ABSTRACT
This research aims to grasp the evolution of consumer demand and improve the resilience of the hotel industry under the public health crisis (COVID-19). Online reviews of 7,679 hotels in 10 cities were collected from Ctrip, China's major online hotel platform. Then, we applied opinion mining and time evolution to mine the change in consumer demand before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings show that some consumer demands (e.g. epidemic safety) will change during the outbreak period. However, during the nonoutbreak period, users were more concerned about their own check-in experience (e.g. hotel facilities, front desk services). This article provides new ideas for identifying the dynamic value of online reviews. We suggest that businesses focus on ensuring hotel safety during the crisis period. The results contribute essential theoretical and practical significance to the hotel industry's crisis management during public health crises.
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The aim of this study is to determine the motivation of high school students to participate in physical activity and their eating attitude levels during the COVID-19 period as well as to examine the relationship between the two variables. In addition, it was also determined whether the motivation for participate in physical activity and eating attitudes differ according to gender, weekly exercise, spending time with technology, family communication times, and participation in exercise during and before the pandemic. A total of 576 high school students, including 406 girls and 170 boys, participated in the study. "Motivation Scale for Participation in Physical Activity (MSPPA)", "Eating Attitude Test (EAT-40)" and "Personal Information Form (KBF)" were used as data collection tools. Data were evaluated using correlation, multiple linear regression, MANOVA and t-test analysis techniques. It was concluded that the motivation of the students to participate in physical activity was moderate, and they did not have eating disorders. It was observed that physical activity motivation did not predict eating attitude, but there were positive and low relationships between sub-factors in relational dimension. According to gender, it was determined that the eating attitudes of female students were more positive than male students. It has been found that the motivation to participate in physical activity is higher for those who exercise before and during the pandemic than those who do not. Consequently, it can be said that during the COVID-19 process, high school students' motivation to participate in physical activity is at a moderate level, and their eating attitudes are generally not at the level of behavioral disorders.
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The various crises are having a significant impact on the entire food sector and are changing the attitudes of Europeans as well as policies on the importance of food security and sustainably produced quality and safe food for consumer health. The paper focuses on the consumer's fear of food security for the time of the first wave of COVID-19 and the associated concern for food security in the future and the changes in consumer behaviour. The online survey in Slovenia was conducted in June 2020 using a "snowball" method. The sample included 490 individuals. The results showed that both measured forms of fear (i) fear over food security during the first wave of COVID-19 crisis, and (ii) fear over food security in the future were statistically significant, moderately strong and positively associated with almost all forms of self-perceived behaviour change caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The respondents focused more on buying locally produced and processed food, food stockpiling and decreasing food waste. Only minor changes were expressed with regards to their food purchasing channels, with the elderly, the highly educated and those who classified themselves in a higher social class buying more often directly from farmers. In the future, the results of this research should be compared with other countries and the impact of an individual's economic situation and the impact of promotional campaigns on agricultural products on changing consumer behaviour should also be analysed in more detail.
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Background: The hospitality industry is recovering, evolving, and adapting itself in the post COVID-19 era through innovative and sustainable practices backed by the use of technology in entire hotel operations. The hotel Front Office department is no exception in utilizing these evolved practices to understand and influence the customer behaviour while exploring all possible measures to enhance the overall guest stay experience in the post-COVID times. The Front Office department plays a vital role in the passage of accurate and timely information required for flawless guest management in the hotels. Throughout the COVID-19 period, the Front Office practices have evolved through different stages depending upon the factors such as guest preferences, safety and security measures, hygienic conditions, sustainability and use of technology. Objectives: The major objectives are to study the post COVID-19 Hotel guest preferences of non-star category hotels with respect to changing scenario in the Hospitality Industry, to analyse the gaps between hotel guest expectations and perceptions in service quality with special mention of the front office department and to highlight the future challenges faced by hotel industry and suggest possible measured to overcome these challenges. Methodology: Hybrid research approach has been adopted in this study. Grounded theory in qualitative research approach with interview and semi-structured questionnaires are the data collection tools. Survey method with structured questionnaire are quantitative data collection tools. Collected data were analysed through content and thematic tools for qualitative data and quantitative data were analysed through descriptive statistics (Mean, SD, percentage) and paired t-test as an inferential statistical tool has been applied in this study for conclusion purpose. Results: Result indicates negative as Expected value - perceived value = - (negative). Conclusion: It is concluded that hotel-guests' are not satisfied as provided facilities are not as per guests' expectation. This study gives overview of guests' expectation. It helps hoteliers for modification of hotel's facilities for the guest. The limitation of the study is that the study is conducted in NCR only. Hotels of the same category in the other cities/town may be conducted for getting actual scenario of the phenomena of the hotels. In addition, the study proposes that hotels should adjust their room and service pricing to reflect the reduced demand during the COVID era. Furthermore, the hotel industry will face ongoing challenges, and hotels must be adaptable to remain competitive. By embracing new technologies, providing distinctive experiences, and implementing sustainable practices, hotels can overcome these challenges and flourish in the years ahead.
