Tourism Industry Professionals Research Articles

Language of emotions: Establishing connection with customers in tourism industries

Establishing a deep connection to customers is crucial in the highly competitive tourism industry. Service providers in the tourism industry must be good expressive communicators in order to deliver a better product and enhance the customer’s experience. This qualitative study explores the significance of the 'Language of Emotions' in the tourism industry, including the use of empathy, emotional intelligence, and effective communication to comprehend and address the emotional requirements of consumers. Tapping twelve (12) frontline tourism industry workers with at least three years of experience and twelve (12) tourists who made six purchases of tourism-related goods in the previous two years totaling to 24 respondents via purposive sampling, results of this study implies that tourism industry professionals can use this language to develop unique experiences, cultivate client loyalty, and accelerate company expansion. Personalized service delivery, emotional engagement, and attentive listening are some strategies. The study also highlights the necessity of providing personnel with communication and emotional intelligence training. The usefulness and difficulties of applying the "Language of Emotions" are covered in the conclusion, along with suggestions for further study and use. For tourism industry experts looking to improve client satisfaction and loyalty through emotional connections, this research provides insightful information.

Evaluating Tourist Dissatisfaction with Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis Using Social Media Data

Tourism satisfaction is essential for encouraging tourists to stay longer, spend more and return. However, visitor dissatisfaction can also prove useful for understanding any shortcomings of a tourist destination, and Twitter, Instagram and TripAdvisor reviews might be able to provide an insight into tourist perceptions and experiences. This study examines the major causes of tourist dissatisfaction with a tourism destination using an aspect-based sentiment analysis approach to understand the key points of negative tweets, posts or reviews. We examined 19,340 tweets, 7,712 Instagram posts and 25,483 reviews about Granada in Spain in order to evaluate the negative user's perceptions, discover management-related problems and provide feedback to destination management organizations to enable them to improve their services and operations. Our work contributes to computational methods to address tourism (dis)satisfaction with a process to identify the most important entities (places), an algorithm to identify aspects and opinions, and the use of word-trees to show the most important aspect-opinion tuples. In practical terms, we provide to tourism industry professionals and managers, as well as travelers, with methods to identify the reasons for tourist dissatisfaction from available social media data, in such a way that managerial strategies or travel plans can be improved.

Optimal employment decisions in the hospitality sector under uncertain productivity loss due to catastrophe: A mean-variance utility approach

How do exogenous disruptions such as natural disasters affect employment and labour productivity in the hospitality sector? This article addresses this crucial issue by proposing a two-moment (i.e., mean-variance) decision model to determine the pattern of productivity and employment losses in this sector. In our model, a representative hotel owner selects the optimal employment level based on the risk-taking orientation of the manager. During a catastrophe, a high operational fixed investment cost causes optimal employment decisions for a hotel owner to become an endogenous choice variable. Our proposed model and a calibration exercise predict that, on average, as operational uncertainty increases, expected profits decrease substantially, causing managers to terminate employees. Government intervention in the form of a lumpsum grant can be beneficial, but the level of the grant should be contingent on the risk preference of the hotel management. For instance, restoring complete employment with a substantial lump-sum aid may take longer. We discuss the implications of our findings for hospitality sector research and tourism industry professionals.

From halal tourism to the sharia economy: The case of Lombok honeymoon halal tourism

This article conceptually examines the coherence of the halal tourism model on Lombok Island. The arguments presented are based on discussions with local government officials and tourism industry professionals (85 were interviewed) and an extensive literature review. We analyze the development of a Sharia-compliant economic model based on the creation of halal tourism. Lombok Island serves as a case study due to the government’s active promotion of halal tourism as a foundation for its Sharia-compliant economic development model. The development of honeymoon halal tourism is presented as an inclusive approach that integrates other industries. We show that while local actors are aware of the potential of this sector, they remain skeptical about their involvement in developing this new economic model. This article highlights the ethical considerations surrounding the establishment of a new market and proposes future research directions in this field.

