Search

By utilizing supervised, unsupervised, and transfer learning techniques, the present article analyzes the entire three major online travel agencies' Instagram posts (n = 6,083) to investigate which features contribute more to predicting the user engagement. Among 109 textual, visual, and social media post specific features that we initially extracted, we find the important features using the XGBoost algorithm and estimate the effects of each feature on user engagement (i.e. number of likes) using Negative Binomial regression. The results indicate that OTAs should emphasize the travel related emotion, luxurious, outdoorsy, and celebration in the post wordings in captions but should avoid the big words (words with more than six letters). In terms of images, it is recommended to use the image with fewer lines, fewer parallel lines, but more corners. For an Instagram message-delivering strategy, uploading a post during the evening is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Umsatzsteuer-Rundschau is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

During the Spanish Civil War, War Routes with tourist itineraries were organized in the area controlled by General Francisco Franco. They began to operate on 1 July 1938 and ran throughout the whole of the following year. The objective was, on the one hand, to create a new tourism product essentially aimed at the European market in order to attract tourists and obtain foreign currency. On the other hand, these itineraries formed part of a propaganda campaign which sought to spread the virtues of the new regime that was under construction in order to counteract the campaign being carried out against it abroad by the legitimate regime of the Republic. This new tourism product was promoted among the principal European travel agencies, although it generated poor economic results. This article studies the promotion of these itineraries, the travel agencies that were interested in them, the banks that acted as intermediaries and the results of the initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a novel tourism-specific business expectations sentiment index and explore whether it can operate as a leading indicator for international tourist arrivals in Greece. Using monthly data spanning 2002‐2021 and employing a VAR model, we document that this newly introduced tourism-specific business expectations index serves as a leading indicator, whose higher levels foreshadow increased demand for international travel. We also find that its inclusion in a tourism-oriented model increases forecasting accuracy, which can be utilized by travel agent businesses, local government officials, and policymakers in their efforts to predict tourist arrivals in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of e-tourism and flashpacking is a turning point and a wake-up call for the tourism industry as it explores the impacts of the information technology revolution on tourism and lifestyle change. The present study aims to reflect on flashpacking as a new breed of tech-savvy travelers and identify their main motives for investing in such a travel style. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 flashpackers. The findings revealed that "agentic functioning", which refers to one's competence and agency to attain the desired goals in life through a set of learnable actions, was the most frequently reported factor. The second prevalent emerging theme was "recreational experiences" with the two subthemes of adventure and recreational activities. The third reported factor was "cultural competence" which is highly connected to how effectively one can interact with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Mental well-being was the fourth recurring theme which refers to one's overall psychological health and happiness. The last frequently mentioned theme was "mindfulness" which highlights the role of one's heightened awareness and presence during travel experiences. The results can serve as a basis for the segmentation of the flashpacking tourism market and the formation of destination positioning strategies by travel agencies, host destinations, and other stakeholders. Given that the present study is exploratory and takes a qualitative approach, it is suggested to exercise caution when interpreting the results. Additionally, future quantitative research can add deeper insight into their motivational level as well as identify their challenges. Further, triangulation can be used to validate the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Umsatzsteuer-Rundschau is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to examine the associations between customer co-creation and subjective norms and customer loyalty with a focus on the mediator effect of customer satisfaction, customer trust, and perceived value. Surveying a sample of travel agencies' customers in Egypt, findings revealed that there are positive associations among research variables. Significant partial effects of mediators were also highlighted. The study offers a deep understanding to managers of travel agencies who seek to increase the competitiveness of their organizations in the travel market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer numbers and comments have been extensively studied to increase hotel arrivals and loyalty, whereas the specific distribution and sentiment variations have received less attention. This study constructed a data set of hotel customers and the deep learning model was applied to quantify unstructured text, which can mine the distribution and sentiment variation patterns of different star hotel customers. The findings show that customers of different star-rated hotels have different variation patterns of sentiment and distribution. There is a negative correlation between the visit heat and sentiment of some high-star hotels in various administrative regions: regions with lower visit heat have higher sentiment scores. In addition, season and location are important factors that affect customers' sentiments. This study is the first to use a quantitative approach to examine the distribution and sentiment variation patterns of hotel customers. It provides insights into appropriate marketing strategies for the hotel industry and offers practical suggestions to hotel customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering two hotels that sell substitutable rooms through the same online travel agency (OTA), we study the optimal supply chain structure for a fixed‐capacity hotel to introduce a livestreaming channel (LC). First, ideal