564231111155088
Anja Reimer, Richard Kuehn, (2005),"The impact of servicescape on quality perception", European J ournal
of Marketing, Vol. 39 Iss 7/8 pp. 785-808http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560510601761
Kirk L. Wakefield, J effrey G. Blodgett, (1996),"The effect of the servicescape on customers’ behavioral
intentions in leisure service settings", J ournal of Services Marketing, Vol. 10 Iss 6 pp. 45-61 http://
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The darker side of the
servicescape: investigating
the Bali Syndrome
Mark S. Rosenbaum
Department of Marketing, College of Business Administration,
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA, and
Ipkin Anthony Wong
Faculty of Management and Administration,
Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether tourists in Hawaii experience the
Bali Syndrome. The Bali Syndrome suggests that tourists in Polynesian destinations experience
arti?cial cultures. To explore the syndrome, the paper investigates whether tourists are interested in
purchasing Hawaiian souvenirs and memorabilia that are based on the state’s history and culture, as
well as the extent to which Hawaiian history and local culture motivates their Hawaiian sojourn.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs survey methodology in two studies. Both
studies are based upon questionnaire responses from a convenience sample of approximately 700
tourists in Waikiki.
Findings – Although tourists in Hawaii express an interest in the state’s history and local culture, the
majority have no intention of purchasing historic/cultural souvenirs or memorabilia.
Research limitations/implications – Marketing and tourism planners in Hawaii, Fiji, and Bali
should create advertising and promotional campaigns that focus on the “escape” qualities of these
destinations, rather than on Polynesian histories and cultures. Given that the study was conducted in
Waikiki, researchers may want to explore the Bali Syndrome in other Polynesian destinations.
Practical implications – Marketing and tourism planners may respond to the Bali Syndrome from
four different perspectives; these are, servicescape, ethics, cause-related, and eco-tourism.
Originality/value – The paper provides empirical evidence that the Bali Syndrome exists and then
offers a range of possible responses based upon four perspectives.
Keywords Tourism, Travel, Culture, United States of America
Paper type Research paper
Bitner’s (1992) seminal “servicescape” article sets the foundation for the premise that
physical elements (e.g. ambient conditions, space/layout, signs, symbols, and artifacts)
within a consumption setting, or servicescape, cause internal cognitive, emotional, and
physiological responses in both customers and employees. These responses in?uence a
customer’s and employee’s desire to approach or to avoid a particular setting. Clearly,
every hotel and resort offers customers and employees a servicescape, which ranges on a
continuum from minimal simplicity (e.g. one-star establishment) to detailed complexity
(e.g. ?ve-star establishment). Although the fundamental premise of the servicescape
framework is sound, it does have one apparent short-coming; namely, an appealing
servicescape may not necessarily be a socially responsible servicescape.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1750-6182.htm
Investigating the
Bali Syndrome
161
Received December 2006
Revised March 2007
Accepted March 2007
International Journal of Culture,
Tourism and Hospitality Research
Vol. 1 No. 2, 2007
pp. 161-174
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1750-6182
DOI 10.1108/17506180710751696
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The signs, symbols, and artifacts that comprise a particular servicescape may be
more ersatz than authentic, more imitation than genuine, and yet, incredibly
eye-catching and tempting. Indeed, one only has to consider the fake yet striking
servicescapes that are man-made replicas of Venice, Paris, New York, Medieval
Europe, and Egypt on the Las Vegas Strip. In essence, contemporary hotels and resorts
are constructing servicescapes to fashion memorable experiences for tourists and
to add value to the service exchange (Pine and Gilmore, 1998). Given the physiological
and psychological bene?ts of appealing servicescapes to tourists and their positive
?nancial impact to hospitality ?rms, few marketers would perceive a darker side to
constructing servicescapes; however, the Bali Syndrome clouds the perfect aptness of
Bitner’s (1992) framework.
The Bali Syndrome refers to a desire among tourists in popular Polynesian
destinations with long-established histories of welcoming international tourists
(e.g. Bali, Fiji, Hawaii) to partake in arti?cial cultural experiences that commit to past,
stylized representations of local cultures and their peoples, which are not synonymous
with actual realities (Minca, 2000). The days when Polynesian warriors strutted in
warlike dances and Polynesians played ukuleles under ?uttering palm leave are relics
of yesteryear and of local folklore. However, the arti?cial, essentially Disney-like
versions of past Polynesian cultures, which typify past images, stereotypes, and
entrenched memories, are offered to tourists in hotel architecture, in physical service
settings (especially shopping servicescapes that target tourists), and in staged
performances with locals through shows, performances, festivals, and the like.
In reality, contemporary locals in Polynesia are quite similar to their counterparts in
urbanized Western cities. Hawaiian locals are confronting ills associated with rampant
crystal methamphetamine use (Laino, 2005; Lineberry and Bostwick, 2006), gambling,
and prostitution (Jenkins, 1994; Knowles, 1999). Bali is plagued with HIV infections due
to a local population engaging in the sex trade, which includes both female and male
sex workers (Ford et al., 1993); drug usage; and low condom usage among locals
(Setiawan et al., 1999). Even Fiji is plagued by military coups, along with rising
domestic violence, rape, child abuse, incest, and suicide among its population (Halapua,
2003). Clearly, the puri?ed images of former Polynesia that tourists receive through
their experiences in puri?ed, ersatz servicescapes permit them to relish their time in
exotic Paci?c destinations by falsely ensuring that their perceptions of local cultures
perfectly correspond to their expectations.
Minca (2000) coined the term “Bali Syndrome” to denote a putatively negative
attempt by marketing and tourism planners in mature Polynesian tourist destinations
to segregate tourists from locals and existing cultural realities by creating micro
universes for tourists that capture ageless, stereotypical, and unadulterated images of
local cultures. On the one hand, Minca contends that contemporary Polynesian resorts
and tourist destinations provide inauthentic versions of Balinese, Fijians, and
Hawaiians, which locals may perceive as a type of twenty-?rst century colonization of
their land. On the other hand, tourists who travel to faraway Polynesian destinations
for vacation would not value being exposed to the harsh realities that also plague the
cities from which they originate.
Is a staged version of an idealized local culture necessarily unprincipled? One has
only to consider the arti?ciality that brings a fantasy castle to the swamps of Florida,
to the outskirts of Paris, or a man-made exclusive island/resort to the Arabian Sea.
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Rather than deduct perceived value from service exchanges, including hotel and retail
exchanges, memorable experiences that are generated with a servicescape, albeit
synthetic and forged, add value to marketplace exchanges (Pine and Gilmore, 1998).
The lifestyle retail centers that replicate American urban downtown, themed
restaurants, interactive retailing environments, and the like, all attest to the value that
intangible experiences add to retail exchanges. Without a doubt, the only tourists who
would perceive an arti?cial cultural experience negatively would be those who traveled
to a destination to interact with the host cultures and their peoples.
The goal of this examination is to empirically explore whether tourists in Honolulu,
Hawaii, which represents a mature Polynesian locale, are motivated to travel to the
island state to learn about the authentic culture and history of its local population.
In doing so, this examination provides empirical evidence that the Bali Syndrome
exists; however, it is not necessarily a syndrome that necessitates remedy.
The plan for this paper is as follows: ?rst, a literature review is conducted to place
the research in relevant paradigms and to support the offering of research questions.
Second, the results from two separate studies involving tourists in Waikiki are
discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the managerial and theoretical
objectives and research limitations, and a provocative question and answer discussion
of the darker side of Bitner’s (1992) servicescape framework.
Literature review
What factors motivate consumers to travel great distances and to spend large amounts
of money to vacation in remote Polynesian destinations, such as Bali, Fiji, or Hawaii?
To answer this question, consider that tourist attractions are the basis of tourism and
that they refer to permanent resources, either natural or manufactured, that are
developed and managed for the primary purpose of attracting visitors (Hu and Wall,
2005). Undoubtedly, this de?nition acknowledges that temporary attractions
(e.g. festivals, parades), which often pertain to local cultures (McKercher et al., 2006),
national parks, and historic sites and are managed for historic or national preservation
or for religious purposes, and host cultures per se, which are intangible characteristics,
cannot be considered tourist attractions. Hu and Wall’s (2005) conceptualization of
tourist attractions deems attractions as economic entities that exist to derive income
from visitors through fees, product and service sales, and donations. From a
Polynesian perspective, the tourist attractions that draw visitors to Bali, Fiji, and
Hawaii are their remote locations, pristine beaches, natural surroundings, and overall
magni?cent fauna and ?ora.
If the local culture of a host destination is not a tourism attraction per se, how does it
?t into the overall tourism paradigm? After all, Polynesian locales offer tourists the
ability to experience unique local cultures that are laden with interesting, historic
folklore (Jaya, 2002; Connell, 2003). For example, the staged luau that the majority of
American tourists attend during their Hawaiian sojourns (Rosenbaum and Spears,
2005) reinforces a commoditized vestige of indigenous island men as warriors and
women as exotic beings moving to the soothing musical tones on a moonlit beach.
Upscale tourists in Fiji and Bali relish private accommodations that feature traditional
thatched-roof accommodations – usually overlooking private, enclosed beaches – that
are common in the shanty towns where lower-income locals reside.
