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The purpose of this paper is to understand how hospitality companies can best explain controversial corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to consumers who may not agree with the CSR activity. This research explores message framing through emotional and cognitive appeals to influence consumer perceptions of the Gideon Bible in USA hotel rooms. The study uses the theory of deontic justice to measure the impacts of messaging on consumer perceptions of the morality of the Gideon Bible as suicide prevention in hotels and its relation to controversial CSR initiatives.

The study uses an experimental study design via a self-administered survey to analyze participants’ perceptions of the placement of the Gideon Bible in hotel rooms and participants’ attitudes toward CSR initiatives based on deontic justice and religion using different message framing conditions.

Results show that religion was a major determinant of attitude towards the Gideon Bible, but the sentiment analysis also revealed that negative perceptions can be mitigated through message framing via emotional and cognitive appeals. Additionally, the cognitive appeal did impact CSR perceptions, as did identifying as Christian. Moral outrage emerged as a significant moderator for the relationships between message framing, attitudes toward the Gideon Bible and CSR.

This study provides an extension of deontic justice research to examine justice traits in accepting controversial CSR.

While netnography was established to study virtual communities from the traditional ethnography methodology, over time it has evolved and moved away from standard ethnographic practices. The modifications are especially prevalent in hospitality and tourism research because of the nature of experiential and service-based goods. This gap has created exciting new opportunities for researchers. As netnography has matured into its own methodology, it has provided the opportunity for researchers to use netnography techniques or more traditional techniques by following ethnography methodologies. This paper aims to analyze the differences between these two methodologies within hospitality and tourism literature enabling researchers to choose the methodology that is most suited for their project.

This study reviews netnographic research in hospitality and tourism and compares current uses of netnography against traditional ethnographic methodologies.

There are four major differentiating points between netnography and ethnography: online community definitions, data collection methodologies, ethics in research and data analysis techniques.

In comparing ethnography and netnography in hospitality and tourism research, this analysis provides a foundation to evaluate the best use and best practices for these two distinct qualitative methodologies in the field. The study also provides references to how other hospitality and tourism researchers have used netnography.

Ethnographic principles grounded in the foundation of anthropological doctrines are important and distinct from netnography. The ability to use the diverse tools in the qualitative methods toolbox will help hospitality and tourism researchers understand the transforming marketplace.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a charismatic political candidate on hotel revenue in the USA, particularly in their home states, through the lens of the bandwagon effect. Previous researchers have found that political primaries have a significant impact on hotel revenue due to travel to those states; however, there has yet to be an examination of the impact of popular political candidates on hotel revenue.

This research examined the impact of Bernie Sanders’ campaign on hotel revenue in the state Vermont due to the relatively stable demand experienced in that market. First, the researchers used forecasting methodology and t-tests to determine if there was a significant increase in hotel revenue during the time of the Sanders’ campaign for the state and for Burlington, Vermont, his campaign headquarters. Then, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with hoteliers in Vermont to determine if the Sanders’ campaign was responsible for the observed changes.

While the hotel revenue for the state was not significantly different than what would be expected, the hotel revenue in Burlington did see a significant increase. Hoteliers did attribute an increased awareness of the destination and some specific instances of travelers to Sanders’ campaign.

This is the first study to date to demonstrate the influence of a political candidate on hotel revenue and demonstrated that the bandwagon effect can impact hotel revenue. For hoteliers, it demonstrates that increased destination awareness can impact behavioral intentions on a small scale.

This research explores differences in consumer behavior across generational cohorts, particularly focusing on customer loyalty. With Millennials becoming the largest generational cohort, it is crucial to understand loyalty variations, given that many loyalty programs were established during the Baby Boomer era. This study investigates two vital aspects for hotel companies aiming to enhance guest loyalty: antecedents to loyalty and loyalty program design.

In part 1, a loyalty model was tested using corporate social responsibility (CSR), personalization, brand identity, and trust as antecedents for customer loyalty in full-service hotels. The study developed models for the overall sample and each generational cohort. Part 2 explored generational preferences regarding commonly offered hotel loyalty program benefits.

The study revealed no significant differences across generational cohorts in the loyalty model. Antecedents had similar effects on loyalty creation across all three cohorts. In part 2, the four most desired benefits for all generations were upgrades, customized service, late check-out, and empathetic employees.

This research supports Millennials' loyalty to hotels and highlights the importance of benefits that offer immediate advantages during a stay, such as upgrades, late check-out, empathetic employees, and personalization. These findings emphasize the need for loyalty program designs that provide faster rewards and personalization options.

This study pioneers the examination of hotel customer loyalty models across three generations and evaluates loyalty benefits across these cohorts. The results hold significance for researchers and practitioners in the field.

The value of the events industry is increasing worldwide. An essential component for successful events is creating a unique experience by offering gamification. A conceptual model is proposed, exploring pre-event game communication and its effect on attendees' value perceptions, willingness to participate, word of mouth intentions and emotional commitment during gameplay at conference events.

