The role of food service in tourist satisfaction

The paper is based on empirical investigation carried out amongst a 341-sample population visiting the Black Sea resorts of Romania in August 1997. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role and importance of food service in tourist satisfaction and to note any differences in satisfaction levels between regional groups. Analysis of the findings revealed that significant differences existed between three tourist groups’ satisfaction perceptions of value for money, quality of food, number of dishes, standard of food service, variety of dishes, presentation of food and speed of service in general; and of bread, coffee, meat and soup in particular. Overall results further indicated that quality of food, value for money, variety of dishes, attractiveness of surroundings and presentation of food were the attributes that most affected the overall food service experience in Romania. The paper concludes that food service is an important contributor to tourist satisfaction and that there are significant differences in satisfaction levels with food service between eastern and western European, and Romanian tourists.     

The determinants of more responsible restaurant food choice in Poland

In the context of emerging markets, restaurant food choice needs to be better architected in order to minimise the negative societal and environmental implications. For effective consumer choice architecture, the determinants of restaurant food choice need to be first established. This study explores the determinants of restaurant food choice in Poland, a transitional economy in East-Central Europe with a rapidly growing pattern of out-of-home food consumption. It finds that the low level of public environmental awareness in Poland translates into low consumer recognition of the environmental implications of restaurant food choice. Although customer preference for locally produced and organic food is recorded, this preference is not associated with public environmental awareness, but attributed to possible media effect. In contrast, the level of public awareness of the health repercussions of restaurant food choice is higher in Poland, especially among younger consumers, which is reflected in the desire to see the nutritional and calorific values of food to be displayed on restaurant menus. Implications for policy-making and hospitality management are discussed.     

The antecedents and outcomes of food safety motivators for restaurant workers: An expectancy framework

Individual food handlers’ motivations to comply with established guidelines in restaurant organizations were explored in this national study of 755 restaurant managers and employees in the United States. Using expectancy theory, workers’ motivations to comply with stated food safety regulations were measured. Overall, the results indicated support for expectancy theory and the proposed extension of this framework to restaurant employees’ perceptions of food safety and sanitation. However, there was no support in the model for restaurant workers to follow food sanitation regulations in the relationship between extrinsic valence and motivation. It was determined that this relationship is moderated by the length of time the employee has worked in the restaurant industry.     

The use and acceptability of convenience and fast-foods in the food service industry in Scotland

A questionnaire was circulated at random to six sectors of the catering industry in Scotland. The types of convenience foods used, frequency of use, relative importance of several processing factors and customers' views of catering establishments were studied. Some fifteen ideas for ‘new’ products are listed, the main requirement being for higher quality products at lower cost. Most caterers feel that customers mainly look for value for money and good presentation.     

The concept of smart tourism in the context of tourism information services

Smart tourism has become increasingly popular in mainland China. Different types of events and activities have been classified as smart tourism, leading to the misuse of the term. What, then, is smart tourism? How to define it? Although researchers have defined the term, there has not been any consensus on a widely accepted interpretation. The definition provided by this study emphasizes smart tourism as an individual tourist support system within the context of information services and an all-encompassing technology. This paper compares the characteristics of both traditional tourist information services and those incorporated in smart tourism. Based on the concepts, recommendations are provided and future research/industrial directions are discussed. For the Chinese tourism market, smart tourism represents a new direction implying a significant influence on tourist destinations, enterprises, and also tourists themselves.     

Human resources administration processes in commercial restaurants and food safety: The actions of administrators

The study analyzed of the human resources administration processes at commercial restaurants, focusing on the provision of safe foods to consumers. Interviews were conducted with 105 restaurant managers at the city of Florianópolis, Brazil. Three types of restaurants were studied; 45.7% were buffets by weight, 39.1% fast-food restaurants and 15.2% churrascarias. A questionnaire was used with close-ended questions to characterize the restaurants and identify the human resources administration processes for hiring, evaluation, training and provision of benefits to employees. It was found that 89.4% of the restaurants adopt criteria for hiring of employees and 81.9% conduct periodic evaluations. Benefits were offered by 85.7% of the restaurants and 74.3% of the establishments provided employee training. The results indicate that human resources management processes at restaurants can contribute to the provision of safe food, although some establishments still need to adopt professional procedures for recruitment, selection, evaluation and training of their employees.     