Investigating the
Bali Syndrome
163
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From tourists’ perspectives, the local culture is a servicescape element (Bitner, 1992)
that in?uences the ambient conditions (e.g. temperature, noise, aromas); space/function
layout (e.g. furniture selection, architectural building design, open-air buildings); and
signs, symbols, and artifacts (e.g. signage, decorations in rooms, hotel lobbies,
restaurants) of consumption settings. Rather than being a tourist draw, Polynesian
local cultures, albeit authentic or arti?cial versions, become elements of a place’s
physical dimension – essentially, a driver of the consumption setting design that
in?uences a tourist’s approach/avoidance behavior.
On the one hand, Minca (2000) is correct to contend that Polynesian resorts have
enmeshed historical, cultural signs, symbols, and artifacts into their architectural
designs to the extent that they have created secured zones of paradise that are
unrecognizable in context and emotion to local populations. On the other hand,
marketing planners must create attractive servicescapes that encourage both customers
and employees to approach and stay within the setting’s con?nes and to socially interact
with each other. More important, if local Polynesian culture is not a tourist attraction as
such, but rather a servicescape element, then whether servicescapes incorporate
authentic or ersatz local cultural elements is of little concern to marketers. Therefore,
answers pertainingto the following questions are needed: ?rst, are tourists who vacation
in Polynesian destinations interested in experiencing the local host culture? Second, are
they even motivated to travel to these remote island destinations because of their desire
to experience the local culture, or are they motivated by a need to escape to exotic, distant
resorts that offer beautiful sand and beaches?
Purchasing of Hawaiian cultural activities and souvenirs
A tourist destination constitutes various attractions, infrastructures, transportation,
and hospitality services (Mill and Morrison, 1992). Hu and Wall (2005) best summarize
these thoughts by noting that the climate, ecology, traditional architecture, land
forms, and culture represent the “primary features” of a destination, which by and
large remain unin?uenced by tourism development. The culture of a destination
encompasses the entertainment, food and drink, hospitality, architecture, museums,
costume festival, folk dance performance, arts and crafts, and other memorabilia found
at a particular locale (Goeldner and Ritchie, 2003). Goeldner and Ritchie (2003) further
emphasize that tourists often seek destinations that have a favorable and unique
history, which manifests in different areas, including work, dress, architecture,
handicrafts, history, language, religion, education, traditions, leisure activities, art and
music, and gastronomy (Ritchie and Zins, 1978). Notably, consumer researchers are
increasingly ?nding that people travel to cultural/ethnic festivals (e.g. Yiddish
theatrical events, Hispanic events), parades (e.g. gay/lesbian pride events), and even
restaurants located in culturally rich areas (e.g. Little Italy, Chinatown) to help them
retain a semblance of kinship to other people who share a common ancestry, tradition,
or blood (Halter, 2000; Hirschman, 1985).
Perhaps, it is intuitive that tourists are motivated to travel to a particular
destination because of its cultural offerings. For example, in a recent issue of Journal of
Vacation Marketing, which explores cultural tourism, Rosenbaum and Spears (2005)
emphasize that American tourists vacationing in Honolulu are more likely to partake in
cultural activities (e.g. visiting cultural and historic sites, museums, and art galleries)
or participate in a Polynesian luau than Japanese tourists. However, anecdotal evidence
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based on Rosenbaum and Spears’ personal experiences in Honolulu suggests that these
sites are staged for tourists, promoting an ersatz vision of Polynesian culture that no
longer exists outside the tourist realm. However, McKercher et al. (2006) reveal that
tourists do not necessarily plan to partake in local, community cultural festivals, but
when they opt to do so, their decisions are based on convenience or are by
happenstance. Thus, the researchers question whether marketing planners should
allocate promotional dollars to promote local, cultural festivals to potential tourists.
In addition, other researchers have argued that tourists are not necessarily
interested in purchasing souvenirs that highlight the history of a site’s culture. Oh et al.
(2004) conclude that female travelers between the ages of 51 and 60 are the prime
segment for purchasing local arts and crafts, while tourists younger than 40 years are
unlikely to express any interest in these types of souvenirs. This ?nding is supported
by Moscardo (2004), who ?nds that tourists interested in experiencing indigenous
cultures and in meeting locals tend to allocate monies toward activities and attractions
rather than to souvenirs.
A basic premise of the Bali Syndrome is that Hawaiian travelers are quite content
with spending time in an ersatz version of a local culture. Therefore, one must question
whether tourists are actually interested in partaking in cultural events or in purchasing
souvenirs that educate them about the nature of Hawaiian culture or history.
Study 1. Consumption of cultural souvenirs
A convenience sample of 308 American domestic and international tourists visiting
Waikiki Beach volunteered to participate in this study about souvenir purchases.
Of the respondents, 122 were from the USA, 123 were from Japan, 44 were from
Europe, and 20 were from Canada. In addition, all the respondents were 18 years of age
or older. The instrument for this study explores interest among tourists in Hawaii
regarding both their planned purchasing of a variety of cultural souvenirs and their
desire to partake in cultural experiences during their stay. To ensure the face validity
of the questionnaire, items were created with the assistance of the Hawaii Department
of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Hawaii TourismAuthority, and the
Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. The questionnaires were available to
respondents in either English or Japanese and were administrated by either American
or Japanese speakers.
Results
Interest in Hawaiian culture and history
A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine
the effect of a tourist’s country of origin on two dependents measures: interest in
Hawaiian culture and history. Respondents assessed both questions on ?ve-point scales
anchored by 1 (“not at all”) and 5 (“very much”). To overcome the challenges of the
unbalanced design, the Pillai’s Trace was used to interpret the omnibus F-test.
Signi?cant differences were found among the two questions on a tourist’s country
of origin: Pillai’s Trace criterion ¼ 0.20, F(6, 606) ¼ 11.38, p , 0.001. Analyses of
variance (ANOVAs) on each dependent variable were conducted as follow-up tests to the
MANOVA, as Table I illustrates. Because of violations in the homogeneity of variance
assumptions, the Games-Howell test was employed to evaluate each respective F value.
By means of the Bonferroni method, each ANOVA was tested at the 0.025 level.
Investigating the
Bali Syndrome
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The ANOVAs on interest in learning about the local Hawaiian culture (F(3, 303) ¼ 9.36,
p , 0.001, h
2
¼ 0.14) and Hawaiian history (F(3, 303) ¼ 15.06, p , 0.001, h
2
¼ 0.18)
were signi?cant.
In general, tourists in Hawaii revealed a strong overall interest in both the culture
(M ¼ 4.02) and the history (M ¼ 3.89) of Hawaii. However, the pairwise results reveal
that while American, Canadian, and European tourists express a strong interest in
Hawaiian culture and history, Japanese tourists are signi?cantly less interested
(M ¼ 3.65 culture, M ¼ 3.42 history).
After tourists from the US West Coast and East Coast, Japanese tourists represent
the third-largest tourist segment to Hawaii (Hawaii Department of Business, Economic
Development, and Tourism, 2007); thus, their lack of interest in Hawaiian culture
signi?cantly in?uences the services the state should develop for their pleasure.
Interest in speci?c cultural events
Because culture and history are broad topics, the next analysis uncovers tourists’
interest in partaking in eight particular cultural, historical, and educational activities
during their Hawaiian vacation (Table II). Because responses to these questions were
dichotomous (0 ¼ no, 1 ¼ yes), a Pearson’s x
2
-test was performed on each item to
examine the relationship between a tourist’s country of origin and the eight dependent
measures.
Overall, the results reveal that across the board, tourists are interested in
attending events that feature Hawaiian dance and music, though Japanese tourists
Interest in learning about
local culture/history
(1 ¼ “not interested,”
5 ¼ very interested”)
USA
N ¼ 121
Japan
N ¼ 123
Canada
N ¼ 20
Europe
N ¼ 44 Avg. F
Hawaii culture 4.29/0.64
a
3.65/0.91
b
4.30/0.47
a
4.16/0.72
a
4.02 9.36
*
Hawaii history 4.18/0.81
a
3.42/0.96
b
4.15/0.67
a
4.30/0.51
a
3.89 15.06
*
Notes:
*
p , 0.001; means that do not share a common superscript (
ab
) signi?cantly differ
(Games-Howell test)
Table I.
Interest in learning about
local culture and history
(M/SD)
Interest in attending the following events that are
based on the following topics (0 ¼ “no,” 1 ¼ “yes”) USA Japan Canada Europe x
2
Hawaiian dance and music 0.61
a
0.73
b
0.55
ab
0.52
a
8.26
* *
Hawaiian arts and crafts 0.40
a
0.10
b
0.35
a
0.27
a
30.98
* * *
Hawaiian Luau 0.28
a
0.07
b
0.30
a
0.25
a
19.60
* * *
Hawaiian storytelling and myth 0.61
a
0.33
b
0.35
b
0.34
b
23.42
* * *
Polynesian history 0.34
a
0.32
a
0.40
ab
0.57
b
9.50
* *
Ancient Hawaiian history 0.61
a
0.35
b
0.50
ab
0.50
ab
16.85
* * *
Hawaiian Kingdom and sovereignty history 0.34
a
0.15
b
0.20
ab
0.11
b
15.75
* * *
Pearl Harbor history 0.52
a
0.36
b
0.45
ab
0.39
ab
7.04
*
Notes:
*
p , 0.10;
* *
p , 0.05;
* * *
p , 0.001; means that do not share a common superscript (
ab
)
signi?cantly differ (Pearson x
2
)
Table II.
Interest in Hawaiian
culture and historical
activities
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were more interested in attending dance and music festivals than American,
Canadian, or European tourists. However, all tourists in Waikiki can partake in a
free nightly Hawaiian dance and music event in front of the Royal Hawaiian
Shopping Center. While this experience enhances a tourist’s shopping experience, it
also diminishes his or her need to pay to attend dance and music events.
