Tourism and Travel Commons^™

The Impact Of Social Capital On U.S. Based Destination Marketing Organizations And Interorganizational Relationships, Jeremy Fairley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Previous literature echoes the notion that destination marketing organizations (DMOs) play a critical role in ensuring a desired tourism development scenario. To date, the performance measurement of destination marketing organizations is paralleled to financial indicators or operations, ignoring the presence and quality of relationships among DMOs and tourism stakeholders. Based on the premise of social capital theory, it is argued that social capital and the inter-organizational relationships between DMOs and tourism stakeholders can influence the success of tourism efforts in a destination, which in return is a contributing factor to the DMOs success as an organization. Furthermore, broader literature indicates …

Employing A Network Perspective To Study Hazardous Events In Tourism: Tourism Connections, Island Preferences, And Tourism Market Concentrations In The Hawaiian Islands (2015-2021), Frida Bahja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this study was to employ a network perspective to detect fluctuations in tourism (at the level of tourism areas and by inbound tourism markets) that co-occur with hazardous events. Specifically, the study focuses on the Air Travel Tourism (ATT) network of the Hawaiian Islands and its changes with the incidence of nine hazardous events from 2015 to 2021. The three main aspects of the ATT network, which include tourism connections, island preferences, and concentrations of inbound tourism markets were analyzed for a total of eighty-four monthly and seven annual network models. The results suggest that the network …

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

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

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 …

Theme Park Queues As Diegetic Worlds: Using Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance As A Case Study For Core Design Elements, Jordan Zauha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis seeks to establish core design elements for use by theme park designers to complement the guidelines established by Ledbetter and his colleagues for theme parks. Building upon Rose Biggin's "strands of enquiry" for examining immersive theatre, the suggested core design elements for immersive theme park queues serve as guidance to craft queues where audiences can actively engage with the queue's storyworld and narrative. Implementation of the core design elements alongside the already established queue design guidelines should assist designers in crafting queues that minimize discomfort and maximize narrative immersion. Theme parks offer location-based narrative landscapes, often contributing to …

Sensory Overload: Creating Autism-Friendly Areas In Theme Parks Through Universal Design Principles, Lindsey Leffel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis project explores the application of Universal Design principles to the development of purpose-built rest and play spaces within United States theme parks that provide places of refuge for children with autism and their families. The goal is to offer ideas on how to create spaces where families and individuals can take a break from the over-stimulation of the traditional theme park environment in an area that has been specifically designed with their sensory needs in mind. Though the target demographic for these spaces is children with autism and their families, the ideas offered to create space will not …

Covid-19 And Tourism: Analyzing The Effects Of Covid-19 Statistics And Media Coverage On Attitudes Toward Tourism, Maksim Godovykh, Jorge Ridderstaat, Carissa Baker, Alan Fyall

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

COVID-19 has significantly influenced tourism, including tourists’ and residents’ attitudes toward tourism. At the same time, attitudes and consumer confidence are important for economic recovery in the tourism sector. This study explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s attitudes toward tourism by analyzing time-series data on the number of COVID-19 positive cases, vaccinations, news sentiment, a total number of daily mentions of tourism, and the share of voice for positive and negative sentiment toward tourism. The applied data analysis techniques include descriptive analysis, visual representation of data, data decomposition into trend and cycle components, unit root tests, Granger …

The State Of The Hospitality Industry 2021 Employment Report: Covid-19 Labor Force Legacy, Robertico R. Croes, Kelly Semrad, Manuel A. Rivera

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic's ongoing impact on the U.S. hospitality industry. The report details the primary economic issues the industry faces as well as provides a unique workforce analysis that anticipates continued labor shortages as the country moves towards an endemic. The research was conducted using a national survey with almost 1,000 U.S. hospitality workers. The survey includes questions pertaining to COVID-19 related hospitality employee topics such as: the impact COVID-19 had on hospitality jobs, employees' intentions to leave the industry, employees likelihood to accept or look for a hospitality job, employees' perceived …

An Empirical Modeling Of Transformation Process Through Trip Experiences, Asli D.A. Tasci, Maksim Godovykh

