Destination social capital and innovation in SMEs tourism firms: an empirical analysis in an adverse socio-economic context

Abstract

This study examines the structural relationships between internal and external resources that explain the innovation of small tourism firms in adverse socio-economic contexts. Specifically, it analyzes two internal resources, human and organizational-technological capital, and the valuable intangible resources derived from social interactions between the agents in the destination (other companies, institutions, and community). The research hypotheses are tested by means of structural equation analysis applied to an empirical study of 180 tourism firms located in Isla Margarita (Venezuela). The findings confirm the importance of external resources derived from relationships with destination agents in the innovation behavior of tourism small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While business social capital affects innovative behavior directly, other types of internal intellectual capital mediate the relationship between innovative behavior and institutional and community social capital. It is the first to address the local community’s role in the innovation of tourism SMEs. The importance of integrating firm and destination resources should inform SMEs’ innovation policies in adverse contexts where the scarcity of resources make vulnerable the economic, social and environmental sustainability.     

The Triple Bottom Line: A Framework for Sustainable Tourism Development

This conceptual article proposes that tourism development organizations adopt a triple bottom line (TBL) framework to enhance their sustainability. The TBL is a philosophical orientation whereby organizations develop and implement not just a traditional economically sustainable strategy, but also explicitly include environmental and social sustainability strategies. The history of TBL and its application to sustainable tourism development are offered and the development of a much-needed measurement instrument is described and the instrument is presented for discussion. The article concludes by presenting the benefits that can accrue to a sustainable tourism development organization through the adoption of a TBL philosophy and the use of a reliable instrument to measure TBL performance.     

Small tourism business networks and destination development

This paper is based on ongoing research into networking between small tourism businesses and its contribution to destination development. The fieldwork is being carried out in a peripheral rural location. A detailed conceptual framework comprising of a literature review, background to an ongoing study and the methodology being implemented is discussed. The review finds an increased awareness of the importance of networks in mainstream business research, however, research within small tourism businesses is still underdeveloped. Furthermore, there is little or no direct research in terms of collective tourism business networks within a destination. Destination development research is also reviewed and particular consideration given to the rural context. Destination models are discussed with the recent chaos-based theories providing new understandings. Networks are established within the destination concept. Finally, the location for the data collection is discussed with a justification of the qualitative, in-depth interview approach.     

旅游企业社会责任对目的地形象及游客忠诚的影响研究

在旅游市场竞争日趋激烈的背景下,由旅游企业经营所引发的社会责任问题受到广泛关注,但学界关于旅游企业社会责任的影响研究还不够系统和深入.文章将旅游企业社会责任划分为6个方面,将目的地形象划分为认知形象和情感形象两个方面,并构建了旅游企业社会责任对目的地形象及游客忠诚的影响模型.实证研究表明,旅游企业社会责任在目的地形象及游客忠诚形成中发挥非常重要的作用,其中,经济责任、环境责任、游客责任、员工责任和法律责任对认知形象有正向影响,游客责任、员工责任和慈善责任对情感形象有正向影响;认知形象和情感形象不仅对游客忠诚产生直接影响,而且通过游客满意对游客忠诚产生间接作用.相比认知形象,情感形象对游客满意和忠诚的影响作用更大.     

旅游目的地品牌资产驱动因素模型研究——以凤凰古城为例

旅游目的地品牌资产逐渐成为学界关注的焦点,值得深入研究。该文基于已有研究成果,分析旅游目的地品牌资产与品牌知名度、品牌形象、品牌质量、品牌价值、品牌忠诚的结构关系,构建旅游目的地品牌资产驱动因素结构模型。以湖南省凤凰古城为案例,采用问卷调查法获得基础数据,分析发现:旅游目的地品牌知名度、品牌形象、品牌质量通过旅游目的地品牌价值与品牌忠诚对旅游目的地品牌资产产生显著影响,证实了旅游目的地品牌资产的二阶驱动因素模型。具体来看,旅游目的地品牌形象对品牌忠诚的影响最大,而旅游目的地品牌忠诚和品牌资产关联度最大。根据研究结论得到管理启示:第一,全面认识旅游目的地品牌资产的驱动因素,综合递增旅游目的地品牌资产。第二,着力突出旅游目的地品牌资产的核心要素,注重提升旅游目的地品牌形象。第三,认真建设旅游目的地品牌资产的关键内容,致力强化旅游目的地品牌忠诚。     