The results reveal that 60 percent of American tourists are interested in attending
events that educate them on Hawaiian storytelling and myth and ancient Hawaiian
history, but only 52 percent are interested in learning about Pearl Harbor, and only
30 percent are interested in learning about the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom and its
sovereignty. Less than a third of American respondents are interested in attending a
Hawaiian luau per se, though perhaps this view would change if the luau was
packaged as a means to learn about ancient Hawaii, storytelling, and myth. Moreover,
less than half of American respondents are interested in attending events that are
based on local arts and crafts or Polynesian history.
As a more apparent sign of the Bali Syndrome, with one exception (i.e. European
tourists and Polynesian history), none of the other cultural events were of interest to
more than 50 percent of the respondents by their country of origin. Therefore, the
results reveal ambivalence and even negativity among tourists toward attending
cultural events during their vacations. In addition, because many Hawaiian hotels and
resorts provide their guests with free Hawaiian music and dance experiences in the
lounge and pool areas, it is unclear whether tourists would pay for these experiences.
Interest in purchasing cultural souvenirs
Quite startlingly are the results of the next analysis, which again reveal the existence of
the Bali Syndrome among tourists in Hawaii. The objective of this analysis was to
probe whether tourists plan to purchase souvenirs based on local Hawaiian cultural.
More speci?cally, respondents were asked their level of agreement to the following
questions:
I plan to purchase CDs, DVDs, book, or books on tape about (1) Hawaiian culture (e.g.
Hawaiian music, dance, storytelling, myths, and legends) and (2) Hawaiian ancient history,
Hawaiian kingdom and sovereignty, or Pearl Harbor.
The results appear in Table III.
A MANOVA was performed to investigate the effect of a respondent’s country of
origin on the two dependent measures (purchase intentions on Hawaii cultural and
historical souvenirs). Respondents assessed both questions on ?ve-point scales
Plan to purchase local culture/history
souvenirs during my vacation
(1 ¼ “strongly disagree,”
5 ¼ “strongly agree”)
USA
N ¼ 121
Japan
N ¼ 123
Canada
N ¼ 20
Europe
N ¼ 44 Avg. F
Souvenirs regarding Hawaiian culture 2.50/1.07 2.65/.95 2.40/1.10 2.80/1.00 2.60 1.26
Souvenirs regarding Hawaiian history 2.58/1.09 2.75/.98 2.20/1.16 2.84/1.15 2.66 2.21
*
Notes:
*
p , 0.10; Souvenirs include CDs, DVDs, books, and books-on-tape about Hawaiian culture,
including Hawaiian music, dance, storytelling, and myth. History includes the same items based on
Hawaiian ancient history, Hawaiian Kingdom and sovereignty history, or Pearl Harbor
Table III.
Purchase intentions
regarding souvenirs
(M/SD)
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anchored by 1 (“not at all”) and 5 (“very much”). Only moderate signi?cant differences
were found among the four groups: Pillai’s Trace criterion ¼ 0.04, F(6, 606) ¼ 1.82,
p ¼ 0.09. Because the omnibus F ratio was moderately signi?cant, ANOVAs on each
dependent variable were conducted as follow-up tests to the MANOVA. By means of the
Bonferroni method, each ANOVA was tested at the 0.025 level. The ANOVAs on
purchase intentions regarding Hawaiian cultural (F(3, 303) ¼ 1.35, p ¼ 0.26, h
2
¼ 0.01)
and Hawaiian history (F(3, 303) ¼ 2.45, p ¼ 0.09, h
2
¼ 0.02) were not signi?cant.
Overall, the results reveal that tourists in general do not plan to purchase souvenirs
that are based on either Hawaiian culture (M ¼ 2.60) or history (M ¼ 2.66). Thus,
although tourists may ?nd it pleasurable to be entertained with Hawaiian dance and
music while they shop at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center or lounge at the
Halekalani Hotel on Waikiki Beach, as well as to learn about Hawaiian culture, they do
not intend to pay for Hawaiian cultural memorabilia or to partake in many events that
are based on the Hawaiian culture. Thus, the question is whether an interest in
Hawaiian culture motivates tourists to explore the Polynesian isle or whether the
culture is more analogous to a nicety that enhances the tourist experience. Study 2
explores this question in more depth.
Study 2. Motivations for traveling to Hawaii
According to the Bali Syndrome, tourists are driven to vacation at locales such as Bali,
Fiji, and Hawaii because of their remoteness, climate, beaches, and natural beauty,
rather than because of a desire to experience the local host cultures. Thus, the goal of
this study is to explore tourists’ motives for vacationing in Hawaii.
A convenience sample of 103 American and 285 Japanese tourists visiting Waikiki
Beach volunteered to participate in this study regarding souvenir purchases. Each
respondent received a free box of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts for participating.
Because of the prevalence of Japanese tourists in Waikiki during the questionnaire
administration and because macadamia nuts are often given by Japanese tourists as
omiyage gifts, participation among Japanese tourists was high. All the respondents in
the study were 18 years of age or older.
The instrument for this study is based on Pearce and Lee’s (2005) 72-item tourist
motivation scale. A reduced motivation scale based on the work of Pearce and Lee was
generated through a selection of items that had a factor loading of 0.70 or higher based
on the results of a principal components analysis. The use of a reduced motivation
scale created a scale that was thorough but practical for actual tourists to take, given
time and reward constraints. Items that had a factor loading of 0.70 or higher were
used because they generated a more realistic 32-item motivational scale and
represented the items that had the least amount of measurement error. Pearce and Lee
employed principal factor analysis to generate their motivational scale; thus, all the
factor loadings are arti?cially high as a result of measurement error. Therefore, by
selecting items that had a minimum factor loading of 0.70, a parsimonious and more
accurate tourist motivation scale was generated. Table IV illustrates the items.
Results
American motives
The American and Japanese respondents were split into two groups. Next, the
respondents’ responses regarding their motivations for traveling to Hawaii were
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subjected to a two-step cluster analysis. Of the American respondents, 67 percent were
classi?ed into a cluster based on the similarity of responses to the 32 various motives,
and 33 percent were classi?ed into a second cluster. According to the means on their
responses, the ?rst cluster was labeled “Escape Pressure,” and the second cluster was
labeled “Family Getaway.” Five respondents did not belong to either category.
Withregardto respondents’ motivationto visit Hawaii for cultural reasons, respondents
in escape pressure were ambivalent, and those in family getaway were in agreement.
American Japanese
Motivation items
Cluster membership
Escape
pressure
(67 percent)
Family
getaway
(32 percent)
Escape
pressure
(58 percent)
Nature
getaway
(42 percent)
Getting away from everyday
psychological stress/pressure 4.20 4.47 4.14 4.55
Getting away from the usual demands
of life 4.03 4.25 4.03 4.49
Doing things with my companion(s) 3.79 4.69 3.80 4.35
Doing something with my family/friends 3.97 4.91 3.82 4.50
Strengthening relationships with my
family/friends 3.97 4.84 3.77 4.53
Being independent 3.23 4.66 3.12 4.22
Being obligated to no one 2.97 4.31 3.12 3.85
Doing things my own way 2.82 4.19 3.18 4.11
Being close to nature 3.21 4.28 3.62 4.58
Getting a better appreciation of nature 3.26 4.16 3.35 4.50
Being harmonious with nature 3.12 4.16 3.24 4.41
Developing my knowledge of the area 3.47 4.47 3.61 4.51
Meeting the locals 3.14 4.41 3.35 4.39
Observing other people in the area 3.03 4.06 3.47 4.35
Feeling excitement 3.83 4.25 3.96 4.57
Having daring/adventuresome
experience 3.39 4.16 3.65 4.47
Experiencing thrills 3.35 4.13 3.02 3.64
Experiencing the risk involved 2.83 3.91 2.46 3.05
Develop my personal interests 3.05 4.25 3.59 4.49
Developing my skills and abilities 3.05 4.44 3.27 4.50
Being with respectful people 3.55 4.66 3.28 4.20
Being near considerate people 3.58 4.53 3.50 4.51
Working on my personal/spiritual
values 3.14 4.41 3.11 4.16
Being away from the crowds of people 2.73 3.28 3.01 3.43
Enjoying isolation 2.41 3.31 2.78 3.41
Thinking about good times I’ve had in
the past 2.89 3.84 2.49 3.14
Re?ecting on past memories 2.94 3.97 2.60 3.08
Having romantic relationships 3.53 4.50 3.40 4.10
Showing others I can do it 2.47 4.03 2.09 2.20
Being recognized by other people 2.59 4.00 2.13 2.13
Leading others 2.45 3.69 2.19 2.45
Having others know that I have been
there 2.42 3.59 2.10 2.00
Table IV.
Means on motivational
items
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For example, the mean responses to “develop my knowledge of the area,” “meeting the
locals,” and “observing other people in the area” were 4.47, 4.41, and 4.06, respectively.
However, those in the family gataway also reported higher motivation responses to “do
something with my family/friends” (M¼ 4.91), “strengthen relationships with my
family/friends” (M¼ 4.84), and “doing things with my companion(s)” (M¼ 4.69) than to
Hawaiian cultural motives.
The results of a two-way contingency table analysis show signi?cant differences
between the two groups regarding the size of their traveling party (Pearson
x
2
(2, N ¼ 98) ¼ 7.06, p ¼ 0.03). Although 50 percent of the ?rst cluster traveled to
Hawaii with one person, only 22 percent of the second cluster did so. That is, 60 percent
of the respondents in cluster 2 traveled to Hawaii with three or more people, compared
with 38 percent in cluster 1. Thus, interest in Hawaiian culture prevails among a small
cluster of American tourists who are likely to travel to Hawaii with their families and
who probably express an interest in local culture and history as a means to educate
their children.
