Tourism Companies Research Articles

Exploring the factors affecting travellers’ webrooming intention: a moderated-mediation analysis

ABSTRACT Webrooming, the practice of researching online before buying at a physical store, is a growing trend. The study investigated how various socio-psychological aspects influence consumers’ intentions to webrooming from the perspective of tourism products. The research also analysed the mediating functions of hedonic motivation (HM) and utilitarian motivation (UM) amongst socio-psychological factors and webrooming intention (WI). Furthermore, the research examines how perceived risk of online purchase (PROP) can moderate the mediating impacts of HM and UM. The methodology integrates a conceptual framework to evaluate the influencing factors of search online and make a buy offline on WI along with the mediating and moderating factors. A SEM-based quantitative data analysis was carried out to assess the proposed hypotheses by analysing 654 collected responses. The outcomes specify that WI is notably affected by the perceived usefulness of online portal. The variables effects on WI are mediated by HM and UM. The perceived UM had a different mediating impact both high and low degrees of attitudes of PROP. The research will support tourism companies manage cross-channel customer behaviour. The research will benefit the literature on tourism marketing by investigating the new development of WI and switching the channel.

CREATIVE TOURISM: AN ENGINE OF INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN TODAY'S WORLD

In the field of economics, creativity represents the ability to produce work and to perform new, unexpected, original, but at the same time appropriate and useful, beneficial activities. The importance of creativity lies, for example, in innovations, new discoveries, creativity can lead to new directions in art and the like. If we apply creativity to tourism, the result can be an increase in the attractiveness of a specific place or the entire (creative) tourism region. The main goal of the presented article is to map the use of creativity in selected companies and institutions of the travel industry in Slovakia, to identify the strengths of the use of creativity and at the same time, in connection with the revealed shortcomings, to identify areas in which improvement and development of the potential of creative tourism is possible. To achieve the main goal, the article will use the primary data obtained through sociological inquiry in the form of a questionnaire among companies and institutions of the tourism industry in Slovakia and among their consumers. The analysis showed that there is no significant difference in the intensity of the use of innovation and creativity between the studied areas in Slovakia. It has been confirmed that tourism companies and institutions do not have enough financial resources in Slovakia to further develop creativity. The last finding was the creation of own innovations by tourism companies and institutions, not taking them from abroad, or from other businesses.

Beyond chronological age: exploring how different future time perspective influences the health tourism intention

BackgroundThe burgeoning field of health tourism has garnered significant attention due to its integration of health and leisure, reflecting a growing consumer demand for wellness-oriented travel experiences. Based on the socioemotional selectivity theory, this study examines the relationship between future time perspective, health awareness, involvement, and health tourism intention. It aims to understand how different dimensions of future time perspective influence the intention to engage in health tourism, beyond the traditional chronological age.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among individuals aged 16 years and above with normal cognitive function. Data was collected through online questionnaires distributed on popular Chinese social media platforms, WeChat and QQ. A total of 536 valid questionnaires were returned, with a validity rate of 91.47%. The study employed the structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses.ResultsThe effect of different dimensions of future time perspective on health tourism intention differed. Limited future time perspective (LFTP) positively influenced health tourism intention, while open-ended future time perspective (OFTP) did not have a significant effect on health tourism intention. Involvement and health awareness not only directly influence health tourism intention, but also mediate the relationship between future time perspective (OFTP and LFTP) and health tourism intention respectively. Moreover, there is a significant difference in the effect of LFTP on healthy tourism intention between different age groups.ConclusionsThe findings highlight the importance of considering subjective time perspectives in understanding health tourism intention. Health tourism companies should focus on strategies that enhance health awareness and consumer involvement to capitalize on the positive effects of health tourism intention. Additionally, the study suggests that marketing efforts should be tailored to address the specific needs and goals of individuals with different future time perspectives, thereby optimizing the appeal of health tourism products. Future research should explore these relationships across diverse populations and contexts to further refine the understanding of health tourism decision-making.

