Images of hospitality: validation of experiential dimensions

Hospitality is a much-researched topic, but its definition is still debated. This paper is part of a larger research project into the perception of hospitality. Previous research using the Delphi-method (hospitality providers and experts) and the Critical Incident Technique (guests and consumers) yielded a concept of hospitality containing nine experiential dimensions. However, verbal methods require respondents to recognize and phrase their experiences, even though part of this experience is unconscious. Therefore, this paper aims to validate the dimensions of hospitality using a database of photos taken by students during field trips. Results show that all dimensions can be recognized. However, a large number of photos could be coded with more than one dimension, pointing at interdependency of dimensions. Also, the original description of the dimension welcome and safety was adapted, to avoid unnecessary overlap. Next step in the research will be validation of the dimensions using confirmatory factor analysis on a large-scale survey.