Tourism Industry Research Articles

Tourist Preferences for Hotels and Accommodation in Samosir Regency Based on Online Review

Purpose: This study aims to uncover tourist preferences for various accommodation types, including hotels in Samosir Regency. These preferences include attractiveness, facilities, and hospitality. Research methods: This study uses a qualitative approach through secondary research with data collection from online reviews. The sample consists of 50 accommodations in Samosir Regency based on Google Reviews with ratings > 3.0 and more than 30 reviewers. Data was collected by searching on google.com/travel with a total search result or population of 118 items, and a sample of 50 was obtained using the purposive method with the provisions of the Google Review Summary where the Rating Review was > 3.0; and the Number of Reviews >30 reviewers. Data were analyzed based on the Component Review using a Likert scale for 3 elements of the tourism industry, namely (1) Attraction that consists of atmosphere, location, and property; (2) Facilities consisting of Amenities, Bathrooms, and Bedroom; and (3) Hospitality which consists of Service, Cleanliness, and Food. Result and discussion: The analysis result revealed that the element of attraction shows a very satisfying preference from tourists. In second place is a satisfying preference for hospitality elements. Meanwhile, the facilities element shows the lowest preference or is unsatisfactory. This description of preferences shows that among the elements of tourism, improving the quality of hotel/accommodation facilities can be the biggest priority in efforts to develop tourism in Samosir Regency in providing high satisfaction and return visits. Implication: As a tourist destination, Samosir Regency, which relies on the Lake Toba area, has experienced an increase in tourist visits from year to year, both foreign and local tourists. This is facilitated by the general public's access to information and locations using information technology and the Internet.

Design and Optimization of Tourism Information Management System Based on Artificial Intelligence

This study aims to implement a tourism information management system based on the concept of Smart Tourism. As the people's living conditions have improved, the traditional model of tourism management failed to match the customers' demands, because it has some flaws such as low efficiency. Integrating AI with tourism management helps to meet clients' needs with smarter and more comfortable accommodations before, during, and after their trip. This study optimizes the artificial neural network (ANN) by utilizing long short-term memory (LSTM) to address its inherent faults, such as delayed convergence, easy oscillation, and falling into local minima. The experimental findings demonstrate that this algorithm achieves a recall rate of 99.6% and a prediction accuracy of 98.2%. This algorithm offers some useful recommendations for tourist management while avoiding the pitfalls of more conventional algorithms. In addition, this study extends the idea of "smart tourism" to particular forms of tourist informatization, which has the potential to boost the tourism industry's overall development level by facilitating structural upgrades and transformations.

DEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN TOURISM STUDENTS ALONGSIDE LANGUAGE LEARNING

This paper explores the development of intercultural competence in tourism students alongside language learning, emphasizing its critical role in preparing students for the global tourism industry. Drawing from Byram’s framework of intercultural communicative competence and Deardorff’s assessment models, the study highlights the integration of language and culture in educational settings. It also analyzes the contributions of intercultural education programs, showing how they enhance students’ cultural sensitivity and communication skills. The findings demonstrate the necessity of fostering intercultural awareness and competence to improve students’ professional adaptability in diverse cultural environments.

Marketing Strategies of Cultural Tourism Industry under Media Convergence Background

The advent of the era of media convergence has broken down the barriers between traditional and emerging media, bringing profound changes to the marketing models of the cultural tourism industry. This paper explores the impact of media convergence on the development of the cultural tourism industry by analyzing its concepts and characteristics. It further delves into the application of diversified media channel integration, digital, and interactive marketing strategies. By building an integrated media matrix and fostering cross-industry collaborations, cultural tourism can maximize brand communication effectiveness, enhancing consumer engagement and loyalty. This study also examines typical domestic and international cases to summarize the successful experiences and practical paths of cultural tourism marketing strategies in the context of media convergence. The research suggests that the cultural tourism industry should continue to focus on media convergence trends, innovating marketing strategies to enhance market competitiveness and achieve a win-win situation for both cultural and economic benefits.