Segmenting tourists’ motivations via online reviews: An exploration of the service strategies for enhancing tourist satisfaction

Tourism motivation and satisfaction are classic themes in tourism research. This study combines latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) and the Censydiam motivation model to analyze online reviews of tourism in Qinghai, China. The aim of this research is to explore tourist motivation through online reviews and provide innovative service suggestions to improve tourist satisfaction. The LDA model initially extracts six main topics from online comments. Then, using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), it maps the relationship between topics and tourism motivations to propose strategies for enhancing tourists' enjoyment, conviviality, and other motivating factors. Furthermore, we employ the Kano model to evaluate tourists' satisfaction levels regarding these strategies, demonstrating their positive evaluations. Hence, this study provides tourism industry professionals and service designers with an innovative method for understanding tourists' motivations through online reviews, enabling them to design specific services that enhance tourism experiences.

Effectiveness of Interpretative Signs on Visitors’ Behaviour and Satisfaction at Lekki Conservation Center, Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract This study aimed to find out the effect of interpretive signs on visitors’ behaviour and satisfaction at Lekki Conservation Center, Lagos State. Direct observation and well-structured questionnaire; directed at 200 respondents were used to obtain primary data at the site. Data was analysed descriptively and inferentially. Results revealed different forms of interpretive signages available at the site as well as their location. Also, the visitors were aware of interpretive signages at the site, and they comply with these signages. Furthermore, results revealed the effect of interpretive signages on visitors’ behaviour which showed “The interpretive signages are helpful” had the highest mean value (4.52). There is significant relationship between the visitors’ awareness of interpretive signages and their compliance (r=0.404, P<0.01)), satisfaction (r=0.335, P<0.01) and revisit intention due to interpretive signages (r=0.220, P<0.01). Thus, this study which is valid for domestic tourism concludes that interpretive signages have positive effect on visitors’ behaviour and satisfaction and should therefore be managed well at tourism destinations. Findings from this study will help tourism industry professionals in creating strategies for effective inclusion and management of interpretive signages at tourism sites.

The Influence of Tourism Industry and Tourism Supply Chain on Tourism Performance

This study explores the influence of stakeholders in the tourism industry in improving the tourism supply chain and tourism performance. This research employs a quantitative method to explore the pivotal role of stakeholders in Central Kalimantan's tourism industry, encompassing academicians and tourism industry professionals. Utilizing a structured questionnaire, 117 participants were selected through proportional stratified sampling. Data analysis employed a structural equation model (SEM). The study's results reveal a statistically significant and positive influence of stakeholders on both the tourism supply chain and tourism performance. Furthermore, it highlights the reciprocal influence of tourism supply chains on tourism performance. This research offers valuable insights for future investigations and informs strategies to boost Indonesia's tourism sector.

DEVELOPMENT MODEL FOR VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) TOURISM IN RURAL AREAS: A GIS-BASED APPROACH

This paper provides an overview of a development model for virtual reality (VR) tourism using Geographic Information System (GIS) data and spatial distribution analysis of potential tourism products. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Qualitative methods, such as interviews and focus groups, gather insights from stakeholders, including tourists, local communities, and tourism industry professionals, regarding their perceptions, expectations, and preferences. Quantitative methods, such as surveys and data analysis, provide a comprehensive understanding of visitor demographics, preferences, and the economic impact of VR tourism. The findings of the study focus on identifying and analysing the components of tourism products and data information specifically within the rural area of the Perak Tengah District. Information about tourism products is collected and encoded into a GIS database. The introduction of a new classification system justifies the development model and outlines a detailed process for each stage of the framework's methodologies. The originality and value of this research used a mixed-methods approach to gather qualitative and quantitative data, illustrating the overview of VR tourism development using the GIS tool approach specifically for tourism products in rural areas.

Factors Affecting Bangladeshi Travelers’ Selection of Hotels

Understanding the preferences and choices of travelers is essential for hoteliers and other tourism stakeholders as the hotel and tourism sectors in Bangladesh become more and more competitive day by day. The purpose of this study is to look at the key factors that influence hotel choice among Bangladeshi travelers. This study also seeks to offer insights into the particular requirements and expectations of Bangladeshi travelers by examining the elements that affect the hotel selection process. Considering these elements can help hoteliers and other tourism industry professionals tailor their services to the particular requirements and expectations of Bangladeshi travelers. The data for this research was collected through an online survey. A structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale is used and data were collected from 379 respondents, of which the valid response rate is 75.8%. The data have been analyzed using descriptive statistics. Research result highlights that ‘Staff Service Quality’, ‘Safety and Security’ and ‘Value for money’ are the three most influential factors in selecting a hotel.

