Fabio Forlani, Mauro Dini and Tonino Pencarelli
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role that food and beverage (F&B) sensory stimuli play in building non-food-themed touristic experiences, such as wellness tourism…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role that food and beverage (F&B) sensory stimuli play in building non-food-themed touristic experiences, such as wellness tourism experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts an asynchronous netnographic approach supported by software (T-Lab, 2021). The study was conducted on a database consisting of 3,141 reviews in English, left by customers of 38 wellness facilities (Spa Retreats) spread across 5 continents.
Findings
The analysis reveals that F&B stimuli contribute significantly to the tourist's perception of the wellness experience in a two-fold manner: on the one hand, they support the wellness experience, and on the other, through specific proposals (e.g. wine, vegan, detox, etc.), they qualify and differentiate the wellness experience in a hedonic rather than eudaimonic way.
Research limitations/implications
The present study contributes to managerial literature on the topic of gastronomic tourism and wellness tourism by providing, on an international scale, empirical evidence of (a) the importance and role of F&B touchpoints in hybrid gastronomic experiences; and (b) the presence of a variety of “wellness experiencescapes”.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to measure the role of F&B in tourists' perceptions of non-food-themed experiences. The research not only provides new data on the wellness experience through a cross-continental analysis but also offers useful theoretical and managerial insights for the design of wellness tourism experiences.
Details
Keywords
Selena Aureli and Fabio Forlani
This study aims to understand if network brand management is a key activity in tourism business networks and how the network brand relates to the place brand and the brands of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand if network brand management is a key activity in tourism business networks and how the network brand relates to the place brand and the brands of individual network members.
Design/methodology/approach
Preference has been given to a qualitative approach and to the use of case study methodology. Two qualitative techniques have been used: document analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews.
Findings
Results indicate that network brand identity is a prerequisite for all alliances, thus confirming the brand’s aggregating role in business networks. However, the network brand is not always exploited for commercial purposes, as signalled by the few efforts in communication activities. Results also indicate that there is a strong connection between the network brand and the place, confirming that tourism businesses are intertwined on a local context and cannot avoid citing the place where they operate.
Research limitations/implications
Two main aspects limit the generalizability of this study. First, the empirical evidence is limited to four case studies and refers to only one country. Second, chairmen of the examined networks were interviewed without investigating the opinions of network members who may have contrasting views.
Practical implications
Poor brand management within the examined networks suggests that network managers should have more decision-making power. To apply concepts of brand architecture, network managers should be able to influence brand strategies of individual network members. For example, structures and processes could be created to engage all members in brand management activities like for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) searching to increase participation of all stakeholders.
Originality/value
The novelty of this study is that it explores the role of brand management in networks created by partners with equal decision power. Moreover, it differs from previous research on inter-firm relations because it adopts the concept of brand consonance to evaluate if networks will succeed in the long term thanks to a proper management of the network brand.
Details
Keywords
Marco Cioppi, Ilaria Curina, Fabio Forlani and Tonino Pencarelli
The purpose of this 22-year paper is to synthetize business and management literature in the context of online presence, online visibility and online reputation concepts. In…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this 22-year paper is to synthetize business and management literature in the context of online presence, online visibility and online reputation concepts. In particular, this paper aims to generalize the analysis by investigating the level of interest of the Internet, digital and interactive marketing-focused literature, as well as the more general business and management one towards these topics.
Design/methodology/approach
To identify the existence or otherwise of an online presence, visibility and reputation definition, as well as an index for measuring them, a systematic review and a content analysis process were performed on 199 articles categorized over 1997-2018.
Findings
The findings highlight the absence of clear and shared online presence, visibility and reputation definitions; the absence of unanimously accepted indexes for measuring them; and the identification of a sequence relationship between the three investigated constructs.
Research limitations/implications
The paper underlines the need for both theoretical and empirical contributions to reduce the complexity characterizing the business and management literature focused on these topics.
Originality/value
The current study brings out interesting directions for future research studies by systematizing all the articles devoted to the online presence, visibility and reputation concepts from a business and management perspective.
