Tourism Service Providers Research Articles

Identifying quality gaps in tourism for people with disabilities: Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA)

The aim of the article is to assess the significance (importance) and level of inconvenience of selected attributes of tourist services provided at particular stages of the supply chain in tourism (information, accommodation, transport, organization and intermediation) in relation to people with various types and degrees of disability. The survey conducted among the disabled helped to identify quality gaps in the provision of tourism services, taking into account their complementarity and accessibility at every stage of delivery. The method of Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) and basic measures of descriptive statistics were used to analyze empirical data. The study will help to indicate to what extent the tourist experience of a disabled person and the type of disability affect the assessment of the significance (importance) and inconvenience of selected attributes of tourist services. The results of the research can be used by entrepreneurs to analyze the quality and reliability of services provided by their partners and the behavior and needs of the disabled in tourism. They will also be useful for local and regional authorities responsible for ensuring the competitiveness and inclusiveness of tourism regions.

From the formulation to the implementation of the tourism sector policy with an Afro-descendant enclave

In rural environments of various nations in the Americas, such as Ecuador, in recent decades the emergence of entrepreneurship initiatives linked to the tourism sector has been seen, many of them aligned with the philosophy of rural and community tourism. An example is the tourist experience offered by the Afrochoteño Territory, in the northern Andes of the country. In this region, the communities of El Chota, Juncal, Mascarilla and Salinas have ventured for about two decades in the provision of tourism services of this type. The objective is to demonstrate the impact of the tourism sectoral public policy on the tourist experience in the Afro-Chotan territory. This is how, after the combination of secondary information review techniques, in contrast to the collection of field data that involves various actors in the Afro-Colombian tourist experience, the result was that they remain valid despite the significant gap in implementation. of public policy in favor of these initiatives.

The Impact of Socialization on Workers

The socialization of workers in the tourism sector is a vital area of study, dealing with how workers are shaped and developed within their organizations. This process has extensive implications for individuals and institutions they work for, and the services they provide to customers. In the context of tourism, this impact can be particularly tangible. Providing high-quality tourist services is the key to success in this sector, requiring workers to be familiar with various cultures and the specific needs of each customer segment. The importance of this research arises from the urgent need to understand and improve the socialization process of workers in the tourism sector. By examining the relationship between socialization and the quality of tourist services, the study can offer an insightful look into improving hospitality services in Iraq, especially those related to providing outstanding services to people with special needs. To achieve this, a wide range of references and previous scientific research is used. This literature provides an in-depth and comprehensive view of the socialization of workers and the quality of tourist services. It also contributes to identifying the main aspects for improvement, and offering recommendations for achieving high-quality tourist services. Furthermore, the research reviews and analyzes current practices and methods used in providing tourist services. This analysis includes looking at those related to offering exceptional services for people with special needs. This part of the research aims to reveal current challenges and gaps that might hinder providing high-quality services, and to offer recommendations that can help improve these services to meet the needs of all visitors.

Analysis of Efforts to Encourage Increased Interest in Tourism

Purpose: In the Solok in West Sumatra, This study aims to determine how infrastructure, local knowledge, and digital marketing affect visitors' desire to travel.
 
 Theoretical framework: Along with characteristics that are specific to destinations or the tourism industry, it is important to consider elements that have an impact on the businesses and organizations that provide the "products" that tourists use to plan their trips. Or, to put it another way, a tourist destination may draw and satisfy potential tourists if it is competitive, and this competitiveness is impacted both by factors specific to the tourism sector and by more general traits that affect tourism service providers.
 
 Design/methodology/approach: The structural equation model, also known as the structural equation (SEM), was used in this work to change the sample size. This indicates that the SEM research that employs the MLE estimate model must use a minimum of 200 samples.
 
 Findings: The findings of this study show that visitor interest is significantly influenced by facilities. This shows that offering sufficient facilities in a tourist area can encourage interest in going as people anticipate feeling content or happy after visiting a tourist attraction.
 
 Research, Practical & Social implications: The study concludes that to keep tourism objects competitive in the face of competition from other tourist attractions, tourism managers must also pay high importance to developments in the industry.
 
