E-mindfulness – the growing importance of facilitating tourists’ connections to the present moment

The purpose of this paper is to introduce e-mindfulness as a tourism trend. Mindfulness meditation is becoming increasingly mainstream, which is reflected in a rapidly growing number of related technology applications. Such technology-assisted mindfulness is typically referred to as e-mindfulness. The e-mindfulness trend creates opportunities for the tourism industry but also implies changed consumer perspectives on tourist experiences. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a general review of academic literature, news reports and online resources regarding the offerings of related technologies. Findings: Implications of e-mindfulness for consumers, tourism service providers and designers of future tourism experiences are outlined. Originality/value: This is the first paper to conceptualize e-mindfulness as a tourism trend

No signal here: self-development and optimal experience from digital-free tourism

The present research aims to establish a conceptual understanding of the benefits tourists may gain from digital-free tourism. The concept of digital-free tourism was proposed to represent situations characterised by the absence of or severely limited access to information and communication technology. There has been a contemporary concern over the sustained use of the internet and digital technologies, in terms of the side-effects on individuals' physical, psychological and social conditions and the possible deterioration of tourist experience. Therefore, the assumption of the potential of reduced technology use in tourism to improve tourist well-being has been claimed. Four interrelated studies were conducted to investigate the topic both as a social phenomenon and a niche tourism market. The rewarding outcomes of digital-free tourism were examined by addressing three specific questions. The first research question "is digital-free tourism rising in prominence?" was answered by the first study – media representation of digital-free tourism: a critical discourse analysis included in Chapter 2 of this thesis. Archival data, that is online media documents focusing on the broad topic of digital detoxing on holiday, was analysed at three levels, including linguistic characteristics, temporal diachronic interpretation and socio-cultural explanation. Media discourses around digital-free tourism were found to be evolving. Specifically, vacations and tourism are discoursed as ideal situations for managing technology use behaviours. The value of digital-free tourism over time has moved from relieving stress to life flourishing. Multiple digital-free tourism providers now offer diverse experiences to a growing broad market. The second research question "what are the positive experiences and impacts of digital-free tourism?" was answered by conducting the second study – exploration of benefits from digital-free tourism: a grounded theory approach in Chapter 3. Sixty five carefully selected key informants with expert knowledge or personal experience of digital-free tourism were asked to report their experience, observations and perspectives about reduced technology use on holiday. Based on the patterns in the data, a theoretical model was developed to display the positive changes of tourists' psychological, behavioural and life conditions through the process of digital-free tourism. The third research question "in what ways does digital-free vacation experience contribute to people's well-being?" was addressed in two further in-depth studies. These studies were developed in Chapters 4 and 5. The third study in Chapter 4 - self-development in digital-free tourism: building character strengths through coping with challenging investigated the correlations between digital-free tourism and the development of character strengths and virtues which build personal well-being. Key-informants' statements obtained in the previous study were re-coded by employing a catalogue of twenty four character strengths in positive psychology as a priori coding scheme. In the results, twenty three character strengths were found to be related to digital-free tourism. They were perceived to be the strengths that were utilised to cope with issues faced in the digital-free contexts. A tiered model was built to outline the core, secondary and peripheral strengths in digital-free tourism. The fourth study in Chapter 5 - optimal experience: the role of reduced smartphone use in increasing perception of restorative environments and producing flow attempted to develop measures for the levels of perceived restorative quality of digital-free tourism environments and the flow tourists experienced when technology use was reduced; as well as to examine the nexus among critical variables by testing a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). The hypothesised positive correlation between restorative environment and flow was confirmed. Smartphone dependence was found to be effective in reducing the level of flow and moderating the relationship between restorative environment and flow. A VI trend of high dependence on smartphone weakening tourists' ability to perceive restorative digital-free environment was also revealed by this empirical study. Consequently, the value and significance of positive changes of tourists' psychological, social, behavioural and life conditions arising from disconnection are suggested in these findings about the understudied concept of digital-free tourism. Such knowledge can make important theoretical contributions to the understanding of the intricate relationship between technology and tourism, the rewarding outcomes of vacation time involving reduced technology engagement, and the well-being from positive tourist experience. Digital-free tourism can provide individuals opportunities to experience a new way of being in this digital era, reflect on and regulate the technology use behaviours of themselves and their families, as well as increase well-being through selecting unplugging vacations. The present research also introduced digital-free tourism as a new style of tourism product and service that can be an effective strategy for remote regions to develop innovative forms of tourism

Value Co-Creation Propositions: A Self-Determination Theory of Customer Acceptance, Trust and Wellbeing

With the emergence of shared business models, hospitality and tourism consumers are faced with the decision to accept value propositions from various service providers, including traditional, collaborative and shared. Grounded in service-dominant logic, theory of acceptance, theory of value, self-determination theory and generational theory, this dissertation examines why consumers accept value propositions from service providers and what drives customers to collaborate with front-line employees. The research uses three studies that utilized a destination resort context with a mixed factorial equal cells experimental design. Study 1 utilized a 3 (generations) x 3 (business models) x 4 (value propositions) factorial between-within subjects design. Study 2 manipulated independent self-determination factors and used 3 (generations) x 2 (customers vs. employees) x 2 (strong or weak SDT factor) x 4 (value propositions). Study 3 extended study 2 by examining the additive effects of self-determination factors. The new conceptual framework of propositions-acceptance-collaboration was tested. This study is the first to simultaneously examine different value proposition results in three different business models and explore the differences between customers and employees in perceptions of collaboration. Mediation effects of co-created value and levels of acceptances on personal, organizational and collaborative results were tested and established. Strong self-determination factors positively influenced co-created value appraisal and outcomes of collaboration. Additive self-determination factors had a positive impact on outcomes when compared with independent factors

A mindful shift: an opportunity for mindfulness-driven tourism in a post-pandemic world.

