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See the retraction notice BIO Web of Conferences 138, 00001 (2024), https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202413800001

The hotel industry plays a vital role in tourism development by providing visitor accommodation facilities. This paper focuses on the effects of service quality on the budget hotel industry in Malaysia. Despite the increasing number of tourists opting for budget hotels in recent years, issues related to service quality have affected tourist satisfaction and loyalty, posing significant challenges for the budget hotel sector to maintain its business. The study analyzed the effects of service quality on tourist loyalty towards budget hotels and identified the most influential factor in service quality that affects tourist loyalty. A quantitative approach was employed in this study, and the findings indicate that the responsiveness quality dimension has the most significant effect on tourist loyalty. In contrast, assurance and reliability have no significant effects. Budget hotels must improve their service quality, specifically responsiveness, to enhance tourist loyalty and maintain their business in the highly competitive hotel industry.

A research study was carried out to investigate the extent to which local communities and government authorities are involved in tourism development, with the objective of promoting sustainable practices that are mutually beneficial. Although attempts have been made to incorporate local communities in the tourism sector, there is insufficient research on their viewpoints and level of participation, particularly in Uzbekistan. The purpose of this research is to appraise the perceptions of local government authorities regarding the progress of tourism, gauge their current participation in the field, comprehend their thoughts on the government’s responsibility in tourism development, and investigate their stance on contributing funds to the local community. This study focuses on Uzbekistan as the research area and aims to investigate the views of local communities and government authorities on tourism development. Additionally, the study seeks to identify opportunities for enhancing local community engagement in tourism in Uzbekistan regions. The objectives of this research are as follows: 1) to evaluate the viewpoints of government officials in Uzbekistan regions regarding the progress of tourism; 2) to examine the level of involvement of local government in the tourism sector; and 3) to scrutinize the perspectives of local authorities on the role of the government in the development of tourism and 4) examine the perspectives of local authorities on contributing revenue to the local community.

In the Republic of Uzbekistan, the establishment and assessment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Small Industrial Zones (SIZs) present an urgent challenge that intertwines economic growth with ecological sustainability. Amidst these developmental initiatives, it is imperative to consider the impact of these zones on the region’s rich biodiversity and fragile ecosystems. The research systematically evaluates the performance indicators of SEZs and SIZs, drawing upon comparative analyses of legal frameworks across Central Asia and the Russian Federation. This study not only aims to enhance the economic contributions of these zones but also emphasizes the necessity of integrating environmental considerations into their design and operation. By studying successful methodologies from Kazakhstan and lessons from ecological practices in China, South Korea, and Singapore, the potential of SEZs and SIZs can be expanded to foster both economic and ecological resilience. However, the article highlights that significant infrastructural challenges and the absence of regulatory frameworks for measuring ecological impact impede the realization of these dual objectives.

This study examines the effects of consumer ethnocentrism, consumer internationalism, and consumer cosmopolitism on Malaysians' purchasing of electrical and electronic products from China. A reconceptualized consumer ethnocentrism measurement scale was used to capture cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions that previous studies have ignored. A total of 555 consumers were sampled through online questionnaires distributed on social media and used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to test the proposed model. The results show that consumer ethnocentrism has a significant negative effect on Malaysian consumers' willingness to buy Chinese products. In contrast, consumer cosmopolitanism was rejected due to opposing path directions, and consumer internationalism was insignificant. Future research should examine multi-dimensional consumer ethnocentrism in other countries and products, and incorporate alternative measurements for consumer cosmopolitanism. The research recommends that managers consider multi-dimensional consumer ethnocentrism when strategizing to market international products, as it provides more depth than simply relying on consumer cosmopolitanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how life expectancy is influenced by CO2 emissions, health spending, GDP, water usage, agricultural output, and renewable and non-renewable energy consumption within the Aral Sea basin, which is an environmentally catastrophic zone in the world. This research utilized data from the years 2002 to 2020 and employed various econometric approaches, including FMOLS, DOLS, and Driscoll–Kraay. The outcomes of the study reveal that health spending, GDP, water productivity, agriculture output, energy consumption, and human capital have a positive impact on life expectancy, but CO2 emissions have a negative impact on life expectancy. The most important policy takeaway from this study is the need to develop and implement comprehensive policies that take into account health spending, GDP, water, agricultural output, energy consumption, and education level in order to ensure life longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remittances are a crucial part of economic expansion, especially in Central Asia. Nevertheless, it is not possible to ignore its environmental damage. This paper is a pioneer in investigating the association among CO2 emissions, remittances, energy consumption and economic development in Central Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) spanning the period of 1995–2022. As a methodology, the FMOLS estimator is applied to check linear impact and long-run association as well. Panel threshold regression model and 2SLS method are applied to examine potential non-linear relations among the studied variables. Hausman–Taylor and Amacurdy estimators are employed to control the endogeneity issue among the variables of interest. The results suggest the existence of a long-run relationship among the studied variables. Precisely, applying the FMOLS method, remittances negatively impact CO2 emissions in the long run. The relationship between CO2 emissions and remittances is distorted when the endogeneity issue is considered with the Panel threshold regression model, 2SLS method, and Hausman–Taylor and Amacurdy estimators. This distortion validates the linear impact of remittances on CO2 emissions in CA. The Dumitrescu–Hurlin causality test shows that all independent variables have a causal effect on the dependent variable, validating the effect of the studied variables. Consequently, decision-makers should facilitate remittances towards more environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions to prevent the detrimental effects of remittance inflows on carbon emissions in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female entrepreneurship drives tourism development in resource-scarce destinations but little is known about why local women engage in business and what determines their success in a time of a life event crisis. This knowledge is important as it can support policies on regional regeneration and poverty alleviation. This study draws upon the Bourdieu's model of practice with its notions of capital, agents, field, and habitus to examine the experiences of women running tourism enterprises in a destination with the legacy of an anthropogenic environmental disaster, the Aral Sea region. Semi-structured interviews with women entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan (n = 18) and Kazakhstan (n = 15) showcase prevalence of the necessity-based and extrinsic motivations in a time of crisis. Interviews also demonstrate the importance of social capital women entrepreneurs built with such agents of entrepreneurial practice as family, friends, policymakers, employees, and competitors. The original contribution of the study is in revealing how local cultural traditions reinforce various types of capital, strengthen the field of knowledge, and shape habitus of women entrepreneurs in critical times. Another original contribution is in highlighting how the experience of past life event crises has aided in psychological coping of women tourism entrepreneurs during COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the (de)motivations of small, independently-owned, hotels to conserve the environment in the Aral Sea region of Uzbekistan. This destination provides an interesting case study as it represents one of the world's most deprived regions with a scarce resource base. This resource scarcity should prompt hotels to conserve the environment. However, this resource scarcity may prevent environmental conservation as the limited resources can be spent on other operational tasks. By interviewing senior hotel managers, this study showcases their limited motivation for environmental conservation. The study highlights the role of various stakeholders in encouraging hotels to save the environment. Recommendations are made on policy and management interventions required to incentivize environmental conservation by hoteliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]