Business innovations in a recession: a meso perspective of inbound tour operators

Recent downturns pose challenges to many industries and businesses are constantly searching for ways to improve and stabilize their returns. Most tourism and business literature concerning inbound tour operators tends to focus on market specific and the positive relations between inbound tourism and economic development (Cortes and Pulina 2010), factors affecting inbound tourism (Phakdisoth and Kim 2007, Saayman and Saayaman 2008). This paper in many ways fills the gap in tourism literature where seldom the element of recession is mixed with inbound operators' challenges. The harsh reality of a business dependent on inbound tourist arrivals demands a high degree of versatility and adaptability to seasonal travel patterns and economic volatility. While most tour operators specialize in external and domestic markets, there are few who extend their reach beyond standard operations. This research investigates a travel agency's, (Singapore Sightseeing Tour East), experience of the 2001-2003 recession and the innovative steps taken to circumvent the recession and its continued relevance to contemporary economic situations. Based on this Inbound Tour Operator's challenges and innovative turnarounds, this paper will present successful strategies for penetrating and creating markets. Using case study analysis with archival evidence of the company's records and interviews, the research adopts a qualitative method to understand the tour operator's initiatives. The study, though limited to Singapore's specific context, has wider implications for inbound tour operators in similar situations elsewhere

Importance of Architecture and Planning of Kanchipuram and the Dynamics of Implementing Architectural Restoration

The importance of traditional architecture and planning of Kanchipuram is expressed through a set of objective and subjective map based indicators. The analysis is done at the block level. The results brings out values expressing the epitome of the traditional architecture and planning. The paper presents the map based analysis of the traditional core. The map based analysis perceives changes in the tissues of the study area. The paper emphasizes the importance of social activities as a key to good urban life. The importance of social activities in par with physical component holding it is also presented. A subjective note on climatic considerations at the block level is given based on observations. To compliment conservation measures, a feasibility study to revamp vernacular elements in the modern facades of the city is probed. Stated preference survey method was adopted for the feasibility study. Emphasis is given to public participation and professional involvement in the process of planning and implementing conservation measures. The measures shall realize economic development and life processes. Further certain morale ethics involved in the process methods of planning is discussed. Though the changes are high; the city upholds bright quos towards conservation pertaining to acceptance of traditional aspects and the urge for socialization

Ultrasonic studies on interionic interactions of some alkali metal halides in aqueous d-glucose solution at varying molalities and temperatures

The  present experimental investigation was carried out in order to explore the possible molecular interionic interactions of alkali metal halides namely, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, potassium bromide and potassium iodide in aqueous D-glucose solution at 303.15, 308.15K and 313.15 K. Experimental values of density (ρ), viscosity (η) and ultrasonic velocities (U) were carried out on the liquid ternary mixtures of water +D-glucose + alkali metal halides The binary solvent mixture of water + D-glucose was prepared under molality(m) basis say, at two fixed   molalities (0.2 and 0.4mol.kg-1). Alkali metal halides (NaCl, KCl, KBr and KI) were added under different molalities with these binary solvent mixtures. The related and relevant parameters correlated to our present study such as adiabatic compressibility (b), molal hydration number (nH), apparent molal compressibility (jk), apparent molal volume (jv), limiting apparent molal compressibility ( ), limiting apparent molal volume ( ) and their associated constants (SK, SV), partial transfer volume (∆ ) from water to aqueous solution were determined. In order to stress more on the viscometric data to substantiate its importance, the viscosity B-coefficient has been meticulously evaluated, The present investigation has exploited the possible molecular associations such as ion-ion, ion-solvent, solute-solvent, solute-solute etc., which are identified and eventually discussed about the behaviour of solutes (alkali metal halides) in the solvent mixture

Ultrasonic studies on interionic interactions of some alkali metal halides in aqueous d-glucose solution at varying molalities and temperatures

The present experimental investigation was carried out in order to explore the possible molecular interionic interactions of alkali metal halides namely, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, potassium bromide and potassium iodide in aqueous D-glucose solution at 303.15, 308.15K and 313.15 K. Experimental values of density (ρ), viscosity (η) and ultrasonic velocities (U) were carried out on the liquid ternary mixtures of water +D-glucose + alkali metal halides The binary solvent mixture of water + D-glucose was prepared under molality(m) basis say, at two fixed   molalities (0.2 and 0.4mol.kg-1). Alkali metal halides (NaCl, KCl, KBr and KI) were added under different molalities with these binary solvent mixtures. The related and relevant parameters correlated to our present study such as adiabatic compressibility (b), molal hydration number (nH), apparent molal compressibility (jk), apparent molal volume (jv), limiting apparent molal compressibility ( ), limiting apparent molal volume ( ) and their associated constants (SK, SV), partial transfer volume (∆ ) from water to aqueous solution were determined. In order to stress more on the viscometric data to substantiate its importance, the viscosity B-coefficient has been meticulously evaluated, The present investigation has exploited the possible molecular associations such as ion-ion, ion-solvent, solute-solvent, solute-solute etc., which are identified and eventually discussed about the behaviour of solutes (alkali metal halides) in the solvent mixture.&nbsp

Graduate Employability Skills for the Hospitality Industry in Singapore: A comparison between onset and recovery stages of COVID-19