 Originality/Value: There is a gap in this study because of the sharp decline in tourist numbers at Solok, West Sumatra. Therefore, the analysis of the aspects that are thought to be significant to impact the choice to visit, namely product, pricing, and digital marketing, is the main emphasis of this research. The uniqueness of this study resides in the item being investigated, which is every existing tourist site, and the research subjects, who are visitors who are visiting these locations while employing the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) methodology. The research's conclusions are anticipated to advance marketing science, particularly in the tourist industry.

Customer Experience (Cx) Design in the View of Managers: An Analysis of the Impact of Pandemic in the Local Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Hospitality and tourism are among the worst-affected industries during this pandemic, with a global drop in demand. These industries are operating under strict restrictions, and a “new normal” needs to be defined. Because of its disruptive effects, hospitality and tourism providers must redesign the customer experience (CX), which is considered the core of the tourism and hospitality sector. Thus, this study sought to measure the views of the managers on customer experience (CX) design as an analysis of the impact of the pandemic in the local hospitality and tourism industry. This study emploa yed a descriptive method to identify the different variables of the study and presents quantitative research that utilized online survey method to gather data information from the respondents. Top-level managers from different hotels, resorts, restaurants and tourism sites in the prime hospitality and tourism towns in the province of Oriental Mindoro were the respondents (n=26) of this study. Results showed that the view of the managers on the measures designed to create safe customer experiences in terms of hygiene and protection, internal work reorganization, services cape reorganization, technology and digital innovations, customer wait time reduction, staff training and communication were all positively affirmative. As a result, these measures positively affected the intended experience in terms of reassurance, quickness and intimacy. It is recommended that the managers adopt and implement the proposed CX framework to enhance the customers’ experience in various hospitality and tourism service providers despite the threats of the pandemic and to guide the managers to transition to post-pandemic situations.

Introduction: smart tourism: what developments and issues are important to the Baltic States?

PurposeProvides an overview of the article collection in this theme issue that explores the concept of “smart tourism” and in particular, developments and issues that are important for the Baltic States.Design/methodology/approachThe article applies a thematic approach to exploring the factors affecting the development of smart tourism, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the Baltic region. Overall, the collection reviews the literature, provides an analysis of data and a survey of experts, including tourism service providers. This combines with the practical solutions given in the articles.FindingsThe findings and conclusions of this theme issue focus on the factors affecting the development of smart tourism and smart villages, digitalization and innovation opportunities in the Baltic regions, and it provides an insight on the current situation in the smart tourism industry, the possibilities for using digital technologies, and the practical applications.Originality/valueThis theme issue explores the factors influencing and challenges facing smart tourism in the Baltic region, given that all the stakeholders actively want more sustainable and balanced tourism, as well as opportunities to develop innovative, technologically advanced solutions to the development of smart tourism.

IMPACT OF SIX SIXMA ON TOURISM INDUSTRIES PERFORMANCE IN INDONESIA: EVIDENCE FROM STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL

Concept of Six Sigma is comprehensive for finding the appropriate strategy as of the industry can run as efficiently as possible and survive in an economic wave currently under challenging times, including the tourism industry, which is the object of this research. These papers examine an overview of the empirical study of relationships between six sigma strategies toward tourism industry performance. For many countries, tourism is seen as one of the instruments for developing country because it can trigger new economic activities. Tourism also has assertive economic impact on the balance of payments, unemployment, GDP, and profitability. Unplanned and uncontrolled tourism growth has an impact on financial sustainability. The methodology used in this research is quantitative by distributing an online questionnaire consisting of 16 statement items with a five-point Likert scale. The sample size used for this research is 300 tourism service providers in 10 of the city in Indonesia, which is the leading destination for tourists. This research was processed using smart PLS 3.2.9 analysis tools and methods research in this study using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), namely the equation model with a variance-based approach or modeling component-based structural equations. The findings from this study indicate that the latent variable models are involvement and top management commitment, training and education, cultural change, industrial infrastructure, and teamwork has a fit outer model relationship (> 0.7) between latent variables and indicators of efficacious Six Sigma implementation in the tourism industry in Indonesia. However, top management commitment and industrial infrastructure have a low t value, so of course, this is a challenge and input for developing the tourism industry in Indonesia in the future.