Opening the path of gastro-tourism cluster development: the case of Cyprus

PurposeThis study aims to identify stakeholders and dimensions of the gastro-tourism cluster in Cyprus in order to facilitate the creation of a network of unique culinary experiences for tourists.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative research approach was undertaken through interaction with academics, researchers, and public and private sector stakeholders during the Gastro-Tourism Conference, which was organized by the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, in May 2022. The study draws on data from non-structured interviews conducted with tourism industry professionals and stakeholders.FindingsFour stakeholders of the gastro-tourism cluster were identified: enterprises from the gastro sector, supportive enterprises and industries, public institutions, and other institutions. Geographic proximity and knowledge sharing are the main dimensions affecting the gastro-tourism cluster in Cyprus.Originality/valueThe authors identified stakeholders in and dimensions of the gastro-tourism cluster in Cyprus, each of which plays a significant role in creating culinary experiences for visitors and ensuring more sustainable and less seasonal development of the island as a destination.

Ĉija je odgovornost? - evaluacija održivog razvoja turizma na Balatonu

Organisations play an important role in creating well-being of society and the environment. The main objective of the study is to map perspectives on sustainability among selected stakeholder groups including tourists/temporary visitors, local communities, and public and private decision-making professionals (public, non-profit, and for-profit) in the Lake Balaton region. The study is based on a combined methodology. First, insights from tourists and local residents were collected in a quantitative survey. Insights about sustainable tourism development from public, non-profit and for-profit tourism industry professionals were collected using semi-structured interviews. Results show that from an environmental perspective sustainable tourism represents nature-based tourism development. As regards a profit/economic perspective, buying local products and choosing locally owned restaurants, local markets play a significant role in the region. Differences in consumption patterns among locals and visitors are reflected in the lower need for off-season tourism offer. Interviewed stakeholders recognized the need for knowledge sharing and attitude forming.

Positioning of tourist destinations in the digital era: a review of online customer feedback

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify features of online content that create engagement amongst consumers by exploring online customer feedback from the world’s leading tourist website (s). This paper also attempts to unveil the factors based on customer reviews, which will be vital for the tourism industry professionals to promote and position India’s tourist destinations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper involves an analysis of customer feedback from TripAdvisor.com. The approach to research is exploratory and attempts to uncover critical factors arising out of rising visitor experience in the digital media sphere.FindingsKey factors are nuanced around service quality of the destination image. Identified factors that need the attention of the policymakers, site management and service professionals at large are fairness of price, distractions/irritants and varied expectations of the international and national tourists.Practical implicationsThe findings will have substantial implications for the policymakers, the site management and service professionals. Research outcomes are based on the analysis of real customer reviews hence makes this study vital for decision-makers as well as for academic researchers working in this area.Originality/valueThis study used the real tourist’s data from TripAdvisor.com. The customer’s postings on the website are those of verified visitors. This paper should help in developing a thoughtful discussion around positioning India as a preferred destination in the online arena aiming at future tourists.

EMPLOYER BRANDING IN FORMATION OF THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL OF THE TOUR OPERATOR: THE CASE STUDY OF UKRAINE

