The Impact of Instagram Stories on Tourists’ Consumption Behavior in Smart City Night Markets

With the development of information technology in Taiwan, night markets have improved their service performance by building information technology technologies, including Wi-Fi, cloud payment and mobile payment services, and QR codes. One of the most commonly used social networking sites among young people in Taiwan is Instagram (IG). In this study, we investigated whether users trust IG to provide sufficient security, and we found that the correctness of the trust information has a significant impact on their software use. This study focused on Taiwan’’s unique night market sightseeing experience and explored the use of Instagram by night market consumers. Questionnaire surveys and systematic sampling methods were used to survey consumers, and the number of valid questionnaires was 340. The results showed that the perceived usefulness and ease of use of IG Stories affected user attitudes, and user attitudes positively impacted behavioral intentions. Moreover, the attitude of night market consumers toward IG Stories was affected by trust, which in turn adjusted user behavior intentions. This research was the first to explore the experience of night market consumers using IG Stories. We concluded that night market vendors should strengthen their trust factor in order to have a positive attitude toward consumers and foster the higher behavioral intentions of consumers, which is essential for the successful promotion and marketing of night markets.

Microscopic Modeling of Pedestrian Movement in a Shida Night Market Street Segment: Using Vision and Destination Attractiveness

Research has shown that night markets play a positive role in improving urban sustainability. In Taiwan, many people go to night markets for leisurely strolling and to eat out with family and friends. The variety of food choices is a major reason for visiting. This preference and the shops’ locations affect not only how pedestrians move around but also the business of the night market. Pedestrian vision has been considered in only a minority of studies regarding pedestrian movement in shopping environments. Although some studies have focused on the impulse stops of pedestrians, few have considered “destination attractiveness” and its influence on surrounding shops. This paper aims to improve the pedestrian movement model in night markets with the incorporation of the “destination attractiveness” factor. The proposed microscopy agent-based model, implemented in NetLogo, uses “field of vision” as the possible destinations of the pedestrian’s next movement. Inside the “field of vision”, each shop competes for the pedestrian’s attention based on its “destination attractiveness”. The model’s parameter values were calibrated and the simulation results were verified with real-world observed data with good agreement. The proposed pedestrian movement model can benefit the retail sector by improving customer satisfaction and profitability by enhancing the layout of the facilities.

Assessment of bacteriological quality and Escherichia coli O157: H7 in ready-to-eat street foods

Ready-to-eat (RTE) street foods are usually prepared well in advance (4-8 hrs) before the sale. Owning to minimal cooking procedures, cross-contaminations, and abused holding temperature and time, there is a high probability for deteriorating microbiological quality in these foods. Thus, this study was aimed to assess the bacteriological quality of RTE foods sampled from night markets and street stalls based on the guidelines provided by the Public Health Laboratory Service. A total of fifty samples (category 2, 3 and 4) were evaluated for aerobic colony count, total coliform, and E. coli. The pathogenic strain E. coli O157: H7 were examined using the multiplex PCR technique. It was noticed that category 3 and 4 RTE street foods were largely unsatisfactory for the coliform (>104 CFU/ mL) and E. coli count (>100 CFU/mL). In opposite, category 2 RTE street foods were unsatisfactory for the aerobic colony count (>105 CFU/mL) and E. coli (>100 CFU/ mL). However, there was no E. coli O157: H7 or Shiga-toxin producing bacteria reported in this study. The statistical analysis showed that in overall, category 3 and 4 RTE street foods were significantly at worsening bacteriological quality compared to category 2. Strict legal enforcement and amending the existing rules are needed to improve the quality of RTE street foods sold in the night markets and street stalls.

From conflicts to commoning

A ubiquitous feature of cities in East Asia, urban alleyways function often as a semi-public or semi-private space. In Taipei, alleyways (shang-nong, 巷弄) have recently become a contested space as excessive commercial activities are met by opposition from local residents. One such conflict occurred a few years ago in one of Taipei’s most popular night markets – the Shida Night Market (師大夜市). To ameliorate the situation, a team of ‘community workers’ began to organize a series of spatial and social experiments in the alleyways to create opportunities for social interactions. This chapter examines the process by which these experiments took place and reflects upon the implications of these outcomes for the future of alleyways in East Asia.

The effect of novelty on travel intention: the mediating effect of brand equity and travel motivation

PurposeResearch on the relationship between novelty and travel intention is lacking. This study attempts to fill this gap by developing a theoretical model to explain how novelty influences travel intention through two mediating paths: brand equity and tourist motivation.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, data were collected from 466 foreign visitors to Taiwanese night markets. To test the model, the authors applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to identify the critical attributes that predicted foreign tourists' travel intentions.FindingsThe SEM analysis indicated that novelty in tourism management was related to brand equity and intrinsic motivation, which increased foreign tourists' travel intentions and offered advantages for highly competitive, high-density night markets in Taiwan. In addition, brand equity was an important mediator that connected novelty and tourists' travel intentions. Finally, novelty indirectly affected travel intention and intrinsic motivation through brand equity.Research limitations/implicationsThere may exist potential moderators in the relationships among the brand equity and travel intention categories. Future research studies could explore whether any moderators influence the relationship mechanisms examined in this study.Originality/valueThis research expands on previous research studies that have focused on the value of travel intention. Furthermore, the study uses brand equity theory (BET) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation on the relationship between novelty and travel intention.

Impact of night markets on residents' quality of life

There is a lack of discussion on the impact of night tourism activities on the quality of life of residents in the area where these activities are held. We adopted the Q method to explore the effect of the night market in Taiwan on residents in the area from the perspective of 4 groups: Long-term neighbors who love the prosperity of the night market, residents who live in the area where the night market is held, residents who dislike tourists but do not mind the vendors, and residents who have integrated the night market into their own life. We discuss and address the conflicts between the perspectives of these groups using social disruption theory, social exchange theory, and empathy. Implications of the findings are described along with directions for future research.