Japanese motives
The responses to the 32 motivational items were exposed to two-step cluster analysis.
Similar to the ?ndings among the American respondents, the Japanese respondents
were classi?ed into two groups according to their answers to the motivational
items. Of the Japanese respondents, 141 were placed in the ?rst cluster, labeled “Escape
Pressure,” and 101 were placed in the second cluster, labeled “Nature Getaway.”
About 43 Japanese respondents were not classi?ed into one of the two clusters.
The results from Table IV reveal that respondents in the escape pressure cluster are
not motivated to vacation in Hawaii because they want to develop their knowledge of
the area, to meet the locals, or to observe other people in the state. In contrast, those in
the Nature Getaway cluster are motivated to become close to nature (M ¼ 4.58) and to
“get a better appreciation of nature” (M ¼ 4.50). Although these respondents are
motivated to develop a knowledge of the area (M ¼ 4.51), similar to cluster 1, they are
also motivated to vacation in Hawaii to escape everyday psychological stress and
pressure (M ¼ 4.55).
Overall, the results suggest that American or Japanese tourists are not motivated to
vacation in Hawaii primarily for the sake of learning more about the local Hawaiian
culture or even engaging with locals. Clearly, a unique Hawaiian culture adds to the
panache of traveling to Hawaii. The arti?cial cultural artifacts of scantly clothed
Adonis-like Polynesian men and of beautiful hula dancers engaged in traditional music
and dance performances serve to enhance the services offered by contemporary resorts
and retail organizations, as well as the natural beauty of the state, which enhances the
overall vacation experience. However, as the Bali Syndrome portends, tourists in
Hawaii are not interested in purchasing authentic cultural artifacts, nor are many
strongly motivated to travel to the locale by a desire to be immersed in the local culture
or to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the local culture.
Discussion
This investigation provides marketers and tourism planners with useful information
regarding their servicescape, advertising, and segmentation strategies in exotic
Polynesian destinations. Although, in general, tourists in Hawaii hold favorable
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attitudes toward an interest in learning about the local Hawaiian culture and history,
their interest is quite shallow because their expressed desire to purchase authentic
Hawaiian cultural memorabilia is nonexistent.
This examination supports Minca’s (2000) Bali Syndrome by empirically
demonstrating that tourists are unmotivated to learn about the authentic Hawaiian
culture and history of the destination. The ersatz culture, which Hawaiian hotels and
shopping centers complimentary offer to tourists to enhance their service offerings,
seems to be acceptable among American and Japanese tourists. Pursuing knowledge in
the local area or interacting with the local peoples is not a reason for tourists to seek
temporary sojourns in exotic Polynesian destinations. Indeed, the inauthentic, but
quite enjoyable, music and dance performances that most tourists see gratis may be all
the culture they want to digest during their vacations.
Minca’s (2000) contention regarding the Bali Syndrome was that contemporary hotel
and resorts are actually destroying the local host culture by bestowing on tourists to
Polynesian destinations a phony, obsolete, Disney-like staged culture that, in turn, serves
to alienate the locals by driving a wedge between legitimacy and ?ction. All these
contentions are valid and, for the most part, true. However, froma marketing perspective,
tourists travel to Hawaii to escape the pressure of everyday life, to enjoy nature, and to
enjoy the beaches, not to experience the realities that transpire outside the resorts’
con?nes. It is the ?ctitious Polynesian culture that the majority of tourists experience in
Hawaii and that remains on their minds and in their words when they go home. And it is
the ?ctitious culture that draws new tourists to Polynesian destinations. Rather than
viewing the Bali Syndrome as an anathema to a host Polynesian culture, perhaps the
syndrome is a constructive phenomenon that protects the tourism industry in several
destinations byensuringthat current andpotential tourists retainsurreal attitudes toward
these destinations, which encourage approach rather than avoidance behaviors.
The following section offers four various perspectives regarding how and why
marketing and tourism planners should respond to the existence of the Bali Syndrome.
Discussion questions
From a servicescape framework perspective, should marketing and tourism planners
respond to the existence of the Bali Syndrome?
Bitner (1992) de?nes a servicescape as man-made, physical elements, rather than natural
or social elements, contained in a built environment, which arouse internal responses
among consumers and employees in service organizations. These responses include
cognitive (e.g. beliefs), emotional (e.g. mood), and physiological (e.g. comfort) responses
that stimulate peoples’ approach and avoidance behaviors as well as social interaction
between and among customers and employees. Given this de?nition, a servicescape
should be designed solely to encourage customers and employees to approach an
establishment, as opposed to educating customers and employees about the local culture.
Tourismand marketing planners who focus only on creating servicescapes that appeal to
customers and to employee may ignore any ill effects regarding the Bali Syndrome.
From a tourism-marketing ethical perspective, should marketing and tourism planners
respond to the existence of the Bali Syndrome?
Wheeler (1995) suggests that marketers adopt a societal marketing perspective in
which a company develops an integrated marketing program which generates
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long-run pro?table sales volume and satis?es the long-term wants of its customers and
other parts of society affected by the ?rm’s activities. This perspective suggests that
hospitality organizations can continue fashioning arti?cial servicescapes that generate
long-term pro?tability; however, these organizations also have a social responsibility
to their host nations and local cultures.
However, Wheeler (1995) emphasizes that social responsibility includes an
international hospitality organization adhering to established human resource and
“green marketing” laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines of the host nation.
Although the preservation of a local host culture is clearly a socially responsible
endeavor, the manner in which an international organization pursues this activity is
less lucid than it following established laws or procedures pertaining to employment or
waste disposal issues.
As such, by adhering to tourism-marketing perspective, an international
organization will adhere to all applicable laws and regulations of a host nation,
which implies that support and education of a local culture may fall by the wayside.
Thus, socially responsible tourism and marketing planners who obey the laws, rules,
and regulations of a host nations will most likely fail to respond to the Bali Syndrome.
From a cause-related perspective, should marketing and tourism planners respond to the
existence of the Bali Syndrome?
Cause-related marketing is de?ned as a marketing activity that ?rms undertake to
contribute a speci?ed amount of resources to a designated cause when customers
engage in revenue producing activities that satisfy organizational and consumer
objectives (Varadarajan and Menon, 1988). An international hospitality organization
can choose to contribute to any cause that is meaningful to their target customers.
Therefore, hotels and resorts that operate in Polynesian locales that are susceptible to
the Bali Syndrome can participate in cause-related marketing by supporting a local
host culture. For example, international hospitality organization may contribute
resources to local museums, libraries, traveling exhibits, schools, educational
programs, and so forth.
Indeed, the marketing managers of Polynesian-based hotels and resorts are likely to
discover that their customers appreciate the fact that a portion of their spending is
being allocated to support not-for-pro?t endeavors that support the development and
sustainability of the local culture. Therefore, from a cause-related perspective,
marketing and tourism planners should respond to the Bali Syndrome by supporting
not-for-pro?t efforts to develop and to sustain local cultures in their host nations.
From an eco-tourism perspective, should marketing and tourism planners respond to the
existence of the Bali Syndrome?
Ecotourism is conceptualized as a non-consumptive (i.e. minimal negative impacts on
the host environment), educational, and romantic tourismto relatively undisturbed and
under-visited areas of immense natural beauty, and cultural and historical importance
for the purposes of understanding and appreciating the natural and socio-cultural
history of the host destination (Sirakaya et al., 1999).
Although Bali, Fiji, and Hawaii are not necessarily under-visited areas, hotels and
resorts that employ an eco-tourist perspective are obligated to respond to the
Bali Syndrome by enhancing the interaction, understanding, and coexistence between
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visitors and locals and by contributing to the economic (monetary pro?ts and job
opportunities) and social well-being of the local people (Sirakaya et al., 1999).
Interestingly, hospitality organizations that employ an eco-tourism perspective would
attempt to fashion a servicescape that is not only culturally correct but also
“environmentally-friendly” in terms of natural resource usage. Furthermore, rather
than focus on a physical servicescape, eco-tourism suggests that organizations develop
a “social servicescape,” referring to tourism that encourages active involvement of the
local population with visitors.
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About the authors
Mark S. Rosenbaum is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Northern Illinois University.
His research has focused on services issues such as commercial social support, commercial
friendships, unethical shopping behaviors, ethnic consumption, and tourists’ shopping
behaviors. His has published in the Journal of Services Research, the Journal of Services
Marketing, the Journal of Business Research, the Journal of Retail and Consumer Services,
Services Marketing Quarterly, the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Psychology & Marketing, the
Journal of Travel Research, and the Journal of Vacation Marketing, as well as numerous
American and international conference proceedings. He received his PhD from Arizona State
University in 2003. Mark S. Rosenbaum is the corresponding author and can be contacted at:
[email protected]
Ipkin Anthony Wong is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Macau University of
Science and Technology. His research interest covers three areas: marketing, e-commerce,
and information systems. Anthony has presented his research at major American and
international conferences. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaii.
E-mail: [email protected]
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doc_729149920.pdf
The purpose of this paper is to explore whether tourists in Hawaii experience the
Bali Syndrome. The Bali Syndrome suggests that tourists in Polynesian destinations experience
artificial cultures. To explore the syndrome, the paper investigates whether tourists are interested in
purchasing Hawaiian souvenirs and memorabilia that are based on the state’s history and culture, as
well as the extent to which Hawaiian history and local culture motivates their Hawaiian sojourn.