旅游地社会责任、声誉、认同与旅游者忠诚关系

文章构建了旅游地社会责任、旅游地声誉、旅游地认同与旅游者忠诚关系的整合模型,以厦门市旅游者为研究对象,采用结构方程模型( SEM)方法,对整合模型进行实证检验,发现:(1)旅游者社会责任直接正向影响旅游地声誉和旅游地认同,并通过旅游地声誉对旅游地认同产生间接影响,通过旅游地声誉和旅游地认同对重游倾向和口碑宣传产生间接影响;(2)旅游地声誉正向影响旅游地认同、重游倾向和口碑宣传,并通过旅游地认同对口碑宣传产生间接影响;(3)旅游地认同直接影响口碑宣传;(4)重游倾向和口碑宣传之间存在递进关系.最后,文章对研究结论进行了讨论,并指出了研究局限和未来研究方向.     

Affordances for tourism service design

This paper argues that the concept of affordance, which captures the relations between one's abilities and the properties of one's environment, can help in aligning the elements of a tourism service with intended service experiences. We start with a general review of its conceptual basis in ecological psychology and design research, and then elaborate on the concept's potential applications in the context of tourism service design. The application of an affordance-centred framework is illustrated through a case study which examined a group of tourists with and without visual impairment on a holiday to an international destination. Finally, we offer four propositions to guide the use of the affordance concept in tourism service design.     

旅游地日常生活的康复性意义研究——以丽江古城为例

健康是人类关注的永恒话题,旅游和健康本源上存在密切联系,近年来已成为旅游学及其交叉学科关注的研究热点。旅游地如何促进旅游者健康体验、幸福感甚至社会福祉,是亟待回答的学理和实践命题。基于此,文章将旅游地日常生活与旅游者健康体验联系起来,以丽江古城客栈主与旅游者为研究对象,通过深度访谈和参与式观察,明晰旅游情境中日常生活对于旅游者主观健康体验的积极作用。研究发现:(1)旅游地从空间、时间、社会实践3个维度营造了特定时空中的生活新范式与典范形态,建构了环境、日常生活与健康交互新面向;(2)旅游地日常生活为旅游者提供了物质、社会和心理多重资源,形成了生理、心理和精神、社会人际交往能力三维康复性意义结构;(3)旅游地日常生活的康复性意义是在旅游者与旅游地复杂性、动态性关联中建构的,并从生产与消费两端对康复性意义进行共同塑造与整合。研究从微观层面的日常生活出发,以实证分析回应了旅游、日常生活、健康体验之间的互动关联,为深入理解旅游的意义提供了新思考,也为旅游业实现美好生活需要提供现实指导。     

黑色叙事对旅游目的地引致形象的影响机制

"讲好故事"已成为塑造和传播国家和地方形象的重要手段。以"讲故事"为手段打造旅游目的地形象是一种国际通行的旅游目的地营销方式。现有旅游目的地叙事研究开展还很不充分,关注的叙事偏重于正面叙事材料,对负面叙事的关注还很不够。文章着眼于黑色叙事对旅游目的地引致形象的影响机制,以德国首都柏林作为研究案例,以著名历史游记《柏林:一座城市的肖像》(Berlin:Imagine a City)中关于柏林的系列黑色叙事和柏林旅游局在微信公众号发布的图片作为实验材料,通过招募志愿者参与包括4个阶段的混合研究设计,验证黑色叙事对柏林旅游目的地形象(认知、情感及意动)的复杂影响。研究的主要理论贡献在于:首先,验证了黑色叙事对旅游目的地形象具有显著影响,实证该影响主要透过"叙事主角-游客-自我形象一致性"这一主线发挥作用,明确了黑色叙事主角形象对黑色叙事引致旅游目的地形象的影响机理,丰富了叙事传输理论相关结论。其次,验证了黑色叙事引致情感形象在黑色叙事影响旅游目的地形象过程中的影响效应,发现黑色叙事引致情感形象(而非认知形象)是黑色叙事最终能够影响游客动机的关键。最后,在黑色叙事这一特定研究情境中,验证了目的地认知形象对"情感形象影响意动形象"具有"增强调节效应",丰富了现有旅游目的地形象"认知-情感-意动"三联结构理论。文章在此基础上提供了相应的管理和营销建议。     

