Purpose - Empirically, the act of tipping in the global services industry is as ancient as the Roman times. It can be traced back to centuries ago, although the area has attracted less attention in research. Nonetheless, gratuities contributes immensely on the economic wellbeing of servers. This paper therefore presents an investigation into applicable constructs triggering gratuities within the hotel food service departments including; rewarding service perceptions, incentives for improved future service and social norms. Thus, the purpose of this study was to establish the contribution of each construct under investigation on restaurant tipping in the selected two and three star hotels within Kisumu County. Design - The study applied a descriptive research survey design. This design was chosen based on its suitability for describing gratuities based on responses from the selected respondents within two and three star hotels. Methodology - The study was carried out within Kisumu County, in Kenya. A census of two- and threestar hotels was taken, while questionnaires were self-administered to 384 respondents who were selected by simple random sampling method. Data was organized by skillfully coding and cleaning in order to correct any potential errors and thereafter fed into spreadsheets. The data was further transformed for purposes of conducting specific analysis. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences-Analysis of Moment Structures (SPSS-AMOS) was applied. The study respondents were assured confidentiality, privacy and anonymity in addition to the data collection tools being destroyed after report writing. Approach - The study was carried out in nine hotels within Kisumu County, among which one hotel was selected for pre-testing. On the other hand, respondents constituted food service clients and managers. Questionnaires and content analysis were used in the collection of data. Reliability was determined by Cronbach’s coefficient Alpha test (> 0.70) while content validity was used to assess the internal validity of the research instruments. Findings - The study results gave factor loadings ˃ 0.70 which indicates that the factors under investigation extracts sufficient variance from the dependent variables. Further, the study results show that alcohol consumption gave the highest prediction (91.2%) and thus unique contribution to the independent variable. Finally, the study established a positive significant relationship (at 95% confidence level) between superior service, frequency of patronage, alcohol consumption as well as weather and gratuity. Originality of the research - The act of giving gratuities is prevalent across the global hospitality environment, with a myriad of economic importance to the industry. However, very minimal studies have been carried out, though not related to this study. Most of previous studies are on the service quality-tipping relationship, while this study focused on tipping-service quality relationship. Therefor
{"title":"UNRAVELLING THE ANTECEDENTS OF RESTAURANT GRATUITY IN KISUMU COUNTY, KENYA: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING APPROACH","authors":"Were Simon Okwachi","doi":"10.20867/thi.27.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.27.9","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose - Empirically, the act of tipping in the global services industry is as ancient as the Roman times. It can be traced back to centuries ago, although the area has attracted less attention in research. Nonetheless, gratuities contributes immensely on the economic wellbeing of servers. This paper therefore presents an investigation into applicable constructs triggering gratuities within the hotel food service departments including; rewarding service perceptions, incentives for improved future service and social norms. Thus, the purpose of this study was to establish the contribution of each construct under investigation on restaurant tipping in the selected two and three star hotels within Kisumu County. Design - The study applied a descriptive research survey design. This design was chosen based on its suitability for describing gratuities based on responses from the selected respondents within two and three star hotels. Methodology - The study was carried out within Kisumu County, in Kenya. A census of two- and threestar hotels was taken, while questionnaires were self-administered to 384 respondents who were selected by simple random sampling method. Data was organized by skillfully coding and cleaning in order to correct any potential errors and thereafter fed into spreadsheets. The data was further transformed for purposes of conducting specific analysis. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences-Analysis of Moment Structures (SPSS-AMOS) was applied. The study respondents were assured confidentiality, privacy and anonymity in addition to the data collection tools being destroyed after report writing. Approach - The study was carried out in nine hotels within Kisumu County, among which one hotel was selected for pre-testing. On the other hand, respondents constituted food service clients and managers. Questionnaires and content analysis were used in the collection of data. Reliability was determined by Cronbach’s coefficient Alpha test (> 0.70) while content validity was used to assess the internal validity of the research instruments. Findings - The study results gave factor loadings ˃ 0.70 which indicates that the factors under investigation extracts sufficient variance from the dependent variables. Further, the study results show that alcohol consumption gave the highest prediction (91.2%) and thus unique contribution to the independent variable. Finally, the study established a positive significant relationship (at 95% confidence level) between superior service, frequency of patronage, alcohol consumption as well as weather and gratuity. Originality of the research - The act of giving gratuities is prevalent across the global hospitality environment, with a myriad of economic importance to the industry. However, very minimal studies have been carried out, though not related to this study. Most of previous studies are on the service quality-tipping relationship, while this study focused on tipping-service quality relationship. Therefor","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"52 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141803820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to comprehensively explore and understand the nuances of luxury hospitality and tourism in Croatia. It examines the characteristics and expectations associated with luxury hospitality and luxury tourism, identifies growth opportunities, and discusses challenges facing the development of luxury tourism in the country. Methodology – Thematic analysis was employed to analyze responses from interviews with stakeholders in the Croatian hospitality industry. These interviews focused on defining luxury hotel tourism products/experiences and luxury tourism in Croatia, as well as identifying key themes and challenges in luxury tourism development. Findings – The findings shed light on what constitutes a Croatian luxury hotel product and Croatia as a luxury tourism destination. Key characteristics include exceptional service, personalized experiences, integration with natural surroundings, architectural sophistication, and gastronomic excellence. Despite challenges like limited global luxury brands and infrastructure, Croatia’s diverse culinary tradition, exclusive accommodations, and picturesque locations contribute to its allure as a luxury destination. Originality of the research – The findings offer insights for tourism providers to tailor their offerings towards more meaningful and memorable experiences, emphasizing exceptional service, personalization, natural surroundings integration, architectural sophistication, gastronomic excellence, and exclusivity. Addressing challenges such as infrastructure limitations and overcrowding, along with strategic investments in upscale amenities and services, can elevate Croatia’s competitiveness in the luxury tourism market. This paper marks the initial effort in addressing the research gap in luxury tourism, signaling the need for further exploration of luxury tourism in Croatia.
