All-inclusive Resorts Research Articles

Reducing plate waste in all-inclusive resorts: Strategy, precaution and barriers

Plate waste constitutes approximately a third of the food waste generated in the hospitality industry. Almost all this plate waste might also be prevented. This study intended to explore the strategies and measures tourists adopted for plate waste reduction and the barriers they encountered while implementing these measures. A qualitative research design was adopted for this purpose. Data were acquired through semi-structured interviews conducted with 23 tourists holidaying in an all-inclusive resort. Four themes emerged following the performed analyses: feelings about plate waste, strategies implemented for plate waste reduction, measures proposed for plate waste reduction, and barriers to plate waste reduction. This study contributes to understanding tourists’ behavior to mitigate and avoid plate waste in the hospitality industry. The findings suggest important implications for policy makers, decision makers, industry representatives, businesses tackling plate waste, and other stakeholders responsible for reducing their waste and protecting the environment. Besides, academics working on tourists’ behavior towards plate waste might benefit from this study. This study further provides a basis for reducing plate waste, thus minimizing the environmental damage caused by the tourism industry and developing interventions. Plate waste is a relatively novel and under-researched phenomenon, particularly in the hospitality industry. For this reason, this study contributes significantly to the existing literature about plate waste.

Individual Differences in Plate Wasting Behavior: The Roles of Dispositional Greed, Impulsivity, Food Satisfaction, and Ecolabeling.

This study examines the effects of dispositional greed, impulsivity, food satisfaction, and ecolabeling on consumers' plate waste in all-inclusive hotels. Using a moderated mediation research model, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1253 tourists of different nationalities, all staying in five-star hotels in Alanya, Türkiye. The results show that both dispositional greed and impulsivity positively predict and significantly contribute to plate waste. Conversely, food satisfaction was found to be an influential variable that moderates the effects of greed and impulsivity on plate waste, highlighting its critical role in waste reduction strategies. Ecolabels, despite their intended purpose, were not found to have a significant impact on consumer attitudes toward plate waste. Future research is encouraged to explore strategies to counteract dispositional greed and impulsivity, given their significant impact on plate waste behavior. At the same time, refining methods to promote food satisfaction and the effective use of ecolabels may contribute significantly to reducing plate waste in all-inclusive resorts. This research contributes to our understanding of the psychological factors that influence consumer behavior in buffet settings and provides guidance to hospitality industry practitioners seeking to reduce waste.

Stuck with Tourism: Space, Power, and Labor in Contemporary Yucatán

Stuck with Tourism: Space, Power, and Labor in Contemporary Yucatán

An Investigation into the Causes of Food Waste by Tourists in All-inclusive Resorts in Turkey

ABSTRACT It is well-established that tourists play a significant role in food waste generation. This issue, however, has been under-examined from the perspectives of tourists. In this regard, this study attempted to understand the reasons for the excessive amount of waste generated by tourists in all-inclusive resorts and examine tourists’ food waste behavior through an exploratory approach. In this context, semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with 26 regular holidaymakers at all-inclusive resorts. The factors affecting tourists’ food waste behavior were categorized into three main themes: food-related, tourist-related, and holiday-related factors. Findings revealed that food waste behavior was pervasive among tourists. It was also discovered that tourists denied their involvement in food waste, claiming that “other tourists” contributed more to food waste generation. A comprehensive model of food waste behavior of tourists was developed within the scope of this study.

The effect of construction intensity on landscape preferences in Cuban tourist resorts

Within the context of the increasing importance of tourism in large all-inclusive resorts in tourist destinations such as Cuba, this study analyses the preferences of potential tourists (university students) from Spain and Brazil based on the construction intensity in these resorts and the academic background of the participants. To this end, an online questionnaire with photographs of landscape units in Cayo Santa María (Province of Villa Clara, Cuba) was devised. The two-fold objective focused on assessing the valuation of the landscape's visual quality related to the presence and intensity of tourism-related constructions, as well as assessing the potential bias linked to the academic profile in said assessment. The results indicate that a majority of those interviewed preferred landscapes without constructions. Construction intensity was also an important variable, in that landscape preferences declined as construction intensity increased. At a secondary level, the academic background also had a significant influence on landscape preferences. Most Natural Science students preferred landscapes that were free of constructions, while those studying Health Sciences preferred the ones containing constructions. In conclusion, it is recommended that landscape preference studies be taken into account to optimize tourism planning in areas of enormous ecosystem and landscape value.

