The Utility of Blockchain Technology in the Electronic Commerce of Tourism Services: An Exploratory Study on Romanian Consumers

Blockchain technology is considered one of the most revolutionary innovations that has much to offer the tourism industry, having a positive impact among consumers with the help of interactive applications but also easy to use. Tourist services must constantly evolve in a society where the consumer has everything a click away and his requirements are demanding when it comes to quality leisure. Blockchain technology has the power to change the course of the travel experience, offering the customer more autonomy, but the applications developed by the providers can offer transparency and trust to the customers from the moment T0, when the desire to go on a trip is born, until the end at which it should provide feedback. So far, digital and tourism specialists have not agreed on the development of blockchain-based applications, although the benefits are great for both consumers and tourism service providers, as in this publication we can see a series of advantages that blockchain technology can offer the tourism field. This paper also investigates the satisfaction that the Romanian consumer has after purchasing tourist services through e-commerce applications, a satisfaction that can be an additional motivation for specialists to implement blockchain technology. Following the research in this paper, it can be seen how important it is to develop a series of easy-to-use applications, because if the consumer does not manage to use the applications, this affects the degree of satisfaction and the intention to continue using the online applications for the purchase of tourism services.

Towards an Ecosystem of Hospitality: The Dynamic Future of Destinations

Digitalization, new work and leisure concepts and global challenges are transforming the way we live. More stakeholders, including residents and entrepreneurs, actively participate in the implementation of alternative socio-economic concepts; as such, entrepreneurial ecosystems are seen as drivers of regional development. The research still lacks holistic approaches to the application of ecosystems in tourism destinations. Hence, the objectives of this article are to capture research on entrepreneurial ecosystems in tourism and, specifically, to derive a holistic model that integrates destination and location management across stakeholders. This research utilizes the method of a systematic literature review, starting with 597 articles on ecosystems. Following four stages of exploring the literature, the results show that most articles have been published in rather isolated fields of smart tourism or quality of life aspects. Based on the rather qualitative review that reveals specific ecosystem components, we propose a model of an “Ecosystem of Hospitality” (EoH). Focusing on stakeholder interaction and encounters, the EoH fosters the adoption of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to destinations in a dynamic approach. The practical implications are, for example, a broader consideration of various stakeholders, including the local population, and a switch in typical destination management tasks from mere tourism service production to regional development and living space management.

Evaluation Index System of Surgical Tourism Service Organizations in China: An Empirical Research

Background: Healthcare tourism is an emerging economy with the most potential in China's health industry before the COVID-19 pandemic. Surgical medical health tourism accounts for a large part of medical tourism services in China, which has higher requirements for quality and safety. By contrast, measurement tools and theoretical research are insufficient in China. The aim of this study was to develop a set of reliable and feasible indicators by augmenting the original Donabedian’s quality model to evaluate surgical tourism services’ quality.Methods: Literature review and focus group interview were used to generate indicators for surgical tourism services’ quality. The basic framework of the evaluation system was based on the structure-process-outcome Donabedian model. The screening and weight setting were conducted through analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and a two-round Delphi consultation with 13 panelists. Validity and reliability of experts were tested by the experts' positive coefficient, authority coefficient, and coordination coefficient. Reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by a pretest distributed within an international medical department of a public hospital in China.Results: Based on the Donabedian’s quality theory, the novel evaluation system of surgical tourism service institutions with 3 dimensions, 9 first-level items and 39 second-level items was constructed. The three dimensions consist of structure (0.315), process (0.287), and outcome (0.398), with each dimension set several indicators and each indicator given a weight. Of the two rounds of Delphi consultation, the response rates were 86.67% and 100%. The coordination coefficient of expert opinions in the two rounds of consultation were 0.49 and 0.65 (p<0.05). For the empirical study, the self-evaluation score of a public hospital was 86, which could obtain a rating of two stars.Conclusions: The established evaluation system identified three different dimensions of surgical tourism services’ quality which fit for practical healthcare improvement in safety and quality. It can reflect the access criterion of surgical tourism institutions, provide references on better choices of surgical services for tourists, and can be applied by healthcare managers and policy makers to allocate resources more efficiently and promote more surgical tourism services to international standards.

Topic Modelling of Tourist Dining Experiences Based on the GLOBE Model

The needs of travellers vary across cultures. When it comes to culinary aspects, there is a strong connection between gastronomy and culture. To optimise service offerings, investigation of the essential aspects of dining experiences in relation to cultural backgrounds is of great importance. In the age of digitalisation, tourists share their dining experiences throughout their multiphasic travel journey via online platforms. By considering nine distinct cultural backgrounds, this research aims to investigate tourist experiences based on TripAdvisor restaurant reviews through topic modelling, using the city of Salzburg as its study context. Depending on one’s cultural circumstances, the findings demonstrate that the most important aspects include staff, food-menu items, value for money, restaurant physical appearance, food authenticity, overall service, menu offers, food quality, atmosphere, and recommendations. This study advances the state-of-the-art knowledge of societal culture as a variable in the target market analysis of restaurant customers. Findings allow restaurant owners, other tourism service providers, and destination management organisations to analyse and adapt their service offerings and strategies accordingly.

