Entrepreneurial Characteristics,Motives, and Business Challenges: Exploratory Study of Small- and Medium-Sized Hotel Businesses

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to gather information about the determinants and characteristics of the owners/managers of small- and medium-sized hotels (SMSHs) and identify various issues in starting up and operating businesses in the United Arab Emirates. The results of this study reveal that the majority of the owners/managers of SMSHs in the United Arab Emirates are male, young and middle age, and relatively new to the tourism industry. The motivations for the business ventures of the entrepreneurs include wanting to be financially independent, become one’s own boss, involvement in family business and the opportunities of the hotel business. Among the key business challenges highlighted by the owners/managers of SMSHs are stiff competition in the hotel industry, increased operating costs, reduced demand, and lack of skilled employees. Several key strategies have been employed to face these challenges. These include offering competitive pricing, improving the marketing and channels of promotion, enhancing the quality of service and providing superior customer service.     

An examination of the recruitment selection factors for a front desk agent

ABSTRACT

The author examined the selection factors within the three traditional steps of recruitment of reviewing the cover letter, the résumé, and the face-to-face interview for a front desk agent position. Differences between hospitality recruiters and hiring managers indicate each group has selection factors according to their personal guidelines. The findings suggest hospitality experience and background, length of time at a position, and positive attitudes (personality) are most important in each of the three stages. Even though experience was the most frequent selection factor, the final decision of a “gut feeling or intuition” chose the applicant.     

Understanding and Sharing Knowledge of New Tourism Markets

SUMMARY

This paper examines issues involved in the definition, creation, and use of knowledge about the Chinese outbound market. It provides an initial view of the type of knowledge required by tourism managers in Australia, some suggestions about where this knowledge is available, or how it may be produced, and identifies issues in sharing that knowledge between tourism industry members and between academics and the industry.     

Balancing the dual mandate of conservation and visitor use at a Canadian world heritage site in an era of rapid climate change

Abstract

National parks in Canada operate under the dual mandate of conservation and visitor use, which involves balancing ecological integrity and nature-based tourism activities. Climate-induced environmental change may increase the existing tension between conservation and visitor use as major tourism resources located in protected areas (PAs) are projected to undergo large-scale changes. This study draws upon the behavioural approach, scenario planning, and landscape visualizations to examine the relationship between climate change impacts, visitor perceptions, and visitor experience management at the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park, Canada. Four tourism development scenarios defined by two management drivers (ecological integrity and visitor demand) with corresponding storylines and visualizations were developed for 2050. The visualized scenarios were presented to visitors (n?=?304) in a survey to understand potential implications on visitor satisfaction. The results suggest that park managers need to find a balance between ecological integrity and visitor use in a way that ensures commercialized tourism development is limited, educational material is prioritized, and ecological integrity is maintained. While understanding the behaviour of future tourists is complex, it is a critical component of climate change adaptation planning and decision-making processes that needs to be prioritized by policymakers and PAs managers.     

Tradeshow Managers

ABSTRACT

Technology adoption in the tourism industry has been widely reported. Tradeshows, which play a vital part in the tourism economy, have not been investigated to the same extent. This study focuses on tradeshow managers' use of technology, particularly the Internet. Using Rogers' Innovation-Diffusion Theory model, the present research queried the managers of the Tradeshow 200 (the 200 largest tradeshows in the United States) to assess their feelings about technology innovations. Tradeshow managers were also asked about Time Poverty Issues as identified by Forsythe and Bailey. Technology usage has become infused into the jobs of show managers. At the same time, correlations between technology adoption and feelings of time poverty were discovered.     

Profiling Japanese Tourists Visiting Night Markets in Taiwan

Abstract

Night markets have become the most popular tourism attraction for international tourists in Taiwan since 2003. They offer tourists a chance to experience new things and visit different environments when visiting the island. Japan has long been the leading generator of international tourism for Taiwan in terms of numbers and expenditures. Thus, the objective of this research is to profile Japanese tourists based on their novelty-seeking motives in visiting night markets. The 320 Japanese tourists are segmented into three groups: conservative tourists, moderate novelty-seekers and well-planned explorers. Based on the results, implications and recommendations are provided to the tourism authorities, and future research possibilities are also noted.     

