Managers Of Travel Agencies Research Articles

Catalyzing green competitiveness in hotel and tourism businesses: Leveraging digital dynamic capability and green creativity

The global push for green initiatives is in line with advancements in smart technology. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of digital dynamic capability “organization's capacity to swiftly utilize digital technologies for innovation and adaptation” on green competitiveness in hotel and tourism businesses, considering green creativity as a mediator. Using the statistical program WarpPLS 7.0, the study employed PLS-SEM to examine 333 replies that were provided by middle-level managers of five-star hotels and category-A travel agencies in Egypt. The study revealed that digital dynamic capability positively impacts both green competitiveness and green creativity. In addition, the study found that green creativity significantly mediates the relationship between digital dynamic capability and green competitiveness. The study offers fresh insights into how emerging concepts like digital dynamic capability predict green competitiveness in the tourism and hospitality industries.

Managing sustainability-oriented innovation in services: proposal of a scale for the future of hotel companies and travel agencies

PurposeThe concept of Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation (SOSI) has been recently suggested from a conceptual reflection approach in an attempt to integrate innovation and sustainability in services, being an emerging field of innovation in services. This study aims to propose a scale to measure Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation from the perspective of the company. Because the whole is different from the sum of its different parts, we need to better understand the synergy between sustainability and innovation for the future of tourism companies.Design/methodology/approachUpon a literature review, we propose a scale and explore its dimensionality with data from 268 to 256 Spanish hotel and travel agency managers, respectively. The dimensionality of the scale for measuring Sustainability-Oriented Service Innovation is similar in hotels and travel agencies.FindingsFive factors emerge from the principal component analyses carried out: two dimensions referred to technological and non-technological innovation, respectively, and three dimensions labelled as economic, social and environmental sustainability.Practical implicationsTo guide managers towards their operations, the proposed scale is expected to inspire models to assess the impact of SOSI practices in such a highly competitive industry and to identify the most influencing dimensions on the future performance of the tourism company.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, no scale has been presented so far that brings together the dimensions of technological and non-technological innovation, as well as sustainability from a Triple Bottom Line approach.

Opportunity or destiny: how do market knowledge resources and absorptive capacities lead to competitive advantage for travel agencies?

ABSTRACT The study examines how market knowledge resources lead to competitive advantage for collaborative travel agencies (CTAs) via process innovation capabilities and value co-creation competence of CTAs. Data collection comes from key managers of travel agencies, and the partial least squares (PLS) were used for model analysis. The findings point out that market knowledge resources and absorptive capacities as two key factors that lead to the competitive advantage of CTAs; CTAs and their partners co-create value that remains relevant and in line with changing customer expectations; agile and flexible processes are essential for adapting to rapidly evolving tourism market conditions.

TRAVEL INFLUENCERS AND INFLUENCER MARKETING IN TOURISM: THE CASE OF LIBYA

Influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular tool for promoting tourism, but the use of this strategy in Libya is not well understood and it is not widely implemented. The current study is meant to investigate the existing situation of influencer marketing in the tourism industry in Libya, a country that is currently facing political and economic challenges after the Arabic spring. A qualitative research design was used, with the utilization of online interviews as the primary source of data collection. The participants in the study were selected through a random sampling technique and included two travel influencers, two tourism professionals, and four travel agency managers. The interviews were conducted in the form of online video meetings which they were held through the google meet application and the data collected was scrutinized and then grouped accordingly using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the current use of influencer marketing in promoting tourism in Libya is limited. Some participants reported that they have not yet implemented influencer marketing in their tourism promotions, while others have recently begun working with a few travel influencers on Instagram. The study also found that the main challenges faced by participants in implementing influencer marketing in their tourism promotions are identifying the right influencers and measuring the success of influencer marketing campaigns. Participants reported difficulties in finding influencers with a large following who are also knowledgeable about and passionate about Libyan tourism. This aligns with the literature which indicates that recognizing suitable influencers is one of the main challenges of influencer marketing.