Abstract. The article defines that intellectual capital should be considered as one of the key factors of successful realization and provision of tourist services when the level of material stocks and raw materials resources reduce. The main feature of effective tour operator’s business is the formed intellectual potential, first of all, the staff, which has value-oriented professional knowledge, ambition, creativity, and the efficiency of each employee’s work is the key source of innovative changes for any enterprise. The accumulated knowledge and experience transform the staff into intellectual capital that is the resource of growth and development of tour operators. In such a situation, the administration of the tourist enterprises should use efficient tools for attracting professional employees, which are the basis of the intellectual capital of the company. However, the results of a survey among Ukrainian students who study in the field of tourism indicate a passive position of leading tourism operators’ directors in the process of finding and attracting tourism industry professionals to work for these companies. The directors of tour operators do not pay attention to HR brand formation that by the way generates the overall image and reputation of the tourist company. As a result, we have a significant staff turnover in companies that are in the top 10 leading employers in the tourism sector. It is an obstacle to form intellectual capital of organizations, that affects the performance. On other hand, well-formed employer brand enhances the company reputation, which is a proven mechanism for evaluating the partnership’s stability and business strategy. The right policy for the human resources formation creates a special professional intellect, and if tour operators use it, it transforms into intellectual capital for the firm and into intellectual property for the employee. The successful implementation of co-branding (a joint brand «employee company») enhances the image and reputation components that are intended to ensure stable positive financial results that is the most important condition for strategic company development, even in the conditions of fierce competitive struggle. Keywords: intellectual capital, tour operator, reputation capital, co-branding, HR-brand. JEL Classification D69, F15, H73, L14, R11 Formulas: 0; fig.: 4; tabl.: 1; bibl.: 10.

Intra-cultural variation among tourists of the same cultural background – does it matter?

ABSTRACT This paper advances the notion that macro-level sociological factors outweigh micro-level social psychological variables in shaping perceptions of place; an idea based on the earlier work of Burns and Dietz (on cultural evolution) who concluded that the realities of daily lifestyles significantly inform the transfer of ‘social rules’. The proposition that cultural homogeneity is amended by the context of daily reality is examined by analysing the responses of 12 tourism industry professionals and 85 visitors of Chinese ethnicity visiting Macau. These visitors came from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan. It is proposed that the different social, economic and political structures outweigh a common cultural structure based on Confucian values, leading to difference in perceptions of Macau. The data were derived from interviews, and suggest that cultural similarities are of less importance than the socio-economic-political frameworks of the visitor originating zones.

The perception of unethical issues in selected Thailand tourist areas: Measuring the attitudes of foreign tourism students

The principal aim of the paper was to examine what kind of experience international exchange students, as future professionals in tourism industry, gained during their study at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism in Phuket, Thailand. Thus, the paper deals with how often they encountered the unethical issues in the tourism industry, and how these issues affect their perception of the image of Thailand as a tourist destination. The paper also explores how formal education in Tourism ethics affects the perception of Thailand tourism unethical practices, and as such, it is one of the first studies in this field. In addition, the paper intends to show if there is a relationship between formal education in Ethics in tourism and the respondents’ experience and perception of unethical issues. The results show that these unethical issues have the significant and very strong influence on tourism perception of Thailand with a special emphasis on exploitation of women and children in sex tourism. Also, the study indicates that respondents who have a formal education in Ethics were more aware and had a clearer picture of the negative effect of these unethical issues on the image of Thailand as a destination.

An exploratory study of resident perceptions toward the tourism industry in Cappadocia: a Social Exchange Theory approach

ABSTRACTThis paper evaluates the perceptions of Cappadocia residents on the impacts of tourism development and resident attitudes toward tourism. Social Exchange Theory underpinned this study of the perceptions of Cappadocia’s residents and their attitudes toward tourism. Primary data were collected from tourism industry professionals, officials of non-profit organizations and handicraftsmen. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with Cappadocia residents, and the data were analyzed with content analysis. Results highlight that “Economic,” “Socio-Cultural” and “Environmental” aspects can be inferred to encompass resident perceptions toward the impacts of tourism development in Cappadocia. Residents tend to recognize the economic benefits as well as socio-cultural and environmental costs. Results indicate that Social Exchange Theory can be used in explaining the perceptions of Cappadocia residents and reactions to tourism phenomena. This study is expected to provide practical ways for concerned authorities to make future policies and strategies to eradicate problems that create unpleasant feelings amongst residents.