旅游者中位年龄的几个市场指示意义

年龄是旅游市场细分理论中一个重要的社会—人口学变量,不同的年龄结构对细分市场的旅游行为有着重要的影响。然而,在刻画旅游者年龄结构时,无论是在业界实践还是学界研究中,被普遍采用但标准各异的旅游者年龄"上中下"分组模式却不可避免地制约了相关研究成果之间纵向或横向的比较与验证,需要发展一条可以沟通联系的纽带。文章试图将中位年龄作为这种可能的纽带引入我国旅游市场研究领域,基于国家旅游局公开发布的旅游者年龄统计数据,提出了旅游市场类型的中位年龄划分标准,并在此基础上进一步探讨了旅游者中位年龄在指示市场结构类型、市场环境波动和市场发展分化方面的后效价值,以期为旅游市场营销与管理提供一定的理论依据。     

Investigating public relations as a destination promotion strategy: the role of multiple dimensions of publicity

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the relationships between tourism-related public relations, publicity, and tourism demand. Publicity was split into three aspects: attention, prominence, and valence based on multidimensionality of media salience. These relationships were tested in the context of United States tourists to South Korea using a system of equations. Empirical findings indicated that public relations and the three aspects of publicity had a significant effect on tourism demand. Public relations was also found to have a significant effect on the prominence and valence dimensions of publicity. However, public relations did not influence the attention dimension. Theoretical and practical implications along with suggestions for future research are presented.     

Evaluation of the impact of the tourism nation promotion project on inbound tourists in Japan: a difference-in-differences approach

This study quantitatively evaluates the impact of the Tourism Nation Promotion Project on tourism demand. Data were obtained from Japan Tourism Agency’s quarterly survey from 2010Q2 to 2015Q4. Cox and zero-truncated negative binomial models and difference-in-differences approach were applied to analyze tourism demand and the project’s impact on inbound tourists’ length of stay and expenditure in Japan. Empirical results showed a positive and significant average treatment effect on length of stay and expenditure for tourists from Australia, China, Russia, and Thailand. These findings indicate that the Japanese government should use differentiated strategies considering different nationalities’ characteristics to attract foreign tourists.     

Family Vs. Non-Family Business Owners’ Commitment to Their Town: A Multigroup Invariance Analysis

This study examines differences between family-owned and non-family-owned small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) operating in regional tourism destinations. The research focuses on SMTE owners' commitment to stay in the town in which they are embedded. Based on samples of family (N?=?157) and non-family (N?=?141) businesses in regional South Australia, was used to test the construct validity of SMTE owners' “commitment to stay”. Multigroup invariance was used to test the factorial equivalence of scores from the commitment model across family and non-family businesses. Results support the validity of the “commitment to stay” CFA model. Multigroup invariance analysis suggests family business owners have a greater commitment to staying in their town. These results contribute to our understanding of the unique objectives and behaviours of family businesses in tourism as well as present important implications to destination managers aiming to support sustainable entrepreneurial development.     

A Highlight of Tourism and Hospitality Education Issues in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

This paper was written to explore the opinions of the hospitality human resource managers in Taiwan about current tourism and hospitality education provisions. Major issues regarding tourism and hospitality education in Taiwan were identified. Based on the research findings, a number of conclusions were drawn and specific suggestions for the future of the tourism and hospitality education in Taiwan were proposed.     

Examining the link between meetings,incentive, exhibitions,and conventions (MICE) and tourism demand using generalized methods of moments (GMM): the case of Singapore

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impact of meetings, incentive, exhibitions, and conventions (MICE) on tourism demand in Singapore over a period of 10 years (2003–2012). Past studies have shown that MICE matters a great deal to host destinations but researchers have rarely conducted any empirical research to verify the significance of this sector to tourism demand. Our study intends to fill the gap by using Difference and System generalized methods of moments (GMM) estimators for dynamic panel models. Tourism demand is measured by tourist arrivals from the top 30 origins, and the influence of real income of the tourist generating country and real exchange rate is also examined. The GMM results show a significant positive relationship between tourism demand and MICE (with international meetings as proxies). Additionally, the findings reveal that tourism demand growth is significantly positive (negative) with respect to changes in income (relative prices). The coefficient of lagged tourist arrivals indicates a high level of habit persistence and revisiting.     

