Contributions Of Information And Communication Technologies To Cultural Tourism Experiences: Toward A Smart Destination, Alexandra Georgescu Paquin, Ainhoa Carballido Risco

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

OVERVIEW

Cultural tourism is a growing sector in which technologies play an important role. Location-based technology, or augmented, virtual and mixed reality, amongst many others, open up new possibilities for managers and at the same time enhance cultural tourism experience in all its stages. In this context, cities, and destinations in particular, need to innovate in order to assure a sustainable and competitive offer that benefits to both tourists and residents by facilitating their daily life through smart initiatives. The purpose of this conceptual chapter is to analyze how the creation of cultural tourism experience with information and communication technologies …

Wearable Technologies: Kinesthetic Dimension In Enriching Tourist Experience, Guzide Z. Egeli, Hulya Kurgun

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

OVERVIEW

Wearable technologies (WTs), started to play an important role within the tourism ecosystem. These technologies open up new possibilities for all types of tourism operators such as Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), airlines, hotels, cruise lines, theme parks, museums and other attractions in terms of offering competitive advantage and assuring a sustainable offer. In this context, tourism-related companies and destinations, in particular, need to employ new strategies and be innovate in order to meet the demand of sophisticated consumers, improve the satisfaction of the tourist and increase the overall tourism experience. Although the role of this technology is still very …

The Importance And Role Of Digital Marketing In The Preference Of Touristic Products In Turkiye, Gul Yilmaz, Neyir H. Tekeli

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

OVERVIEW

The rapid development of technology all over the world, the widespread use of the Internet in all areas has enabled consumers to benefit from digital marketing in their product purchasing activities. Tourism companies use digital platforms and channels for promotional purposes in touristic product marketing to reach potential tourists. Young people who are familiar with the technology make their hotel reservation or car rental preferences for the time period they need through digital platforms. They always take into account the so-called electronic advice (e- WOM) messages before selecting the destination. Tourists can easily examine the virtual images of the …

Virtual Reality Marketing In Hospitality And Tourism, King-Yin Wong

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

OVERVIEW

In the information explosion era, consumers are now better informed about different products and services than ever. It becomes increasingly challenging for every marketer to cater to the needs of these sophisticated consumers, which is their top priority amid the fierce competition. Capitalizing on its novelty and experiential nature, virtual reality (VR) is one of the latest technologies shown to have been effective in attracting and engaging consumers, particularly in the tourism industry. A complete understanding of VR technology and its strengths and weaknesses is conducive to a better assessment of the technological tool for marketers to determine the …

Analytics In Hospitality And Tourism: Online Travel Reviews, Estela Marine-Roig

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

OVERVIEW

User-generated content, shared with other users through social media, has increased considerably in the previous decade. In particular, the content generated by travelers, mainly online travel reviews (OTRs), has grown dramatically. This abundant recorded information has served as a basis for conducting numerous research on big data and social media analytics. Reviewers share their OTRs on travel-related websites including peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation platforms and online travel agencies (OTAs). The aim of this chapter is to offer an overview of the state of the art of hospitality and tourism analytics based on OTRs, and explore the possibilities of gaining insight, …

Technology In Senior Living Communities, Lu Zhang, Yunying Zhong, Wei Wei

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

OVERVIEW

While the senior living industry has witnessed remarkable growth over the years, the challenges associated with labor shortage are becoming more evident as well. The gap between supply and demand is driving the integration of technological solutions to better support older people and their daily activities. Besides, the senior living industry has increasingly embraced the spirit of hospitality, which emphasizes the importance of enhancing services and amenities. Such a cultural shift also calls for more technologies to assist caregivers in fulfilling their job responsibilities more effectively. Therefore, this chapter delves into six prevalent types of technology adopted by senior …

Digital Marketing In Hospitality And Tourism, Shankar R

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

In the present world, the service providers are in a dire need to address and customize, and gratify customer needs based on their experiences, preferences, interests, and behavior. There comes the rescue, the digital marketing that has been evolved tremendously over the past couple of years amidst the pandemic. Though the presence was sensed long back to the start of the decade, its imperativeness has become inevitable after 2015. In India and across the globe the people are finding ways to stay handy, having all their needs fulfilled at their doorsteps. There comes digital marketing. In the name of …

Big Data And Business Intelligence In Hospitality And Tourism, Gozde Turktarhan, Ram Gopalan, Emrah Ozkul

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The developments in technology in the last 25 years have brought many changes in the tourism and hospitality sector as well as in many other fields. Big data and business intelligence, which are the leading ones among these developments, have caused some changes in the way of doing business in the tourism industry. Explaining the relationship between big data and business intelligence is important for understanding how these changes are reflected in the tourism industry. Business intelligence and big data, which enable many processes to be completed in a shorter time, also bring some ethical problems. In this book chapter, …

