Journal of Event, Tourism and Hospitality Studies

CO-MOVEMENT CLUSTERING: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR PREDICTING INFLATION IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY

2023-05-16T10:01:04+08:00

In the realm of food and beverage businesses, inflation poses a significant hurdle as it affects pricing, profitability, and consumer’s purchasing power, setting it apart from other industries. This study proposes a novel approach; co-movement clustering, to predict which items will be inflated together according to historical time-series data. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the proposed approach based on real-world data obtained from the UK Office for National Statistics. The predicted results of the proposed approach were compared against four classical methods (correlation, Euclidean distance, Cosine Similarity, and DTW). According to our experimental results, the accuracy of the proposed approach outperforms the above-mentioned classical methods. Moreover, the accuracy of the proposed approach is higher when an additional filter is applied. Our approach aids hospitality operators in accurately predicting food and beverage inflation, enabling the development of effective strategies to navigate the current challenging business environment in hospitality management. The lack of previous work has explored how time series clustering can be applied to support inflation prediction. This study opens a new research paradigm to the related field and this study can serve as a useful reference for future research in this emerging area. In addition, this study work contributes to the data analytics research stream in hospitality management literature.

RURAL POTENTIAL ANALYSIS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM VILLAGES IN INDONESIA

2023-05-14T16:13:51+08:00

This study investigates the potential of rural areas for the establishment and growth of tourist villages. This study was conducted using a descriptive-qualitative research design. The research was conducted in Gedung Wani village, Marga Tiga, East Lampung, Indonesia. The findings revealed that the village of Gedung Wani has natural, economic, and human resources that can be utilised to develop a tourism village. This village's distinctive feature is its natural agricultural tourism. It has local wisdom, which can be seen from the behaviour of the people who are members of the Gewanti Tourism Awareness Group. Despite the local government funds for infrastructural development in potential tourist destinations, the fund is still considered limited, which poses a challenge to the development of a tourist village. The novelty of the research is shown by empirical evidence on the importance of local wisdom values in community groups to support the rural tourism sector. This research is expected to provide policy recommendations for tourist villages in rural areas that have community-based potential. Thus, the development of the tourism sector can support the welfare of rural communities.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VIRTUAL TOURISM: A BIBLIOMETRIC AND VISUALIZATION ANALYSIS

2023-06-04T11:52:19+08:00

Technology is a crucial part of the tourism industry; supporting businesses with daily operations, while improving customer experiences. Virtual reality (VR) has garnered considerable attention as an emerging technology with the potential to bring about substantial transformations in the tourism industry. Consequently, the concept of virtual tourism has emerged as a contemporary and contentious issue, generating diverse discussions. In the context of tourism digitalization and the growing trend of virtual tourism, a review for exploring the state of the art of this new kind of tourism is essential. This study employed systematic and narrative reviews to explore research domains and highlight an up-to-date insight into the current state of research on virtual tourism. Based on performance mapping and intellectual mapping, keywords and clusters analysis were implemented to explore the current state of research on virtual tourism and suggest some implications for future research agenda. The five clusters included (1) Visualization with computer graphics in cultural heritages; (2) Tourism issues, COVID-19, and virtual reality technology; (3) Virtual reality technology and application in tourism; (4) Virtual tourism characteristics and user experience; and (5) Cyber tourism, internet and information technology. Some implications for future research agenda had been introduced through the analysis of bibliographic coupling depicted by visualization of similarities (VOS) viewer application.

EXAMINING PESTEL ANALYSIS OF EVENT BUSINESSES IN MALAYSIA

2023-06-13T10:23:06+08:00

This study aims to examine the impact of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal (PESTEL) factors on event businesses in Malaysia. Using qualitative interpretive methods and data from in-depth interviews with 15 event managers, the study identified several external factors affecting event operations. The results show that political factors such as government policies, small business funding grants, and global trade agreements or restrictions can significantly impact event businesses. Economic factors such as exchange rates, labor costs, globalization, and economic growth or decline can also affect operations, while social factors such as consumer trends, tastes, buying habits, lifestyle factors, and population demographics can also play a role. Technological factors, including tools and technological advancements, incentives, and the widespread use of social media, are also identified as important. Moreover, environmental factors such as supply chain management, procurement, future pandemics, ethical sourcing, sustainable resources, weather and climate, risk assessment, multiracial sensitivity, and geographical location are found to impact event businesses as well. Finally, legal factors such as health and safety regulations, employment laws, common laws, and consumer protection laws can also affect event operations. Overall, this study highlights the importance of conducting PESTEL analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of external factors that can impact event businesses. By using this analysis, event managers can develop strategies to mitigate risks and adapt to the changing market conditions. The findings suggest that event managers must remain vigilant in monitoring and responding to political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors to ensure the success of their operations.

CONCEPTUALISING THE ANTECEDENTS OF EWOM IN THE POST-CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR ASSESSMENT OF TOURISM SPORTS ACTIVITIES

2023-07-31T10:32:49+08:00

Given the popularity of electronic media in today’s digital information era, visitors are likely to share their visit experience online with their colleagues or the public, especially on popular social media platforms. Thus, word-of-mouth practice has moved from physical word-of-mouth to online word of mouth, known as electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). Responding to this new phenomenon, this paper attempts to propose a testable research framework for assessing tourism sports activities experience at the tourist destination. In other words, this paper aims to identify the antecedents of eWOM among tourism sports customers. Methodically, desk research was carried out whereby past literature was exhaustively reviewed to establish a conceptual understanding of tourism sport experience assessments and to consolidate the variables as a working model. In this context, this paper proposed a relational model that explains the effect of the perceived value, satisfaction, commitment and electronic media (e-media) familiarity on eWOM. This model also anticipated the moderation role of e-media familiarity between commitment and eWOM. Theoretically, the proposed framework reduces the gaps related to the construction of research variables for tourism sports experience assessment. Practically, this paper provides sport tourism operators with a comprehensive testable framework that can guide them in understanding their customers’ consumption behaviour assessment process and their electronic word-of-mouth response.

