Includes bibliographical references.

Hospitality and Tourism Scholarship in Africa: A Literature-Based Agenda for Future Research -- Proposal for Employing User-Generated Content as a Data Source for Measuring Tourism Destination Image -- Let Photos Speak: The Effect of User-Generated Visual Content on Hotel Review Helpfulness -- Expatriate Adjustment and Engagement with Host Country Gastronomy: Investigating the Role of Identity Projects -- Influence of Tourism Seasonality and Financial Ratios on Hotels' Exit Risk -- An Analysis of the Impact of Short-Term Vacation Rentals on the Hotel Industry -- Editorial: 2021 ICHRIE Research Marathon -- Transformation of Consumer Expectations for Well-Being in Hospitality: A Systems Framework -- All That Glitters is Not Green: Impact of Biophilic Designs on Customer Experiential Values -- Be Adaptive to Stay: A Multidimensional Examination of Career Adaptability Among Hospitality Employees -- Disruptive Technologies and Innovation in Hospitality: A Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Approach -- Destination Competitiveness and Human Development: The Compelling Critical Force of Human Agency -- The Intersection of Technology, Accessible Tourism and Tourists With Intellectual Disabilities: Proposing a Novel Conceptual Framework.

[Article Title: Hospitality and Tourism Scholarship in Africa: A Literature-Based Agenda for Future Research/ Dagnachew Leta Senbeto, Mehmet Ali Köseoglu, and Brian King, p.619-642]

Abstract: This study examines Africa-related tourism and hospitality literature over the past 35 years (1984 to 2019), taking account of themes, methodologies, geographies, and collaboration structures. The authors identified and analyzed 1,182 published articles from 27 journals using advanced bibliometric to provide a deeper analysis than has been provided previously of tourism and hospitality scholarship in Africa. This article offers an up-to-date systematic overview of Africa-related tourism knowledge production and dissemination. Prominent features of the knowledge domain are discussed—destination management, travel psychology and sociology, sustainability, sociocultural issues, economy, tourism investment and economy, accommodation and hotels in Africa. The authors discussed further research, current and emerging tourism issues, and more diverse approaches toward research focus, methodologies, and geographical structures.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211011540

[Article Title: Proposal for Employing User-Generated Content as a Data Source for Measuring Tourism Destination Image/ Pilar Alarcón-Urbistondo, Maria-Mercedes Rojas-de-Gracia, and Ana Casado-Molina, p.643-664]

Abstract: The user-generated content (UGC) published on the internet offers great advantages as a source of data. This study proposes a way to make better use of its potential to measure tourism destination image, based on the recommendations of Echtner and Ritchie. These authors indicate that in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of tourism destinations, it is necessary to carry out a holistic and attribute-based analysis using unstructured and structured data, respectively. Since UGC provides both types of data, here we propose its use to study and compare the images of five tourist cities. Our results demonstrate that UGC is a valid source for the study of tourism destination image, confirming the need to adopt a holistic and attribute-based approach to this concept. They also show that not all attributes influence the overall impression of a destination.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211012756

[Article Title: Let Photos Speak: The Effect of User-Generated Visual Content on Hotel Review Helpfulness/ Chunhong Li, Linchi Kwok, Karen L. Xie, Jianwei Liu, and Qiang Ye, p.665-690]

Abstract: A picture is worth a thousand words. User-generated photos (UGPs) are increasingly accompanying online reviews of hotels. This article draws on media richness theory to estimate the effects of UGPs on hotel reviews’ helpfulness. Based on a sample of 1,159,590 valid reviews with 464,316 photos, we utilized an integrated analytical model incorporating both econometric analyses and image-processing techniques. The results show that reviews accompanied by UGPs are generally rated as more helpful than those with textual content only. Furthermore, photos showing guestroom objects were rated as more helpful than those showing food & beverages. Finally, the positive effects of UGPs on review helpfulness were especially prominent for hotels with lower prices and negative reviews. This study adds new insights to the online review literature and advances the methodological approach in analyzing unstructured user-generated content. This study provides important implications for hotel managers and online booking platforms regarding UGP management.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211019113

[Article Title: Expatriate Adjustment and Engagement with Host Country Gastronomy: Investigating the Role of Identity Projects/ Dario Miocevic and Josip Mikulic, p.691-713]

Abstract: Research on expatriate consumer behavior suggests that expatriates can be attracted to host country gastronomy, but sometimes they also suppress themselves from engaging with it. To shed light on these inconsistencies, this study draws on cross-cultural adjustment literature and social identity theory to explore under what circumstances expatriates increase their tendency to visit restaurants offering host country cuisine. To test the proposed model, a survey was conducted among 289 expatriates living in the six countries of the Greater Middle East. The data were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression. The findings show that general adjustment is a positive predictor of more frequent visits to local restaurants. However, the findings also indicate that this relationship is conditioned by an expatriate’s identity projects which are associated with cultural integration, cosmopolitanism, and international experience. Overall, novel extensions to the literature that investigates an expatriate’s engagement with a host country’s food and gastronomy is provided.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211014933