Analysis of variance and structural equation modeling were employed to test the model using data collected from 177 attendees recruited from hospitality and tourism association network listservs and online research company.

Results reveal that perceptions of event gamification increase word of mouth intentions, willingness to participate and emotional commitment.

The study contributes to the knowledge of conference events with recommendations for incorporation of game elements for meeting planners to enhance attendee behaviors at the event.

This study is among the first to examine positive behavioral outcomes of using games at conference events.

This two-part exploratory study aims to investigate the perceptions of active lifestyle individuals and general craft beer consumers toward no- and low-alcohol craft beers. The influence of advertising appeals is also tested to determine the effectiveness of value-expressive and guilt appeals in determining switching behaviors.

The first study used a mixed-methods approach to determine perceptions and switching behaviors for active lifestyle individuals. The first part of the study presented respondents with one of three advertisements, the ads were designed to either elicit a value expressive appeal, a guilt appeal or a control. The second part of this study presented respondents with a series of open-ended questions seeking further information on their perceptions and preferences regarding no- and low-alcohol craft beers. The second study assessed perceptions of general craft beer consumers as they related to the three advertisements.

The results of this quantitative studies did not find any significant differences between the three ad slogans; however, the results of the qualitative study do indicate differing perceptions and potential switching behaviors for active lifestyle individuals.

This research advances knowledge on advertising appeals for no- and low-alcoholic craft beers.

Brewers and marketers gain insights into two different consumer groups perceptions and potential switching behaviors toward no- and low-alcohol craft beers.

This research tests how advertising appeals influence perceptions and potential switching behaviors of active lifestyle individuals and general craft beer consumers toward no- and low-alcohol craft beers.

The growing trend for online peer-to-peer commerce has changed the way consumers purchase and exchange products and services across a wide variety of industries, including the craft beer industry. The lack of large scale distribution channels for local breweries has led to a growing market for social exchanges across the country. However, these barter systems remain more obscure compared to their mega counterparts in monetary exchange systems. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how the set-up of online beer marketplaces impacts the perceptions of source attractiveness as moderated by the perceived risks to encourage exchange behaviors.

Using an established beer exchange community, members appraised the impact of avatar profiles in their decision-making process based on user congruity, product congruity and risk perceptions. The research was conducted using a 2×2 between subjects mixed factorial design.

Product attractiveness and risk perceptions influenced behavioral intentions while user attractiveness did not. This is counter to past research that emphasizes the importance of relationships in sharing economy contexts.

This research shifts the discourse for sharing economy platforms from monetizing trust to prioritizing the product. While much of the emphasis had previously been on facilitating relationships between the supplier and customers on sharing economy websites, this may indicate that there needs to be a shift to prioritizing the product.

As mobile device use in the events industry increases worldwide, an essential component for successful events is creating a unique experience. One way to enhance entertainer and attendee experience is by offering a phone-free space to enjoy an event. This study aims to examine mobile device habits and attendee willingness to adopt a mobile locking mechanism product at events and festivals.

Analysis of variance and regression analyses were used to test the research questions using data collected from 299 attendees recruited through an online research company.

Results reveal that mobile device habits are significantly related to the adoption of the phone locking product at events.

This study provides contributions to event planners to offer distraction-free settings that provide an overall escapist experience for attendees.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to empirically examine the role of mobile device habits and willingness to adopt a phone-locking device with event attendees.

Four novel trends: water scarcity, income inequality, labor shortage and gentrification, are receiving ever greater attention because of the devastating effects they having on the well-being of humanity. The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe each trend, discuss its effect on tourism and offer support from research as to how tourism can mitigate the effects of these trends.

The article draws on a literature review to identify comparatively new events, patterns and trends that are likely to impede the development of tourism in the coming years.

This study documents the negative implications these trends could have for the future of tourism if they are not well managed. Guidance on how destination managers and travel industry managers can mitigate each of these trends is provided.

Given the damage to humanity these trends have created and the potential future damage they will create, there is a call to researchers to both develop and document ways to mitigate the negative effects of these trends.

Suggested actions on how managers can reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of these trends are provided.

This is one of the first studies to link these novel trends to the implications they have for tourism.

The purpose of the paper is to identify trends changing travel and tourism to help managers and researchers better understand these trends. This understanding will help organizations remain competitive in today’s dynamic environment. The rapid advance of technology is changing how consumers evaluate, use and discuss hospitality and tourism products. The common theme among the four trends in this paper is technology. The authors identified four trends related to technology and discuss the impact of these trends on hospitality and tourism. The paper provides implications for mangers and researchers.

The paper reviewed both academic and trade literature to provide an overview of trends that are changing travel and tourism.

The author identified four trends: technology with a focus on robotics and artificial intelligence, big data analytics, social media and online communities and the sharing economy. The findings provide valuable insights for practitioners and researchers.

This paper provides a current view of how the advances in technology have evolved into four separate trends that are effecting both management and consumers. The current implications of these four trends are discussed as well as implications for the future.