Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur svenska aktörer inom besöksnäringen arbetar med hållbarhet och på vilket sätt de kommunicerar ut detta genom digitala kanaler. Forskningsfrågor:Hur arbetar svenska aktörer inom besöksnäringen med hållbarhet?Hur väljer svenska aktörer inom besöksnäringen att kommunicera sitt hållbarhetsarbete? Metod: Studien bygger på en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med abduktiv ansats. De kvalitativa metoder som har genomförts består av semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio respondenter från nio företag, och observationer av respektive företags digitala plattformar. Vidare har det insamlade materialet tematiskt analyserats. Resultat & slutsats: Studiens resultat påvisar att det finns en medvetenhet kring vikten av hållbarhetskommunikation bland samtliga respondenter. Alla tillfrågade företag väljer att arbeta med hållbarhet på olika sätt, men de flesta respondenter kopplade hållbarhet i första hand till det miljömässiga perspektivet. De sociala och ekonomiska perspektiven upplystes däremot även mer eller mindre av flera av respondenterna. Vidare väljer de tillfråga företagen att kommunicera sitt hållbarhetsarbete utåt till skillnad från att enbart kommunicera internt, som tidigare var normen. Dock uppfattas det som en utmaning för företagen att använda digitala kanaler för att kommunicera sitt hållbarhetsarbete och skapa en tydlig ansvarsuppfattning hos konsumenterna. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how Swedish actors in the hospitality industry work with sustainability and in what way they communicate this through digital channels. Research question:How do Swedish actors in the hospitality industry work with sustainability?How do Swedish actors in the hospitality industry choose to communicate their sustainability work? Methodology: The study is based on a qualitative research method with abductive approach. The qualitative methods that have been conducted consist of semi -structured interviews with ten respondents from nine companies, and observations of the respective companies' digital platforms. Furthermore, the collected material has been thematically analyzed. Analysis & Conclusion: The study's findings reveal that all respondents recognize the importance of sustainability communication. All of the companies questioned chose to work with sustainability in different ways, although the majority of respondents associated sustainability primarily with the environmental perspective. Several respondents, on the other hand, provided information on the social and economic perspectives of sustainability. Furthermore, the companies questioned choose to communicate their sustainability work outward as opposed to communicating internally, which was previously the norm. However, it is perceived as a challenge for companies to use digital channels to communicate their sustainability work and establish a clear view of responsibility for consumers.

Denna forskningsstudie undersöker de utmaningar som hotell i Sverige har stått inför på grund av Covid-19-pandemin. Närmare bestämt analyserar studien hur dessa hotell reagerade på krisen. Det råder ingen tvekan om att pandemin har drabbat den globala turistsektorn väldigt kraftigt. Miljontals arbetstillfällen har gått förlorade, och länder vars ekonomier som är beroende av turism står inför de värsta ekonomiska lågkonjunkturerna i historien.  Sektorn vänder sig dock i dag till innovation för att stödja återöppnandet och en återgång till lönsamhet. I Sverige har sektorn tagit till sig innovativa lösningar, bland annat genom att öka konkurrenskraften och bygga upp motståndskraft genom strategier som att främja inhemsk och regional turism, ekonomisk diversifiering och underlättandet av en mer gynnsam arbetsmiljö för mikroföretag, små och medelstora företag. Andra strategier som har hjälpt att strategiskt öppna sektorn i denna tid under pandemin är den digitala omvandlingen av hela turismekonomin genom att investera i digital kompetens för arbetstagare som har förlorat sina arbeten och inkomstkälla under pandemin.  Studiens syfte är att analysera de krishanteringsstrategier som svenska hotell implementerade i början av Covid-19-pandemin. För att uppnå studiens syfte används semistrukturerade intervjuer som den primära datainsamlingsmetoden. Det kommer genomföras intervjuer med fem olika hotelldirektörer från Sveriges största hotellkedjor. / This research study explores the challenges that hotels in Sweden have faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, it assesses how these organizations responded to the crisis. There is no doubt that the pandemic has hit the global tourism sector very heavily. Indeed, millions of jobs have been lost, with countries whose economies are dependent on tourism facing the worst economic recessions in their collective history.  The sector is today turning to innovation to support its re-opening and a return to profitability. In Sweden, the sector has embraced innovative solutions, including boosting competitiveness and building resilience through strategies such as promoting domestic and regional tourism, economic diversification, and the facilitation of a conducive business environment for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Other strategies that have aided the strategic re-opening of the sector during the pandemic is the digital transformation of the entire tourism economy by promoting investments in digital skills for workers who have lost their jobs and livelihoods during the pandemic.  Against this backdrop, this study’s key objective is to analyze the crisis-management strategies adopted and implemented by Swedish hotels at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will deploy semi-structured interviews as the primary data-collection approach to achieve this goal. Five interviews with executives in five of the largest hotel chains in Sweden will be conducted.

