Analysis and benchmarking of greenhouse gas emissions of luxury hotels

Hotels are one of the most energy intensive building types due to their multi-usage functions and round the clock operations. We investigated the energy consumption of 58 Taiwanese luxury hotels for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄). The average yearly GHG emission density of the investigated hotels is 132 kg-CO₂e/m². The results show an expected 29 kg of equivalent carbon dioxide emission (CO₂e) for each accommodated guest/night, or 50 kg-CO₂e generated for each room/night sold. A multiple regression model was established to normalize the GHG emission intensity, which includes GHG emissions potential variables and a benchmark model, plotted as a cumulative percentile distribution, in which hotels can rank their GHG emissions intensity. By comparing hotel GHG emission performances, hotel managers can determine if and where improvements should be implemented.     

Carbon dioxide emissions from transport in Taiwan's national parks

Transport profoundly affects energy use and carbon dioxide emissions in the tourism sector. This study focuses on five national parks in Taiwan, namely Kenting National Park, Yushan National Park, Yangmingshan National Park, Taroko National Park and Sheipa National Park, and applies a bottom-up approach to determine the amount of CO₂ emissions from domestic tourism transport in 1999–2006. The CO₂ emission factor of private car derived in this study reveals a higher value than that of previous study due to its lower load factors. Moreover, CO₂ emissions per person are different in each national park, influenced by the attributes of travel distance and transport mode. The scenario analysis indicates that CO₂ emission can be reduced by increasing load factors of transport, tourist switching from private cars to public transport and going to destinations close to their points of departure, which can be achieved by authorities through activity management, regulation control and price adjustment. This is also an adequate solution for Taiwan Government owing to the increases in transport volume and the limited tourism budget.     

A stochastic cost efficiency analysis of international tourist hotels in Taiwan

The one-stage stochastic frontier approach (SFA) is used in this study to simultaneously estimate cost efficiency scores and factors of cost inefficiency for 66 international tourist hotels in Taiwan during 1997–2006. An SFA model with three outputs and three inputs is defined. The three outputs are room revenue, food and beverage revenue, and other operation revenue while the three inputs are price of labor, price of other operation, and price of food and beverage. This model also takes into account five environmental variables, including dummy variable of the hotels located in non-metropolitan area, dummy variable of chain hotels, the number of tourist guides, the minimum distance from each hotel to Taoyuan international airport and the minimum distance from each hotel to Kaohsiung international airport. Empirical results show that international tourist hotels in Taiwan are on average operating at 91.15% cost efficiency. All nominal variables are transformed into real variables in 1997 prices by GDP deflators. Chain systems, tourist guides, and international transportation can significantly improve the cost efficiency of international tourist hotels in Taiwan.     

Attitude Towards Green Hotel by Hoteliers and Travel Agency Managers in Taiwan

Analysis is performed by green hotel features: energy conservation, water conservation, waste management, green purchasing, and corporate social responsibility. Questionnaires were distributed to managers of hotels and travel agencies via snowball-sampling. Findings show that hoteliers have higher green hotel attitudes than travel agency managers. By gender, female managers have higher green hotel attitudes. Managers with less work experience have higher green hotel attitudes. Managers who work for upscale hotels have higher green hotel attitudes than managers of typical hotels and travel agencies. Managers working in south or east Taiwan have higher green hotel attitudes than those in north or central Taiwan.     

A study of economies of scale and economies of scope in Taiwan international tourist hotels

This paper is to investigate economies of scale and economies of scope for the international tourist hotel industry in Taiwan. The research sample contains 50 international tourist hotels in Taiwan. Research data is from financial statements in the official annual report published by the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communication, R.O.C., and the sample period is from 1993 to 1997. The empirical model contains the Translog cost function, which includes three output variables and four input factors, the cost‐share equations, and the constraints on the parameters in the simultaneous cost system. The seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) is used to estimate the parameters of the simultaneous cost system. The results show that, based on the 1997 data, international tourist hotels in Taiwan are in general not operating efficiently, in terms of cost efficiency. There are some cost incentives or benefits from expansion both in scale and scope of business.     