{"title":"LUXURY HOSPITALITY IN CROATIA: THEMATIC ANALYSIS AND TOURISM IMPLICATIONS","authors":"Denis Prevolšek, T. Golja","doi":"10.20867/thi.27.18","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.27.18","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to comprehensively explore and understand the nuances of luxury hospitality and tourism in Croatia. It examines the characteristics and expectations associated with luxury hospitality and luxury tourism, identifies growth opportunities, and discusses challenges facing the development of luxury tourism in the country. Methodology – Thematic analysis was employed to analyze responses from interviews with stakeholders in the Croatian hospitality industry. These interviews focused on defining luxury hotel tourism products/experiences and luxury tourism in Croatia, as well as identifying key themes and challenges in luxury tourism development. Findings – The findings shed light on what constitutes a Croatian luxury hotel product and Croatia as a luxury tourism destination. Key characteristics include exceptional service, personalized experiences, integration with natural surroundings, architectural sophistication, and gastronomic excellence. Despite challenges like limited global luxury brands and infrastructure, Croatia’s diverse culinary tradition, exclusive accommodations, and picturesque locations contribute to its allure as a luxury destination. Originality of the research – The findings offer insights for tourism providers to tailor their offerings towards more meaningful and memorable experiences, emphasizing exceptional service, personalization, natural surroundings integration, architectural sophistication, gastronomic excellence, and exclusivity. Addressing challenges such as infrastructure limitations and overcrowding, along with strategic investments in upscale amenities and services, can elevate Croatia’s competitiveness in the luxury tourism market. This paper marks the initial effort in addressing the research gap in luxury tourism, signaling the need for further exploration of luxury tourism in Croatia.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141802553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose - The primary aim of this research is to explore the differential impact of online hotel reviews on the perceived attractiveness of hotel, with a focus on identifying any variances between genders. It seeks to contribute to the understanding of consumer behavior in the digital age, especially how men and women differently interpret and react to online reviews. Design - Employing a quantitative research design, this study systematically investigates the change in hotel attractiveness perceptions before and after the exposure to online reviews among a sample of male and female participants. The participants were first asked to rate the attractiveness of a one hotel based solely on set of six photographs. Subsequently, they were exposed to online reviews of the same hotel, after which they re-evaluated their perceptions of attractiveness. These repeated measures design allowed for the examination of within-subject changes in perceptions, as well as the interactions between gender and review exposure. Findings - The analysis revealed statistically significant changes in the perceived attractiveness of hotel after reading online reviews, with these changes being more pronounced among male participants compared to female participants. Specifically, both genders exhibited an increase in perceived attractiveness post-review exposure, but the magnitude of change was significantly higher for men. Additionally, the study identified a significant interaction effect between gender and the impact of online reviews, indicating that the influence of reviews on perceived attractiveness is moderated by gender. These findings underscore the potent role of online reviews in shaping consumer perceptions and highlight gender differences in processing this information. Originality - This research contributes to the existing body of literature by specifically addressing the gender differences in the impact of online reviews on perceived attractiveness of hotel. While previous studies have examined the influence of online reviews on consumer behaviors and decision-making, the explicit focus on gender as a moderating factor offers novel insights. This study not only adds to our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying the processing of online reviews but also provides practical implications for marketers and hotel managers in crafting gender-sensitive strategies.
