Challenges in Marketing Communications during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from Tourism and Hospitality Managers

The purpose of this study is to explore how tourism and hospitality firms managed marketing communications (marcom) since the COVID-19 outbreak and to propose a conceptual framework on marcom challenges that the pandemic crisis has brought to the industry. In-depth interviews were conducted with tourism and hospitality managers in Croatia, a destination that registered remarkable tourism results in 2021. The proposed conceptual framework reflects the adaptation process and major changes in B2C (business-to-consumer) and B2B (business-to-business) communication since the COVID-19 outbreak on one hand and resulting strategic opportunities for marcom managers on the other, discussed in terms of practical implications. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that presents an integrative overview of major challenges in marketing communications in tourism and hospitality since the COVID-19 outbreak by examining managers’ viewpoints through in-depth interviews. The study not only proposes a conceptual framework for understanding changes and opportunities that emerged in a situation of a systematic health emergency but also provides meaningful guidelines and implications for the global tourism and hospitality industry, as managers from many countries have been facing similar difficulties and challenges during the pandemic

Integrirana marketinška komunikacija u visoko kategoriziranim hotelima Dalmacije: istraživanje iz perspektive menadžera i gostiju

Although the implementation of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) has been studied in different contexts and countries all over the world, further contributions are needed to consolidate the concept. Little research has been done on the integration of marketing communications in tourism-related sectors. Moreover, previous studies have focused mainly on managers’ opinions while overlooking consumers’ perceptions of IMC. The purpose of this research is to study in greater detail the IMC concept in the tourism sector, specifically in the hotels of Central and Southern Dalmatia, from a double perspective: managers-guests. Therefore, managers of 15 high-quality hotels and 118 guests were interviewed during April and May 2010. The results of descriptive statistical analysis showed a high degree of IMC implementation in hotels and a high degree of guests’ perceptions of IMC. However, the Mann-Whitney U test revealed small but significant differences between managers’ and guests’ perceptions of some of the IMC items. The findings of this study are expected to provide useful information to hotel managers, who deal with an increasingly competitive marketplace where traditional marketing approaches are no longer sufficient to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Thus, IMC should be considered as a new approach which might enable hotels to gain competitive advantages.Iako se primjena integrirane marketinške komunikacije (IMK) istražuje u različitim kontekstima i zemljama diljem svijeta,ipak su potrebni novi doprinosi za afirmaciju koncepta. Konkretno, u turističkom je sektoru provedeno vrlo malo istraživanja na temu integracije marketinških komunikacija. Osim toga, prethodne su se studije uglavnom usredotočile na mišljenja menadžera zanemarujući potrošačevu percepciju IMK. Cilj ovog istraživačkog rada jest podrobnije razraditi koncept IMK u turističkom sektoru, posebno u hotelima u Dalmaciji, iz dvojne perspektive menadžera i gostiju. U tu svrhu tijekom travnja i svibnja 2010. godine ispitani su menadžeri 15 visoko kategoriziranih hotela Dalmacije i njihovih 118 gostiju. Rezultati deskriptivne statističke analize otkrili su visok stupanj primjene IMK u hotelima i visok stupanj njezine percepcije od strane gostiju. Međutim, Mann-Whitney U test pokazao je male, ali statistički značajne razlike među procjenama menadžera i gostiju o primjeni IMK. Rezultati ovoga rada pružaju korisne informacije menadžerima hotela koji posluju na sve konkurentnijem tržištu, gdje tradicionalni marketinški pristupi više nisu dovoljni da bi se razlikovali od konkurencije. Prema tome, IMK treba biti razmotren kao novi pristup koji će hotelima omogućiti stjecanje konkurentske prednosti

RESOCIALIZATION OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS IN COMMUNITY

Probleme mentalnog zdravlja danas ima oko petina svjetskog stanovništva stoga je vrlo važno omogućiti liječenje u zajednici, pri čemu pomažu razne udruge, programi i poticaji. Poteškoće pri integraciji u društvo javljaju se zbog predrasuda okoline koje su neutemeljene, a korijene vuku iz davnih vremena kada su ovakvi bolesnici bili nedopustivo tretirani. Danas se psihijatrijski bolesnici liječe u raznim psihijatrijskim ustanovama i službama. Borba protiv stigme sastoji se od kombinacije edukacije, kontakata s predstavnicima stigmatizirane grupe i protesta, a pritom edukacija treba obuhvatiti točne informacije koje će se suprotstaviti krivim vjerovanjima. Socioterapija je metoda rehabilitacije koja se najčešće provodi u skupinama ljudi koje čine pojedinci s relativno sličnim pro¬blemima i voditeljem – terapeutom te se članovima grupe pruža stručna pomoć. Metode socioterapije su : radno-okupaciona terapija, smještaj u zajednici, dnevne bolnice, klubovi bolesnika itd. Teži se i zapošljavanju osoba s psihičkim poteškoćama. Jedna od većih zapreka u zapošljavanju nezaposlenih osoba s invaliditetom je neadekvatna obrazovna struktura, gubitak stečenih znanja i vještina izgubljenih dugogodišnjom nezaposlenošću. Cilj je da se nizom aktivnosti potiču poslodavci, prvenstveno na otvorenom tržištu rada, da zapošljavaju osobe s invaliditetom.

