Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

Diker, Oğuz; Akbaş Tuna, Ayşen; Uysal, Muzaffer; Tuna, Muharrem

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-07-2021-0194

The all-inclusive system comprises a large share of supply and demand in the worldwide tourism market. All-inclusive system investments occupy a large place in the Mediterranean coastline, especially in Turkey. The risk that may arise for hotels operating with the all-inclusive system will affect the whole market in terms of supply and demand. The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of the managers regarding the changes that may occur in demand and supply in the all-inclusive system after the COVID-19 pandemic and their consequences without disturbing the cost balance in an all-inclusive system.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted by using an online interview method with a semi-structured interview form that includes questions on the effects of COVID-19 on all-inclusive systems. Obtained data were analyzed by using content analysis methods.FindingsThe findings suggest that COVID-19 directly or indirectly influences visitor expectations and behavior, use of physical space and services provided in all-inclusive system within the technology, hygiene and cost cycle. Because of the effect of COVID-19, there have been important alterations in the use of physical space and service contents. Related changes brought about the pressure to reduce costs. Ensuring the managerial balance for these costs, which cannot be subsidized with direct prices, will provide priority with regard to both competitive advantages and managing the risk perception.Originality/valueThere are limited studies on all-inclusive systems and operations. Additionally, there is a lack of studies based on managers’ perceptions of the future of all-inclusive. This study contributes toward a better understanding of perceptions about the future of high-demand all-inclusive systems within the effect of COVID-19 through the eyes of hotel managers. This study differs from existing literature by attempting to determine new ways to enrich service contents for risk management without changing cost structure and revealing strategies for effective sustainability of all-inclusive systems.

Chang, Sueting

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-07-2020-0182

Smart tourism technology (STT) has become prominent in the development of the tourism industry. This study aims to propose a model that integrates the cognitive–affective–behavioral model and trust transfer theory in the context of the 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition, a mega-event.Design/methodology/approachAn integrative model incorporating a questionnaire was used as the study framework. A total of 456 valid travel survey questionnaires were obtained.FindingsThe results suggested that the antecedents (STT and perceived value [PV]) positively affected memorable tourism experience (MTE) (cognitive component). MTE positively affected destination image (DI) (affective component), and DI positively affected intentions to revisit and recommend locations (behavioral component). Finally, MTE mediated the relationships among DI, STT and PV.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the development of a theoretical framework that incorporates a MTE in the context of mega-events and smart tourism concepts. The findings can help governments and the tourism industry understand the effects of STT on tourists’ experiences, perceptions and behaviors.

An, Qingxiang; Ozturk, Ahmet Bulent

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-05-2021-0146

This study aims to examine the effects of user-generated photos (UGPs) and review valence (RV) on hotel guests’ perceived service quality, perceived price, perceived overall image and booking intention.Design/methodology/approachAn online experiment where respondents were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions in a 2 (UGPs: provided vs not provided) × 3 (RV: positive vs neutral vs negative) between-subjects factorial design was used. The data of the study was collected from the travelers who used an online hotel review site to book a hotel at least once in the past 12 months. An independent sample t-test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data of this study.FindingsThe results indicated that UGPs and RV significantly influenced hotel guests’ service quality, price, overall image perceptions and booking intention. The interaction effects of UGPs and RV indicated that positive online hotel reviews with UGPs had higher impact on hotel guests’ service quality, price, overall image perceptions and booking intention than neutral and negative online hotel reviews with UGPs.Practical implicationsThe understanding of the effects of UGPs and RV on guests’ price, service quality, overall image perception and booking intention can help hotel managers and social media website designers to better promote the hotel and provide efficient online hotel booking environment.Originality/valueThis study builds the relationships between UGPs and RV and hotel guests’ perceived price, perceived service quality, perceived overall image and booking intention, which are crucial factors regarding online hotel marketing.