Sustainability in European luxury tourism companies: an analysis of practices and managerial perspectives

Purpose This paper aims to present findings from a preliminary study aimed at investigating sustainability practices and managerial perceptions within European luxury tourism companies. The study addressed two key research questions: What is the present state of sustainability practices in the luxury tourism sector? What are the managers' perspectives and the prevailing trends in the adoption of sustainable approaches? Design/methodology/approach The study used a mixed methods approach to gather data from a diverse range of European luxury tourism companies. The survey and the interview of companies’ representatives encompassed various organisational types engaged in different tourism activities, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of sustainability practices within the sector. Organisational characteristics, such as size, turnover and location, were considered to ensure a representative sample. Findings The findings of the study reveal a robust commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability across the luxury tourism industry. Despite variations in organisational characteristics, including size, turnover and location, the study identified a lack of significant differences in sustainability practices, indicating a noteworthy homogeneity within the sector. The findings also show that a high percentage of companies hold sustainability certifications and share an emphasis on authenticity, local engagement and economic profitability. Research limitations/implications The study's sample size may limit the generalisability of the findings. A larger sample size would enhance the study's robustness and allow for more comprehensive insights into sustainability practices within the luxury tourism sector. The study's focus on European luxury tourism companies may limit its applicability to other regions or contexts. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into sustainability practices and managerial perspectives within the European luxury tourism sector. The study offers original insights into the current state of sustainability in luxury tourism and highlights opportunities for further research and refinement of sustainability initiatives within the sector.

What do tourism and hospitality companies convey about labor union relations in their CSR reports? A conceptual model and empirical findings

Freedom of association represents a basic human right, giving labor unions an essential role as stakeholders in protecting this freedom. Given this, CSR reports should contain information regarding labor union relations. This study, based on a content analysis of 81 CSR reports from US and European hospitality and tourism companies, examines how the reports depict their relationships with labor unions and, by implication, how they perceive them. In so doing, it presents a conceptual model for understanding the mechanisms that underlie companies’ portrayals of labor union relations in their CSR reports. Our analysis reveals a striking trend: the majority of companies do not mention unions at all, while some only make passing references to specific aspects of unions, such as employees’ rights to freedom of association. Only a minority provide detailed information that covers various aspects of union relations, including the number of unionized employees and the company’s framework for interacting with unions. This paper concludes by highlighting the work’s theoretical contributions and offering practical recommendations for reporting on union relations in CSR reports.

The Impact of Effective Coaching on Sales Performance Mediated by the Role of Soft Skills in the Tourism Industry

This research aimed to design a model for the role of effective coaching in achieving sales representatives' performance through soft skills for Iraqi tourism companies using quantitative and qualitative approaches. A questionnaire was designed to collect data to analyze the relationship between the research variables for (427) paragraphs that were randomly distributed to each tourism salesperson. To prove the model, five hypotheses were formulated where the effect and relationship were proven in all hypotheses using (SPSS, SMART PLS) programs. The results emphasize the importance of implementing strong coaching programs aimed at developing self-awareness, personal responsibility and personal skills among employees. Moreover, the study highlights the need for tourism service providers to comprehensively assess and develop personal skills alongside technical competencies during recruitment and performance management processes. It recommends providing value for the potential benefits of implementing coaching programs to support professional development and enhance the performance of front-line sales personnel. The results of this research can help in developing coaching strategies and coaching programs specifically designed to improve salesperson performance, and ultimately improve customer experience in the tourism services sector.

Post-Pandemic Financial Distress Analysis: A Study of Retailer and Tourism Companies Listed in Bursa Malaysia Using the Grover Model

A corporation enters financial distress when its cash flows are insufficient to cover its debts to stakeholders, both financial and non-financial. When the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic struck the world and caused lockdowns that impacted many businesses, particularly those in the tourism and retail industries, the likelihood of financial distress increased. Thus, the Grover model is used to determine and analyse the financial distress prediction in retail and tourist companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. The Grover model categorises companies as financially distressed with a G-Score equal to or less than -0.02. Meanwhile, the G-Score for companies in the safe zone is equal to or greater than 0.01. Four companies were chosen, and a sample of data was collected from 2017 to 2021. The findings showed that during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021, three companies were under financial distress, especially those in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Meanwhile, retailer companies, especially those in food manufacturing, were not affected by this pandemic.

