Exploring How Mindfulness May Enhance Perceived Value of Travel Experience

This study aims to explore the effect of tourists’ mindfulness on the perceived value of travel experience (PVTE) through destination images (cognitive, affective, and conative) and tourist experiences. Data (n = 370) were gathered using a self-administered structured questionnaire distributed to travellers departing from Lisbon International airport towards Spain in July 2017. The results show the important role of mindfulness in shaping all dimensions of destination image. Tourist experience acts as a mediator between destination images and PVTE. However, perceived authenticity does not have a moderating, but rather a controlling effect on the relationship between tourist experience and PVTE. From a theoretical point of view, the study makes important contribution in conceptualising the influence of a tourist’s mindfulness on PVTE through destination image components and tourist experience. From a practical perspective, it offers practitioners and DMOs valuable insights into the effective design and implementation of suitable destination marketing activities.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Big data empowered agility for dynamic, volatile, and time-sensitive service industries: the case of tourism sector

Purpose: Dynamic, volatile, and time-sensitive industries, such as tourism, travel and hospitality require agility and market intelligence to create value and achieve competitive advantage. The aim of the current study is to examine the influence of big data (BD) on the performance of service organizations and to probe for a deeper understanding of implementing BD, based on available technologies. Design/methodology/approach: An ethnographic study was conducted following an abductive approach. A primary qualitative research scheme was used with 35 information technology and database professionals participating in five online focus groups of seven participants each. Analytical themes were developed simultaneously with the literature being revisited throughout the study to ultimately create sets of common themes and dimensions. Findings: BD can help organizations build agility, especially within dynamic industries, to better predict customer behavioral patterns and make tailor-made propositions from the BD. An integrated BD-specific framework is proposed to address value according to the dimensions of need, value, time and utility. Research limitations/implications: Little research exists on the key drivers of BD use for dynamic, real-time and agile businesses. This research adds to the developing literature on BD applications to support organizational decision-making and business performance in the tourism industry. Originality/value: This study responds to scholars’ recent calls for more empirical research with contextual understanding of the use of BD to add value in marketing intelligence within business ecosystems. It delineates factors contributing to BD value creation and explores the impacts on the respective service encounters

Unraveling the diverse nature of service quality in a sharing economy: a social exchange theory perspective of Airbnb accommodation

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management on 11/09/2017, available online: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-08-2016-0420 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Purpose- This study investigates customers’ perceptions of the service quality facets of Airbnb accommodation using social exchange theory as a suitable conceptual framework to explain aspects of interactivity between guests and hosts. Design/methodology/approach- A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 25 accommodation- specific service quality attributes, structured according to Akbaba’s (2006) measurement scale and based on the service quality hierarchical conceptualization described by Brady and Cronin (2001) and Cronin and Taylor (1992), was distributed to Airbnb international guests visiting Phuket, Thailand. The sample was chosen through a two-stage sampling process and the PLS-SEM technique was used for data analysis. Findings- The results showed that convenience and assurance are critical contributors to the measurement of service quality in remote Airbnb lodgings. The findings further revealed that Airbnb guests are mainly interested in lodgings which have access to certain tourist sights, and in easily accessible information and efficient resolution of problems during their stay. We also found that guests greatly value the convenience and flexibility offered by Airbnb, and that they particularly appreciate the warm hospitality provided by the hosts. Finally, Airbnb guests have very low expectations of the amenities and services available at the lodgings. Research limitations/implications-Airbnb is one of the most well-known examples of hospitality in the sharing economy and results cannot be generalized to similar accommodation providers in sharing economies. Despite the appropriateness of using the measurement tool provided by Akbaba (2006), it is only one option among others for measuring service quality. Practical implications- The current study can assist hosts in gaining better knowledge of guests’ decision making processes and in designing effective marketing strategies by focusing on guests’ requirements in terms of service quality. The effective use of competitive strengths and the prioritization of business resources would potentially enhance guests’ positive experiences at the accommodation and at the destination. Originality/value-Limited numbers of studies have focused on the sharing economy and hospitality and in particular on Airbnb and this is the first study with a focus on service quality issues in terms of Airbnb accommodation

End-User Programming Productivity Tools

Our research focuses on developing interactive technologies for a broad range of end-user programming activities, including code construction, verification, debugging, and understanding. A common goal among all of these technologies is to identify core ideas that can be used across a variety of domains and programmer populations