Burnout and food safety: Understanding the role of job satisfaction and menu complexity in foodservice

This study measures job motivation, satisfaction, and burnout amongst foodservice employees, as well as the menu complexity in foodservice establishments. It verifies the relationship between these factors and food safety practices. We visited 20 foodservice establishments and interviewed 202 foodservice employees. Job motivation, satisfaction, and burnout were assessed using validated questionnaires. Menu complexity was evaluated by considering the number of meals prepared in different courses. Data relating to food safety violations were obtained using a food safety checklist. Our findings show that foodservice employees exhibit high levels of job motivation, job satisfaction, and personal burnout. In restaurants with more complex menus, instances of burnout as well as food safety violations are higher, and these have a negative impact on foodservice employees’ job motivation. Job satisfaction is positively affected by job motivation and negatively affected by burnout. Cognitive aspects of food safety, practical implications, and limitations of this study are discussed.     

An online reviews-driven method for the prioritization of improvements in hotel services

Service improvement is of great importance for hotels to gain advantages. Several studies determined the prioritization of service improvement by identifying the relationship between service performance and customer satisfaction but ignored the impact of consumer expectations and managers' subjective opinions. This paper provides an online reviews-driven method for hoteliers to determine the prioritization of improvements in hotel services. Firstly, the improved penalty–reward contrast analysis that quantifies the sentiment tendencies and intensities in online reviews is used to identify types of service attributes. Secondly, based on the categorization of attribute types, three types of consumer expectations that affect consumer satisfaction are mined. Thirdly, the improved three-way decision model is used to determine the priority of allocation resources combining with managers’ subjective opinions. Finally, the proposed method is applied to the case study of Four Seasons Hotel service improvement, and the advantages of this method are illustrated by comparative analysis.     

The potential for marrying local gastronomy and wine: The case of the ‘fortunate islands’

For centuries, the Mediterranean and other regions have become icons for their food, wine, laid-back lifestyle and benign weather, with each of these components ideally complementing the other three. The availability of a local cuisine and local wines provides consumers with memorable experiences. However, in many other regions little is known about ways in which the local cuisine and wine could be ‘married.’ This study examines the views of 55 small winery operators in a region that for decades has been widely known as a mass tourism destination: the Canary Island in Spain. While most operators recognise the potential for a perfect local cuisine–wine marriage, many also mention the missing link between the local hospitality and wine sectors. For instance, respondents argue that restaurateurs are not promoting local wines enough in favour of cheaper imports. The study also discusses the implications of the findings and identifies areas of future research.     

Food miles and food choices: the case of an upscale urban hotel in Hong Kong

The nature of food production and consumption has changed dramatically in recent decades. Food sources for hotels and resorts have been an increasingly important sustainability topic in recent years. Where food is sourced has important implications for the economic, environmental and socio-cultural sustainability of tourist destinations. Based on where food is sourced and the mode of transportation, food miles is calculated for an upscale urban hotel in Hong Kong over a 12-month period. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with these food miles are computed. Over three-quarters of the food and beverages procured travelled via sea, the most energy efficient mode of transportation. Follow-up interviews with the hotel's procurement and executive chefs reveal the motivation behind these purchase decisions. While quality of food is the main driver for chefs, the procurement department take quality and cost into consideration. These different motivations provide potential conflict in sourcing food sustainably. Another issue raised is that food being procured from nearby countries may have questionable health and safety standards. Just because food can be procured closer to the destination does not necessarily mean it is the most sustainable option.     

Effects of service quality and food quality: The moderating role of atmospherics in an ethnic restaurant segment

This study empirically examined not only the relationship between perceived quality and satisfaction/loyalty, but also the role of customer perceptions of atmospherics in an ethnic restaurant segment. Specifically, this study, using hierarchical regression analyses, investigated the direct effects of service quality and food quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty as well as the moderating effect of the perception of atmospherics, in Korean restaurants. As expected, this study showed that service and food quality have positive and significant effects on customer satisfaction and loyalty. This suggested that, similar to other restaurant segments, employee service and food are of great importance for ethnic restaurants as well. Verifying the moderating role of atmospherics, however, this study found that good employee service can be more effective for increasing the satisfaction and loyalty of customers with a low perception of the atmospherics compared to those with a higher perception. Further, providing quality food is particularly critical for creating customer satisfaction in ethnic restaurants where atmospherics are not satisfactory. More detailed findings and implications are also discussed.     

A multilevel synthesis of subjective and objective measures of foodservices in the experience process

This study develops a multilevel framework that connects customer-to-customer (C2C) interaction quality to brand attachment through customer experience. Two food traits—uniqueness and taste—and service quality are posited to play different roles in this link. This research contributes to the literature on the effects of food traits and service on the experience creation process at upscale restaurants. By including both objective measures from user-generated ratings and subjective measures from customer evaluations of restaurant dining, this research sheds new light on the cross-level direct and moderating effects on the experience creation process, and thus answers the question of when and how this process is contingent on food traits and service of different dining outings. It further contributes to the brand attachment literature by revealing the cross-level moderated mediating effect of customer experience on customer emotional connection to a restaurant brand.     