RESOCIALIZATION OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS IN COMMUNITY

Probleme mentalnog zdravlja danas ima oko petina svjetskog stanovništva stoga je vrlo važno omogućiti liječenje u zajednici, pri čemu pomažu razne udruge, programi i poticaji. Poteškoće pri integraciji u društvo javljaju se zbog predrasuda okoline koje su neutemeljene, a korijene vuku iz davnih vremena kada su ovakvi bolesnici bili nedopustivo tretirani. Danas se psihijatrijski bolesnici liječe u raznim psihijatrijskim ustanovama i službama. Borba protiv stigme sastoji se od kombinacije edukacije, kontakata s predstavnicima stigmatizirane grupe i protesta, a pritom edukacija treba obuhvatiti točne informacije koje će se suprotstaviti krivim vjerovanjima. Socioterapija je metoda rehabilitacije koja se najčešće provodi u skupinama ljudi koje čine pojedinci s relativno sličnim pro¬blemima i voditeljem – terapeutom te se članovima grupe pruža stručna pomoć. Metode socioterapije su : radno-okupaciona terapija, smještaj u zajednici, dnevne bolnice, klubovi bolesnika itd. Teži se i zapošljavanju osoba s psihičkim poteškoćama. Jedna od većih zapreka u zapošljavanju nezaposlenih osoba s invaliditetom je neadekvatna obrazovna struktura, gubitak stečenih znanja i vještina izgubljenih dugogodišnjom nezaposlenošću. Cilj je da se nizom aktivnosti potiču poslodavci, prvenstveno na otvorenom tržištu rada, da zapošljavaju osobe s invaliditetom.

Managing group work in the classroom: An international study on perceived benefits and risks based on students’ cultural background and gender

Working in groups has become an essential part of success of every organization operating in global economy. Therefore, the business sector has created an imperative for higher education institutions (HEIs) to modify study programs and prepare students to be effective team players. However, while group work has been highly encouraged among university students, their opinions on this practice remain rather neglected. In addition, the role of culture and gender in students’ perceptions of group work has received little attention. The purpose of this study is to examine how university students perceive group work in terms of its benefits and risks and whether their national culture and gender moderates these perceptions. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to meet the research goal. Data were collected among Spanish, Croatian and international students from two European universities: University of Valencia in Spain and University of Split in Croatia. Results suggest that, although students seem to recognize the benefits of group work, they also perceive a considerable number of risks, especially Croatian students. This might be the reason why they don’t seem to prefer group work over individual work, despite their cultural background and gender

Postignuća djevojčica i dječaka u školskom kontekstu: pregled mogućih objašnjenja utvrđenih razlika

Since the 1990s until today there has been an increasing number of empirical evidence about girls\u27 higher achievements within the educational system in the majority of developed countries. This trend is still present, even in school areas and subjects in which boys have traditionally been considered to be more successful. This article presents a critical analysis of the existing research as well as a summary of the existing findings with their possible explanations. A few groups of explanations can be separated, i.e. differences in specific abilities, personality traits, learning styles, ability to satisfy desired learning methods and differences in the interaction with teachers. Finally, this article presents findings from a wide band of research studies which presume the negative effect of teacher gender on pupils\u27 academic achievement. The explanations of gender differences provide only a part of the possible reasons. Reviews of the existing research clearly show the lack of comprehensive, satisfactory and nonambiguous explanation of the reasons for girls\u27 higher academic achievement.Od devedesetih godina do danas sve je više empirijskih dokaza kako su u obrazovnim sustavima većine razvijenih zemalja djevojčice uspješnije od dječaka. Taj je trend danas prisutan i u školskim područjima i u predmetima za koje se tradicionalno vjerovalo da su u njima dječaci uspješniji. Rad donosi pregled kritički analiziranih postojećih istraživanja te povezuje postojeće spoznaje uz moguća objašnjenja utvrđenih razlika. Moguće je izdvojiti nekoliko skupina objašnjenja kao što su razlike u određenim sposobnostima, obilježjima ličnosti, stilovima učenja, mogućnosti udovoljavanja poželjnim načinima učenja, odnosno razlike u interakciji s učiteljima. Na kraju, u radu su izložene i spoznaje koje polaze od pretpostavki da u pogledu školskih postignuća učenika postoji nepovoljan utjecaj spola učitelja. Objašnjenja spolnih razlika u školskim postignućima pružaju samo dio mogućih razloga. Pregledom postojećih istraživanja jasno je kako još uvijek nemamo sveobuhvatnog objašnjenja koje na svima prihvatljiv i nedvosmislen način objašnjava razloge razlika u školskim postignućima učenica i učenika u korist učenica

