Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research … · the specific tourism receptive...
Transcript of Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research … · the specific tourism receptive...
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Indian Journal of
Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
CONTENTS
Research Papers Shiv Prasad
Vinita Bhatia The Impact of Cultural Attractions and Amenities in
Building Image of a Tourist Destination- A Study of
Tourists Visiting Jaipur
3-9
Antoinette Roeloffze,
Ilze Swart & Carina
Kleynhans
Socio-Demographic Profile of the Hospitality Supervisor in
a changed South Africa Labour Force
10-21
J.R. Roberson, I.C.
Kleynhans & W.J.L.
Coetzee
Quality Management Systems in the Hospitality Industry
22-36
Fayaz Ahamed &
Ms. Vahbiz Cooper World Expo 2020: Heralding Dubai’s Super-Growth – A
Road Ahead
37-43
Kumar Ashutosh Strategic Planning for Effective Hospitality and Tourism
Education: Some Observations and Suggestions
44-51
Mahendra Singh Negi,
Mukul Tiwari & Tripti
Singh
Indian Tourism and Hospitality Industry-Trends and
Development
52-67
Shunali & Manik
Arora Gastronomy Tourism and Destination Image Formation
68-75
Suvidha Khanna &
Nidhi Pathania Travel Motivation, Travel Behaviour and Travel Destination
Choice: A Relationship Framework among Pilgrim Tourists
76-83
Norlida H. M. Salleh ,
R. Othman1, S. H.
Mohd Idris1 & M.
Samsudin
Community Participation in Tourism Development and
Livelihood Sustainability
84-93
Parikshat Singh
Manhas & Parvinder
Kour
E-Learning: An Emerging Trend to Strengthen Hospitality
and Tourism Teaching-Learning Process
94-100
Sherry Abraham,
Victor Anand
kumar& Bushan D.
Sudhakar
Making the Customer feel at Home through Sensory
Marketing: A Study of Shiros Restaurant in Bangalore
101-109
Sunetra Roday, Annu
Pillai & Aparna
Deshpande
Emerging Healthy Food Options offered by the Hotel
Industry
110-120
Rekha Maitra Role of IT in Branding and Positioning of a Hotel: A Case
Study with Special Reference to The Oberoi, New Delhi
121-133
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Preface
Rapid changes in the global market conditions and impact of the recessionary phases in the industry has
necessitated need for exploring new opportunities and designing new strategies for managing today’s
challenging environment in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality. Strategies to sustain and achieve desired
target, to create and develop a market for the product and for growth can bring relief from declining hotel
occupancy and tariff along with increased numbers of inbound and outbound travelers.
Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research is a unique opportunity to share knowledge,
understand and develop new approaches for growth with a precise focus on issues, challenges and trends
and is an expression of our vision of the advancement in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality. The research
papers that investigate and explore the impact of cultural attraction and amenities in building image of a
tourist destination that has a direct impact on the travelers revisit and recommending the destination to
explore, has emerged as a major concern for Tourism Organizations.
The paper on Socio-demographic profile of the hospitality supervisor in a changed South Africa labour
force providing more insight into the professional attitude required by the industry could assist in Human
Resources Management with recruitment and selection of suitable supervisor. Demographics play a vital
role in bringing a variation in the mindset and thinking of people thus motivating for pilgrimage for a
specific destination. Quality Management System in the hospitality industry reveals on varieties of
methods currently in use to measure grading systems in international hospitality industry but lack of
Standard Measurement Instruments are being seen in the Tourism, Accommodation and Food and
Beverage sectors. The impact of forthcoming World Expo 2020 in Dubai is a study about the organizing
events and its impact on its residents along with the environment. The Paper on Indian Tourism and
Hospitality Industry Trends and Development identifies some of the trends affecting tourism and
Hospitality industry.
Availability of trained manpower continues to pose a huge challenge to Tourism and Hospitality Industry
despite the steps that are being taken to create more hospitality professionals. Strategic Planning for
Effective Hospitality and Tourism Education highlights the urgent issues and challenges associated with
the tourism education in the country that needs serious attention.
Food and gastronomical aspects are important attribute that can be used in a destination image building.
Gastronomy Tourism and Destination Image Formation, and Paper on Travel Motivation, Travel Behavior
and Travel Destination Choice are distinctive in its nature and helps in promoting destinations. Emerging
Healthy Food Options offered by the hotel industry is good attempt to explore the major trends followed
by restaurants and hotels providing wellness menus.
Sustainable development survives a nation with social and economic enrichment and this in turn satisfies
the needs & values of all interest groups. And to have this, we must ensure that the environment
conservation traditions of our past, which taught us to respect nature, should be conserved. Paper on
Community Participation in Tourism Development and Livelihood Sustainability discusses factors
influencing participation of local communities in tourism business.
Technology and social media as communication channel for marketing activities has revolutionized
traditional approach to reach tourist around the world. Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism Industry is
always at the forefront of initiating the use of technology for increasing the efficiency and productivity of
the departments. This can be best if learning is initiated and based during the foundation training of the
manpower. E-Learning practices will allow us to connect and communicate, to promote product and
services and generally enhance the quality of services rendered to clients, nationwide and internationally.
Identifying customers and inviting their attention through innovation at all levels of marketing and
repositioning of the business amid global or local competitors is a challenge. The nature of demand and
competition along with technological innovations are the compelling reasons for this transformation. The
case study on Role of IT in Branding and Positioning of a hotel can be beneficial resource for the
academician.
We humbly acknowledge the work of all researchers’ on whose contribution this Journal builds on. We
would like to express our gratitude to all authors for their excellent contribution as well. We would also
like to thank every single person who has assisted in the publication of this Journal. It could not have been
possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of our editorial team and the referees.
Chief Editor
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
The Impact of Cultural Attractions and Amenities in Building Image of a
Tourist Destination- A Study of Tourists visiting Jaipur Shiv Prasad
1 & Vinita Bhatia
2
Abstract An in-depth study of tourist image of a destination helps in providing valuable information for making
decisions about destination marketing. If tourists have positive image of a destination it has a direct
bearing on their revisit and to recommend the destination to others. Rajasthan tourism is an integral
part of Indian tourism and is widely praised for its rich culture, tradition and glorious history. There
are various factors which help in developing a superior image of a destination and some of the factors
are of utmost importance. In this study, the authors have tried to see whether there is any impact of
destination’s cultural attractions and amenities in building its image as a tourist destination. With this
objective, the study was conducted in the city of Jaipur and the respondents were the tourist from
different parts of the world. The authors have also tried to find the relationship between tourist
satisfaction and willingness to revisit or recommend to others. A comparison was also made between
the tourist satisfaction derived from cultural attraction and amenities. Convenience sampling
technique has been used and the data was collected through structured questionnaire.
Keywords: Tourists, destination image, cultural attractions, amenities, satisfaction
Introduction Tourism industry (Raina & Jain, 2004) is concerned with attracting people to destination and they
carry different images of their ideal holiday destination. Destination image is the visitor’s subjective
perception (Chen & Tsai, 2007) of the destination reality. Destination image is defined as an
individual’s mental representation of knowledge (beliefs), feelings and overall perception of a
particular destination (Fakeye & Crompton, 1991).
Lew (1987) defines tourism attractions as all the elements of tourism destination which are attracting
tourists from their place of permanent residence and they refer to the geographic and climate
characteristics of a particular location, activities in which tourists can participate as well as
experiences they are going to remember. Tourism attractions are defined as those attributes of tourism
destination which, with their specific features, attract or motivate tourists to visit particular tourism
destination. Tourism attractions determine direction as well as intensity of tourism development on
the specific tourism receptive area (Kusen, 2002).
The notions of destination image and destination attractiveness are very fluid and intangible, and it is
difficult to construct adequate indicators which would quantitatively describe the level of destination
attractiveness or, in other words, quantify the magnitude of the destination appeal on potential
tourists. Tourism attractions are very heterogeneous category and their essence can be very different.
For example, scenic beauties, night life, interesting historic sites or market ties with the receptive
destination (VFR – visiting friends and relatives) are all examples of tourism attractions, even though
they do not have much in common. (Kresic & Prebezac, 2011).