Impact of Neophobia and Liminoid Tendencies on Tourists’ Food Consumption Behaviors in All-Inclusive Hotels: A Study in Antalya

ABSTRACT This study examined the impact of tourists’ neophobia and liminoid behavior tendencies on their food consumption behaviors in hotels offering all-inclusive services. Tourist’s food consumption was operationalized in two domains amount (how much they consumed compared to their daily food intake) and content (whether they consumed local or familiar food compared to their routine food consumption patterns). The sample comprised 280 tourists staying in two all-inclusive holiday resorts in Antalya, Turkey. The reliability and validity of the measurement model was demonstrated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) before the four hypotheses in the research model were tested using structural equation modeling. In support of the hypotheses, the findings showed that neophobia significantly reduced the amount and novelty of tourists’ food consumption whereas liminoid tendencies significantly increased them. In conclusion both neophobia and liminoid tendencies are significant predictors of tourists’ food consumption behaviors in all-inclusive hotels operating in Antalya.

Enclaves in tourism: producing and governing exclusive spaces for tourism

Exclusively planned tourism destinations, such as all-inclusive resorts, gated resort communities, private cruise liner-owned islands and privatized beaches, have increased over the last few decades. Researchers have analyzed these kinds of tourism environments as enclaves, which are typically driven by external forces and actors, strongly supported by globalization and the current neoliberal market economy. Existing research shows that tourism enclaves are characterized by active border-making, power issues and material and/or symbolic separation from the surrounding socio-cultural realities, leading to weak linkages with host communities and the local economy. Tourism enclaves involve power inequalities, injustices and unsustainable practices that often have serious negative impacts on local socio-economic development. The articles of the special issue focus on tourism enclaves in different theoretical and geographical contexts and they contribute to our understanding of how these exclusive spaces are created and transformed and how they shape places and place identities. The individual research articles are contextualized and discussed with the key theoretical perspectives and empirical findings on tourism enclaves. Future research needs include analysis of linkages and flows of labor, goods, ideas and capital in different scales; policymaking, planning and regulations; environmental impacts; and locals’ land and resource access in the respect of bordering, privatization and land grabbing. By focusing on these topics, the tourism industry could be guided towards more responsible and sustainable development path.

Reassessing public opinion of captive cetacean attractions with a photo elicitation survey.

BackgroundCaptive cetacean attractions are growing in number globally, their operators citing entertainment, education, and conservation as benefits. Those for and against developing such attractions claim public support. Previous public opinion research, however, shows little consensus, partly due to the introduction of biases in study design that influence participants’ responses. Those involved in, or concerned with, developing and licensing these attractions need to better understand what drives the lack of consensus to take socially-acceptable decisions.MethodsWe reviewed previous research on public opinion of cetacean captivity, noting possible sources of bias. Survey question wording can be a major source of introduced bias, so we used an open-ended photo elicitation approach. We showed tourists in the Turks Caicos Islands (N = 292) images of a marine mammal park (MMP) killer whale show and a swim-with-the-dolphins (SWTD) attraction and asked for their qualitative comments on the potential development of each. They also indicated how likely they would be to visit each on a Likert scale.ResultsRespondents were generally against visiting MMP killer whale shows, with 60.9% not likely to visit. SWTD attractions were more popular; 60.3% were likely to visit. For SWTD, USA residents were more likely to visit; older respondents and those staying in all-inclusive resorts were less likely. Those staying in all-inclusive resorts were also less likely to visit MMP killer whale shows. The great majority of qualitative comments centred on either entertainment value or animal welfare concerns. There were very few, if any, comments on the education or conservation value of these attractions.DiscussionOur findings contradict several previous studies on public opinion of captive cetaceans that did not use photo elicitation. The support shown for MMP killer whale shows in this survey was well below that claimed by studies conducted on behalf of captive cetacean attraction operators. Opposition to SWTD was also noticeably lower than that found in surveys conducted with wild cetacean tourism participants. This difference can likely be attributed to the different survey populations and settings, but this variation is also very likely attributable to researcher-introduced bias. While photo selection can introduce bias, photo elicitation reduces reliance on pre-scripted questions and responses, and seems to effectively reduce other forms of bias. Allowing open-ended responses, where participants responded to an image, seems to have given a more representative understanding of what is at the forefront of the public’s mind than closed questioning. These conclusions, among others made in this study, suggest that development decisions for captive cetacean attractions are being made on imprecise data. Going forward, data collected via responder-led, open-ended, bias-minimising approaches should at least be considered when informing such decisions.