{"title":"THE INFLUENCE OF ONLINE REVIEWS ON HOTEL ATTRACTIVENESS PERCEPTIONS: A GENDER-BASED COMPARATIVE STUDY","authors":"Marko Šostar, B. Andrlić, H. Ramanathan","doi":"10.20867/thi.27.17","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.27.17","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose - The primary aim of this research is to explore the differential impact of online hotel reviews on the perceived attractiveness of hotel, with a focus on identifying any variances between genders. It seeks to contribute to the understanding of consumer behavior in the digital age, especially how men and women differently interpret and react to online reviews. Design - Employing a quantitative research design, this study systematically investigates the change in hotel attractiveness perceptions before and after the exposure to online reviews among a sample of male and female participants. The participants were first asked to rate the attractiveness of a one hotel based solely on set of six photographs. Subsequently, they were exposed to online reviews of the same hotel, after which they re-evaluated their perceptions of attractiveness. These repeated measures design allowed for the examination of within-subject changes in perceptions, as well as the interactions between gender and review exposure. Findings - The analysis revealed statistically significant changes in the perceived attractiveness of hotel after reading online reviews, with these changes being more pronounced among male participants compared to female participants. Specifically, both genders exhibited an increase in perceived attractiveness post-review exposure, but the magnitude of change was significantly higher for men. Additionally, the study identified a significant interaction effect between gender and the impact of online reviews, indicating that the influence of reviews on perceived attractiveness is moderated by gender. These findings underscore the potent role of online reviews in shaping consumer perceptions and highlight gender differences in processing this information. Originality - This research contributes to the existing body of literature by specifically addressing the gender differences in the impact of online reviews on perceived attractiveness of hotel. While previous studies have examined the influence of online reviews on consumer behaviors and decision-making, the explicit focus on gender as a moderating factor offers novel insights. This study not only adds to our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying the processing of online reviews but also provides practical implications for marketers and hotel managers in crafting gender-sensitive strategies.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"52 47","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141804683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mara Vukadin, Nikoleta Račićević, M. Markovic, Daniela Soldić Frleta
Purpose – Young people represent a significant segment of the tourism market, accounting for 23% of the total tourism market, according to UNWTO. This segment provides socio-economic opportunities for local communities as young travellers boost local tourism businesses, foster closer social interaction with host populations, and engage in environmental protection. The purpose of this research is to identify the basic characteristics of travel among young people from Croatia and Serbia and to determine which elements are most important to them when choosing a destination, while also determining whether there are differences between respondents from these two groups. Methodology - an online survey was conducted in Croatia and Serbia. The sample includes young people between the ages of 15 and 30. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to create the sample profile. Pearson’s chi-square tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to detect significant differences between young respondents from Croatia and those from Serbia. Findings – The results of this study show that marketers can consider Croatian and Serbian youth travellers as a single market segment, because they are indistinguishable in many ways. Their motives and activities at the destination are similar, as are the elements by which they choose their holiday destination. Their attitudes toward sustainability issues also do not differ. Originality of the research – There is a considerable amount of academic research on young people and their travel. However, few studies have examined the travel of young people from Southeastern Europe or the attitudes of young people who experienced the pandemic. This study aims to fill this gap by providing insights into the attitudes of young travellers from Croatia and Serbia and what they look for when choosing a travel destination. Another important contribution is that this study also captures the views of young people from neighbouring countries, which provides an opportunity for comparison. This information will enable the destination management targeting young tourists to create tailored offers for the young population, which will have a positive longterm impact on the economy and the local community.