According to Buhalis (2000) tourism destination consists of six components which are attractions,
accessibility, amenities, activities, ancillary services and available packages. Cultural sightseeing,
friendly people and food are factors which make Thailand as a tourist destination (Henkel, Henkel,
Agrusa, Agrusa, & Tanner, 2006). Hotel rooms, restaurants, convention centers, air service, local
transportation, attractions, cost, climate, safety and security, and city prosperity were chosen to
exemplify the overall attractiveness of the city as a convention location (Fenich, 2001).
In an attempt to measure the tourist attractiveness of destinations, Var, Beck and Loftus (1977) noted
that this is a function of natural, social and historical factors, recreation and shopping opportunities,
1 , Associate Professor, Department of Management Studies, MDS University,Ajmer,Rajasthan, India. Email:
[email protected] 2 Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies, MDS University,Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. Email:
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
accessibility and accommodation performing above minimum tourist quality standards. A destination
is composed of attractions, facilities, infrastructure, transport and hospitality (Mill and Morrison,
1992). Similarly, Laws (1995) opines that elements which contribute to the attractiveness of a tourist
destination are culture, traditional architecture and amenities like hotels, catering, transport and
entertainment.
Review of Literature Image is the most important aspect of a tourism attraction from a marketing point of view (Lew,
1987). The concept of destination image and destination attractiveness are closely tied and
interconnected and the level of destination attractiveness is largely influenced by the destination
image and vice versa (Kresic & Prebezac, 2011). Tourism image is related with perceived service
quality and satisfaction (Bigne, Sanchez, and Sanchez, 2001). Variables which make up the image of
a destination are heritage, culture and comfortability, commercial attractiveness (Raina & Jain, 2004).
Tourism resources and attractions were identified as one of the important dimensions of destination
competitiveness (Lee & Josiam, 2004). Theoretical and practical, sources have approved that creation
of destination image (Fuchs & Reichel, 2006) depends on the tourists’ service quality and tourists’
satisfaction. Destination image plays important role in behaviours like satisfaction (Bigne, Sanchez,
and Sanchez, 2001). Lee et al. (2005) argued that individuals having a favourable destination image
would perceive trip quality positively, which in turn would lead to greater satisfaction levels. Thus,
we can hypothesize that:
H1: The more favourable the destinations cultural attractions, the higher its image as a tourist
destination
H2: The more favourable the destinations amenities, the higher its image as a tourist destination
Satisfaction has a positive effect on intention to return (Joaquin & Cladera, 2009). A study was
conducted (Cho, 1998) to assess the satisfaction of Korean tourists' with the visit to Australia in terms
of overall satisfaction of experience, intention to recommend Australia to Others, and intention to
return to Australia within the next 5 years. Lee et al. (2005) is of the opinion that individuals who
have a favourable destination image have an intention to revisit and recommend to others. A research
was carried out to (Yuksel, 2001) provide destination managers and marketers with an analytic insight
into how repeat and first-time visitors develop their satisfaction and return intention judgments.
Visitors commonly regard quality of food, quality of accommodation, hospitality and safety as a
reason to come back. Similar study was conducted (Joaquin & Jaume, 2010) to examine the impact of
the satisfaction- and dissatisfaction-based evaluations on both the tourists’ overall satisfaction and
their intention to return to the destination. If a tourist is attracted by a destination (Fuchs & Reichel,
2006) then his perception of a destination will be high and in future he will be interested in visiting.
There is no doubt that if tourists are satisfied with their holiday experience, it is expected that they
will be more likely to continue to return to a destination and/or recommend it to others (Kozak &
Rimmington, 2000). Destination image plays important role in intention to revisit and willingness to
recommend (Bigne, Sanchez, and Sanchez, 2001). Thus, we can hypothesize that:
H3: There is a relationship between tourist satisfaction of cultural attractions in Jaipur and
tourist’s willingness to revisit or recommend to others
H4: There is a relationship between tourist satisfaction of amenities in Jaipur and tourist’s
willingness to revisit or recommend to others
Methodology The study on which this paper is based was carried out in some of the well known hotels of Jaipur.
The research consisted of 126 valid responses and convenience sampling technique was used to reach
the respondents. A specially designed structured questionnaire was administered to see the impact of
cultural attractions and amenities on building image of a tourist destination. It also tries to find the
relationship between tourist satisfaction of cultural attractions and amenities in Jaipur and tourist’s
willingness to revisit or recommend to others. Tourists responded on 5-point likert scale (1= very
dissatisfied; 5= very satisfied), and the responses to the questionnaire were keyed in and analyzed
using the SPSS. Table I illustrates the profile of respondents.
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Table 1: Profile of respondents Variable Percentage
Nationality
Indian 85.4
Foreign 14.6
Gender
Male 70.7
Female 29.3
Age
21 – 24 years 41.5
25 – 34 years 36.6
35 – 44 years 14.6
45 years and older 7.3
Marital Status
Single 51.2
Married 48.8
Education
Schooling 7.3
Graduate 24.4
Post Graduate 68.3
Occupation
Employed 58.5
Student 31.7
Housewife 7.3
Unemployed 2.4
Monthly income
Under USD 500 19.5
USD 500-USD 600 9.5
USD 600-USD 700 26.8
USD 700-USD 800 7.3
USD 800-USD 900 9.8
USD 900-USD 1000 9.8
Above USD 1000 17.1
Companion
Alone 4.9
Spouse 17.1
Family 31.7
Friends 46.3
Purpose
Leisure 24.4
Health 2.4
Sports 2.4
Business meeting 17.1
Family visit 34.1
Weather/Climate 7.3
Culture 12.2
Results Descriptive Statistics of the Sample reports that 70% were male and 30% were female. Age ranged
from 21 to 55 years and a significant number of the respondents (78%) were between the age of 21 to
34 years. 85% of the tourists were from different parts of India and the remaining 15% were
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
foreigners. There was no major difference in the marital status of the respondents (51% were single
and 49% were married). Most of them were educated and 68% were atleast postgraduates. Very less
(4.9%) travelled alone, 17% with their spouse, 32% with their family, and 46% with their friends.
Most of them came for family visit (34%), leisure (24%) and business meetings (17%). when we talk
about their occupation 58% were employed and 32% were students and very less were housewife’s
and unemployed. There was not much difference in the monthly income of the respondents.
To assess the internal consistency of the data, cronbach alpha was calculated where a coefficient at
0.7 or higher was considered acceptable (Nunnally, 1976). Table 2 exhibits the cronbach alpha of the
values which is good. Mean and standard deviation were also calculated to access the satisfaction
level of the tourist and it was revealed that majority of the tourists were mainly satisfied with the
cultural attractions of Jaipur. They loved the traditional folk dance, dress, music and the rich
Architectural and historical places of Rajasthan. When we talk about the amenities, majority of them
were very satisfied by the accommodation, food and personal safety. Very less were happy with the
state of roads, reason may be the construction work of metros.
Very significant number of tourist had a good image of Jaipur as a tourist destination and they were
enthusiastic about revisiting Jaipur in future. They were also very positive about recommending their
friends and relatives for visiting Jaipur, which offers a variety of cultural attractions and better
amenities.
Table 2: Mean, Standard deviation and Cronbach Alpha
H1: We began our analysis by examining Pearson’s bivariate correlation between Cultural
attractions and Jaipur image as a tourist destination. As shown in the table 3 both our positively
and significantly correlated. The correlation coefficient is 0.461
Table 3: Correlations Cultural attractions Jaipur image
Cultural attractions Pearson Correlation 1 .461(**)
Sig. (2-tailed) .002
N 126 126
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
In testing H2 Pearson’s bivariate correlation was used to find the relationship between satisfaction of
destinations amenities and Jaipur image as a tourist destination. Both are positively correlated
(p<0.05) (See table 4) and the correlation coefficient is 0.396
Table 4: Correlations
Amenities Jaipur image
amenities Pearson Correlation 1 .396(*)
Sig. (2-tailed) .010
N 126 126
* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
H3: A significant correlation was found between tourist satisfaction of cultural attractions in Jaipur and
tourist’s willingness to revisit or recommend to others. The correlation coefficient is 0.668 at 99%
level of significance (See table 5).
