The effect of COVID-19 on tourists’ intention to resume hotel consumption: The role of resilience

This study aims to better understand how one particular personal capacity—psychological resilience—may help consumers adapt to the ‘new normal’ provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic in the hotel context, which is characterized by high uncertainty. We conducted a quantitative empirical study among consumers of hotel services, which showed that their psychological resilience has a negative effect on their perceived health risk and emotional risk. This negative effect on risk helps increase tourist intention to return to consuming hotel services despite the on-going pandemic. The findings are of value to the literature and the professional sector alike, as they demonstrate both relationships jointly for the first time. The work can help hotel firms to design more effective strategies for approaching customers in the ‘new normal’.     

当“灰犀牛”遇到“黑天鹅”——网民对邮轮旅游负面事件的风险感知变化

邮轮旅游因其内在脆弱属性,一直受到各类负面事件的影响。2020年初“钻石公主号”邮轮的新冠疫情跨境蔓延引起全球网络关注,极大地影响了公众对邮轮旅游的风险感知及消费决策。本文以知乎网站评论为数据来源,将疫情发生和全球邮轮停运为时间节点,把邮轮负面事件划分为3个阶段,运用词频分析、语义网络分析、情感分析结合空间分析等方法,探究中国网民的风险感知变化。研究发现: “灰犀牛阶段”,邮轮正常运营,网民风险感知聚焦于自然灾害和救援开展;新冠疫情初发时的“灰犀牛遇到黑天鹅阶段”,邮轮逐渐停航,网民风险感知聚焦于邮轮公共卫生安全;疫情全面爆发后的“黑天鹅阶段”,邮轮全面停航,网民风险感知包括自然灾害、火灾、疫情等多个方面,感知内容趋向分散。同时,网民的风险感知空间分布存在差异,沿海地区网民对邮轮负面事件多以正面和微弱负面情绪为主;但内陆地区网民因对邮轮旅游了解程度相对较低,其感知负面居多。当前,新冠疫情仍在全球蔓延,研究内容可为邮轮旅游的疫后市场恢复和可持续发展提供参考。     

To survive or to thrive? China’s luxury hotel restaurants entering O2O food delivery platforms amid the COVID-19 crisis

COVID-19 presents luxury hotels with an unenviable task of maneuvering to secure survival. One of the contingency measures of China’s five-star hotels is to salvage revenues by entering online-to-offline (O2O) food delivery platforms. However, both opportunities and risks will ensue. Study 1 has content analyzed customer reviews on the largest O2O food delivery platform in China to probe the key factors of concern. The results show that taste, freshness, and brand credibility remain salient, as in dine-in experiences, while packaging and delivery quality emerge as a result of the integration of the O2O platform, and hygiene due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, interaction quality between restaurant staff and customers still plays significant roles with the online channel. Study 2 has further deepened the understanding of luxury restaurants’ O2O services through semi-structured interviews with F&B professionals. The results have paved the way for hotel operators to employ tactics on O2O platforms.     

Customers’ risk perception and dine-out motivation during a pandemic: Insight for the restaurant industry

The restaurant industry is one of the most affected businesses during the outbreak of COVID-19. The customer choice regarding whether or not to dine in a restaurant have changed due to this unprecedented global pandemic. Integrated with the affective decision-making framework, meta-theoretic model of motivation (3M), and optimistic bias theory, this conceptual paper proposes a theoretical scheme for understanding constructs that affect consumer motivation while considering the significance of consumers’ risk perceptions of the novel coronavirus disease. This research aims to delineate the role of loyalty, trust, and transparency on resuming in-restaurant dining during and after the pandemic. By identifying the link between each construct and addressing the unparalleled food-/health related risks, this study suggests that restaurants who accumulated more customer trust by fostering transparency are likely to have more business and quickly recover from the shock.     

Sexual Harassment in the Hospitality Industry: Perceptions of Restaurant Employees

Abstract

With the cost of litigation and the dollar amount of settlements both increasing substantially, it is with a pro-active view to look at the perspective of sexual harassment by restaurant employees. The purpose of this study is to measure female restaurant employees' and male restaurant employees' perceptions and attitudes on sexual harassment in the restaurant industry. By analyzing the responses of the female restaurant employees and male restaurant employees, a better understanding of the similarities and differences among these two distinct employee segments could be obtained. This research paper will try to provide some useful information when it comes to sexual harassment in the restaurant industry and what policies should be implemented.     

New or repeat customers: How does physical environment influence their restaurant experience?