This thesis analyses whether there is any possible relationship between external shopping centers and city-center firms located in Swedish small cities from the perspective of their revenue level. The importance of this research question emerges as a result of a recent trend of business allocation from city centers towards edge-of-town areas. Newly established external shopping centers bring attractiveness to the local area; however, they prosper at the expense of city center businesses. As a result, city centers lose their attractiveness. This trend is especially harmful for small cities which usually do not have enough customer base to satisfy the demand required to support firms both located in the city centers and external shopping centers. Based on the firm level revenue data, a quantitative study is performed. According to main empirical findings a negative significant relationship is found between the revenue of city-center retailing firms and the revenue level of external shopping centers. However, no significant relationship is found for the firms belonging to the hospitality sector. Key-words: small city, retailing sector, h

[ES] El interés que despierta el tema elegido se evidencia, principalmente durante los últimos años a través de una profunda evolución social y económica que vivimos a nivel mundial. El sector turístico hasta antes del declarado Estado de Alarma, el 13 de marzo de 2020, era una fuente significativa de prosperidad económica y un motor de impulso para muchos países. Sin embargo, tras la COVID-19 el sector ha sido duramente golpeado de aquí la trascendencia de analizar las empresas del mismo. · Además, las nuevas tecnologías de la información y Comunicación (NTIC) durante los últimos años han dado lugar a un incremento de la competencia. Esta variable es una antecesora de la capacidad de innovación en la organización, sin embargo, sin un correcto empoderamiento de los empleados de la organización pueden quedar en simples programas sofisticados de informática cuyo rendimiento no ocasiona el flujo de información necesario para estimular la capacidad de innovación en dicha organización. · A este hecho se le suma la turbulencia e incertidumbre del mercado actual, en el que cada vez son más los estudios que concluyen la necesidad de desarrollar y estimular la capacidad de innovación dentro de las organizaciones con el fin de que aumente su desempeño organizativo. · Para ello, se ha realizado un estudio en hoteles de 4 y 5 estrellas, evaluando cada uno de las variables que afectan al mismo y mediante ecuaciones estructurales se han concluido positivas las hipótesis propuestas tras la revisión de la literatura, aportando mejoras empresariales, valor conceptual y resultados empíricos. / [CA] L'interés que desperta el tema triat s'evidencia, principalment, a través d'una profunda evolució social i econòmica que durant les últimes dècades estem vivint a nivell mundial. El sector turístic fins abans del declarat Estat d'Alarma, el 13 de març de 2020, era una font important de prosperitat econòmica i un motor de desenrotllament per a molts països. No obstant això, després de la COVID-19 el sector ha sigut durament colpejat d'ací la transcendència d'analitzar les empreses del mateix. A més, les noves tecnologies de la informació i Comunicació (NTIC) durant els últims anys han donat lloc a un increment de la competència. Esta variable és una antecessora de la capacitat d'innovació en l'organització, no obstant això, sense un correcte apoderament dels empleats de l'organització poden quedar en simples programes sofisticats d'informàtica el rendiment dels quals no ocasiona el flux d'informació necessari per a estimular la capacitat d'innovació en la dita organització. A aquest fet se li suma la turbulència i incertesa del mercat actual, en el que cada vegada són més els estudis que conclouen amb la necessitat de desenrotllar i estimular la capacitat d'innovació dins de les organitzacions a fi que augmente el seu acompliment organitzatiu. Per a això, s'ha realitzat un estudi en hotels de 4 i 5 estreles, avaluant cada un dels constructes que afecten al mateix i per mitjà d'equacions estructurals s'han conclòs positives les hipòtesis proposades després de la revisió de la literatura, aportant millores empresarials, valor conceptual i resultats empírics. / [EN] The interest aroused by the chosen topic is mainly evidenced by the profound social and economic evolution that we have been experiencing worldwide during the last decades. The tourism sector, until before the declared State of Alarm on March 13, 2020, was an important source of economic prosperity and an engine of development for many countries. However, after COVID-19 the sector has been hit hard, hence the importance of analyzing the companies in the sector. In addition, new information and communication technologies (ICT) in recent years have led to an increase in competition. This variable is a predecessor of the innovation capacity in the organization, however, without a correct empowerment of the employees of the organization, it can remain in simple sophisticated computer programs whose performance does not cause the necessary flow of information to stimulate the innovation capacity in this organization. Added to this fact is the turbulence and uncertainty of the current market, in which more and more studies conclude the need to develop and stimulate the capacity for innovation within organizations in order to increase their organizational performance. For this purpose, a study has been carried out in 4 and 5 star hotels, evaluating each of the constructs that affect it and by means of structural equations, the hypotheses proposed after the review of the literature have been positively concluded, providing business improvements, conceptual value and empirical results. / Pérez Ruiz, P. (2022). Análisis del modelo que estudia las variables influyentes en la capacidad de innovación de las empresas, y como afecta al desempeño en los resultados del sector hotelero [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/191534