S. No. Variable No. of Items Cronbach's
Alpha
Mean Standard
Deviation
1 Cultural attractions 8 0.873 4.046 0.6530
2 Amenities 11 0.831 3.622 0.4677
3 Intention to revisit or
recommend
3 0.802 4.012 0.7026
4 Jaipur image 3 0.922 4.256 0.6033
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Table 5: Correlations
Attractions Intention to revisit or recommend
attractions Pearson Correlation 1 .668(**)
Sig. (2-tailed) .000
N 126 126
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
The results of H4: indicate that there is a relationship between tourist satisfaction of amenities in Jaipur
and tourist’s willingness to revisit or recommend to others. The correlation coefficient is 0.496 at 99%
level of significance (See table 6).
Table 6: Correlations
Amenities
Intention to revisit or
recommend
amenities Pearson Correlation 1 .496(**)
Sig. (2-tailed) .001
N 126 126
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
In addition to the satisfaction derived from cultural attractions and amenities, intention to revisit or
recommend and tourist image of Jaipur, we had also collected data regarding the demographic and
travel related behaviour of the tourists. These were not analysed as the scale of the measurement was
either nominal or ordinal. Hence the role of these variables on cultural attractions and amenities,
intention to revisit or recommend and tourist image of Jaipur is being examined separately in this
section using appropriate statistical test such as t-test and Anova. Table 7 presents the outcome of t-
test and Anova which were used to determine the association of satisfaction derived from cultural
attractions, amenities, intention to revisit or recommend and tourist image of Jaipur with the following
variables (1)Nationality (2)gender (3) marital Status (4) Age (5) Education (6) Occupation (7) Income
(8) Companion (9) Purpose. These were the independent variables, Altogether 36 test were performed
to ascertain the association between the two sets of variables. As shown in table 7, out of 12 t-values
only three are found to be statistically significant. Foreign tourists were more satisfied with the
amenities of Jaipur and males were more interested in revisiting or recommending Jaipur as a tourist
destination. Unmarried tourists were more satisfied with the cultural attractions of Jaipur.
Table 7 also reports the findings of Anova, out of the 24 F test values only five are found to be
statistically significant. With respect to the educational qualification, intention to revisit is high in post
graduates, average in graduates and low in tourist who have only completed their schooling. Students
and tourists who are employed show more intention in revisiting and recommending Jaipur as a tourist
destination while housewives and unemployed tourist show less interest. Tourist from a low income
group was satisfied with the cultural attractions of Jaipur and those from a high income group were
satisfied with the amenities. Tourists who came with their spouse, friends and then family were
mainly satisfied with the cultural attractions and tourists who came alone were less satisfied with the
cultural attractions. Table 7: Difference of Means (t) test and Anova
S.
No
Demographic and travel
behaviour Characteristics
Cultural
Attractions
Amenities Intention to
revisit or
recommend
Jaipur image
1 Nationality t= -0.445
Sig.=0.495
(n.s)
t=-0.288
Sig.=0.048
(p<.05)
t= 1.149
Sig.=0.850
(n.s)
t=1.003
Sig.=0.096
(n.s)
2 Gender t= 1.306
Sig.=0.423
(n.s)
t= 2.143
Sig.=0.152
(n.s)
t= 1.763
Sig.=0.041
(p<.05)
t= 1.397
Sig.=0.504
(n.s)
3 Marital Status t= 1.524
Sig.=0.031
(p<.05)
t= -1.249
Sig.=0.222
(n.s)
t= 0.769
Sig.=0.494
(n.s)
t= 0.829
Sig.=.115
(n.s)
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
4 Age F=0.896
Sig.= 0.452
(n.s)
F=0.436
Sig.= 0.729
(n.s)
F=0.282
Sig.= 0.838
(n.s)
F=0.325
Sig.= 0.807
(n.s)
5 Education F=1.483
Sig.= 0.228
(n.s)
F=0.801
Sig.= 0.533
(n.s)
F=2.713
Sig.= 0.045
(p<.05)
F=2.224
Sig.= 0.086
(n.s)
6 Occupation F=1.096
Sig.= 0.363
(n.s)
F=1.866
Sig.= 0.152
(n.s)
F=3.564
Sig.= 0.023
(p<.05)
F=1.536
Sig.= 0.221
(n.s)
7 Income F=2.840
Sig.= 0.024
(p<.05)
F=4.496
Sig.= 0.002
(p<.01)
F=1.794
Sig.= 0.131
(n.s)
F=1.108
Sig.= 0.379
(n.s)
8 Companion F=6.099
Sig.= 0.002
(p<.01)
F=1.335
Sig.= 0.278
(n.s)
F=1.853
Sig.= 0.155
(n.s)
F=2.588
Sig.= 0.068
(n.s)
9 Purpose F=0.356
Sig.= 0.901
(n.s)
F=1.317
Sig.= 0.276
(n.s)
F=0.439
Sig.= 0.839
(n.s)
F=0.542
Sig.= 0.772
(n.s)
Conclusion The study was carried out in well known hotels of Jaipur city. The sample consisted of 126 national
and international tourists who completed a structured questionnaire which contained 34 questions.
The questionnaire included 8 items to measure tourist’s satisfaction of cultural attractions and 11
items to measure tourist’s satisfaction of amenities. Besides these 3 items to measure intention to
revisit or recommend to others and 3 items to measure tourists image of Jaipur were included. Each
item was measured on five-point scale. Tourists were satisfied with the cultural attractions and
amenities of Jaipur but mainly they were satisfied with the cultural attractions of Jaipur. Very
significant number of tourist had a good image of Jaipur as a tourist destination and they were keen
about revisiting Jaipur in future and recommending their friends and relatives for visiting Jaipur.
The correlation between cultural attractions and intention to revisit or recommend was found to be the
highest (p<.01), correlation between amenities and intention to revisit or recommend was at second
(p<.01) and correlation between cultural attractions and Jaipur image was at third (p<.01). The
correlation between amenities and Jaipur image was also significant (p<.05). The outcome of t-test
and Anova were used to determine the association of satisfaction derived from cultural attractions,
amenities, intention to revisit or recommend and tourist image of Jaipur with the socio-demographic
characteristics and travel-related behaviour of tourists.
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Kozak, M., & Rimmington, M. (2000). Tourist Satisfaction with Mallorca, Spain, as an off-season Holiday Destination.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Socio-Demographic Profile of the Hospitality Supervisor in a changed
South Africa Labour Force Antoinette Roeloffze
1, Ilze Swart & Carina Kleynhans
Abstract The purpose of the research study was to investigate the variables in the socio-demographic profile of
a supervisor currently employed in the hospitality industry in South Africa. As the industry becomes
more competitive there is increased pressure on establishments to adapt their management style to
ensure survival and enhance financial performance. Due to globalisation, demographic shifts and
legislation the industry managing a diverse workforce has emerged as a major concern of hospitality
establishments. The need to find qualified and skilled employees to fulfil the role of supervisors is
assuming high priority. Insight into the socio-demographic profile of a supervisor could assist human
resources management with recruitment and selection of suitable supervisors. Findings help to
identify the age-group that occupies such positions thereby providing more insight into the
professional attitude required by the industry.
Keywords: diversity; generations; hospitality profile; socio-demographic; supervisor
Introduction Providing hospitality is considered one of the oldest professions (Ottenbacher, Harrington & Parsa,
2009) and it is perceived as being people oriented. The atmosphere of a hotel, guesthouse or
restaurant is what makes patrons return. The hospitality industry is an exciting professional field that
offers varied career opportunities. It is also the largest and fastest growing industry in the world
(Walker, 2004). According to Jones and George (2003), many hospitality organisations have come to
the conclusion, that to survive in the 21st century, they will have to adopt a global perspective. Ford
and Heaton (2000) maintain, the modern economy is dominated by service organisations. The
hospitality industry is a diverse industry with a powerful, common dynamic that focuses on the
delivery of quality services and products and the customer/guest’s impressions. An employee in the
hospitality industry needs to have the ability to influence the human experience, by creating powerful
impressions. These include providing the service quality and value that guests expect which, in return
should make lasting impression on the guests (Walker, 2004).