{"title":"HOW DO YOUNG PEOPLE TRAVEL? – EVIDENCE FROM CROATIA AND SERBIA","authors":"Mara Vukadin, Nikoleta Račićević, M. Markovic, Daniela Soldić Frleta","doi":"10.20867/thi.26.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.26.1","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose – Young people represent a significant segment of the tourism market, accounting for 23% of the total tourism market, according to UNWTO. This segment provides socio-economic opportunities for local communities as young travellers boost local tourism businesses, foster closer social interaction with host populations, and engage in environmental protection. The purpose of this research is to identify the basic characteristics of travel among young people from Croatia and Serbia and to determine which elements are most important to them when choosing a destination, while also determining whether there are differences between respondents from these two groups. Methodology - an online survey was conducted in Croatia and Serbia. The sample includes young people between the ages of 15 and 30. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to create the sample profile. Pearson’s chi-square tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to detect significant differences between young respondents from Croatia and those from Serbia. Findings – The results of this study show that marketers can consider Croatian and Serbian youth travellers as a single market segment, because they are indistinguishable in many ways. Their motives and activities at the destination are similar, as are the elements by which they choose their holiday destination. Their attitudes toward sustainability issues also do not differ. Originality of the research – There is a considerable amount of academic research on young people and their travel. However, few studies have examined the travel of young people from Southeastern Europe or the attitudes of young people who experienced the pandemic. This study aims to fill this gap by providing insights into the attitudes of young travellers from Croatia and Serbia and what they look for when choosing a travel destination. Another important contribution is that this study also captures the views of young people from neighbouring countries, which provides an opportunity for comparison. This information will enable the destination management targeting young tourists to create tailored offers for the young population, which will have a positive longterm impact on the economy and the local community.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"8 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120887836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The purpose of the paper is to find out how COVID-19 has affected the sector of SMEs, especially in terms of its access to finance. In doing so we hypothesize that problems arising from both supply side and demand side of the business, have additionally restrained SMEs’ access to finance, thus putting their short-to-medium term position to a threat. Research methodology includes descriptive statistical analysis of the results of a company survey of Croatian enterprises with respect to their current access to finance and expectations for the future. The survey was carried out on a sample of 40 small and medium sized companies in Split-Dalmatia County. The findings show that companies do not perceive many of the business risks as particularly threatening to their businesses. Still, this survey reveals a presence of a series of risks closely related to the current situation caused by COVID-19. These include increasing production costs resulting from rising costs of labor, capital, raw materials and other inputs (e.g. transport and logistics services), followed by increasing tax burden and stagnating productivity. Together with increasing costs, a fall in demand on both domestic and foreign markets, as well as a resulting decrease in sales, announce further problems that call for a strong policy response in the future. The main contribution of the paper is the finding that besides the problem of access to finance, the COVID-19 crisis has revealed other serious obstacles for SMEs which threaten to endanger the market position and competiveness of small business in the long run. By far the most serious problems for Croatian SMEs are that of a structural nature which include increasing costs and decreasing productivity. This research has additionally accentuated some serious obstacles from external environment which threaten to restraint SMEs’ capacity to restructure and keep their competitive edge.
{"title":"FINANCIAL CHALLENGES OF SMEs DURING COVID-19 CRISIS: THE CASE OF SPLIT-DALMATIA COUNTY","authors":"Dražen Derado, Karla Pejković","doi":"10.20867/thi.26.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.26.11","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of the paper is to find out how COVID-19 has affected the sector of SMEs, especially in terms of its access to finance. In doing so we hypothesize that problems arising from both supply side and demand side of the business, have additionally restrained SMEs’ access to finance, thus putting their short-to-medium term position to a threat. Research methodology includes descriptive statistical analysis of the results of a company survey of Croatian enterprises with respect to their current access to finance and expectations for the future. The survey was carried out on a sample of 40 small and medium sized companies in Split-Dalmatia County. The findings show that companies do not perceive many of the business risks as particularly threatening to their businesses. Still, this survey reveals a presence of a series of risks closely related to the current situation caused by COVID-19. These include increasing production costs resulting from rising costs of labor, capital, raw materials and other inputs (e.g. transport and logistics services), followed by increasing tax burden and stagnating productivity. Together with increasing costs, a fall in demand on both domestic and foreign markets, as well as a resulting decrease in sales, announce further problems that call for a strong policy response in the future. The main contribution of the paper is the finding that besides the problem of access to finance, the COVID-19 crisis has revealed other serious obstacles for SMEs which threaten to endanger the market position and competiveness of small business in the long run. By far the most serious problems for Croatian SMEs are that of a structural nature which include increasing costs and decreasing productivity. This research has additionally accentuated some serious obstacles from external environment which threaten to restraint SMEs’ capacity to restructure and keep their competitive edge.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133792865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose - The tourism sector not only contributes significantly to gross domestic product, but also plays an important role in the sustainable economic development of a country. Tourism accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions. From flights and boat trips to souvenirs and accommodations, various activities contribute to tourism emissions. Formulating mitigation measures for sustainable tourism requires an understanding of the factors contributing to the increase in tourism CO2 emissions. This study analyses the impact of tourism and financial development on CO2 emissions, while controlling for foreign direct investment (FDI), real income and energy consumption in seven Mediterranean countries that are part of the European Union (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain). Methodology - A dynamic panel regression model was used to understand the impact of tourism and financial development on CO2 emissions. The analysis was conducted using annual data from 1995 to 2020 for a sample of seven EU Mediterranean countries. Findings - The empirical results show that the number of tourist arrivals, financial development, real income and energy consumption play an important role in explaining CO2 emissions. Although financial development has an increasing effect on CO2 emissions, tourist arrivals reduce CO2 emissions. It seems that the EU policy to promote sustainable tourism has managed to reduce CO2 emissions. It appears that the tourism sector is using more clean and environmentally friendly technologies in its activities. European countries should continue to take the necessary measures for sustainable tourism. Contribution - This paper aims to contribute to the existing literature in two ways. First, this study examines the impact of tourist arrivals and financial development on environmental degradation so that appropriate measures can be taken to ensure sustainable tourism. Second, this study focuses on seven Mediterranean countries that are part of the EU and have similar tourism characteristics. The tourism sector in these countries depends heavily on beach tourism. Therefore, the results of this analysis will be of particular interest to policy makers.
