The effect of interventions on the environmental behaviour of Australian motel guests

This article reports on a pilot research project carried out to examine the effects of different interventions on the environmental behaviour of guests at motels in Victoria, Australia. The aim of the research was to test the influence of different in-room messages on the towel reuse behaviour of guests. Four different messages were used, representing information only information plus request, information plus descriptive norm and information plus incentive. Results of the study showed high levels of towel reuse and that providing information (either alone, or in conjunction with a request) acted as a prompt to encourage guests to reuse their towels. Further analysis of the results suggests that the role of habit may be the strongest influence on guests reuse of towels. Implications for the hospitality industry are discussed, and suggestions for further research avenues proposed

Environmentally sustainable practices of Victorian tourism enterprises

This study considers current attitudes towards and adoption of environmentally sustainable practices of Victorian tourism enterprises. Using a purposive sample of businesses in the Geelong Otway region, in-depth interviews were conducted. These interviews provided a wealth of information relating to perceived benefits and barriers to adopting environmentally sustainable practices. The findings demonstrate that, while many operators are aware of environmentally sustainable practice and have a positive personal philosophy towards implementing them, they remain constrained by business needs such as customer demands and limited acceptance of certification and accreditation programs. The study concludes with a number of recommendations to assist the industry bodies supporting operators in the take up of environmentally focused practices. The final recommendation is to continue to develop knowledge in this field and extend the research to a broader base via a questionnaire based on the findings

Exploring the barriers to innovation in haute cuisine restaurants

Fine dining restaurants undergo life cycle stages and, like any other business, are vulnerable to collapse during each of these stages (Dodge and Robbins 1992; Hart et al. 1984; Levitt 1981). Restaurants, however, appear to be most at risk during the early life cycle phases reporting a relatively high number of close downs. Bruderl and Schussler (1990) refer to this as the 'liability of newness' proposing inflexibility and inability to adapt fast enough to changing conditions as a major cause of business failure. Although research into the restaurant sector is scant, a report on innovation activity across 14 industries has found hotels and restaurants to be among the least innovative (Robson and Ortmans 2006). Recent investigations in the US confirm this finding asserting that the food service sector is reactive making few advances in current practice ' until a period of crisis arises' (Enz 2003, p. 5). Meal eating patterns are changing (Mikela 2000) and today's consumer is constantly seeking change and innovation in products and services (Poon 1993; Weiermair 2003). At the same time, the restaurant sector has entered an era of intense competition where the average spend per customer is declining. In addition to changing consumer preferences, the population in most western countries is aging and consumption trends such as healthy eating require constant research, innovation and new product development (Horx 2001; Bratl et al. 2001; Godbey 2002). As a result, inability to respond to changes in demand represents a growing problem for the industry and for those economies that are reliant on food service revenue. Moreover, because the restaurant sector is labour intensive and educational barriers to entry are low, the ability to capitalise on the employment potential of the sector could be diminished. This study is predicated on the notion that removing barriers to innovation can provide the opportunity to improve the sustainability of the restaurant sector, particularly in fine dining where growth and profitability have been eroded. The paper reports on the early stages of research, which includes a review of relevant contemporary management literature as well as current hospitality management publications. The paper presents a model of back of house processes as well as the front of house service sequence to explain the complexity of fine dining provision. A synthesis of academic and industry reports will then be presented to highlight the barriers and enhancers that have been found to impede and improve innovation

The travel agency service industry: industry trends and practices

The need for this scoping study was identified by the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA). A current overview of the industry, including the changing trends of travellers, was required by the organisation, with a specific request to source existing available data with regard to industry trends for travellers in seeking, booking and purchasing travel. It was understood from the outset that data may not exist to answer all the desired needs and, hence, the scoping study would help to confirm the need for future primary research, as well as the parameters and dimensions of that research. This paper describes the key findings of the scoping phase

The Impact of the Introduction of the GST on Small Business In Australia

Abstract This article examines the impact of the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on small business in Australia in the context of the experiences faced in similar countries overseas. Using a case study methodology, data was gathered from six small businesses that were observed throughout the introductory period of the new tax system. In particular this article considers the costs for small businesses in complying with the new tax system. Businesses reported actual GST compliance costs ranged from $3,331 to$30,140 per business in the cases examined. For the two smallest businesses, their compliance costs amounted to over 3% of the firm's reported annual turnover. The study also identified significant on-going record keeping and accounting costs that are required by small businesses in order to meet their GST obligations. These findings indicate that governments need to be more aware of the impact of tax reforms on small businesses if they wish to implement changes with minimal adverse impacts on business operations

Seasonality in the tourism industry: impacts and strategies

Seasonality is a concept that is well studied and documented in the tourism literature. Being ubiquitous, all tourism enterprises and regions are impacted by seasonality whether severely or mildly. Seasonality causes the fluctuation in tourists and visitor numbers to a destination. Therefore, some destinations at certain times have more tourists and visitors than they are able to accommodate, while at other times, there are too few tourists and visitors to the region. Although, seasonality is widely perceived in a negative light because its effects are linked with a reduction of tourist dollars, not all effects of tourism are negative. There are many strategies that are used to address the effects of seasonality. These include pricing strategies, diversifying the attraction, market diversification and seeking assistance from the government and industry bodies. Increasing the length of the tourist season and modifying the timing to school holidays are other strategies. At enterprise level, additional strategies include the recruitment of temporary staff. With the range of available strategies for addressing the effects of seasonality, the selection and adoption of a strategy should be in line with the strategic plan of the enterprise or the destination for an effective result. In today's environment, such decision making would need to include and consider social and environmental factors in addition to economic ones. Although many strategies can be transferable from one industry to another, more detailed research is necessary to investigate the individual strategies in relation to the industry and the impact of these strategies on the different stakeholders and the environment at the destination

The impact of the introduction of the GST on small business in Australia

This study examines the impact of the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on small business in Australia in the context of the experiences faced in similar countries overseas. Using a case study methodology, data was gathered from six small businesses that were observed throughout the introductory period of the new tax system. In particular, this article considers the costs for small businesses in complying with the new tax system. Businesses reported actual GST compliance costs ranging from $3,331 to$30,140 per business in the cases examined. For the two smallest businesses, their compliance costs amounted to over 3% of the firm's reported annual turnover. The study also identified significant on-going record keeping and accounting costs that are required by small businesses in order to meet their GST obligations. These findings indicate that governments need to be more aware of the impact of tax reforms on small businesses if they wish to implement changes with minimal adverse impacts on business operations