Blockchain In The Hospitality And Tourism Industry, Christa Barkel, Hulya Kurgun, Brenda Groen

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This chapter will provide information on what Blockchain is and why it is used. It describes the basic concepts underlying Blockchain technology, such as distributed ledgers, consensus mechanisms, mining, smart contracts, P2P, and the classification of existing Blockchain systems. Next, it explores Blockchain applications in general, in businesses and society. Blockchain maybe used e.g., for fundraising, in education, and for provenance and authenticity registration. The last part of the chapter is devoted to application of Blockchain in general to applications in the hospitality and tourism industry. It considers how Blockchain makes it possible to create new types of platforms where …

Hotel And Guest Room Technology, Betsy B. Stringam, John H. Gerdes

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Hotels are utilizing a variety of technologies in the guest room and throughout the hotel. Artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cloud computing, internet of things (IoT), robots, cobots (collaborative robots), and chatbots are changing the service experience and hotel operations. Technology is redefining how we interact with the guest at all touchpoints, and how we manage employees and processes in hotel operations. Hotel and guestroom technologies provide increased management tools and data, to predict reservation demand, guest needs, and even when equipment might fail. While hotel technologies are increasingly automated, the use of technology is balanced …

Network & Cyber Security In Hospitality And Tourism, Emmanuel Fragniere, Kamil Yagci

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The tourism sector was transformed early on by digitalization, which makes it a very innovative area of business. At the same time, this high level of digitalization maturity makes it a very vulnerable industry in terms of cyber security. As a tourism specialist, it is therefore crucial to have a good understanding of network and cybersecurity. In this chapter, we will address this topic in an accessible and popularized manner. The goal is to understand the challenges of cybersecurity and as a tourism professional to contribute with specialists in the field to protect your business, your network, and your customers. …

The Dual Aspect Of Technology In Tourism: Social Contradictions Surrounding The Sharing Economy And Smart Destination Development, Miha Bratec, Marco A C Bernabeu, Dejan Krizaj, Josep Ivars-Baidal, Ana B C Diaz, Peter Kopic, Tadej Rogelja

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The technology and the rise of Web 2.0. enabled the meteoric rise of P2P platforms facilitating transactions and consequential establishment of the sharing economy concept. This accelerated technological change has led to new dynamics in cities and tourist destinations such as over-tourism with the so-called arise of sharing economy significantly fueling it. The main purpose of our chapter is to systematically review this dual aspect of technological impacts in tourism. On the one hand, we review the technological aspects that underpin the development of sharing economy and consequential over-tourism in destinations. On the other hand, we consider aspects that seem …

Technology For Spas, Salons, And Wellness Centers, Su Gibson

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Spas, salons and wellness centers have been slow to embrace new technologies, but guest expectations of personalization, access to information, and ease of transactions have recently spurred the creation and adoption of many technology tools within this specialized field. This chapter explores technology commonly used in this segment for managing operations, marketing, enhancing the guest experience and evaluating performance. The chapter begins with an introduction to the nature of spa, salon and wellness center operations and explains how technology is used, in general, to facilitate this high-touch arena of hospitality. Additional topics include technology for managing operations such as point-of-sale …

Syrian Children’S Perceived Integration Into Turkish National Education System, Nurgul Bekdemir, Gulce Kalayci, Nuray Alagozlu

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This study is conducted to analyze Syrian children’s educational life from the perspective of the teachers and explore their acculturation process, and adaptation into the Turkish culture with reference to the difficulties. Moreover, the study will take into account their academic attainment as well as the implemented bilingual education model. Grounded theory was utilized to analyze the data as it enables a scrupulous analysis when there is not much detailed information on the topic. Thematic analysis was conducted as the qualitative research design is required to explore and identify the academic achievement and social adaptation process of Syrian students in …

Beliefs About Teaching (Bats2) - Rasch Model Analysis Of An Instrument Based On Intasc Critical Dispositions, W. Steve Lang, Lasonya Moore, Judy R. Wilkerson

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This research is one of a chain of studies on the development and testing of a battery of teacher dispositions assessments designed to measure the InTASC critical dispositions (InTASC, 2013). Accredited programs in the US are required to use these standards and to assess teacher dispositions. Here, an alternate form of the Thurstone agreement scale (Beliefs About Teaching Survey or BATS, version 2, Form B) was validated with US undergraduate teacher education majors from two public universities (N=149) with this population. Results indicate that Form B of BATSv2 has comparable results to Form A and the first version of the …