Evolución de la calidad del paisaje a partir del desarrollo turístico en Cayo Santa María (Villa Clara, Cuba)

En las últimas décadas, el conocido como “turismo de sol y playa” ha experimentado una reconversión en la modalidad de all-inclusive resorts o grandes villas hoteleras, generalmente situadas en espacios de alta calidad paisajística. Por su rápido crecimiento y su alto poder transformador del territorio, tanto a nivel ambiental como socioeconómico, resulta de especial relevancia evaluar el impacto que estos modelos tienen sobre el paisaje de acogida. En este trabajo se lleva a cabo la delimitación y caracterización de unidades de paisaje de una pequeña isla al norte de Cuba antes y después del desarrollo turístico, obteniéndose nuevas unidades conformadas por las villas hoteleras. Posteriormente se realiza un análisis del paisaje y un diagnóstico de su calidad en las dos etapas definidas, constatándose una disminución general de los valores principalmente asociada a las áreas que han acogido construcciones e infraestructuras. Así mismo, se mantienen entrevistas con representantes de los principales sectores socioeconómicos relacionados con el cayo, con el fin de establecer los objetivos de calidad del paisaje y medidas específicas para alcanzarlos.

Global Theory and Touristic Encounters

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourist industry is providing one in nine jobs and eighty per cent of travellers come from just twenty countries. In other words, in a changing global economy, tourism is a matter of economic imperative for the Majority World, and privileged mobility for the Minority. The economic dependency of the Eastern Caribbean on tourism has been well- documented (Ferguson 1997, Lea 1998, Patullo 1996). A large element of its attractiveness depends on its connotations of paradise in the Minority World, and therefore it is an economic necessity that paradise is continually simulatable. The widespread development of all-inclusive resorts, or what Bauman has termed ‘reservation-style experiences’ (1998: 58), organises social space as a simulacra of widely circulated images, and it is a structuration which approaches culture as a factor of risk and uncertainty. Furthermore, not only does a large amount of tourist/host contact take place within this confinement, but it is increasingly the normative setting for representations of the Caribbean in media texts. In this paper I do not wish to re-examine arguments concerning the social unsustainability of this form of tourism, as I think that can be taken as read. My focus will be the way in which this kind of tourism provides a framework for imagining and gazing upon the Caribbean, and the problems this presents for island identities. Central to this is the question of identity and globalisation, that nebulous process which drives the increase in the type of tourism which is under discussion. An influential current in global theory is to analyse the way in which processes engendered in the economic sphere result in cultural phenomenon which are delinked from any simplistic notion of economic causality. While this is generally sustainable, I wish to argue that the precise form of tourism which defines the Caribbean’s entry into this global market has a structuring influence on the cultural, precisely because it is the cultural which has been fundamentally commodified

POLITICAL CROSSROADS: HOW ERDOGAN IS DIFFERENT FROM PUTIN

POLITICAL CROSSROADS: HOW ERDOGAN IS DIFFERENT FROM PUTIN

Residents’ perceived impacts of all-inclusive resorts in Antalya

ABSTRACTThis study examined Antalya residents’ perceptions of the impacts of all-inclusive resorts (AIRs) in the Turkish coastal destination. Perceptions were examined to determine if they significantly differed across residential demographics. All told, 660 residents completed the on-site, self-administered survey instrument. Exploratory factor analysis of the Perceptions of All-Inclusive Resorts (PAIR) Scale revealed four unique factors (e.g. three focused on negative impacts and one on positive impacts). In four of the five multiple analysis of variance models, significant differences in PAIR factors were found among residents. Results revealed that residents who were male, older, employed in the tourism industry and less educated perceived AIR impacts more negatively. Results are explained through the social exchange theory and practical implications, along with future research opportunities, are offered.