International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research
The darker side of the servicescape: investigating the Bali Syndrome
Mark S. Rosenbaum Ipkin Anthony Wong
Article information:
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Mark S. Rosenbaum Ipkin Anthony Wong, (2007),"The darker side of the servicescape: investigating the
Bali Syndrome", International J ournal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 1 Iss 2 pp. 161 -
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Anja Reimer, Richard Kuehn, (2005),"The impact of servicescape on quality perception", European J ournal
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Kirk L. Wakefield, J effrey G. Blodgett, (1996),"The effect of the servicescape on customers’ behavioral
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The darker side of the
servicescape: investigating
the Bali Syndrome
Mark S. Rosenbaum
Department of Marketing, College of Business Administration,
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA, and
Ipkin Anthony Wong
Faculty of Management and Administration,
Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether tourists in Hawaii experience the
Bali Syndrome. The Bali Syndrome suggests that tourists in Polynesian destinations experience
arti?cial cultures. To explore the syndrome, the paper investigates whether tourists are interested in
purchasing Hawaiian souvenirs and memorabilia that are based on the state’s history and culture, as
well as the extent to which Hawaiian history and local culture motivates their Hawaiian sojourn.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs survey methodology in two studies. Both
studies are based upon questionnaire responses from a convenience sample of approximately 700
tourists in Waikiki.
Findings – Although tourists in Hawaii express an interest in the state’s history and local culture, the
majority have no intention of purchasing historic/cultural souvenirs or memorabilia.
Research limitations/implications – Marketing and tourism planners in Hawaii, Fiji, and Bali
should create advertising and promotional campaigns that focus on the “escape” qualities of these
destinations, rather than on Polynesian histories and cultures. Given that the study was conducted in
Waikiki, researchers may want to explore the Bali Syndrome in other Polynesian destinations.
Practical implications – Marketing and tourism planners may respond to the Bali Syndrome from
four different perspectives; these are, servicescape, ethics, cause-related, and eco-tourism.
Originality/value – The paper provides empirical evidence that the Bali Syndrome exists and then
offers a range of possible responses based upon four perspectives.
Keywords Tourism, Travel, Culture, United States of America
Paper type Research paper
Bitner’s (1992) seminal “servicescape” article sets the foundation for the premise that
physical elements (e.g. ambient conditions, space/layout, signs, symbols, and artifacts)
within a consumption setting, or servicescape, cause internal cognitive, emotional, and
physiological responses in both customers and employees. These responses in?uence a
customer’s and employee’s desire to approach or to avoid a particular setting. Clearly,
every hotel and resort offers customers and employees a servicescape, which ranges on a
continuum from minimal simplicity (e.g. one-star establishment) to detailed complexity
(e.g. ?ve-star establishment). Although the fundamental premise of the servicescape
framework is sound, it does have one apparent short-coming; namely, an appealing
servicescape may not necessarily be a socially responsible servicescape.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1750-6182.htm
Investigating the
Bali Syndrome
161
Received December 2006
Revised March 2007
Accepted March 2007
International Journal of Culture,
Tourism and Hospitality Research
Vol. 1 No. 2, 2007
pp. 161-174
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1750-6182
DOI 10.1108/17506180710751696
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The signs, symbols, and artifacts that comprise a particular servicescape may be
more ersatz than authentic, more imitation than genuine, and yet, incredibly
eye-catching and tempting. Indeed, one only has to consider the fake yet striking
servicescapes that are man-made replicas of Venice, Paris, New York, Medieval
Europe, and Egypt on the Las Vegas Strip. In essence, contemporary hotels and resorts
are constructing servicescapes to fashion memorable experiences for tourists and
to add value to the service exchange (Pine and Gilmore, 1998). Given the physiological
and psychological bene?ts of appealing servicescapes to tourists and their positive
?nancial impact to hospitality ?rms, few marketers would perceive a darker side to
constructing servicescapes; however, the Bali Syndrome clouds the perfect aptness of
Bitner’s (1992) framework.
The Bali Syndrome refers to a desire among tourists in popular Polynesian
destinations with long-established histories of welcoming international tourists
(e.g. Bali, Fiji, Hawaii) to partake in arti?cial cultural experiences that commit to past,
stylized representations of local cultures and their peoples, which are not synonymous
with actual realities (Minca, 2000). The days when Polynesian warriors strutted in
warlike dances and Polynesians played ukuleles under ?uttering palm leave are relics
of yesteryear and of local folklore. However, the arti?cial, essentially Disney-like
versions of past Polynesian cultures, which typify past images, stereotypes, and
entrenched memories, are offered to tourists in hotel architecture, in physical service
settings (especially shopping servicescapes that target tourists), and in staged
performances with locals through shows, performances, festivals, and the like.
In reality, contemporary locals in Polynesia are quite similar to their counterparts in
urbanized Western cities. Hawaiian locals are confronting ills associated with rampant
crystal methamphetamine use (Laino, 2005; Lineberry and Bostwick, 2006), gambling,
and prostitution (Jenkins, 1994; Knowles, 1999). Bali is plagued with HIV infections due
to a local population engaging in the sex trade, which includes both female and male
sex workers (Ford et al., 1993); drug usage; and low condom usage among locals
(Setiawan et al., 1999). Even Fiji is plagued by military coups, along with rising
domestic violence, rape, child abuse, incest, and suicide among its population (Halapua,
2003). Clearly, the puri?ed images of former Polynesia that tourists receive through
their experiences in puri?ed, ersatz servicescapes permit them to relish their time in
exotic Paci?c destinations by falsely ensuring that their perceptions of local cultures
perfectly correspond to their expectations.
Minca (2000) coined the term “Bali Syndrome” to denote a putatively negative
attempt by marketing and tourism planners in mature Polynesian tourist destinations
to segregate tourists from locals and existing cultural realities by creating micro
universes for tourists that capture ageless, stereotypical, and unadulterated images of
local cultures. On the one hand, Minca contends that contemporary Polynesian resorts
and tourist destinations provide inauthentic versions of Balinese, Fijians, and
Hawaiians, which locals may perceive as a type of twenty-?rst century colonization of
their land. On the other hand, tourists who travel to faraway Polynesian destinations
for vacation would not value being exposed to the harsh realities that also plague the
cities from which they originate.
Is a staged version of an idealized local culture necessarily unprincipled? One has
only to consider the arti?ciality that brings a fantasy castle to the swamps of Florida,
to the outskirts of Paris, or a man-made exclusive island/resort to the Arabian Sea.
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Rather than deduct perceived value from service exchanges, including hotel and retail
exchanges, memorable experiences that are generated with a servicescape, albeit
synthetic and forged, add value to marketplace exchanges (Pine and Gilmore, 1998).
The lifestyle retail centers that replicate American urban downtown, themed
restaurants, interactive retailing environments, and the like, all attest to the value that
intangible experiences add to retail exchanges. Without a doubt, the only tourists who
would perceive an arti?cial cultural experience negatively would be those who traveled
to a destination to interact with the host cultures and their peoples.
The goal of this examination is to empirically explore whether tourists in Honolulu,
Hawaii, which represents a mature Polynesian locale, are motivated to travel to the
island state to learn about the authentic culture and history of its local population.
In doing so, this examination provides empirical evidence that the Bali Syndrome
exists; however, it is not necessarily a syndrome that necessitates remedy.
The plan for this paper is as follows: ?rst, a literature review is conducted to place
the research in relevant paradigms and to support the offering of research questions.
Second, the results from two separate studies involving tourists in Waikiki are
discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the managerial and theoretical
objectives and research limitations, and a provocative question and answer discussion
of the darker side of Bitner’s (1992) servicescape framework.
Literature review
What factors motivate consumers to travel great distances and to spend large amounts
of money to vacation in remote Polynesian destinations, such as Bali, Fiji, or Hawaii?
To answer this question, consider that tourist attractions are the basis of tourism and
that they refer to permanent resources, either natural or manufactured, that are
developed and managed for the primary purpose of attracting visitors (Hu and Wall,
2005). Undoubtedly, this de?nition acknowledges that temporary attractions
(e.g. festivals, parades), which often pertain to local cultures (McKercher et al., 2006),
national parks, and historic sites and are managed for historic or national preservation
or for religious purposes, and host cultures per se, which are intangible characteristics,
cannot be considered tourist attractions. Hu and Wall’s (2005) conceptualization of
tourist attractions deems attractions as economic entities that exist to derive income
from visitors through fees, product and service sales, and donations. From a
Polynesian perspective, the tourist attractions that draw visitors to Bali, Fiji, and
Hawaii are their remote locations, pristine beaches, natural surroundings, and overall
magni?cent fauna and ?ora.
If the local culture of a host destination is not a tourism attraction per se, how does it
?t into the overall tourism paradigm? After all, Polynesian locales offer tourists the
ability to experience unique local cultures that are laden with interesting, historic
folklore (Jaya, 2002; Connell, 2003). For example, the staged luau that the majority of
American tourists attend during their Hawaiian sojourns (Rosenbaum and Spears,
2005) reinforces a commoditized vestige of indigenous island men as warriors and
women as exotic beings moving to the soothing musical tones on a moonlit beach.
Upscale tourists in Fiji and Bali relish private accommodations that feature traditional
thatched-roof accommodations – usually overlooking private, enclosed beaches – that
are common in the shanty towns where lower-income locals reside.