Buhalis, Dimitrios; Papathanassis, Alexis; Vafeidou, Maria

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-05-2021-0155

This paper aims to explore and discuss the impact of digital innovations from a business eco-systemic perspective. Key smart technology application themes in the cruise industry are extracted and synthesised in a “Smart Cruise Ecosystem” (SCE) framework.Design/methodology/approachInformation communication technologies (ICTs) advancements and smart tools revolutionise interactions and affect all transactions, transforming the cruise experience. Gradually a Smart Cruise Ecosystem emerges by incorporating all technologies available and involving cruise passengers, who as smart actors interact dynamically with stakeholders, creating value before, during and after the cruising experience. The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak stressed the need for touchless and digital interactions as well as real-time information, fast-tracking the deployment of smart technologies. The diffusion of ICTs in the cruise industry is multi-faceted and dynamic, resulting in a number of smart-technology use-cases.FindingsSmart technology constitutes a comprehensive smart ecosystem to manage all actors, controls, devises and systems to optimise ship operations and management, while co-creating value for guests and crew in an effective way. The multiplex SCE proposed is enabled by digital technologies collecting, storing, accessing and processing big data dynamically, including: object detection, Internet of Things, Internet of Everything, satellite communications, Big Data, automation, robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learnin, Cloud Computing, Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality. A range of interoperable and interconnected supporting systems form the basis of the smart ecosystem.Originality/valueThe proposed framework offers a holistic perspective of the smart-cruising domain, highlighting innovations, interfaces, dependencies, along with the corresponding key limitations and challenges. The synthesis and conceptual structure provided serves as a topology for guiding and connecting further research in smart cruising.

Stojanovic, Igor; Andreu, Luisa; Curras-Perez, Rafael

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-11-2020-0302

This paper aims to further the knowledge of what effect destination and tourist social media communications have on destination brand equity.Design/methodology/approachThe authors performed a quantitative study with 433 international tourists and social media users using an online survey and structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results show that user-generated content (UGC) and destination-generated content (DGC) both positively affect tourist behavior through the mediating role of destination brand equity. Of the two, UGC is more important for building a positive destination image and more valuable for improving perceived destination quality and value. The results also show that affective image is a powerful predictor of tourist behavior.Practical implicationsThe findings provide useful insights for destination management organizations (DMOs) and social media marketing strategies. DMOs need to generate content that was highly relatable and evokes emotion, and encourage tourists to share their own experiences to improve destination brand equity and future behavior.Originality/valueThe study was conducted in the passive, pretrip stage before a travel decision is taken, which offers unique insight into how social media communications affect: destination brand equity and users’ decisions to choose certain destinations over others.

Luo, Jing; Okumus, Fevzi; Taheri, Babak

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-08-2020-0188

This study aims to analyze Chinese and Western visitors’ on‐line reviews of Shenzhen under five dimensions: catering, accommodation, transportation, travel and shopping.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a multidimensional discourse analysis to assess visitors’ experience, perception and emotional evaluations of Shenzhen in reviews on TripAdvisor.com.FindingsThe findings suggest that both Chinese and Western visitors show positive perceptions of Shenzhen’s transportation convenience and options and show great interest in folk culture. Both groups focus on shopping, service and price but believe that the prices in Shenzhen are high.Research limitations/implicationsThe classification of reviews highlights tourism elements in Shenzhen, which can offer implications for destination image formation for similar destinations.Practical implicationsThis study offers suggestions on how to build an appealing destination that meets both Chinese and Western tourists’ needs.Social implicationsThis study enriches the theory of tourism image perception of Shenzhen as it relates to language and culture.Originality/valueThis study offers implications on building an appealing destination that meets Chinese and Western tourists’ expectations.

