Implementing ‘cleanliness is half of faith’ in re-designing tourists, experiences and salvaging the hotel industry in Malaysia during COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maheen Iqbal Awan ◽  
Amjad Shamim ◽  
Jiseon Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourism Destinations ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose In the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, organizations now are expected to serve customers who are highly conscious of safety and sanitation. Among others, the hospitality industry is significantly and negatively influenced by this pandemic. Given the unique characteristics of services, using advanced technology is not enough to create a memorable experience without physical interaction between service providers and customers. Thus, this study aims to define the “new normal” for service customers and to explore the “new service design” for the hotel industry. Design/methodology/approach As most of the Southeast Asian countries heavily rely on the tourism industry, this study focuses on one of the emerging tourism destinations in this region, Malaysia. The data is collected through in-depth interviews with 17 potential national and international tourists. Findings The results suggest that considering the “new normal” for customers, there is an immediate need for the hotel industry to revamp their service design by mainly practicing disinfection and sanitation activities, re-designing overall infrastructure and introducing promotional offers. Originality/value This study is novel in its kind as it provides useful guidelines for both practitioners and academicians/researchers. Under this crucial time, very few research is conducted specifically focusing on the hotel industry and tourists’ behaviors amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will provide in-depth knowledge about tourists’ expectations from the hotel services, especially in their own voices.

Smart tourism destinations: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanaz Shafiee ◽  
Ali Rajabzadeh Ghatari ◽  
Alireza Hasanzadeh ◽  
Saeed Jahanyan
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Synthesis Method ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
Review Protocol ◽  
Tourism Destinations ◽  
Qualitative Methodologies ◽  
Smart Tourism

Purpose This study aims to present a systematic review of smart tourism articles using a meta-synthesis method. Effective systematic reviews are essential for assisting stakeholders in implementing smart destinations. A systematic comprehension of studies on smart tourism is needed regarding the various components of smart tourism destinations, the metrics to map these components and their expected results. This study creates a framework for understanding how smart tourism destinations are theorized and developed. Design/methodology/approach Based on the meta-synthesis approach, this study collects, analyzes and synthesizes relevant research in smart tourism published in online databases by following a predetermined review protocol. Findings This study contributes to the discourse on smart tourism destinations by increasing the knowledge on the subject of smart destinations in regard to different categories. The selected articles were analyzed according to the proposed research questions and classified into three main categories: components, measurement and outputs. This study presents a new archetype for developing smart destinations and addresses efforts to bridge the gap in this research field. Practical implications This paper is noteworthy for stakeholders because it provides a comprehensive vision into the components that influence the growth of smart destinations. The advantage of the proposed methodology is that it creates a framework for understanding how smart destinations are theorized. Furthermore, it is helpful to use qualitative methodologies that efficiently allow the analysis of related literature and that also offer conceptual insights. Originality/value The findings provide information that can be used to help shape a fully conceptualized understanding of the smart destinations concept and can also prove important in providing a guide for policymakers and stakeholders in the tourism industry who seek to intelligently develop tourism destinations.

Case study of sustainable service design in the hospitality industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-An Chen ◽  
Chun Liang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holistic Understanding

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how creative-cultural hotels can achieve sustainable service design through the development of a holistic conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach The authors created this framework using a qualitative exploratory multi-case study of four creative-cultural hotels in Taiwan. The framework comprises strategic, organizational and interface levels to describe the design process and implementation of service offerings that co-create value within a multifaceted network of actors. Findings The findings of this study show that incorporating local arts and culture into sustainable service design can generate unique value and experiences for customers. From the perspective of sustainable development, these hotels seek to add value by using local creative and cultural resources to ensure that they have a sound commercial base from which to showcase their cultural features. As such, this study recommends that the hotel industry shift its focus to a paradigm that provides a strategic and sustainability-framed vision to create value for society while protecting local natural and cultural resources. Originality/value This multilevel model reframes the development of customer value constellations through a holistic understanding of user experience, eco-design practice, service encounters aligned with user touchpoints and front-line employee capabilities. To integrate the perspectives of both service providers and their customers, the proposed model embeds these stakeholders within a single model through the vehicle of local value co-creation. This holistic framework can assist in designing sustainable service within the hospitality industry to deliver better services and customer experiences. The findings provide an illustration of how the proposed multilevel sustainable-development-oriented service design framework can serve as a useful tool in guiding hotels toward corporate sustainability.