Exploring determinants of meeting planners’ commitment to the business relationships with destination management companies

Although there is a demand for research on a business-to-business relationship between meeting planners and destination management companies, the current hospitality and tourism literature is insufficient in its attempt to understand the dynamics of this unique relationship. Recently, in the meeting industry, destination management companies have been recognized to experience a more challenging business environment due to the abundance of online vendor information which activates meeting planners’ disintermediation of destination management company services. To provide more practical implications for these key meeting players, this study urges that the key factor that encourages meeting planners to continue using destination management companies is trust. Therefore, this study examines determinants of the trust–commitment relationship as a means for meeting planners to achieve a more sustainable relationship with destination management companies. Applying and extending social exchange theory, this study also explores the determinants of the future relationship (commitment or termination). Findings of this research will provide the industry with suggestions for their relationship development.     

Restaurants’ social enterprise business model: Three case studies

ABSTRACT

This research explores the application of the Social Enterprise business model within the context of the hospitality industry. In order to achieve this goal, a qualitative primary research was conducted through three case studies. The research suggests that hospitality social enterprises encounter many unique challenges as a result of social mission implications. The research provides a foundation for industry and academic recommendations. Most importantly, detailed recommendations such as strategic planning, strict budgeting, and mission/profit balance are derived for hospitality social enterprise managers to improve efficiency and counteract industry-specific challenges.     

Complexity traits and dynamics of tourism destinations

This paper is rooted in network science and contributes to filling two gaps, developing multiple case studies in order i) to measure the complex structure of tourism destination and ii) to explore its evolution over time, by mapping turning points. The findings put forward ten new analyses, allowing the research team to test two hypotheses: i) concerning the complex structure, the tendency of tourism destinations to remain far from the chaos threshold, ii) concerning turning points, the ability of different destinations to show also different evolution through time. The paper uses the Horizontal Visibility Graph Algorithm and applies it to a sample of ten tourism destinations in the second leading Italian tourism region per size: Trentino-Alto Adige. Findings confirm both hypotheses. Limitations and research implications are drawn.     

Deterrents of tourism business crowdfunding: Aversion decision and aversion behavior

Crowdfunding has been recently suggested as an effective means for tourism business founders to gain financial support. Yet, few business founders in tourism have employed the method to fund their business creation and development. Using the behavioral decision model in complex and uncertain business situations, this qualitative study explored the deterrents to crowdfunding adoption and the factors that shape the perception of the deterrents in tourism business founders. The data collected by in-depth and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 22 informants. Our findings revealed a combination of perceived personal, social and contextual deterrents that avert crowdfunding adoption decision and actual behavior. More specifically, our analysis explored attitude towards crowdfunding, perceived control over using crowdfunding, social norms and perceived contextual feasibility of crowdfunding as the determinants of crowdfunding aversion decision and aversion behavior. This study contributes deeper insights into tourism business financial management and crowdfunding policy, theory, practice and research development.     

旅游地生命周期研究现状和展望

对旅游地的发展研究中,旅游地生命周期理论是其重要的理论基石.本文回顾了国内外关于旅游地生命周期理论以及案例研究成果,通过讨论该理论的形成、发展以及主要研究内容和目前的研究难点,认为在运用该理论进行旅游发展研究中应加强危机管理以及对于旅游决策者和管理者的研究,并且重视旅游地发展过程中产品体系的更新、旅游地内部各个子系统的生命周期研究以及重视案例研究和政策因素都是非常重要的.     