Digital Transformation and Carbon Intensity: Evidence from Chinese Tourism Companies

Digital Transformation and Carbon Intensity: Evidence from Chinese Tourism Companies

Can digital transformation promote hospitality and tourism firms’ investment? Moderating effect of financing constraints and economic policy uncertainty

ABSTRACT Research on corporate investment is widely acknowledged as essential in the realm of financial management within the hospitality and tourism sector. Drawing on information asymmetry and resource dependency theories, this study examines the effect of digital transformation on hospitality and tourism firm investment and explores how financing constraints and economic policy uncertainty moderate these effects. We utilized firms engaged in tourism, hotel, catering, and transportation, listed on the A-share market of China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2009 to 2022, as our research sample. Our findings indicate that digital transformation enhances investment in hospitality and tourism companies. Furthermore, this positive effect was more pronounced for firms with reduced financing constraints and heightened economic policy uncertainty. These findings reveal ignored tourism and hospitality investment antecedents and enrich academic understanding by expanding firm-specific boundaries. This study provides practical insight into how hospitality and tourism firms can boost investment through digital transformation.

Learning organizations and sustainability outcomes in tourism: the mediating role of sustainable practices

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of learning organization characteristics on sustainability outcomes in the tourism sector, with a specific focus on sustainable tourism practices. It seeks to gain insights into how organizations in the tourism industry contribute to sustainability efforts. Design/methodology/approach This research used a survey method to gather data from employees working in five leading Indian tourism companies. The study was designed based on the theoretical frameworks of triple bottom line theory and organizational learning theory, with quantitative analysis conducted using structural equation modeling through Smart PLS 4 software. Findings This study reveals that learning organizations play a crucial role in promoting sustainable practices and yielding positive sustainability outcomes in the tourism sector. The results demonstrated significant positive relationships and mediation effects, highlighting the substantial impact of learning organization characteristics on enhancing sustainability efforts within the industry. Research limitations/implications This study’s findings provide actionable insights for refining organizational strategies and formulating policy recommendations to strengthen sustainability initiatives within the tourism sector. In addition, this research contributes valuable knowledge to the expanding field of sustainable tourism management and best organizational practices. Originality/value This study contributes to the field by offering empirical evidence on the interplay between learning organization characteristics, sustainable tourism practices and sustainability outcomes within the tourism sector. Its focus on addressing sustainability challenges in this industry context provides valuable insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers, guiding them in formulating effective strategies and decisions to enhance sustainability efforts.

The Effects of Vessel Traffic on the Behavior Patterns of Common Dolphins in the Tagus Estuary (Portugal).

The impact of vessels on dolphin populations has been extensively studied worldwide. The common dolphin, Delphinus delphis, has been observed in the Tagus estuary for the past two centuries, and during the last several years, these sightings seem to have increased. This area has high levels of maritime traffic throughout the year, both commercial and recreational. To understand the possible effects of vessel traffic on dolphins' behavior, land-based observations were carried out from March 2022 to March 2023. For a total of 67 events (48.9 h of dolphin sightings), differences in behavioral budgets were noted. Although "neutral reaction" was the most observed response when vessels were in the vicinity of dolphins, "negative reaction" was also common and five times more abundant than "positive reaction". The GEE model showed statistical differences between these reaction types (positive, neutral, and negative). Markov chains' analysis revealed distinct patterns in the behavioral transition probabilities, as dolphins were more likely to switch to a traveling state when vessels were nearby. This study is the first step towards understanding a potential impact source in the area since it is expected that tourism companies expand due to the increase in dolphin sightings in the estuary.