Stakeholders’ perceptions of competitive tourism destination: empirical evidence from Serbia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Verica Milutinovic ◽  
Jelena Musanovic ◽  
Dejan Beric
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Modified Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Destination Competitiveness ◽  
Stakeholder Perspective ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
Tourism Destinations ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study made an advance over previous work by providing a modified model for measuring the competitiveness of tourism destinations based on competitive performance from a stakeholder perspective. Furthermore, this paper aims to evaluate the sources of relative strengths and weaknesses perceived of a destination. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative approach to seek opinions of 135 tourism stakeholders. Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were used to describe the profile of the respondents, quantify the main findings and test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results highlight the importance of safety in determining the attractiveness of a destination and its significance for the competitiveness of a destination. The strongest indicator of competitiveness is “Core resources and attractions,” while the weakest indicator is “Destination management.” Also, employees in public institutions and in the tourism industry in general have different opinions about competitive tourism destinations for most dimensions. Research limitations/implications Despite the fact that the findings do not consider the demand side, which has a major impact on the destination, they minimize the research gap and contribute to the existing literature review. Practical implications The results are of particular value to stakeholders and destination management responsible for strengthening the competitiveness of tourism destinations. Originality/value The research progressed over previous studies by developing and empirically testing a modified conceptual model for measuring destination competitiveness from a supply-side perspective and recommending improvements for the emerging tourism destinations.

The Israeli travel and tourism industry faces COVID-19: developing guidelines for facilitating and maintaining a nuanced response and recovery to the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Schmidt ◽  
Alex Altshuler
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
The Government

Purpose This paper aims to discuss how the tourism industry is contending with the economic and interorganizational challenges wrought by the COVID-19 outbreak and heightened by a lack of communication between the government and local businesses in the state of Israel. The researchers examine the dependency of the tourism industry on the general preparation programs that were developed and are currently being deployed by the relevant national stakeholders and question whether instead, it should use the pandemic as a catalyst for formulating its own nuanced tourism-travel-and-hospitality-oriented strategies and procedures. Design/methodology/approach Applying an ethnographic-based mix-methods research approach, this paper draws on insights from data compiled by fusing existing theoretical and emerging practical knowledge with empirical research (qualitative and quantitative) conducted among numerous relevant macro (governmental/centralized industry) and micro (hotels, travel and tourism operators and service providers) stakeholders as well as potential consumers. Findings It is essential that national and local government bodies form collaborative interorganizational relationships with local stakeholders to jointly activate case-specific hospitality and travel-specific risk mitigation management strategies. Moreover, the pandemic laid bare the tentative and fragile nature of the globalized tourism industry supply and demand chains, a condition that may be remedied via a pivot toward using national or even regional supply chains and goods and service providers. Within Israel, such changes could lead to increased economic benefits that extend beyond the tourism industry to provide certain security-related benefits. Originality/value Relating to idiosyncratic factors relevant to an Israeli cultural context, this paper uses the ethnographic field-borne familiarity of the researchers with the tourism and travel industries in Eilat and the Dead Sea to offer applicable suggestions for leveraging certain industry resources to both meet the demands of the present-day circumstances and cultivate a multifaceted organizational web of macro and micro social, economic and environmental networks so as to foster a more diversified and therefore resilient local tourism and travel economy.