COVID-19's effect on Spanish retail travel agency management. The case of A Coruña

COVID-19's effect on Spanish retail travel agency management. The case of A Coruña

Exploring the Impact of the Destination Blind Box Strategy on Consumer Purchase Intention

This study aims to explore the impact of the destination blind box (DBB) strategy on consumers purchase intention. This study aims to fill the gaps in existing research, explore the relationship between the launch of DBB products and consumers purchase intentions, and specifically find out the core audience distribution and purchase intention factors. This study adopts a mixed methods research design, combining literature review research and questionnaire survey analysis to draw comprehensive conclusions. The literature review shows that DBB products take advantage of consumers novelty hunting psychology, herd psychology and gambling tendency, leading to an increase in blind box consumption and enhanced travel motivation. Research shows that 86% of young people aged 18-35 have high curiosity and purchase intentions for DBB products. In addition, female respondents showed a stronger willingness to purchase compared to male respondents. However, participants aged 40-50 showed minimal curiosity and lower purchase intention due to unfamiliarity with the booking process and time and destination constraints. The implications of the study highlight the effectiveness of the DBB strategy in attracting younger consumers and satisfying their need for novelty and experience. Marketing managers of airlines and online travel agencies should focus on younger consumer groups and consider launching DBB products that cater to womens preferred destinations. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of consumer behavior in the context of DBB strategies and provides practical implications for the aviation and tourism industries.

Analysis of tourism business management in the COVID-19 pandemic era

ABSTRACT Travel agencies play a pivotal role in supporting tourists and fostering employment. This study examined the policies and strategies of travel agency managers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and their attitudes towards government policies as external business facilitators. Data were collected from 191 travel agency managers and analysed using SPSS software. The results indicate that, instead of implementing innovative approaches, managers primarily resorted to straightforward solutions such as downsizing employees, closing businesses, and cutting wages. Furthermore, the findings concerning government support, policies, and performance, as assessed by travel agency managers, demonstrate government inadequacies in financial, socio-cultural, and IT domains. Our findings have implications for tourism managers, decision-makers, and governments concerned with the future prosperity of tourism businesses.

The boon and bane of ICT services to small and medium-sized tourism and hospitality enterprises (SMTHEs) in northern Ghana

ABSTRACT The adoption of Information Communication Technology (ICT) by SMTHEs is increasing – with its accompanying benefits and challenges. Yet, researchers have barely turned their attention to the benefits and challenges of using ICTs among SMEs within the hospitality and tourism industry, especially in Ghana. Informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT 2), Diffusion of Innovation, and the Task-Technology Fit Theories, this study unlocks the benefits and hinders of ICT applications to SMTHEs. Using a qualitative research approach, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted among owner-managers and non-owner managers of accommodation, restaurants, and travel and tour agencies using purposive sampling. The study found that the adoption of ICTs leads to the survival and sustainability of SMTHEs notwithstanding noticeable challenges encountered: technology abuse, insecurity, and high cost that affect the competitiveness of these firms. The practical and policy implications of the study are discussed.

Social Media Usage and Organizational Performance among Travel Agencies

The scientific research study scrutinized the correlation between social media and organizational performance among travel agencies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The research empirical study utilized a descriptive research design with a quantitative approach. A sample size of 358 participants were determined from 1320 people as study population. Data was gathered using survey questionnaires and examined using descriptive statistics such as tables, frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation. The researcher also used inferential statistics such as Structural Equation modelling (SEM) for establishing the relationship between the study variables. The SEM was used while using standardized coefficients (betas) to denote the relative strength of the statistical relationships in the study. The research findings established that there was a significant effect between social media usage and organizational performance among travel agencies in the UAE. The study concluded that the emergence of social media sites and widespread usage has changed the way businesses operate, especially in the marketing sector of organizational performance. The media usage has compelled travel and tour companies to embrace the change that has also created a better platform for them to market and advertise their services. From the study findings, the researcher recommended that the management of travel agencies in UAE can consider improving the performance of their organization by improving on the orientation efforts offered to their customers through feasible discussion sessions where customers can actually tailor their worries using media that do not expose negative perceptions recorded to the public. This can include messages through emails and close private chats in Facebook.

Marketing Strategy of Umrah Travel Agent and Religious Attitude in Indonesia

Religious tourism has become a trend nowadays. In Indonesia, religious tourism is dominated by Hajj and Umrah departures. Every year, the increasing demand for Hajj and Umrah services makes Hajj and Umrah travel agents emerge, both legal and illegal, and compete. Several strategies are implemented to capture this huge market opportunity. This has implications for the blurring of the spiritual dimension of worship itself. This paper reveals how the religious travel industry influences society and its impact on people's religious attitude. This study explores data through in-depth interviews with travel agency managers, KBIHU (Hajj & Umrah Guidance Group), and pilgrims and conducting document studies from these institutions in direct written form or through electronic media. This study finds that the travel agents’ ways of business in attracting the pilgrims are through internal strategies such as package and price variations, and also by external methods to establish partnerships with KBIHU, individual agents, and public figures. Practical implications and Originality/value-These ways of business impact the religious attitude of Muslims, which are consumptive and profane. This research results can be used as material for evaluating the implementation of Hajj and Umrah trips, both by the government, travel agencies, and prospective pilgrims. This is a pioneer empirical study that focuses on religious tourism and religious attitude of Indonesian muslims.