The attitudes of students and young professionals toward VolunTourism: a study abroad perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes toward VolunTourism of students of Humber College, Toronto, Canada, who had engaged in VolunTourism excursions within the context of study abroad programmes or were about to embark on such a programme. The paper attempts to make a connection between altruistic travel motivations and the applicability of VolunTourism experiences on resumes in pursuit of differentiation in the job market. Design/methodology/approach The sample frame for this paper consisted of two groups of students who, at the time of the study, had participated in a curriculum-based study-abroad programme featuring VolunTourism components in the past five years (post-study) or were confirmed to embark on a trip shortly thereafter (pre-study). The surveys comprised a mixed-method approach. Quantitative and qualitative information was gathered through anonymous online surveys and personal interviews. Findings The responses obtained in personal interviews reflect the results obtained in the online surveys. Students who sat down for a personal interview were enthusiastic and supportive of VolunTourism. Three-quarters of the interviewees were 25 and younger. None of them had previously participated in study abroad programme, but they did have previous volunteering experience through high school curriculum or personal engagement. Besides their enthusiasm for doing good, students believed VolunTourism to enhance their image and increase their competitive advantage in the job market. Research limitations/implications The surveys do not explore the impact of short-term VolunTourism opportunities in general but are focused on specific curriculum-based programmes. The bulk of participants came from the Tourism Management programme, whose familiarity with Niche, Eco and VolunTourism products could potentially have created a bias towards their experience and the usefulness of such excursions with respect to their career aspirations. Participants had travelled to a variety of destinations, influencing the comparability of the impressions. Practical implications Commercial tour operators can direct their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts at giving back to its key profit generators, thereby offsetting the negative impacts that such vacation models entail. Students have pointed to the availability of many willing hands that populate the beaches of All-Inclusive Resorts, and it appears that they would happily participate, were pre-organized VolunTourism excursions readily available. The obligation for tour operators is clearly to maintain authenticity and integrity and not to capitalize on this new opportunity for pure revenue generation. Social implications Travellers are obligated to treat VolunTourism opportunities with respect and sincerity, to combat the negative stigma of careless self-gratification and self-promotion attributed to this type of travel. VolunTourists must be vigilant, demand transparency from VolunTourism providers and not fall prey to “green washing” strategies, allowing monies to subtly flow out of destinations and into the pockets of corporations. Originality/value This paper explores the complexities surrounding short-term VolunTourism experiences and their impact on students and young professionals. It narrowed in on the co-existence of altruistic motives in serving destination communities, and the expectation of acquiring skills to further expand resume credentials. The paper was inspired by recent market developments, wherein high-end tourism services providers were seen to be offering one-day volunteering excursions to their clientele. The question that presented itself was to investigate if there is an emerging trend towards personal social responsibility, whereby students and young professionals emulate behaviours modelled by industry leaders, and it appears that this is the case.

Examine destination loyalty of first-time and repeat visitors at all-inclusive resorts

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the factors that are likely to influence the loyalty behavior of first-time and repeat visitors to all-inclusive resorts.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from first-time and repeat Russian tourists to Antalya, Turkey, utilizing a self-administered survey questionnaire. A total of 339 usable responses were obtained. A structural equation modeling approach was used to test the proposed model on the first-time and repeat visitors’ samples.FindingsThis study suggests that the effects of cognitive evaluation of the resort (service quality) channel through affective evaluation of the visitor experience (visitor satisfaction) before bolstering visitor loyalty. This study also shows that differences exist between the two groups of visitors – first time visitors value cognitive attributes more and rely more on cognitive evaluation.Practical implicationsDestination marketers and managers need to promote all aspects and attributes of a destination among all-inclusive vacationers by creating innovative and comprehensive marketing campaign. Due to the differences between first-time and repeat visitors, it is critical to differentiate the two groups in designing targeted marketing campaign and providing targeted service/product.Originality valueAll-inclusive resorts have attained substantial global presence and popularity over the past 40 years. However, guest satisfaction/loyalty studies in this particular context have not often been approached with the kind of statistical breadth and rigor presented herein. This study adds new information for the understanding of and marketing to the all-inclusive resort guest.