{"title":"THE IMPACT OF TOURISM AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON CARBON EMISSIONS: EVIDENCE FROM EU MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES","authors":"Tanja Fatur Šikić","doi":"10.20867/thi.26.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.26.14","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose - The tourism sector not only contributes significantly to gross domestic product, but also plays an important role in the sustainable economic development of a country. Tourism accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions. From flights and boat trips to souvenirs and accommodations, various activities contribute to tourism emissions. Formulating mitigation measures for sustainable tourism requires an understanding of the factors contributing to the increase in tourism CO2 emissions. This study analyses the impact of tourism and financial development on CO2 emissions, while controlling for foreign direct investment (FDI), real income and energy consumption in seven Mediterranean countries that are part of the European Union (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain). Methodology - A dynamic panel regression model was used to understand the impact of tourism and financial development on CO2 emissions. The analysis was conducted using annual data from 1995 to 2020 for a sample of seven EU Mediterranean countries. Findings - The empirical results show that the number of tourist arrivals, financial development, real income and energy consumption play an important role in explaining CO2 emissions. Although financial development has an increasing effect on CO2 emissions, tourist arrivals reduce CO2 emissions. It seems that the EU policy to promote sustainable tourism has managed to reduce CO2 emissions. It appears that the tourism sector is using more clean and environmentally friendly technologies in its activities. European countries should continue to take the necessary measures for sustainable tourism. Contribution - This paper aims to contribute to the existing literature in two ways. First, this study examines the impact of tourist arrivals and financial development on environmental degradation so that appropriate measures can be taken to ensure sustainable tourism. Second, this study focuses on seven Mediterranean countries that are part of the EU and have similar tourism characteristics. The tourism sector in these countries depends heavily on beach tourism. Therefore, the results of this analysis will be of particular interest to policy makers.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"139 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123017209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose – In previous works we discussed the contribution of digital tourism not only to the improvement of the reputation of a Country (i.e. Sentiment Analysis) but also of the possibility to create opportunities for a new kind of online tourism. In recent times, with the development of the so-called Metaverse, also influenced by the pandemic emergency, Countries’ digital efforts in creating tourism opportunities gave new perspectives related to the possibility to capitalize on digital content, transforming them – jointly with physical tourism experiences – into possible further incomes and means to increase a Countries’ reputation. Specifically, in this context, we considered the enabling technology represented by Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), an innovative application of blockchains creating a unique opportunity in several sectors, including tourism. This work aims to explore possible applications of NFTs in tourism, analyzing the experiences currently in place. Methodology – Due to the innovative topic and the very few experiences in NFTs applications in tourism, this paper represents a preliminary review of current projects implementing the use of NFTs, so that the applied methodology consists mainly in qualitative analysis and discussion about the possible development of this technology in tourism. To this purpose, we introduced some applications currently in place, such as those of travel agencies like Travala, of some airlines (Air Europa, Emirates), Cruises companies (Norwegian Cruise Line), of the Economic Development Ministry of Slovenia (project “I Feel Nft”, presented at Expo Dubai 2020, representing the first of this kind in the world). The paper explores possible implications and further development of these initiatives, designing possible metrics to measure their success, paving the way for future quantitative analysis once data about the introduced case-studies is available. Findings – Through the discussion of the cases found, it appears that the main benefits of digitisation through NFTs consist in promoting and presenting major tourist destinations, exhibitions, works of art and companies’ products in the form of tokens, digital content and souvenirs for visitors. However, some of the analysed cases also suggest possible applications for actual commerce in the tourism sector, including ticketing services and hotel bookings. Other possible applications can be hypothesised with regard to the certified training of staff working in the hospitality sector. Originality of the research – The paper is highly innovative and currently unique in that the adoption of NFTs in tourism is recent and still open to proposals for implementation. The contribution is therefore very important, both in terms of operational proposals (applications, guidelines and good practices) and in terms of defining metrics for measuring the effectiveness of NFTs in the tourism economy.