Inciting tourist accommodation managers to make their establishments accessible to people with disabilities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the research carried out in Québec as part of a master’s degree for the IÉSEG School of Management on behalf of Kéroul, an organization whose mission is to make tourism and culture accessible to people with disabilities. Established over 30 years ago and active largely in Québec, Kéroul has observed a lingering reluctance on the part of tourism industry operators to meeting the needs of disabled visitors. In the research, we set out to answer the following question: how can Kéroul encourage tourism establishments to develop accessibility? In light of the hotel industry’s key role in tourism, exploratory research was conducted with 30 Québec hotel managers through extensive individual interviews. Design/methodology/approach The exploratory research took the form of in-depth interviews with hotel managers. The sample was selected after conferring with Kéroul and a Québec hotel association. As a first step, a jointly written letter was sent to managers who were association members, inviting them to be interviewed. Findings Some respondents showed an interest in accessibility, seen as a means of attracting group bookings; others confirmed that accessible rooms rented well to guests from all categories. Nonetheless, most were skeptical about the economic value of the disabled market. They were also poorly informed about this type of clientele, the concept of accessibility and the facilities “barrier-free” tourism requires. Originality/value Until now, the literature on accessible tourism has generally accentuated the needs of disabled consumers and analyzed their behavior with regard to tourism. Arguments to demonstrate the market potential of tourists with disabilities have ensued. The need to meet this demand was expressed while highlighting the low degree of consideration given to the disabled market by tourism professionals at present. However, few publications treat accessibility as a viable business opportunity. The study reveals the concerns and views of tourism industry professionals vis-à-vis accessibility and is all the more relevant, given the current context in Québec.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION AS FACTORS DETERMINING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF AGRITOURISM ENTERPRISES

The aim of the article is to present the concept of entrepreneurship and innovation as factors determining the competitiveness of agritourism enterprises. The paper quoted information from the literature review. Innovation has an important infl uence on the development of the tourism sector. Innovation in the fi eld of tourism has become, in recent years, the subject of increasing interest, of both researchers and practitioners in the tourism economy. This is due to a constant search of new trends in tourism, both by companies specializing in tourism and society. The introduction of innovation in tourism, however, is a complex and multi-faceted process, because it is not only the modifi cation of the product, but also new types of tourism activities, or adaptation to the conditions for sustainable development. It may be noticed that currently discoveries in the fi eld of innovation in tourism are made. Very rarely this is because innovation is the result of systematic, often very expensive research, which requires a combination of the entire team representing the tourism industry professionals. The main aim of innovation in tourism businesses is striving to achieve a competitive advantage in the market. Mutual co-operation determines improvement of the competitiveness of tourism. It is said that the co-operation enables the development of individual entities. It establishes the result of access to specialized producing factors.

Reducing the Impact of Forest Harvesting on the Vancouver Island Tourism Industry

British Columbia forests have traditionally been managed for timber production. However, the increasing importance of nature-based tourism within the province means that forests also have significant value as a tourism resource. This can lead to conflicts between the forestry and tourism industries. This article examines tourism and forestry interests on Vancouver Island and discusses ways that forests could be managed to reduce negative impacts to the tourism industry. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with forestry and tourism industry professionals on Vancouver Island and elsewhere in British Columbia. Findings suggest that visual impacts associated with forestry can negatively impact tourism. It also appears that forestry receives a much higher priority than tourism when it comes to forest management, despite the vital importance of the tourism industry to the Vancouver Island economy. Displeasure over the lack of communication requirements between the forest industry and other stakeholders was also documented. The implementation of formal agreements between the two industries may potentially reduce conflicts between these two industries on Vancouver Island. Identification and special management of highly valuable tourism areas may also provide benefits to the Vancouver Island tourism industry.

Transformation of Tourism in Beijing after the 2008 Summer Olympics: An Analysis of the Impacts in 2014

AbstractMany countries compete for the opportunity to host the Olympics because of the resulting positive impacts. However, there are also high costs associated with hosting this event. The participants of this study provided insight on how the 2008 Olympics influenced Beijing's tourism industry. This study explores the impacts of hosting the renowned Olympic Games on the transformation of the host city from the supplier perspective. Beijing tourism industry professionals and Beijing residents were considered suppliers and interviewed for the purpose of this study. Collected data reveal that the city of Beijing rapidly developed because of the mega event. Suppliers including Beijing's tourism department, government organizations, hotels, and restaurants have changed their marketing strategies over time because of the impacts of the Olympics. Additionally, Beijing has shifted to promoting a new destination image: fashion and vitality. The present findings will help future host destinations better understand the impacts of hosting the Olympics. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.