Do religion and spirituality matter for hotel workers’ well-being and guests’ happiness? An update of the Attraction-Selection-Attrition theory

Drawing on the Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA) theory (Schneider et al., 1995), this paper examines how adhering to religious regulations and offering spiritual facilities may affect hotel workers’ psychological well-being and guests’ happiness. Using a mixed method approach, we collected data through two studies on religious practices and spiritual facilities at 5-star hotels in Jordan. In the first stage, interviews were conducted with 18 senior managers at hotels in the Dead Sea area (study 1). In the second stage, data were collected from Muslim guests who visited and stayed at a 5-star hotel in Jordan (study 2) and the hypotheses were tested with partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 3.3.3. Our results indicate that spiritual facilities at hotels enhance workers’ well-being and guests’ happiness while not adhering to religious regulations adversely affects workers’ well-being and guests’ happiness. The paper offers a contextual and novel framework to understand the linkages between religion/spirituality and psychology at hotels in a diverse cultural context in the Middle East. The empirical studies highlight the contextual relevance and extension of Schneider’s (1995) ASA theory by incorporating religiosity/spiritualty and well-being of hotel employees in a Middle Eastern context.     

International hotel chains and environmental protection: an analysis of Hilton's we care! programme (Europe, 2006–2008)

Using the case study method, this paper evaluates and analyses Hilton's we care! programme for improving the environmental performance of the 70 Hilton Worldwide hotels in operation in Continental Europe in 2006–2008. It explores the practical dimension of “greening” hotel operations in the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and demonstrates the close links between CSR and human resource management (HRM) in hotels. It deepens the understanding of corporate environmentalism and seeks to disseminate best practice among hospitality managers. The programme's distinctive and innovative character as well as its weaknesses and strengths are highlighted. Barriers to behavioural change in hotel operation are discussed. The programme involved over 16,000 employees, created hotel-specific action teams linking all employee levels and reduced energy use per square metre by 15%, water use and CO₂ emissions per guest night by 8% each over three years. Avoided utility costs totalled US$16 million, of which US$9.6 million can be attributed to changes in human behaviour. The paper makes a case for a holistic approach that combines the introduction of IT-based measurement and performance-assessing tools with genuine employee empowerment and green awareness raising. The study concludes with future managerial policy recommendations that simultaneously bear upon corporate environmentalism and HRM.     

Pricing determinants in the hotel industry: Quantile regression analysis

Due to the skewed distribution of hotel prices, quantile regression provides a more flexible and complete characterization of the determinants of the hotel prices at the higher and lower tail of the distribution. This study applies quantile regression approach to investigate the major determinants of hotel room pricing strategies. The ordinary least square regression is also used for comparative purposes. The data are drawn from 58 international tourist hotels in Taiwan and average room rate (ARR) is used as the proxy of hotel room price. The results of OLS and quantile regression share common characteristics but also have differences in some aspects. The OLS results reveal that number of rooms, hotel age, market conditions and number of housekeeping staff per room are the main attributes of hotel room rate. The quantile regression results further demonstrate that room number and the number of housekeeping staff per guest room do not significantly influence hotel price at the low price quantile. Hotel age and market conditions are only significant determinants in high-price category. Additionally, for the high-priced quantile hotels, the proportion of foreign individual travellers positively and significantly influences room price. The empirical results can help hoteliers in shaping investment and pricing strategies.     

The influence of uncertain demand on hotel capacity

We examine the effects of uncertain demand on hotel capacity using the operation data of international tourist hotels in Taiwan from 1996 to 2008. Abel (1983) argued that demand uncertainty leads to an increase in the capacity of a firm if uncertain demand takes the form of output price uncertainty for the competitive market. We empirically test Abel's model. Our findings support the demand uncertainty hypothesis in Abel's model. Moreover, our results indicate that effective management of hotel capacities is a more important issue for managers of medium-sized hotels than for small or large-sized hotels in the Taiwanese hotel industry.     

