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More and more statistics have repeatedly shown that as the economic development has entered the New Normal, the Chinese fiscal system has experienced tremendous changes. Although chance cannot be ruled out, much of those changes indicate trends, and they can even be said to be the result of the law of economic development. These trends and changes have repeatedly demonstrated that, as a reflection and an inevitable result of the economic developing speed shift, structural adjustment and energy conversion, the Chinese fiscal system, far from the conventional operating state, has progressed on a new path. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

This paper systematically analyzes several new trends and changes in the Chinese fiscal system under the New Normal. First, revenue growth has experienced a sharp downward trend, while the tax elasticity coefficient has declined rapidly. Second, fiscal expenditure has risen against the tendency, while the rigidity of expenditure has kept on increasing.

Considering the present fiscal and taxation system reform with the analysis above, it can be seen that if the reform’s progress for the past two years is slower than expected – thus, preventing the effects of all aspects from a timely achievement – then, in the recent period, the agreement on the fiscal and taxation system reform will be reached and challenges entirely different from the past, including sharp slowdown in revenue growth rate, fiscal expenditure rising against trend and increases in fiscal deficit and government debts will be faced. The factors encouraging the reform are gathering gradually. The growth of the strength to push the reform forward is speeding up. And the pace of the reform in relevant areas is quickening.

In the face of those trends and changes, on the one hand, the authors should deeply understand and accurately grasp them through a comprehensive summary and systematic analysis. On the other hand, a series of conventional ideas, thoughts and strategies should be adjusted comprehensively and duly. Taking a train of new ideas, thoughts and strategies, the authors ought to actively adapt to and initiate a new Chinese fiscal structure under the New Normal of China’s economy.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges and marketing executive development needs of the future as revealed in surveys of senior marketing executives, chief marketing officers and CEOs of major corporations in the USA and globally.

A historical analysis of the marketing function, its importance and emerging needs was conducted.

Within this paper, the two questions of key importance that will be explored to manage marketing in tomorrow's world are as follows: what emerging trends present challenges to the marketing executive of the future? And what skills and knowledge trends and changes demand that the effective marketing executive acquire? The conclusion of this study indicate that the marketing executive of the future must have the needed skills in managing innovation and change, educating and developing leaders, understand technology, formulate and implement strategy, apply new leadership concepts, collaborate with government, anticipate social and technological advances, become more customer oriented and be more flexible.

The paper is valuable in that it highlights the challenges and needs of senior marketing executives going forward in a changing world.

Although there are not data to attest to the growth of various Creative Tourism experiences worldwide, the expectation of their increase is consistent with the strength of the nowadays markets and the strategies and changes needed to sustain this growth at the twenty-first century. So, it will be relevant to follow the new trends, changes and challenges that will shape the future path of Creative Tourism. In the context of the European Union, economic prosperity and well-being should respond to twin digital and green transitions that should prepare society to mitigate problems that arise from pandemic situations, such as the recent COVID-19. How do we follow new and future experiences, and how can institutions be positioned without jeopardising the massification of this segment? As with cultural tourism, this segment of creative initiatives can and should develop ways to avoid these possible mass derivations and adjust the preservation of its sustainability in the future. What strategy needs to be adapted so that future risks of vulgarisation will be avoided even within the possible new trends? What will be the role of the Southern European countries? This final chapter envisages promoting critical thinking about the role of Creative Tourism for local and regional development. The discussion focuses on how to prevent massification and how to respond to new challenges and saturated formulas and in accordance with the digital area of the twenty-first century. Also, it promotes some solutions based on short-term strategies to be outlined and on a TIN (Think, Integrate and Network) model, which can be replicated in many countries in Europe and in the rest of the world.

Examines the changing trends in world Cognac sales, and the potential of emergent markets — particularly China — as trade and tariff restrictions change and world politics make these alternatives more receptive to the West.

Purpose: The hospitality industry faces several contemporary issues and challenges that have the potential to impact its growth and development. This study aims to identify and analyse contemporary issues and challenges facing the hospitality industry, including trends, regulations, and Tech salutation.

Need for the study: The hospitality industry plays a significant role in the global economy with its diverse services, including accommodation, food and beverage, events, and tourism. However, the sector faces several contemporary issues and challenges that have the potential to impact its growth and development. This study will provide an overview of the most significant problems and challenges facing the hospitality industry today.

Methodology: The researchers used secondary data for the analysis of the chapter. The researchers reviewed journal papers, books, book chapters, government websites, handbooks, reports, internet, and official records for identification of issues and challenges in the hospitality industry.

Findings: The study identified several contemporary issues and challenges facing the hospitality industry, including the impact of technology and COVID-19 on operations and customer experience, changing consumer preferences for sustainable and ethical practices, labour shortages and retention issues, increasing competition, and changing regulatory environments.

Practical implications: The hospitality industry faces numerous contemporary issues and challenges that impact its sustainability and profitability. Industry stakeholders must understand and address these challenges to remain competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing global market. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the contemporary issues and challenges facing the hospitality industry and suggest potential strategies for addressing these challenges.

