Who Walks the Walk and Talks the Talk? Understanding What Influences Sustainability Behaviour in Business and Leisure Travellers

While there is considerable research into what drives tourists to travel sustainably, little has been done to examine business travellers and how they differ from leisure travellers. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by looking to understand these differences and what drives them. Specifically, this paper looked to understand the influence that demographics, travel characteristics, and everyday behaviour (pro-ecological actions, frugal consumption patterns, and altruistic behaviours) have on sustainable travel behaviour, and if these influences held true for both business and leisure travellers. To facilitate this investigation, a quantitative study of 869 Canadian travellers in March of 2020 was undertaken. This research found that demographics and travel characteristics to contribute to the prediction of sustainable travel behaviour, but the greatest prediction power came from everyday behaviour. Beyond confirming that everyday behaviour is still the greatest indicator of sustainable travel domestically or abroad, this research found that this influence does not change whether the travel is for business or leisure.

INFORMAL BUSINESS TOURISM IN CAMEROON

The uniqueness of business tourism in the African context is argued to be an amalgam of several clusters of activities manifested in both the formal and informal sectors. In this study, business tourism in the global south, with a specific focus on the informal sector in Cameroon is analysed. Using data that was collected from a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with three hundred and seventy-seven business travellers, the study reveals that informal business tourism includes domestic business travellers classified into five distinctive categories: (1) informal salespeople (2) shopowners (3) herdsmen (4) local farmers and (5) wholesalers. The study concludes that informal business tourism represents an important sector that contributes to tourism development and if well harnessed, its multiplier effect could be widespread amongst the different economic sectors of Cameroon.

A Framework for Investigating the Value of Public Wireless Networks

This paper investigates the value of deploying municipal wireless network infrastructure. By Vos's (2007c) estimate, there are more than 400 such networks, either deployed or in development in the United States. Many other wireless networks are operational, or being rolled out in cities around the world, including Toronto, London, Bologna, Singapore, Taipei and Perth. Developed by municipal governments, private providers or public-private partnerships, these networks are intended to serve the connectivity needs of local residents, tourists and business travellers.

A Framework for Investigating the Value of Public Wireless Networks

This paper investigates the value of deploying municipal wireless network infrastructure. By Vos's (2007c) estimate, there are more than 400 such networks, either deployed or in development in the United States. Many other wireless networks are operational, or being rolled out in cities around the world, including Toronto, London, Bologna, Singapore, Taipei and Perth. Developed by municipal governments, private providers or public-private partnerships, these networks are intended to serve the connectivity needs of local residents, tourists and business travellers.

The Corporate Responsibility Paradox: A Multi-National Investigation of Business Traveller Attitudes and Their Sustainable Travel Behaviour

The implementation of sustainability practices in the tourism system requires the participation of a variety of actors. While much research has focused on supply-side issues associated with sustainable tourism, there has been less focus on supply-side issues associated with consumer behaviour and business-related travel. This paper addresses the behaviours of this significant market segment. As behavioural change is seen as a key mechanism for achieving emission reduction, this paper focuses on behaviours of business travels from four countries: Canada, Switzerland, Russia and the U.S., using values-attitudes-behaviour (VAB) theory. We employ Principal Components Analysis to reduce the variables down to four factors and related factor scores. Stepwise multiple linear regression was then used to measure causal associations. The findings show how national cultures, demographics and values influence (although at different levels) the sustainable attitudes and behaviour of business travellers. These results have implications for future corporate travel policy. The recent impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic is also addressed.

Global Mobility beyond Traditional Assignments - A Review on Flexpatriates and International Business Travellers

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of flexpatriates and international business travellers (FIBT) and related issues of FIBTs. Finally, the outcome of the paper is enriched by presenting a policy oriented conceptual model for managerial concern to resolve such issues of FIBSs. A literature-based data compilation was done to develop this model. The model mainly outlines the necessity of giving strategic policy orientation on managing FIBTs by considering several supportive channels: organizational support and social support for both assignees and families.

What is Tourism

Tourism is not absolute. That is what makes it such an exciting field of study on the one hand, and such an exasperating phenomenon to study on the other hand. Life is much easier when things are framed in black-and-white terms: good versus bad; healthy versus unhealthy; left versus right; right versus wrong. Increasingly, as well, people like to have the world presented to them in a simplistic manner where they are faced with apparently easy choices. Life would be easy, if only the world was simple. Yet, in reality the world is a rich tapestry of colours. What on the surface appears to be a simple yes/no choice, in reality becomes a very complex situation when one scratches below the surface. Tourism is no different. We can all come up with absolute examples of what is and what is not tourism and who is and who is not a tourist. Visitors from China who spend five days on a package tour sightseeing and shopping in London are clearly tourists. Their activities and their resultant expenditure are also clearly tourism related. By contrast, if someone goes shopping for groceries in his or her home community, the person is clearly not a tourist. Other absolute categories such as, business travellers, people visiting friends and relatives, special interest tourists, can also be defined. But after that, what constitutes tourism enters a grey area. What if you have a second home and spend every weekend there? Are you a tourist? What if you are studying abroad for 11 months? Are you a tourist? What if you have family living someplace where you grew up and you visit them regularly? Are you a tourist? The answer depends on how tourism and the tourist are defined.