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Transformative experience has been the buzzword in recent years. Tourism and hospitality experiences in natural, historical, cultural, and authentic spaces are some of them. However, to this date, specific dimensions of transformation or its process have not been empirically identified. This study reviewed the literature on transformation, used open-ended questions to collect free-elicited responses on the meanings of transformation, collected expert opinion, and developed a 101-item scale reflecting different dimensions and the steps of the transformation process. The scale was validated with a sequential scale validation procedure; Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) were used …

Wish You Were Here, Exhibit Brochure, Judy Kuhns, Stephen Ford

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: August-December 2021

Featured items: Postcards from 1907-1915 during The Golden Age of Postcards, materials on loan from Special Collections, books from the Rosen Library Collection, and souvenirs. Primary Curators: Judy Kuhns and Stephen Ford

See more items from this exhibit

Wish You Were Here, Exhibit Sign, Judy Kuhns, Stephen Ford

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: August-December 2021

Featured items: Postcards from 1907-1915 during The Golden Age of Postcards, materials on loan from Special Collections, books from the Rosen Library Collection, and souvenirs. Primary Curators: Judy Kuhns and Stephen Ford

See more items from this exhibit

Preparing The Hospitality And Tourism Workforce For The Future Of Work, Arthur Huang

Rosen Research Review

The economic restructuring necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic has ignited a fundamental transformation of the US workforce driven by powerful digital technologies. No sector has been hit harder than the hospitality and tourism industry (H&T), and no industry has more to gain from reinvention. H&T employs about 32% of the US labor force; however, workers’ wages, benefits, and career support are among the lowest of all industries. Moreover, research shows that numerous jobs in H&T are susceptible to automation due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). The fears related to job loss resulting from applying advanced technology, such as AI, …

Rising From The Ashes Of Covid-19 Will Need A Sharp Focus On The Numbers, Manuel Rivera, Murat Kizildag, Robertico Croes

Rosen Research Review

If there is one sector that cannot move 'online', it is accommodation, and SLEs (small lodging establishments) have taken a merciless beating from COVID-19. Typically family-owned and managed, they have relatively high capital costs and overheads which means that even when revenues stop coming in, those liabilities still have to be met. This study by Dr. Manuel Rivera, Dr. Murat Kizildag, and Dr. Robertico Croes, of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, shows how a detailed break-even analysis can inform a business’s strategy for survival within the important SLE sector.

Households' Net Financial Wealth As A Determinant Of Tourism Demand Cycles: Evidence From Us Travel To Selected Caribbean Destinations, Jorge Ridderstaat

Rosen Research Review

Dr. Jorge Ridderstaat from Rosen College of Hospitality Management introduces the concept of net financial wealth as a determinant of tourism demand. His investigation provides theoretical propositions for policymakers by studying how cycles of household net finances affect tourism demand. He focuses on three destinations: Aruba, Barbados, and Jamaica. The findings reveal that the influence of net financial wealth on tourism demand is context-based and is specific to households, cycles, and countries, across both time and probability dimensions.

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.

Rosen College Hosts Five Important Journals In The Hospitality & Tourism Field, Rosen College Of Hospitality Management

Rosen Research Review

This page highlights five hospitality journals founded and/or edited by Rosen College of Hospitality Management faculty members.

From Bloom To Bust: Harmful Algae Blooms And Their Impacts On The Waterfront Economy, Sergio Alvarez

Rosen Research Review

The true costs of harmful algae blooms (HABs) and the mechanics that determine their socio-economic impacts are for the most part unknown. Florida’s 2017–2019 red tide (Karenia brevis) bloom is a historical case study of the ever-growing threats to coastal welfare posed by HABs. A new research project at Rosen College of Hospitality Management has this at its heart. The central objective of the project is the identification of direct, indirect, and induced socioeconomic impacts caused by the 2017–2019 K. brevis bloom in Florida.