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Thesis (M. Tech.(Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free State, 2010 / Globally, tourism is increasingly referred to as the world's biggest industry. As tourism increases so the consumer’s demand for quality in all its related products and services increase. Superior customer service can therefore be viewed as one of the most effective strategies to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The delivery of excellent service is crucial if a tourism destination such as the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area in the Northern Cape, South Africa, is to enhance its visitors’ experience and ensure their extended stay. One of the key constraints to tourism growth that has been identified is the lack of product and service quality. The primary goal of the study therefore was to investigate the perceptions of tourists on the quality of tourism service in the Sol Plaatje Area. Another primary goal was to determine the quality of service by conducting unstructured interviews with role-players in the local tourism industry. Secondary objectives were set, namely to determine the service needs of foreign and domestic tourists, and to make recommendations and suggestions to increase service quality in the Sol Plaatje Area. A questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument and distributed to domestic and foreign tourists. Three sampling points were selected to conduct the survey (250 questionnaires), namely the departure hall of Kimberley Airport, the Big Hole and the McGregor Museum. Results indicated that although the majority of tourists (83.4% of domestic and 93.8% of foreign respondents) were generally satisfied with the service they received and would promote the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as a tourist destination, a large number of respondents (32.1%) rated their satisfaction with service delivery as average to poor. This is an indication that improvement is needed in the delivery of quality service. Unstructured interviews (conducted by the researcher) with 20 major role-players in the local tourism industry indicated that the majority (60%) perceived the service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as average to poor and not exceeding the expectations of tourists. Overall, the results indicated the need for the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area to improve its tourism service delivery in order to exceed tourist expectations and compete with other destinations locally and abroad. The findings of this study contribute valuable information and insights into the quality of service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area. It will therefore be beneficial to all tourism stakeholders to provide visitors with the best service experience in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree: Doctor of Technology: Quality, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / There is extensive focus on the practical performance of ecotourism in respect of environmentally invasive activities and the satisfaction of ecotourists in South Africa. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of quality management practices on service quality in the accommodation sector serving ecotourism destinations in KwaZulu-Natal. The study was conducted at 58 hotels within a 50 kilometre proximity to ecotourism development regions of KwaZulu-Natal province. Two separate self-administered questionnaires were designed for the hotel managers and for their guests. A quantitative approach and a census of 58 managers were conducted and the guest response of 587 was obtained using convenience sampling. The results revealed that there are mismatches in guests’ actual experience on the variables of interest for customer service quality and the importance they attach to each variable. The experience-importance findings show that most guests rated their experiences above the importance they attach to those experiences. Little attention has been paid to hotel service quality research pertaining specifically to quality-related performance. This study fills this gap by identifying congruent hotel service quality attributes and relating these to management performance by analysing the importance of these attributes for hotel-guests seeking experiences of the natural environment. The results of the study offer measures for ecotourism service quality enhancement for the ecotourists experience at the hotels and a starting point for hotel managers to optimise the service quality growth and development while protecting the resources on which they are based. Quality function deployment has emerged as a significant tool to guide hotel managers in ecotourism destinations to attain planned levels of guest service quality and formulate a well-informed and systematic framework that will advance strategies for service quality enhancement.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / This study investigated the implementation of broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) policy in the hotel industry of South Africa. BBBEE aims to accelerate the inclusion of black people into the economy through company ownership, human resource, and enterprise and community development. Although black people represent 91 per cent of South Africa’s population, the economy is controlled by a small white population. Studies have shown slow adoption and resistance to the BBBEE policy by the private sector, including in the hotel industry. Therefore, the research problem was the nature of compliance with, and the implementation of, black empowerment policy in the hotel industry. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether a framework for the effective implementation of black empowerment policy could be developed, given the centrality of hotels in the tourism value chain. The specific objectives were to determine the nature of the disconnect on BBBEE, to identify factors which facilitated or inhibited implementation, and to explore solutions for enhancing BBBEE implementation in the hotels. A quantitative investigation of 611 hotel general managers constituted the core of the dissertation’s content and contribution. Data from 178 respondents was analysed using descriptive and correlational statistical methods. The development of the quantitative research instrument was substantiated by the preliminary qualitative study of five hotel group executives. The mixed methods approach was appropriate for investigating the dual structure (group and unit) of the hotel industry. The results indicated that hotels were recording progress on human resource development although compliance levels did not meet the required BBBEE targets. On enterprise development, the hotels’ engagement with small black enterprises was low both quantitatively and qualitatively. Furthermore, hotel group leaders indicated that the tourism-specific BBBEE charter presented bureaucratic challenges, as tourism straddles several industries which required different BBBEE certification. The study has developed an empowerment framework of solutions for achieving success in BBBEE in hotels. The primary factors determining success are the provision of performance targets and incentives for general managers, and if the hotel manager supports BBBEE policy. Furthermore, exogenous factors such as the star rating and location of a hotel also impact on BBBEE implementation. A quantitative investigation of 611 hotel general managers constituted the core of the dissertation’s content and contribution. Data from 178 respondents was analysed using descriptive and correlational statistical methods. The development of the quantitative research instrument was substantiated by the preliminary qualitative study of five hotel group executives. The mixed methods approach was appropriate for investigating the dual structure (group and unit) of the hotel industry. The results indicated that hotels were recording progress on human resource development although compliance levels did not meet the required BBBEE targets. On enterprise development, the hotels’ engagement with small black enterprises was low both quantitatively and qualitatively. Furthermore, hotel group leaders indicated that the tourism-specific BBBEE charter presented bureaucratic challenges, as tourism straddles several industries which required different BBBEE certification. The study has developed an empowerment framework of solutions for achieving success in BBBEE in hotels. The primary factors determining success are the provision of performance targets and incentives for general managers, and if the hotel manager supports BBBEE policy. Furthermore, exogenous factors such as the star rating and location of a hotel also impact on BBBEE implementation. This study builds on, and adds value to previous studies by moving beyond the investigative mode to identifying practical policy options for successful transformation of the hotel industry. The proposed framework acknowledges the diverse nature of the tourism product, and provides potential solutions to enhance the hotel managers’ ability to anticipate and incorporate factors impacting on BBBEE implementation. The framework adds theoretical value to affirmative action discourse by suggesting a conceptual shift from a race-based approach to an alternative one which would incorporate sustainable tourism and ethical governance concerns. Such an approach would maximise BBBEE potential in the hotel industry of South Africa for beneficiaries and communities. Additional research is recommended to substantiate the hypothesis with a broader sample as the study was limited to hotel managers.

In the hospitality industry, women with children are in a unique position. Government deregulation of corporate labor practices, the exit of manufacturing overseas, and the rise of the service sector economy in the United States has contributed to the development of a surplus, low-wage labor force. Tourism is one subset of this labor force that deserves further attention. Although there is substantial literature on the structure of low-wage labor in tourism economies (Herod and Aguiar, 2006), as well as the impacts on work-family balance (Liladrie, 2009), a less explored topic is the impacts hospitality labor has on mothering. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of women with children who 1) work in the hospitality industry and 2) whose work is located in the tourism districts of Seattle, Washington and New Orleans, Louisiana. The investigator used semi-structured, qualitative interviews that asked women about the decisions they make for their children, how their work in hospitality influences their parenting decisions, and how they assign meaning to their roles as mothers. The investigator found that women in the hospitality industry do not separate work and motherhood as two separate spheres. Work is a mothering strategy. The decisions they make for their children are characterized by mobility, particularly through relocation. Finally, this study found that women who work in the hospitality industry navigate various “markers” that stigmatize them in the workplace. The investigator calls this “motherhood markers;” forms of stigma that intensify emotional labor in their workplaces, can create tension with employers and co-workers and, in some cases, termination of their employment.

Hundreds of universities, colleges and institutions graduate students yearly with some form of culinary education. To date, limited research has been conducted to examine the perceived value of formal culinary education on industry career success from the perspective of those who conduct the majority of the hiring of culinary positions. This dissertation examined the perceived value of formal education in culinary arts and its relationship with industry success from the perspective of Canadian professional chefs.... Though the population for this study was Canadian professional chefs who were members of the Canadian Culinary Federation, the results of this study may be useful to both current and future culinarians who are pursuing or contemplating pursuing formal culinary education in other countries, especially the United States....Institutions that provide formal culinary education will find this important as they come under increased scrutiny from stakeholders to demonstrate the value of the investment students make in terms of tuition and associated costs. / by Colin Philip Roche / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.