This study proposed a conceptual model to examine how customers’ perceptions of the physical environment influenced disconfirmation, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty for first-time and repeat customers in upscale restaurants. Using a structural equation modeling analysis, this study showed that facility aesthetics, lighting, layout, and service staff had significant effects on disconfirmation. Moreover, disconfirmation exerted a direct influence on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Customer satisfaction also positively influenced customer loyalty. Finally, the impacts of facility aesthetics, lighting, table settings, and service staff on disconfirmation significantly differed between first-time customers and repeat customers. More specifically, facility aesthetics, lighting, and service staff were significant predictors of both first timers’ and repeaters’ perceived disconfirmation, while layout and table settings were significant determinants of only repeat visitors’ perceived disconfirmation. The implications for academic researchers and marketing practitioners are discussed.     

The Effects of Consumers' Perceived Risk and Benefit on Attitude and Behavioral Intention: A Study of Street Food

This study examined dimensions of consumer risk/benefit perception toward street food and tested their effects on attitude toward street food and behavioral intention. Exploratory factor analysis tested a five risk and two benefit factor model. A conceptual model was tested using structural equation modeling. This study found that perceived risks negatively affected consumer attitude toward street food, and perceived benefits positively affected attitude. In turn, risk perception negatively affected behavioral intention. The study found that attitude toward street food fully mediated the relationship between benefit perception and behavioral intention and partially mediated the relationship between risk perception and behavioral intention.     

The socially distant servicescape: An investigation of consumer preference’s during the re-opening phase

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic restaurant operators had to close their dining rooms for dine-in service for a number of weeks; however, once they were allowed to re-open concern still existed over safety and socially distancing many operators had to get creative in ensuring guest and worker safety. The current study sought to assess consumer perceptions and preferences regarding different types of dining room setups that were implemented by restaurants around the U.S. during the re-opening phase to ensure proper social distancing amongst guests. A quasi-experimental design was implemented where respondents were shown images of two different dining-room setups and provided responses to questions based on their perceptions and preferences for these socially distant servicescapes. Overall, respondents indicated that partitions between tables were preferred to mannequins being placed at tables. Academic and practical implications are discussed.     

Hospitality workers’ COVID-19 risk perception and depression: A contingent model based on transactional theory of stress model

The hospitality industry worldwide is suffering under the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the transactional theory of stress and coping, this study aims to investigate when hospitality workers’ COVID-19 risk perception affects their likelihood of having depressive symptoms. Using data from 211 hospitality workers in 76 hotels in Peru, we examined the effects of perceived COVID-19 risk on the likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms. We posited that this relationship is moderated by the workers’ environment at work (job satisfaction) and at home (the number of children). The results indicate that job satisfaction weakens the link between hospitality workers’ COVID-19 risk perception and their likelihood of depressive symptoms while the number of children exacerbates this link. We discuss the implications of our findings for research on COVID-19 risk perception and offer practical implications for hospitality workers under COVID-19 crisis.     

Positive emotions and behavioral intentions of customers in full-service restaurants: Does aesthetic labor matter?

Based on the Mehrabian–Russell model, this study investigates whether aesthetic labor performance affects the positive emotions and behavioral intentions of customers in full-service restaurants. This research also identifies the mediating effects of positive emotions on aesthetic labor and behavioral intentions. A total of 320 valid questionnaires were collected from the customers of a well-known chain of restaurants in Taiwan. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate a model linking aesthetic labor, positive emotions, and behavioral intentions. The results revealed that aesthetic labor positively and significantly influences positive emotions and behavioral intentions, and that positive emotions positively and significantly influence behavioral intentions. However, when the control variables of food quality, ambiance, and service quality were added, aesthetic labor did not positively influence behavioral intentions. In addition, positive emotions did not mediate the relationship between aesthetic labor and behavioral intentions. Finally, we provide a discussion on practical implications and suggestions for future research.     

Design of Destination and Attraction-Specific Brochures

The design of destination and attraction-specific brochures is examined, with particular reference to attributes of attractiveness and utility. Results from three focus groups are employed to generate hypotheses, which can be tested. Implications are drawn on the design and use of brochures and their role in trip motivation and destination choice.     

Customers’ perceptions in value and food safety on customer satisfaction and loyalty in restaurant environments: moderating roles of gender and restaurant types

Using a valid sample of 334 restaurant diners, this study investigated the relative effects of perceived value and food safety on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The proposed model was consistent with other cognitive–attitudinal–behavioral frameworks. This study also explored how these two perceptions on customer satisfaction were different based on gender and restaurant type. We found support for all of the hypothesized relationships. Results from the structural equation modeling showed that customer satisfaction mediated the relationships between two antecedents and customer loyalty. Implications of the findings, limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research were discussed.