Travel Incheon as a Metaverse: Smart Tourism Cities Development Case in Korea

The central government and local governments of the South Korea execute a project to build smart tourism city for tourism and urban development. However, little study has shed light on the details of smart tourism city project. To approach the concept of smart tourism city and understand the phenomenon of smart tourism city construction, this study conducts a case study. Incheon is the first city in which implementing the smart tourism city creation project. We apply the metaverse concept to check how Incheon implements a smart tourism city. Specifically, the metaverse concept applied tourism service operated by Incheon is divided into real based and virtual based (AR Incheon and Incheoncraft). Along with an introduction to the case, how the concept of metaverse supports the creation of a smart tourism city is discussed. This is an early-stage study that explores the phenomenon by considering the relationship between the smart tourism and metaverse.

Geography of Tourist Flows in the Republic of Mordovia

Introduction. The topic is of relevance due to the need to study tourist flows in terms of the geography of tourist trips in order to analyze and compare the directions of the flows. The problem is that the authorities responsible for tourism management in the region and tourism organizations do not always pay due attention to the geography of the tourist flow and to its optimization in terms of the interests of the region itself. At the same time, the identified trends can be taken into consideration in order to improve and increase the efficiency of the tourism industry in the region and when making managerial decisions in the tourism sector. Based on the results of the study conducted, the article characterizes the travel destinations of Mordovian tourists, reveals trends, and proposes measures to solve the identified problems. Materials and Methods. The materials on the development of tourism in the Republic of Mordovia published by the Territorial Body of the State Statistics Service in the Republic of Mordovia for the period from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed; data from the Digital Tourism service run by MegaFon mobile phone operator were also examined. The methods of mathematical statistics employed made it possible to calculate the changes in the relative and absolute indicators of the geography of the tourist flow in the republic over a ten-year period. To identify the geography of the regional tourist flow, the methods of analysis and generalization were used, which made it possible to identify the features of the internal and external tourist flows of people living in Mordovia. Results. An analysis of the dynamics and placement of inbound and outbound tourism has been carried out; the volume of the tourist flow has been considered; the features of the geography of the tourist flows have been considered; the problems that hinder the more effective development of tourism in the republic have been revealed. The measures aimed at improving the efficiency of tourism activities in the region have been proposed. Discussion and Conclusion. The study made it possible to identify the main trends in the geography of the tourist flows of residents of Mordovia, as well as the causes and features of the ongoing transformations. The results of the study can contribute to the elaboration of an effective program for the development of tourism in the republic, to the adoption of productive managerial decisions in the field of tourism in the region, and to optimization of the geography of the tourist flows.

Privacy or Security: Does It Matter for Continued Use Intention of Travel Applications?

Mobile applications (apps) critically affect travelers’ decision-making and shape their experiences. Grounded in the expectancy value approach, this study examines the relationships among expectation confirmation (usefulness, ubiquity, ease of use, incentives, and enjoyment), privacy protection, security, satisfaction, and trust, and how these factors influence travel app users’ intention to continue using the app. Phase One of the study analyzed data from 509 survey respondents via structural equation modeling. The findings show that expectation confirmation, security, satisfaction, and trust influence travelers’ intention to continue using the travel app, whereas privacy protection exerts no significant effects. Travel app users’ level of technology proficiency moderates the effect of perceived security and satisfaction on the intention to continue use. In Phase Two, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the key findings from Phase One. This study contributes to the literature by examining expectation confirmation, perceived values of privacy protection, and security of travel app users in a single model to explain individuals’ satisfaction, trust, and continued use intention. The study findings also offer strategic implications for travel app developers as well as hospitality and tourism service providers and marketers on how to deliver a high-quality experience, enhance satisfaction and trust, and increase continued use intention among travel app users.

PENGARUH KEMAMPUAN KERJA DAN PROFESIONALISME PEGAWAI TERHADAP KINERJA PEGAWAI PADA DINAS PARIWISATA KABUPATEN BALANGAN PROVINSI KALIMANTAN SELATAN

