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Article
Publication date: 18 April 2024

Tiago Savi Mondo, Sandro Medeiros, Erose Sthapit, Lara Brunelle Almeida Freitas Almeida Freitas and Peter Björk

This study aims to focus on assessing the psychometric properties necessary to validate the internal structure of the TOURQUAL scale.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to focus on assessing the psychometric properties necessary to validate the internal structure of the TOURQUAL scale.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research study was conducted in collaboration with the Brazilian Network of Tourism Observatories, comprising 927 respondents surveyed between October 2021 and May 2022. The data analysis involved the application of descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis, in alignment with the principles outlined in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing 2014 to validate the scale.

Findings

The findings of this study validate the TOURQUAL scale as a robust tool for assessing the perceived quality of tourist services, with results demonstrating one-dimensionality and replicability.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to assess the psychometric properties for validating the internal structure of the TOURQUAL scale.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 April 2024

Mathupayas Thongmak

The sharing economy enables apartment owners to generate income from their assets. “Agoda Homes” is an online travel agent (OTA) that directly competes with Airbnb. A destination…

Abstract

Purpose

The sharing economy enables apartment owners to generate income from their assets. “Agoda Homes” is an online travel agent (OTA) that directly competes with Airbnb. A destination has to discover its competitiveness, but few studies have provided an overview of accommodation attributes in each destination, which are crucial to shaping its brand image. This paper aims to illustrate firm-generated content or attributes that apartment owners list about their properties on an OTA platform to comprehend factual information about apartments in each destination with various star ratings and user ratings and to formulate a research model for future studies.

Design/methodology/approach

Informational content and accommodation attributes for apartments are automatically collected using a Web scraping tool (the Data Miner). Descriptive statistics and text analysis (word cloud and word frequency) are used to analyze data.

Findings

Findings reveal the primary location, facilities, cleanliness and safety attributes for all apartments in each destination, along with star ratings and user ratings. A research framework for scholars is also suggested. Guidelines for stakeholders in the tourism industry are additionally furnished.

Originality/value

This work concentrates on apartments, which have received less attention in the tourism literature. The study gathers factual data from a website to mitigate respondent bias issues inherent in the traditional survey methods.

Details

Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-6666

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2024

Majida Jrad

This study aims to examine the relationship between sustainability initiatives and student satisfaction in accommodation services at the University of Northampton.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between sustainability initiatives and student satisfaction in accommodation services at the University of Northampton.

Design/methodology/approach

Four main sustainability factors, including energy consumption, waste management, environmental responsibility and green infrastructure, are explored in relation to their impact on student satisfaction. A quantitative research approach was used, using a structured questionnaire distributed to 224 students. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to assess the associations and predictive power of the sustainability factors on student satisfaction.

Findings

The findings underscore the pivotal role of sustainable initiatives in shaping student satisfaction with accommodation services. Particularly, energy consumption, environmental responsibility and green infrastructure emerged as significant factors influencing higher levels of student satisfaction. These outcomes align with the core principles of sustainability and emphasize the importance of implementing effective strategies in these domains to enhance student experiences. Existing literature supports these findings, indicating that sustainable practices significantly contribute to enhanced satisfaction levels. It is crucial to acknowledge that this study focused on a specific context, namely, the University of Northampton, and caution should be exercised when generalizing these findings to other settings.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence of the specific sustainability factors that influence student satisfaction in university accommodation. Findings offer valuable guidance for universities and accommodation providers in developing and implementing sustainable practices to create a conducive living environment for students.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2023

Ismah Osman, Junainah Junid, Husniyati Ali, Siti Zahrah Buyong, Sharifah Zannierah Syed Marzuki and Nor'ain Othman

This study aims to ascertain consumption values of Muslim tourists, attitudes, satisfaction and loyalty towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation, which has gained recognition from…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to ascertain consumption values of Muslim tourists, attitudes, satisfaction and loyalty towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation, which has gained recognition from the Malaysian Government. Subsequently, an overall Muslim-friendly image was examined as a moderating variable within the associated relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design with a purposive sampling technique was chosen through a sample size of 378 people in Malaysia and distributed via social media. The respondents were selected based on the Muslim-friendly accommodation recognition (MFAR) initiatives, a procedure of accreditation which acknowledges Muslim-friendly accommodation for tourists. To obtain data from those travellers, structured questionnaires were used. SmartPLS was used for data analysis in this study.

Findings

The values which were found to have an influence on attitude towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation are related to social, emotional, economic, functional, monetary and epistemic elements. On the other hand, hedonic, conditional, Islamic and altruistic values were found to be insignificant in determining the attitude towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation. Subsequently, an overall Muslim-friendly image was found to moderate the relationship between social, monetary and altruistic values and its link concerning attitude towards the accommodation, while the rest of the relationships were not significant. More importantly, attitude seems to have an impact on satisfaction, as well as its loyalty towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation.