Smart contract applications in tourism

Based on blockchain technology, smart contracts promise to revolutionize the way parties legally agree. Smart contracts could enable tourism service providers to trade directly with customers bypassing some intermediaries. The study aims at identifying the provided services, economic impact, partners, popularity, technical and technological factors of smart contract applications in various tourism areas. It investigates ten popular smart contract applications that cover a wide spectrum of tourism areas such as hotel reservations, airline tickets, car rentals, payment management, reward programmes, traveller identity, luggage tracking, validity of reviews and ratings and more. These applications are analysed with respect to their purpose, business model, economic impact, partners, provided services, popularity, as well as what cryptocurrency and blockchain they use. Smart contracts enable time and transaction cost savings, convenience, flexibility, security, trust, ease verification of personal data and more. Most applications gained popularity mainly during 2018–19. Almost every application uses a different cryptocurrency. Ethereum is the most popular platform followed by Hyperledger Fabric and Stellar. The development of a universal legislation as well as interoperability is a necessity for the wide adoption of smart contracts.

Strategic priorities of the development of tourist activities in the Sumy region in the post-war period

At the current stage of regional development, Sumy Oblast is still significantly inferior to the Western and Central regions of Ukraine in terms of an integrated assessment of economic efficiency, standard of living, and environmental safety. In addition, external factors, including pandemic restrictions and military invasion, have negatively affected the region's economic situation. The purpose of the article is to analyze the prerequisites for development and the current state of tourism in the Sumy region, as well as to develop proposals for improving its state in the post-war period. The subject of the study is the prospects for the development of tourism in the Sumy region in the post-war period. The research was carried out on the basis of the analysis of official statistical data on the development of tourism and tourist infrastructure in Ukraine, and in particular in the Sumy region. To identify the level of tourism development, economic and statistical methods were used, horizontal and structural analysis of statistical data on tourism development was carried out, which made it possible to identify the peculiarities of the regional development of tourism infrastructure. The following results were obtained. The strategic directions of the development of tourism in the Sumy region in the post-war period have been determined: reconstruction and restoration of the damaged and destroyed tourist infrastructure; liquidation of the consequences of hostilities, complete demining of territories; improving the quality of providing tourist services: training qualified personnel; creation of regional tours and tourist routes in the Sumy region; development of the tourism brand of the Sumy region; increasing the tourist potential of Sumy as a regional center; development of new promising types of tourism; involvement of the local population in the development of tourism; preservation and restoration of natural and cultural monuments. Conclusions. Regional policy in the post-war period should be aimed at prioritizing the tourism industry and creating an effective strategy for the development of tourism in the region and increasing the tourism competitiveness of Sumy Oblast among other administrative and territorial units of Ukraine.

Synergy between rural and smart tourism: is it possible and necessary?

PurposeThe study aims to identify the opinions of rural tourism service providers on synergy between rural and smart tourism in Latvia, Zemgale region.Design/methodology/approachThe research is of a qualitative nature and it profiles possibilities for and the necessity of synergy between rural and smart tourism. As part of the study, a survey was conducted to identify the opinions of 63 rural tourism service providers from the Zemgale region.FindingsThe study found that rural tourism service providers use digital tools mainly for payment, communication with customers as well as marketing activities, which revealed that the level of digitalization of rural tourism in Latvia is low. The survey data indicates the respondents' dual vision of synergy between rural and smart tourism, recognizing that IT progress was rapid and its influence was inevitable, while at the same time emphasizing an argument for maintaining the basic value and nature of rural tourism.Originality/valueThe paper is an original study of the opinions of rural tourism service providers on synergy between rural and smart tourism in Latvia and specifically, the Zemgale region.

