The impact of the dimensions of environmental performance on firm performance in travel and tourism industry

This study investigates the impact of the aggregate and individual dimensions of environmental performance (EP) on financial performance (FP), based on a dataset covering the travel and tourism industry (airlines, casinos, hotels, and restaurants) across different economic regions over the period 2003–2014. The results reveal that EP positively affects the FP in the hotel industry when aggregate EP is used. When individual dimensions of EP are considered, resource reduction is found to positively (negatively) affect the performance in the hotel (airline) industry, while product innovation positively affects the performance in the restaurant industry. Hence, the trade-off effect seems to be dominant in the airline industry, and the ‘heterogeneous resources and reputation-building’ hypothesis is evident in both the hotel and restaurant industries. In addition, in general, the findings support the positive moderating effect of slack resources on the relationship between the individual dimensions of EP and FP in the travel and tourism industry, and, hence, are supportive of the slack resources hypothesis. These effects, however, vary depending on the travel and tourism industry under investigation

Rethinking place-making: aligning placeness factors with perceived urban design qualities (PUDQs) to improve the built environment in historical district

Understanding the concept of place is critically important for urban design and place-making practice, and this research attempted to investigate the pathways by which perceived urban design qualities (PUDQs) influence placeness factors in the Chinese context. Twelve hypotheses were developed and combined in a structural equation model for validation. The Tanhualin historical district in Wuhan, China was selected for the analysis. As a result, place attachment was verified as a critical bridge factor that mediated the influence of PUDQs on place satisfaction. Among the five selected PUDQs, walkability and space quality were revealed as the most influential factors associated with place attachment and place satisfaction. Accessibility was actually indirectly beneficial to place-making via the mediation of walkability. Corresponding implications and strategies were discussed to maintain the sense of place for historic districts

Are shocks to Singapore's tourist arrivals permanent or transitory? An application of stationarity test with structural breaks

This study aims to test if the impact of shocks to Singapore's tourism industry is permanent or transitory by investigating the unit root properties of international tourist arrivals to Singapore from 20 source markets. The results reveal that the tourist arrivals to Singapore are stationary with multiple structural breaks, implying any shocks will have only a transitory effect. Based on the break dates identified, a growth rate analysis is performed. Specifically, the growth rates for tourist arrivals to Singapore from 13 out of the 20 source markets have decreased after the break in 2005. The results provide some implications for policy-makers

Place-based education, cemetery visitation and the tourist experience

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the tourist experience might be enhanced by tour-guiding learning that emphasizes place-based content for a better engagement to a place. Old cemeteries contain a lot of histories related to a place; however, people seldom perceive a cemetery as something that can be utilized to nurture the sense of place and enhance the tourist experience. In addition, cemetery tourism typically focuses more on individual famous personalities rather than seeing the cemetery as a ‘history documentation’ related to a place. Hence, this chapter aims to fill this gap. Bukit China, the oldest and largest traditional Chinese cemetery of the world, which is located in Melaka, a UNESCO Word Heritage Site (WHS) of Malaysia, is the location of the study described in the chapter. Eight documents, which include three interview transcripts, a guided tour observation, a book, a cultural map and two articles were used for content analysis. Five themes emerged: Cemetery’s visual attributes; its functions; its restructuring through time; its meanings from different perspectives; and, critical reflexivity. These themes, together with 12 subthemes and 25 concepts can be used as a guideline of tour-guiding learning to a cemetery, for a better understanding of a place, and enhancing tourist experience in a WHS

A creative place‐making framework – Story‐creation for a sustainable development

Sustainable development is the ultimate goal for policy-makers and place-makers to develop a place. Nevertheless, although many approaches, such as exogenous, endogenous, neo-endogenous, creative cities, and creative place-making, have been studied, realizing a place-based approach requires further research. This study addresses the gaps in these approaches by exploring how a place might be made from a local's perspective. A grounded theory approach was employed to understand the phenomena, and theoretical sampling was applied. Data were collected through interviews, online sharing sessions, and secondary sources. A total of 71 documents were collected and analyzed. Hundreds of open codes were refined to 52 concepts, which later were categorized under 20 sub-dimensions. Next, these sub-dimensions were grouped under eight dimensions and later integrated into three themes – “a creation of stories, a rise of wellbeing, and a sustainable goal”. Lastly, these themes construct a framework for creative place-making. This framework addresses the lacunas of previous studies by illustrating a creative place-making process with the creation of stories, the generations of sense of place and wellbeing, and lastly, addressing the local's problems; this process helps to create a place branding which will motivate more locals to create the stories of their place

