Tourism and Travel Commons^™

Aruba's Taxing Dilemma: Navigating Tourist Perceptions On Room Tax And Turnover Tax In Paradise, Jorge Ridderstaat, Robertico Croes, Manuel A. Rivera, Jeong-Yeol Park

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

This study presents the second part of our assignment for the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA). Our study investigated the effects of two tax proposals (a turnover tax rate increase from 6% to 7% and a room tax rate increase from 9.5% to 12.5%) on tourism demand. We used monthly time-series data on tourism arrivals from several markets, including the U.S., The Netherlands, and other markets. We also segmented the arrival data based on the accommodations used in Aruba (high-rise, low-rise, and other accommodations). We applied several procedures to prepare and test the data before applying an Autoregressive Distributed Lag model …

Developing And Validating A Scale Of Tourism Gentrification In Rural Areas, Chaohui Wang, Yumei Xu, Tingting Zhang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In recent years, tourism gentrification has made great progress in rural areas and has had significant impacts on these areas' development, specifically in the domains of the economy, living standards, community, culture, and environment. Tourists play a key role in developing tourism gentrification in rural areas, but research investigating tourism gentrification in rural areas from the tourist perspective is scarce. To fill this gap, we focus on tourism gentrification and develop a measurement scale from the tourist perspective through multiple qualitative and quantitative steps. Our findings confirm that tourism gentrification in rural areas from the tourist perspective comprises eight dimensions: …

A Modern Guide To Tourism Economics, Chapter 1: Introduction, Robertico Croes, Yang Yang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This Modern Guide captures the evolution of foundational tenets, theories, frameworks and models that buttressed tourism economics into an evolving discipline, shining light on both new and old approaches. It systematically examines current and future trends and issues related to new economic perspectives, consolidating the notion of tourism economics as a discipline.

Hungry For Food And Community: A Study Of Visitors To Food And Wine Festivals, Mohammed Lefrid, Edwin N. Torres

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The present study explored the effects of various food and wine festival experience elements (e.g. authenticity, entertainment, and spending time with others) on visitors' sense of community, identification, and place attachment. The authors conducted survey research with 304 former visitors to food festivals. Data were analyzed using partial least square – structural equation modeling. Results revealed that food and wine festival experience elements (e.g. authenticity, entertainment, and spending time with friends and family) positively influenced visitors' sense of community, identification with the event, and attachment to the hosting destination. Significant findings relating to the mediating effect of sense of community …

Rosen College Distribution Map And Research, Rosen College Of Hospitality Management

Rosen Research Review

Below are statistics for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management’s faculty research. These statistics include Rosen Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works, Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies, and the Rosen Research Review.

Cleaning Invisible Matter In Open-Kitchen Restaurants To Reduce The Impact Of Covid-19, Bendegul Okumus

Rosen Research Review

Commercial cooking in indoor settings is known to produce particulate matter, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets which can cause acute or chronic respiratory problems. Recent studies suggest that these invisible particles also make people more susceptible to adverse health effects of the COVID-19 virus. Dr. Bendegul Okumus was joined by a team and conducted an experimental scientific study in an open-kitchen chain restaurant to determine whether the levels of particulate matter (PM) pollution were potentially harmful for both kitchen staff and customers dining at the restaurant.

Risk Perceptions And Motivations Around Restaurant Dining During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Yost

Rosen Research Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused devastating financial decline within the restaurant industry. Dr. Elizabeth Yost from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management and her collaborator have undertaken research to understand what motivates customers in this unchartered landscape. They have developed a new theoretical model which focuses on the impact of customer risk perceptions and optimistic bias. Other influencers are personality traits and factors such as customer loyalty and trust, which Dr. Yost argues can be maintained through transparency of information.

Student Engagement And Satisfaction With Online Labs, Cynthia Mejia, Robin Back, Jason Fridrich, Marissa Orlowski

Rosen Research Review

Hospitality and tourism is a ‘people business.’ So what happened when the need for social isolation as a result of COVID-19 forced hospitality educators to rethink their pedagogical strategies and move previously face-to-face courses online? In one of the first studies of its kind, Marissa Orlowski, Cynthia Mejia, Robin Back and Jason Fridrich from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management researched student engagement and satisfaction in online culinary and beverage labs.

Rosen College Hosts Five Important Journals In The Hospitality & Tourim Field; Dick Pope Sr. Institute For Tourism Studies, Rosen College Of Hospitality Management

Rosen Research Review

The Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies is based at at the University of Central Florida.

Great Expectations: Are There Career Transition Prospects For Hospitality And Tourism Workers, Arthur Huang, Mark Baker

Rosen Research Review

Dr. Arthur Huang and Mr. Mark Baker of the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management explored skill and workforce development for the services industry, specifically examining the hospitality and tourism sector. Their study uncovered that hospitality and tourism workers possess the soft skills required across various industries. However, while soft skills can support career transitions, the hospitality industry and its workers should invest in developing more technology-focused skills to achieve greater career flexibility, advancement, and resilience.

