THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL VALUES OF TRAVEL & TOURISM COMPETITIVENESS INDEX AND ITS PREDICTIVE POWERS ON TOURIST ARRIVALS IN AFRICA; PLS-SEM APPROACH

This study aimed to assess the explanatory power of the sub-indices and pillars of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index on ITA taking Africa as a case. The study extended the epistemological articulations and empirical values of the TTCI by introducing ITA as a dependent variable. It took WEF's 7 years report on TTCI of 29 African economies. Results show that the predictive powers of half of TTCI Sub-indices as formative indicators to ITA are weak and negative. Analogously, the collinearity, validity, and reliability issues of sub-indices were substantially not resolved. These findings have implied that the TTCI has to articulate its predictive bearing before it can be accepted as an epistemologically and practically relevant concept that prescribes policy issues especially on the course of diagnosing the African Tourism ecosystem

THE IMPACT OF RELIGIOUS TOURISTS’ SATISFACTION WITH HAJJ SERVICES ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AT THE SACRED PLACES IN SAUDI ARABIA

To identify the impact of satisfaction with the provided services (food quality, transportation, accommodation, medical services and the religious guidance) on the spiritual experience of religious tourists, as well as the potential moderating role of pilgrims’ demographic characteristics on the relationship between service satisfaction and experience. A structured survey was distributed among the domestic pilgrims in Mecca, Saudi Arabia who performed Hajj under the control of three licensed agencies. Results showed that the satisfaction with transportation services and religious guidance were independent antecedent predictors of the spiritual experience. Furthermore, pilgrims’ age had significantly moderated the relationship between satisfaction with medical services and experience. National authorities can effectively improve the spiritual experience by providing comfortable means of transportation and reliable religious scholars to guide the pilgrims at different sacred destinations

THE POWER OF AIRPORT BRANDING IN SHAPING TOURIST DESTINATION IMAGE: PASSENGER COMMITMENT PERSPECTIVE

To providing an empirical investigation into how affective, continuance, and normative commitment could build airport branding. A quantitative content analysis was conducted by analyzing 400 passengers' reviews of Cairo International Airport from the following platforms (Skytrax, Tripadvisor, traveller, and flight report). Affective and continuance commitment are likely to build a strong brand rather than normative commitment. Passengers’ negative experiences with airports make them feel less emotionally attached, resulting in lower levels of affective and continuance commitments. Terminal problems can decrease affective and continuance commitment among passengers. The study identified factors that affect all three types of commitments (affective, continuance, and normative) at international airports, providing significant theoretical contributions and managerial implications

TOURIST PERCEPTION OF THE „NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS” EVENT. CASE STUDY IN ORADEA MUNICIPALITY, ROMANIA

Cultural events have a significant influence on the local economy. Cultural festivals can attract tourists, extend the tourist season and add vitality to a city. However, there is relatively little research on how festivals influence a destinat ion's tourist experience or outcomes, such as satisfaction. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the tourist perception of the participants on the Night of the Museums event held in Oradea municipality, Bihor County, Romania, assuming that a good tourist perception among the population can represent an element of identity for a destination, thus contributing to the increase of its capacity to attract tourists. The results emphasize the positive effects at the socio-cultural level. The festival provides multiple possibilities to spend free time in a pleasant way, it sustains the development of cultural life, a nd it improves the educational and the cultural level of community

Impact of Service Quality of Low-Cost Carriers on Airline Image and Consumers’ Satisfaction and Loyalty during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Low-cost carriers (LCCs) in Saudi Arabia operate in a competitive, highly demanding environment. Customer-related attributes may be influenced by the levels of service quality in a no-frills airline, which might impact satisfaction and loyalty. Given the unique traveler and market characteristics of the aviation sector in the kingdom, we sought to investigate the impact of service quality of LCCs on customer satisfaction and loyalty and the perceived airline image. A total of 299 passengers at two international airports were approached using a modified SERVQUAL scale. Results revealed that service quality was a significant predictor of customer satisfaction (β = 0.46, p < 0.0001), airline image (β = 0.55, p < 0.0001), and customer loyalty (β = 0.16, p = 0.006). The responsiveness dimension was the most important dimension of service quality, since it predicted all other constructs (satisfaction, loyalty, and brand image). Airline tangibles and reliability were independently associated with brand image and loyalty, respectively. Based on these results, LCCs should tailor future strategic plans that rely heavily on improving different service quality measures, particularly the responsiveness domain

The Importance of Safety and Security Measures at Sharm El Sheikh Airport and Their Impact on Travel Decisions after Restarting Aviation during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Travel decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic might be substantially influenced by destination-based attributes, in particular, health safety measures at airports. In the current study, we aimed to assess the effects of the perceived importance of safety measures at the Sharm El Sheikh airport on the intention of international passengers to revisit the destination, which might reflect their behavioral control for traveling to other tourism destinations. A total of 954 international travelers were asked to fill out a survey to reveal their travel risk perceptions, the importance of airport safety measures, and their future intentions to revisit the destination, and the data were integrated in an SEM model. The results showed that passengers with low-risk perceptions and highly perceived importance of logistic and sanitization procedures, as well as traveler- and staff-related safety measures, were more likely to exhibit greater intentions to revisit the city and lower intentions to cancel or change future travel plans to other touristic regions. Health safety at airports should be stressed in future strategic plans by governmental authorities and stakeholder activities to mitigate the psychological barriers of tourists