Investigating the
Bali Syndrome
163
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From tourists’ perspectives, the local culture is a servicescape element (Bitner, 1992)
that in?uences the ambient conditions (e.g. temperature, noise, aromas); space/function
layout (e.g. furniture selection, architectural building design, open-air buildings); and
signs, symbols, and artifacts (e.g. signage, decorations in rooms, hotel lobbies,
restaurants) of consumption settings. Rather than being a tourist draw, Polynesian
local cultures, albeit authentic or arti?cial versions, become elements of a place’s
physical dimension – essentially, a driver of the consumption setting design that
in?uences a tourist’s approach/avoidance behavior.
On the one hand, Minca (2000) is correct to contend that Polynesian resorts have
enmeshed historical, cultural signs, symbols, and artifacts into their architectural
designs to the extent that they have created secured zones of paradise that are
unrecognizable in context and emotion to local populations. On the other hand,
marketing planners must create attractive servicescapes that encourage both customers
and employees to approach and stay within the setting’s con?nes and to socially interact
with each other. More important, if local Polynesian culture is not a tourist attraction as
such, but rather a servicescape element, then whether servicescapes incorporate
authentic or ersatz local cultural elements is of little concern to marketers. Therefore,
answers pertainingto the following questions are needed: ?rst, are tourists who vacation
in Polynesian destinations interested in experiencing the local host culture? Second, are
they even motivated to travel to these remote island destinations because of their desire
to experience the local culture, or are they motivated by a need to escape to exotic, distant
resorts that offer beautiful sand and beaches?
Purchasing of Hawaiian cultural activities and souvenirs
A tourist destination constitutes various attractions, infrastructures, transportation,
and hospitality services (Mill and Morrison, 1992). Hu and Wall (2005) best summarize
these thoughts by noting that the climate, ecology, traditional architecture, land
forms, and culture represent the “primary features” of a destination, which by and
large remain unin?uenced by tourism development. The culture of a destination
encompasses the entertainment, food and drink, hospitality, architecture, museums,
costume festival, folk dance performance, arts and crafts, and other memorabilia found
at a particular locale (Goeldner and Ritchie, 2003). Goeldner and Ritchie (2003) further
emphasize that tourists often seek destinations that have a favorable and unique
history, which manifests in different areas, including work, dress, architecture,
handicrafts, history, language, religion, education, traditions, leisure activities, art and
music, and gastronomy (Ritchie and Zins, 1978). Notably, consumer researchers are
increasingly ?nding that people travel to cultural/ethnic festivals (e.g. Yiddish
theatrical events, Hispanic events), parades (e.g. gay/lesbian pride events), and even
restaurants located in culturally rich areas (e.g. Little Italy, Chinatown) to help them
retain a semblance of kinship to other people who share a common ancestry, tradition,
or blood (Halter, 2000; Hirschman, 1985).
Perhaps, it is intuitive that tourists are motivated to travel to a particular
destination because of its cultural offerings. For example, in a recent issue of Journal of
Vacation Marketing, which explores cultural tourism, Rosenbaum and Spears (2005)
emphasize that American tourists vacationing in Honolulu are more likely to partake in
cultural activities (e.g. visiting cultural and historic sites, museums, and art galleries)
or participate in a Polynesian luau than Japanese tourists. However, anecdotal evidence
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based on Rosenbaum and Spears’ personal experiences in Honolulu suggests that these
sites are staged for tourists, promoting an ersatz vision of Polynesian culture that no
longer exists outside the tourist realm. However, McKercher et al. (2006) reveal that
tourists do not necessarily plan to partake in local, community cultural festivals, but
when they opt to do so, their decisions are based on convenience or are by
happenstance. Thus, the researchers question whether marketing planners should
allocate promotional dollars to promote local, cultural festivals to potential tourists.
In addition, other researchers have argued that tourists are not necessarily
interested in purchasing souvenirs that highlight the history of a site’s culture. Oh et al.
(2004) conclude that female travelers between the ages of 51 and 60 are the prime
segment for purchasing local arts and crafts, while tourists younger than 40 years are
unlikely to express any interest in these types of souvenirs. This ?nding is supported
by Moscardo (2004), who ?nds that tourists interested in experiencing indigenous
cultures and in meeting locals tend to allocate monies toward activities and attractions
rather than to souvenirs.
A basic premise of the Bali Syndrome is that Hawaiian travelers are quite content
with spending time in an ersatz version of a local culture. Therefore, one must question
whether tourists are actually interested in partaking in cultural events or in purchasing
souvenirs that educate them about the nature of Hawaiian culture or history.
Study 1. Consumption of cultural souvenirs
A convenience sample of 308 American domestic and international tourists visiting
Waikiki Beach volunteered to participate in this study about souvenir purchases.
Of the respondents, 122 were from the USA, 123 were from Japan, 44 were from
Europe, and 20 were from Canada. In addition, all the respondents were 18 years of age
or older. The instrument for this study explores interest among tourists in Hawaii
regarding both their planned purchasing of a variety of cultural souvenirs and their
desire to partake in cultural experiences during their stay. To ensure the face validity
of the questionnaire, items were created with the assistance of the Hawaii Department
of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Hawaii TourismAuthority, and the
Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. The questionnaires were available to
respondents in either English or Japanese and were administrated by either American
or Japanese speakers.
Results
Interest in Hawaiian culture and history
A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine
the effect of a tourist’s country of origin on two dependents measures: interest in
Hawaiian culture and history. Respondents assessed both questions on ?ve-point scales
anchored by 1 (“not at all”) and 5 (“very much”). To overcome the challenges of the
unbalanced design, the Pillai’s Trace was used to interpret the omnibus F-test.
Signi?cant differences were found among the two questions on a tourist’s country
of origin: Pillai’s Trace criterion ¼ 0.20, F(6, 606) ¼ 11.38, p , 0.001. Analyses of
variance (ANOVAs) on each dependent variable were conducted as follow-up tests to the
MANOVA, as Table I illustrates. Because of violations in the homogeneity of variance
assumptions, the Games-Howell test was employed to evaluate each respective F value.
By means of the Bonferroni method, each ANOVA was tested at the 0.025 level.
Investigating the
Bali Syndrome
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The ANOVAs on interest in learning about the local Hawaiian culture (F(3, 303) ¼ 9.36,
p , 0.001, h
2
¼ 0.14) and Hawaiian history (F(3, 303) ¼ 15.06, p , 0.001, h
2
¼ 0.18)
were signi?cant.
In general, tourists in Hawaii revealed a strong overall interest in both the culture
(M ¼ 4.02) and the history (M ¼ 3.89) of Hawaii. However, the pairwise results reveal
that while American, Canadian, and European tourists express a strong interest in
Hawaiian culture and history, Japanese tourists are signi?cantly less interested
(M ¼ 3.65 culture, M ¼ 3.42 history).
After tourists from the US West Coast and East Coast, Japanese tourists represent
the third-largest tourist segment to Hawaii (Hawaii Department of Business, Economic
Development, and Tourism, 2007); thus, their lack of interest in Hawaiian culture
signi?cantly in?uences the services the state should develop for their pleasure.
Interest in speci?c cultural events
Because culture and history are broad topics, the next analysis uncovers tourists’
interest in partaking in eight particular cultural, historical, and educational activities
during their Hawaiian vacation (Table II). Because responses to these questions were
dichotomous (0 ¼ no, 1 ¼ yes), a Pearson’s x
2
-test was performed on each item to
examine the relationship between a tourist’s country of origin and the eight dependent
measures.
Overall, the results reveal that across the board, tourists are interested in
attending events that feature Hawaiian dance and music, though Japanese tourists
Interest in learning about
local culture/history
(1 ¼ “not interested,”
5 ¼ very interested”)
USA
N ¼ 121
Japan
N ¼ 123
Canada
N ¼ 20
Europe
N ¼ 44 Avg. F
Hawaii culture 4.29/0.64
a
3.65/0.91
b
4.30/0.47
a
4.16/0.72
a
4.02 9.36
*
Hawaii history 4.18/0.81
a
3.42/0.96
b
4.15/0.67
a
4.30/0.51
a
3.89 15.06
*
Notes:
*
p , 0.001; means that do not share a common superscript (
ab
) signi?cantly differ
(Games-Howell test)
Table I.
Interest in learning about
local culture and history
(M/SD)
Interest in attending the following events that are
based on the following topics (0 ¼ “no,” 1 ¼ “yes”) USA Japan Canada Europe x
2
Hawaiian dance and music 0.61
a
0.73
b
0.55
ab
0.52
a
8.26
* *
Hawaiian arts and crafts 0.40
a
0.10
b
0.35
a
0.27
a
30.98
* * *
Hawaiian Luau 0.28
a
0.07
b
0.30
a
0.25
a
19.60
* * *
Hawaiian storytelling and myth 0.61
a
0.33
b
0.35
b
0.34
b
23.42
* * *
Polynesian history 0.34
a
0.32
a
0.40
ab
0.57
b
9.50
* *
Ancient Hawaiian history 0.61
a
0.35
b
0.50
ab
0.50
ab
16.85
* * *
Hawaiian Kingdom and sovereignty history 0.34
a
0.15
b
0.20
ab
0.11
b
15.75
* * *
Pearl Harbor history 0.52
a
0.36
b
0.45
ab
0.39
ab
7.04
*
Notes:
*
p , 0.10;
* *
p , 0.05;
* * *
p , 0.001; means that do not share a common superscript (
ab
)
signi?cantly differ (Pearson x
2
)
Table II.