The hospitality industry in South Africa is faced with challenges such as increasing competition -
nationally and internationally - economic recession, downsizing, the need to work smarter and not
necessarily harder and, above all, more discerning guests/consumers. Due to these challenges
hospitality organisations and management are obliged to adapt to a dramatically different work
environment. For organisations to stay competitive they have to provide higher quality and value-
added services and products to their guests/customers. (Burke, 2001). To create a culture of service in
a hospitality organisation, managers need to be able to influence and encourage their employees to
contribute positively towards accomplishing this objective (Rue & Byars, 2004, Burke, 2001).
Supervision that is seen as the first level of management fulfils a significant role in the provision of
quality service and the creation of a service culture within organisation. Thacker and Holl (2008)
confirm that a competitive advantage gained is through people, therefore to achieve this competitive
edge managers have an integral role to play. This implies that the supervisor in the hospitality
industry can be identified as the embodiment of organisational values, a source of feedback and
learning as well as a provider of resources and support regarding the delivery of high quality service
and products (Burke, 2001). According to Elangovan and Xie (2000) a supervisor has to oversee the
activities of the employees report him/her.
Literature Review
Since the 1994 elections, South Africans have referred to themselves as the ‘rainbow nation’. This
nation is composed of people from different races, tribes, languages and religions. This diversity
implies that people perceive and interpret situations differently in the workplace. Due to a variety
1Department of Hospitality Management, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
Email: [email protected]
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
these different perceptions and interpretations, hospitality organisations are challenged with managing
a diverse workforce (Smit, Cronje, Brevis & Vrba, 2008).
According to Wood (2006) and Walker and Miller (2010) there has been a growing interest in
‘diversity management’ since the mid-1980s. This concept originated in the United States of
America. The main reason for the increasing interest in diversity management in South Africa is the
changing composition of the labour force, coupled with the legislation spelling out affirmative action
objectives (Smit, Cronje, Brevis & Vrba, 2008). Table 1 illustrates ethnic and gender diversity in
South Africa. Table 1: South African Demographics.
Population
group
Male Female Total
Number % of Male
population
Number % of
Female
population
Number % of Total
population
African/Black 19 472 038 79, 4 20 734 337 79,5 40 206 275 79,5
Coloured 2 188 782 8, 9 2 351 008 9, 0 4 539 790 9, 0
Indian/Asian 626 690 2, 6 648 177 2, 5 1 274 864 2, 5
White 2 227 526 9, 1 2 338 299 9, 0 4 565 825 9, 0
TOTAL 24 515 036 100, 0 26 071 721 100, 0 50 586 757 100, 0
Source: Estimates for South Africa by population group and gender. Mid-Year 2011 (SSA, 2011).
In an organisational context the term ‘diversity management’ refers to a set of evolving philosophies
and practices. These philosophies and practices are concerned mainly with optimal utilisation of a
variety of human qualities, orientations and dispositions to satisfy ethical precepts as well as to pursue
successful business goals. To management of a diverse workforce each individual in the organisation
is regarded as a unique person, with a unique psychological and social personality. However what
management should realise is that these individuals do belong to an identifiable social group. This
group will share specific characteristics with other groups such as gender or colour. The purpose of
effective management of a diverse workforce should be to reach organisational goals through ethical
treatment of individual. Management should be able to capitalise on these differences thereby
ensuring positive organisational performance (Smit, Cronje, Brevis & Vrba, 2008).
The process of profiling involves analysing and/or identifying personality and behavioural
characteristics of an individual based on the work he or she has to perform. An employer is able to
draw conclusions about the individual, in this case the hospitality supervisor, by observing and
evaluating performance (Pistorius, 2005). Hospitality organisations are faced with complex
challenges when it comes to transferring specific knowledge and relevant skills to new supervisors. It
is more difficult to transfer new knowledge and skills when a supervisor occupies a post that does not
really match his/her personality. Generally such a supervisor will require more effort from the
manager than the supervisor that one whose natural abilities are suited for the job (Baron, 2007).
What complicates matching the job with the supervisor is the fact that organisations are expected to
manage an increasingly diverse workforce (Joshi, Dencker, Franz & Martocchio, 2010). Applicable
knowledge and skills required for job performance are crucial to a supervisor as these attributes will
mean that an employee that will be more satisfied, leading ultimately to create a win – win situation.
A supervisor that is not really suited to the job may deliver a reduced level of performance. This is
not an outcome an employer or employee, in this case the supervisor would welcome (Baron, 2007).
Due to strong competition among hospitality organisations, human resource managers have realised
that matching a supervisor to the job is a key factor in improving quality of service and increasing
labour productivity. Unfortunately, the hospitality industry is characterised by a workforce with
relatively low levels of skills. The industry still has the reputation of low labour retention and in some
countries recruiting skilled labour is problematic due to poor working conditions or limited or no
career prospects (Marchante, Ortega & Pagan, 2007, U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, 2006-7).
According to Kusluvan and Kusluvan (2000) the hospitality industry needs a well-educated, well-
trained, skilled, enthusiastic and committed workforce, as quality of service in the industry is
inextricably limited to performance.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
One responsibility of a hospitality supervisor involves understanding guests’ expectations and
meeting these expectations in a very personalised and creative way. It is also a foundation of a
hospitality supervisor to encourage employees to contribute positively towards accomplishing
organisational goals and objectives (Rue & Byars, 2004). The profile of a hospitality supervisor is
multifaceted, comprising capabilities, knowledge, experience, education and personality traits
(Emenheiser, Clay & Palakurthi, 1998). To remain competitive in today’s economic environment and
to change the perception of an industry manned with low skilled employees and increasing staff
turnover, it is imperative to develop a profile of an efficient supervisor. According to Pistorius (2005)
a profile cannot identify a person, but it can reduce the number of candidates for a position. An
employer could be provided with specific information pertaining to the type of individual to be
recruited and possibly selected for the position of supervisor. Profiling a supervisor is crucial,
because knowledge will assist hospitality organisations to recruit and select a candidate who has the
potential to be trained and developed into a worthwhile hospitality supervisor.
The majority of supervisors in hospitality establishments are promoted from within the ranks of
current employees. They are selected on the basis of their performance and experience as well as on
their technical skills. Being promoted to supervisory level is management’s way of showing
appreciation for an employee’s past performance (Rue & Byars, 2004, Kumagai and Kleiner, 1995).
Charan, Drotter and Noel (2001) add that when an employee becomes a skilled individual contributor
who produces good results and demonstrates the ability to collaborate with other people, he/she will
be eligible for promotion to a supervisory level. It has often been considered to be more cost-effective
to develop existing employees into supervisors than to recruit new candidates (Williams & Hunter,
1992).
Gannon (2006) states that in the past there was a tendency for an employee to become a supervisor
and then be promoted to general manager if their immediate supervisor thought highly of them.
He/she looked the part! According to Charan, Drotter and Noel (2001) being promoted from the pool
of current employees sometimes presents a challenge as this individuals thinks that all the hard work
as a contributor to the organisation has finally been recognised. According to Kumagai and Kleiner
(1995) and Charan, Drotter and Noel (2001), when the new supervisor finds himself/herself in a
position of authority he or she is often poorly prepared to assume these responsibilities. The new
incumbent has to acquire additional skills in planning activities, communicating, motivating,
counselling, disciplining and training of employees. Sometimes it is expected that these skills can be
mastered overnight. Thacker and Holl (2008) opine that managerial roles require different
competencies and skills which are unrelated to technical skills. Furthermore a supervisor belongs to a
group of employees that have less formal training in job performance criteria than any other group of
employed people. One reason is that prior to an employee’s promotion to supervisory level, he/she
does not receive special training and preparation for the new job. These responsibilities often have to
be acquired through trial and error (Kumagai & Kleiner (1995).
Research Methodology Research instrument
A performance standard document, based on the concept “leadership pipeline – how to build the
leadership-powered company”, was provided by the one of the main hotel chains in South Africa.
