Journal of Tourism Management Research

Transformative changes in human resources management practices in the tourism sector amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

2024-01-09T03:48:32-06:00

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a significant degree of uncertainty into the operational landscape of businesses within the tourism sector. These uncertainties have raised questions about how working conditions have evolved and may continue to change in the future. This phenomenon has not only had a widespread impact on the travel industry, but it has also extended its influence to the education sector, consequently affecting numerous other sectors in the broader economy. Within this context, the role of departments such as Human Resources (HR) has gained increasing prominence. These departments are entrusted with the crucial responsibility of monitoring workplace standards, particularly in terms of compliance with hygiene regulations and health procedures. The research was conducted in the accommodation service sector of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), encompassing businesses operating in various regions. A sample size of 20 was selected, with data collected from five different facilities situated across the Northern part of the island. This research seeks to shed light on the evolving landscape of human resources management practices in response to the transformative changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this objective, a qualitative research approach was employed. Oral interviews with business executives supplemented this strategy, giving the research findings more depth and context. The culmination of this study is presented in the final section, encapsulating the results and their implications. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse surrounding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human resources, shedding light on the evolving landscape of work in the tourism sector.

Unravelling the dynamics of behavioral loyalty: A model for domestic tourists exploring Terengganu

2024-03-30T04:18:41-05:00

This study examines a model for domestic tourists exploring Terengganu. The Terengganu Tourism Department is tasked with increasing tourist numbers, enhancing their expenditures through heightened allure and superior services, creating an indelible experiential milieu, and establishing Terengganu as a prominent destination. However, recent statistics depict Terengganu as experiencing a diminutive influx of domestic tourists and corresponding tourism receipts compared to other states. In 2018, Terengganu ranked ninth in domestic tourist visitations and associated receipts. Hence, this study aims to ascertain the determinants influencing behavioral loyalty among domestic tourists towards Kuala Terengganu. Data collection transpired through an online questionnaire deployed via Google Forms, synchronized with the global advent of COVID-19, which precipitated ramifications across nations. Respondents included domestic tourists visiting Kuala Terengganu. Data analysis involved 201 respondents, using structural equation modeling. The empirical findings describe that the attractiveness of the destination substantiates a discernible impact on tourist satisfaction. Furthermore, the outcomes highlight that tourist satisfaction exerts a noteworthy influence on eWord-of-mouth (eWOM) and behavioral loyalty. The findings indicate that tourist satisfaction comprehensively mediates the relationship between destination attractiveness and both eWOM and behavioral loyalty. It asserts that Kuala Terengganu’s distinctiveness from competing Malaysian destinations is facilitated by destination attractiveness, involving recreational amenities, leisure facilities, infrastructural attributes, and overall appeal. Consequently, proficient promotional strategies can be devised by Tourism Terengganu, accentuating the advantageous and captivating features of Kuala Terengganu’s attractions. These aspects are strategically tailored to resonate with the cognitive and emotional assessments of domestic tourists, instigating a proclivity to recurrently choose Kuala Terengganu as their preferred travel destination.

Perception of medical tourism image from the perspective of healthcare professionals: The case of Turkey

2024-03-30T04:51:26-05:00

The study aims to reveal Türkiye’s medical tourism destination image and its determinants from the perspective of healthcare professionals. The cross-sectional study population consists of healthcare professionals working in public hospitals in Türkiye (N=1.142.469). The research data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of two parts. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of statements aiming to reveal the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. The “medical tourism image scale” was used in the second part of the questionnaire. The study data were collected online between July 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. Of the participants, 64.9% were female, 58.1% were married, 37.7% were between the ages of 18-29, and 31.7% were physicians. 76.7% of the participants chose their profession willingly, 80.2% were dissatisfied with their lives in general, 23.9% were working in the Black Sea Region, and 56.9% stated that economic instability was the biggest obstacle to medical tourism. As a result of the study, the total score on the medical tourism scale was 94.270±12.751. According to the results of the correlation analysis, there was a relationship between service quality, safety and security, cost, tourism opportunities, hygiene, and accessibility (p<0.001). Türkiye’s medical tourism destination image is high, according to healthcare professionals. However, healthcare professionals think that economic instability is the biggest obstacle to medical tourism. The most important conclusion of the study is that service quality, safety and security, cost, tourism opportunities, hygiene level, and accessibility are essential factors in forming a medical tourism image.