{"title":"NFTS: WHAT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN TOURISM?","authors":"R. Folgieri, Sergej Gričar, T. Baldigara","doi":"10.20867/thi.26.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.26.3","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose – In previous works we discussed the contribution of digital tourism not only to the improvement of the reputation of a Country (i.e. Sentiment Analysis) but also of the possibility to create opportunities for a new kind of online tourism. In recent times, with the development of the so-called Metaverse, also influenced by the pandemic emergency, Countries’ digital efforts in creating tourism opportunities gave new perspectives related to the possibility to capitalize on digital content, transforming them – jointly with physical tourism experiences – into possible further incomes and means to increase a Countries’ reputation. Specifically, in this context, we considered the enabling technology represented by Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), an innovative application of blockchains creating a unique opportunity in several sectors, including tourism. This work aims to explore possible applications of NFTs in tourism, analyzing the experiences currently in place. Methodology – Due to the innovative topic and the very few experiences in NFTs applications in tourism, this paper represents a preliminary review of current projects implementing the use of NFTs, so that the applied methodology consists mainly in qualitative analysis and discussion about the possible development of this technology in tourism. To this purpose, we introduced some applications currently in place, such as those of travel agencies like Travala, of some airlines (Air Europa, Emirates), Cruises companies (Norwegian Cruise Line), of the Economic Development Ministry of Slovenia (project “I Feel Nft”, presented at Expo Dubai 2020, representing the first of this kind in the world). The paper explores possible implications and further development of these initiatives, designing possible metrics to measure their success, paving the way for future quantitative analysis once data about the introduced case-studies is available. Findings – Through the discussion of the cases found, it appears that the main benefits of digitisation through NFTs consist in promoting and presenting major tourist destinations, exhibitions, works of art and companies’ products in the form of tokens, digital content and souvenirs for visitors. However, some of the analysed cases also suggest possible applications for actual commerce in the tourism sector, including ticketing services and hotel bookings. Other possible applications can be hypothesised with regard to the certified training of staff working in the hospitality sector. Originality of the research – The paper is highly innovative and currently unique in that the adoption of NFTs in tourism is recent and still open to proposals for implementation. The contribution is therefore very important, both in terms of operational proposals (applications, guidelines and good practices) and in terms of defining metrics for measuring the effectiveness of NFTs in the tourism economy.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"3 3","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114093551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ema Petaković, Ana-Marija Vrtodušić Hrgović, I. Milohnić
Purpose – The paper focuses on guest satisfaction and service process improvement, considering the importance of quality elements as an important factor for differentiation in the market. The purpose of this article is to identify the differences in the attitudes of domestic and foreign guests who have stayed in homestay accommodation. As part of the research, an importance-performance analysis was conducted to compare the importance of and satisfaction with quality elements among domestic and foreign guests. Design – Primary research was conducted in September 2020 in 10 counties of the Republic of Croatia. A total of 168 valid questionnaires were collected. The sample consists of guests from 17 countries who were accommodated in homestay accommodation. Methodology – For this article, importance-performance analysis (IPA) was performed and the importance of, and satisfaction with, each quality element was presented in an IPA matrix. By analysing the position of the quality elements in the matrix, it is possible to identify future strategies and improvements that need to be implemented to meet the needs of guests. Approach – The study analyses 20 quality elements in two IPA matrices, one for domestic guests, and one for foreign guests. Each matrix has four quadrants: “Concentrate here”, “Keep up the good work”, “Low priority” “, and “Possible overkill”. Findings – The results show that there are differences between domestic and foreign guests in their perceptions of satisfaction with and importance of quality elements. The results of the conducted IPA provide guidelines for improving certain areas in the service delivery process in accordance with guest preferences. The research has several limitations, mainly the sample size and the fact that the study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality of the research – The results show the peculiarities of guests staying in homestay accommodation and highlight the differences in perception depending on the origin of the guests. The findings provide clear guidance for practitioners by identifying elements of service quality that are important to domestic and international guests. This provides the basis for creating services tailored to guests’ needs and expectations.