Impact of Rural Tourism Development on Residents’ Satisfaction with the Local Environment, Socio-Economy and Quality of Life in Al-Ahsa Region, Saudi Arabia

Tourism has a significant role in destination development, particularly in rural regions. However, within the context of the highly sensitive nature of rural areas to the ecological, economic, and socio-cultural effects of tourism development, it is important to assess the levels of satisfaction among the residents of rural destinations. The current study aimed to assess the impact of rural tourism development in the Al-Ahsa region, Saudi Arabia on the overall resident satisfaction and three relevant subdomains. The findings revealed that the three tourism development impacts under investigation, including the social, economic and environmental effects, were positively associated with resident overall satisfaction. The three influential developmental categories were also independent predictors of the satisfaction with the quality of life and environment subdomains. National policy makers are required to implement adequate rural tourism development measures and regulations to improve tourism services and activities, which would eventually be reflected in the quality of life of local residents

The Impact of Eatmarna Application Usability on Improving Performance Expectancy, Facilitating the Practice of Rituals and Improving Spirituality Feelings during Umrah Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak

The electronic tourism era has rapidly emerged during the explosive spread of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. The role of information technology was also evident in the religious tourism sector, and this facilitated the organization of religious events for Muslims, such as Hajj and Umrah. In the present study, we assessed the usability of a mobile application (Eatmarna) which provides permits to perform Umrah and other religious practices in Makkah and Madina in Saudi Arabia. We sought also to assess the impact of usability on the app effectiveness in improving Umrah experience. Pilgrims were asked to fill out an electronic survey distributed by the coordinators of Umrah service providers. Results showed that the perceived effectiveness was predicted by two domains of usability, namely system information arrangement (β = 0.27, 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.46, p = 0.004) and app usefulness (β = 0.52, 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.69, p < 0.0001). Both the usability domains were independently associated with all the subdomains of app effectiveness, including performance expectancy, facilitating the practice of rituals, and feelings of spirituality. The Eatmarna application was effective in providing a safe environment for pilgrims, which was accounted for by the app usability, and this facilitated the improvement of Umrah experience. National authorities can further integrate additional services in the app to improve pilgrims’ perceptions

Sustainable Stewardship of Egypt’s Iconic Heritage Sites: Balancing Heritage Preservation, Visitors’ Well-Being, and Environmental Responsibility

While sustainability is widely recognized as necessary for managing heritage sites, balancing preservation demands with tourism development pressures presents significant challenges. A critical gap in the existing research relates to understanding the recurring issues that undermine the long-term sustainability of prominent archaeological destinations in Egypt and visitor well-being. Specifically, more research is needed to identify the specific sustainability and visitor experience problems that persist across Egypt’s major archaeological sites despite ongoing management efforts. Addressing this knowledge gap could help inform strategies for these destinations to balance conservation priorities with tourism in a more sustainable manner that enhances visitors’ cultural exploration. This study contributes a novel multisite content analysis of over 4423 online reviews from TripAdvisor pertaining to three of Egypt’s premier archaeological destinations—Giza Pyramids, Al Mu’izz Street, and Saqqara. Using established text mining methodologies and algorithms within Voyant Tools, critical challenges were identified through word frequency, concept network, and trend analyses. Recurring issues documented included uncontrolled commercialization undermining the ambiance of historic locales, environmental degradation from inadequate waste management and tourism overflows, and overcrowding compromising visitor comfort, health and safety. Deficiencies in signage, transportation, and other tourist services were also prominent themes. The holistic evaluation of cross-cutting concerns faced at the diverse yet interrelated sites advanced the theoretical knowledge on cooperative governance models and competencies necessary for integrative heritage management. The recommendations center on collaborative stakeholder partnerships to reform commercial practices through licensing and enforcement, upgrading aging infrastructure to support sustainable tourism volumes, and implementing zoning and carrying capacity policies tailored to local community contexts. The proposed solutions aim to safeguard Egypt’s irreplaceable cultural treasures by addressing recurrent problems that undermine environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability if left unresolved, positioning its archaeological wonders for appreciation and study by present and future generations

Religious Tourists’ Satisfaction with Services and Their Impacts on Spirituality in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Islamic pilgrimage has social, political, and economic benefits, but there are major challenges in the management of large numbers of groups at one time. This spiritually healing journey is likely to be influenced by the overall experience and the quality of logistical services provided while performing the rituals. In the postpandemic period, challenges were more apparent in preventing the spread of infection while maintaining acceptable levels of spiritual atmosphere. Pilgrims’ characteristics might mediate or moderate the changes in spirituality based on individuals’ satisfaction with service quality. In the current study, we investigated the potential service quality predictors of spiritual satisfaction among Muslim pilgrims and investigated the potential mediators and/or moderators of such relationships. The results showed that higher spirituality satisfaction scores were independently associated with enhanced satisfaction with medical services, religious guidance, and the overall Hajj experience. These relationships were not mediated by any demographic characteristics. The Hajj experience significantly moderated the relationship between satisfaction with religious guidance and spirituality. It is recommended that the national authorities should ensure the highest levels of spiritual satisfaction via improving medical and guidance services to achieve the spiritual healing of pilgrims