Dark tourism: The effect of visiting a mausoleum on a tourist’s psychological mood state in the central Asian city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan

2024-04-04T02:52:09-05:00

This paper examines the psychological effects of dark tourism by analyzing the feelings and emotions of domestic and international tourists who visited a mausoleum. Dark tourism sites have received considerable attention as a growing phenomenon in the 21st century. Dark tourism is associated with death, disasters, and atrocities; and includes places such as murder sites, battlefields, cemeteries, and places where tragedies have taken place. The Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum in the Central Asian city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan was chosen as a dark tourism site. A convenience sample of 21 visitors, of which 10 were international travelers and 11 were from Central Asian countries, agreed to be individually interviewed using a qualitative methodology. The results found that a range of emotions were expressed during the visit, with the majority of visitors expressing positive emotions on a scale from good to great, which included feelings of contentment, astonishment, excitement, and admiration at the conclusion of their visit. For many of the local visitors of the Islamic faith, it also provided a religious experience that for, some included prayer and meditation.

Does tourist guides' perceptions of quality of work life effect their perceptions of responsible tourism?

2024-04-22T00:43:29-05:00

The rapid development of tourism movements in recent years has brought to the fore concerns about the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental carrying capacities of tourism destinations. Sustainable tourism policies, like responsible tourism, should be adopted by countries that see the significance of building tourism around pristine natural and cultural resources. This will help to pass on their values to future generations and ensure that they continue to generate economic benefits. It is important to determine the responsible tourism perceptions of tourist guides, who are important stakeholders in the tourism industry and are conscious of the protection of the natural environment in the tours they manage. In this context, it is aimed at determining whether tourist guides' perceptions of the quality of work life have an impact on their perceptions of responsible tourism. For this purpose, first a conceptual framework was developed, and then data from the study were collected from 405 tourist guides with face-to-face surveys that contained the Work-Related Quality of Life Scale (WRQoL) and the Scale of Responsible Tourism (SRT). The study’s data were analyzed with a statistical package program and discussed in terms of descriptive and inferential statistics. As a result of the analysis, it has been determined that there is a significant relationship between the perceptions of quality of work life and the perceptions of responsible tourism of tourist guides. In addition, with the regression analysis, it was seen that quality of work life perceptions positively affected the responsible tourism perceptions of tourist guides.

Investigating the influence of green human resource management practices on employee behavior and organizational commitment in Ghana’s tourism sector

2024-06-15T01:40:33-05:00

This study investigates the influence of green human resource management practices on the environmentally conscious actions of employees in Ghana’s tourism sector. We collected data from 481 employees in selected hotels using a quantitative methodology through snowball sampling. We employed structural equation modelling in AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures) version 23 for data analysis. The results revealed a statistically significant positive impact of green human resource management practices on in-role green behavior, extra-role green behavior, and green innovative work behavior. Additionally, a significant and positive correlation was identified between green human resource management practices and employees' organizational commitment. Furthermore, organizational commitment exhibited a substantial impact on innovative green work behavior, and extra-role green behavior, and in-role green behavior. Notably, the relationship between green human resource management practices and employees' green behavior facets was found to be mediated by organizational commitment. This study provides valuable insights for promoting environmentally friendly behaviors in the tourism industry through the implementation of green human resource management practices and fostering organizational commitment.