When tradition meets the new technology: An examination of the antecedents of attitudes and intentions to use mobile devices in private clubs

Mobile technology increasingly permeates the social fabric of the contemporary society and the business models of hospitality organizations, including the private club industry. Using data from a nationwide sample of members of private clubs in the United States, this research examined the manner in which system beliefs (i.e., usefulness, ease of use), subjective norms, and facilitating conditions influence club members’ attitudes and intentions to use mobile devices to make reservations for activities/facilities in private clubs. It was found that usefulness and subjective norms have an impact in developing attitudes, which in turn influence club members’ intentions to use mobile devices in clubs. Being the first study to examine the development of attitudes and intentions toward mobile technology in a club context, this study brings important theoretical and practical contributions.     

Interpretive structural modeling of quality factors in both medical and hospitality services in the medical tourism industry

This study aims to theoretically integrate quality factors of both medical and hospitality services in medical tourism. Medical tourism comprises both medicine and tourism. Although the core product in medical tourism is medical treatment, attractive hospitality and travel options are also essential. Despite the dual nature of medical tourism, the two aspects of this concept have not been integrated in a unique framework. This study attempts to fill this gap using interpretive structural modeling (ISM). According to ISM, although factors of medical services and hospitality services are independent from each other, these factors have vital impacts on perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty.     

The role of research in the hospitality industry: A content analysis of the IJHM between 2000 and 2005

This article analyzes academic research from the International Journal of Hospitality Management (IJHM), as it applies to the dimensions of the management process related to the Research Methodologies proposed by Ritchie [1987. Roles of Research in Tourism Management. In: Ritchie, J.R.B, Goeldner, C. (Eds.), Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Research. Wiley, New York, pp. 13–22]. This analysis provides insight on the evolution of research published in the IJHM from 2000 to 2005 and compares the results with previous studies. The IJHM has evolved in to an empirical journal with highly sophisticated methodologies and procedures. Therefore, the intention of this article is to provide a vision of the current research efforts in hospitality while providing a better contextual understanding of the directions and trends in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.     

The joint effects of need for status and mental imagery perspective on luxury hospitality consumption in China

Given the increasing influence of social media on the hospitality industry, luxury hotels have begun to utilize social media platforms as primary marketing tools. This research reveals the joint effects of mental imagery perspective and need for status on Chinese consumers’ intentions to partake in luxury hotel experiences after viewing social media photos about luxury hotel consumption. For affluent consumers with high need for status, photos taken from a first-person (vs. third-person) perspective lead to higher behavioral intentions. This research further demonstrates that immersion serves as an underlying mechanism. The findings have important implications for luxury hotel managers.     

Impact of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of households on demand for Food Away from Home in the United Arab Emirates

Using a random sample of 485 household from Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi, the study estimates household demand for Food Away from Home (FAFH). The study uses household production model to estimate the demand for FAFH. The estimated income elasticities for FAFH are positive and elastic implying that growth in expenditure on FAFH outpaces growth in income. Urdu speaking have the highest growth in expenditure on FAFH as their income grow, followed by Emiratis, English and Arabs. As compared to Emiratis, Arabs and English spend significantly less amount on FAFH while Urdu speaking spend significantly higher amount. The expenditure on FAFH in popular restaurants is statistically less as compared to Asian restaurants. Hence, the industry should expect a growth in demand for FAFH especially keeping in view the expanding Emirati economy.     

How Service Quality Affects Customer Loyalty in the Travel Agency: The Effects of Customer Satisfaction,Service Recovery,and Perceived Value

This study develops a conceptual model of the effects of service quality on customer loyalty that reflects the mediating role of customer satisfaction and the moderating role of service recovery and perceived value, and applies this model to the travel industry. A survey and analysis confirm that customer satisfaction is positively influenced by service quality, and customer loyalty is positively influenced by customer satisfaction. Furthermore, customer loyalty is indirectly influenced by service quality through the mediator of customer satisfaction. The relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction is found to be stronger for customers who have a positive experience of service recovery; and the correlation between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is stronger for customers who perceive high service value.     

Investigating the role of festivalscape in culinary tourism: The case of food and wine events

This paper analyses the importance of festivalscapes in determining emotions, satisfaction and future behavior of participants at food and wine events. The study applies a structural equation model (SEM) with latent variables to survey responses of visitors to the “Friuli DOC” Italian festival. The main results are that festivalscape and emotions have significant direct effects on satisfaction, which in turn has a significant effect on behavioral intention. The effects of the festivalscape on visitors' future behavior are only indirect and mediated by satisfaction. Thus, in order to enhance their visitors' behavioral intentions, festival organizers should monitor emotions and satisfaction deriving from the subjective perception of exogenous characteristics as food and wine quality, comfort and entertainment.