Implications of cellular agriculture for hospitality and tourism management research: sustainable development goal perspective.

The global agricultural sector is facing a disruption driven by economics, emerging technology, and environmental and personal well-being. In particular, advances in cellular biology, along with the emergence of novel production techniques such as precision fermentation, are making the mass-cultivation of alternative proteins in vitro for human consumption an economically plausible proposition. Along with technical and ethical questions, for example on the choice of growth medium or policy implications, the prospect of a decentralised, cultured protein supply chain opens up interesting avenues of future research for hospitality and tourism management. How will hospitality and tourism stakeholders react when new technologies give rise to food service and food tourism that is less reliant on conventional animal husbandry and where properties such as taste, texture, mouthfeel, or tolerability can be cultivated from the molecule-up? Using United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as a backdrop, this conceptual viewpoint article adopts an applied integrative review methodology to discuss megatrends driving the adoption of a cellular agriculture -based food production system, and puts forward an agenda for future research into cellular agriculture in the context of hospitality and tourism management

Multidimensional Facets of Perceived Risk in Mobile Travel Booking

Despite the growing prevalence of smartphones in daily life and travel context, travellers still perceive an extent of risk associated with using their smartphone to book travel products. In order to alleviate or reduce perceived risk, it is important to better understand the dimensions of and the factors that contribute to perceived risk. This study analysed 411 responses from an online panel to examine perceived risk in mobile travel booking and identified the following facets: time risk, financial risk, performance risk, privacy/security risk, psychological risk, physical risk, and device risk. Several antecedents of perceived risk were identified. Perceived collection of personal information via smartphones contributes positively, while consumer innovativeness, trust, and visibility contribute negatively to perceived risk. Further, the predictive validity of perceived risk is confirmed as it significantly explains perceived usefulness, attitude, and behavioural intention in mobile travel booking. Implications to manage perceived risk and its antecedents are provided

Embodiment of Wearable Augmented Reality Technology in Tourism Experiences

The increasing use of wearable devices for tourism purposes sets the stage for a critical discussion on technological mediation in tourism experience. This paper provides a theoretical reflection on the phenomenon of embodiment relation in technological mediation and then assesses the embodiment of wearable augmented reality technology in a tourism attraction. The findings suggest that technology embodiment is a multidimensional construct consisting of ownership, location, and agency. These support the concept of technology withdrawal, where technology disappears as it becomes part of human actions, and contest the interplay of subjectivity and intentionality between humans and technology in situated experiences such as tourism. It was also found that technology embodiment affects enjoyment and enhances experience with tourism attractions

Mining Big Data for Tourist Hot Spots: Geographical Patterns of Online Footprints

Understanding the complex, and often unequal, spatiality of tourist demand in urban contexts requires other methodologies, among which the information base available online and in social networks has gained prominence. Innovation supported by Information and Communication Technologies in terms of data access and data exchange has emerged as a complementary supporting tool for the more traditional data collection techniques currently in use, particularly, in urban destinations where there is the need to more (near)real-time monitoring. The capacity to collect and analise massive amounts of data on individual and group behaviour is leading to new data-rich research approaches. This chapter addresses the potential for discovering geographical insights regarding tourists’ spatial patterns within a destination, based on the analysis of geotagged data available from two social networks. ·info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Smart technologies for personalized experiences: a case study in the hospitality domain

Recent advances in the field of technology have led to the emergence of innovative technological smart solutions providing unprecedented opportunities for application in the tourism and hospitality industry.With intensified competition in the tourism market place, it has become paramount for businesses to explore the potential of technologies, not only to optimize existing processes but facilitate the creation of more meaningful and personalized services and experiences. This study aims to bridge the current knowledge gap between smart technologies and experience personalization to understand how smart mobile technologies can facilitate personalized experiences in the context of the hospitality industry. By adopting a qualitative case study approach, this paper makes a two-fold contribution; it a) identifies the requirements of smart technologies for experience creation, including information aggregation, ubiquitous mobile connectedness and real time synchronization and b) highlights how smart technology integration can lead to two distinct levels of personalized tourism experiences. The paper concludes with the development of a model depicting the dynamic process of experience personalization and a discussion of the strategic implications for tourism and hospitality management and research

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

Impact of Perceived Peer to Peer Accommodation Development on Community Residents’ Well-being

A survey of 780 UK residents was conducted to identify the extent to which perceived peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation development is associated with changes in community members’ well-being from economic, social and environmental perspectives, and to understand in which circumstances P2P listings have positive and negative effects on 7 community members’ well-being. Partial least squares analysis demonstrates that the 8 perceived positive community impacts of P2P accommodation are more pronounced than the 9 perceived negative impacts. Additionally, weak but statistically significant effects of 10 perceived P2P accommodation prevalence on residents’ social and environmental well-being 11 are observed. Based on these findings and in accordance with social exchange theory, both 12 policy makers and the P2P accommodation sector should develop strategies to enhance the 13 perceived positive impacts on residents’ well-being and mitigate the perceived negative 14 impacts