Possibilities for active tourist holidays in rural areas in the region of AP Vojvodina, Serbia

2024-06-22T00:05:24-05:00

The subject of the article is to research the possibility of active rural holidays in region of AP Vojvodina (Autonomous Province), with the goal of determining how it can improve tourist competitiveness. The aim is based on the outcome of practical research conducted on the attitudes of tourists and potential tourists about the quality of the supply and the possibilities for active holidays; to identify the elements of tourist supply chain that can have an influence on the active and potential future supply of rural destinations and propose strategic directions for improving their competitiveness. The obtained results of survey provided the opportunity to identify elements in tourist supply chain that are strongest and weakest; analyze current problems pointed out, and suggest strategic ways for further growth of rural tourism. They also suggested the ways to it the competitiveness of rural destinations. AP Vojvodina was selected as the target area for the following reasons: a high level of rural tourism development; the presence of numerous attractive factors that can favor active tourism holidays; high level of economic and social development; and a high level of local population awareness regarding the importance that rural tourism can have for the rise of local economy.

Destination characteristics influence domestic tourists' decision to choose a destination: Empirical study in Phu Yen-Vietnam

2024-06-26T06:25:53-05:00

The study aims to assess how destination characteristics affect site selection behavior, and visitor loyalty, thereby identifying motivating and limiting factors to make recommendations to guide destination policies. The characteristics of the destination are one of the factors affecting the choice of travel destination for tourists. However, each location must identify outstanding features to exploit to create a comparative advantage in attracting tourists toward sustainable development. Drawing upon consumer behavior theory, this research explores the factors that shape tourists' destination choices. These factors include internal factors (motivational drivers) and external factors (encompassing the destination's appealing characteristics). Data was obtained from a questionnaire given to tourists who had traveled to Phu Yen between June and August 2023. Data collected from 226 visitors selected using convenience sampling techniques was processed and analyzed using Smart-PLS software. The research results show that destination characteristics, including tourism resources and infrastructure, positively influence tourists' self-motivation to learn about the culture and history here. We suggest that tourism managers and businesses should enhance tourism in Phu Yen to attract new tourists and encourage them to return. It is crucial to focus on promotion to make visitors aware of Phu Yen's unique characteristics and to improve infrastructure to make it easier for tourists to access services.

Conservation of resources for sustainable performance in tourism

2024-06-26T06:43:47-05:00

This study aims to examine the impact of green purchasing, waste management, eco-friendly design of products and services, and customer relationship management on sustainable performance in the South Asian tourism industry. The contemporary tourism and hospitality industry increasingly focuses on environmental sustainability. The tourism sector is considered to contribute significantly to the economy. It allows employment and generates economic profits, resulting in an increase in overall economic activity. This study used deductive and quantitative approaches to evaluate the research hypotheses. Data was gathered from 463 tourism-related businesses situated across diverse locations in Pakistan. This study discovered that green purchasing has a significant impact on sustainable performance. Similarly, waste management, eco-friendly design of products and services, and customer relationship management all had a significant impact on sustainable performance. This research presents a framework that highlights the practices of tourism businesses in attaining sustainable performance, utilizing the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory for support. The inclusion of COR theory in examining variables related to sustainable performance is considered a unique and pioneering contribution to interdisciplinary fields such as supply chain management and the tourism industry. Furthermore, this study is the first of its kind in the South Asian region, specifically in Pakistan.

Factors affecting the intention to choose a marine ecotourism destination in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, Vietnam

2024-06-26T07:33:45-05:00

The objective of the article is to identify and evaluate the level of factors that influence the intention to choose a marine ecotourism destination and propose some management implications to help local government agencies and tourism businesses have appropriate policies and strategies to improve the quality of marine ecotourism and contribute to the development of the local tourism economy. Marine ecotourism is a form of nature-based tourism and sustainable marine tourism, associated with local cultural identity and community participation for sustainable development. Therefore, the author researched "factors affecting the intention to choose a marine ecotourism destination in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, Vietnam." The study conducted data analysis based on 200 survey samples, processed with SPSS 23.0, software including assessing the reliability of the scales with Cronbach's Alpha test, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with Barlett’s test and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO); and regression analysis of factors affecting the intention to choose a marine ecotourism destination using F test and Sig significance level to test the hypotheses. The research results indicate that five factors, ranging from high to low in impact, influence the intention to choose a marine ecotourism destination: the source of destination information, travel motivation, ability to pay, the quality of information sources, and word-of-mouth on social networks.