Many see the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point for tourism, a chance to reflect on the pressing environmental and socio-economic concerns of the industry, and an opportunity to pinpoint a more desirable direction. However, for tourism to revive as a less impactful and more meaningful industry, more mindful consumers are needed to take factual benefits from the gravity of the current situation. Mindfulness as a practice of bringing a certain quality of attention to moment-by-moment experiences has become an important asset for individuals to cope with the problems of modern life. It is even seen as a significant driver of lifestyle change in Western societies, resulting in an increasing number of more conscious consumers and mindfulness-driven products and services. The COVID-19 pandemic is a wake-up call and opportunity for the tourism industry to embrace the mindfulness movement, trusting in its capacity to reflect on the current problems and to pave a new way forward towards more compassionate and meaningful tourism for both hosts and guests

Women as social entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industry: Does empowerment play a role?

This paper which is a work in progress presents a qualitative study exploring the nature, motivations and extent to which female entrepreneurs use their H&T businesses as platforms for engagement in various forms of social entrepreneurship (SE) leading to value creation, economic and community development. Although SE is seen as a key contributor to the creation and diversification of entrepreneurial activity, women empowerment and local economic development, there is limited research on the role of female H&T entrepreneurs in emerging non -western destinations. We focus on the following research questions: a) Can female entrepreneurs in H&T be considered as social entrepreneurs? b) How does the structure and organization of society shape the nature of female participation in SE? c) What are the challenges involved in mobilizing female entrepreneurs to effectively engage in SE? d) How does SE maximise value creation and higher levels of satisfaction for all participants? Concepts from women-owned H&T enterprises, SE and women empowerment are drawn upon. We argue that women are embedded in male dominated traditions/customs, community associations and government bureaucracies that may either empowered or dis-empower them. Using the case of Cameroon, we examine how embeddedness enhances the capacity of women to engage in SE in the H&T industry, thereby contributing to local economic development. Empirically we adopt a mixed methods approach using multiple case studies: a survey questionnaire, five focus groups meetings (two women -only, one male-only, and two mix of male and female entrepreneurs) and twenty-five in-depth interviews with selected female entrepreneurs (18), (non)governmental organisations (03) and beneficiaries (04) of social enterprise ventures between May 2014 and February 2015. The findings clarify the role of women in SE in H&T and policy implications for maximising social value creation through the participation of women in SE

Proceedings: Cornell Symposium: Hospitality, Health & Design HHDS2016 In Search of a Healthy Future

[Excerpt] The purpose of this conference therefore is to bring together academic scholars and industry leaders who have interest in exploring the rapidly evolving dynamics of hospitality and healthcare industries. Furthermore, we believe that design thinking provides an effective approach for exploring this exciting topic from both academic and practitioners’ perspectives

BESTEN Think Tank XV: the Environment-People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: finding the balance

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the BEST Education Network (BESTEN) Think Tank XV entitled The Environment People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: Finding the Balance. The event was held in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, June17-21, 2015, in conjunction with the Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences; Division of Tourism Management; University of Pretoria, South Africa. BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. The organization's annual Think Tank brings together academics and industry representatives from around the world to discuss a particular theme related to sustainable tourism and push the research and education in this specific field forward. The concept of sustainability in tourism is a challenging one; it is subject to much critical debate, especially with regard to finding an appropriate balance between the different dimensions of sustainable tourism. The location of the 2015 BEST EN Think Tank, Kruger National Park, offers an opportunity to explore the challenges of managing the relationships between people and places that are, or may become, subject to tourism development, including balancing social and economic needs with environmental considerations. The proceedings present work by academics and practitioners worldwide, who research various aspects of the conference theme. They include the abstracts and papers accepted by the scientific committee following a double blind peer review process

he Formulation of Alternative Competitive Strategy for Budget Hotel in Surabaya: Blue Ocean Strategy Approach

The unbalanced number of hotel growth and visitor growth in Surabaya created a pressure between hotels which targeting the same market segments. . The highest growth of hotel numbers was found in budget hotels level, which means that the properties need to have a winning competitive strategy. This study aimed to analyze the existing competitive strategy that is generally used by budget hotel, and to find an alternative strategy to help budget hotels to compete using blue ocean strategy approach. The research method was a qualitative exploratory and descriptive, employing semi-structured interviews with hotel managers of three budget hotels in Surabaya. The results showed that in general, budget hotels still used red ocean strategy to compete. The techno-sustainable hotel concept was eventually proposed as a result of alternative competitive strategy that could be implemented but hotel industries

BESTEN Think Tank XV: the Environment-People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: finding the balance

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the BEST Education Network (BESTEN) Think Tank XV entitled The Environment People Nexus in Sustainable Tourism: Finding the Balance. The event was held in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, June17-21, 2015, in conjunction with the Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences; Division of Tourism Management; University of Pretoria, South Africa. BEST EN is an international consortium of educators committed to furthering the development and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. The organization's annual Think Tank brings together academics and industry representatives from around the world to discuss a particular theme related to sustainable tourism and push the research and education in this specific field forward. The concept of sustainability in tourism is a challenging one; it is subject to much critical debate, especially with regard to finding an appropriate balance between the different dimensions of sustainable tourism. The location of the 2015 BEST EN Think Tank, Kruger National Park, offers an opportunity to explore the challenges of managing the relationships between people and places that are, or may become, subject to tourism development, including balancing social and economic needs with environmental considerations. The proceedings present work by academics and practitioners worldwide, who research various aspects of the conference theme. They include the abstracts and papers accepted by the scientific committee following a double blind peer review process