Does Millennial Shopping Orientation Using Augmented Reality Enabled Mobile Applications Really Impact Product Purchase Intention?, Anil Kumar

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Augmented reality (AR) applications have emerged as rapidly developing technology used in both physical and online to enhance the purchase intention. However, the research on product purchase intention using AR enabled mobile applications is still inconclusive. Thus this study is an attempt to examine whether augmented reality enabled mobile applications really impact the product purchase intention of Millennials. The study employed a survey questionnaire and administered directly to the respondents to collect the primary data. The results indicate that hedonic motivation, Telepresence, perceived ease of use, and service quality are positively related to product purchase intention whereas there is no …

How Learning Style Interacts With Voice-Assisted Technology (Vat) In Consumer Task Evaluation, Bonnie Canziani, Sara Macsween

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This study explored the idea that consumer learning styles are relevant to the integration of voice-assisted technology (VAT) into consumer products and services. Visual learners found the use of VAT moderately easy when performing simple tasks such playing music, asking about the weather, and asking questions. Auditory learners exhibited stronger sentiment scores as well as willingness to use VAT for tasks that are more complex. Practitioners should focus on improvements in other aspects of modality to strengthen visual learners’ involvement with VAT devices. Auditory learners are best supported through the design of niche products and services that are differentiated by …

Artificial Intelligence In Retailing, Ibrahim Kircova, Munise Hayrun Saglam, Sirin Gizem Kose

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies have brought a completely new level of data processing that provides deeper business insights. Purchasing advice, dynamic pricing, personal content and advice have become widely used in the retail industry thanks to artificial intelligence. Almost real-time results can be achieved by expanding the scope of data obtained from existing customers and algorithms that mimic human-like behavior. In addition, interactions with machines are more widely accepted than before, allowing consumers to accept innovations faster and thus increase brand loyalty. On the other hand, the success of artificial intelligence, which will change the future …

Struggle With Covid-19 Crisis Within The Scope Of Financial National Security: The Example Of The Republic Of Turkey, Silacan Karakus

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The COVID-19 pandemic is a discovered infectious disease in the People's Republic of China. This disease was a transformation to pandemic, when to spread all over the world in a short time, within the research framework. The struggle of the COVID-19 in the scope of financial national security was an analytical issue with example of the Republic Turkey for this study. The initiation of the emergence process of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. The third part is an examination of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic to the whole world. The evaluated struggle of COVID-19 within the scope of financial …

Analysis Of E-Complaints Regarding Hotel Restaurants During Covid-19 Process: The Case Of Antalya, Sevim Usta, Serkan Sengul

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The study aimed to determine the customer complaints about hotel restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted in restaurants of 50 5-Star Hotels in Antalya, Turkey's most visited tourist destination. The authors consider that the findings of this study are important for comparing with the studies in current literature. Among the TripAdvisor reviews written in English between December 2019 and March 2021 on hotel restaurants, 300 complaints were detected. Of the 300 complaints, 825 content of complaint was determined. It was determined that the customer complaints are generally related to "average" services and that among the produced codes, …

The Performance Of Elementary Preservice Student Teachers Based On Interdisciplinary Curriculum Design, Ying-Feng Wang

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The study was aimed at exploring the performance exhibited by preservice student teachers in interdisciplinary curriculum design for elementary science in Taiwan. The subjects are eighty elementary preservice teachers from the National Metropolitan University. They designed integrated science curriculum and instruction by incorporating what they learned from the Elementary Science Methods course. The lesson plans, mind maps, artwork and feedback performed by the preservice student teachers were collected for data analyses. The findings indicated that eighty percent of preservice student teachers exhibited a high degree of interest in science instructional planning across different disciplines. They presented science lesson planning with …

Using Mnemonic Illustrations In First Reading And Writing: The Case Of Turkish Alphabet, Baris Kalender, Adem Gulec

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This study aims to create mnemonic illustrations for the letters in the Turkish alphabet to be used at the stage of first reading and writing in the first grade. The principles of Pavio's Dual Coding Theory and Sweller et al.'s Cognitive Load Theory were used in the creation of mnemonic letters. This study was designed as a qualitative research in which photo-elicitation method was used in data collection. The study group of the research consists of 25 classroom teachers and 300 students who completed pre-school education and were about to start primary school. The data collection process of the research …

Eco-Label Certification, Hotel Performance And Customer Satisfaction: Analysis Of A Case Study And Future Developments, Michele Preziosi, Alessia Acampora, Roberto Merli, Maria C. Lucchetti

