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

Travel Behavior and Expenditure Patterns of the Chinese University Student and the associated Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFRs) markets in New Zealand

This thesis examines travel behavior and expenditure patterns of Chinese university students and the associated VFRs in New Zealand. It also investigates the effects of socio-demographics, travel-related, and psychographic variables on travel behavior and expenditure patterns. The thesis involves both interviews and questionnaire surveys with Chinese university students. Analysis of the interviews was based on a Cat-Pac method, while analysis of survey questionnaires was using SPSS 14.0. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the body of literature on segmentation regarding the student travel market. It shows that it is possible to segment the Chinese university student travel market based on travel motivation and activity attributes of New Zealand. In addition, this study also contributes to the body of literature in relation to travel behavior and expenditure patterns by examining the variables identified in predicting travel behavior and expenditure. The results of this study provide a more comprehensive and holistic picture in the search of travel behavior and expenditure patterns regarding the student travel market. This study finds travel motivation contributes to overall travel satisfaction directly or indirectly via travel activities, which affects the loyalty. In terms of the VFR market, the valid existence of the effect of travel inhibitors on satisfaction is confirmed in this study, which affects the likelihood of further VFR trips in the future. Moreover, this study makes contribution to the role of students as catalysts for inbound VFR tourism to New Zealand. This study also finds that a socio-demographic variable (i.e. immigration status) is the most influential variable affecting student tourism expenditure, while the socio-demographic variable (i.e. age) and travel-related variables (i.e. purpose of visit and length of stay) appear to have significant impacts on VFR tourism expenditure. Further, this study suggests the VFR market is far from homogeneous. From a practical standpoint, this study sheds light by providing information about travel behavior and expenditure patterns of Chinese university students and their VFRs in New Zealand, and how their socio-demographics and trip characteristics affects travel satisfaction and travel expenditure pattern. Destination marketers may use this information to better segment their target market, allocate their marketing dollars more effectively, tailor their products to compete with other destination countries and develop better strategic marketing tools to satisfy and fulfill needs of Chinese university students and their VFRs and understand certain reasons behind their travel behavior and spending patterns. In addition, because Chinese university students are a significant market segment for New Zealand's VFR tourism industry, promotional campaigns encouraging them to invite friends and relatives and informing them of activities in which they can engage with their VFRs are encouraged

Understanding Motivation Towards Overseas Travel of Senior Indonesians

The ageing Indonesian population is seen as one of the most attractive markets to the tourism industry. While literature on senior travel motivation is abundant, however, to the author’s knowledge, empirical studies that focus on examining Indonesian senior outbound travel behaviour is still rare. This study initiates a novel inquiry into the push and the pull motivational factors of Indonesian seniors when visiting destination in overseas. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 246 Indonesian seniors aged over 55 years who had travelled abroad. The results revealed three push factors of: 1) self-exploration; 2) relaxation; and 3) relationship enhancement; whereas five pull factors were found namely: 1) facilities and hygiene; 2) destination familiarity; 3) value for money and destination proximity; 4) local attractions; and 5) supporting travel facilities in host destination

(In)formal perceptions and arguments on tourism governance multifaceted concept

A brief exploratory approach to (in)formal perceptions and arguments on tourism governance multifaceted concep

Sustainable supply chain management in tourism

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) encapsulates the trend to use purchasing policies and practices to facilitate sustainable development at the tourist destination. Most research has focused on environmental aspects of manufacturing, while other aspects of sustainability or the challenges for the service sector are largely ignored. Yet SSCM is particularly important for tour operators, as the product depends on the activities of suppliers, such as accommodation, transport and activities. Therefore, tour operators' contribution to sustainable tourism will be more effective through the definition and implementation of policies that acknowledge responsibility for the impacts of suppliers. Exploratory research of SSCM practices amongst tour operators generated a wide range of examples of good practice across the whole supply chain, and recommendations are made for more widespread engagement. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