The use of the territorial sea by Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) in front of nesting beaches in Oaxaca, Mexico

Scientific research focused on sea turtle monitoring and management has relied on nesting beaches, but little attention has been paid to surveying turtles in the territorial sea off nesting beaches. This study aimed to evaluate how the Olive Ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, uses the territorial sea off the nesting beaches in Puerto Escondido, Puerto Ángel, Santa María Huatulco, and Morro Ayuta, in Oaxaca, Mexico. Between December 2017 and August 2018, 2394 individuals were sighted in the territorial sea engaged in the following activities: feeding (6 individuals), mating (164 individuals), swimming (2172 individuals), and resting (49 individuals). We analyzed the diet and body condition of L. olivacea and identified which biophysical factors affect the distribution of these sea turtles in the region. We also recorded direct interactions with fishers and tourism service providers. We captured 40 individuals, collected morphometric data, and analyzed esophageal content to characterize feeding habits, which were correlated with a body condition index. Diet items included crustaceans, tunicates, four commercially important fish species, jellyfish, mollusks, and algae. Approximately 95% of turtles exhibited very good body condition. The largest turtle aggregations were recorded in Morro Ayuta (898 individuals) and Puerto Ángel (808 individuals). In situ sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentrations from satellite images were used to characterize the territorial sea. Sea surface temperature was negatively correlated with turtle abundance. Management and conservation actions are needed for sea turtles that address the negative interactions with fishers (e.g., competition for commercially important fish species) and tourism service providers that occur in the territorial sea off nesting beaches to protect these crucial reproductive habitats in the long term.

Tourism 5A, Tourism Satisfaction, and Electronic Word of Mouth in a Small Island Destination

Electronic Word of Mouth (EWOM) has gained popularity in academia due to its expansion in online communications, such as Websites, social media, and Blogs for travel and recreation purposes. These online activities in tourism can create an advantage for tourist destinations, especially for businesses and tourism service providers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to look into variables that could affect positive conduct on Electronic Word of Mouth among tourists. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between Tourism 5A's, Tourism Satisfaction, and conduct Electronic Word of Mouth among domestic tourists in Siargao Island, Philippines. The respondents of this study are domestic tourists. Instrumentation was utilizing a 5 Point-Likert Scale. This study utilizing SmartPLS-SEM, results revealed that among the Tourism 5A's, only the Amenities and Activities have a significant relationship to Tourist Satisfaction and could affect by 84.8 percent. On the other hand, Tourist Satisfaction affects EWOM by 65.7 percent.

Opportunities and Challenges of Community-based Eco-cultural Tourism Development: A Case of Gwirize Cultural Village in Malawi

Summary The paradigm of community-based eco-cultural tourism has garnered recognition as a support system for sustainable tourism due to its ability to extend the benefits of tourism to rural and marginalized communities. This approach serves as a means to promote social and economic development and encourages local participation in tourism development. This case focuses on the impact, opportunities and challenges of community-based eco-cultural tourism at Gwirize Cultural Village in Malawi. The cultural village has had a positive impact on the community through the creation of a direct source of income, stimulation of local businesses, improvement of access to clean water, provision of entertainment and preservation of cultural heritage. However, the cultural village also faces numerous challenges, including lack of managerial and marketing expertise, inadequate skills to provide a diverse range of tourist services and lack of coordination with other tourism service providers in the district. It is recommended that capacity-building programmes be implemented to enhance local managerial skills and tourism services, and that management and operational frameworks be developed to guide communities involved in community-based eco-cultural tourism initiatives. Information © The Authors 2023

The main trends of the development of tourism in Ukraine from the earliest times to the end of the 80s of the 20th century

The purpose of the study is to analyze and systematize existing research on the history of tourism and to form one’s own view on the problematic of the issue. This is relevant in connection with the understanding that the development of tourism mirrors the historical, socio-economic and cultural development of society. The methodological basis of the article is the principles of methodological pluralism. A number of scientific methods and approaches have been used to the extent that they are adequate to the tasks of the research. The author uses a system of general philosophical (dialectics, objectivity, historicism), general scientific (method of system analysis, structural-functional, retrospective-comparative), and special (formal, comparative, statistical) research methods. Scientific novelty. The article substantiates theoretical-methodological, methodical approaches and developed practical recommendations for the balanced development of the tourism industry in Ukraine. Based on the study of tourism development trends, a scientific approach to the development of the potential of the tourism industry (based on the results of cognitive modeling) is proposed, which includes structural units of a specialized management center and support for the balanced development of the tourism industry. Conclusions. It is shown that the origin of tourism took place in distant antiquity. The formation of tourism as an independent organized activity occurred in the 1970s, this alternative type of employment was stimulated in order to stop the mass migration of the population from the countryside to the city. It is emphasized that the formation of tourism in different geographical regions has certain features, its development can take place according to the following main models: Anglo-American, Asian, Western European, Eastern European. Attention is focused on the fact that in many countries, the activity of providing tourist services is stimulated by state bodies and is aimed at supporting unpromising areas.