Technology And Hospitality Education – Perfect Partners, Fred Okumu, Susan Vernon-Devlin

Rosen Research Review

Light Board recording, Microsoft HoloLens, Teams, and Zuddl are just a few of the technology advancements on the campus of the #1 college in the nation for hospitality education and research. It’s not just hardcover textbooks, library study sessions and classroom lectures when it comes to educating the future leaders of the hospitality industry, as they prepare for global careers. The tools for teaching have gone high tech.

Micro-Clustering: Bringing Innovation To Agritourism, Robin Back

Rosen Research Review

What’s better than simply drinking wine in a vineyard? Maybe a beautiful destination where the whole family can enjoy a day together, tasting wine, enjoying a variety of activities, and watching the kids play. Dr. Robin Back at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management and his collaborators have examined a case example that presents a new business model for wine tourism—micro-clustering with diverse forms of ownership on two adjacent wine farms. The team reveals how a single South African agribusiness achieved success, and raises the possibility of other similar businesses doing the same.

The Impact Of Tourism Specialization On Transition Economies, Robertico Croes, Jorge Ridderstaat

Rosen Research Review

What is the relationship between tourism specialization, economic growth, and human development in transition economies? That’s the question behind a new study led by Rosen Professor Robertico Croes and Assistant Professor Jorge Ridderstaat. Using Poland as a case study, the research looks at the role of tourism in economic and human development since communism fell in the 1990s and the country transitioned from a centrally-driven to a market-led economy.

A Model For Creating Memorability In A Rural Tourism Destination, Wei Wei

Rosen Research Review

Tourism research is encouraging a shift in marketing towards promoting experiences, but for those experiences to translate into returning visits and word of mouth sharing, they need to be memorable. But what makes an experience memorable? To answer this, Dr. Wei Wei, from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality has, together with collaborators, created and tested a model for experiential memorability in domestic and outbound tourists with one of the world’s biggest tourism markets

Where Do We Go From Here? Festival Films And The Future Of Entertainment: An Interview With Industry Leader Gregory Elias, Ray Eddy

Rosen Research Review

An interview with Gregory Elias, an entertainment entrepreneur and visionary by Dr. Ray Eddy

Reaching Out To Occupational Therapists, Alan Fyall

Rosen Research Review

Accessible tourism is a growing area of tourism research. The belief that all tourism facilities, products, and services should be accessible to those with disabilities drives research in tourism ethics and sustainability. However, a key voice is being ignored. Occupational therapists play a critical role in enabling people with disabilities to participate in the activities of daily life, including leisure. Dr. Alan Fyall believes it is time for interdisciplinary research with occupational therapists to properly understand accessible tourism.

An Integrated Behavioral Model For International Medical Tourism, Suja Chaulagain, Abraham Pizam, Youcheng Wang

Rosen Research Review

From dental procedures to cardiac surgery, an international market is developing for medical tourism, thanks not least to globalisation and the high standard of medical treatment now available around the world. But what drives individuals to travel abroad for healthcare? In an important new study, Rosen College Assistant Professor Suja Chaulagain, Founding Dean Abraham Pizam, and Dean Youcheng Wang take a social psychological perspective of health-related behavior and the concepts that influence it.

Developing A Scale To Measure Destination Gender, Tingting Zhang

Rosen Research Review

Whether they depict the rugged landscape of the American West or the seductive charm of a South Asian beach, photographs and their accompanying text are powerful drivers of tourism demand. But what lies behind our response to such tourism tropes? Rosen College researchers have produced a new study which reappraises destination marketing through a gender-based lens. Led by Dr. Tingting Zhang, the study has developed and validated a cross-cultural scale to determine ‘destination gender’, or whether a location should be thought of as having masculine or feminine gender traits and appeal.

Emotions, Feelings, And Moods In Tourism And Hospitality Research: Conceptual And Methodological Differences, Maksim Godovykh, Asli Tasci

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Researchers often tend to use the words emotions, feelings, moods, and affect interchangeably, which creates confusion in both conceptual and methodological domains of tourism and hospitality research. However, the insights from neuroscience and psychology demonstrated that there are fundamental differences between these concepts, including their causes, duration, intensity, and outcomes. This research note aims to discuss conceptual and methodological aspects related to using emotions, moods, feelings, and affect, provide comprehensive definitions, and outline opportunities to capture them comprehensively in tourism and hospitality research.