This hotel chain is rated among the fifty top hotel chains in the world and is regarded as the leading
hotel chain in South Africa (Southern Sun, 2010). This performance standard document is used when
training, developing and building skills of their staff. Recruiting employees for management positions
could suggest that the leadership pipeline in a specific organisation is not performing, because internal
training, mentoring and other developmental programmes are not filling the pipeline. A leadership
pipeline model is not a straight cylinder. It bends in six places each of which in return represents a
change in organisational position. For the purpose of profiling the hospitality supervisor a
questionnaire focusing specifically on the passage/bending to “manage others”
(operational/specialists) was developed (Charan, Drotter & Noel, 2001).
Supervisors are measured according to the following performance dimensions: leadership and people
performance; guest and relationship performance; financial and business performance; Management
and operational performance; and innovation and improvement performance (Southern Sun, 2010). In
developing the questionnaire the above-mentioned performance dimensions were considered The
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
questionnaire consists of four sections, namely biographical information; perceived supervisory
experience knowledge and skills with regard to the achievement of organisation’s goals; perceived
expectations of personal performance as a supervisor and required supervisory skills and two open
ended questions. The paper will only focus on the socio-demographic data.
According to Jones, George and Hill (2003:89), Walker and Miller (2010:24), ethics are moral
principles or beliefs that guide individuals in deciding what is right or wrong when dealing with
situations that involve other individuals or groups. For this study, ethical issues are relevant because
for this research process, various individuals from the different hotel chains were contacted and
interviewed and important and valuable information was collected from them. The following ethical
considerations were observed:
To improve the reliability of this process the researcher chose the option of pilot testing (Bradburn,
Sudman & Wansink, 2004).
Pilot Study
The pilot-test would ascertain whether all research questions were realistic and possible to assess
(Berg & Theron, 2002) before the researcher used the final version in the hypothesis-testing situation.
Although the above procedure may appear to be time-consuming, it is likely to produce more reliable
results.
Participants in the pilot-test were ten supervisors from two boutique hotels. As the pilot-test
procedure was not identical to the main study and respondents were given more flexibility, it was very
helpful for the researcher to melt with the focus group after the completion of the questionnaire to
discuss any problems experienced. No difficulties in completing the questionnaire were experienced
and all ten respondents agreed that the questions were clear, logical and relevant to their position as
hospitality supervisors. During the focus group discussion respondents did, however, mention that
supervising employees had changed in recent years. Diversity in the workplace had forcing the
supervisor to modify his/her leadership style to ensure the effective management of employees with
improved organisational efficiency.
Distribution of questionnaire
A self-administered questionnaire was sent via e-mail to a key staff member in the hotel chain who
was responsible for the distribution of the questionnaire. Each respondent had a choice between e-
mailing or posting the questionnaire directly to the researcher or sending it back via the office of the
key staff member who was responsible for the distribution of the questionnaire. Response rates
present a major concern in research studies as a high proportion of sampled respondents do not
respond. Vos, Strydom, Fouche and Delport (2005) add that the response rate to mailed questionnaires
is often around 30%. Failure to complete the questionnaire could be ascribed to the fail that
respondents refuse to do o as it is not compulsory to take part in any survey. Other factors could play
a role. Fear of social isolation, an overload of surveys or privacy concerns are a few reasons (Neuman,
2003).
Data collection
The population chosen consisted of supervisors employed in the hospitality industry in South Africa.
Convenience sampling was used for this study. Respondents who were most available were contacted
first. This process was repeated until the sample reached the desired size (Vos, Strydom, Fouche &
Delport, 2005). In this particular study the sample identified was initially the team of supervisors in
one of the main hotel chains in the Republic of South Africa. A total of approximately 379
supervisors could be involved. After having distributed the questionnaire for a third time due to the
initial low responses the first and second time around, the researcher realised that there would be no
further responses. Only 97 responses out of a possible 379 responses in this hotel chain, were
received. Due to the low response rate, the study was expanded to another six hotel chains in South
Africa. The response rate was still very low and a final number of 141 questionnaires were received.
..... 14
Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Data analysis
This study was conducted using a quantitative research approach, although a small part of the study
was done using a qualitative approach. The reason for selecting a quantitative research approach is
being able to select answers to questions about relationships from measured variables (Leedy &
Ormrod, 2001). Statistics have two major functions: the first function is to describe what the data
looks like – identifying the centre or midpoint (describing numerical data) and the second function is
to make inferences about large populations. This is done by collecting data from relatively small
samples and then generalising the characteristics to a larger population (Leedy & Ormrod, 2001,
Neuman, 1997). As mentioned the questionnaire for this research study consisted of closed
(numerical data) as well as open-ended questions (textual data). However these two sets of data were
analysed using different methods. Data were analysed with the assistance of a qualified statistician
using IBM SPSS Statistics V20.
Results and Discussion Demographic characteristics concern gleaning information from the population sample to determine
the age group, marital status, gender, race, number of years working in the industry and the level of
education. This information included the age group of supervisors currently in the hospitality industry
in South Africa. It also provides information on gender, educational level and number of years in
each age group.
Age: The age distribution of the participants fell into four age groups. After having analysed the data
of the respondents, the researcher concluded that there has been influx of younger supervisors into
the hospitality industry in South Africa. Seventy two point three percent (72,3%) are members of
Generation Y that were born after 1980. The second largest group of supervisors are between 26 and
35 which represent Generation X with 15,3%. These members were born between 1964 & 1980.
Baby Boomers present as the smallest group with 12,4%. These members were born between 1945&
1964. Hospitality staff is typically diverse with all three age groups being represented (Yu & Miller,
2005).
Furunes and Mykletun (2005) state that current human resource managers in the hospitality industry
tend to favour a younger workforce. The majority of the workforce in the hospitality industry in the
United States is between 18 years old and the mid-30s, which constitute the Generation Y. The
situation is that the younger employees outnumber the older employees. They also contend that the
Generation Y and the Generation X members are willing to work hard, but they demand more than the
Baby Boomers. The job needs to be worthwhile and they have to enjoy it (Walker & Miller, 2012). It
is argued that hospitality managers should try to retain older employees. Having an age-balanced
hospitality workforce is likely to provide organisations with higher and more stable service-quality
levels. The reason for this is that older, more experienced employees will be better able to meet
guest/customer expectations than younger employees, due to experience (Bowen & Ford, 2004).
Geddie and Jackson (2002) confirm that the mature/older employee has a great deal to offer
employers and the business. A major attribute of the more mature employee is that he/she tends to be
satisfied with the jobs. Furthermore they are self confident and their work reflects quality. Harkison
and Poulston (2010) assert that the hospitality industry in New Zealand is primarily a young people’s
industry and the common age for a supervisor is between 20 and 25 years. With Generation Y
employees entering the workforce, management are faces with the ‘glass ceiling’ issue as half of this
generation expect to be promoted in less than two years while two thirds of them expect to move on
from the job they are in within five years (Eisner & Harvey, 2005).
Gender: Distribution with regard to the gender of participants is displayed in Table 2. The majority
of respondents are female with (n = 85) representing 61.6% of the sample. Male (n = 53) respondents
represent 38.4% of the sample. There is a definite tendency towards a larger number of female
supervisors. The number of women entering the labour market increases every year.
With more women in the workforce, the dynamics of a typical hospitality establishment will change
dramatically, with managers having to deal with issues such as work-family conflict and dual - career
couples. Another important issue relating to gender as a dimension of diversity is the ‘glass ceiling’.
This refers to the position of women who still have difficulty of being promoted to higher positions in
the organisation because of their gender (Smit et al, 2008 & Eisner and Harvey, 2005). Studies
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
indicate that female managers in the hospitality industry are unlikely to occupy higher managerial
posts, whereas the male managers stand a better chance of being appointed in senior management
positions (Garavan, O’Brien & O’Hanlon, 2004). According to Smit et al. (2008) men in the USA
occupy 97% of top positions versus South Africa where men hold 87% of top positions.