{"title":"COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SERVICE QUALITY IN HOMESTAY ACCOMMODATION","authors":"Ema Petaković, Ana-Marija Vrtodušić Hrgović, I. Milohnić","doi":"10.20867/thi.26.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.26.7","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose – The paper focuses on guest satisfaction and service process improvement, considering the importance of quality elements as an important factor for differentiation in the market. The purpose of this article is to identify the differences in the attitudes of domestic and foreign guests who have stayed in homestay accommodation. As part of the research, an importance-performance analysis was conducted to compare the importance of and satisfaction with quality elements among domestic and foreign guests. Design – Primary research was conducted in September 2020 in 10 counties of the Republic of Croatia. A total of 168 valid questionnaires were collected. The sample consists of guests from 17 countries who were accommodated in homestay accommodation. Methodology – For this article, importance-performance analysis (IPA) was performed and the importance of, and satisfaction with, each quality element was presented in an IPA matrix. By analysing the position of the quality elements in the matrix, it is possible to identify future strategies and improvements that need to be implemented to meet the needs of guests. Approach – The study analyses 20 quality elements in two IPA matrices, one for domestic guests, and one for foreign guests. Each matrix has four quadrants: “Concentrate here”, “Keep up the good work”, “Low priority” “, and “Possible overkill”. Findings – The results show that there are differences between domestic and foreign guests in their perceptions of satisfaction with and importance of quality elements. The results of the conducted IPA provide guidelines for improving certain areas in the service delivery process in accordance with guest preferences. The research has several limitations, mainly the sample size and the fact that the study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality of the research – The results show the peculiarities of guests staying in homestay accommodation and highlight the differences in perception depending on the origin of the guests. The findings provide clear guidance for practitioners by identifying elements of service quality that are important to domestic and international guests. This provides the basis for creating services tailored to guests’ needs and expectations.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126919131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose - Sustainable development is one of the key elements of any society’s progress. It includes economic vitality, equity, social cohesion, environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources. Educating new generations for sustainable development will increase awareness, enable better governance, critical thinking and the development of new methods and tools for a safer and healthier world. The importance of education for sustainable development (ESD) was recognized in the 1990s and as a result the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe adopted the Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development in March 2005. At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted, setting 17 sustainable development goals. The 4th goal of the Agenda 2030 is to ensure inclusive and quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities. Accordingly, World Education Forum 2015 adopted the Incheon Declaration for Education 2030 and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4. The purpose of this paper is to determine the scope of application of the Strategy for Sustainable Development in the Republic of Croatia in higher education and areas for improvement and the possibility of implementing Incheon Declaration for Education 2030 in the Croatian education system with determining the knowledge and opinions of students about the above. The theoretical part of the paper explains sustainable development in general, principles, goals, elements and conceptually defines education for sustainable development. This is followed by the basic assumptions, goals, principles and implications of the Strategy and their application in Croatia. The empirical part of the paper includes the results of the primary research conducted in 2022 among students of Croatian higher education institutions. The research was conducted using the survey questionnaire technique. Their knowledge, education and interest in sustainable development are analyzed. The methods used in this paper are deductive, inductive, method of analysis and synthesis and descriptive method. The result of the paper is an overview of documents related to education for sustainable development, evaluation of the success of the implementation of the Strategy in the Republic of Croatia and the possibility of applying the Incheon Declaration to higher education and knowledge and opinions of students. The importance of sustainable development is also evidenced by the large amount of literature dealing with this topic, however, a small number of authors research ESD. In this sense, this paper contributes to the discussion of this concept in the context of higher education, and since it presents the results of primary research for the first time, it gives a concrete original scientific contribution to this topic and is a good basis for further research.
{"title":"EDUCATION FOR CHANGE: HIGHER EDUCATION IN CROATIA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT","authors":"Jasmina Mlađenović","doi":"10.20867/thi.26.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.26.4","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose - Sustainable development is one of the key elements of any society’s progress. It includes economic vitality, equity, social cohesion, environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources. Educating new generations for sustainable development will increase awareness, enable better governance, critical thinking and the development of new methods and tools for a safer and healthier world. The importance of education for sustainable development (ESD) was recognized in the 1990s and as a result the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe adopted the Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development in March 2005. At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted, setting 17 sustainable development goals. The 4th goal of the Agenda 2030 is to ensure inclusive and quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities. Accordingly, World Education Forum 2015 adopted the Incheon Declaration for Education 2030 and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4. The purpose of this paper is to determine the scope of application of the Strategy for Sustainable Development in the Republic of Croatia in higher education and areas for improvement and the possibility of implementing Incheon Declaration for Education 2030 in the Croatian education system with determining the knowledge and opinions of students about the above. The theoretical part of the paper explains sustainable development in general, principles, goals, elements and conceptually defines education for sustainable development. This is followed by the basic assumptions, goals, principles and implications