Interest in Hawaiian
culture and historical
activities
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were more interested in attending dance and music festivals than American,
Canadian, or European tourists. However, all tourists in Waikiki can partake in a
free nightly Hawaiian dance and music event in front of the Royal Hawaiian
Shopping Center. While this experience enhances a tourist’s shopping experience, it
also diminishes his or her need to pay to attend dance and music events.
The results reveal that 60 percent of American tourists are interested in attending
events that educate them on Hawaiian storytelling and myth and ancient Hawaiian
history, but only 52 percent are interested in learning about Pearl Harbor, and only
30 percent are interested in learning about the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom and its
sovereignty. Less than a third of American respondents are interested in attending a
Hawaiian luau per se, though perhaps this view would change if the luau was
packaged as a means to learn about ancient Hawaii, storytelling, and myth. Moreover,
less than half of American respondents are interested in attending events that are
based on local arts and crafts or Polynesian history.
As a more apparent sign of the Bali Syndrome, with one exception (i.e. European
tourists and Polynesian history), none of the other cultural events were of interest to
more than 50 percent of the respondents by their country of origin. Therefore, the
results reveal ambivalence and even negativity among tourists toward attending
cultural events during their vacations. In addition, because many Hawaiian hotels and
resorts provide their guests with free Hawaiian music and dance experiences in the
lounge and pool areas, it is unclear whether tourists would pay for these experiences.
Interest in purchasing cultural souvenirs
Quite startlingly are the results of the next analysis, which again reveal the existence of
the Bali Syndrome among tourists in Hawaii. The objective of this analysis was to
probe whether tourists plan to purchase souvenirs based on local Hawaiian cultural.
More speci?cally, respondents were asked their level of agreement to the following
questions:
I plan to purchase CDs, DVDs, book, or books on tape about (1) Hawaiian culture (e.g.
Hawaiian music, dance, storytelling, myths, and legends) and (2) Hawaiian ancient history,
Hawaiian kingdom and sovereignty, or Pearl Harbor.
The results appear in Table III.
A MANOVA was performed to investigate the effect of a respondent’s country of
origin on the two dependent measures (purchase intentions on Hawaii cultural and
historical souvenirs). Respondents assessed both questions on ?ve-point scales
Plan to purchase local culture/history
souvenirs during my vacation
(1 ¼ “strongly disagree,”
5 ¼ “strongly agree”)
USA
N ¼ 121
Japan
N ¼ 123
Canada
N ¼ 20
Europe
N ¼ 44 Avg. F
Souvenirs regarding Hawaiian culture 2.50/1.07 2.65/.95 2.40/1.10 2.80/1.00 2.60 1.26
Souvenirs regarding Hawaiian history 2.58/1.09 2.75/.98 2.20/1.16 2.84/1.15 2.66 2.21
*
Notes:
*
p , 0.10; Souvenirs include CDs, DVDs, books, and books-on-tape about Hawaiian culture,
including Hawaiian music, dance, storytelling, and myth. History includes the same items based on
Hawaiian ancient history, Hawaiian Kingdom and sovereignty history, or Pearl Harbor
Table III.
Purchase intentions
regarding souvenirs
(M/SD)
Investigating the
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anchored by 1 (“not at all”) and 5 (“very much”). Only moderate signi?cant differences
were found among the four groups: Pillai’s Trace criterion ¼ 0.04, F(6, 606) ¼ 1.82,
p ¼ 0.09. Because the omnibus F ratio was moderately signi?cant, ANOVAs on each
dependent variable were conducted as follow-up tests to the MANOVA. By means of the
Bonferroni method, each ANOVA was tested at the 0.025 level. The ANOVAs on
purchase intentions regarding Hawaiian cultural (F(3, 303) ¼ 1.35, p ¼ 0.26, h
2
¼ 0.01)
and Hawaiian history (F(3, 303) ¼ 2.45, p ¼ 0.09, h
2
¼ 0.02) were not signi?cant.
Overall, the results reveal that tourists in general do not plan to purchase souvenirs
that are based on either Hawaiian culture (M ¼ 2.60) or history (M ¼ 2.66). Thus,
although tourists may ?nd it pleasurable to be entertained with Hawaiian dance and
music while they shop at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center or lounge at the
Halekalani Hotel on Waikiki Beach, as well as to learn about Hawaiian culture, they do
not intend to pay for Hawaiian cultural memorabilia or to partake in many events that
are based on the Hawaiian culture. Thus, the question is whether an interest in
Hawaiian culture motivates tourists to explore the Polynesian isle or whether the
culture is more analogous to a nicety that enhances the tourist experience. Study 2
explores this question in more depth.
Study 2. Motivations for traveling to Hawaii
According to the Bali Syndrome, tourists are driven to vacation at locales such as Bali,
Fiji, and Hawaii because of their remoteness, climate, beaches, and natural beauty,
rather than because of a desire to experience the local host cultures. Thus, the goal of
this study is to explore tourists’ motives for vacationing in Hawaii.
A convenience sample of 103 American and 285 Japanese tourists visiting Waikiki
Beach volunteered to participate in this study regarding souvenir purchases. Each
respondent received a free box of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts for participating.
Because of the prevalence of Japanese tourists in Waikiki during the questionnaire
administration and because macadamia nuts are often given by Japanese tourists as
omiyage gifts, participation among Japanese tourists was high. All the respondents in
the study were 18 years of age or older.
The instrument for this study is based on Pearce and Lee’s (2005) 72-item tourist
motivation scale. A reduced motivation scale based on the work of Pearce and Lee was
generated through a selection of items that had a factor loading of 0.70 or higher based
on the results of a principal components analysis. The use of a reduced motivation
scale created a scale that was thorough but practical for actual tourists to take, given
time and reward constraints. Items that had a factor loading of 0.70 or higher were
used because they generated a more realistic 32-item motivational scale and
represented the items that had the least amount of measurement error. Pearce and Lee
employed principal factor analysis to generate their motivational scale; thus, all the
factor loadings are arti?cially high as a result of measurement error. Therefore, by
selecting items that had a minimum factor loading of 0.70, a parsimonious and more
accurate tourist motivation scale was generated. Table IV illustrates the items.
Results
American motives
The American and Japanese respondents were split into two groups. Next, the
respondents’ responses regarding their motivations for traveling to Hawaii were
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subjected to a two-step cluster analysis. Of the American respondents, 67 percent were
classi?ed into a cluster based on the similarity of responses to the 32 various motives,
and 33 percent were classi?ed into a second cluster. According to the means on their
responses, the ?rst cluster was labeled “Escape Pressure,” and the second cluster was
labeled “Family Getaway.” Five respondents did not belong to either category.
Withregardto respondents’ motivationto visit Hawaii for cultural reasons, respondents
in escape pressure were ambivalent, and those in family getaway were in agreement.
American Japanese
Motivation items
Cluster membership
Escape
pressure
(67 percent)
Family
getaway
(32 percent)
Escape
pressure
(58 percent)
Nature
getaway
(42 percent)
Getting away from everyday
psychological stress/pressure 4.20 4.47 4.14 4.55
Getting away from the usual demands
of life 4.03 4.25 4.03 4.49
Doing things with my companion(s) 3.79 4.69 3.80 4.35
Doing something with my family/friends 3.97 4.91 3.82 4.50
Strengthening relationships with my
family/friends 3.97 4.84 3.77 4.53
Being independent 3.23 4.66 3.12 4.22
Being obligated to no one 2.97 4.31 3.12 3.85
Doing things my own way 2.82 4.19 3.18 4.11
Being close to nature 3.21 4.28 3.62 4.58
Getting a better appreciation of nature 3.26 4.16 3.35 4.50
Being harmonious with nature 3.12 4.16 3.24 4.41
Developing my knowledge of the area 3.47 4.47 3.61 4.51
Meeting the locals 3.14 4.41 3.35 4.39
Observing other people in the area 3.03 4.06 3.47 4.35
Feeling excitement 3.83 4.25 3.96 4.57
Having daring/adventuresome
experience 3.39 4.16 3.65 4.47
Experiencing thrills 3.35 4.13 3.02 3.64
Experiencing the risk involved 2.83 3.91 2.46 3.05
Develop my personal interests 3.05 4.25 3.59 4.49
Developing my skills and abilities 3.05 4.44 3.27 4.50
Being with respectful people 3.55 4.66 3.28 4.20
Being near considerate people 3.58 4.53 3.50 4.51
Working on my personal/spiritual
values 3.14 4.41 3.11 4.16
Being away from the crowds of people 2.73 3.28 3.01 3.43
Enjoying isolation 2.41 3.31 2.78 3.41
Thinking about good times I’ve had in
the past 2.89 3.84 2.49 3.14
Re?ecting on past memories 2.94 3.97 2.60 3.08
Having romantic relationships 3.53 4.50 3.40 4.10
Showing others I can do it 2.47 4.03 2.09 2.20
Being recognized by other people 2.59 4.00 2.13 2.13
Leading others 2.45 3.69 2.19 2.45
Having others know that I have been
there 2.42 3.59 2.10 2.00
Table IV.
Means on motivational
items
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For example, the mean responses to “develop my knowledge of the area,” “meeting the
locals,” and “observing other people in the area” were 4.47, 4.41, and 4.06, respectively.
However, those in the family gataway also reported higher motivation responses to “do
something with my family/friends” (M¼ 4.91), “strengthen relationships with my
family/friends” (M¼ 4.84), and “doing things with my companion(s)” (M¼ 4.69) than to
Hawaiian cultural motives.