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With the changes in consumer profile, especially in tourism activity, facing the issues brought by globalization, greater access to and use of Technologies, and more recently, the restrictions imposed by the protocols to prevent contamination by the Covid-19 virus and its consequences, it has been necessary to change the way of experiencing tourism, leading the market to adapt to the new reality. Thus, the incentive to implement so-called Proximity Tourism has gathered strength, prompting the following research question: how has this type of tourism been addressed and how have the cities of the Brazilian Northeast have been working with this theme to promote their potential on the social network platform Instagram? The main objective of this study was to perform an observational analysis of what is being posted on this social network concerning proximity tourism, by investigating the use of the hashtag #turismodeproximity, and whether the cities of the Northeast of Brazil are using this Instagram tool. As the result of this research, it was found that of the total posts indexed with this hashtag, only a small number are directly related to this region, indicating a lack of dissemination, and consequently, failure to generate greater visibility for this tourism modality.
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Understanding what factors play a role in people's decisions to travel during a pandemic is important to public health officials and to stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry in the United States (US) and worldwide. This study examines factors influencing people's decisions to cancel/postpone recreational travel within the US amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Our conceptual framework extends the Expected Utility model, commonly used in economics to model decisions under risk and uncertainty, to incorporate subjective norms and perceived behavioral control from the Theory of Planned Behavior. Our results suggest that risk perceptions, subjective norms, and concerns over transmitting COVID-19 to others play a significant role in the decision to cancel and postpone recreational travel. Results also suggest that perceived behavioral control may be less relevant to travel decisions when traveling involves elevated health risks.
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This research determines the impacts of COVID-19 US on crawfish production and consumption for 2020 and 2021 using an Equilibrium Displacement Model. In the US, crawfish is one of the seafood commodities where most production is consumed by domestic consumers (7% of domestic consumption is from imports). Crawfish and rice are complementary. Therefore, the impacts of COVID-19 on crawfish consumption simultaneously influence rice production and crawfish producers and consumers. In the first year of COVID-19 (2020), the reduction in crawfish retail demand caused negative effects on final consumers and producers. However, crawfish consumption recovered significantly in the second year (2021), which could compensate for the loss in 2020. Overall, consumer and producer gains ranged from $549 to $626 million if the COVID-19 pandemic only impacted retail consumption. However, in 2021, the increase in production costs due to higher oil/diesel prices and other input prices caused the farm supply to decrease. As a result, total welfare gains ranged from $200 to $228 million. If the demand in 2021 did not increase, but the crawfish farm supply decreased, consumer and producer losses ranged from $929 to $1045 million. Overall, the total effects of COVID-19 on consumers and producers for 2020 and 2021 depend on its effects in 2021. If the demand in 2021 increased following the decrease in farm supply, consumers and producers would benefit from the shocks of COVID-19 due to higher post-COVID-19 demand.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced various aspects of people's lives;for instance, restrictions during the pandemic have forced people to think about sports participation and physical activity in new ways. There has been growing interest in technological interventions to support exercise-related behavioural changes in daily life;in particular, exergames designed to induce full-body movement offer alternatives to physical activity. Since Taiwan has a high rate of ownership of exergame-related equipment, it is worth examining players' perceptions of using exergames for exercise. This study utilised a Means-End Chain analysis with in-depth laddering interviews to investigate Taiwanese perceptions of certain attributes of exergames as most likely to produce desired consequences in accordance with their values. The findings provide researchers and practitioners interested in the use of technology for exercise with valuable implications of Means-End Chain theory and structuration theory and suggestions for exergame design and promotion.
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Background: At seasonal tourist destinations like Shimla, rooms may remain vacant and unoccupied during lean periods. To add on, pandemic has already shut many small lodging facilities. Background: The aim of this study is to improve our understanding of how homestay activities can contribute to revitalize sustainable tourism trends in Shimla, the study assumes particular importance in a period of economic crisis characterized by post COVID trauma. Methodology: A survey was conducted in Shimla after first wave of corona virus from September 20 to December 20 as soon as the travel restrictions were uplifted. The travel and accommodation preferences of tourists were observed and found to be shifting towards less frequently visited places avoiding mass tourism. To highlight the role of homestays in reviving these tourism trends, three objectives were identified. Two separate questionnaires were developed to get the quantitative and qualitative data for this research. The data was tabulated and evaluated using SPSS tool. Results: The findings presented the analysed profile of the potential homestay operators as well as visitors seeking homestay tourism. It also reports the motivations, expectation and experience of the tourists regarding various aspects of homestay. Conclusion: Homestays can act as potential vital tool in reviving tourism.