Discussion on the Teaching of Travel Agency Management Course in Universities under the Background of New Trend of Tourism Development

Discussion on the Teaching of Travel Agency Management Course in Universities under the Background of New Trend of Tourism Development

The Influence of Co-Creation and Subjective Norms on Customer Loyalty: Customer Satisfaction as a Mediator

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the associations between customer co-creation and subjective norms and customer loyalty with a focus on the mediator effect of customer satisfaction, customer trust, and perceived value. Surveying a sample of travel agencies’ customers in Egypt, findings revealed that there are positive associations among research variables. Significant partial effects of mediators were also highlighted. The study offers a deep understanding to managers of travel agencies who seek to increase the competitiveness of their organizations in the travel market.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE TOURISM BASED ON E-TOURISM TO IMPROVE TOURIST DESTINATIONS

This study aims to determine the influence of the determining component of Competitive Advantage Tourism in increasing tourist destinations based E Tourism. This research was conducted in Kerinci Regency, Jambi Province. The population in this study was (1) Village Government or Local Government (2) Hotel and lodging Managers (3) Restaurant and Restaurant Managers (4) Travel Agency Managers (5) Managers at Attractions (6) Tourism Services Support (7) Local People in tourism destination obtained a total sample of 120 respondents. The data used in this study were primary data through interviews and questionnaires. Data analysis in this study uses a structural equation model with the analysis tool used is to use AMOS. The results of the study obtained a large coefficient of determination of the influence of Competitive Advantage Tourism which can be explained by the variables Built Environment, Operating Sectors, Natural Resources Environment, and Spirit of Hospitality Cultural and E Tourism of 81.4%. While the coefficient of determination of the Tourism Destination equation is 1.004 or the Tourism Destination variable which can be explained by the variability of Tourism Destination and E Tourism is 100%

Referral-marketing practices of travel agencies

Organisations can make use of high levels of customer-service delivery to stimulate positiveword-of-mouth referrals. Referral marketing is primarily applied by organisations when the budgetis the marketers’ largest limitation. The purpose of the article is to indicate the current status of therelationships that travel agencies in the Western Cape Province have with their referral market,and to provide recommendations to the management of travel agencies in said province regardingthe improved application of the principles of relationship marketing to this market. The targetpopulation for this study comprised 118 travel agencies of which 61 managers and/or ownersparticipated through personal interviews in the completion of questionnaires. Data analysis wasdone by calculating averages and standard deviations, explorative factor analysis, CronbachAlpha-values and practical significance by means of effect sizes. The findings stipulate that theowners and managers of travel agencies must create and establish more closely integratedrelationships with strategic suppliers to increase the value offering of their products and servicesto customers, whereby the travel agencies can ensure that the needs and wants of customerscan be satisfied more successfully, which, in the long run, could lead to positive word-of-mouthreferrals.

항공객실관리학의 학문분류체계 개발을 위한 연구

Research presents discussions related to discipline classification system for cabin management. Result of analyzing the classification system of the Korean National Competency Standards etc are as follows. Cabin management belongs to a large category of accommodation, travel etc /middle category of tourism, and leisure /the sub-category of travel services/ minimum category of airline cabin services. In knowledge-oriented classification system: transportation-oriented section-air transportation in the commercial / tourism management / airline service management. In the scientific and technological position: sub-category -airline and travel agency management / tourism. In the departmental classification: sub-class -tourism. In the position of the job, it is into aviation, train, ship, and service cabin crew. As a result, Cabin management belongs to social science(large category)-tourism(medium category)- tourism management /economics(sub-category)-Travel agency /Airline Service management.

Enterprise Operational Resilience with Digitalization Approach amid the COVID-19 Era: An Empirical Assessment.

The development of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on one Chinese city that has depended heavily on tourism, which is the core focus of the current study. This article uses phenomenological research methods in qualitative research to conduct semistructured and in-depth interviews with travel agency managers in China Highlights. Through the application of tourism resilience theory in the tourism crisis management domain, this article investigates the performance of China Highlights, a local tourism enterprise in Guilin, China, to restore the functioning and growth of the tourism industry in the postpandemic period. The results show that China's tourism industry is in the early stages of the fast growth stage of economic recovery, and tourism enterprises are faced with a significant challenge in determining how to make sound business choices during the pandemic and after the crisis has passed. It proposes that the tourism resilient theory can serve as a modern crisis management model to facilitate tourism enterprises to revive their performance in times of hardship.