The propensity to bargain while on a vacation

This article assesses how tourists' bargaining motivations and attitudes moderate their willingness to return to Italy, where bargaining is perceived as one of the best ways to deal with sellers. A non-probability quota sampling technique was used to survey domestic tourists in Italy through an online questionnaire which encompassed 26 bargaining values and one item to measure the likelihood that the tourists would bargain at the same destination in the future. The data comprised a total of 812 observations. An order probit model and marginal effects were estimated to measure the tourists' propensity to return to Italy for bargaining purposes. The study findings indicate that tourists' propensity to return for bargaining purposes is taken with the awareness that they will not obtain what they expected; as a matter of fact, they are unlikely to care about the final result but instead engage in this behaviour to have fun.FCT - National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology [UID/ECO/04007/2013 CEFAGE

A multidimensional inquiry into Chinese outbound tourism to Western Europe: the visitation of Chinese millennial students to the Netherlands.

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of Philosophy.This research focuses on the multidimensionality of Chinese outbound tourism to Western Europe and particularly highlights the visitation of Chinese millennial students to the Netherlands. The contributions made to knowledge construction are first of all, to establish a propaedeutic research agenda for which this current research serves as a framework. Simultaneously, seven discernable dimensions have been identified as archetypal to the Chinese tourist, especially regarding their key interests and behaviour when visiting Western European destinations. These being competitive, demographic, economic, technological, cultural, natural and political. Within this construct, the researcher drew from Urry’s ‘The Tourist’s Gaze’, and Pearce et al., reconstruction of this, in their article in Tourism Recreation Research on “Puzzles in Understanding Chinese Tourist Behaviour: Towards a Triple-C Gaze”, to create the Quadruple-C Gaze in depicting the Chinese millennial tourist’s behaviour. (Quadruple-C is in reference to Confucianism, Capitalism, Communism, and Consumerism). The latter is a proposition for the establishment of a propaedeutic research agenda, which is derived from this study. In exercising an interpretative research methodology, the researcher attempted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the key interests of Chinese millennial tourists to the Netherlands and juxtapose them to Chinese millennial students as tourists to the Netherlands. At the same time, an investigation was carried out into the implications of these visits for the Dutch tourism industry as well as the Dutch higher education board. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among experts from the Dutch tourism industry as well as from the Dutch higher education board and experts from Dutch universities. Likewise, focus groups meetings were held among five different groups of Chinese millennial students from universities in the Netherlands as well as students from a university in China. Data was also generated from discourse analysis. The outcome of the thematic analysis performed resulted in seven pronounced themes, which are: the cultural values of Chinese millennial travellers; their motivations for visiting the Netherlands; the Netherlands and its higher educational institutes; Chinese millennial students in the Netherlands; the travel interests and behaviours of Chinese millennial students in/through Europe; the Chinese millennial students and their surroundings; and the implications of Chinese millennial students on their exhibited behaviour and on the Netherlands. A future propaedeutic research agenda is therefore proposed that examines “The Quadruple-C Gaze of Chinese outbound tourism and its relevance in defining the key interests and behaviour of the Chinese millennial tourists from second-and-third-tier VIII A Multidimensional Inquiry into Chinese Outbound Tourism to Western Europe: The Visitation of Chinese Millennial Students to The Netherlands cities in China”. In carrying out such a study, three relatively innovative methodologies are suggested: Complexity Theory, which is a set of concepts that attempts to explain a complex phenomenon not explainable by traditional or mechanic theories. The second is via Visual Analysis, which applies graphic prompts to assess the motivational considerations that guide visitors from different cultural backgrounds to select their travel destination(s). And thirdly, by way of Netnography - a current research method that uses online conversations as data. By applying one or more of the above-mentioned methodologies, a fresh insight will be gained into the quadruple-C gaze of Chinese millennial tourists from second and third-tier cities from Mainland China. Finally, when approaching China as a prospective source market for Chinese millennial tourists/students, both Dutch tourism providers and the Dutch higher education need to adopt a holistic approach to understanding the multi-dimensions postulated in this inquiry