Customer engagement and value co-creation/destruction: the internal fostering and hindering factors and actors in the tourist/hotel experience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clement Nangpiire ◽  
Joaquim Silva ◽  
Helena Alves
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Analysis Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe customer as an active and engaged value co-creator raises new challenges for theory and practice, especially in the hospitality industry. However, the connection between engagement and co-creation is little studied in the hotel/tourism literature. This paper proposes a connection between customer engagement (CE) and value co-creation frameworks to ascertain and depict the internal actors' activities and factors that foster or hinder guests' co-creation and destruction of value.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers used qualitative methods (35 in-depth interviews, document analysis and four observation sessions) in seven regions of Ghana to explore the customer's perspective. Data were analyzed with NVivo11 within a thematic analysis framework.FindingsThe findings suggest that positive and negative engagement fosters or hinders guests' interactions, which lead to value co-creation or destruction. The research also discovered that negative interactions occasioned by any factor or actor trigger value destruction at multiple stages of the experience journey.Practical implicationsIndustry players can use the framework developed to assess their businesses, explore and reflect on the proposed value they aim to generate, and thus be more aware of how they can better facilitate value co-creation with their consumers and avoid value destruction.Originality/valueThis research proposes a novel connection between customer interactions, engagement and value co-creation to ascertain and depict the internal actors' activities and factors that foster or hinder customers' experience in the hotel/tourism industry.

Less is more: the role of frugality in the Malaysian hotel industry

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Zulaikha Mohamed Sadom ◽  
Farzana Quoquab ◽  
Jihad Mohammad ◽  
Nazimah Hussin
Keyword(s):  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Green Marketing ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The environmental impact of excessive use of natural resources such as energy and water in the tourism industry has increased significantly. Thus, it is crucial to investigate the notion of frugality in this industry. Particularly, this study aims to examine the effect of green marketing strategies (eco-labelling and environmental advertising) and hotel guests’ green attitude towards frugality in the context of the Malaysian hotel industry. Furthermore, the mediating effect of green attitude is also examined. Design/methodology/approach Stimulus-organism-response theory was used to develop the research framework. The data were collected via a self-administered survey questionnaire, which yielded 150 complete and usable responses. A partial least square-structural equation modelling approach was used to validate the proposed model. Findings The results of this study revealed that environmental advertising and eco-labelling, directly and indirectly, affect frugality. Moreover, the link between green attitude and frugality also was supported. Furthermore, data supported the mediating effect of green attitude in the relationship between green marketing strategies and frugality. Practical implications The findings from this study can benefit hoteliers who are targeting frugal and environmentally conscious consumers. Moreover, the hoteliers will be able to understand the drivers of frugality in the tourism industry. It can assist them to formulate better marketing strategies in attracting and retaining frugal consumers. Social implications The findings from this study offer a number of important social implications for society, the local government and the city and tourism council. Particularly, understanding the strategies towards frugality can pave the way towards the formation of a “less consumption” community. Moreover, it will serve as the guideline for designing the green and sustainability campaign for the nation. Originality/value This study is among the pioneers to investigate the issue pertaining to frugality in the tourism industry context. This study examines new linkages such as the indirect effect of green marketing strategies towards frugality. Moreover, the mediating effect of green attitude in the relationship between green marketing strategies (eco-labelling and environmental advertising) and frugality is comparatively a new link.

Energy efficiency in logistics through service modularity: the case of household waste

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Wehner ◽  
Ceren Altuntas Vural ◽  
Árni Halldórsson
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Logistics Service ◽  
Logistics Services

PurposeService modularity promotes efficiency at the provider end of the supply chain and customisation at the customer end. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how logistics service modularity contributes to sustainable development through the means of energy efficiency. This is analysed in the context of logistics services for household waste collection.Design/methodology/approachA single case study methodology with embedded units is adopted where semi-structured interviews were conducted with a waste service provider (WSP) and buyers (municipalities) in Sweden, focussing on five types of logistics services for waste collection: collection of food and residual waste at apartments and one-family houses, as well as collection of gardening waste. Service modules are identified and analysed by blueprinting the service.FindingsThe findings show different service modules – standardised or customised – and their contribution to sustainable development operationalised through energy efficiency. Principles for an energy-centric service design are proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to Swedish household waste collection setting. Promising efficiency through standardisation, logistics service modularity has a potential to improve energy efficiency as well. This neglected link between sustainability and service modularity offers fruitful research avenues.Practical implicationsThis research is of practical relevance to waste logistics service providers and the municipality by suggesting principles for energy-centric service design. The service blueprint enables using logistics service modularity for improving energy efficiency in different logistics service settings.Originality/valueThis research incorporates an environmentally sustainable development perspective into logistics service modularity and contributes to the literature by exploring how energy efficiency is improved by modular design of logistics services. Furthermore, the study is one of the first to use service blueprinting to analyse logistics service modularity, providing a methodological contribution to that field in general and logistics in particular.

