Evidence of a low-carbon tourism paradigm?

The global tourism industry has benefited from exceptional growth; however, a number of challenges have the potential to seriously undermine the industry's future aspirations. This research uses social representation theory to understand how the social group of tourism experts makes sense of the phenomena of “tourism growth”, “low-carbon tourism”, “peak oil” and “risks for tourism”, and whether representations are indicative of different underlying paradigms. A total of 101 experts from various tourism professions and key demographics were interviewed using the free associations method. The findings reveal distinct representations of the four phenomena, but also significant linkages between them, in particular in relation to the global economy, transportation, energy supply and sustainability. Further, whilst experts appear grounded in the Dominant Social Paradigm of consumerism and neoliberal capitalism, there is evidence of alternative views that question some of the fundamental assumptions of the growth paradigm. In particular, when asked about low-carbon tourism and peak oil, experts advanced associations that indicated an Alternative Paradigm. A broader paradigm shift originating from within tourism, however, alone is unlikely.     

Does tourism matter in measuring community resilience?

As damage from natural hazards is increasing, quantifying community resilience is a top priority in enhancing communities' ability to prepare for and recover from disasters. This study examines the significance of tourism in measuring community resilience by proposing a tourism community resilience measurement model. To identify key tourism industries that significantly improve community resilience, this study also explores the spatially heterogeneous associations between the validated community resilience metric and tourism industry specialization across 67 counties in Florida. The results indicate that the tourism dimension is important in measuring community resilience and that specific tourism sectors, including amusements and spectator sports, are positively associated with community resilience. These findings can help community policymakers develop localized resilience enhancement strategies by considering tourism.     

Is sustainable tourism an obstacle to the economic performance of the tourism industry? Evidence from an international empirical study

Sustainability has become an important strategic objective for tourism destinations worldwide. All analytical tourism competitiveness models make direct or indirect positive references to sustainability. It is accepted that sustainable tourism can reduce resource costs and help create market differentiation. Nevertheless, it has traditionally been considered that, short term, sustainability measures can reduce profitability and compromise competitiveness. Debates on the progress, implications, and practicality of sustainable tourism remain open. The relationship between economic sustainability, and environmental and sociocultural sustainability, is a central but largely unresearched area for tourism scholars, especially at the macro level. This study explores that difficult but essential area, using the World Economic Forum's empirical evidence from 128 countries, backed by the economic data search tool of the World Travel & Tourism Council. It demonstrates that progress in tourism sustainability does not affect a country's main economic tourism indicators in the short term, and does not constrain profitability and competitiveness. It also finds that sustainable tourism is not a luxury that only rich countries can afford, nor should it prevent development and perpetuate poverty in developing countries. An effective marketing and communication program about sustainable tourism is, however, found to be essential for economic success.     

How stable is the tourism-led growth hypothesis in Malaysia? Evidence from disaggregated tourism markets

We contribute to the tourism-growth literature by applying the newly developed combined cointegration test and the recursive Granger causality test to re-assess the stability of the tourism-led growth hypothesis in Malaysia with respect to 12 different tourism markets. The cointegration test results suggest that economic growth of Malaysia is cointegrated with all the 12 selected tourism markets. However, the recursive Granger causality test shows that the tourism-led growth hypothesis in Malaysia is valid and stable with respect to tourist arrivals from only 8 out of the 12 tourism markets. Almost all of them are from developed countries. Hence, not all international visitor arrivals could effectively drive the growth of the Malaysian economy. In light of this, tourism marketing policies should focus more on those tourism markets that could significantly stimulate economic growth. However, there should not be total neglect of others as they potentially contribute to the economies of scale.     