PENGARUH KEMAMPUAN KERJA DAN PROFESIONALISME PEGAWAI TERHADAP KINERJA PEGAWAI PADA DINAS PARIWISATA KABUPATEN BALANGAN PROVINSI KALIMANTAN SELATAN Yudhi Arisa Putra Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Pancasetia Banjarmasin Jl. Ahmad Yani Km. 5.5 Banjarmasin [email protected] Abstrak: Yudhi Arisa Putra, Npm. 1911.32202.5174, Pengaruh Kemampuan Kerja Dan Profesionalisme Pegawai Terhadap Kinerja Pegawai pada Dinas Pariwisata Kabupaten Balangan Provinsi Kalimantan Selatan Dibawah Bimbingan Dr. Lanny Purnama Kosasi,MM Dan Drs.M.Zaid Abdurakhman, MM, 2021. Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui pengaruh kemampuan kerja dan profesionalisme pegawai secara simultan terhadap kinerja pegawai, untuk mengetahui pengaruh kemampuan kerja dan profesionalisme pegawai secara parsial terhadap kinerja pegawai dan untuk mengetahui diantara kemampuan kerja dan profesionalisme pegawai yang berpengaruh dominan terhadap kinerja pegawai Dinas Pariwisata Kabupaten Balangan Propinsi Kalimantan Selatan. Populasi dan sampel dalam penelitian ini ditentukan sebanyak 40 respoden. Teknik pengolahan data yang akan dilakukan menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan analisis regresi berganda.Hasil penelitiakemampuan kerja dan profesionalisme pegawai berpengaruh signifikan secara simultan terhadap kinerja pegawai, kemampuan kerja dan profesionalisme pegawai berpengaruh signifikan secara parsial terhadap kinerja pegawai dan profesionalisme pegawai berpengaruh dominan terhadap kinerja pegawai pada Dinas Pariwisata Kabupaten Balangan Propinsi Kalimantan Selatan. Kata Kunci : Kemampuan Kerja, Profesionalisme, dan Kinerja. Abstract: Yudhi Arisa Putra, Npm. 1911.32202.5174, Effect Of Employee Ability And Employee Professionalism On The Performance Of Tourism Service Employees In Balangan Regency Province South Kalimantan, Under Guidance Dr.Lanny Purnama Kosasi,MM and Drs.M.Zaid Abdurakhman,MM, 2021. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of work ability and professionalism of employees simultaneously on employee performance, to determine the effect of work ability and professionalism of employees partially on employee performance and to find out between work ability and employee professionalism which had a dominant influence on employee performance at the Tourism Office of Balangan Regency, Kalimantan Province. South. The population and sample in this study were determined as many as 40 respondents. The data processing technique will be carried out using quantitative methods with multiple regression analysis. The results of the research that work ability and employee professionalism have a significant simultaneous effect on employee performance, work ability and employee professionalism have a partially significant effect on employee performance and employee professionalism has a dominant influence on employee performance at the Tourism Office of Balangan Regency, South Kalimantan Province. Keywords: Work Ability, Professionalism, and Performance

OPTIMALISASI PRAMUWISATA DALAM PELAYANAN KEPARIWISATAAN DI KABUPATEN SUMENEP

AbstrakMasalah yang diteliti dalam skripsi ini Bagaimanakah Optimalisasi Pramuwisata DalamPelayanan Kepariwisataan Di Kabupaten Sumenep, sedangkan tujuan penelitian UntukMengetahui Optimalisasi Pramuwisata Dalam Pelayanan Kepariwisataan Di KabupatenSumenep. Metode penelitian deskreptif kualitatif, dengan fokus penelitian yaitu 1) Toconduct to direct, 2) To point out, dan 3), To inform. Subjek penelitian ini informan kunci,utama dan pendukung, teknik pengumpulan data interview, observasi dan dokumentasi,dengan analisa data dengan pendekatan reduksi data dan verifikasi data. Hasil penelitianmenunjukkan menunjukkan pramuwisata dapat memberikan pelayanan kepariwisataan yangsangat optimal kepada kunjungan wisatawan kei Kabupaten Sumenep, yang terlihat dariTo Conduct To Direct yang mengatur dan melaksanakan kegiatan perjalanan wisata, dan ToPoint Out mengantarkan perjalanan wisatawan ke objek-objek dan daya tarik wisata yangdikehendaki, agar wisatawan merasakan kenyamanan serta To Inform, pramuwisatamemberikan informasi dan penjelasan mengenai objek dan daya tarik wisata yang dikunjungi.Pemanduan wisata yang dilakukan oleh Pramuwisata asuhan Dinas Pariwisata,Kebudayaan,Pemuda dan Olah Raga Kabupaten Sumenep telah menunjukkan adanyaoptimalisasi tugas sebagai pramuwisata dalam mengantarkan dan dan mendampingiwisatawan di Kabupaten Sumenep.Kata Kunci : Optimalisasi, Pelayanan Pariwisata dan PramuwisataAbstractProblem that is analyzed in this paper How Optimalisasi Pramuwisata In Ministeringtourism At Regency Sumenep, meanwhile to the effect research To Know OptimalisasiPramuwisata In Ministering tourism At Regency Sumenep. Deskreptif kualitatif'sobservational method, with observational focus which is 1 ) To conduct to direct , 2 ) Topoint out, and 3), To inform . Subjek is this research key informan, main and supporting,interview's data collecting tech, observation and documentation, with data analysis with datareduction approaching and data verification. Result observationaling to point outpramuwisata can give tourism service that really optimal to kei's touristed visit Sumenep'sRegency, one that looked of To Conduct To direct one that manages and perform wisata's tripactivity, and To Point Out delivering touristed trip goes to wisata's object and affinity that iswanted, that tourist feels convenience and To Inform, p ramuwisata gives information andexplanation hit wisata's object and affinity that visited. wisata's pilotage that did byPramuwisata upbringing on duty Tourism, Culture,Young men and Sumenep's Regency Sportno has pointed out to mark sense optimalisasi task as pramuwisata in delivers and and adjointourist at Regency Sumenep.Keyword: Optimalisasi, Tourism service andPramuwisata