Exploring backpackers’ perceptions of the hostel service quality

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 1839-1855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Brochado ◽  
Paulo Rita ◽  
Carlos Gameiro
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of backpackers’s evaluation of service quality provided by hostels by developing a battery of items to assess perceptions of the overall hostel experience. Design/methodology/approach – Scale development took a mixed approach that combines qualitative and quantitative research. First, the authors performed a content analysis of reviews provided by guests in hostel booking web sites, in-depth interviews with hostel managers and focus groups with guests, to develop a battery of items to assess the hostel experience from the guests’ perspective. Then, a quantitative survey (n = 222) was conducted, to explore the dimensionality of service quality in this sector. Lisbon hostels are the target of this study, as they received several awards based on the online reviews of backpackers. Findings – The results revealed that service quality is a multidimensional concept and includes six dimensions, namely, social atmosphere, location and city connection, staff, cleanliness, security and facilities. Regression results revealed that the social atmosphere appears to be a core service dimension crucial to create a sense of hostel guest’s overall quality. Originality/value – The findings suggest that service quality scales should incorporate the specific characteristics of the hotel industry. The quality of the staff and the social atmosphere are of utmost importance to enhance the hostel backpacker experience.

Application of visual methods to perceptions of tourism development

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peita Hillman ◽  
Brent D. Moyle ◽  
Betty Weiler
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Development ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Architectural Drawings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Visual Research Methods ◽  
Questioning Techniques ◽  
New Development ◽  
Qualitative Methodologies ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the benefits and drawbacks of visual methods, specifically architectural drawings, for assessing locals’ perceptions of proposed tourism development in a cultural tourism precinct. Design/methodology/approach To explore the use of visual methods 21 in-depth interviews were conducted with locals working in the tourism industry in Ubud, Bali. During the interviews, respondents were shown a series of architectural drawings depicting a new Western-branded hotel development. Findings The use of visual methods, specifically architectural drawings to gauge reactions from respondents revealed mixed levels of support for future tourism development. Respondents were supportive of an increase in visitors but were cautious about the nature of new development. Research limitations/implications Visual research methods should also be considered in an interview setting to supplement traditional questioning techniques. Originality/value This study provides an outline of how visual methods can either support or detract from qualitative methodologies and allow for a considered design if incorporated into future studies.

Customer contact in a digital world

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1061-1069
Author(s):  
Scott E. Sampson ◽  
Richard B. Chase
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Operating Efficiency ◽  
Customer Contact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Front Office ◽  
Back Office

PurposeThe customer contact approach to service has been at the core of service theory since the 1970s. It suggests that the potential operating efficiency of a service is inversely related to the extent of customer contact with the provider's operations and that various service design issues are dictated by the presence or absence of customer contact. The purpose of this article is to reevaluate the customer contact approach in light of advanced digital technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors review the origins and history of the customer contact approach and show ways it has been refined in research literature. From that they demonstrate how the refined approach can be applied to contemporary conditions.FindingsRecent advances in digital technologies have indeed required us to revise our conceptualization of customer contact. There is now a blurring between front-office and back-office operations. Emerging technologies are allowing customers to have high-contact experiences with low-contact efficiencies.Research limitations/implicationsGoing forward, conceptualizations of customer contact are becoming increasingly complex and requiring increasingly complex models. Armed with self-service technologies, customers are able to permeate the “buffered core” of service businesses. Artificial intelligence and anthropomorphic devices have further blurred the distinction between front-office and back-office operations. Research will need to consider new forms of technology-enabled customer contact.Practical implicationsCustomer contact is no longer limited to interpersonal interactions and the relationships between service providers and customers are increasingly complex. Customers may interact with automated service providers, or service providers may interact with customer technologies. New forms of customer contact may not involve humans at all, but instead involve technologies interacting with technologies.Originality/valueThe customer contact approach to service was one of the original models of service design. By revisiting and revising the model we bring it in-line with the realities of the contemporary service economy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document