[Article Title: Influence of Tourism Seasonality and Financial Ratios on Hotels' Exit Risk/ Dengjun Zhang and Jinghua Xie, p.714-733]

Abstract: Tourism seasonality negatively affects hotels’ operational and financial performance and then survival probabilities. Several studies have evaluated the impact of tourism seasonality on hotels’ exit risk. However, the empirical findings are ambiguous, probably due to the overall seasonality and different measures used in these studies. Against this background, this study explores the impact of tourism seasonality on hotel firms’ exit risk, using a proportional hazards model. We controlled for financial ratios, the main factors influencing the exit risk, and used two measures of tourism seasonality by market segment, namely, leisure, business, and conference tourism. The case study is the Norwegian hotel industry. The empirical results suggest that the different seasonal patterns of tourism demand in the market segments mitigate the impact of the overall seasonality on hotels’ exit risk, and that seasonality measures of various tourism segments affect the exit risk in different ways.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211016038

[Article Title: Transient and Persistent Cost Efficiency in Hotels in the Canary Islands/ Jorge V. Pérez-Rodriguez and Eduardo Acosta-González, p.734-759]

Abstract: The aim of this study is to determine the presence or otherwise of transient and/or persistent cost inefficiency in the lodging industry. To do so, we applied the method proposed by Filippini and Greene, within a stochastic frontier panel data framework. Our empirical analysis is based on data for the hotel industry in the Canary Islands (Spain), an important destination for European tourists, for the period 2002-2015. Using a stochastic translog cost frontier model, we show that the industry’s real output during the study period could have been achieved at 17% less cost if persistent (systematic) inefficiency were eliminated, and at 24% less cost in the absence of transient (nonsystematic) inefficiency. We also present evidence of factors that strongly influence hotels’ transient cost efficiency, such as the positive effects of market share (in total revenue terms) and certain management characteristics, including the degree of independence with respect to shareholders, the experience in the industry (years in business) and the number of subsidiaries.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211032254

[Article Title: An Analysis of the Impact of Short-Term Vacation Rentals on the Hotel Industry/ Jungtae Soh and Kwanglim Seo, p.760-771]

Abstract: Much scholarly attention has been paid to Airbnb’s influence on the hotel industry. However, extant studies have limitations because they consider only Airbnb while overlooking various other short-term vacation rental players that can also affect performance of hotels. To address this research gap, this study aims to provide a broader understanding of the impacts of short-term vacation rentals by analyzing data obtained from various vacation rental platforms. This study shows that while increase in short-term vacation rentals has an overall negative effect on hotel performance, the economic effect is more significant in the low-end market than in the high-end market. Our findings further reveal that the negative effect is reduced when there is a large price difference between short-term vacation rentals and hotels. By comprehensively examining multiple sources of data on hotels and vacation rentals, this study brings alternative perspectives to the attention of researchers for further investigation of vacation rentals.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211019110

[Article Title: Editorial: 2021 ICHRIE Research Marathon / "Jenna" Seung Hyun Lee and Faizan Ali, p.772-774]

Abstract: The articles appearing in this special issue germinated right before the 2021 International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) Annual Conference. ICHRIE is a global and multicultural community of hospitality and tourism professionals dedicated to the pursuit, discovery, advancement, and sharing of knowledge and experiences relevant to the hospitality and tourism industry and its future leaders. ICHRIE envisions itself as the global leader in hospitality and tourism education, industry engagement, and talent development.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480231158826

[Article Title: Transformation of Consumer Expectations for Well-Being in Hospitality: A Systems Framework/ Lu Zhang, Wei Wei, Heyao (Chandler) Yu, Amit Sharma, and Eric D. Olson, p.775-788]

Abstract: Systemic shifts in consumer preferences and expectations are not new, and can often be accelerated by major environmental events. Early evidence suggests that the events of 2020 to 2021 may have created that acceleration to fundamentally alter future consumer preferences. In this study, we argue that consumer expectations are on the path to being essentially transformed. If so, such transformations will require a renewed focus on consumer preferences in the context of an ecosystem comprised of the macro-, meso-, and micro-level factors impacting these changes. Changing consumer expectations will also need to be articulated and incorporated more comprehensively to include physical, mental, and social wellbeing. In this study, we argue that consumer behavior research will need to incorporate these fundamental shifts in factors impacting consumer preferences. We present a conceptual framework that incorporates the changing landscape of factors influencing this transformation along with suggestions for future research, and theoretical and practical implications.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480221141601