Details
Keywords
Fabio Cassia, Paola Castellani, Chiara Rossato and Claudio Baccarani
Despite a growing interest in accessible tourism, delivering high-quality tourism experiences to people with disabilities (PwD) remains a major challenge. Beyond a number of…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite a growing interest in accessible tourism, delivering high-quality tourism experiences to people with disabilities (PwD) remains a major challenge. Beyond a number of acknowledged barriers (e.g. cultural, architectural, relational), the main issue is the lack of coordination amongst the many actors participating in the co-creation of tourism experiences. This paper intends to advance available knowledge on this issue by conceptually suggesting a solution that draws on the concepts of the tourism experience and digital ecosystems.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is developed as a conceptual contribution, drawing also on an illustrative example that considers a tourist with mobility disability as the focal actor.
Findings
The results indicate that a digital ecosystem could contribute to making tourism locations more accessible by enabling information sharing and coordination amongst all actors that co-create the tourism experiences. Moreover, the analysis underlines that tourism locations should be designed to be useable by all people, drawing on the principles of the universal design.
Research limitations/implications
This paper describes a path to fostering accessible tourism, drawing on local authorities, particularly municipalities and universities. The suggested solution would benefit from future empirical analyses to assess its strengths and weaknesses.
Originality/value
By drawing on the concept of digital ecosystems, this paper is amongst the first studies to suggest a path to making tourism locations more accessible to all tourists (with or without disabilities) based on technology.
Details
Keywords
Pedro Marins Freire Teberga, Fábio Lotti Oliva and Masaaki Kotabe
The volatile scenario of technological innovation demonstrates the need for risk control processes, in order to ensure its viability. The purpose of this paper is to propose a…
Abstract
Purpose
The volatile scenario of technological innovation demonstrates the need for risk control processes, in order to ensure its viability. The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for risk management in the introduction of new technologies by start-ups, aiming to provide the guidelines for the improvement of this process.
Design/methodology/approach
The study comes up with conceptual categories related to risk management in start-ups, mainly based on the NPVR approach. The methodology included two comparative case studies: MercadoPago and GuiaBolso, which had their data collected through interviews with key managers and documents provided by the organizations. Data analysis was based on the Miles et al. (2014) model, whereby data were condensed; data were visualized, and conclusions developed and checked.
Findings
Among the main results, there is the proposition of a deductive-inductive matrix for the management of uncertainties and risks in start-ups, which brings elements that provide the calculation of the NPV adjusted for the risk of developing a new product (NPVR), process or service, as well as the contribution of the level of risk management maturity of the companies, setting up the Risk Management Matrix (RMM).
Practical implications
The authors propose a matrix for the management of uncertainties and risks in start-ups.
Social implications
The authors present comparative case studies of MercadoPago and GuiaBolso which help the entrepreneurs to develop their start-ups.
Originality/value
As the main contribution, this paper proposes the start-up RMM, a model for the management of uncertainties and risks in start-ups, which brings elements that provide the calculation of the NPV adjusted for the risk of developing a new product (NPVR), process or service, as well as the contribution of the level of risk management maturity of the companies.
Details
Keywords
The ISHM CAN‐AM Chapter recently organised a half‐day programme of paper presentations followed by a tour of a local hybrid facility. The event took place on 26 April at the…
Abstract
The ISHM CAN‐AM Chapter recently organised a half‐day programme of paper presentations followed by a tour of a local hybrid facility. The event took place on 26 April at the Holiday Inn, Montreal (Pointe Claire), Quebec, with the theme of the papers concentrating on advances in hybrid manufacturing processes and some coverage of SMT.
Diagnosing pain and pain inflicting diseases are crucial issues in the health care of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Diagnosing pain and pain inflicting diseases are crucial issues in the health care of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of this paper is to delineate possible peculiarities in pain perception, characterizing a syndrome-specific spectrum of pain causing diseases as well as particular features of pain expression in Rett syndrome (RTT).
Design/methodology/approach
A selective review of the literature on pain, dolorous disorders and diseases, molecular aspects of pain transduction, pain perception, and expression of painful conditions in RTT was undertaken.
Findings
RTT causing mutations in the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) have an impact on various endogenous molecules modulating pain transmission. Individuals with RTT are specifically prone to numerous pathological states which can cause pain. By thorough observation/application of proper tools, it is possible to recognize painful states in persons with RTT.
Originality/value
This paper imparts empirical/evidence-based data on pain perception/transmission, possible syndrome-specific causes of pain and pain expression/assessment in RTT, with the objective of promoting the quality of clinical practice in this crucial issue.