Do expectations of future wealth increase outbound tourism? Evidence from Korea

As international tourism is generally considered a luxury good, models to date have shared an understanding that demand is dependent on discretionary income. However, consumption theories predict that a shift in demand can be induced without changes in actual earnings when expectations for future income are adjusted. This presumes demand for international tourism can be influenced by “wealth effects” from real estate and financial assets. This study tested for the wealth effect on Korean outbound travelers during the 20 years between 1989 and 2009. Korea is a unique place to examine in that Korean households possess housing assets and financial assets that are traded actively in markets. The results of this study favored the possibility of a significant wealth effect from housing on outbound travel demand, but not from financial assets. This may be explained by data sensitivity and the relative importance of financial assets in the Korean people's wealth portfolios. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided along with the findings of the study.     

Does risk matter in CEO compensation contracting? Evidence from US restaurant industry

The structure of compensation packages of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) has been a significant research interest for researchers across various disciplines. In this paper, we examine a unique relationship between CEO compensation and risk (systematic risk) in the US restaurant industry. Our research question stems from the assumption that CEOs must be rewarded with a higher incentive-based compensation in high-risk profile restaurant companies in order to motivate them to perform in their full potential for mutual benefits of the CEO and shareowners. Furthermore, we investigate whether firm risk moderates the relationship between firm performance and CEO total compensation controlling for the firm size and CEO ownership. We draw our sample firms from the US restaurant industry. Findings of our study suggest that firm risk induces a higher proportion of incentive-based compensation for restaurant companies’ CEOs, and firm risk does not seem to moderate the relationship between pay and performance in the restaurant industry.     

Does a VAT rise harm the tourism industry?Portuguese evidence

This paper estimates consequences of the VAT increase on tourism industry, by analysing the impact of the significant VAT rise in Portugal on profitability and survival of firms related to food and beverage service activities. The analysis is divided into 3 periods: before and after the VAT hike and during the financial crisis, with the total time period from 2003 to 2013. The sample is composed of 23,388 Portuguese unique firms with 5.1 year-observations per firm. The impact of the massive VAT change is assessed in comparison to the performance of 4,969 Greek and 59,841 Spanish (for robustness) unique firms for the exact time period. The results show that a dramatic VAT increase significantly affects firm profitability in the country of implementation, with the effect even more dramatic than the recent financial crisis. The equivalent to the proposed 10 percent VAT rise in Portugal has caused a significant decline in firm profitability (an average drop of 8.7% compared to 1.5% during the financial crisis), a massive increase in the number of inactive firms and amplified the likelihood of firms to become bankrupt by about three times. Such consequences inevitably affect unemployment and may cause a slump in tax revenue in the long run. Hence, this research has wide practical implications and should be considered by the Greek and Portuguese governments before taking a next step of intervening in the tourism sector.     

Addressing zero-hunger through tourism? Food security outcomes from two tourism destinations in rural Ethiopia

Underpinned by sustainable livelihood thinking, this study investigated community stakeholders' perspectives on the impacts of tourism on food security in two rural tourism destinations: Debarq and Meket in Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with a range of stakeholders to solicit their perspectives, revealing the complexity of the tourism and food security relationship. Although tourism had brought about some small changes to food availability, access and utilisation, there were limitations around its contribution to food stability. This was primarily due to the nature of tourism employment and lack of linkages between tourism and local agriculture. Tourism was not strong enough nor properly integrated with existing livelihoods to support the local communities' food security, generally only offering a minor contribution. This research highlights the challenges for tourism to contribute to local communities' food security, offering policy-relevant guidance for addressing the food security challenges of tourism destinations.     

Drivers and consequences of sustainability committee existence? Evidence from the hospitality and tourism industry

This study's objective is twofold: (1) to investigate whether board characteristics predict the existence of a sustainability committee, and (2) to examine whether the establishment of sustainability committees stimulates sustainability reporting, external assurance, and the adoption of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework in hospitality and tourism (H&T) firms. For this purpose, the data was derived from the Thomson Reuters Eikon database for publicly traded H&T firms from 2013 to 2018. The results indicate that while board size is a significant predictor of sustainability committee establishment, female and independent directors are not. Furthermore, the H&T firms with a sustainability committee are more likely to issue a sustainability report, to get an independent assurance statement on sustainability reporting, and to follow GRI guidelines in configuring sustainability report content and structure. Overall, the results suggest important implications to help H&T firms achieve sustainable goals and to design their boards accordingly.     