Hospitality Art: A Research Note On The Main Factors Affecting Attractiveness Of Visual Art In Airbnb Settings, Maksim Godovykh, Carissa A. Baker

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The hospitality sector has a long history of creating aesthetic landscapes. Artworks, from paintings and photographs to sculptures and architectural features, have received prominent placement in hospitality spaces. Decades of discussion in the industry and academia exist on art in hotels as well as the aesthetic communication present in a service- scape, or the physical environment of a service landscape that influences image, brand perception, and emotional and cognitive processes (Bitner, 1992; Lin, 2004, 2016; Wakefield & Blodgett, 2016). Art-based initiatives function as a form of value creation that strengthens emotional attachment and relationships with brands (Koronaki, Kyrousi, & Panigyrakis, …

Vr In Tourism: A New Call For Virtual Tourism Experience Amid And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Maksim Godovykh, Carissa Baker, Alan Fyall

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Virtual reality has become a more common phenomenon in both destination marketing and on-site experience. The recent challenges such as overtourism and the COVID-19 pandemic have created a pressing need to examine virtual tourism as an alternative to traditional travel. This conceptual article aims at clarifying virtual experience in tourism, discussing the main antecedents and outcomes of virtual experience, and proposing a conceptual model of virtual tourism experience. The review of the literature revealed that virtual experience in tourism is influenced by factors related to information, quality, technology acceptance, and affective involvement and has significant effects on tourists' attitudes and …

Paris In The Springtime, Exhibit Brochure, Gina Rippens

Rosen Library Exhibits

Brochure featuring exhibit highlights from the display and additional resources.

See more items from this exhibit.

Paris In The Springtime, Exhibit Sign, Gina Rippens

Rosen Library Exhibits

Sign introducing the Paris in the Springtime exhibit.

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Tropical Cyclones Negatively Impact The Tourism Economy In Coastal Regions, Sergio Alvarez, Arthur Huang

Rosen Research Review

Tropical cyclones can have a devastating effect on communities, causing loss of property, businesses, and life. In areas that rely on tourism, these effects can be long-lasting. In their recent work, Dr. Sergio Alvarez and Dr. Arthur Huang from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management have examined the impact that tropical cyclones have on the tourism economy in Florida. The results suggest that these cyclones negatively impact the economy, especially in coastal regions, and that policy changes are needed to help the tourism sector recover

On The Face Of It: The Use Of Facial Recognition Check-In Technology, Tingting (Christina) Zhang

Rosen Research Review

Facial recognition technology and biometrics are fast growing areas of artificial intelligence. In this article we look at an innovative study by Rosen College Associate Professor, Dr. Tingting Zhang and her collaborators. Their research reveals how perceived security, privacy and trust, as well as previous experience, are key to encouraging hotel users to adopt the technology at the check-in de

Qiddiya: The Capital Of Entertainment In Saudi Arabia, Manuel Rivera

Rosen Research Review

Located only 45km away from Riyadh, Qiddiya is a city that is destined to become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia, providing thousands of jobs, millions of dollars of revenue and a pathway to the future for a whole generation of young Saudis. Dr. Manuel Rivera interviews the CEO of Qiddiya, Philippe Gas, to discuss where his passion for hospitality originated, the bright future of Qiddiya, and their partnership with UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Social Representations Of Space Travel, Asli D. A. Tasci, Alan Fyall, Xiaoxiao Fu

Rosen Research Review

Space tourism regularly receives media coverage, but so far, there has been little research around public opinions towards space travel. Dr. Asli D.A. Tasci, Dr. Alan Fyall and Dr. Xiaoxiao Fu from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management used the Social Representations Theory to investigate public attitudes to space travel and uncover how and why these attitudes are formed. They discovered that commercial space organizations have a strong influence on public opinion, which can be further enhanced if they incorporate more scientific knowledge and evidence.

Why Employees Are Learving And Will Not Return To Work In The Hospitality Industry, Robertico Croes, Kelly Semrad, Manuel Rivera

Rosen Research Review

An important new report by Rosen College researchers should be taken as a wakeup call for the tourism and hospitality industry in the U.S. following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Journey To The Dragon's Gate: A Study Of Hybrid Ride Systems And How They Enhance Attraction Storytelling, Matthew Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

The purpose of this thesis is to explore a new type of ride design which integrates one or more transitions between formats. Theme Park visitors have come to expect a certain type of immersive experience from attractions. Most rides in the parks are very predictable such as roller coasters which offer loops, drops, speed and quick turns, while dark rides offer a slower pace with the attention on storytelling. The solution to this situation is to combine two ride systems or more into a single ride. The ride system for my attraction begins with a free-floating boat ride navigating its …

The Global Impact Of Covid-19 And Tourism On Conservation Rangers' Guardianship Capabilities, Zachary Bockler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted wildlife rangers with an emphasis on the influences of tourism rates. Two sets of data are used: one is a survey of rangers around the world and the other looks at global governmental tourism data. While coming from a routine activities perspective, the problem of decreased capable guardianship becomes apparent in the form of massively decreased tourism arrivals and troubling ranger perceptions. This data allows for the establishment of tourism trends and changes during COVID. The findings of this thesis link the downturn in tourism with impacts on formal and informal …