Managing Asian Tourists on Long-Haul Flights

Abstract

The voices of cabin crew on international air routes have scarcely been heard in tourism management studies. Using an auto-ethnographic account and interviews with cabin crew colleagues, this chapter presents some of the complexities in managing Asian tourists on long-haul flights. Typical and real incidents demonstrating problematic behaviors by Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Korean passengers are documented and discussed. The results show that the aircraft environment can be a site of intensity, rich in contradictions and tension. Key challenges include cabin crew grappling with unfamiliar passenger values, facing their own and staff judgments, and status issues. Adjusting and developing training curriculum for cabin crew to enhance cultural awareness is a core resolution to optimize service delivery.

Citation

Grout, A. (2016), "Managing Asian Tourists on Long-Haul Flights", The World Meets Asian Tourists (Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice, Vol. 7), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 93-110. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2042-144320160000007007