To what extend economic uncertainty effects tourism investments? Evidence from OECD and non-OECD economies

This paper aims to examine the role of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on tourism investments across the samples of OECD, non-OECD, high-income, upper-middle-income, and low-income economies. We account for cross-sectional dependence and endogeneity and also incorporate economic development, financial development, and trade openness indicators in the analyses. By using annual data between 1996 and 2016 and a total of 101 countries, we provide robust estimates on the determinants of tourism investments. The findings from the Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) and the Group Mean approaches show that the EPU has a significant negative impact on tourism investments across the panels. Moreover, other estimates suggest that economic development, financial development, and trade positively contribute to tourism investments.     

The role of tourism management in adaptation to climate change – a study of a European inland area with a diversified tourism supply

The Carpathian Basin is one of the most vulnerable European regions in terms of potential climate change impacts on biodiversity. Its wide range of tourism activities make it uniquely suitable for assessing the effects of climate change on tourism. This research sought to create a Tourism Adaptation Portfolio (TAP) for the Szentendre micro-region in Hungary and to assemble an adaptation toolbox for current and future use by tourism organizations. The TAP contains practical, easy to implement solutions for key stakeholders in the sector by adaptation type (technology, management, behavior, education, policy). Surveys of local tourism suppliers showed that 70% said they were well informed, largely by the Internet, but 55% admitted to not knowing enough. The methodology outlined here is transferable and the process can be replicated elsewhere, supporting other regions in becoming climate-friendly tourism destinations, creating opportunities for uniquely positioning a region for consumers. The article provides a concise overview of tourism provider attitudes assessed through a questionnaire, shedding light on points of intervention, willingness to pay, main barriers and suitable adaptation instruments. The adaptive capacity of stakeholders is also discussed, which is indispensable for implementing successful practices in adaptation and maintaining the current level of environmental services.     

Does workplace fun matter? Developing a useable typology of workplace fun in a qualitative study

A fun work environment is a positive atmosphere for organizations to attract and retain employees. This study identifies the significant factors of workplace fun and develops a useable typology of workplace fun activities in the hospitality industry. A qualitative case study with grounded theory approach was used by conducting interviews with ten hotel human resource (HR) practitioners in the People's Republic of China. The results identified four “S”s of workplace fun factors, namely: (1) Staff-oriented workplace fun, (2) Supervisor-oriented workplace fun, (3) Social-oriented workplace fun, and (4) Strategy-oriented workplace fun. This study provides a roadmap to guide future hospitality management research in workplace fun domain.     

Does world heritage list really induce more tourists? Evidence from Macau

It is commonly believed that being listed on the World Heritage List (WHL) results in attracting more tourists. However, this assumption has not been generally subject to rigorous econometric approach in the existing literature. To fill this gap, we assess the impact of the accreditation World Heritage status on the “Historic Centre of Macau” in 2005 on visitor numbers to the territory to identify the real effect of WHL on fostering tourism. In doing so, because of the policy restrictions on the mainland Chinese tourists, such tourists have been excluded from the analysis. The empirical results indicate that there is no significant effect of WHL on promoting tourism other than possibly a short-run tourism-enhancing impact. Notably, this effect is particularly relevant to Asian tourists. This paper discusses these results in the wider context of econometric analyses of tourism.     

Does better service induce higher profitability? Evidence from Taiwanese Hospitality Industry

We adopt Wang et al. (2006) service quality measure to examine how the qualities of various hotel services affect hotel's profitability using panel data in the Taiwanese international tourist hotel sector. The empirical results indicate that there is a non-linear relationship between food and beverage service quality and hotel profitability, while the effect of room service quality on hotel profitability is not significant.     