Table 2: Socio-demographic data on a supervisor in the hospitality industry in South Africa
VARIABLE Frequency (n) Percentage (%)
Age
18 – 35 Years 99 72,3
36 – 45 Years 21 15,3
46 Years and older 17 12,4
TOTAL 137 100
Gender
Male 53 38.4
Female 85 61.6
TOTAL 138 100
Race
White 31 22.3
Black 70 50.4
Asian 20 14.4
Coloured 16 11.5
Other 2 1.4
TOTAL 139 100
Marital Status
Married 49 35.3
Widowed 1 0.7
Divorced 9 6.5
Separated 2 1.4
Never Married 78 56.1
TOTAL 139 100
Grade
Grade 10 8 5.8
Grade 11 8 5.8
Grade 12 115 82.7
Other 8 5.8
TOTAL 139 100
Highest qualification obtained
None 24 18.0
Certificate 37 27.8
Diploma 56 42.1
Higher Diploma or B Tech Degree 9 6.8
Bachelor’s Degree 5 3.8
Honours Degree 1 0.8
Masters’ Degree 1 0.8
TOTAL 133 100
Department/Division
Food and Beverage 30 21.7
Front of House 62 44.9
Housekeeping 19 13.8
Other 27 19.6
TOTAL 138 100
Years
0 – 5 44 31.7
6 – 10 53 38.1
11 – 15 21 15.1
16 + 21 15.1
TOTAL 139 100
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Race: According to official statistics South Africa has a population of about 50 586 757 people.
Blacks represent 79.5% of the population, Coloureds 9%, Indians and Asians 2.5% and Whites 9%
(SSA, 2011). According to the data in Table 2 the black population has the largest percentage of
supervisors, namely 50.4%, followed by the White population with 22.3%. Asians and Coloureds
represent 14.4% and 11.5%, respectively of the supervisors in the sample. After the elections in 1994,
South Africa adopted a new constitution in which the country redefines itself as a democratic non-
racial society. The Equity Employment Act and Affirmative Action laws were promulgated by the
South African government, and organisations were charged to address imbalances in the workforce
through transformation (Smit et al., 2008).
Marital status: Data indicate that 56.1% of the respondents are not married, followed by the married
group of respondents, 35.3%. Divorced, separated and widowed people represent a lower percentage
of respondents in the sample, with 6.5%, 1.4% and 0.7%, respectively. Marital status of the
employees is a variable that could add to the complicate or simplify the social mix in organisations
(Smit et al., 2008:241). Management need to recognise differences and apply them as strengths in the
organisation. Mohyeldin and Suliman (2003) remark that married employees generally have more
commitments such family and social obligations than non-married employees. Due to these
commitments, they tend to perform better in their jobs, as they are eager to ensure their permanence in
the organisation. They display more interest in organisational investments. Unmarried employees tend
to be more flexible when it comes to changing jobs and organisations. The above-mentioned authors
opine that married supervisors seem to be more committed and act more responsibly than non-married
supervisors. Unmarried supervisors lean towards overestimating employees’ performance to avoid
complaints and confrontation.
Highest grade of schooling completed: The data show that the majority of respondents are in
possession of a Grade 12 certificate (82.7%), which means that the majority of supervisors in the
sample completed high school. Data further indicate that 5.8% of respondents completed Grade 11
and another 5.8% completed Grade 10. Only 5.8% of the respondents have a level of education below
Grade 10.
Level of education attainment: Data indicate that 42.1% of respondents are in possession of a
Diploma, 27.8% obtained a Certificate and 18.0% have no tertiary qualifications. A very small
percentage of respondents (6.8%) have a Higher Diploma or B Tech Degree. Only 0.8% of the
respondents have an Honours Degree and only one (0.8%) respondent has a Master’s Degree.
Eisner and Harvey (2005) reported that the level of education among employees in America has risen
significantly. The number of employees between the ages 25 to 64 with tertiary education has
doubled from 1970 to 2006. Unfortunately, the hospitality industry still has a reputation for not rating
tertiary qualifications very highly. Hospitality employers tend to rate interpersonal, problem-solving
and self-management skills as more important than education (Raybould & Wilkins, 2005). This
could be the reason for the lower percentage of respondents with a tertiary qualification, such as with
a Higher Diploma/Bachelor’s Degree or an Honours Degree. Managers in hospitality organisations
tend to view a Bachelor’s Degree as irrelevant. Those who have a higher qualification compete for
jobs against those with more experience in industry,, but without a tertiary qualification. The
hospitality industry prefers to appoint experienced employees rather than those employees with a
degree. An employee with a lower level of education but with experience will be able to begin at
supervisory level. The benefit of education showed become evident when an employee wants to
progress to higher levels of management, but research still shows a tendency that career patterns of
managers with or without a degree are similar (Garavan, O’Brien & O’Hanlon, 2004). Further
research indicates that the number of degrees or qualified employees is increasing slowly (Harkison &
Poulston, 2010 and Chi & Gursoy, 2009).
The department/division currently employed: The majority of respondents work in the Front of
House department (44.9%) followed by those who work in the Food and Beverage department
(21.7%). In this study 19.6% of respondents work in other departments, such as maintenance,
reservations, etc and 13.8% of respondents are in the Housekeeping department. A study done by
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Garavan, O’Brien and O’Hanlon (2004) highlights that supervisors involved in areas such as front
office (Front of House) and restaurant, bar and kitchen (Food and Beverage) are most frequently those
that are promoted to middle management level. One reason given is that operational skills, such as
skills related to customer contact are major considerations when career advancement of supervisors is
considered. This shows that Front of House and Food and Beverage departments play a significant
role in career advancement for supervisors in the hospitality industry.
The efficiency of a hospitality establishment such as a hotel is inextricably linked to the individual
qualities of their employees (Lockyer & Schoarios, 2004). Choi, Woods and Murrman (2000)
maintain that these establishments need to employ a variety of people, to meet, and even exceed
guests’ expectations. Furthermore, the perception of a guest in the hospitality industry of service
quality is directly linked to the morale, motivation, knowledge, skills and authority of the employee
(Lockyer & Schoarios, 2004). Yu and Miller (2005) assert that knowledge and skills required
currently by employees are infinitely more complex than those required previously.
Number of years experience in the hospitality industry: Table 2 indicates that 38.1% of
respondents have worked in the hospitality industry for between six and ten years. The second largest
group (31.7%) of respondents have up to five years’ experience in the industry. Fifteen point one per
cent (15.1%) of respondents have between eleven and sixteen years’ experience while another 15.1%
have more than sixteen years’ experience.
Currently the hospitality industry projects a negative image as employees regard employment in this
industry as a temporary employment option. Hospitality establishments tend to hire low-skilled
employees at entry level and then promote them from within the pool of employees as they gain
relevant skills and experience. Traditionally, the two older generations, Baby Boomers and
Generation X employees embraced the philosophy that a career choice was for life, thereby implying
that they would spend their entire working life in one industry (Josiam, Reynolds, Thozhur,
Crutsinger, Baum & Devine, 2008). According to Harkison and Poulston (2010) employees with a
vocational qualification will take between 9 and 15 years to reach the position of general manager in
the hospitality industry, consequently there are a smaller percentage of the older generations at
supervisory level. With the younger generation, Generation Y having entered the workforce, the
perception has changed. The Generation Y employee is not averse to changing employers within the
industry or even pursuing careers in other industries (Josiam, Reynolds, Thozhur, Crutsinger, Baum &
Devine, 2008). This trend is confirmed by Kotze and Roodt (2005) who maintain that Generation X
employees believe security to be tied to a career, and not necessarily to an organisation. To this
generation each job is a stepping-stone to the next opportunity. The authors add that employee
turnover has increased by 25% over the last five years in South Africa. A survey in 50 countries and
330 organisations employees indicates that Generation Y members plan to resign from their current
jobs within the next two years. Retention of employees is becoming an increasing challenge in the
workforce, both locally and internationally.