Background - Singapore holds status as a mecca ‘tourism and hospitality’ hub. Yet, its tertiary education for Tourism and Hospitality has not followed the growth patterns of the industry. The Skills Futures Framework of the Singapore Tourism Board presents government’s predictions of a dire need for qualified staff and intentions to resource the industry through five tracks that lead to 69 different in-demand roles. Purpose – This paper seeks to identify the employability skills evident for some of the in-demand roles. It examines if there has been a shift in the employability skills since the onset of COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected in March-November 2020 and November-December 2021, from websites advertising jobs for the Hospitality Industry. Job descriptions for a range of positions were gathered, focusing on junior to senior management roles. NVivo 12 Plus was used to collate and analyse the data. Findings – Inductive thematic analysis protocols indicated that there is a shift in the top five skills for the roles between the onset and recovery stages of COVID-19. Most prominent is an emerging focus on teamwork; sales and marketing; customer service and guest experience, business acumen, and communication. Implications – While similar skills continue to be sought for supervisory-managerial roles in the Hospitality Industry since the onset of COVID-19, there is a greater focus on skills that will help organisations to pivot and build their teams and brands so as to enhance customer service and revenue. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited by its focus on Singapore. Future research can extend the research by examining job roles in other countries

The role of social media in the luxury tourism business: a research review and trajectory assessment

The luxury tourism industry immediately conjures up thoughts of exclusivity, with access to it confined to a small and elite group of travelers often located within their own social bubble. Our systematic literature review seeks to understand how tourism scholarship has addressed the issue of luxury travel based on social media pronouncements and the areas of concentration in which earlier studies have been conducted. Literature was sourced using the following key terms "luxury tourism", "elite travel", "social media", and "sustainability" in various combinations using the OneSearch online platform, the Proquest Database, and Google Scholar. Only peer-reviewed journals were used for the critical analysis. Three main thematic areas were identified and reviewed: (1) the role of social media in luxury tourism; (2) the behavioral attributes of luxury travelers' when using social media; and (3) the methodologies employed in the extant literature, given the limitations of accessing specific data for the luxury tourism market. The selected period for the journals and articles reviewed was the last ten years, from March 2010 to March 2020. NVivo version 12 was used to decipher the themes and focus areas as well as quantify the significance of social media to luxury tourism. Drawing from these literature review outcomes, the study explores future research areas and issues that require new theoretical and methodological frameworks to further our understanding of the intersection between social media and the luxury tourism business

Transformed landscapes, tourist sentiments: the place making narrative of a luxury heritage hotel in Singapore

The position of heritage hotels in place making narratives is not secure, given the challenges of new local developments and larger international forces. This research examines Singapore’s iconic luxury heritage hotel, Raffles Singapore, against the relatively new hotels, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and Marina Bay Sands, to identify the nexus between the island city-state’s historical and contemporary position in the changing hospitality landscape, specifically addressing the concept of place making as a dynamic narrative. Applying sentiment analysis, 454 hotel guest reviews on internationally recognized travel websites were examined. The findings suggest that the dominance of a luxury heritage hotel in the narratives of place making can shift over time, subject to postmodern architectural developments in the hotel landscape and competition from other luxury heritage hotels with iconic and location histories. A key contribution to the hospitality discipline is the measurement of a luxury heritage hotel’s staying power through continuous place making amid glocal challenges. The significance of the findings should alert hospitality practitioners specializing in marketing to potential shifts arising from continuing new competitive narratives in place making

Bis(μ-N-benzyl-N-furfuryldithio­carbamato)-1:2κ3 S,S′:S′;2:1κ3 S,S′:S′-bis­[(N-benzyl-N-furfuryldithio­carbamato-κ2 S,S′)cadmium]

In the centrosymmetric title compound, [Cd2(C13H12NOS2)4], pairs of dithio­carbamate ligands exhibit different structural functions. Each of the terminal ligands is bidentately coordinated to one CdII atom and forms a planar four-membered CS2Cd chelate ring, whereas pairs of the tridentate bridging ligands link two neighbouring CdII atoms, forming extended eight-membered C2S4Cd2 tricyclic units whose geometry can be approximated by a chair conformation. The coordination polyhedron of the CdII atoms is a distorted square-pyramid. The five-membered furan ring and the benzene ring are disordered over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.62 (8):0.38 (8)

Mineral Composition of Marine Macroalgae from Mandapam Coastal Regions; Southeast Coast of India

The present study focused on the trace metal and mineral composition analysis of various seaweeds such as Chlorophyceae (Cladophora glomerata, Ulva reticulata, Halimeda macroloba, H.tuna), Phaeophyceae (Dictyota dichotoma, Padina pavonica) Rhodophyceae (Gracilaria crassa, Gelidiella acerosa, Hypnea musciformis) collected from Mandapam coastal regions, Southeast coast of India. Among these groups of seaweeds, U. reticulata belonging to the Chlorophyceae showed the maximum contents of mineral elements such as chromium, copper, and magnesium. H.tuna observed the minimum level of mineral content such as cobalt, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead and zinc

Vietnam's visa policy for tourists

States employ travel visa as an instrument to leverage on visitor arrivals for various reasons. In tourism, visa plays a crucial role in facilitating potential and last-minute tourists’ decision making process. This paper focuses on the Vietnamese government’s visa policy in the context of tourism development. Adopting an economic approach, this paper reviews key achievements in tourist immigration policies and examines the challenges that deter tourists from visiting the country. This study purports that a stronger national strategy pertaining to simplification of visa processing and streamlining common visa entry union with neighboring countries within the AEC 2015 framework will translate to gains for Vietnamese tourism. __________________________________________________ Key words: economic approach, national visa policy, tourism developmen