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Although research of entrepreneurial ecosystems has mainly focused on urban centers in developed nations, there is an emergent need to study the complexities of rural, regional and development contexts. Ecosystems in such settings are often characterized by the heightened importance assumed by environmental and social factors. This paper aims to document learning from participatory development and economic planning in the Galapagos, a setting in which the interplay between social, economic and ecological factors is critical.

This case study seeks to elaborate theory with qualitative data from an empirical context.

Reconstructed theory shows that in participatory development contexts, the entrepreneurial ecosystem constitutes a space in which competing interests contrast and conflict. Results from the Galapagos islands highlight the ability of local actors to successfully affect policy during local collaborative planning. The tensions between the economy, environment and society apparent in participatory dialogue indicate that a more nuanced approach to the interaction within entrepreneurial ecosystems is required.

This case study demonstrates the value of analyzing the processes and mechanisms for collaboration in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in sustainable development contexts. Results suggest implications for scholars researching entrepreneurial ecosystem networks.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools across the world to close their physical facilities and switch from face-to-face classes to remote learning. This research investigates the consequences of school closures during the pandemic on families and children from marginalized sections of society. The setting of the Galapagos Islands is characterized by poor Internet access and performance, resulting in a detrimental effect on the education of students from vulnerable sectors of society.

Using data from an empirical context, this case study seeks to enhance statistical results from a provincial level household survey with quantitative information from participatory development planning workshops and plans.

Statistical analysis evidences the compound effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the more vulnerable families living in the Galapagos. Both economic wellbeing and children's ability to attend classes online during school closures were linked to respondents' education levels. Participatory development planning workshops highlighted further inequality, and the plans resultant from the process sought to overcome challenges and address needs by contextualizing education for sustainable island living.

This case study emphasizes the impact of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable sectors of society. In the Galapagos Islands, the response to the compound effect of the pandemic and the other situational challenges has been to contextualize the educational curriculum towards the goal of sustainable living. The lessons learned from this experience will be applicable to other remote island groups.

The escalating levels of greenhouse gas emissions have become a growing global concern, with household energy consumption emerging as a significant contributor. To develop effective public policies, it is crucial to understand the energy-saving behavior of households. This study delves into the determinants of energy-saving practices in a developing country.

The authors chose a multivariate probit model, as it allowed to look after possible correlations among seven energy-saving practices within households.

The findings underscore the significant influence of sociodemographic variables, such as gender, civil status, income and education, on energy-saving practices. Furthermore, the authors discovered that households where the head actively volunteers in social organizations are more likely to adopt energy-saving behaviors. Additionally, internet access positively contributes to pro-environmental behavior. This research reveals that certain energy-saving practices are interconnected, acting as complements or substitutes.

Recommendations for public policy include prioritizing education in rural areas to boost energy-saving practices, improving internet access in nonurban regions and promoting citizen involvement in social organizations to enhance environmental awareness and encourage energy-saving behavior. The authors contribute to literature evidencing that certain energy-saving practices are not independent of each other, they are rather complementary and, in some cases, substitutes.

Recommendations for public policy include prioritizing education in rural areas to boost energy-saving practices, improving Internet access in nonurban regions and promoting citizen involvement in social organizations to enhance environmental awareness and encourage energy-saving behavior.

Previous studies have overlooked these interdependencies, highlighting the necessity of a system of equations to yield more efficient estimates by considering correlations between error terms.

This study attempts to identify and explicate the unique segmentation of the increasingly growing virtual reality (VR) user market based on the user experience. Consequently, it collects five hundred forty-five online survey questionnaires through the Prolific platform and deploys cluster analysis to identify mutually exclusive groups of VR users. The research variable, user experience, contains 16 indicators explained by four dimensions. As a result, this study is able to unveil three mutually exclusive markets which are labeled as (1) beginner, (2) aficionado, and (3) utilitarian. The unique features of these three groups are further compared based on their VR tour behaviors. In the conclusion section, it offers managerial implications for devising novel marketing strategies.

This paper analyzes how quality management in Ecuador’s national parks is explained through the quality practices contained in Deming’s quality principles from the point of view of employees.

Quantitative research was conducted with the participation of 254 employees from all national parks in Ecuador who rated the quality management practices (leadership, talent management, work climate and training) in their respective parks.

The results show that leadership, talent management, work climate and training significantly explain the service quality in the national parks. This study contributes to the adaptation of Deming’s quality principles to national parks via individual and joint analysis of the relationship between leadership, talent management, work climate and training with service quality in order to highlight which practices are the most important to service quality.

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the key factors that influence service quality in the National Parks of Ecuador. Its multidisciplinary approach and exhaustive research make this work an invaluable tool for understanding and improving the preservation of natural resources and the tourism experience in these protected areas.