Development of E-Tourism to Achieve Excellence and Sustainable Development in Tourism: Ha’il Region Case Study

E-tourism is one of the most important levers for social and economic development. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has declared 2017 the year of sustainable tourism for development. When relying on sophisticated communication technologies. Certainly, these innovations in the field of this analysis aim to determine the main factors of e-tourism achieving excellence in tourism in the Ha’il region. Tourism has disrupted this sector with new and different dimensions of tourism development. This has led various regions and countries to accelerate the search for the tools necessary to achieve excellence and sustainable development in tourism. This research aims to study the development factors of e-tourism to achieve excellence and sustainable development in the tourism of the Ha’il region. Therefore, the gap in this research is represented by the lack of a comprehensive analysis of the interaction between e-tourism development factors and factors that promote tourism excellence in the Ha’il region to achieve sustainable development. For this reason, we applied two analyses: in the first one, we used a statistical analysis based on the survey sent to 500 employees from tourism companies. This analysis aimed to determine the main factors that influence e-tourism to achieve excellence in tourism in the Ha’il region. The results of the statistical analysis gave us the following elements: There are only four main factors that allow authorities to achieve excellence in tourism in the Ha’il region, namely Supporting Technology (ST), Competition Pressure (CP), Human Resource Skills (HRS), and Socio-Cultural (SC) factors. Then, we proceed with a second analysis to determine the main factors of excellence in tourism that drive the achievement of sustainable development in tourism in the Ha’il region. For this reason, we applied an artificial intelligence method based on the unsupervised machine learning technique. The results obtained from the machine learning technique show that five factors determine the excellence in tourism and reveal the sustainable development of Ha’il’s tourism. These factors are ST, CP, Financial Performance (FP), HRS, and Government Commitment (GC). Consequently, we consider that all the factors found in both analyses are important to realise excellence in tourism and sustainable development in tourism. However, to achieve sustainable development in tourism in Ha’il, Saudi authorities must develop the three common factors found in the two analyses, namely ST, CP, and HRS. Therefore, this study is expected to help introduce ways of excellence in e-tourism by marketing it using artificial intelligence, enabling the development of the tourism sector in an enormous area. It will also contribute significantly to the formulation of plans, policies, and strategies that will largely ensure the development of Ha’il’s tourism sector.

A Financing Constraints Paradox? Internal Finance and Capital Structure Link for Tourism Firms: Asian Emerging Market evidence

The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between the internal financial and capital structure of an organization in the travel and tourism sector. The study shows how financial constraints on tourism companies affect their ability to finance themselves. The study also shows a relationship between tax shielding and financial leverage. This study analyzes panel data collected over a 21 year period, from 1998 to 2019, from over 100 publicly traded tourism companies in three Asian countries. A panel data methodology and the generalized method of moments estimation (GMM) were used in this empirical study. To support our hypothesis, using a generic method to evaluate parameter estimation will be our most effective method to improve the literature. Overall, the results show that financially stressed tourism firms use their option of debt-free tax avoidance to increase leverage. There is also a positive correlation between tax haven and leverage for firms with limited resources. The correlations between financial leverage and corporate debt supported by the results theoretically support the pecking order. By providing useful insights into the tax shielding of non-debt, which is significantly correlated with leverage for firms operating in tourism, this study closes the gap in firms’ capital structure decisions regarding access to finance. JEL Classification: G0, G01, L25

UNDERSTANDING THE NEXUS BETWEEN ABUSIVE SUPERVISION, KNOWLEDGE HIDING BEHAVIOR, WORK DISENGAGEMENT, AND PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Supervisors' dispositions have not received enough attention as potential antecedents to employees' knowledge - hiding behaviors. Based on this, the current study investigates the impact of abusive supervision on knowledge-hiding behaviors, considering the mediating role of work disengagement in this relationship, as well as investigating the moderating role of perceived organizational support in the study model. Data was obtained from frontline service employees of five-star hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh and tourism companies in Cairo, Egypt, by a questionnaire that surveyed 298 employees. The collected data was scrutinized using the Smart PLS-structural equation modeling technique. The PLS-SEM statistics proved the highly positive and significant effect of abusive supervision on knowledge-hiding behavior and employees’ work disengagement, supported the mediating effect of work disengagement, and the moderating effect of perceived organizationa l support. The study highlights some practical implications for hotels, such as implementing integrated knowledge offering a digital library, continuous management and administrative skills training, and behavioral training to facilitate the gaining of knowledge and enhance staff skills, self-confidence, loyalty, and job security. It also strongly suggests adopting a strategy to monitor abusive supervisors through open communication channels, regularly conducting exit interviews to reduce turnover, and enhancing engagement, thereby preventing abusive practices.