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Our world is changing too fast. The distances have been shortened and communication has been increased by the invention and widespread use of the internet. Our habits started to change in many aspects of our lives by the development of digitalization. Especially during the pandemic Covid-19 that has started at the end of 2019, it's observed that mobility of people have been decreased and however, they began to have difficulties in meeting the needs. There has been a great demand for companies that sell over the internet. In particular, the tendencies of people to purchase food items which are their vital need over the internet have increased to a great extent. Looking at the e-commerce market on a sectorial basis during the pandemic, the biggest increase was seen in e-food trade with a growth of approximately 400%. Within that period, it is predicted that our purchasing habits will change rapidly and virtual markets will become much more important in our lives. The delivery of food products to the consumer has always been a big problem. The risk of deterioration of the products in a short time and the physical destruction of the products during their transportation has increased the importance of food logistics. The logistics channels are needed to be developed in order to increase e-food trade. For this reason, contemporary logistics channels have started to be used by integrating developed logistics applications to the traditional logistics channels. It will be much faster and cost-efficient to deliver the products to the consumer with the new logistics channels in the near future. Yield penalty due to transportation will decrease, and since the number of stock brokers is reduced, the consumer will be able to reach the product they demand at a more affordable price from the producer that they have chosen. In the future, physical stores will be replaced by logistics-supported virtual markets. The agriculture and food sector should also start working in order to accommodate quickly to the new trade order.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the tourism industry in Bali, leading to a decline in tourist visits. To address this issue, efforts have been made to restore tourism by building the intention of tourists to revisit the island. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence tourists' revisit intentions, with a specific focus on the impact of electronic word-of-mouth (E-WOM) and travel experience, and the mediating role of destination image. The study targeted domestic tourists who had visited Bali, and a sample of 250 respondents was selected through purposive sampling. Data collection was conducted through the distribution of questionnaires, and the analysis was performed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique with the SmartPLS tool. The study revealed that E-WOM had no significant influence on the intention to revisit, while travel experience had a positive and significant effect on the intention to revisit. The image of the destination also had a positive and significant impact on tourists' revisit intentions. Additionally, E-WOM and travel experiences positively affected the destination image. The study also found that the destination image partially mediated the influence of E-WOM and tourist experience on the intention to revisit. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the factors that affect tourists' revisit intentions and can be used to develop effective strategies for restoring the tourism industry in Bali. The study highlights the importance of providing high-quality travel experiences and promoting a positive destination image to encourage tourists to revisit Bali. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need to carefully consider the role of E-WOM in promoting tourism and suggests that it may not always have a significant impact on tourists' revisit intentions. Overall, this study contributes to the body of knowledge on tourism marketing and provides practical recommendations for tourism practitioners and policymakers.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, with events and travel on hold, all sectors of the hospitality industry have been challenged to reimagine their business models to keep their businesses profitable, even by rethinking them towards sustainability. While there have been positive signs of recovery and increases in hotel bookings, the pandemic has dramatically changed consumer demands and expectations, forcing companies to adapt their offerings accordingly, so hotels have gotten creative over the past 2 years in repurposing and selling rooms and spaces for events, after the negative impact caused by the SARS COV 2 pandemic. The purpose of the paper is to highlight the actions undertaken by tourism operators in order to reinvent the services offered as a result of the pandemic.
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Living conditions in today's metropolitan cities shorten the time it takes for individuals to do sports. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of the home office environment has increased, causing physical activities to be moved to the indoor environment. The home environment has brought people's desire for socialization, physical activity, reduction of anxiety levels, and psychological relaxation to the fore even more. The epidemic, which still continues after the closure of more than two years, has expanded the use of casual clothes in the field of formal wear. Employees at the global level have turned to the use of leisure clothing, which provides more comfort than in the past. Depending on this demand, production has also gained momentum in the global sports ready-to-wear industry. This study aims to determine the ready-made clothing products preferred by individuals who regularly do sports and compare them with global data. The data of the research, in which the descriptive method was selected, was collected from structured questionnaires and literature data. The study group consisted of 208 people who volunteered to participate in the research and whose answers were accepted as valid, among the people who regularly do sports in the four big cities of Turkey (Bursa, Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir). Some of the data were collected over the internet due to the epidemic, and some of the data were collected through face-to-face interviews in gyms. Descriptive statistics applied data show similarities with global-based apparel market data. Individuals do sports to stay physically and mentally healthy and socialize. Indoor sports halls and houses are the most preferred places for sports activities, and the most preferred clothing products are t-shirts, tracksuits, and undershirt/singlet. The findings have been interpreted comparatively with the global data. It has been tried to reveal the future-oriented data for the product groups and market segments of the companies.