Understanding prevention measures and tourist behavior in Croatia during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-method approach

This study investigates the adoption of prevention measures in Croatia during the COVID-19 pandemic and its relationship with tourist behavior. The research adopts a mixed-method approach as it examines both practitioners’ and tourists’ viewpoints. A qualitative study was conducted with eight destination service providers, while the quantitative study took place among 333 international tourists during their stay in the country. Results from the qualitative study show that the most frequently employed prevention measures are cleaning and disinfection of customer-use spaces, the use of hand sanitizers, mandatory face masks for employees and guests, and social distancing. Tourism service providers observed that international tourist behavior changed significantly from 2020 to 2021. Findings from the quantitative study show relatively high levels of perception of adoption of prevention measures among tourists, low levels of the perceived risk of COVID-19, and high levels of tourist satisfaction. Some differences in tourist behavior related to gender and destination type are also observed. Positive correlations are found between tourists’ perceptions of prevention measures and their satisfaction level, while the correlations between perceived risk of COVID-19 and prevention measures on one hand and perceived risk of COVID-19 and tourists’ satisfaction on the other are found to be negative

Performance Comparison of the Cogent Confabulation Classifier with Other Commonly Used Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms for Bathing Water Quality Assessment

The purpose of this study was to implement a reliable model for bathing water quality prediction using the Cogent Confabulation classifier and to compare it with other well-known classifiers. This study is a continuation of a previously published work and focuses on the areas of Kaštela Bay and the Brač Channel, located in the Republic of Croatia. The Cogent Confabulation classifier is a thorough and simple method for data classification based on the cogency measure for observed classes. To implement the model, we used data sets constructed of remote sensing data (band values) and in situ measurements presenting ground-truth bathing water quality. Satellite data was retrieved from the Sentinel-3 OLCI satellite and it was atmospherically corrected based on the characteristics and specifications of band wavelengths. The results showed that the Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbour, and Decision Tree classifiers outperformed the Cogent Confabulation classifier. However, results showed that the Cogent Confabulation classifier achieved better results compared to classifiers based on Bayesian theory. Additionally, a qualitative analysis of the four best classifiers was conducted using spatial maps created in the QGIS tool

ICT for external use in Croatian four- and five-star hotels

The Purpose – The objective of the paper is to examine the implementation of advanced technology and promotional supports in hotel companies and to compare their performance in four- and five-star hotels. More specifically, ICT for external use are analysed, i.e. customer relationship management (CRM), communication with customers, promotional supports, and online order receptions. Design/Methodology/Approach – The empirical research took place in 38 upscale (26 four and 12 five-star) hotels located in Croatia, in the regions of Dalmatia, Istria, and Kvarner, and in the city of Zagreb. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered mainly during personal interviews with hotel and marketing managers. The SPSS software was used for data analysis. Findings – Findings reveal a relatively high implementation of technology solutions, reaching promotional supports the highest scores. Four-star hotels perform significantly better than fivestar hotels in most of the ICT items. Originality – The study provides insights into the external role of ICT for upscale hotels from the standpoint of customer relationship management (CRM), communication with customers, promotional supports, and online order receptions as tools for enhancing hotel promotion. These can be used as a valuable source of information between academics and can be additionally useful to marketing managers in hotels that intend to find as more as innovative ways for hotel promotion

The Role of ICT in Education: a Longitudinal Study Based on Tourism Students Perceptions

The purpose of the paper is focused on information and communication technology (ICT) and its incomprehensible supporting role in the education process. In the empirical part of the paper are presented the results of five - years research conducted among the students of the University of Split/ Faculty of Economics. The research is based on tourism students’ perceptions of certain factors which influence the process of e-learning. In that context, the authors examine the relationship between perceived ease of use and IT literacy on satisfaction as a predictor of behavioral attitude as well as the relationship between perceived usefulness and the achieved student performance expressed in values of final grade. Additionally, the authors also identified the possible differences between professional and undergraduate students regarding the above mentioned relationships. In the conclusion section, the empirical results are interpreted in the context of current trends in education, especially tourism studies education