Research limitations/implications

Firstly, it begins with understanding Malaysia, one of the developing countries in Southeast Asia. Secondly, data was collected from participants using a survey method, from purposive sampling which may limit the findings’ generalizability. Thirdly, this study focussed exclusively on the perceived value dimensions associated with Muslim-friendly accommodation, thus, disregarding consumers who may associate with other types of tourism and hospitality elements.

Practical implications

The results provide a fresh insight and a better understanding regarding the consumption values and all of its related components towards customer loyalty of the Muslim-friendly accommodation in Malaysia. In addition, the findings deliver new information and a deeper understanding of relevant values in Malaysia’s Muslim-friendly accommodation, which can be used as a standard guideline by industry practitioners, local and abroad.

Social implications

This research supports service providers in developing effective brand management strategies for their own businesses. Apparently, this study discovers that emotional values tend to be the most important values in determining attitude towards Muslim-friendly accommodation.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the studies examining the overall perceived Muslim-friendly image within the consumption values that are relevant from an Islamic viewpoint. It provides policymakers, as well as the industry players, some reliable approaches for enhancing Muslim-friendly accommodation.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 December 2022

Silvia Blasi, Shira Fano, Silvia Rita Sedita and Gianluca Toschi

This research aims to contribute to the literature on sustainable hospitality and tourism by applying social network analysis to identify sustainable tourism business networks and…

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Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to contribute to the literature on sustainable hospitality and tourism by applying social network analysis to identify sustainable tourism business networks and untangle the role of cognitive and geographical proximity in their formation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data mining and machine learning techniques were applied to data collected from the websites of tourism companies located in northeastern Italy, namely, the Veneto region. Specifically, the authors used Web scraping to extract relevant information from the internet.

Findings

The results support the existence of geographical clusters of tourist accommodation providers that are linked by strong cognitive proximity based on sustainability principles that are well communicated via their websites. This does not appear to be greenwashing because companies that have agreed on sustainability principles have also implemented concrete actions and tend to signal these actions through a variety of sustainability certifications.

Practical implications

The results may guide tourism managers and policymakers in developing tourism initiatives directed at the creation of fruitful collaborations between similarly oriented organizations and methods to support clusters of sustainable tourism accommodation. Identifying sustainable tourism networks may assist in the identification of potential actors of change, fueling a widespread transition toward sustainability.

Originality/value

In this study, the authors adopted an innovative methodology to detect sustainability-oriented tourism business networks. Additionally, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to simultaneously explore the cognitive and geographical connections between tourism businesses.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 April 2024

Suja Chaulagain

Applying the value-attitude-behavior (VAB) model, this study investigated how perceived utilitarian and hedonic values (i.e. novelty and emotion) affect individuals' attitudes…

Abstract

Purpose

Applying the value-attitude-behavior (VAB) model, this study investigated how perceived utilitarian and hedonic values (i.e. novelty and emotion) affect individuals' attitudes toward medical hotels and how these attitudes, in turn, influence their intentions to stay at medical hotels. The current study also explored the moderating impact of overall health status on the relationships between perceived utilitarian, novelty and emotional values and attitudes toward medical hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

The data collected from 351 individuals who spent a night in a hospital to undergo medical treatment was used in conducting structural equation modeling to evaluate the research model and test the study hypotheses.

Findings

The study results revealed that perceived utilitarian, novelty and emotional values exerted a positive influence on individuals’ attitudes toward medical hotels, consequently enhancing their intention to stay. Additionally, significant moderating impacts of overall health status on the associations between perceived utilitarian, novelty and emotional values and attitudes toward medical hotels were observed.

Practical implications

The study findings provide useful guidance for professionals, such as operators, marketers and managers in medical hotels. These insights can improve operational and marketing strategies, benefiting both the industry and healthcare accommodation seekers.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to empirically assess a theoretical model that explored the influence of individuals' value perceptions within the realm of medical hotel establishments.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 February 2024

Chiara Dalle Nogare and Raffaele Scuderi

The COVID-19 pandemic has induced tourism destinations to reconsider organisational aspects related to health safety measures, as perceptions of health safety may have become…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has induced tourism destinations to reconsider organisational aspects related to health safety measures, as perceptions of health safety may have become particularly important for tourists. Using data from summer 2020, the period immediately after the outbreak of the pandemic, we investigate the factors that affected tourist perceptions of health safety.

Design/methodology/approach

Data come from a survey of tourist-card holders in Trentino, an Italian mountain destination. Through regressions, we assess the conditional correlation between health safety measure evaluations following a holiday and a set of covariates related to the features of the tourist area and the tourists themselves, as well as COVID-19 incidence in their province of residence in the months before the holiday.