Demographic change and operationalization of the landscape in tourism planning: Landscape perceptions of the Generation Z

This study focuses on Generation Z, which is one of the most intriguing groups in terms of the future of tourism. The research questions of this study focus on what the landscape components that attract the attention of Generation Z in a tourism destination embrace, and how this interest can be operationalized in the tourism planning of that destination. The research was designed with an interpretive approach as the perceptions regarding landscape will differ according to the social location of the tourists. On-site observation studies were conducted with volunteer members from Generation Z, data being collected, and then analyzed with content analysis. The main findings of the study are as follows: Generation Z members enjoy interacting with local residents at a destination; they find traditional architecture and everyday-life interesting; and morphology, one of the natural environmental characteristics, is fascinating to Generation Z.     

How cute mascots affect relationships with tourism destinations: A moderated mediation model

The mascot, acting as an ambassador for a destination, plays a significant role in promoting tourism development. However, limited research has focused on the cute features of a mascot and its marketing effects on a destination. This study extends the literature on cuteness and mascots by examining the effect of including a cute mascot in destination advertising on a person's travel intention. Four experiments were undertaken to investigate the cuteness effect. It was found that including a cute mascot in a destination advertisement increased travel intention. Feelings of healing and destination intimacy mediated the cuteness effect. The moderating role of social exclusion was also examined. The study revealed that a mascot's cuteness effect was stronger for socially excluded individuals. The findings give destination managers novel insights into mascot design in tourism and destination marketing.     

Chinese management practices in the New Zealand context: the social behaviour of individuals in business outside one's own cultural environment

Among the dilemmas facing tourism and hospitality development internationally is the requirement for a greater understanding of each other's culture, and how this background of difference affects business between various parties. Many texts and theorists have identified factors aligned to family values that affect the social behavior of individuals when conducting business between Eastern and Western managers. This paper and case study draws upon the relationship and experiences of a segment of Chinese businessmen within the New Zealand hotel, tourism and business sectors. The businessmen were two international “hoteliers” who currently own properties in New Zealand, and also a Chinese investment adviser, who has visited New Zealand representing foreign investors. The feedback to date indicates that research into Chinese management practices within the hospitality industry in New Zealand is very limited, with little access to past research in this field.     

Critical Success Factors for Business Tourism Destinations

Abstract

Business tourism is a highly lucrative but competitive sector of the tourism industry which has led many destinations to implement strategies and invest in infrastructure and human resource developments. National and regional capital city status gives additional kudos to a destination. This paper presents critical success factors for business tourism destinations developed from four case studies of successful UK business tourism destinations through stakeholder interviews and explores how Cardiff should exploit its national capital city status to support its business tourism offer. The critical success factors for business tourism destinations include: leadership; networking; branding; skills; ambassadors; infrastructure; and bidding. These will inform an action plan to develop and shape Cardiff's business tourism offer and position Cardiff amongst the UK and Europe's major business tourism destinations.     

Conceptualising networks in sustainable tourism development

This paper contributes to the sustainable tourism research agenda concerning the implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a destination level. This paper develops a conceptual framework integrating three theories: stakeholder theory, social network analysis (SNA), and actor-network theory (ANT). Integration reveals a blended approach to enable a reassessment of stakeholder roles to further explore the nature, dynamics and operations of tourism networks as they work to achieve SDGs. Tourismscapes, as a model, is invoked to scaffold data and to provide insight into the nuances of destination networks. This research evaluates this concept and its potential for rethinking tourism research and inspiring a new wave of study. Firmly planted in critical tourism studies, this paper conceptualises tourism stakeholder interactions, specifically those networks pursuing common goals at a destination level, such as SDG 17 that aims to strengthen means of implementation through partnerships.     

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.