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This paper studies the change in the distance traveled by domestic tourists considering the pre- and post-pandemic outbreak summer periods of 2019 and 2020. Using representative monthly microdata involving more than 31,000 trips conducted by Spanish residents, we examine the heterogeneity in behavioral adaptation to COVID-19 based on sociodemographic and trip-related characteristics. To account for selection effects and the potential change in the population composition of travelers between the two periods, we estimate an endogenous switching regression that conducts separate regressions for the pre- and post-pandemic periods in a unified econometric framework. Our results point to heterogeneous shifts in the distance traveled by domestic travelers after COVID-19 outbreak per sociodemographic group, with notable differences by travel purpose and lower relevance of traditional determinants like income.
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The COVID-19 pandemic caused several short- and mid-term disruptions, to which businesses must adapt. The main goal of this research is to investigate the impact of e-traders response to Covid-19 challenges on online growth. Using existing survey data results linear multiply regression was performed and statistically significant results confirmed that online growth during the Covid-19 emergency was higher in the companies that undertake marketing and delivery adaptation. Further, it was confirmed that e-traders that were selling traditionally and online made higher online growth. Companies with fewer employees were more adaptable to reach higher online growth. Online growth obviously was affected by online sales, and online visits do not statistically significantly influence online growth. The e-traders that believe in the potential for e-commerce in North Macedonia have achieved higher online growth. The timing of the start of the online business does not affect the online growth of e-traders.
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Seafood is the food group with the highest share traded, and the U.S. is the world's largest seafood importer, importing 79% of the seafood consumed. Hence, a study examining the impacts of the measures to contain COVID-19 on U.S. seafood imports will not only show how U.S. seafood availability has been affected, but will also give strong indications of how resiliently the global seafood markets have worked through the pandemic. We find that U.S. imports of seafood actually increased in 2020 and 2021, suggesting supply chains were able to adapt to potential disruptions. Moreover, for the 14 largest product forms imported to the U.S., there are no strong price movements. Given that there is a global market for most species groups, this adaption also suggests that the markets have worked quite well beyond the U.S. Hence, while there have undoubtedly been market shocks associated with the COVID-19 measures such as the reduction in demand from the restaurant sector and the increased sales in the retail sector, opportunities seem to balance out challenges, and the supply chains for seafood to the U.S. have been highly resilient.
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This special issue on tourism in northeast Brazil includes five articles which deal with: the use of Instagram to promote proximity tourism in northeast Brazil;the visual language (images and colours) of tourism advertisements for the northeast region;the influence of time pressure on the intention to visit the destinations of Aracaju, Sergipe and Salvador, Bahia;community-based tourism in Prainha do Canto Verde, Beberibe, Ceara;and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of hotel housekeeping staff in Joao Pessoa, Paraiba.
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This special issue includes 17 articles addressing knowledge gaps in the tourism and hospitality literature regarding the sharing economy and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The articles provide systematic literature syntheses, seminal theory-building efforts and creative endeavors that unveil novel findings related to the sharing economy's evolution in the post-pandemic era.
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Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effects of memorable dining experiences (MDEs) in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 530 valid survey responses were collected in the USA. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to estimate inner and outer models. A two-stage approach was applied to test the moderating effects of restaurant safety measures. Additional analyses were conducted to compare electronic word of mouth (eWOM) intention and actual eWOM behavior. Findings: All five dimensions contributed to the overall memorability of a dining experience, with affect being the primary factor. Overall memorability was positively related to subjective well-being and actual eWOM behavior. Restaurant safety measures were positively related to the overall experience but did not moderate the relationship between any dimension and overall memorability. Research limitations/implications: Findings provide empirical support for the conceptualization of MDEs during a pandemic and underscore the importance of actual eWOM behavior in restaurant research. Practical implications: Results offer guidance for restaurant managers in designing MDEs. Originality/value: The restaurant industry is evolving from simply providing products and services to creating experiences. Yet the impacts of crafting MDEs are not well understood, especially during a pandemic. This study filled this gap by investigating MDEs and their effects on subjective well-being and eWOM behavior.
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One of the economic engines of the world is the leisure and hospitality sector. The industry's rapid embrace of new technology in recent years has significantly changed the manner that Both giving and receiving services. This study examines examine some of the most cutting-edge technology available today employed in the hotel sector and their working conditions boosting visitor experiences and transforming the hospitality platform for services. We also think about some possible futures. We might anticipate hospitality services as the Internet of IoT technology is continually developing. We continue to debate Several major obstacles must be overcome in order to implement a long-term, future-proof hospitality solution industry. Because the hospitality sector is very competitive and those who do not adapt are left behind, it is crucial to not only stay on top of the most recent technological advances but also to change with the times. In the context of COVID, keeping an eye on the pulse is especially crucial because consumer expectations and requirements are always changing.