Community-based island tourism: the case of Boa Vista in Cape Verde

Purpose – This paper tries to explore the possibilities of developing sustainable, community-based tourism (CBT) in Boa Vista in Cape Verde, Africa. Island territories are generally considered preferential tourist destinations. However, the negative effects of tourism in these destinations should not be overlooked, among them environmental concerns and impacts on the culture of the island’s inhabitants. The development of CBT takes on special relevance, as it based on planning schemes in conjunction with the local community who share the positive effects derived from tourism. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used consisted in designing two surveys: one focusing on the supply side and another on the demand side of tourism to define and analyse the current status of this sector in Boa Vista. The survey on tourism supply was distributed among a panel of experts formed by tourism service providers located in Boa Vista. The statistical results of the responses and the discussion carried out by the panel of experts permitted the development of a SWOT matrix. The survey on demand was administered to foreign tourists in different parts of the island. A total of 202 valid surveys were obtained. Findings – The main results of the fieldwork are twofold. On the supply side of tourism, the community is making an enormous effort to actively participate in the development of sustainable tourism, efforts which are often constrained by the geographical barriers of Boa Vista (sandy soil, poor accessibility to other islands) and the institutional and political situation of the island. As regards the demand side of tourism, the vast majority of tourists stay at the island’s all-inclusive resorts, whereas few tourists require the services provided by the community, mainly because they are unaware that such services exist. Originality/value – Certain island destinations are more appropriate for tourists wishing to flee mass tourism enclaves due to their natural environment, relative isolation and the traditional culture of their inhabitants. For this reason, it is important to develop a CBT model for these destinations in which initiatives are planned in conjunction with members of the local community who participate in decision-making processes and benefit equally from the positive effects of tourism. Although several case studies have been reported in the research on CBT initiatives, few studies have been carried out on CBT in island territories. This is the main contribution in this paper.

Enclosures within Enclosures and Hurricane Reconstruction in Cancún, Mexico

bs_bs_banner Enclosures within Enclosures and Hurricane Reconstruction in Cancun, Mexico MATILDE CORDOBA AZCARATE University of California, San Diego IDALINA BAPTISTA University of Oxford, UK FERNANDO DOMINGUEZ RUBIO University of California, San Diego Abstract This article focuses on the reconstruction processes undertaken in Cancun, Mexico after hurricanes Gilbert in 1988 and Wilma in 2005. The article argues that both hurricanes facilitated the creation of an evolving logic of “enclosures within enclo- sures,” whereby hotel and real estate investors, aided by government authorities, privatized and commoditized Cancun’s public lands and resources for the exclusive use of the global tourism market. In practice, this meant a radical spatial, aesthetic, and economic reconfiguration of the Hotel Zone in Cancun from a low-density luxury resort to a mass tourism, all-inclusive resort destination after Gilbert, followed by the emergence of the contemporary timeshare high-rise condominium model after Wilma. With each new business model, investors strategically used post-hurricane reconstruc- tion to redefine space, displace risk, and to reposition themselves and the city in global circuits of capital accumulation. The case of Cancun provides an empirically grounded example of how, in the aftermath of natural disasters, strategies of enclosure are deployed through approaches to governance, business models, and forms of architecture and surveillance all in the name of defending the public good, providing security, and enhancing economic growth. [tourism, natural disasters, reconstruction, Mexico, Cancun] Introduction A t Km 13.5 of Boulevard Kukulcan, the main access road to Hotel Zone in Cancun, lies Allotment 18, an eighteen-hectare sea-front property next to Marlin Public Beach and surrounded by the distinctive architecture of the all-inclusive resorts Live Aqua Cancun and Barcelo Tucancun Beach (see Figure 1). At the time of our fieldwork in October of 2010, Allotment 18 stood vacant, but it has not always been empty. Indeed, Allotment 18 embodies the dynamic and complex history of Cancun’s transformation from a small fishing village in 1970 to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The particular story of Allotment 18 is traced back to 1987, when construction of a 225-room unit for Hotel Radisson Cancun began by a consortium of investors involving the U.S.-based global hotel company Radisson Hotel City & Society, Vol. 26, Issue 1, pp. 96–119, ISSN 0893-0465, eISSN 1548-744X. © 2014 by the American Anthropological Association. All rights reserved. DOI:10.1111/ciso.12026.

