Change or perish: Examining the role of human capital and dynamic marketing capabilities in the hospitality sector

Many researchers have endeavored to explain which factors contribute to sustainable competitive advantage. Toward this end, this study contributes to the marketing and hospitality management literature by providing empirical evidence on how human capital, dynamic marketing capabilities, and market dynamism influence competitive advantage in the hotel sector. We collected cross-sectional survey data from marketing and sales managers in 165 hotels, along with in-depth interviews in three hotels, based in four Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, namely, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The findings reveal that human capital directly, and indirectly through dynamic marketing capabilities, plays a critical role on developing competitive advantage. To contextualize this role, our research reveals that market dynamism moderates the mediated relationship between human capital and competitive advantage via market sensing capabilities. We discuss how the findings offer theoretical and managerial implications for the development of competitive advantage in the hotel sector.     

The asset-light business model and firm performance in complex and dynamic environments: The dynamic capabilities view

Although academic research examining the effects of the asset-light business model continues to grow in the tourism and hospitality literature, the extant studies lack comprehensive theoretical foundations to develop and establish clear quantitative models of analysis. Inconsistent findings from these studies call into question the issue of their exploratory nature. Using the dynamic capabilities view, this study provides a solid conceptual framework that recognizes the asset-light business model as an industry-specific dynamic capability for lodging firms. Furthermore, this study extends recent theoretical accounts on the moderating role of environments in the dynamic capabilities-performance relationship by focusing on the service-oriented and cyclical nature of the tourism and hospitality industry. Incorporating industry-specific performance measures, the current study suggests an alternative approach to the analysis of performance of a lodging firm. The findings also provide important implications to help lodging owners, managers, and investors to strategically cope with complex and dynamic environments.     

Exploring the influence of big data analytics management capabilities on sustainable tourism supply chain performance: the moderating role of technology orientation

ABSTRACT

The current study examines the importance of big data analytics (BDA) management capabilities, namely BDA planning, BDA investment, BDA coordination, and BDA control on sustainable tourism supply chain performance (STSCP). The study also explored the moderating role of technology orientation on BDA management capabilities' association with STSCP. Perceptual responses from 212 analytics professionals suggest BDA planning, BDA coordination, and BDA control as prominent enablers of sustainable tourism supply chain performance. Furthermore, technology orientation was found to enhance the contribution of BDA planning, BDA coordination, and BDA control as enablers.     

The role of wellness spa tourism performance in building destination loyalty: the case of Thailand

ABSTRACT

Despite the considerable growth of the wellness spa tourism market, little research has examined the intricate procedure involved in travelers’ loyalty toward Thailand as a wellness spa tourism destination. This research aimed to explore such loyalty formation by investigating the relationships among performances of wellness spa tourism in Thailand, affective experiences, and overall satisfaction. A field survey methodology was used for data collection. Findings of the structural analysis revealed that product performances, affective experiences, and satisfaction were in general significantly associated, and that these variables contributed to a satisfactory prediction for destination loyalty. In addition, the adequacy of the second-order structure of the performances of Thai wellness spa tourism was demonstrated. Moreover, the relative effectiveness of satisfaction in building loyalty was identified. Both affective experiences and satisfaction were also found to have a significant mediating impact. Implications for destination researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

The other side of technology adoption: Examining the relationships between e-commerce expenses and hotel performance

As information technology (IT) increasingly permeates all aspects of the contemporary society, hotels have spent millions of dollars to deploy electronic commerce (e-commerce) tools and develop appropriate strategies to attract and retain guests. Yet, while the literature reflects the drivers of adopting certain e-commerce tools, it does not provide a conclusive answer regarding the effectiveness of e-commerce expenditures. Specifically, it is unclear whether such expenditures affect performance in terms of revenue and gross operating profit, or whether such effects are consistent over time and across different chain scales. Based on financial data reported by a sample of 275 hotels from 2007 through 2012, this study found that e-commerce expenses significantly and positively impacted rooms revenue for all sample years, except in 2007. When subgroup analyses were performed by chain scale, it was found that e-commerce expenses significantly contributed to the gross operating profit for midscale and upscale hotels but not for the luxury, upper upscale, and the upper midscale categories.     

Influences of destination social responsibility on the relationship quality with residents and destination economic performance

Based on extant research, this study proposes a model that integrates destination social responsibility (DSR), relationship quality with local residents (i.e. overall community satisfaction, resident trust, and resident identification), and destination economic performance. With survey data collected from a well-known ancient town in South China, this study determined that DSR could enhance the relationship quality between the destination and its residents, which could then improve economic performance in a general manner. Implications for tourism planners and destination management organizations as well as for interested researchers are presented at the end of this study.     