Findings

Tourist-related features seem not to impact on perceived health safety, whereas some destination- and accommodation-related elements do. In particular, the number of tourist beds affects it negatively, and staying at a hotel does it in a positive way. COVID-19 incidence in one’s home province does not affect perceptions of health safety measures, which suggests a possible sample selection effect and/or the need for more fine-grained data.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the few on the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic using data from a large sample of actual tourists. Our findings point out the importance of the intrinsic features of some places and accommodation in influencing perceptions of safety. We discuss implications for scholars and destination managers.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 March 2023

Massimiliano Apolloni, Michael Volgger and Christof Pforr

As net-zero pledges gain momentum globally, more and more accommodation businesses seek to quantify their carbon emissions. Building on Chan (2021), this study aims to explore…

Abstract

Purpose

As net-zero pledges gain momentum globally, more and more accommodation businesses seek to quantify their carbon emissions. Building on Chan (2021), this study aims to explore what drives Australian accommodation providers to measure the carbon footprint of their businesses and what barriers hinder them from doing so.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data were collected by conducting ten semi-structured interviews with owners, senior executives, consultants, certification bodies and hotel management companies. The set of interviews represented different segments of the hotel industry and various accommodation types. Data were analysed with thematic analysis.

Findings

The major drivers for adopting carbon footprint analysis are as follows: the analysis being perceived as an important contribution to a company's corporate responsibility, the owner or manager's environmental concern, the assessment being a requirement for obtaining an eco-certification and the business benefits associated with implementing the initiative. The major barriers hindering adoption include the following: difficulties with data gathering, the lack of a standard methodology, a lengthy decision-making process and a lack of resources.

Research limitations/implications

Based on the empirical findings and three theories on ecological responsiveness, this study develops a conceptual framework for implementing carbon footprint analysis in the accommodation context and recommends strategies to increase the adoption of carbon footprint analysis.

Originality/value

This study responds to Chan and Hsu's (2016) call for further research on carbon footprint in the hotel context and represents the first attempt to explore the drivers and barriers specifically associated with implementing carbon footprint analysis in the accommodation sector.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 36 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 February 2024

Jiwoo Jung, Won Seok Lee and Joonho Moon

The purpose of this study is to identify individuals’ preferences for the information attributes of Airbnb, a representative peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation platform. In the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify individuals’ preferences for the information attributes of Airbnb, a representative peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation platform. In the sharing economy, platforms are considered to be the principal intermediaries in supply and demand, and these platforms have distinctly different attributes from traditional accommodation reservation systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study used a choice experiment, which is a method for systematically identifying attributes’ preferences in the form of marginal willingness-to-pay (MWTP). Amazon Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourcing marketplace, was used for data collection, and 243 respondents ultimately participated in the survey.

Findings

Results showed that respondents’ choices were positively affected by the number of pictures of an accommodation, host experience, cancellation policy and local information but negatively affected by cost. Regarding MWTPs, host experience had the highest value (US$84.25), followed by cancellation policy (US$40), photos (US$26.67) and local information (US$10.92).

Originality/value

These study results could provide strategic guidance for guiding the development of P2P accommodation platforms by providing a prioritized list of preferred attributes for Airbnb.

研究目的

本研究旨在识别个人对Airbnb这一代表性P2P住宿平台信息属性的偏好。在共享经济中, 平台被视为供需的主要中介, 而这些平台与传统住宿预订系统有明显不同的属性。

研究方法

本研究采用选择实验法(CE), 这是一种系统地确定属性偏好的方法, 表现为边际支付意愿(MWTP)。数据采集使用了Amazon Mechanical Turk(MTurk), 最终有243名受访者参与了调查。

研究发现

结果显示, 受访者的选择受到住宿图片数量、房东经验、取消政策和本地信息的积极影响, 而受到价格的负面影响。关于边际支付意愿, 房东经验具有最高价值(84.25美元), 其次依次为取消政策(40美元)、照片(26.67美元)和本地信息(10.92美元)

研究创新

通过提供优先考虑的 Airbnb 偏好属性列表, 本研究结果可以为引导P2P住宿平台的发展提供战略指导.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9880

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 1 February 2024

Gurkan Caliskan, Burhan Sevim, Cagdas Aydin and Emrah Yasarsoy

The advancement of technology and increased sales of service robots have led to discussions about their usage. Recently, the use of service robots in accommodation businesses has…

Abstract

The advancement of technology and increased sales of service robots have led to discussions about their usage. Recently, the use of service robots in accommodation businesses has become a topic of examination. This study aims to explore the behavioural intentions of accommodation business managers towards using service robots from the perspective of the technology acceptance model. As part of this project-supported study, the ‘Sanbot Elf’ service robot was rented for 14 days and demonstrated in six accommodation businesses in Kastamonu. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers and unit supervisors after the demonstration, and the process was also monitored through participant observation. The data were analysed using content analysis and participant observation methods. It was determined that participants' opinions on service robots were generally positive. Participants stated that personalised service presentations could be provided with service robots and that these robots could be used in different departments and marketing processes. The study concluded that service robots could positively impact service quality, are an exciting technology for accommodation businesses and the use of service robots could increase in the future. Participants' attitudes towards using service robots in accommodation businesses were positive in this context.

Details

Future Tourism Trends Volume 2
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-971-0

Keywords

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