Exploring the Factors Affecting Hotel Outsourcing in Taiwan

Two studies were conducted to examine factors affecting hotel outsourcing in Taiwan. In study 1, interviews with senior hotel managers were analyzed to explore the factors determining a hotel's outsourcing of different services. The results of the questionnaire survey used in study 2 indicated that the current and desired percentages of outsourcing for international tourist hotels in Taiwan were very low, indicating that strategic outsourcing has not received much attention in that part of the Taiwanese hospitality sector. The hotel departments that were most often outsourced were housekeeping, security, maintenance and information systems. Study 2 also showed outsourcing decisions were based only on a hotel's resources. The effect of predicting outsourcing was not significant for transaction costs. The results of this study provide both hotel management and outsourcing service providers with insights into hotel outsourcing in Taiwan.     

Assessment of Current Training Program and Its Effectiveness in Hotels of Bhutan

The increasing number of tourist in Bhutan demands for more high-quality hotels to provide better services to guests. The objectives of the study are, (1) to assess the current training provided to the hotel employees; (2) to evaluate the training gap concerning training design and; (3) to examine relationship between the training factors affecting the training effectiveness in Bhutanese hotel industry. Findings showed mismatch of training provided to employees resulting in poor quality of service. Negative score was found between the importance and satisfaction level of hotel employees on contents of training design. However the results showed positive relationship between the training factors and training effectiveness, work environment has strong influence.     

Effectiveness of the hotel websites in Singapore: A perspective from Business‐to‐Business (B2B) organisations

Internet marketing in hotels allows potential users to learn about the hotels, to tour hotel facilities and to compare prices among other benefits without directly interacting with a hotel representative. For some users, Internet is the first and only channel consulted when booking hotel accommodations. In the present age, Internet is increasingly becoming both an opportunity and a challenge for hotel marketers. The opportunity lies in reaching users directly through Internet sites. The challenge is to get the guests’ attention long enough to tell the marketers’ story (Connolly, Olsen and Moore, 1998). It has always been controversial as to how effective Internet marketing can be. Both firms and researchers have indicated that the measuring of effectiveness of Internet marketing is a multidimensional question. This study sought to examine the effectiveness of business‐to‐business Internet marketing in the hotel industry in Singapore through analysing the differences between the travel agents expectations of service and hotels’ understanding of those expectations. A total of 66 hotel websites in Singapore were scanned to give the features analysis. On the basis of the perception scores of 112 inbound travel agents, the study identified the gaps between the users and the website provider (hotel industry).     

Cost structure and productivity growth of the Taiwanese international tourist hotels

This study investigates the cost structure and economic implications of the Taiwanese international tourist hotel industry. A multi-product translog cost function with three inputs and three outputs is estimated using seemingly unrelated regression estimation and three-stage least squares. A balanced panel dataset consisting of 47 international tourist hotels in Taiwan over the period 1997–2001 was obtained from Taiwanese Tourism Bureau and used to estimate the cost function. The results show that both scale and scope economies exist in the Taiwanese international tourist hotel industry. In addition, productivity growth is positive over the study period. Managerial and policy implications for the Taiwanese international tourist hotel industry are also discussed.     

The relationship between CRM, RM, and business performance: A study of the hotel industry in Taiwan

This study aims to investigate the implementation of customer relationship management (CRM) and its effect on relationship marketing (RM) and business performance, through an analysis of the hotel industry in Taiwan. A survey on hotels, including general and tourist hotels, and bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) was conducted, and a total of 560 questionnaires were returned. The results showed that implementing CRM has a significant and positive influence on the RM effect, positively affecting business performance for both hotels and B&Bs. However, a comparison of the influential paths of relationship models between hotels and B&Bs showed that, for hotels, the Internet service and customer support functions of the CRM strategy are the main sources of influence on the RM effect and business performance, whereas for B&Bs, the marketing support function of the CRM strategy alone influences the RM effect and business performance. To achieve higher performance, the different types of hotel enterprises should understand their main advantage before implementing key CRM strategies.     