The ethics of an all-inclusive plan: An investigation of social sustainability in the case of all-inclusive resorts, Jamaica

Ethics and sustainability are commonly used catchphrases in the modern business world. As several hospitality entities go out of their way to provide the emergent pro-environmentalist guest with value-added ‘green’ goods and services, others are forced to re-analyse their operational strategies to maintain competitive advantage (Miao and Wei 2012). The all-inclusive system, a marketing paradigm that involves inclusion of all (or most) hotel services at one standard price, has been extremely popular since the 1970s. This system gained prominence with the advent of mass tourism, and is still very common in the Caribbean islands. However, this bundling system has not been scrutinised from a sustainability perspective. The research recognises that sustainability is not limited to environmental practices, but also focuses on economic benefits and social development (Elkington 1997). A review of recent scholarship in the sustainability domain reveals that the environmental dimension has been the key focus of research, while the social aspect of sustainability has received little attention (Bonini et al. 2010). This study therefore aims to address this gap and investigate social sustainability of all-inclusive system. The research is located in Jamaica, a popular destination for all-inclusive travel. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with front desk agents at all-inclusive Resort X. Findings indicate that although employees value direct employment created by the resort, they resent some of the necessarily evils associated with all-inclusive system, such as lack of entrepreneurial opportunities, exclusion and subservience. Based on analysis of qualitative data, the paper presents a conceptual framework, the final outcome of this study. The conceptual model depicts four key dimensions of social sustainability on a hierarchical scale, based on importance attached to each of these by the respondents. The findings establish that employees and wider communities are increasingly expecting businesses to act responsibly. It is important to adopt a holistic and balanced approach to issues concerning business ethics and sustainability.

Improving the Quality of Services in All-inclusive Resorts by Monitoring Tourists Activities

All-inclusive system became very popular in the last decades due to the some advantages for tourists. It was adopted both by luxury locations and by more modest locations in emerging economies, as Bulgaria and Romania. The last ones offer a variety of decent services at affordable costs for large category of people. The low cost involves better management of the resources, which aims to reduce the waste and preserving the appearance of plenty. This paper presents a computer-based solution that allows tourists monitoring within a resort and provides some useful online functions as well as offline functions. The solution we propose relies on available technologies, such as RFID tags and readers, database management systems and computer based communication systems.

The Wine Distribution System In The Dominican Republic: A Qualitative Approach

This research presents a case study of the wine distribution system of the Dominican Republic (DR). It focuses on the emerging wine market which is not a wine producing region, however represents a large and growing market for export of wine. Data were collected though in-depth interviews with major representatives of the DR wine distribution system–importers, retailers, managers of restaurants, allinclusive resorts, and hotels. In addition, field observations were used as a mechanism of qualitative data collection. The findings show that almost all available wine in the DR is controlled by importers. Importers negotiate promotional costs, slot fees, and promotional budgets with the producers and provide credit to retailers. The Dominican Republic wine market operates in a highly competitive environment; Spain, Chile, Italy, and the United States are primary competitors on this market. Retail represents the biggest channel for sales of imported wines.

Satisfaction With All-Inclusive Tourism Resorts: The Effects of Satisfaction With Destination and Destination Loyalty

Despite the fact that all-inclusive package holidays play a major role in the tourism developments of sun and sea destinations, relatively little research has been done within the hospitality literature to investigate the relationships between satisfaction with all-inclusive, destination satisfaction and loyalty to a destination. Moreover, the measurement of satisfaction with all-inclusive resorts is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine relationships between satisfaction with all-inclusive resorts, satisfaction with destination, and destination loyalty, in order to understand the generation of tourist satisfaction with all-inclusive resorts. Based the previous theoretical and empirical evidence in the related literature, a questionnaire survey was conducted during summer 2008 at Antalya, a major sun and sea tourism destination of Turkey. The data were analyzed using several statistical techniques. The results suggested that there were significant relationships between satisfaction with all-inclusive resorts, satisfaction with destination and destination loyalty. It is also noteworthy that an all-inclusive package tour is the most popular traveling mode for tourists visiting Antalya.