Valuing The Negative Impacts Of Harmful Algae Blooms, Sergio Alvarez

Rosen Research Review

Ecological disturbances can impact several ecosystem services, including cultural services such as outdoor recreation opportunities. In Florida, one ecological disturbance that is negatively impacting recreation is the occurrence of harmful algae blooms. In recent work, Dr. Sergio Alvarez at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management has assessed the impact that harmful algae blooms have on human wellbeing by using random utility models to estimate changes in the value of recreation in coastal ecosystems resulting from these blooms. The results indicate that harmful algae blooms, which reduced boating access between June and September 2018, may have resulted in losses of up …

Tourism Competitiveness And Human Development, Robertico Croes, Jorge Ridderstaat, Valeriya Shapoval

Rosen Research Review

What motivates tourists to choose one destination over another and how does tourism impact those who live in tourist areas? As more parts of the world begin to reopen after the devastating health, social, and economic impacts they have suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the time is right to consider the link between tourism competitiveness and human development. New research led by Rosen College's Associate Dean Dr. Robertico Croes, Dr. Jorge Ridderstaat and Dr. Valeriya Shapoval presents a new theory and typology.

Antecedents And Outcomes Of Health Risk Perceptions In Tourism, Following The Covid-19 Pandemic, Maksim Godovykh, Abraham Pizam, Frida Bahja

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of perceived risks, identify the main antecedents and outcomes of health risk perceptions and propose a conceptual model of health risk perceptions in tourism.

Design/methodology/approach: This paper provides a review of the literature on customer risk perceptions, along with their antecedents and outcomes, and proposes a conceptual model of health risk perceptions in tourism.

Findings: Key findings reveal that the main factors of health risk perceptions can be broadly classified into cognitive, affective, individual and contextual components. The proposed conceptual model of health risk perceptions provides a theoretically integrated …

The Influence Of Post-Visit Emotions On Destination Loyalty, Maksim Godovykh, Asli D. A. Tasci

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: The influence of different factors including emotional states on loyalty has been previously discussed in the literature. However, the influence of post-visit emotions evoked by emotional stimuli on tourist loyalty lacks empirical attention. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of post-visit emotional stimuli on destination loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach: The study applied an online scenario-based experimental design to identify the impact of positive and negative affective pictorial stimuli on destination loyalty. A sample of 500 adult US residents who visited Orlando within the past 12 months was recruited to take part in the experiment. One-way ANOVA was …

Florida's Natural Springs: Exhibit Brochure, Emily Horne, Burak Ogreten

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: January-May 2021

Featured items: materials on loan from Special Collections, including drawings, books, and photographs, along with books from the Rosen Library's permanent collections, and epoxy resin dioramas created by Emily Horne.

Primary Curators: Emily Horne and Barak Ogreten.

See more items from this exhibit

Florida's Natural Springs: Exhibit Sign, Emily Horne, Burak Ogreten

Rosen Library Exhibits

On display: January-May 2021

Featured items: materials on loan from Special Collections, including drawings, books, and photographs, along with books from the Rosen Library's permanent collections, and epoxy resin dioramas created by Emily Horne.

Primary Curators: Emily Horne and Barak Ogreten.

See more items from this exhibit

A Message From Dean Youcheng Wang, Youcheng Wang

Rosen Research Review

It has been a challenging year for us all, especially for those of us immersed in hospitality, travel and tourism. Despite the challenges, and there are many, we are continuing to move forward and persevere.

The Effects Of Personal Attributes, Risk Perception, And Risk Reduction Strategies On Travel Intention For A Vulnerable Island Destination: The U.S. Travelers' Perspective For Bali, Indonesia, Rina Kurniawati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of personal attributes, risk perception, and risk reduction strategies on travel intention in the specific context of U.S. travelers and the island destination of Bali, Indonesia. The variables examined in this study are personality traits, subjective knowledge, risk experience, perceived risk, emotion, risk reduction strategies, and intention to visit. Travelers with certain personal attributes (personality traits, subjective knowledge, and risk experience) were asked to evaluate destination risk factors and develop risk perceptions and emotions. They were also asked about different risk-reduction strategies and how each would impact their considerations to …