Information technology presents considerable challenges and opportunities to society. Ireland, as a member of the European Union with a small, open economy which is highly influenced by international trends, has a particular interest in this new phenomenon. The manner in which the country meets the challenge of information technology will largely shape its economic and social future into the next century. Details the specific needs of the information age. Analyses the implications of the information era for Ireland’s educational facilities, and discusses how the different branches of education are responding. Examines innovation and creativity, and how education, training and other aspects of Ireland’s economy are impinging on these prerequisites for success. Investigates the level of flexibility in Irish attitudes, work practices and systems. Outlines the critical requirements of “learning for change” implicit in this new era, and discusses how Ireland’s training systems and approaches are placed to meet those needs. Concludes that Ireland needs to adapt its education and training facilities so that it masters, and fully benefits from, the new era.

How to respond to social and environmental concerns while pursuing economic goals remained a dilemma for today’s businesses. Besides, the digital revolution has profoundly changed people's lifestyles, turning out the challenge of how to present products and services to the new generations of consumers through emerging digital channels. To overcome these challenges, a business needs to rely on its internal capabilities but must make them dynamic and modify them, when necessary, in response to or anticipation of external changes. This study aims to propose a model for business model innovation (BMI) with the goal of pursuing sustainability and adapting to the changes of the digital age pursuing dynamic capabilities principles.

This study followed a mixed-method design, using meta-synthesis in its first phase (qualitative) and interpretive structural modelling in its second phase (quantitative).

The proposed model consists of four layers including approach, aspect, dimension and component. Based on quantitative results, the 16 dimensions were categorised in four main levels of “sustainable computing”, “sustainable execution”, “sustainable engagement” and “sustainable results”. Considering sustainability and digital transformation as main change drivers for contemporary businesses, this paper proposes a novel framework in the field of BMI.

The results of this study suggest that BMI requires not only proper business design based on social and environmental sustainability and digital transformation requirements but also attention to a new component called sustainable engagement, which represents the need for engaging with social and environmental issues in addition to customers.

The retail sector is one of the largest property concerns in the UK at 154million m2 and worth almost £300billion in capital value (IPF, 2015). Whilst it continues to be a growth sector, many retail developments and supermarkets which have been constructed in the UK since a major boom in the 1980s have seen interventions to replace envelope fabric, update their appearance and be re-configured to suit changing tenant requirements. Others will be demolished to make way for new developments. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

If the cost of adaptations to meet the required outcome is too great, or other drivers are stronger, adaptation becomes conversion or renewal. This process may be more damaging to the environment in terms of energy use, emissions and material wastage but may enable better quality and performing buildings to replace older stock. These decisions will be managed by cost benefit analysis and return on investment (feasibility, viability, risk and market appetite). This paper seeks to understand if it is possible to extend retail building life by anticipating future needs in the retail sector by forecasting what happens after the building is no longer required by the initial user.

This research has attempted to capture the knowledge and experience of those responsible for advising the stakeholders that make the significant decisions in retail development. Whist the methods may have been less satisfactory in extracting data, it has shown that predicting adaptability is quite difficult for many reasons. A direction towards increasing long-term adaptability the development is summarised in a list of key deliverables.

This study has demonstrated a clear need to increase the consideration of defining design life as part of the performance information of a building or development, particularly in terms of whole life cost and asset value beyond the viable term of the end user and the value of the asset in terms of materials and resources (such as embodied CO2 emissions or sequestrated timber). Assessment of the design and evaluation process adopted when existing buildings are in the process of refurbishment is necessary to demonstrate this benefit.

There remains a major contradiction in the design approach for retail development; the choice between bespoke design which extends the design life and flexible design which maximises the interchangeability of end user. Buildings or parts of buildings may function better for longer if they are purpose built for key operators, anchor retail tenant or leisure use such as a cinema. However, these spaces are more likely to be changed most radically during an intervention to meet alternative functions in the future.

For adaptability to be possible and demonstrable it needs to be clearly communicated at all project stages by definition of design life phases in the brief, specification, construction contract and facilities management documentation. Adaptability can be monitored in the longer term by land registration mapping, planning and building control functions in the local authority as these extend above and beyond the scope of each owner or user, however it would be advisable for facilities managers to adopt clear documentation regarding the performance parameters expected at first occupation and how modifications and interventions can be applied for flexibility and adaptability to changing requirements.

This review of current practice in UK retail development has demonstrated that although design teams are thinking about the future of developments, they are also driven to meet current requirement because the immediate future is more important than the extended future for generating retail turnover. They are not expected to document any evidence of adaptability considerations. Retailers are equally unable to speculate far enough into the future and depend on immediate annual sales results to remain economically sustainable. This impasse will ultimately prevent any change in the status quo, and legislative intervention may be necessary if society prefers to see buildings within the urban fabric last longer than the terms of a 15-year lease.

As a consequence of the huge loss and damage caused by natural disasters all over the world, an impressive amount of attention is currently being given to a holistic approach in disaster risk management (McEntire, Fuller, Johnston, & Weber, 2002). The world experiences more and more natural disaster impacts in spite of numerous efforts, advancing sciences, and more powerful technologies. Indeed, current disasters are more complex, and climate change poses a greater potential for adverse impacts (Aalst & Burton 2002). Hence, there is a need to reassess the existing disaster risk reduction approaches due to problems in the existing risk management approaches, and new risks brought by climate change and by environment degradation.