Tourism Leadership Research Articles

Developing Effective Tourism Leadership

This study explores the development of effective leadership in the tourism industry from the perspective of current industry leaders in Hong Kong, China. The literature reviews the key themes in tourism leadership research, which is followed by an empirical qualitative study of 10 leaders in the tourism industry in Hong Kong. Findings are explored in relation to three key areas: (a) how the leaders learned their skills, (b) what makes an effective leader, and (c) advice for aspiring leaders. The key findings are that leaders learn their skills from their own experiences and from others; effective leadership is gained through a combination of business knowledge and personal skills including determination, being open-minded, self-reflection, and excellent communication and team-building skills. Advice for aspiring leaders is to be passionate and knowledgeable about the industry and, ultimately, not to be afraid of hard work. The implications of the research are discussed in relation to organizations and individuals in terms of developing effective leadership.

To distribute leadership or not? A lesson from the islands

There is a dearth of literature in the area of tourism leadership. This article identifies the theoretical aspects of distributed leadership which features collective responsibility and collective flexibility, and argues how it might be advantageous for tourism firms in general. A longitudinal qualitative case study is used to consider different forms of distributed leadership and their impact upon organisational outcomes. The analysis is presented in terms of the presence or absence of distributed leadership within the case organisation. Evidence is provided of where this style of leadership would support success, but also identifies why it has been so hard to recognise this and then maintain and support it over time. It is argued that it may prove advantageous for tourism firms to actively consider whether distributed leadership would potentially offer increased organisational performance.

Funding tourism promotion in the USA: The Colorado Tourism Leadership Conference

Funding tourism promotion in the USA: The Colorado Tourism Leadership Conference

Involvement and opinion leadership in tourism

Nature-based tourism, science tourism, and ecotourism are some of the emerging and growing trends in special-interest tourism. This study utilized a southeastern sample of the United States who had an interest in travel and the environment. A modified Dillman total design method survey was used to collect the data. The study demonstrated that widely used concepts of marketing are applicable for nature-based tourism. Results indicate that highly involved nature-oriented travelers tend to be more receptive to information concerning the travel product or destination and spread that information willingly. Findings of this study suggest that opinion leaders take more trips and use slightly more information sources.