Solving Internal Communication Challenges in Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises in Three Northern European Countries

Aim. The aim of the research is to analyse goals, practices, and challenges of internal organisational communication in tourism and hospitality enterprises and offer teaching/learning methodologies to further smooth internal organisational communication. Methods. Twelve semi-structured expert interviews to analyse organisational communication from various aspects were conducted with top level management representatives in 2020–2023. The data was analysed applying content analysis. The themes elicited were grouped into three contextual categories to conduct in-depth analysis. Additionally, SWOT analysis was conducted. Results. The findings indicate that the main goals of internal organisational communication depend on the type of the company. E-mail is the most frequently used written communication channel by tourism companies. WhatsApp or FB group is equally popular among all companies. Face-to-face communication remains the preferred oral internal communication channel in all businesses, regardless of the company location and size. Conclusion. The challenges discovered in the research may be addressed through non-formal and informal learning activities derived from real-life situations and problems to engage adult learners in active, participatory learning encouraging them to collaborate and contribute to the common organisational goals and shared values. Practical application. The suggestions on teaching/learning methodologies to improve internal organisational communication may be practically applied in workplace learning as well as in teaching/learning languages in formal and non-formal adult education. Cognitive value. The article provides an analysis of how adult learners’ communication skills may be developed by incorporating Natural Approach of language learning, Cooperative Learning and game-based learning to secure contextualised participatory learning to improve internal organisational communication.

A Combined OCBA–AIC Method for Stochastic Variable Selection in Data Envelopment Analysis

This study introduces a novel approach to enhance variable selection in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), especially in stochastic environments where efficiency estimation is inherently complex. To address these challenges, we propose a game cross-DEA model to refine efficiency estimation. Additionally, we integrate the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) with the Optimal Computing Budget Allocation (OCBA) technique, creating a hybrid method named OCBA–AIC. This innovative method efficiently allocates computational resources for stochastic variable selection. Our numerical analysis indicates that OCBA–AIC surpasses existing methods, achieving a lower AIC value. We also present two real-world case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in ranking suppliers and tourism companies under uncertainty by selecting the most suitable partners. This research enriches the understanding of efficiency measurement in DEA and makes a substantial contribution to the field of performance management and decision-making in stochastic contexts.

Navigating digital transformation and business model innovation in the tourism sector: challenges opportunities, and leadership styles

PurposeTechnological advancements are reshaping the tourism industry, necessitating the adaptation of business models through digital technology utilisation for intelligent, sustainable and inclusive tourism offerings. The diverse nature of tourism businesses, encompassing size, technology access, risk aversion, labour intensity, and more, presents a spectrum of challenges and opportunities for business model innovation (BMI) and digital transformation (DT) to maintain competitiveness. This study focuses on the core aspects of DT and BMI within the tourism sector, offering pivotal insights to aid tourism companies embarking on the intricate journey of DT and BMI in this evolving landscape.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducts an extensive literature review to identify critical issues and pathways for tourism businesses pursuing DT and BMI. The review is focused on the challenges, opportunities, risks and imperatives that tourism organisations have to navigate in the current DT landscape to renew their business model.FindingsThe findings underscore the pressing need for tourism businesses to undergo a holistic DT. While digital technologies are reshaping the essence of tourism value chains, the transformation extends beyond technology adoption to encompass a profound renewal of organisational culture, competencies, structure, leadership and operational models. This paradigm shift is indispensable for crafting more innovative, sustainable and more inclusive tourism development. The paper also provides strategic recommendations and outlines future research directions to fortify the transformational journey of the tourism sector.Originality/valueThe paper provides key insights into supporting DT and BMI in tourism businesses, advancing a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities tourism organisations face in the digital age.