Features of the Development of International Trade in Tourist Services

Introduction. The relevance of studying the peculiarities of the development of international trade in tourist services is determined by the significant role of world tourism in the structure of the global economy. In the conditions of a complex international political situation, which is dynamically changing, it is crucial to identify the vectors of the development of the tourism industry to determine the future structure of the macro-regional distribution of tourist flows. Aim and tasks. The purpose of this study is to identify the dominant factors and prospects for the development of international tourism business in the conditions of modern global economic and political instability to determine the most favourable marketing strategies for interaction in the international market of tourist services by extrapolating the results to the possibilities of post-war recovery of the tourism industry in Ukraine. Results. An analysis of international tourism arrivals showed that the average annual growth rate of the industry from 1995 to 2020 average annual growth of international tourist arrivals was more than 4 per cent. Over the estimated period from 1995 to 2023, the average arrival rate decreased to 2.46 per cent. Macro-regions are considered the most promising for the scaling of international tourism, as well as the factors that will contribute to this and can inhibit economic processes. Special attention is paid to the positioning of Ukraine during the post-war recovery of the tourism industry. Forecast indicators indicate that international tourist arrivals to Ukraine could reach 61 million people in the tenth year of the post-war period. An alternative strategy for promoting national tourist products and brands in the target markets of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East was proposed, and the feasibility of continuing the promotion of Ukraine as a tourist brand was substantiated. Conclusions. This study confirms the vector of the shift in global tourist flows under the influence of a number of factors that deepen the contradictions between the Global South and the North, revealing key trends in the growth and displacement of international tourist flows among countries belonging to two opposite camps. The directions of institutional and structural changes required to restore international tourism in Ukraine in the post-war period to strengthen Ukraine's position in the global tourism market are proposed.

The Role and Practice of Practical Teaching in Tourism Management Education

Tourism is not only a sunrise industry in the new world, but also one of the world s big industries. China has a large population and the tourism industry is developing well. In order to promote the rapid development of the tourism industry, the tourism industry is transforming, which needs to train tourism professionals with strong comprehensive ability. Practice teaching is gradually coming into view. This paper expounds the role of practice teaching in tourism management education, analyzes the shortcomings of practice teaching, and focuses on exploring solutions in order to improve the quality of tourism management education.

Navigating Health-Related Crises: Unraveling the Role of Confidence in Tourism Recovery in Shaping Sustainable Strategies for Tourists’ Intentions across Pandemic Phases

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted global tourism, raising the need for sustainable recovery strategies. This study examines how tourists’ confidence in tourism recovery (CTR) influences travel intentions across different pandemic phases—outbreak, stabilization, and conclusion. Positioned within the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the research explores the mediating role of CTR in the relationships between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and travel intention. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), multi-group analysis (MGA), and Importance–Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA), this study assesses changes in travel behavior during each pandemic phase. Data were collected through three surveys conducted in major Chinese cities between late 2022 and early 2023. The findings reveal that CTR significantly mediates the influence of behavioral factors on travel intention, especially during the stabilization and conclusion phases. The IPMA results highlight key areas for intervention, with CTR, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms varying in importance across phases. This research underscores the need for adaptive and sustainable strategies to strengthen traveler confidence, offering practical insights for supporting long-term resilience and growth in the tourism industry during and beyond health-related crises.

The Classification of Hotels in the Context of Sustainable Development Factors: A Case Study of Public Policy in the European Union and Poland

With the growing awareness among entrepreneurs and consumers within the tourism industry regarding the field of sustainable development, it seems necessary to base hotel classification systems on an integrated approach to management quality, including the fulfillment of ecological and environmental criteria. However, this topic has yet to be recognized in the literature, especially concerning the European market. Therefore, this article aims to fill this research gap and indicate how environmental standards have been implemented in the European system of hotel classification—Hotelstars Union (HSU)—and that in force in Poland. With regard to these systems, the differences in the classification criteria taken into account by the certifying organizations in the European Union (EU) and the administrative hotel categorization system in Poland are pointed out. Particular emphasis is placed on the criteria related to environmental management in the hotel industry. The criteria related to environmental management were identified through an analysis of the criteria of eight environmental management systems that are applicable to the contemporary hotel industry. The results of this research prove that, even though the HSU system takes the principles of sustainable development into account to a much greater extent than the Polish system, its primary weakness is that most of its criteria related to the environment are optional. In addition, the optional criteria have higher weights than the obligatory ones. In turn, the Polish classification system makes very little reference to environmental standards. Moreover, it is not detailed, and the assessment criteria are not up to date. Therefore, it is recommended that a greater number of environmental criteria be included in the next update of the HSU system, which should be obligatory for hotels to meet. In addition, the sustainability criteria included in the HSU system should be adapted to the policy system aimed at the hotel industry in Poland and other EU countries.