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The hospitality industry is a significant contributor to environment degradation and over the last years has started to implement voluntary instruments to manage environmental sustainability of its operations. The main goal of this research is to examine guest perception of these practices with respect to other hotel service quality attributes. The first objective is to identify the existence of a specific environmental dimension among hotel service quality dimensions. Taking as baseline for the analysis the three-factor theory of customer satisfaction, the second objective of the study is to evaluate if green attributes are considered by guest as basic, performance, or …

Factors That Prevent Participation Of Tourists In Online Co-Creation Activities, Resat Arica, Feridun Duman, Abdulkadir Corbaci

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The study aimed to identify the factors that prevent tourists from participating in online co-creation activities. With this aim, the study sample was selected from the tourists who travelled to Istanbul, who did not participate in co-creation. The data were collected through the questionnaire technique, then, analyzed with descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. The findings of the study showed that three factors prevented the tourists from participating in online co-creation activities. These factors were named as (i) lack of knowledge, (ii) lack of participation in social communication networks, and (iii) personal perceptions of co-creation. Lack of knowledge is the most …

Brand New Leisure Constraint: Covid-19, Guliz Coskun

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The recent pandemic caused serious losses in the leisure industry worldwide. The recreation facilities and event management companies have suffered the negative economic impact of the pandemic, and some of them even went bankrupt. Due to facility closures and lockdowns people have no choice to spend their leisure time at home and engage in home-based leisure activities. The leisure time activity participation was already low among Turkish people before the pandemic. The fear of getting infected with COVID-19 led people to stay at home even during the summer times when the lockdown was paused. Families have to spend more time …

The Impact Of Tiktok’S Plastic Surgery Content On Adolescents’ Self-Perception And Purchase Intention, Markus Rach

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This paper analyzed the impact of plastic surgery related content generated by patients and by medical professionals on the self-perception and purchase intent of TikTok users. Doing so, this research project focused primarily on the short video platform TikTok, which displayed over 6 billion relevant content views, as well as a high demographic user-relevance to the main recipient of plastic surgery, females. Building upon an extensive literature review, insights and concepts from beauty, self-perception and influencer marketing research were conceptually related to frame the conceptual model for this project. Relevant user data was gathered by means of an online survey …

Significance Of Vr In The Spa: A Spatial Analysis, Irini L. F. Tang, Schultz Z. B. Xu, Eric Chan

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

The pandemic became a real part of daily life. We do not know whether it was God’s will or fate to halt worldwide travel. Both worldwide travelers and those who prefer to stay close to home were made more hyper aware of their physical and mental well-being. Keeping healthy and remaining well in terms of living a quality life became a priority. In this regard, spa visitors also desired to visit or travel somewhere else when the opportunity arose and the cost is affordable. Virtual Reality (VR) was one of the Smart Technologies that helped serve this wanderlust need when …

The Impact Of Effective Implementation Of Customer Relationship Management To The Success Of Hotels In Afikpo North Local Government Of Ebonyi State, Nigeria, Ogboagha Callister, Managwu Lilian

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This study assessed the impact of effective implementation of customer relationship management to the success of hotels in Afikpo North. The researchers formulated three objectives and one hypothesis for the purpose of the study. A total of eighty (80) respondents were sampled for the study. Questionnaire and personal interview were the instruments used for data collection. Relevant data collected were analyzed using simple percentages and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis. The findings of the study showed that product customisation, long term relationship, customer loyalty and return on investment were the importance of Customer Relationship Management …

Social Media Marketing In Rural Hospitality And Tourism Destination Research, Samuel Adeyinka-Ojo, Shamsul K. Abdullah

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

An increasing number of studies have been dedicated to the application of social media in the marketing of hospitality services and tourism destinations. However, there exists a lack of extant literature dedicated to exploring how social media can be used in the marketing of hospitality and tourism in rural destinations. In order to achieve the objectives of this paper, the methodology adopted, and samples used for the analysis of literature review composed of relevant papers published in hospitality and tourism journals on social media framework, social media marketing (SMM), rural hospitality and tourism (RHT) destinations. These existing literature works were …

Accessing School Content Using Multiple Languages In Early Childhood, Selina L. P. Mushi

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This study examined use of multiple languages in learning school content in early childhood. Data were collected from 25 classrooms in five schools in Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Dar es Salaam regions in Tanzania. The data collection process included structured classroom observations of teacher-student interactions, parent questionnaire responses and interviews notes, and teacher interview notes. These sets were analyzed separately and then triangulated to determine convergence of the study findings. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 15.0) was used to summarize numerical data and to correlate variables (age, gender, number of languages spoken, school location and performance ratings by parents). …