Anti-crisis adaptation of the Ukrainian tourism industry

With the development of tourism, a tourism companies or destinations become as dependent as possible on a wide variety of political, social and economic events, and this actualizes a number of risks and increases vulnerability to a potential crisis. The set of crises that befell Ukraine throughout the 21st century, each time destabilized the progressive development of the tourism sector, pushed entrepreneurial initia­tives back into the past. Mitigating the impact of crisis phenomena on the development of tourism cannot be imagined without a detailed statistical analysis of these impacts and the level of adap­tability of tourism as a whole and its individual branches. The purpose of the article is to reveal the impact of several large-scale crises of the 21st century on Ukrainian tourism and study the degree of adaptability of its industries through a number of indicators, including the economic and financial results of the relevant business entities. The main hypothesis of the study was that different sectors of the economy, the enter­prises of which are part of the tourism sector, are characterized by different degrees of adaptabi­lity to large-scale crises. When writing the article, the results of several state statistical observations and expert assessments were used. The article examines in detail the ways in which crises and upheavals have shaped and changed the tourism landscape of Ukraine in recent years. The study highlights the tangible, measu­rable consequences of major shocks – from a sharp decrease in the number of tourists and their behavior patterns to sharp changes in the economic results of the sectorʼs enterprises. The work aims to provide a detailed understanding of the sustainability and adaptability of the two main sectors of tourism - the hospitality and tour operating sectors. This analysis highlights the factors that have enabled certain tourism sectors to withstand the crises of recent years, while others may have struggled to adapt and recover. By carefully cataloging these trends and pat­terns, research provides information that can help design mitigation strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic, digitalization level, and financing constraints of listed tourism companies

This paper empirically examines the impact of digital transformation on the financing constraints of tourism-related listed companies in the Chinese capital market during the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical results indicate that digital transformation significantly reduces financing constraints during the pandemic. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the mitigating effect of digital transformation on financing constraints during the pandemic is mainly evident in large-scale enterprises and those with a higher proportion of institutional investors.

Does digitalization always benefit cultural, sports, and tourism enterprises quality? Unveiling the inverted U-shaped relationship from a resource and capability perspective

The impact of digitalization on the high-quality development of “technology-sparse” but “labor-intensive” cultural, sports, and tourism enterprises may not follow a linear path. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore the mechanism by which digitalization contributes to the integrated high-quality development of enterprises from the perspective of resources and capabilities. The majority of studies focus on the theoretical realm, while challenges in acquiring crucial data indicators constrain the advancement of empirical inquiries. This study creates a lexicon of digitized features encompassing strategic, technical, and application layers within cultural, sports, and tourism enterprises. The MD&A texts from annual reports were processed using the TF-IDF algorithm, which is based on machine learning, to assess the level of digitization. Additionally, integration development was incorporated into the evaluation system for high-quality development of cultural, sports, and tourism enterprises via social network analysis. In terms of theoretical contributions, enterprise search and reorganization capabilities were included within the scope of core enterprise capabilities. Furthermore, the study elucidated the roles of human capital and enterprise innovation in the interplay between digitalization and high-quality development, drawing upon the resource-based view and core capabilities theory. Finally, we empirically examined panel data from 116 listed cultural, sports, and tourism companies in Chinese A-share markets from 2010 to 2020. The findings reveal the following: (1) There is an inverted U-shaped association between digitalization and high-quality development, initially promoting then hindering progress, with a persistent pattern over time and robustness against instrumental variable regression and endogeneity tests. Additionally, the majority of cultural, sports, and tourism enterprises fall within a moderate range, indicating a positive impact on high-quality development. (2) Human capital and enterprise innovation are mediators of the inverted U-shaped relationship between digitalization and high-quality development. (3) The influence of digitalization on high-quality development significantly varies depending on the enterprise’s geographical location, life cycle, and risk tolerance. The study reveals the digitalization journey within cultural, sports, and tourism enterprises, offering theoretical insights for fostering collaborative high-quality development within the industry amid digitalization.