The Development of Halal Well-Being Experience Quality: A Conceptual Framework

In recent years, the hospitality and tourism industry has increasingly focused on enhancing the well-being of guests by providing tailored experiences that address their physical, mental, and spiritual health. This shift has spurred the development of Halal well-being experiences, specifically designed to cater to Muslim travelers by aligning services and facilities with Islamic principles. Halal well-being experiences include a range of services such as Halal-certified food, prayer facilities, gender-segregated wellness amenities, and activities promoting spiritual health. These offerings are vital for Muslim travelers who seek destinations and accommodations that respect and cater to their faith-based needs. To address these challenges, a comprehensive framework for Halal well-being experience quality is essential. This framework should include clear guidelines for service provision, training programs for staff, and effective marketing strategies. This research aims to explore the current state of Halal well-being experiences in the hospitality industry, identify the key challenges and opportunities, and propose a framework for enhancing service quality. The study provides insights and recommendations for developing and promoting Halal well-being experiences that cater to the needs of Muslim travelers. The research underscores the importance of seven dimensions of tourism experience quality (TEQ) in influencing tourist well-being: Halal hedonism, Muslim-friendly involvement, local culture friendliness, refreshment experience, meaningfulness experience, knowledge experience, and novelty experience. These dimensions collectively enhance the physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being of Muslim travelers, promoting a holistic approach to well-being in the tourism sector.

INVESTMENT AND URBAN TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE CITY OF CONSTANTINE

Global experiences have proven that tourism is one of the crucial economic sectors contributing significantly to the development process, owing to both material and non-material benefits it offers to host regions. Urban tourism, a contemporary type gaining momentum and support, has become increasingly popular in cities worldwide possessing essential tourism resources and attributes. This trend persists because urban tourism operates year-round, unaffected by seasonal or occasional variations. Tourism has evolved into a cornerstone of urban economies, leveraging local potentials to generate sustainable profits and bolstering economic growth. This strategic approach enables cities to assume multifaceted roles supporting development through the utilization of these capabilities. In this context, the concept of stimulating investment in Constantine's tourism sector, which encompasses all the elements necessary for urban tourism—including religious, heritage, and natural attractions—is pivotal. However, the oversight, lack of foresight, and absence of strategic development plans from local authorities have prevented this sector from fulfilling Constantine's esteemed position and potential. Consequently, this neglect has led to the squandering of a valuable economic asset that could otherwise bolster other sectors and drive the city's development. To what extent and through what means can a sustainable tourism industry be cultivated in Constantine by capitalizing on its tourism potential?

How Does Social Media Influence Tourist Behavior? A Conceptual Framework for Exploration

Purpose of the study: In the era of digitalization, the introduction of social media platforms has fundamentally changed how people access and exchange information, significantly impacting various societal spheres, including the travel and tourism industry. This study presents a conceptual framework of existing literature to examine the relationship between social media and its influence on travel behaviors in choosing tourist destinations. Methodology: An evaluation of recently published research papers, articles, and publications on social media and its influence on travel behaviors was conducted. Main Findings: Visitors may find it challenging to sort through possibilities due to information overload and decision fatigue caused by the abundance of data. However, when it comes to information exposure, perception creation, and decision-making during the pre-trip preparation stage, social media is an essential source of travel-related information. Applications of the study: This study highlights the multifaceted ways social media impacts travelers' decision-making processes, leading to a paradigm shift in how tourist destinations are chosen. Novelty/Originality of the study: This study encompasses review of more than 50 sources that inludes, research papers, blogs, websites, newspaper articles, magazines topresent a comprehensive view on the said title.