Este trabajo analiza cómo la gestión de la calidad en los parques nacionales del Ecuador se explica a través de las prácticas de calidad recogidas en los principios de la calidad de Deming desde el punto de vista de los empleados.

Se realizó una investigación cuantitativa en la que participaron 254 empleados de todos los parques nacionales del Ecuador quienes valoraron las prácticas de gestión de la calidad (liderazgo, gestión de talento, clima laboral y formación) en sus respectivos parques.

Los resultados muestran que el liderazgo, la gestión del talento, el clima laboral y la formación explican significativamente la calidad de servicio en los parques nacionales. Este estudio contribuye en la adaptación de los principios de calidad de Deming a parques nacionales a través del análisis individual y conjunto de la relación entre liderazgo, gestión de talento, clima laboral y formación con la calidad del servicio para destacar qué prácticas son las más importantes para la calidad del servicio ofrecido.

Ecotourism is a sustainability approach that has emerged as an alternative to the negative environmental impacts of tourism, where natural, cultural and historical values are used as sources. Ecotourism is a nature-based tourism activity that ensures the sustainability of natural resources and promotes the economic development of local populations. It also preserves sociocultural values and protects the ecological system for future generations. However, if ecotourism is well-controlled, it can positively affect nature, natural life, local people and the local and national economy. This study highlights the importance of ecotourism for sustainability in the tourism industry. It examines ways to deal with the ecotourism phenomenon. In this direction, the study defines the concepts of ecological tourism and sustainability. It describes the general characteristics of ecotourism and sustainable tourism and the developing and potential environmental impacts associated with them. The study highlights that any tourist activity that does not have a sustainable quality cannot be long-term and will increase awareness on this topic.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivations, attitudes and intentions towards luxury dining in airplane themed restaurants (ATRs). The moderating roles of desire to fly, desire for luxury and fear of missing out (FOMO) towards attitude and intention to embark on this ATR experience are also investigated.

Data are collected through a consumer panel. A total of 315 valid responses were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group moderation. To enhance ecological validity, a stimulus for the Singapore Airlines A380 Restaurant @Changi was created to ensure complete understanding of the product offering by the participants.

Three motivation factors were discovered – novelty, escape and supporting reliving. Interestingly, it was also found that the attitude towards ATR partially mediated the relationship between supportive reliving and intention towards ATRs. Disposition towards FOMO was found to moderate the effect of attitude towards ATR on intention towards ATR. Negative effect between escape motivation and attitude towards the ATR from the moderation analysis for desire for luxury and desire to fly shows that people are still hesitant to accept the ATR as a replacement to satisfy their salient needs for luxury travel.

Insights of this study demonstrate that local airlines could pivot their business through innovative offerings during the pandemic. The ATR concept can be effectively marketed by appealing to hedonistic and nationalistic needs and to avoid positioning it as an alternative for flying.

This is a novel concept introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unprecedentedly, it uncovers the motivations, attitudes and intentions towards luxury dining in ATRs as a means to compensate for the pent-up desire to relive the experience of air travel.

In recent years, tourists have been progressively increasing their interest in the natural environment and its enjoyment. The objective of this study was: (1) identify the underlying variables or motivational dimensions in ecotourism; and (2) analyze the demand segmentation in ecotourism.

The empirical analysis was carried out in “Puntilla de Santa Elena” Fauna Production Reserve in Ecuador. The sample consisted of 369 surveys obtained in situ. For the data analysis, a factor analysis and a nonhierarchical K-media segmentation were performed.

The results show six motivational dimensions in ecotourism: “Self-development and Interpersonal relationships,” “Building personal relationships,” “Escape and ego-defensive function,” “Marine nature,” “Terrestrial nature” and “Rewards.” Also, according to their motivations, three segments of ecotourists emerged: “Reward and escape,” “Marine nature” and “Multiple motives.”

The limitation is the temporality with which the study was carried out. Another limitation was the number of the samples used. As future lines of research, it is proposed to investigate the offer related to ecotourism products and services adapted to the demand segments found.

Among the practical implications, operators and companies linked to the tourism sector can plan more efficient strategies, adapted to the specific needs of each segment to improve the satisfaction of tourists and the intentions of returning to the destination, providing greater benefit to the tourists, to the sustainable development of the destination and the community.

The findings of this research can help public institutions and private companies to improve the tourism supply, create sustainable plans and potentially develop more efficient marketing planning. Protected areas will benefit from information about demand. The communities will be able to elaborate products according to the motivations and found segments. Administrators will be able to create sustainable management plans for ecotourism.

As ecotourism grows, it is vital to understand the ecotourists' motivations and segmentation to improve each segment service offering. This study presents original results of the motivations and segmentation of the demand for ecotourism based on a reserve area for the production of coastal marine fauna. To obtain valid results, a study was carried out in Ecuador, this being a country with a great variety of flora and fauna ideal for ecotourism.