PERCEPTION OF ONLINE EVENT TICKET PURCHASING AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN MALAYSIA

2023-08-15T16:32:14+08:00

Online shopping has ingrained itself within Malaysian society's contemporary lifestyle, with a particular emphasis on its prevalence among young adults. In contrast to traditional purchasing methods, the purchase of event tickets through online channels offers heightened convenience and time efficiency. This advantage stems from the virtual nature of transactions, which effectively caters to consumers with time limitations. Consequently, a noteworthy demographic within Malaysia's online community comprises predominantly of young adults who frequently engage in digital retail practices. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to explore the perceptions of young adults regarding purchasing event tickets online. The study also aims to provide insight on the numerous factors that affect young adults' decision-making processes when it comes to buying event tickets online. To achieve this, a purposive sampling approach was employed, leading to the selection of 150 participants as the study's subjects. The primary data collection method involved the administration of a structured questionnaire, facilitated through a Google Form link, to the selected respondents. The findings of this study show that convenience, trustworthiness, and website usability positively influence online event ticket purchasing among young adults. The outcomes of this initial investigation illuminate the pivotal roles played by convenience, trustworthiness, and website usability in shaping favorable consumer perceptions concerning the acquisition of event tickets through online avenues. Consequently, these findings serve as a foundational framework for e-ticketing service providers to gain insight into customer perceptions and expectations pertaining to the realm of online event ticket transactions. By leveraging this knowledge, the events industry can enhance and refine their online purchasing platforms to better align with consumer preferences and requirements.

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES ON STUDENTS’ PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE LENS OF CHICKERING’S IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT THEORY

2023-07-03T09:59:42+08:00

The importance of supporting holistic student development has been increasingly recognized in higher education institutions in Malaysia. Hence, this study aims to explore the impact of internship programs on the personal and professional development of Hospitality and Risk Management and Insurance students in Universiti Utara Malaysia. The researchers investigated experience of ten participating students through a small group interview. Utilizing the lens of Arthur Chickering’s Identity Development, the findings related to the seven vectors were analyzed accordingly. Several themes of the internship experiences were identified such as experiences evoke adaption to change, opportunities for personal and professional developments and opportunities for future visioning of a career path. Additionally, a connection exists between the researchers’ findings and Chickering’s seven vectors as the students demonstrated their development along the vectors upon completing the internship. This study provides the benefits of insights into internship students' experiences as they successfully transitioned from dependent learners to autonomous learners. Over time, the desirable outcome for internship students will be achieved, resulting in the inevitable transformation of students into self-directed individuals on their respective life paths.

SCOPE OF RESEARCH ON SOJOURNERS IN THE FIELD OF TOURISM STUDIES

2023-07-03T09:59:06+08:00

This study conducts a comprehensive review of the current body of literature in order to elucidate the origins of sojourner studies, provide a clear definition of the sojourner concept, a concise summary and description of the four primary discourses within sojourner-related research, critically examine existing studies, and offer insights into potential avenues for future research. Narrative review method was used to systematically compile and analyse all sojourner-related articles published in English-language research journals up to 2023. Using Google search and Science Direct, a preliminary literature search and a thorough search on the research topic were conducted, respectively. To ensure the validity of the study, the relevant literature was tagged using a "snowballing" approach. Then, the relevant articles in core journals were read one by one and the literature in the field of tourism was intensively read. Finally, the relevant information was annotated and categorized by topic. The conclusion focuses on identifying research gaps in the field of tourism studies in the four areas of research perspectives; content, methodology, and theory on the research theme, and argues that more interdisciplinary perspectives are required to advance research in the areas of identity construction, cultural identity, and cross-cultural well-being of sojourners. This is the first systematic review of research on sojourners. It synthesizes the findings of 52 relevant research papers by analyzing publication trends. Key research gaps are identified and directions for future research are provided.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC: REVISIT THE CHALLENGES AND SUSTAINABILITY OF HOMESTAYS IN MALAYSIA

2023-05-31T12:06:50+08:00

The Malaysian Ministry of Arts, Tourism and Culture (MOTAC) has been promoting homestay programs among the local community as a means to enhance quality of life and facilitate sustainable development. The community's distinct characteristics and cultural significance have effectively attracted the tourism sector and aligned with the 'Truly Asia' Campaign. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a global impact, leading countries to implement four phases of Movement Control Orders (MCOs). The objective of this study is to examine the difficulties encountered by homestay operators in maintaining the viability of their businesses in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as to propose strategies aimed at securing the long-term sustainability of Malaysia's homestay programs. This qualitative study investigates the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on homestay operators, focusing on their struggles with limited support and income, increased operational costs, and the toll on mental health. The study reveals key challenges based on data from in-depth interviews conducted with operators in states with high Covid-19 cases. The respondents provided insights into various strategies employed to ensure the long-term viability of Malaysia's homestay programs, including diversification, business restructuring, government support, and digital marketing. This research contributes to the government's efforts to promote homestay programs in the tourism industry, shedding light on the industry's resilience during challenging times.