Business intelligence for Industry 4.0: predictive models for retail and distribution

Purpose Textile and contemporary apparel manufacturers are adopting and integrating cutting-edge technologies to reduce their impact on the environment and gain an advantage in the marketplace. Most previous studies have ignored business intelligence systems (BIS), notably in the textile and apparel industry (T&A), in favor of looking at the larger picture of how big data would affect retail and distribution in a company. This is especially true for the T&As.Design/methodology/approach The authors report that they conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with 12 international luxury tourism service providers. In this case, researchers use snowball features and systematic techniques to select participants. A qualitative content analysis strategy is used to capture the focus of the interviews.Findings Problems with T&A company sustainability, opportunities to increase value creation via use of industry-leading business intelligence (BI) solutions and perceived roadblocks to BIS adoption were all found by the poll. Garment retail and distribution sector has benefited greatly from the increased use of Industry 4.0 technologies, especially those that provide better BI solutions. Determine the extent to which industry participation slows down or speeds up the process. The Company Information System (BIS) will help convince non-tech-savvy business owners of the financial, economic and environmental benefits of adopting certain technologies developed as part of the industry 4.0 movement.Research limitations/implications The authors of this research claim theirs is one of the first to investigate what variables affect the uptake of BIS, ultimately hoping to find out how BIS may be used by T&A businesses to tackle environmental issues through the use of Industry 4.0 technologies. The purpose of this study was to see whether BIS might aid T&A firms with their sustainability issues.Practical implications In the last several years, there has been a meteoric rise in interest in big data and business analytics among firms and educational institutions alike. This paper tries to introduce readers to the concept of business analytics in a way that is both academic and accessible, considering both the present and future of the field. This paper begins with a quick introduction, followed by a summary of the three distinct forms of predictive modeling discussed.Originality/value In an effort to help aspiring analytics professionals, they have identified, categorized and evaluated the nine distinct players that are now active in the analytics market. Following this, they will provide a high-level summary of the many different research projects currently being worked on by their group.

Livelihood strategy of Kelotok service provider for floating market tourism siring Piere Tendean Banjarmasin in the new normal era of Covid-19

The government’s policies in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic in the new normal era have a better impact on all sectors of life. In the tourism sector, this policy has an impact on increasing the income of service actors. The same thing also happened to the kelotok tour service provider of Siring Piere Tendean Floating Market, Banjarmasin. However, the increase is still not as significant as before the pandemic. Therefore, they need a livelihood strategy at the beginning of the new normal era of Covid-19. This study aims to analyze the livelihood strategy of the Siring Piere Tendean kelotok tourism service provider in Banjarmasin in the new normal era of Covid-19. The method used in this study was descriptive quantitative with 51 respondents from kelotok service providers. Data sources come from observations, questionnaires, interviews, and documentation. The results showed that the livelihood strategy of the kelotok tour service provider of Siring Piere Tendean during the new normal period of Covid-19 that was most widely carried out was the survival strategy as the main strategy. Meanwhile, the innovation carried out is to apply other strategies, such as diversification strategies; consolidation strategies; accumulation strategies: and network strategies.