女性高管会提升旅游企业绩效吗?——来自旅游上市公司的经验研究

旅游业是女性就业较为集中的行业。近年来,我国旅游企业中女性高管不断增加,文章以2003-2016年期间我国旅游上市公司作为样本,基于高阶理论构建研究假设,并利用非平衡面板数据建立计量经济学模型,实证研究我国旅游上市公司中女性高管对企业绩效的影响。研究发现,旅游上市企业中女性高管对企业绩效具有显著促进作用;然而,对酒店行业的进一步分析表明,女性高管对酒店企业绩效的正向作用,会因为行业高度竞争压力的存在而受到抑制。研究结果丰富了现阶段女性研究相关文献,也为旅游企业管理决策提供了理论依据和经验支持。     

Practicing What We Preach in Tourism Education and Research

Abstract

As teachers of both strategic and operational management in tourism/hospitality programs, we constantly stress the importance of research as a means of providing critical information for destination planning and development. At the same time, in our capacity as managers of academic programs, it is not uncommon for many of us to overlook the use of research in the management of these programs. While we normally undertake market assessments before establishing new programs, and regularly gather operational data on teaching performance, this paper argues that based on the existing literature, tourism education program managers generally fail to take sufficient advantage of several strategic research approaches that are heavily used in other management contexts.

Having recognized their own shortcoming in this regard, the present authors have attempted to rectify it by formally integrating a selected number of widely used research approaches into the overall management of their programs. The results, we believe, demonstrate just how valuable the use of formal program research can be in setting innovative directions for program design and development, for enhancing student satisfaction with specific courses, and for evaluating the overall efficiency and effectiveness of well established programs.

Part I of the present discussion examines the use and usefulness of one major research technique for tourism education program design and management. The technique in question is Strategic Visioning.     

The length of stay in the demand for tourism

One of the main characteristics of current tourism is the reduction in the length of stay at a destination. Nevertheless, this variable has received little attention in literature. This paper examines the microeconomic determinants of the length of stay at one of the Mediterranean's leading sun-and-sand destinations. The estimation of a conditional demand function model highlights the explanatory power of the tourist's sociodemographic profile and of holiday characteristics, as well as the sensitivity of the length of stay to price changes.     

The Role of Training in Achieving TQM in Restaurants

Abstract

TQM, and its application to the hospitality and tourism industries, has begun to receive more attention in the literature. However, few articles focus exclusively upon TQM in the restaurant industry and fewer still have examined the relationship between TQM and employee training. This article examines this relationship through interviews with managers with two prominent restaurant chains in Canada.     

Ties that bind tourists: embedding destination motivators to destination attachment: a study in the context of Kumbh Fair,India

ABSTRACT

Despite the deep cultural value and strong appeal to global tourists, the Kumbh Fair has not been explored much by researchers. This is even though the Kumbh Fair is crafting the tourism of India, thereby leading to its overall socio-economic development. This study aims to examine the determinants of tourist motivation, such as ads awareness, destination image and online-communities, which provoke tourists to have attachment with the destination more closely. The study found the tourists’ attitude as a complementary mediation and spiritual stimuli as a mediating moderator are positively impacting on the significant relationship of destination motivators and destination attachment.     

Uncovering crowdsourcing in tourism apps: A grounded theory study

Even though crowdsourcing emerges as a new business principle of many successful tourism apps, its underlying mechanism in tourism remains unexplored. This research note explores this topic with a qualitative design through interviews with stakeholders involved in a crowdsourcing tourism app, Gold Medal Tour Guide. Applying the grounded theory, researchers propose a framework of crowdsourcing in tourism apps consisting of six themes and 15 subthemes. The framework identifies the drive of crowdsourcing and discusses the complexities and contradictions in multi-stakeholder collaboration. The contextual impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the crowdsourcing phenomenon are also examined. The findings provide practical implications for tourism destinations to take advantage of the crowdsourcing mechanism for sustainable operation and development.     

Segmenting foodies for a foodie destination

ABSTRACT

The consumption of food is an integral part of a tourism experience. As foodie travellers seek out unique food experiences, it is valuable for tourism destination managers to understand their preferences and behaviours. Using a 61-item foodie activity scale, 2948 surveys were analyzed to determine clusters of foodies. The findings suggest that researchers or destination managers should avoid a “one size fits all” approach in the development of foodie destinations. Giving attention to the travel preferences and types of experiences that foodie segments prefer may allow communities reap the benefits of serving as a destination for foodie travellers.     

Leisure co‐participant preferences of the elderly: Age‐homogeneity versus age‐heterogeneity

Abstract

Leisure participation often occurs in the company of others. Therefore, identifying the nature of preferred others is important in understanding antecedent conditions which facilitate the leisure experience. A major characteristic in determining co‐participant preferences of the elderly is the preferred age of others involved in the activity. This study was conducted to determine whether older individuals prefer to interact with age‐peers or with younger individuals when participating in 19 selected leisure activities. Results indicated a preference for age‐heterogeneity in interaction. However, old respondents were more likely to select old co‐participants than were young respondents.