The results of a two-way contingency table analysis show signi?cant differences
between the two groups regarding the size of their traveling party (Pearson
x
2
(2, N ¼ 98) ¼ 7.06, p ¼ 0.03). Although 50 percent of the ?rst cluster traveled to
Hawaii with one person, only 22 percent of the second cluster did so. That is, 60 percent
of the respondents in cluster 2 traveled to Hawaii with three or more people, compared
with 38 percent in cluster 1. Thus, interest in Hawaiian culture prevails among a small
cluster of American tourists who are likely to travel to Hawaii with their families and
who probably express an interest in local culture and history as a means to educate
their children.
Japanese motives
The responses to the 32 motivational items were exposed to two-step cluster analysis.
Similar to the ?ndings among the American respondents, the Japanese respondents
were classi?ed into two groups according to their answers to the motivational
items. Of the Japanese respondents, 141 were placed in the ?rst cluster, labeled “Escape
Pressure,” and 101 were placed in the second cluster, labeled “Nature Getaway.”
About 43 Japanese respondents were not classi?ed into one of the two clusters.
The results from Table IV reveal that respondents in the escape pressure cluster are
not motivated to vacation in Hawaii because they want to develop their knowledge of
the area, to meet the locals, or to observe other people in the state. In contrast, those in
the Nature Getaway cluster are motivated to become close to nature (M ¼ 4.58) and to
“get a better appreciation of nature” (M ¼ 4.50). Although these respondents are
motivated to develop a knowledge of the area (M ¼ 4.51), similar to cluster 1, they are
also motivated to vacation in Hawaii to escape everyday psychological stress and
pressure (M ¼ 4.55).
Overall, the results suggest that American or Japanese tourists are not motivated to
vacation in Hawaii primarily for the sake of learning more about the local Hawaiian
culture or even engaging with locals. Clearly, a unique Hawaiian culture adds to the
panache of traveling to Hawaii. The arti?cial cultural artifacts of scantly clothed
Adonis-like Polynesian men and of beautiful hula dancers engaged in traditional music
and dance performances serve to enhance the services offered by contemporary resorts
and retail organizations, as well as the natural beauty of the state, which enhances the
overall vacation experience. However, as the Bali Syndrome portends, tourists in
Hawaii are not interested in purchasing authentic cultural artifacts, nor are many
strongly motivated to travel to the locale by a desire to be immersed in the local culture
or to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the local culture.
Discussion
This investigation provides marketers and tourism planners with useful information
regarding their servicescape, advertising, and segmentation strategies in exotic
Polynesian destinations. Although, in general, tourists in Hawaii hold favorable
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attitudes toward an interest in learning about the local Hawaiian culture and history,
their interest is quite shallow because their expressed desire to purchase authentic
Hawaiian cultural memorabilia is nonexistent.
This examination supports Minca’s (2000) Bali Syndrome by empirically
demonstrating that tourists are unmotivated to learn about the authentic Hawaiian
culture and history of the destination. The ersatz culture, which Hawaiian hotels and
shopping centers complimentary offer to tourists to enhance their service offerings,
seems to be acceptable among American and Japanese tourists. Pursuing knowledge in
the local area or interacting with the local peoples is not a reason for tourists to seek
temporary sojourns in exotic Polynesian destinations. Indeed, the inauthentic, but
quite enjoyable, music and dance performances that most tourists see gratis may be all
the culture they want to digest during their vacations.
Minca’s (2000) contention regarding the Bali Syndrome was that contemporary hotel
and resorts are actually destroying the local host culture by bestowing on tourists to
Polynesian destinations a phony, obsolete, Disney-like staged culture that, in turn, serves
to alienate the locals by driving a wedge between legitimacy and ?ction. All these
contentions are valid and, for the most part, true. However, froma marketing perspective,
tourists travel to Hawaii to escape the pressure of everyday life, to enjoy nature, and to
enjoy the beaches, not to experience the realities that transpire outside the resorts’
con?nes. It is the ?ctitious Polynesian culture that the majority of tourists experience in
Hawaii and that remains on their minds and in their words when they go home. And it is
the ?ctitious culture that draws new tourists to Polynesian destinations. Rather than
viewing the Bali Syndrome as an anathema to a host Polynesian culture, perhaps the
syndrome is a constructive phenomenon that protects the tourism industry in several
destinations byensuringthat current andpotential tourists retainsurreal attitudes toward
these destinations, which encourage approach rather than avoidance behaviors.
The following section offers four various perspectives regarding how and why
marketing and tourism planners should respond to the existence of the Bali Syndrome.
Discussion questions
From a servicescape framework perspective, should marketing and tourism planners
respond to the existence of the Bali Syndrome?
Bitner (1992) de?nes a servicescape as man-made, physical elements, rather than natural
or social elements, contained in a built environment, which arouse internal responses
among consumers and employees in service organizations. These responses include
cognitive (e.g. beliefs), emotional (e.g. mood), and physiological (e.g. comfort) responses
that stimulate peoples’ approach and avoidance behaviors as well as social interaction
between and among customers and employees. Given this de?nition, a servicescape
should be designed solely to encourage customers and employees to approach an
establishment, as opposed to educating customers and employees about the local culture.
Tourismand marketing planners who focus only on creating servicescapes that appeal to
customers and to employee may ignore any ill effects regarding the Bali Syndrome.
From a tourism-marketing ethical perspective, should marketing and tourism planners
respond to the existence of the Bali Syndrome?
Wheeler (1995) suggests that marketers adopt a societal marketing perspective in
which a company develops an integrated marketing program which generates
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long-run pro?table sales volume and satis?es the long-term wants of its customers and
other parts of society affected by the ?rm’s activities. This perspective suggests that
hospitality organizations can continue fashioning arti?cial servicescapes that generate
long-term pro?tability; however, these organizations also have a social responsibility
to their host nations and local cultures.
However, Wheeler (1995) emphasizes that social responsibility includes an
international hospitality organization adhering to established human resource and
“green marketing” laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines of the host nation.
Although the preservation of a local host culture is clearly a socially responsible
endeavor, the manner in which an international organization pursues this activity is
less lucid than it following established laws or procedures pertaining to employment or
waste disposal issues.
As such, by adhering to tourism-marketing perspective, an international
organization will adhere to all applicable laws and regulations of a host nation,
which implies that support and education of a local culture may fall by the wayside.
Thus, socially responsible tourism and marketing planners who obey the laws, rules,
and regulations of a host nations will most likely fail to respond to the Bali Syndrome.
From a cause-related perspective, should marketing and tourism planners respond to the
existence of the Bali Syndrome?
Cause-related marketing is de?ned as a marketing activity that ?rms undertake to
contribute a speci?ed amount of resources to a designated cause when customers
engage in revenue producing activities that satisfy organizational and consumer
objectives (Varadarajan and Menon, 1988). An international hospitality organization
can choose to contribute to any cause that is meaningful to their target customers.
Therefore, hotels and resorts that operate in Polynesian locales that are susceptible to
the Bali Syndrome can participate in cause-related marketing by supporting a local
host culture. For example, international hospitality organization may contribute
resources to local museums, libraries, traveling exhibits, schools, educational
programs, and so forth.
Indeed, the marketing managers of Polynesian-based hotels and resorts are likely to
discover that their customers appreciate the fact that a portion of their spending is
being allocated to support not-for-pro?t endeavors that support the development and
sustainability of the local culture. Therefore, from a cause-related perspective,
marketing and tourism planners should respond to the Bali Syndrome by supporting
not-for-pro?t efforts to develop and to sustain local cultures in their host nations.
From an eco-tourism perspective, should marketing and tourism planners respond to the
existence of the Bali Syndrome?
Ecotourism is conceptualized as a non-consumptive (i.e. minimal negative impacts on
the host environment), educational, and romantic tourismto relatively undisturbed and
under-visited areas of immense natural beauty, and cultural and historical importance
for the purposes of understanding and appreciating the natural and socio-cultural
history of the host destination (Sirakaya et al., 1999).
Although Bali, Fiji, and Hawaii are not necessarily under-visited areas, hotels and
resorts that employ an eco-tourist perspective are obligated to respond to the
Bali Syndrome by enhancing the interaction, understanding, and coexistence between
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visitors and locals and by contributing to the economic (monetary pro?ts and job
opportunities) and social well-being of the local people (Sirakaya et al., 1999).
Interestingly, hospitality organizations that employ an eco-tourism perspective would
attempt to fashion a servicescape that is not only culturally correct but also
“environmentally-friendly” in terms of natural resource usage. Furthermore, rather
than focus on a physical servicescape, eco-tourism suggests that organizations develop
a “social servicescape,” referring to tourism that encourages active involvement of the
local population with visitors.
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About the authors
Mark S. Rosenbaum is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Northern Illinois University.
His research has focused on services issues such as commercial social support, commercial
friendships, unethical shopping behaviors, ethnic consumption, and tourists’ shopping
behaviors. His has published in the Journal of Services Research, the Journal of Services
Marketing, the Journal of Business Research, the Journal of Retail and Consumer Services,
Services Marketing Quarterly, the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Psychology & Marketing, the
Journal of Travel Research, and the Journal of Vacation Marketing, as well as numerous
American and international conference proceedings. He received his PhD from Arizona State
University in 2003. Mark S. Rosenbaum is the corresponding author and can be contacted at:
[email protected]
Ipkin Anthony Wong is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Macau University of
Science and Technology. His research interest covers three areas: marketing, e-commerce,
and information systems. Anthony has presented his research at major American and
international conferences. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaii.
E-mail: [email protected]
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