“We Need to be Better”: Race, Outdoor Recreation, and Corporate Social Advocacy

The summer 2020 protests following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and other African-Americans sparked important conversations about race, police brutality, and institutionalized racism in the United States. In response to widespread civil unrest, organizations across the country issued statements condemning anti-Black violence and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. This essay analyzes public statements released by 50 outdoor sport and recreation organizations. Extending scholarly literature on race and corporate social advocacy, our analysis develops the concept of conciliatory discourse, which functions by rhetorically constructing 1) a non-specification of grievance, 2) an obfuscation of commitments to action, and 3) a reinforcement of previous actions or processes. We argue that while many outdoor recreation organizations took action in support of racial justice, their public statements complicate long-term commitments for inclusivity and diversity.

STATISTICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE ECONOMY OF UZBEKISTAN

This article describes the role of tourism in the national economy, the factors influencing its development, improving the quality of services, issues and directions of statistical assessment of economic development in tourism. KEYWORDS: tourism, quality of services, diversification, sanatoriums, recreation organizations, tourism infrastructure, tourism products, industry competitiveness

Leveraging Sports Events for LGBTQ2+ Inclusion: Supporting Innovation in Organizational Culture and Practices

In this case study, learners are introduced to Sloane, a diversity and inclusion officer who is working to create more inclusive sport and recreation opportunities in her community. A national-level sport event will be hosted in her community and provides an opportunity to elevate and accelerate the work she is already doing with sport and recreation organizations. Learners will develop an understanding of two key themes: LGBTQ2+ inclusion and event leveraging. Working through the case will require learners to think critically about sexuality and gender identity in the context of sport participation and organizations. Furthermore, learners will have the opportunity to think creatively about how they can support innovation in organizational cultures and practices with a view to fostering more inclusive, welcoming, and safe sport organizations.

TRANSFORMATION OF TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL SERVICES IN CONDITIONS OF DIGITALIZATION

After the advent of the Internet, travel planning has become not only relevant, but also a visual process. Potential tourists book hotels, studying their interior in advance; familiarize themselves with places of recreation and infrastructure of the receiving destination, without leaving the house.; comparing prices; study the feedback of visitors. The modern tourism business is forced to increasingly use information and communication tools in competition for the client. In the scientific literature, the concepts of “virtual tourism” and “virtual tour” are increasingly appearing, and the authors of the articles justify their advantages. Based on a study of publications, it was revealed that Russian economists consider virtual tourism as a new type of tourism, foreign authors use the concepts of “virtual tour” and “virtual reality” more. The development of information technologies takes tourism and recreation organizations to a new level of development. The purpose of the article is to determine the essence of virtual tourism: this is a new type of tourism, innovations in tourism in the context of digitalization or another worldview. This study, conducted by us, will allow us to revise the approach to the traditional definition of “tourism,” which is legally entrenched in Russian practice.

SANATORIUM VOUCHER AS A PRIMARY ACCOUNT DOCUMENT

Purpose. The goal is to study the organization of the correct document flow of spa-resort vouchers taking into account the introduction of strict reporting forms as a payment document and the validity of the application of value-added tax exemption. Methodology. The article used monographic, economic-statistical, abstract-logical research methods; used the personal experience of the authors as auditors, consultants on the subject. Results. The necessity of introducing the form of forms of a sanatorium-resort voucher and coursework, the determination of the minimum duration of a voucher, the possible inclusion in the state program “Electronic voucher” is revealed. Practical implications. The results obtained should be applied by sanatorium-resort organizations and recreation organizations.

Evaluating client perceptions to improve service delivery: Individualized attention to address disabilities

A nonprofit organization providing outdoor adaptive therapeutic recreational services routinely administered a customer satisfaction survey to participants. This study analyzed the quantitative and qualitative responses to assess how well participant perceptions reflected the organization’s stated mission to enhance “the quality of life for people with disabilities.” Overall, responses supported the mission, reflecting expressions of empowerment and independence through supportive challenges. Individual responses also reflected a positive, people-centered organizational culture. Another recurrent theme was the importance of individualized adaptations in programing and equipment. Participants also identified areas for improvement. Although not required for funding, nonprofit therapeutic recreation organizations can benefit from formal program evaluation processes which incorporate participant feedback.

The Influence of Managerial Practices and Job-Related Characteristics on Employee Perceptions of Service Quality and Turnover Intention

Previously university recreation as an industry has focused on service quality as a means of improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. While these are important outcomes, prior research has primarily examined this from the customer’s perspective. However, university recreation organizations should also pay attention to employees’ perceptions of service quality and the eventual effects. In this aim, the present study examined employees’ perceptions of service quality and related managerial practices within the university recreation context. Survey data were collected from both part-time and full-time employees at university recreation departments throughout various regions, measuring turnover intention, employees’ perception of service quality, and managerial practices. Results indicate that managerial practices of training and empowerment significantly influenced employees’ perceptions of service quality, while rewards did not. Building from these findings, university recreation should engage employees, both students and professional staff, through customer service training and empowerment in efforts to improve and sustain service quality.