中国酒店业能源消耗水平与低碳化经营路径分析

低碳旅游是在低碳经济背景下旅游管理研究的热点问题。旅游业虽然被认为是低碳经济的一个重要组成部分,但关于旅游业的能源消耗水平研究一直缺乏定量研究成果。文章以中国酒店业为例,采用投入产出分析方法,对中国酒店业的能源消耗水平进行了定量分析。研究表明,中国酒店业每万元的总产出需要消耗330.99千克标准煤。通过产业部门间的比较研究,发现中国酒店业整体仍然处于高耗能阶段,酒店业在节能减排以及发展低碳经济方面还不具有比较优势;通过比较研究,发现中国酒店业能源消耗水平与部分发达国家相比,还存在很大差距;通过与本地居民能源消耗水平的比较,发现酒店住客的日常能源消耗量远远高于城市居民日常生活的能源消耗量。最后,针对中国酒店业在能源消耗方面存在的问题,提出了中国酒店业低碳化经营的发展路径。     

What are guests scared of? Crime-related hotel experiences and fear of crime

ABSTRACT

This study aims to explore the typology of hotel crime and how it is related to guests’ fear of crime based on a cause-and-consequence model. A total of 873 TripAdvisor reviews were content-analyzed to develop a typology of hotel crime. High-class hotels experienced more theft, fraud, and burglary while low-class hotels encountered more prostitution and drug-related activities. Hotel guests generated a higher fear of crime when crime occurred inside guest rooms, especially in cases of burglary, theft, or fraud. Reviews mentioning crimes were perceived to be more helpful. Managerial implications and best practices of crime prevention are provided for hotel practitioners.     

A performance evaluation model for international tourist hotels in Taiwan—An application of the relational network DEA

This research utilizes relational network data envelopment analysis to construct a model to analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of international tourist hotels (ITHs) in Taiwan. The different production processes within the hotel are evaluated, as well as the relationships between efficiency, effectiveness, and overall performance. Finally, based on the results, we recommend ways of enhancing the overall performance of the hotel industry in Taiwan.     

Hospitality Industry Responses to Climate Change: A Benchmark Study of Taiwanese Tourist Hotels

Hotels are one of the tourism businesses most vulnerable to climate change because of their fixed assets. Results are presented of a baseline study that explores the awareness, attitudes, and behaviours of Taiwanese tourist hotels with respect to climate change and its potential impacts as well as their overall environmental practices. Tourist hotels are defined by the Taiwanese government as hotel establishments of over 80 rooms in rural areas and 50 rooms in city areas. Although the 104 tourist hotels represent only 3.7% of the total number of hotels in Taiwan, they account for over half of international guest nights and had a combined revenue of over TWD$43 billion in 2010. Questionnaires were distributed via email to all tourist hotels in Taiwan and 45 valid returns were received, representing an effective response rate of 43.3%. The results of research illustrate the level of understanding of climate change within Taiwanese tourist hotels and identify the specific climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies that tourist hotels have initiated. Access to such baseline data provides a potentially significant contribution to evaluating the response of the Taiwanese accommodation sector to environment change as well as providing a basis for further comparative studies and benchmarking.     

Western guest experiences of a Pyongyang international hotel,North Korea: Satisfaction under conditions of constrained choice

As little is known about guest experiences when considering tourism in countries such as North Korea where there is tight governmental control of tourist activities, this paper examines guests' perceptions of a North Korean hotel. It suggests that the usual criteria of hotel evaluations do not apply due to a restricted choice set, and hence guests are more tolerant of limited choices and re-value the limitations as part of an experience creation. The paper draws on the classical economic model of “regret and rejoice” and finds that reports posted on social media support this interpretation of guest experience. The results indicate that the liminal nature of hotels discussed separately by other commentators such as Wood, Morgan and Prichard may be applicable as guests impose the context of their stay in North Korea on an interpretation of a satisfactory hotel stay.     

Taxing international tourism in West Africa

West Africa mass tourism focuses on Scandinavian, European, and United States tourists taking beach holidays during the winter months. Beach resort hotels seeking to attract international tourists are in a monopolistically competitive market structure. Localities, rather unsuccessfully, attempt to differentiate the sun/fun package which they offer from those of their competitors. Prices are locked into a small price range. In West Africa a general export tax rate of 10 to 15 percent of total tourist expenditures is incorporated in the industry's cost structure. The impact of adding two types of resort hotel taxes is considered: land taxes (lump sum) and bednight taxes (unit). An increase in hotel land taxes will not change the price or bednights offered by hotels. They will continue to operate at their initial output and price position. Whereas, added bednight taxes are an addition to unit cost and, therefore, will effect the output level and result in a new, slightly higher price and fewer hotel guests.