Impact of political instability on 1948-Palestinian shoppers’ satisfaction: Palestinian tourist destination as a case study

This study examines tourist satisfaction and its relationship with demographic variables in Nablus, Palestine. Two hundred two tourists were surveyed using a structured questionnaire to collect data on their satisfaction level and demographic information. The results reveal that the overall tourist satisfaction level in Nablus is high. However, significant differences in satisfaction were found based on gender, education level, number of family members, occupation, and income. The study highlights the importance of considering demographic factors in shaping visitor satisfaction and tailoring tourism services to meet the needs and preferences of diverse clients. The findings also shed light on the negative impact of tourist blackmailing, which is the exploitation of tourists by various stakeholders, and the role of positive perceptions of the destination in attracting tourists and mitigating the impact of security threats. The study provides valuable insights for tourism service providers and stakeholders in promoting sustainable and competitive tourism in Nablus and the West Bank region.

Wilderness: a resource or a sanctuary? Views of tourism service providers

ABSTRACT The growing popularity of nature-based tourism means that the tourism industry is increasingly utilizing wilderness areas to provide visitor experiences. However, tourism activities negatively impact wilderness quality. Tourism service providers play an important role in shaping these impacts. Therefore, this study investigates their preferences regarding wilderness use and development. It focuses on the Icelandic Central Highlands, which contain some of Europe’s largest wildernesses and are an important venue for tourism. The relationship between participants’ preferences and environmental attitudes is also investigated, providing insights into the reasoning behind these preferences. For this study an online questionnaire was distributed among day tour providers and travel agencies operating in Iceland. The results revealed that the attitudes of over 87% of the participants were pro-environmental. Accordingly, most tourism service providers preferred basic tourism infrastructure in the Central Highlands, and they did not support further energy or road developments. However, their attitudes toward the Central Highlands National Park proposal were divergent despite the positive relationship with environmental attitudes. Concerns about regulations and access restrictions to the area played an important role in shaping the attitudes toward the national park proposal, demonstrating the importance of considering tourism stakeholders’ interests for ensuring their support for wilderness conservation.

Spatial-temporal evolution and driving mechanism of rural production-living-ecological space in Pingtan islands, China

With the continuous penetration of global networking and post-industrialism, the island rural spatial evolution becomes an important issue in comprehensive geography. Studying the microscale evolution and driving mechanism of island rural space is of great significance for promoting its reconstruction and revitalizing island rural communities. This paper constructed a classification system of island rural space from the production-living-ecological perspective. Taking Beigang Village located in China's southeast coast as an example, we analyzed the dynamic mechanism of island rural spatial evolution from traditional agricultural space to multi-functional composite space. The findings indicated that the drastic evolution and reconstruction occurred in the production-living-ecological space of Beigang from 2006 to 2021, manifested as the following aspects: production space was expanded to the outward tourist service space from inward agricultural production space, living space was evolved into commercial space from daily space to provide tourism services, and ecological space was constantly compacted and expanded in tourist development construction and ecological redline regulation. The island rural spatial pattern evolution was the result of the game among policy, capital, society, and organization, manifested as internal roles and external feedback of governmental policy guidance, tourism capital incentive, innovation of business philosophy, and grassroots organizational initiative. During the process, evolution characteristics from simpleness to complexity and from singleness to integration were present in island rural spatial functions. Meanwhile, tourism capital intervention was a key element to facilitate island rural spatial commercialization. A crucial way to avoid island rural spatial alienation and realize rural revitalization was to improve rural resilience. Overall, this study offered a model to delve into the island rural spatial evolution in China or even developing countries around the world.

How are the characteristics of Indonesian Muslim Tourists on Muslim Friendly Services in non-Muslim destination

The increasing number of Muslim world tourists creates a big opportunity for the halal tourism market. With the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has the potential to develop halal tourism services. Meanwhile, Muslim tourists more often visit non-Muslim-majority countries that do not understand the need for halal tourism. This research was conducted with the aim of identifying the dominant characteristics of Indonesian Muslim tourists when visiting non-Muslim majority countries. The research design is descriptive cross sectional and uses a purposive sampling technique. 268 samples were obtained from online questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive mapping. There are two findings in this study, the characteristics of preparation before travelling to non-Muslim countries and when they travel to non-Muslim countries. Managerial implications can be used as the basis for marketing strategies by tourism organizations in non-Muslim countries and tourism service providers to offer based on Muslim needs.