of the Strategy and their application in Croatia. The empirical part of the paper includes the results of the primary research conducted in 2022 among students of Croatian higher education institutions. The research was conducted using the survey questionnaire technique. Their knowledge, education and interest in sustainable development are analyzed. The methods used in this paper are deductive, inductive, method of analysis and synthesis and descriptive method. The result of the paper is an overview of documents related to education for sustainable development, evaluation of the success of the implementation of the Strategy in the Republic of Croatia and the possibility of applying the Incheon Declaration to higher education and knowledge and opinions of students. The importance of sustainable development is also evidenced by the large amount of literature dealing with this topic, however, a small number of authors research ESD. In this sense, this paper contributes to the discussion of this concept in the context of higher education, and since it presents the results of primary research for the first time, it gives a concrete original scientific contribution to this topic and is a good basis for further research.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133228064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose – The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus left a significant negative mark on the world economy, and tourism industry. It has also significantly affected the perception and behavior of tourists when it comes to the safety of a tourist destination. To continue to record a positive recovery trend, destinations must undertake scientific and professional research, and based on the results consider and develop new development strategies for the development of tourism in the post-pandemic period. The perception of risk in tourists is changing, which ultimately has an impact on their future behavior when choosing a holiday destination. Opatija Riviera is a destination with a rich and long tourist tradition, which until before the pandemic was perceived as safe, as evidenced by the continuous growth of tourist turnover. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of monitoring whether and to what extent tourists perceive Opatija Riviera as a safe tourist destination and based on the findings to offer developmental guidelines for the post-pandemic period. Methodology – Data collection was conducted during June and July 2022, using an online survey questionnaire. 152 respondents agreed to participate in research. The basic measurement instrument was based on the Tourists’ Perceived Safety at Destinations (TPSD) scale developed by Xie et al. (2020b), i.e. initial items (25) proposed by these authors. To extract the dimensions of perceived tourist safety, the authors primarily used exploratory factor analysis. Findings – by using the exploratory factor analysis the following factors were identified: perception of safety of human elements (PSH), safety of facilities and equipment (PSFE), safety of natural environments (PSNE), perceived safety of social environments (PSSE) and safety of management elements (PSM). The results for PSH, PSFE, PSNE and PSSE have proven to be satisfactory in terms of how tourists perceive them as safe and reliable, which is not the case with the PSM. The f indings for PSM indicate the need for additional investments aimed towards improvement of protection of tourist´s safety (safety of the construction, safety of information and visibility of warning sign about security in Opatija Riviera). Originality of the research – this research contributes to the theory by presenting relevant literature content in safety perception in tourism. The empirical contribution derives from the fact that no similar research was conducted on Opatija Riviera until now. Its findings set the basis for future empirical research that will be conducted in the post-COVID period in Opatija Riviera, based on which it will be possible to plan further developmental activities aimed towards improving tourist´s safety during their stay.
{"title":"FACTORS OF TOURISTS’ PERCEIVED SAFETY IN THE POST COVID PERIOD: THE CASE OF OPATIJA RIVIERA","authors":"Romina Alkier, Jasmina Okičić, V. Milojica","doi":"10.20867/thi.26.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20867/thi.26.13","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose – The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus left a significant negative mark on the world economy, and tourism industry. It has also significantly affected the perception and behavior of tourists when it comes to the safety of a tourist destination. To continue to record a positive recovery trend, destinations must undertake scientific and professional research, and based on the results consider and develop new development strategies for the development of tourism in the post-pandemic period. The perception of risk in tourists is changing, which ultimately has an impact on their future behavior when choosing a holiday destination. Opatija Riviera is a destination with a rich and long tourist tradition, which until before the pandemic was perceived as safe, as evidenced by the continuous growth of tourist turnover. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of monitoring whether and to what extent tourists perceive Opatija Riviera as a safe tourist destination and based on the findings to offer developmental guidelines for the post-pandemic period. Methodology – Data collection was conducted during June and July 2022, using an online survey questionnaire. 152 respondents agreed to participate in research. The basic measurement instrument was based on the Tourists’ Perceived Safety at Destinations (TPSD) scale developed by Xie et al. (2020b), i.e. initial items (25) proposed by these authors. To extract the dimensions of perceived tourist safety, the authors primarily used exploratory factor analysis. Findings – by using the exploratory factor analysis the following factors were identified: perception of safety of human elements (PSH), safety of facilities and equipment (PSFE), safety of natural environments (PSNE), perceived safety of social environments (PSSE) and safety of management elements (PSM). The results for PSH, PSFE, PSNE and PSSE have proven to be satisfactory in terms of how tourists perceive them as safe and reliable, which is not the case with the PSM. The f indings for PSM indicate the need for additional investments aimed towards improvement of protection of tourist´s safety (safety of the construction, safety of information and visibility of warning sign about security in Opatija Riviera). Originality of the research – this research contributes to the theory by presenting relevant literature content in safety perception in tourism. The empirical contribution derives from the fact that no similar research was conducted on Opatija Riviera until now. Its findings set the basis for future empirical research that will be conducted in the post-COVID period in Opatija Riviera, based on which it will be possible to plan further developmental activities aimed towards improving tourist´s safety during their stay.","PeriodicalId":313374,"journal":{"name":"Tourism and hospitality industry","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122239936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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