Deng, Demi Shenrui; Seo, Soobin; Li, Zhenmin; Austin, Erica Weintraub

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-05-2021-0143

This study aims to understand social media users’ responses to the influencer-endorsed wine short videos on the most popular platform – Douyin, relying on message interpretation process (MIP) framework and identify segmentation differences from gender and the generational cohorts (Gen Z and Gen Y).Design/methodology/approachTopic modeling, content analysis and quantitative analysis were used to decipher the user-generated content (UGC) data retrieved from 81 wine videos posted by the top 30 social media influencers (SMI) who focused on wine products and consumption experience messages.FindingsThe results demonstrate social media users are most inclined to respond to product-related topics, followed by the influencer, emotional, alcohol drinking intent, behavioral and skepticism. Meanwhile, the findings also revealed that the female group was more likely to engage in influencer topics, whereas the male group contributed more to product subjects. Gen Z cohort involved more themes about alcohol drinking intent, whereas Gen Y contributed more to skepticism.Practical implicationsThe findings provide hospitality and wine practitioners, SMI and brand sponsors valuable information to use this advanced tactic among various social networking services.Originality/valueThis study is the first to grasp the Douyin users’ perceptions of this newly emerged influencer marketing strategy via UGC data. Originality is established by investigating gender and generational cohorts’ differences underlined by MIP.

Zhu, Dong Hong

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-01-2021-0022

Robot chefs and robot waiters have emerged in the restaurant industry. Based on the curiosity theory and the stimulus–organism–response paradigm, this study aims to understand the influence of robot restaurant attributes on customer behavioral intention before purchase.Design/methodology/approachBased on research data from 289 respondents comprising undergraduates, postgraduates and non-students in China, the theoretical model is tested via the partial least squares technique.FindingsFood quality perception directly affects regular patronage intention, but it has no significant influence on experience intention. Service quality perception and high-tech atmosphere perception positively affect experience intention and regular patronage intention through the mediator of interest in robot restaurants.Originality/valueDifferent from previous studies focusing on human employee restaurants, this study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, is the first to systematically investigate the influence of robot restaurant attributes on customer behavioral intention, and it finds that these attributes have their own uniqueness vis-à-vis influencing customer behavioral intention.

Zhu, Zhangxiang; Liao, Liheng; Hu, Bing

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-10-2020-0284

This paper aims to conduct a meta-analysis to explore the strength of the path relationship in the proposed model for online travel service adoption and the moderating effect of country or regional economic development level.Design/methodology/approachA meta-analysis was conducted based on 46 empirical studies to verify a proposed model for users’ intention to adopt online travel service.FindingsThe relationship between technology acceptance model and theory of planned behavior variables was found to be valid for online travel scenarios; moreover, perceived trust positively correlated with attitude and adoption intention. Meanwhile, personal innovation, perceived enjoyment and cost-effectiveness positively correlated with adoption intention. Except for the correlations between subjective norms and adoption intention, the correlations between all other variables in the model were significantly moderated by the economic development level of a country or region.Originality/valueThis paper was conducted to obtain a unified conclusion about the research field of online travel service adoption. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, its content is original.

Ul Hameed, Waseem; Nawaz, Muhammad; Nisar, Qasim Ali; Basheer, Muhammad Farhan; Imtiaz, Shoaib; Zafar, Muhammad Bilal

2022 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/jhtt-11-2021-0325

The primary purpose of this study is to provide a new model in the hospitality industry by incorporating open innovation (OI) as a significant business performance (BP) supporter. This study aims to examine OI’s role in fostering SI and BP in Malaysia’s hospitality industry.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative research approach with a cross-sectional design is used to carry out the current study. A questionnaire survey is conducted. A total of 201 valid responses were used to analyze the data through Smart PLS 3 structural equation modeling. The study sample comprises the managerial employees of hospitality companies.FindingsThe findings of this study revealed that OI has a crucial contribution to fostering service innovation (SI) and BP. Information and communication technology (ICT) increases external knowledge and internal innovation, which in turn increases knowledge management (KM). ICT intensifies KM in result, OI increases, which contribute expediting SI. Finally, increases in SI boost BP.Practical implicationsThis study provides a comprehensive framework to boost hospitality industry performance. It gives vital cues to the hospitality industry for SI improvement and BP. This proposed framework is specific to the hospitality industry, and it has the potential to help the managers to have a better understanding of new ideas that can develop service quality and customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThis is one of the pioneer studies that formally documented OI’s role in Malaysia hospitality industry. This pioneering study provides the OI model for BP of the hospitality industry. Regarding the OI in the hospitality industry, managers’ and academicians’ implication is not well understood in the current literature.