Table 3: Cross tabulation of the departments/divisions and generations currently employed in the
hospitality industry in South Africa
Department/Division
Baby Boomers
(BB 46+)
Generation X
(Gen X 36-45)
Generation Y
(Gen Y 18-35)
Total
Food and Beverage
department
Count 1 5 23 29
% within Generation 6.7% 25.0% 23.5% 21.8%
Front of House
Department
Count 6 4 50 60
% within Generation 40.0% 20.0% 51.0% 45.1%
Housekeeping
department
Count 5 4 9 18
% within Generation 33.3% 20.0% 9.2% 13.5%
Other Count 3 7 16 26
% within Generation 20.0% 35.0% 16.3% 19.5%
Total Count 15 20 98 133
% within Generation 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Supervision which is seen as the first level of management fulfils a significant role in the provision of
quality service and the creation of a service culture in an organisation. Thacker and Holl (2008)
confirm that the importance of competitive advantage is through people, therefore to ensure this
competitive edge managers play an integral role. For this reason the supervisor in the hospitality
industry can be identified as the purveyor (supplier) of organisational values, sources of feedback and
learning, the provider of resources and support regarding the delivery of high-quality service and
products (Burke, 2004).
Managers from the younger generation, Generation Y are gradually filling managerial positions
vacated by Baby Boomers and those from Generation X. The results in Table 3 shows that the two
generations that are most representative in the Front of House department are Generation Y with
51,0% and Baby Boomers with 40.0%. This outcome provides an interesting view on the work
environment of a hospitality establishment as the attitude to work of these two generations differs
completely from each other. According to Geddie and Jackson (2002) the more mature employee
from Baby Boomers and Generation X has a great deal to offer a hospitality organisation. Baby
Boomers and Generation X employees tend to be absent less from work than those from the younger
generation, Generation Y. In their study they report that employees between 20 and 25 years of age
account for more accidents in the workplace than mature employees. One reason could be that an
older employee is more responsible when performing his/her work. These employees will not easily
resign from their jobs. They also tend to experience less job-related stress. The study further
indicates that the more mature employee is dependable, has a positive attitude towards work while
guest relations and quality of work are rated highly. These are important factors as they could
contribute to the level of service delivered to guests. However, the one comment that was made on
the findings was that members of the older generation were not likely to be flexible and/or creative.
A study done by Josiam, Reynolds, Thozhur, Crutsinger, Baum and Devine (2008) in the United
States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) on the issue of attitude towards work in the
hospitality industry affirms that low-skilled employees continue to be hired at entry level. More
often promotions are sourced within this group of employees after they have gained skills and
experience, thus the high percentage of Generation Y are still found at supervisory level, as these
people gradually fill managerial positions vacated by Baby Boomers and Generation X employees.
The work ethics of the Generation X employees differs from that of the Baby Boomers. Baby
Boomers expect of their managers to give direction and steer them towards organisational goals.
Management is challenged in the workplace by this generation because the former tend to resist
change and they are not highly technologically advanced. Managers need to encourage them to take
advantage of any training opportunities in the workplace (Yu & Miller, 2005). Generation X
members prefer to experience personal satisfaction that is not merely derived from working hard.
They are more independent problem-solvers, self-motivated and self-sufficient and will look for any
opportunity to improve their skills. One can understand why studies indicate a low percentage of
Generation X members at supervisory level as they would work hard to get promoted when the
opportunity presents itself (Yu & Miller, 2005 and Sirias, Karp, & Brotherton, 2007).
Conclusion Hospitality organisations and their management are more challenged today than in the past as there is
an influx of a wider culturally diverse workforce due to demographic changes. Historically the
hospitality workforce comprised of more white males, but today’s workforce has a far wider diversity.
The increase of younger employees, more women and higher qualified employees in the workforce, as
well as the current older employee still working in the industry, create a more complex work
environment than ten years ago. Today’s leaders need to deal with such diversity if they still want to
ensure sustainability in their organisations. Technical skills associated with supervisory level in the
past are not necessarily the same skills essential to perform the duties of a professional and competent
supervisor.
The managerial functions of a supervisor are centred on the daily activities of the departments or units
he/she manages. Time should be spent keeping employees motivated and anticipating the needs and
wants of the guest/customer. Creating a culture of service is a primary function. To be able to
discharge these duties well, a hospitality organisation needs someone with specific competencies
regarding personality, perceptions of the job, as well as a good attitude, sound values and specific
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
characteristics. Competencies are influenced by factors such as age, gender and culture. Therefore
when profiling a supervisor it is necessary to establish that candidates pursuing a career in the
hospitality industry have a profile that matches the requirements of the industry.
The hospitality industry in South Africa is experiencing a major change in their labour market.
Diversity in the workplace became a reality, not only relating to age and sex, but also to generation
and population. A younger generation entered the workforce and more females (Black) are occupying
the position of supervisor. Generation Y has very different job attitudes and work values than the
Generation X and Baby Boomers. Work ethics does change with maturity, but values are more
strongly shaped by generational influences than age alone (Leiter, Jackson and Shaughnessy, 2008).
The younger generation tend not commit to one career. They seem to be more loyal to family, friends
and their colleagues than to the job itself. This could become a challenge to hospitality organisations
as they invest time and capital in training and developing these supervisors.
A hospitality supervisor’s effectiveness is significantly influenced by his/her insight into the job itself.
If the incumbent occupying the position of supervisor is not a good fit this could result in
dissatisfaction or reduced commitment to the job. This, in return could have an influence on the
efficiency of a supervisor as the incumbent would experience greater exhaustion at work because of
the inability to perform as a supervisor. Choices that the supervisor makes regarding his/her work will
be determined by the demands posed by the job. An effective supervisor is the person who spends
time meeting people and building a network of contacts, but being ‘out there’ is not sufficient. The
level of efficiency will be determined by consistent informal communication at all levels in the
organisation. Face-to-face contact with staff of the various departments in the organisation and
reinforcing good results, is one of the principles that supervisors should follow. Willingness to be
flexible and to resolve problems as a team with employees is another principle that should be
followed.
The value of this study should provide hospitality organisations with a better understanding of the
hospitality workforce that is more diverse in terms of race, gender, ethnicity and generation.
Management will understand that each generation has its own views on how values and desires are to
be satisfied. Most of all management need to understand how the above-mentioned views will re-
define the organisational environment and indicate how business operations should be conducted.
If this survey is expanded, a South African socio-demographic profile of the supervisor in the
hospitality industry could be compared with an international or global socio-demographic profile.
One might identify differences in the comparison of the profiles.
Limitations of the Study Limitations to this study must be noted. The data collected for this study, initially started with a team
of supervisors assigned to one of the main hotel chains in South Africa. As mentioned only 97 of the
379 respondents completed the questionnaire. The result was insufficient data to provide an accurate
profile of a supervisor in the hospitality industry in South Africa. Due to a very low response rate the
sample of this study was expanded to other well known hotel chains in South Africa. The final
number of respondents was 141. The sample size is very small in relation to the number of
supervisors in the hospitality industry in South Africa. Studies spanning a number of years could
provide a larger sample size which will enable the researcher to draw inferences with greater
confidence.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Quality Management Systems in the Hospitality Industry
J.R. Roberson, I.C. Kleynhans1 & W.J.L. Coetzee
Abstract This paper discusses methods currently in use to measure grading systems in the hospitality industry.
Further objectives are to fill gaps in the literature regarding measurement of quality management in
the hospitality industry and to gain an understanding of quality management in the industry. An
assessment of the extensive body of literature on measurement of total quality management systems in
the hospitality industry was conducted through content analysis. The study reveals that a variety of
measurement instruments for quality management exist in the international hospitality industry.
Standard measurement instruments do not exist in the tourism, accommodation as well as the food
and beverage sectors regarding, what is measured and how measurements are done and how scores
are derived.
Key words: Hospitality industry, total quality management systems, grading, benchmark
Introduction In most sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry customers rely on quality management systems
to give them some indication of the level of quality they can expect at a certain price (Kozak &
Rimmington, 1998; Narangajavana & Hu, 2008; Stringam et al., 2010). For South African restaurants,
that form an integral part of the hospitality industry, a nationally accepted grading system does not
exist. It is therefore important to determine what criteria restaurateurs regard as important when
determining the quality of service they choose to provide.