Solving Tourism Management Challenges by Means of Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

The purpose of the present article was to examine the use of mobile augmented reality technologies in the process of planning and organizing tourist activities. The analysis of the attitude of TUI Showroom’s clients and managers of Russian travel agencies to the application of immersive technologies in travel consulting unveiled several possibilities for the practical use of mobile augmented reality applications in the travel business. The study concludes with the opinion that stimulation of the client's interest in the historical and cultural context of the tour by providing additional argumentation and high-quality information on the marketing proposal in a new, unusual manner forms the cultural, epistemic, and educational values of augmented reality, necessary in sales, personnel training and interaction with business partners.

Breaking the psychological contract of travel agency employees during the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating role of mindfulness

This study investigates the influence of psychological contract breach (PCB) on work-related attitudes and behaviors (i.e., organizational cynicism, workplace incivility and work alienation) and employees’ emotional exhaustion. It also examines the direct association between these attitudes and behaviors and emotional exhaustion as well as investigating how mindfulness moderates these associations. Based on a quantitative approach, data were collected from 437 employees of Egyptian travel agencies. The PLS-SEM analysis revealed that PCB positively affects employees’ emotional exhaustion and job-related attitudes as well as behaviors, which consequently impact their emotional exhaustion. The findings indicated that the effect of organizational cynicism, workplace incivility, and work alienation on emotional exhaustion is weaker with higher levels of mindfulness and greater with lower levels of mindfulness. Besides its theoretical contributions, this paper presents substantial practical insights and managerial implications for managers of travel agencies regarding the outcomes of PCB. Limitations and future research are also given.

Social Media as a Catalyst for the Enhancement of Destination Image: Evidence from a Mediterranean Destination with Political Conflict

Digitalization-oriented transformation provides enormous possibilities to all sectors, ranging from manufacturing to the service industries. This study aimed to investigate the role of social media and its utilization by tourism operators/policymakers as a catalyst to enhance the image of a destination that is grappling with political deadlock and burdens of nonrecognition despite its abundance of tourism resources. The case of north Cyprus is an embodiment of a number of destinations that are challenged by political hurdles, conflicts, and nonrecognition, which result in economic hardship, political uncertainty, and social disappointment. This research aimed to investigate the role of social media in popularizing and marketing north Cyprus by placing it on the global digital tourism map. For the purpose of this study, a qualitative research method was employed and data collected through semi-structured interview questions. The interviewees were mainly public sector tourism officials, hoteliers, travel agency managers, and tourism academicians. Data analysis was conducted by applying Atlas.ti 9 (1.0.0.206) software. The findings reveal that tourism operators and policymakers have failed to take advantage of social media platforms—which have become a form of public goods—to mitigate the negative effects of the political impasse that has curtailed the tourism sector. The implications and contributions are also discussed.

Managing service innovations at online travel agencies: evidence from China

在线旅行社的服务创新管理：中国的实证分析研究目的目前关于在线旅行社(OTA) 的服务创新管理的研究相对贫乏。本研究旨在阐明OTA的服务创新管理的具体元素。研究设计/方法/途径：本研究以携程网（中国最大的在线旅行社）为对象进行深入案例分析。通过改善已有的基于新服务开发;理论（NSD）, 以及综合服务创新成功要素的理论框架从而提出一项连贯的服务创新管理理论框架。基于理论综合以及实证分析，本研究改编，整合和改善了NSD理论框架从而为在线旅行社的服务创新管理框架所适用。研究结果：被提议的理论框架包括三个层面以及相关管理元素：1） 资源，包括利益相关者，科技和系统；2）应用环境，包括创新战略，结构和文化；以及3）构思能力，包括概念生成，概念应用。管理元素与不同的成功要素相结合。这些层面，管理元素和成功因素作为提出框架的组成部分。研究理论限制/启示：本研究为学术领域提供了分析框架，从而进一步了解和诠释了在线旅行社的服务创新，从而作为今后研究的起点。研究实践启示：本分析框架促使在线旅社管理者在服务创新中借用更加结构化的方法，并且鼓励政策制定者来设计相关的干预措施研究原创性/价值：本研究提供了在中国的环境下迈向在线旅社服务创新的第一步。提议的框架对其他产业也存在潜在贡献。