Machine learning-based climate risk sharing for an insured loan in the tourism industry

Machine learning-based climate risk sharing for an insured loan in the tourism industry

Tourist attraction reviews based on deep learning Sentiment Analysis System

In recent years, with the rapid development of information technology, online travel reviews have become a key source of information for tourists to understand destinations. In the face of massive and unstructured travel review data, this paper innovatively proposes a sentiment analysis system for tourist attraction reviews based on deep learning. The system cleverly uses the BERT pre-trained model, and combines Bi-LSTM and attention mechanism to significantly improve the accuracy of sentiment classification. In order to verify its effectiveness, this paper conducts experiments on the evaluation data of scenic spots in Hubei Province. The experimental results are very impressive through multi-dimensional indicators such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. The accuracy rate is as high as 93.5%, the accuracy rate is 94.1% for positive reviews, the accuracy rate for negative reviews is 92.8%, the recall rate is 92.1%, and the F1-score is 92.8%. This fully shows that the system can accurately identify the emotional tendency of tourist attraction reviews, provide a strong basis for scenic spot management, help it adjust service strategies in a timely manner, and also assist tourists to make more informed decisions, providing a reliable technical reference for the digital transformation and intelligent management of the tourism industry.

Editorial: Harnessing the Experience Capital of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Editorial: Harnessing the Experience Capital of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Beyond virtual boundaries: the intersection of the metaverse technologies, tourism, and lifelong learning in China’s digital discourse

In the evolving landscape of digital education, the metaverse emerges as a revolutionary platform, particularly within the realm of tourism, viewed through the lens of lifelong learning. This study delves into the integration of the metaverse in the tourism and education sectors in China, aiming to uncover the intricate dynamics of public perceptions and the educational potential of this digital innovation. This research utilizes semantic network and sentiment analysis of social media discussions on China’s Weibo platform to provide a detailed understanding of sentiments toward the metaverse’s impact on tourism education. Semantic Network Analysis explores the complex dialog surrounding the metaverse in the context of lifelong learning. The findings reveal a balanced mix of enthusiasm for the immersive educational opportunities afforded by the metaverse and concerns regarding data privacy, digital addiction, and ethical considerations. It is evident from this duality that a balanced approach is necessary when the metaverse is integrated into tourism and learning while being sensitive to technological opportunities and ethical challenges. The metaverse could be an immersive, interactive learning environment endorsed by modern educational theories, supporting active learning through experience. The metaverse will provide valuable assistance to tourism education, which will help enhance this field through the simulation of real tourism for students to learn, which will foster cultural understanding and meet the demands of a globalized tourism industry. It further recommends that policies and practices should be formulated to ensure equal access, respect for the privacy of every participant, and the ethical use of the technology. This study contributes to the analysis of the potentials and challenges of the metaverse in the tourism and learning industry. It highlights the metaverse as an ‘emerging tool for lifelong learning’ and offers insights into how educators, policymakers, and industry leaders, all aiming at the integration of digital innovations in education, should exploit the metaverse.

Is the global technological outage a caution for the service industries? Evidence from the tourism industry

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the impact of the Global Technological Outage on July 19, 2024, on the tourism industry. The study employs a two-stage methodology: first, analyzing tourism-related news on websites, and second, conducting interviews with tourism professionals to validate the findings. The results highlight the extensive outages caused by the outage, particularly in reservation systems, customer communication, and operational management within the tourism sector. The study underscores the importance of developing robust, adaptable strategies to mitigate the effects of technological dependencies and outages, providing critical insights for future business continuity planning in the tourism industry.

Effect of popular culture on tourism firms' market value:A destination brand equity perspective

Popular culture provides numerous benefits to destinations, enhancing their image, reputation, and sales. While previous research on its impact on tourism has predominantly focused on individuals’ perception and behavior toward a destination, little attention has focused on its potential spillover effect on the tourism and hospitality firms. This spillover can create destination brand-related intangible assets that positively influence firm value. Based on the customer-based brand equity theoretical framework, this study reveals that popular culture significantly affects the firm value of the tourism and hospitality industries, with notable effects observed two days after the event. Individual companies operating under the umbrella brand of a destination gain advantages from the improved brand knowledge associated with that overarching brand. The findings also highlight that the unique characteristics and nuances of popular cultural content, such as its genre, popularity scope, and celebrity effect, play a crucial role in shaping the magnitude of its impact.