pricing and room allocation are explored through four scenarios: (a) a single channel with no introduction, (b) a dual channel with a hotel‐operated LC, (c) a dual channel with an OTA‐operated LC, and (d) a dual channel involving an influencer retailer. Upon comparing each model's supply chain performance, we find that small and large hotels prefer influencer retailers, while medium‐sized hotels favor a self‐operated LC when influencers cannot demonstrably extend the market. An OTA‐operated livestreaming service is only appropriate for a declining economy because the platform's reputation and livestream presentation can inform consumers' travel intentions after recovery. Furthermore, OTAs may only suffer during the introductory period, whereas a supply chain system will benefit from celebrities' charisma and impulsive consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction and coupling between the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) and tourism is of great significance in promoting industrial competitiveness. This study proposes a conceptual index system using the entropy method and the coupling coordination degree model to evaluate the coupling coordination between the MICE and tourism industries. Employing a large-scale sample of 31 provinces in China during 2011–2020, we find that the increase in the number of MICE institutions and the exhibition hall scale are key factors in the promotion of the MICE industry, while the total number of travel agencies and the domestic tourism income are secondary indicators that have a significant impact on the tourism subsystem. The overall level of coupling and coordination of the MICE and tourism industries is relatively low, and their spatial differentiation is significant. Concerning spatial dependence, the degree of coupling and coordination between the MICE and tourism industries in different provinces is weak in terms of their global spatial autocorrelation. Furthermore, the overall degree of aggregation is not strong but significant from the perspective of local spatial autocorrelation. This study provides important theoretical, managerial, and policy implications for the coordinated development of the MICE and tourism industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the main effect, and interaction effect of, camping regions and type of accommodation (i.e., general tent; glamping; camping car, caravan, trailer; car including general/modified vehicle) on campers' spending in terms of total, transportation, and accommodation costs. This study recruited a total of 3087 respondents based on the online panel who experienced camping between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021, in order to conduct two‐way ANOVA. Based on the analyses, the current study found a significant effect of the type of accommodation and camping regions on total, transportation, and accommodation costs. The significant interaction effect of camping regions and total, transportation, and accommodation costs suggests that a comprehensive understanding of campers' different needs for the type of accommodation in a diverse range of regions, specifically in Korea, is needed. As a result of the study, the practical implications for the operators of campsites were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment, social, and governance (ESG) marketing activities are becoming increasingly crucial for business growth. This study surveys 322 participants in the US to determine the effects of consumer beliefs and attitudes toward travel agencies' ESG activities on consumer behavioral intentions. The moderating effects of tourism innovativeness and tourists' enjoyment are explored. The results reveal that environmental beliefs have a positive influence on attitudes toward ESG. Conversely, social and governance beliefs exhibit a positive impact solely on attitudes toward ESG advertisements, within the context of attitudes toward ESG in general. A positive attitude toward ESG advertising and branding activities influences the intention to repurchase. This study confirms that a positive attitude toward ESG branding activities has a positive effect on word of mouth. Tourist innovativeness plays a moderating role in the relationship between attitudes toward ESG advertising and word of mouth (WOM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of online travel agencies (OTAs) provides travelers with "one‐stop" convenience, but also faces issues of price discrimination. This mixed‐methods study began with semi‐structured interviews of 30 participants to explore initial perceptions, followed by a survey of 307 Chinese consumers. The study examined attitudes toward OTA overreliance on algorithmic pricing and unclear information, and their impact on trust and loyalty. Findings reveal that during peak seasons, regular customers without value‐added membership services paid higher room rates than new customers. The results indicate that once trust is established through clear information quality and reliable service, consumers are less wary of pricing quotes. The conclusion summarizes the findings and suggests further research to promote transparent and fair pricing practices, enhancing consumer trust and loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text is a personal account of the author's experiences traveling in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. The author recounts various incidents, such as scheduling errors, encounters with KGB agents, and difficulties with transportation. The author also reflects on the political climate of the time, including the deteriorating relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. The text provides insights into the realities of life in the Soviet Union during this period. [Extracted from the article]

