Buddhist Pilgrimage in Bihar India: A Tourism Policy Perspective

Tourism policies formulated and implemented by the union and state governments of India and Bihar respectively, over the past five decades, have played a significant role in attracting religious tourists to the Buddhist sites in Bihar from all across the world. This exploratory research is a historiographical narrative of Buddhist tourism in view of tourism development policies and plans. The study finds that favourable and effective policies have increased domestic and foreign tourism in India, especially international Buddhist pilgrimage to Bihar. However, the state of Bihar still needs better policies and marketing to promote Buddhist tourism. The paper explores the overlooked role of government tourism development policies in promoting spiritual and religious tourism in India, in addition to chronicling the development of tourism in Bihar. The study paves the path for further research into a potential tourism resource that the state of Bihar possesses but has not been able to fully realise. This case study is one of very few attempts to relate the role of policies in the development of tourism in South Asia

Exploring Residents’ Perceptions of Mega Event-Dubai Expo 2020: A Pre-Event Perspective

This study explores the residents’ perceptions of economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts of a mega-event (World Expo 2020) to be held in Dubai, as well as their level of inclination to participate in the event. The event organizers announced a requirement of thirty thousand volunteers to assist them in successfully organizing the mega event. Such events could prove to be landmarks in destination brand building and may lead to an increase in the number of tourists. The purpose of the study is to gauge the level of understanding about the event impacts within the resident population and their willingness to get involved in event organization. Priory studies of perceptions about the economic, cultural and environmental impacts of a mega-event, are well-nigh non-existent, especially for World Expositions. This study explores residents’ perception to get a fair idea of how they get involved in a mega event that will surely have profound impacts on the destination. Drawing on stakeholder theory and triple bottom line (TBL) model, the study uses primary data collected from more than two hundred fifty residents of the region, through a structured questionnaire. The data analysis follows a descriptive design supported by SEM and path analysis. Major findings indicate favorable and promising responses from the residents, and brings forth the scope to improve the level of involvement of the residents to make the event a success

¿Qué lleva a los huéspedes a la satisfacción y la fidelidad en los hoteles de cinco estrellas de los EAU? Análisis AHP para dimensiones de calidad de servicio

The hospitality industry has witnessed an impressive growth in the recent past. However, this has also led to fierce competition resulting in an enhanced focus on customer satisfaction. This study investigates and identifies critical service dimensions for five-star hotels in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The objective of the study is to examine the intricacies of customer satisfaction and loyalty with regard to service quality in the fivestar hotels of UAE. Following a quantitative and empirical approach, the data was collected by a structured questionnaire and tested on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Results support the impact of service quality dimensions on both Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty. The "Personal Contact” dimensions (Responsiveness and Empathy) and the "Service Performance” dimensions (Reliability and Assurance) were found to be significant factor impacting the perception of the hotels guests towards Service Quality. The findings are useful particularly to the hotel industry to analyze the gaps in service quality and thereafter put more efforts into developing appropriate strategies for achieving customer satisfaction and customer loyaltyLa industria de la hospitalidad ha experimentado un crecimiento impresionante en el pasado reciente. Sin embargo, esto también ha llevado a una feroz competencia que ha dado como resultado un mayor enfoque en la satisfacción del cliente. Este estudio investiga e identifica las dimensiones críticas del servicio para los hoteles de cinco estrellas en los Emiratos Árabes Unidos (EAU). El objetivo del estudio es examinar las complejidades de la satisfacción y la lealtad del cliente con respecto a la calidad del servicio en los hoteles de cinco estrellas de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos. Siguiendo un enfoque cuantitativo y empírico, los datos se recopilaron mediante un cuestionario estructurado y se probaron en el Proceso de Jerarquía Analítica (AHP). Los resultados respaldan el impacto de las dimensiones de la calidad del servicio tanto en la satisfacción como en la lealtad del cliente. Las dimensiones de "Contacto personal" (capacidad de respuesta y empatía) y la " Se encontró que las dimensiones de “Desempeño del Servicio” (Confiabilidad y Garantía) son un factor significativo que impacta la percepción de los huéspedes de los hoteles hacia la Calidad del Servicio. Los hallazgos son particularmente útiles para que la industria hotelera analice las brechas en la calidad del servicio y, posteriormente, ponga más esfuerzos en el desarrollo de estrategias adecuadas para lograr la satisfacción y la lealtad del client

Optimisation of a Greener-Approach for the Synthesis of Cyclodextrin-Based Nanosponges for the Solubility Enhancement of Domperidone, a BCS Class II Drug

BCS class II molecules suffer from low oral bioavailability because of their poor permeability and sub-optimal aqueous solubility. One of the approaches to enhance their bioavailability is using cyclodextrin-based nanosponges. This study aimed to optimise and evaluate the feasibility of a microwave-assisted approach to synthesise nanosponges and improve domperidone’s solubility and drug delivery potential. In the production process, microwave power level, response speed, and stirring speed were optimised using the Box-Behnken approach. Ultimately, the batch with the smallest particle size and highest yield was chosen. The optimised method of synthesis of the nanosponges resulted in a product yield of 77.4% and a particle size of 195.68 ± 2.16 nm. The nanocarriers had a drug entrapment capacity of 84 ± 4.2% and a zeta potential of −9.17± 0.43 mV. The similarity and the difference factors demonstrated proof-of-concept, showing that the drug release from the loaded nanosponges is significantly greater than the plain drug. Additionally, spectral and thermal characterisations, such as FTIR, DSC, and XRD, confirmed the entrapment of the drug within the nanocarrier. SEM scans revealed the porous nature of the nanocarriers. Microwave-assisted synthesis could be used as a better and greener approach to synthesise these nanocarriers. It could then be utilised to load drugs and improve their solubility, as seen in the case of domperidone