Can community-based tourism contribute to sustainable development? Evidence from residents’ perceptions of the sustainability

In this paper, the research gaps in sustainable tourism development were addressed by examining residents' perceptions of the sustainability of community-based tourism based on tourism area life cycle theory. The survey questionnaire was distributed to the residents of six Taiwanese communities, and it was designed to determine the residents' perceptions of the economic, socio-cultural, environmental, and life satisfaction sustainability of tourism. In total, 849 usable questionnaires were collected. The analytical results further elucidated the sustainability of nature-based tourism and suggested that the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental sustainability varied significantly in the consolidation, development, and involvement stages of community-based tourism development. The four dimensions of sustainability were evaluated according to the pre- and post-development perceptions of tourism sustainability, and significantly different results were obtained. The study concludes that the residents’ perceptions differed across the developmental stages; thus, managers should consider the development opportunities and adopt appropriate strategies across different development stages.     

How can Taiwan create a niche in Asia's cruise tourism industry?

Cruise tourism is a significant growth trend in Europe and America. However, in recent years, it has gradually gained popularity among tourists in Asia, showing great potential. Strategically located in Asia, Taiwan is an ideal place to develop cruise tourism. This study explores how Taiwan could build a niche in Asia's cruise tourism industry. It applies the Fuzzy Delphi and Fuzzy IPA methods. According to study results, Taiwan should prioritize on the following aspects: establishing a 24-h tourist service center, providing a complete cruise logistics service, inviting foreign cruise operators to inspect special resources in Taiwan, cooperating with other Asian countries, setting up a special government unit, as well as planning and developing unique tourism resources.     

How does smog influence domestic tourism in China? A case study of Beijing

ABSTRACT

This study took Beijing as a case to examine the potential impact of smog on the domestic demand of tourist destinations in China. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to explore and confirm the causal relationships between perception of travel risk, travel dissatisfaction, negative destination and avoidance tendency. It is found that the Mainland Chinese residents have a strong perception of the potential travel risk caused by smog in Beijing. Moreover, the impact of travel risk perception on avoidance tendency is indirect and works through the mediating variables such as travel dissatisfaction or negative destination image.     

Does a low-cost carrier lead the domestic tourism demand and growth of New Zealand?

This study aims to provide a better understanding of the impact of New Zealand's low-cost carrier (LCC) on domestic tourism demand and growth. The panel data regression model and the two-stage least-square (2SLS) model (aims to control for the endogeneity effects) are used to empirically investigate the impact of LCC and the key determinants affecting New Zealand's domestic tourism using five regions (Auckland, Canterbury/Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Wellington) from June 2009 to July 2015. The findings suggested that the LCC's services, GDP per capita, the regional tourism indicators (accommodation, and food and beverage), and land transport costs affected New Zealand's domestic tourism. The policy implications of the key finding regarding the significance of the LCC's operations on New Zealand's domestic tourism (local/regional tourism authorities and tourism operators), airline competition between incumbent airline (Air New Zealand) and the LCC (Jetstar), and airport authorities are discussed.     

Is there structure in the selection interview? Evidence from hotels in Switzerland

Many studies have shown that structured interviews have better predictive validity than unstructured interviews. The aim of this study was, then, to examine if recruiters in Swiss hotels use structured interviews to select candidates. Results obtained on 150 recruiters indicate that selection interviews are rather unstructured. They also show that selection interviews are more structured in larger hotels than in smaller hotels and in chain hotels than in independent hotels. Finally, and contrarily to one of the hypotheses, selection interviews are not more structured in four-star and five-star hotels than in three-star hotels.     

How to decouple tourism growth from carbon emissions? A case study of Chengdu,China

The world has witnessed unparalleled tourism growth over the past decades but accompanied by significant carbon emissions. Therefore, addressing the conundrum that is to decouple tourism growth from carbon emissions is of great significance for achieving sustainable tourism. In this paper, we extend the framework of decoupling analysis by introducing the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition model and an innovative accounting approach into the Tapio decoupling index model. The results show that (1) during the observed period, an overall weak decoupling of tourism growth from carbon emissions and different influential factors played different roles in the decoupling process and that (2) various decoupling determinants are statistically linked, and maintaining the synergistic relationship among different decoupling strategies in the tourism industry should be an important issue to governmental authorities.