Coloring the destination: The role of color psychology on Instagram

Color psychology plays important roles in product packaging, the retail environment, and online marketing. This study analyzed current practices related to color composition in tourism-related photographs on Instagram. Data mining and pictorial content analysis were adopted to investigate how lightness, chroma, and hue may influence Instagram posts' popularity. Generally, individuals appeared more likely to respond to brighter and more saturated destination pictures. Orange, yellow, blue, and violet contributed significantly to post popularity based on different photographic typologies. Overall, color is a complex construct that functions within diverse dimensions and can enrich tourists’ destination-related perceptions. Based on brand post popularity and color theories, the study findings provide valuable implications for effective and efficient destination promotion via Instagram. Relevant limitations and future directions are also discussed.     

Cruise passengers' behavior at the destination: Investigation using GPS technology

This paper aims at segmenting cruise passengers in order to identify passengers' profiles according to their behavior at destination. Through an integrated use of traditional survey instruments and of GPS technologies, a set of indicators for the analysis of passengers' mobility at destination is proposed. Data collected in the port of Palermo are used in order to investigate space-time activities of cruise passengers at the destination. Monothetic Analysis is used in order to segment passengers according to their behavior at destination, and groups are then compared in terms of socio-demographic characteristics and other variables collected through questionnaire-based survey. Results identify seven different broad patterns of activity, and indicate that several socio-demographic characteristics and other features of passengers seem to be associated with movement patterns at destination. A better knowledge of cruise passengers' behavior at destination is a fundamental pre-requisite in order to better serve visitors' needs and meet their expectations.     

Measuring comparative destination performance: A study in Spain and Turkey

Abstract

Competitiveness between tourist destinations has increased due to the development of international tourism activity over the last two decades. This brings the importance of the assessment of destination performance vis‐à‐vis other similar and competing destinations. Therefore, this study attempts to develop an approach for the measure of destination performance and its comparison with another destination by using the data obtained from the actual tourists visiting both places. Two types of questionnaire are developed and their findings are found to be consistent. Empirical findings indicate that each destination has its own strengths. Implications and limitations of the study are also discussed.     

Destination brand experience and visitor behavior: the mediating role of destination brand identification

ABSTRACT

Destination branding has emerged as a critical tool for achieving competitive advantage through various conceptualizations, focusing on various aspects of branding. This research examines the role of destination brand experience (DBE), a new conceptualization, in assessing the holistic and unified view of tourism destinations. The conceptual model proposed in this research has been validated using structural equation modeling, based on the primary responses collected from 312 and 262 foreign visitors for study 1 and study 2 respectively, conducted at two different tourism destinations in India. Findings of both the studies suggest that various dimensions of DBE have a varied influence on destination brand identification (DBI), which subsequently affects both tourists’ trust and loyalty toward tourism destinations. In addition, DBI emerges as an important mediator for the relationship between DBE and destination trust (DT) as well as DBE and destination loyalty (DL). The study provides several implications for destination marketers about building trust and loyalty among tourists using DBE and DBI.     

The impact of destination source credibility on destination satisfaction: The mediating effects of destination attachment and destination image

Building emotional destination attachment is a key tourism destination branding issue in today's tourism market. The current study aims to develop and test a comprehensive theoretical model for destination branding that borrows the concepts of brand credibility, brand image, brand attachment, and satisfaction. Based on the above concepts, this article hypothesizes the relationships among four constructs, namely, destination source credibility, destination image, and destination attachment as antecedents of destination satisfaction. These relationships are examined for a sample of 398 international tourists visiting a famous world heritage tourism destination (Angkor Wat) and a famous skyscraper (Taipei 101). The SEM indicates that destination source credibility and destination image could indeed affect tourist perceptions of destination satisfaction with regard to destination attachment. In addition, the mediating role of destination attachment and destination image is also confirmed in this study. The findings offer important implications for tourism management and practice.     

Adding character: The role of destination mascots in tourism development

This study explores the use of destination mascots in tourism development. It steps away from the traditional investigation of yuru kyara by focusing on a wider range of anthropomorphic messengers. By mapping the historical trajectory of mascots, the researchers isolate a special subcategory of anthropomorphic characters: destination mascots. Destination mascots are introduced as a new tourism construct and a distinct type of marketing activity. This paper aims to develop and promote the term destination mascot in tourism literature. It describes the many facets of destination mascots and catalogues five distinct functions mascots can carry out for their destinations: mascots as place identity markers, cultural constructs, bonding tools, social engagement tools, and information carriers. Supplemented with multiple examples from past and present literature, this study deepens and broadens our understanding of mascot culture. It brings into view many avenues that invite further exploration.     

The importance of the firm and destination effects to explain firm performance

An interesting question in tourism management is why tourist firms obtain different performance levels. Firm performance in the tourism industry depends mainly on the destination where the company operates (location or destination effect), and on firm internal resources and characteristics (firm effect). The purpose of this paper is to determine the relative importance of the firm and destination effects using a multilevel approach and hierarchical linear models. The findings show that both effects impact significantly on firm performance, and also that the firm effect is more important than the destination effect. We equally provide some insights about the relationships between these two levels with the aim of building bridges between them.     