MICE tourism product value chain

MICE tourism is a segment of the tourism industry that, due to its singularity, requires specific attention. This article offers a holistic approach to the channel of distribution of MICE tourism and targets two main objectives: the proposal of a conceptual framework that depicts all stakeholders, flows of action and possibilities of intermediation and study of the process of intermediation in order to analyze its present status and future development. To achieve our goal in this study, we used research methods - literature analysis, study of scientific publications, scientific research, and also used the construction of tables and diagrams of interaction between the main stakeholders of MICE tourism. When analyzing materials and writing this article, the following methods were used: general scientific methods of cognition (analysis, synthesis, systematization of theoretical data), system content analysis. The results observe a slow but steady process of disintermediation in which intermediaries are being bypassed in order to reduce costs. However, it also reaches the conclusion that total disintermediation is not feasible due to the high standards of quality service that the MICE market demands.

An Assessment of Promoting Culinary Tourism in Ghana

Purpose: Ghana's tourism and hospitality industry has been extensively researched over the past five decades, primarily focusing on culture and heritage tourism, nature and economic tourism, marketing, and service quality. The aim is to assess the potential of culinary tourism as a powerful tool for creating sustainable livelihood empowerment channels, offering a beacon of hope for the future. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted with a rigorous qualitative research design and desk review approach, ensuring a comprehensive topic exploration. Published data and literature on the food tourism prospects of eight regions in Ghana were analysed. The gathered data was then subjected to content analysis, a common technique in qualitative research. Research Limitation: The findings derived from the desk review may not be generalisable to other contexts, populations, or geographic areas due to the reliance on specific literature that may not capture all perspectives. This acknowledgement ensures that the audience is fully informed about the scope of the study. Findings: The study exposes the stark reality that the culinary tourism market in Ghana, despite its significant potential, remains underdeveloped. This underscores the crucial need for strategic interventions and the active participation of all stakeholders in the industry's development. Practical Implication: From a practical point of view, the Ghana Tourism Authority must show greater interest in developing the sector by organising regional and national food festivals annually. This effort must be publicised internationally to attract tourists interested in exploring Ghana's culinary diversity. Social Implication: Culinary tourism promotes sustainable food production and consumption practices by emphasising local, seasonal, and environmentally friendly ingredients. This reduces tourism's carbon footprint and supports responsible consumption patterns. Originality/Value: This study has revealed a significant research gap with practical implications. Thus, narratives on the potential of culinary tourism across eight regions in Ghana have known to have been provided practical actions towards enhancing culinary tourism in Ghana.

Reflections of digital technologies on human resources management in the tourism sector

PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine in detail the impact of technological advancements on the workforce within the tourism industry. Specifically, it seeks to understand the effects of information and communication technologies (ICT), social media, the internet and websites, mobile technologies and other technological developments on workforce dynamics, skill requirements and job descriptions. The research intends to analyze how technological innovations are transforming the workforce and how these transformations are influencing practices within the industry.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a comprehensive literature review to understand the impact of technological innovations on the workforce in the tourism industry. The research aims to conduct an in-depth examination of empirical data obtained from extensive databases in the fields of technology and tourism and detail the effects of technological advancements on the workforce. Additionally, it includes a general assessment of trends and transformation processes within the sector by synthesizing findings from existing literature on the relationship between technology and workforce.FindingsThe results of the research reveal that technological innovations have fundamentally transformed workforce dynamics and job descriptions. Developments in information technology have led to the automation of routine tasks and the creation of high-skilled new job roles. Social media has contributed to the emergence of new job roles and skill requirements, while the internet and websites have altered digital marketing strategies. Mobile technologies have increased the necessity for the workforce to develop mobile skills. Furthermore, big data and artificial intelligence applications have enhanced the workforce’s data management and analysis capabilities.Originality/valueThis study makes a significant contribution to understanding the impact of technological innovations on the workforce in the tourism industry. The findings emphasize how technological changes have altered skill requirements and job descriptions, highlighting the increased need for continuous education and skill development.