Situational And Personal Factors Influencing Hospitality Employee Engagement In Value Co-Creation, Prakash K. Chathoth, Robert J. Harrington, Eric S. W. Chan, Fevzi Okumus, Zibin Song

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study explores the situational and personal factors affecting hospitality employees' engagement in the co-creation of value. The concept of value co-creation emerged from the general co-creation literature, and little research has assessed how situational and personal factors enhance our understanding of value creation. To explore these underlying factors, a qualitative study involving in-depth and focus group interviews was conducted at three luxury hotels in Hong Kong and Macao. The research findings indicate five situational factors and five personal factors impact cocreated value for hotel guests in the luxury sector. Insights are provided into the potential use of these factors …

Seeing Destinations Through Vlogs: Implications For Leveraging Customer Engagement Behavior To Increase Travel Intention, Yusi Cheng, Wei Wei, Lu Zhang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: This study aims to understand customers' watching experience with travel vlogs and its impacts on one of the most prominent manifestations of customer engagement behaviors (CEBs) – word-of-mouth (WOM) – and their travel intention. Drawing upon the theory of resonance, this study incorporated both cognitive and emotional aspects of travel vlog watching experience. Design/methodology/approach: Online survey data were collected from 352 participants who have watched travel vlogs over the past 12 months. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed for hypotheses testing. Findings: The study results reveal positive impacts of source credibility, inspiration, escapism and self-congruence on …

Impact Of Error Management Culture On Organizational Performance, Management-Team Performance And Creativity In The Hospitality Industry, Priyanko Guchait, Yu Qin, Juan Madera, Nan Hua, Xingyu Wang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this study is to examine how organizational error management culture impacts organizational performance, management-team performance, and creativity in the hospitality industry. In addition, this study examined the mediating effect of management-team learning behavior between error management culture and outcomes. Data were collected from general managers of 148 hotels in China using survey questionnaires. Results indicated that general managers' perceptions of organizational error management culture had a significant impact on all outcome variables. Additionally, the study found the mediating effect of management-team learning behavior.

Public Preferences And Willingness To Pay For Invasive Forest Pest Prevention Programs In Urban Areas, Damian C. Adams, Jose R. Soto, John Lai, Francisco J. Escobedo, Sergio Alvarez, Abu S.M.G. Kibria

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Invasive forest pests can cause environmental and economic damage amounting to billions of dollars (US) in lost revenues, restoration and response costs, and the loss of ecosystem services nationwide. Unfortunately, these forest pests do not stay confined to wildland forest areas and can spread into suburban and urban areas, imposing significant costs on local governments, homeowners, and management agencies. In this study, a contingent valuation experiment is used to estimate Florida residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) a monthly utility fee that would protect urban forests from invasive pests by implementing a monitoring and prevention program for their early detection and …

Corporate Social Responsibility In International Hotel Chains And Its Effects On Local Employees: Scale Development And Empirical Testing In China, Chaohui Wang, Runhong Hu, Tingting (Christina) Zhang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study aims to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of international hotel chains operating in China and their effects on local Chinese employees. As CSR practices vary across countries and contexts, this study developed a scale of CSR metrics, which was based on CSR reports published by international hotel chains in China and a comprehensive literature review. Subsequently, the proposed model, which depicts the relationships between CSR practices and local employee work metrics, was tested with a PLS-SEM. Multiple phases of qualitative and quantitative investigations of 2451 local Chinese employees of international hotel chains allowed for validating a …

Rethinking Sleep Quality In Fotels: Examining The Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Travel-Related Insomnia, Wei Xiong, Meijiao Huang, Bendegul Okumus, Fang Fan

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study attempts to illustrate how traveling affects the sleep and well-being of hotel guests. We collected data from hotel guests and looked at various factors affecting their sleep quality during travel. The particular impact of said variables on insomnia was analyzed using a binary logistic regression. Study results show that the risk factors of developing insomnia while traveling include unhealthy sleep habits at ordinary times, being an early riser, short sleep durations, business trips, and sensitivity to unfamiliar environments. Protective factors include being a late sleeper and being satisfied with the accommodation facilities. The research findings offer specific theoretical …