[Article Title: All That Glitters is Not Green: Impact of Biophilic Designs on Customer Experiential Values/ Seung Hyun (Jenna) Lee, Chen-Wei (Willie) Tao, Alecia C. Douglas, and Haemoon Oh, p.789-803]

Abstract: Since COVID-19, people appreciate fully immersing themselves in nature. Bringing elements of nature into service spaces has been an important concern for marketers. Yet, there have been only a few studies addressing the impact of natural and biophilic aspects within servicescapes. This study investigated the effect of biophilic design on experiential values such as esthetics, escapism, economic value, and attitude toward hotels and the role of the hotel segment and its environmental beliefs regarding green behavior on the relationships. The results indicated that in a luxury hotel setting, the biophilic design engendered better esthetic perceptions, escapism, economic value, and attitude toward the hotel. At a midscale hotel, a non-biophilic design induced higher experiential values. In addition, customers’ environmental beliefs had significant effects on experiential values. Results provided practical suggestions for hotel managers, marketers, and interior designers on how biophilic servicescapes can enhance a hotel’s marketing effectiveness.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480221134547

[Article Title: Be Adaptive to Stay: A Multidimensional Examination of Career Adaptability Among Hospitality Employees/ Lindsey Lee, Trishna G. Mistry, Sandra Sun-Ah Ponting, Xingyu Wang, and Xi Y. Leung, p.804-817]

Abstract: This study seeks to examine the relationship between career adaptability (concern, control, curiosity, and confidence) and attrition intention among hospitality employees through the attitudinal and emotional mediation of career satisfaction and anxiety, respectively. Based on career construction theory, the results reveal that career satisfaction mediates the relationship between the career adaptability dimensions of concern, confidence, and curiosity to attrition intentions of hospitality employees as an attitudinal response, whereas career anxiety mediates the relationship between concern and control to attrition intentions as an emotional response. Lastly, the study also tests the moderating role of employee status and suggests that career adaptability serves as a psychological resource for full-time employees but not for part-time employees. The findings of this study provide important practical contributions to preserving the future workforce of the hospitality industry.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480221133777

[Article Title: Disruptive Technologies and Innovation in Hospitality: A Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Approach/ Minwoo Lee, Annamarie D. Sisson, Rui Costa, and Billy Bai, p.818-832]

Abstract: As emerging digital technologies have been used for disruptive innovation and business models, an essential component for hospitality researchers and practitioners is to determine the role of disruptive technologies and innovation in hospitality businesses. This study synthesizes prior research on disruptive innovation and identifies disruptive technologies in the hospitality context. A thematic analysis was performed through a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis approach using 23 publicly traded hospitality companies. Results reveal that disruptive technology and innovation are among the most critical strategic aspects in contemporary hospitality firms. This study provides contributions to hospitality researchers and practitioners to implement disruptive technologies for superior business performance. This study is among the first to introduce and synthesize disruptive technologies and innovation in the hospitality context.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480231156080

[Article Title: Destination Competitiveness and Human Development: The Compelling Critical Force of Human Agency/ Robertico Croes, Marketa Kubickova, and Jorge Ridderstaat, p.833-846]

Abstract: The study investigates whether governance and human agency act as intervening factors in the context of destination competitiveness and human development. This study employs the capability approach—that is, operationalizing human agency from an empowerment (feminist) perspective—and employed a case study research strategy to highlight the criticality of context. The results point to a bidirectional relationship between destination competitiveness and human development. Findings support three requisites: empowering people through occupational opportunities, promoting tourism toward sustaining human development, and placing agency over governance regarding public resource allocation. Surprisingly, results indicated that governance is lacking in the relationship between destination competitiveness and human development. Future research should concentrate on investigating urban versus rural destinations and gender roles, and in disaggregating employement indices to further understand the nature and forces of such relationships. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480221140022

[Article Title: The Intersection of Technology, Accessible Tourism and Tourists With Intellectual Disabilities: Proposing a Novel Conceptual Framework/ Faizan Ali, Lisa Cain, Tiffany S. Legendre, and Laurie Wu, p.847-771]

Abstract: This research aimed to understand the experiences of tourists with intellectual disabilities using travel technologies, and to identify determinants and deterrents. A qualitative approach was adopted to execute the research across two studies. In Study 1, topic modeling analysis of online travel forum discussions was conducted to unearth consumer concerns around accessibility. Study 1 revealed that the voices of people with disabilities were omitted in the forum data. Building upon Study 1, in Study 2 we conducted four focus group interviews with tourists with intellectual disabilities to understand their opinions, attitudes, and perceptions towards the use of technology before and during travel. The findings yielded a redefined model conceptualizing the technology usage of tourists with disabilities, particularly for tourists with intellectual disabilities. Implications for co-creating experiences with technology with tourists with disabilities were discussed in relevance with theory and practice.

https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480221142499