Clan/geographical association heritage as a place-based approach for nurturing the sense of place for locals at a World Heritage Site

Sense of place is important in sustaining the socio-cultural heritage of a place. It can be nurtured through a systematic place-based approach. However, the lack of a critical perspective and often under-theorized place-based education has been criticized as this results in limitations to achieve its original intention. This research aims to comprehend the concepts of place-based learning by identifying the socio-cultural elements, particularly from a clan/geographical heritage perspective, and how it might cultivate a sense of place for locals. Interviews and observations were conducted in Melaka and George Town, the World Heritage Sites of Malaysia. A total of twenty documents, including primary and secondary data, were analysed. The findings reveal five themes to be developed as a place-based approach for nurturing the sense of place of locals. Theoretically, it extends the literature of place-based learning, and the ontological appreciations of place. Practically, related stakeholders might use this as a reference to preserve their clan/geographical association heritage

A story of food and place: constructing Chinese identities in a multicultural Malaysian society

This study aims to comprehend how the descendants of Chinese immigrants construct their identities in a multicultural Malaysian society by exploring food culture and its interactions with place. It analyses food, place and identity to elucidate how the Malaysian Chinese community, an integral part of the nation, form and reform their identities via mixing and negotiating with other ethnicities and races, spatially and temporally, in searching for meaningful connections of their life. Forty-seven documents were collected and analysed, resulting in the discovery of 31 food-place-related concepts integrated into 13 sub-dimensions under six dimensions. Two themes emerged: theme one encompassed interactions between food and place, including ‘visual attributes, functionality, and meaning transmission’, while theme two concerned hybridity, incorporating ‘evolution/process, identities, and well-being’. A framework was constructed to illustrate the process through which identities were shaped and reshaped in association with well-being. The process of seeking meaningful connections generates multiple identities for the Malaysian Chinese that are closely linked to their well-being

Corporate governance and environmental responsibility

As a key engine for continued global growth and job creation, tourism-related firms have long been identified as standing in contrast to the global policy momentum that aims to mitigate carbon emissions and enhance resource efficiency and social inclusiveness (United Nations Environment Programme, 2011). To become responsible entities, nowadays, tourism-related firms actively engage in corporate environmental responsibility (CER) activities to deal with their negative effects on the society in which they operate. Although the pressure exerted by external factors undoubtedly affects a firm’s CER practices, Sharma and Henriques (2005) point out that the corporate governance (CG) that drives firms should be analysed as it will reveal how firms understand CER and how they put it into practice. In this regard, understanding whether CG mechanisms improve CER is an issue of utmost importance as it might help in promoting and implementing environmental responsibility in organisations, which in turn will contribute to the sustainable development of firms. This study therefore aims to investigate the relation between CG and CER by empirically testing the impact of various CG mechanisms on firms’ CER in the tourism-related firms

A Cultural Creativity Framework for the Sustainability of Intangible Cultural Heritage

The purpose of this study is to understand the elements of creativity, as well as to what extent and how creativity serves as a tool in preserving the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) at World Heritage Sites (WHSs). A WHS will lose its uniqueness if the ICH disappears. Hence, it is important to determine how creativity may sustain the ICH. In-depth interviews, and participant and nonparticipant observations were conducted, and a 5As—actor, audience, affordance, artifact, and apprentice—cultural creativity interaction model was constructed. These elements of cultural creativity may serve as a guideline for different stakeholders in sustaining the status of a WHS

A Cultural Creativity Framework for the Sustainability of Intangible Cultural Heritage

The purpose of this study is to understand the elements of creativity, as well as to what extent and how creativity serves as a tool in preserving the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) at World Heritage Sites (WHSs). A WHS will lose its uniqueness if the ICH disappears. Hence, it is important to determine how creativity may sustain the ICH. In-depth interviews, and participant and nonparticipant observations were conducted, and a 5As—actor, audience, affordance, artifact, and apprentice—cultural creativity interaction model was constructed. These elements of cultural creativity may serve as a guideline for different stakeholders in sustaining the status of a WHS