Migration towards the EU has passed for many decades via Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, using Ukraine and Belarus as transit states, yet it adopted new forms under Russia’s intensified ‘hybrid’ warfare, and its 2022 military invasion of Ukraine. This paper seeks to uncover: (1) how formal policies and informal practices were interconnected in the governing of the migration ‘crisis’ on the EU’s eastern border with Belarus (2021–2023); and (2) what different modes of power were used to govern it. The paper advances a polycentric governance perspective. It demonstrates that crisis governance was not simply pursued by the Belarussian government and the EU as direct parties to the conflict. It involved a plethora of other stakeholders including Middle Eastern states, Russia, and travel agencies as non-state actors, all entangled in specific relationships with one another. This paper’s contribution is to show how relational dynamics among these stakeholders governed the crisis via a mixture of formal and informal practices that entailed different levels of coersion. The polycentric perspective advanced here is more useful when studying crisis governance than statist, multilevel governance, or EU-centric approaches emphasising institutional logics, as it emphasises relations among actors, and the power that shapes these relations and the governance system as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online travel agency (OTA) platforms frequently engage in unfair behaviors that infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and airlines in the ticket sale market. Effective governance of the OTA platforms' misconduct has become an urgent topic. In order to address the governance dilemma of OTA platforms' misconduct, a tripartite evolutionary game model considering the collaborative supervision between airlines and consumers is constructed. This study analyzes the evolutionary path and stable strategy of the three participants, airlines, platforms and consumers by numerical simulation. The results show that some actions, such as airlines' strict control of ticket sales resources and high fines on the platform, reducing the cost of customers' rights protection, and effectively guiding online public opinion, can benefit airlines and consumers and enhance their willingness to cooperate in supervision. Legitimate consumer rights protection not only brings negative public opinion and image loss to airlines, but also to platforms, which can force airlines to impose stricter constraints on platforms and force platforms to strengthen self-restraint. Therefore, a market mechanism instead of government regulatory that can effectively suppress platforms misconduct should be established to promote platforms self-regulation through a collaborative effort between airlines and consumers. Some special measures that guide the interests of three participators are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines chatbot technology from a business perspective and aims to provide empirical evidence for chatbot adoption by travel agencies. We have collected data from 356 travel agency officials based on the technology – organization – environment (TOE) framework and the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB). The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS. The findings showed that relative advantage, technological orientation, and perceived trends positively influence attitudes toward chatbots. Surprisingly, firm size and perceived complexity were found to have no significant impact on attitude toward chatbots, contrary to previous research. Additionally, the study highlights that the behavioral desire of travel agencies for chatbots strongly predicts their intention to adopt them. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence for chatbot adoption by traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air transport networks play a significant role in the modern tourism industry, and their operational performance and stability can be measured by reliability analysis. This study, from the perspective of a travel agency, attempts to assess the reliability of a stochastic air transport network (SATN) by considering multiple passenger demands generated by both the starting airport and several connection airports. The SATN is modeled as a stochastic flow network comprised of several nodes and arcs where nodes represent airports, and arcs represent flights connecting two airports. Each flight is associated with a predetermined stochastic capacity following a specific probability distribution, departure time, arrival time, and discount fare. Accordingly, network reliability refers to the probability that the network can successfully transport passengers from their respective source airports to the destination airport within the given travel time and travel cost limit. An algorithm in terms of the concept of lower boundary point is developed to compute network reliability. Furthermore, a simple example and a case study are presented to demonstrate the proposed reliability method and the managerial implications of reliability for travel agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The online travel agent (OTA) business is affected by rapid advances in digital technology. The purpose of this research is to study how content marketing and social media usage influence consumers' decision to make a purchase through their engagement with the Traveloka App. This research utilizes a quantitative method known as Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Data was collected through questionnaires distributed to 200 people in Jabodetabek who use Traveloka and have purchased tickets within the last six months. The results show that content advertising and social media have a positive and significant influence on customer engagement and purchase decisions; the higher the customer engagement, the more likely they are to buy. This study also found that customer engagement acts as an intervening variable that affects purchase. The findings of this study have significant consequences for digital marketing strategies in the OTA industry, particularly in terms of how businesses can increase customer engagement to encourage them to make better purchasing decisions. The research suggests that to increase customer engagement and improve the quality of content and interactions on social media is crucial. Ultimately, marketing campaigns and product sales through digital platforms will become more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tourism Tribune / Lvyou Xuekan is the property of Tourism Institute of Beijing Union University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AbstractMeetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) is a lucrative tourism segment, offering higher per capita spending and larger returns on investment than other tourism types. However, what makes a successful MICE destination from a multi-stakeholder perspective is overlooked in the literature. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to explore the features of ideal MICE destinations based on the perspectives of different stakeholders in the MICE market, including supply (e.g., C.V.B.s, lodging) and demand (e.g., Travel agencies, incentive houses). In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 experts. The results of the thematic analysis revealed seven overarching themes, which are classified under the characteristics of a MICE destination were grouped under internal (infrastructure, superstructure, service quality) and external (cultural, natural, economic, and political) factors. To confirm the validity and reliability of the findings, the results of semi-structured interviews were further evaluated by conducting focus groups with seven MICE experts. This study extends current literature by identifying destination selection factors with a more holistic approach, which reflects the perspectives of different stakeholders. The findings also provide a foundation for developing marketing strategies and allocating resources to better position the destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's globalized world, where travel has become more accessible than ever before, there is a growing interest in exploring new, exotic destinations beyond the borders of Europe. Non-European tourist destinations are gaining popularity as European tourists cross the boundaries of their continent to discover the richness of culture, natural beauty, and unique experiences that distant countries offer. The main goal of the research is to examine the motivation and decision-making processes of European tourists when choosing non-European tourist destinations. Various motivational factors such as cultural curiosity, the search for adventure, value for money, and social influences that affect tourists' decisions are analyzed. In addition, the study also addresses the impact of marketing channels, including the role of social media, on tourists' decision-making processes. By analyzing the interaction of personal motivations and external influences, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how European tourists navigate the wide range of non-European tourist destinations. The conclusions of this study can inform stakeholders in the tourism industry, including destination marketers and travel agencies, in adapting their offers to better meet the needs and preferences of European tourists seeking experiences beyond Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If you possess a smartphone and use applications that are functionally bound to location, you are familiar with locative media. This genre of digital platform enables navigation and wayfinding, as well as promotes and rewards exploration. Surprisingly, the touristic significance of this has been seldom investigated. This article unpacks the capacity of TripAdvisor to facilitate and limit spatial exploration by analysing its non-digital antecedents, including travel agencies and guidebooks, attending to the dual governance they enact. It is argued that TripAdvisor acts as a geo-pastoral technology which orders the conduct of spatial subjects – both mobile and mapped – and the environments in which they move about and operate. This Foucauldian-Latourian framework is elaborated with findings from an ethnographic project exploring the social life of TripAdvisor within a literary-inspired touristic scene in Edinburgh, Scotland. In doing so, it positions this concept as a tool for analysing how human social actors become involved with locative media platforms in their efforts to navigate environments characterised by the now mundane dynamics associated with algorithmic governmentality. The modes of governance identified through this genealogy have ontological implications for how we research, teach about, and manage hospitality work, tourism services and geographies in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines how market knowledge resources lead to competitive advantage for collaborative travel agencies (CTAs) via process innovation capabilities and value co-creation competence of CTAs. Data collection comes from key managers of travel agencies, and the partial least squares (PLS) were used for model analysis. The findings point out that market knowledge resources and absorptive capacities as two key factors that lead to the competitive advantage of CTAs; CTAs and their partners co-create value that remains relevant and in line with changing customer expectations; agile and flexible processes are essential for adapting to rapidly evolving tourism market conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the second contribution from Dresden, unlike in the three other interviews, the interviewee does not have management responsibility for research and/or service-oriented information organisation (library). Markus Walter is responsible for a travel company and his own highly demanding, high-alpine travel ventures. At the end of the interview on 8 June 2023, Walter formulated his own conclusion as follows: "You always have to differentiate between mistakes that you are allowed to make, yes, and you also have to consciously allow them, because you learn a lot from mistakes in particular, and mistakes that you are not allowed to make." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored how green transformational leadership, green organizational identity, and green innovation affect performance. It also looked at the role of green organizational identity in mediating the relationship between green transformational leadership and green innovation, as well as the role of green innovation in mediating the relationship between green organizational leadership and performance. PLS–SEM was used to analyze 885 responses collected from Egyptian travel agency Category A employees. The results highlighted a significant and positive effect of green transformational leadership on green organizational identity, innovation, and performance. As well, the results depicted that green organizational identity affects significantly both green innovation and performance. The results also revealed that green organizational identity plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between green transformational leadership and innovation. Moreover, the results clarified that green innovation plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between green transformational leadership and performance. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of green transformational leadership and performance in the tourism and hospitality industries. In practice, the study includes suggestions to managers in the tourism and hospitality industries on how to improve green innovation and performance through green transformational leadership. Limitations and future research directions were outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]