The moderating role of nationality on destination experience

ABSTRACT

Differences in tourists’ cultural values are significant factors in their product and service choices, yet they have generally been neglected in the literature. Therefore, this study examined how tourists’ nationalities influence their perceptions of service quality, affective image perceptions, and revisiting intentions. Activities were found to be more determinant on a destination’s affective image for Russian tourists, whereas accommodation, hospitality, and language communication services had a larger effect on German tourists.     

Examining destination images from travel blogs: a big data analytical approach using latent Dirichlet allocation

ABSTRACT

In the big data era, destination images have played an increasingly important role in tourism development. However, seldom tourism research has utilised big data analytics to examine destination images from travel blogs. Therefore, this study proposes and evaluates a big data analytical approach using latent Dirichlet allocation to extract attributes of online destination images from 140,286 travel blogs about 20 cities in China. Results reveal 14 dimensions with 54 attributes of destination images of the studied cities. Interesting findings are discovered between online destination images and tourism cities. This study also summarises the implications for tourism research and practice.     

Determinants of working holiday makers' destination loyalty: Uncovering the role of perceived authenticity

Regardless of the steady growth of working holidays for the past few decades (Tsai & Collins, 2017), working-holiday makers' destination loyalty formation has been little explored. Filling this void, this study was aimed at examining the working-holiday travelers' loyalty generation process by developing a conceptual framework encompassing working-holiday tourism attributes, place identification, place dependence, and perceived authenticity. The results of the structural analysis indicate that the attributes dimensions of working-holidays positively influence place identification and place dependence which in turn trigger destination loyalty. In addition, both place identification and place dependence act as important mediators. Moreover, invariance testing reveals that the place identification- destination loyalty relationship is significantly influenced by perceived authenticity. Our findings help destination practitioners better understand working-holiday travelers' behaviors and develop effective loyalty enhancement strategies.     

A model of destination branding: Integrating the concepts of the branding and destination image

Despite the significance of destination branding in both academia and industry, literature on its conceptual development is limited. The current study aims to develop and test a theoretical model of destination branding, which integrates the concepts of the branding and destination image. The study suggests unique image as a new component of destination brand associations. It is proposed that the overall image of the destination (i.e., brand image) is a mediator between its brand associations (i.e., cognitive, affective, and unique image components) and tourists’ future behaviors (i.e., intentions to revisit and recommend). The results confirmed that overall image is influenced by three types of brand associations and is a critical mediator between brand associations and tourists’ future behaviors. In addition, unique image had the second largest impact on the overall image formation, following the cognitive evaluations.     

The role of relationship quality in integrated destination marketing

ABSTRACT

This study illustrates the role of the relationship quality perceived by the international public, which is increasingly discussed in public diplomacy research. It leads to the implications for integrated destination marketing of a host country in targeting the international public, where the host country is considered both as a tourism destination and as a place for business and investment. The study proposes a model illustrating the intervention of relationship quality in the way tourism destination image and country image are associated with tourism and business behavioral intentions. Empirical testing shows that image itself cannot assure that the international public would support the host country. Instead, it establishes the critical role of enhancing relationship quality.     

The link between travel motivation and satisfaction towards a heritage destination: The role of visitor engagement,visitor experience and heritage destination image

There are shortcomings in studying tourist satisfaction from the direct effect of travel motivation. The current study constructed an integrated model of motivation-satisfaction towards a heritage destination with the addition of experience-related factors and destination image. Unlike previous studies mainly focusing on pre or after the experience, this research employed a survey aiming at tourists during their on-site experiences. By using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling, the proposed structural model was tested with a sample of 352 visitors at Hoi An UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vietnam. Motivation had significant effects on visitor engagement, visitor experience, and heritage destination image, which in turn led to heritage tourists' satisfaction. The indirect link between motivation and satisfaction was also confirmed, contributing to a better understanding of the formation of satisfaction in the context of heritage tourism. Practical implications are provided for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) of heritage sites.     

The effectiveness of the destination logo: Congruity effect between logo typeface and destination stereotypes

A well-designed logo can assist destination marketers in the development of destination identity and image, and yet the factors that contribute to an effective destination logo are poorly understood. Thus, this study aims to explore how typefaces influence the effectiveness of logos of destinations with differing stereotypes. By conducting four scenario-based experiments with different experimental stimuli, this study has revealed a congruity effect between logo typeface and destination stereotypes. Specifically, linking logos with handwritten typefaces with warm destinations, and machine-written typefaces with competent destinations can elicit more favorable attitudes and stronger travel intentions toward those destinations (Study 1). The results further showed that the congruity effect on tourists’ travel intentions is sequentially mediated by processing fluency and attitude (Studies 2a, 2b) and is attenuated for tourists with high needs for cognition (Study 3). This research also offers practical suggestions for destination marketers around the design of effective logos.