Objectives of the Study The main objective of this study is to determine what total quality management systems exist in the
hospitality industry globally. The variety of quality management systems used in the hospitality
industry will be described and current national and international grading systems employed in the
tourism industry will be identified. Further objectives are to fill gaps in the literature regarding quality
management in the hospitality industry.
Literature Review Even though the tourism industry ranks sixth as a contributor to the global economy, it remains the
largest service sector industry. The first four contributors belong to the merchandise product industry.
They are listed from largest to smallest: fossil fuels, telecommunications, automotive products and
agriculture (Lew, 2011).
The total economic contribution of the tourism industry to the global economy was USD 6 346.1
billion or 9.1% of the total gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011. These figures are estimated to
increase by 2.3% in 2012 (WTTC, 2012b). International tourist arrivals in the world showed a +4.4%
increase equating to 980 million international tourist arrivals in 2011. This is an increase of 41 million
from 2010 (UNWTO, 2012a, 2012b). The UNWTO (2012a) global forecast for 2030 is 1.8 billion
international tourists.
The domestic plus international tourism industry’s impact on Africa’s economy totalled USD 163.9
billion or 8.7 of the gross domestic product in 2011 and this is expected to increase by 3% in 2012
(WTTC, 2012c). In 2011 Africa received 50 million inbound international tourists (UNWTO, 2012a).
This growing number of tourists can be attributed to various factors of which the most significant are
abundant cultural and natural diversity, the growth in source markets and a move to independently
organised travel (Rogerson, 2007).
Statistics on the South African tourism industry reveal that it contributed a total of R328.2 ($32.8)
billion to GDP in 2011 or 11.4% of total gross domestic product. The economic sector of tourism
directly supports 594 000 jobs that equate to 4.5% of total employment figures in South Africa. Total
employment figures, including all jobs, even those that are indirectly supported, total 1 334 000 jobs
1 Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected]
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or 10.1% of the total number of employed individuals in South Africa. Visitor exports generated
R82.8 ($8.28) billion or 7.5% of total investment in 2011 (WTTC, 2012a).
South Africa’s business environment will become increasingly complex and challenging, and the
country’s global business environment rating could be pushed down to 54th. The primary factors that
will contribute to this decline are growing inflation as a result of the steep rise in electricity tariffs as
well as the increasing cost of labour. Widespread growing in corruption has a negative impact. The
country’s business environment remains under pressure as a result of gross inequality and high levels
of crime and unemployment. The impact of these macro- changes and challenges on organisations can
be disastrous to the South African economy, if organisations do not respond appropriately. It is
therefore imperative that all sectors of the tourism industry function optimally. The tourism industry
has a major role to play if we are to avoid this scenario (Economist Intelligence Unit Limited).
However, food and beverage statistics for June 2012 (StatsSA, 2012) reveal the following
encouraging figures. The total income contributed by the food and beverage industry increased by
10.8% year on year to a total of R3 419 ($342) million. Restaurants and coffee shops contributed 3%
to the 10.8% increase and showed a total income of R5 900 ($590) million
The restaurant industry as a sector of the tourism industry has the potential to contribute significantly
to the growth of the South African economy, if customer’s needs are fully met. One innovation that
could contribute to improvement in customer service is the implementation of a total quality
management system.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is a procedure used in the tourism industry that focuses on the quality of products
without considering the process or outcomes ( Ogden, 1998). Contrary to this narrow definition,
benchmarking can also be defined as a comparison of attractions, facilities, infrastructure,
transportation, hospitality and costs in the tourism industry (Jovičić & Ivanović, 2006).
Benchmarking is one of the methods available to a manager when he/she develop strategies to ensure
competitive advantage (Al-Ghamdi, 2005). Competitive advantage is the result from favourable
comparison of the level of efficacy and efficiency that exists among competitors. One of the outcomes
of benchmarking is the implementation of best practice ( Kale & Karaman, 2011; Reid, 2008). If the
process of benchmarking is flawed, the results will lead to misinterpretation of the competitive
position and average performance (Ladd, 2010). Despite these shortcomings benchmarking retains its
advantage in the industry (Kozak & Rimmington, 1998).
A grading system, a form of benchmarking that is commonly used in the tourism industry, can be
designed to compare and measure service delivery and business performance (Kozak & Rimmington,
1998). In a study conducted in Thailand it was found that a significant correlation existed between
improvement in service quality, improved hotel performance and an increase in sales (Narangajavana
& Hu, 2008). A grading system provides customers with an instrument that is able to compare
accommodation providers in the tourism industry (Callan, 1998; TGCSA, 2012b). The findings of
these comparative exercise influence customers’ purchasing decisions and determine whether
customers would recommend the provider to other individuals (Gerdes, Stringam & Brookshire, 2008;
Stringam & Gerdes, 2010; Stringam, Gerdes & Van Leeuwen, 2010). In a study on the expected and
perceived quality in hotel management it was found that guests’ expectations, based upon grading,
among others, were generally higher than their perceptions of quality.
Benchmarking is a cost-effective method available to a manager when formulating strategies to: meet
customer needs better, identify strengths and weaknesses and stimulate improvement that could lead
to a sustainable competitive advantage (Al-Ghamdi, 2005; Kozak & Rimmington, 1998). External
benchmarking is based on a comparison of efficacy and efficiency between competitors while internal
benchmarking is based on a comparison of units in a restaurant.
Johnson (2000) lists seven steps in the benchmarking process.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
1. Identify the aspects of your restaurant operation that will benefit you most when they have been
benchmarked.
2. Describe the variables which will be used to measure the identified aspects.
3. Select restaurants that are known as leaders in industry.
4. Measure aspects and variables identified by the industry leaders.
5. Compare measurements obtained at your own restaurant with those of leaders in the industry.
6. Develop strategies to improve the operation of your restaurant to surpass that of leaders in the
industry.
7. Implement the developed strategies and set deadlines for achievement of these.
The focus of benchmarking in the restaurant industry is aimed at improving the service provided to
customers (Min & Min, 2011) by implementing the industry’s best practice ( Kale & Karaman, 2011;
Reid, 2008).
Total quality management
The mere benchmarking of quality criteria is not adequate if it is not supported by a total quality
management (TQM) philosophy. TQM relies on the three managerial processes namely, customer
orientation, process orientation and continuous improvement (Hill & Wilkinson, 1995). TQM factors
that are evident in the tourism industry are leadership, guest and market focus as well as information
analysis (Sila & Ebrahimpour, 2003).
As customer or guest orientation is so prominent in TQM approaches, restaurateurs are obliged to take
cognisance of the fact that TQM relies on organisational learning of procedures that in turn focus on
effective operations (Trim & Lee, 2007).
TQM can be defined as: “an organisational culture that emphasises internal integration at the same
time that it demands innovation in the market place” (Breiter & Browen, 1998). Based on an article
by Lewis (1993) service quality can be defined as: “….. quality service encounters (direct interaction
between a service provider and customer) that creates a positive impression and evaluation of the
service. “
The application of TQM in a restaurant will impact positively on the business activities in three main
areas. Ramdeem, Santos & Chatfield (2007) identifies these areas as:
1. Prevention of excessive food and service costs by: accurate meal and staffing forecasts; payment
and cash control; identification of and correction in areas that might lead to problems; trained
staff; effective recovery strategies; and consistent preparation and service techniques;
2. Developing standardised service and preparation performance by implementing: standardised
meal preparation; meeting expectations of customers; successive inspection that includes quality
verification of previous preparation steps; minimum quality specifications for supplies; and
process and preparation checklists;
3. Prevention of product and service failures by: empowering employees; training preparation and
service staff in optimal use of equipment; immediate remedial action following customer
complaints; learning from mistakes; and sharing experiences with colleagues and management.
Hospitality TQM relies on the three managerial processes namely; customer orientation, process
orientation and continual improvement (Hill & Wilkinson, 1995). TQM factors evident in the
hospitality industry are, leadership, strategic planning, human resources, process management,
supplier management, business results, guest and market focus, as well as information analysis (Sila
& Ebrahimpour, 2003). The following elements contribute to TQM in the hospitality industry:
1. Professionalism and skills – customer expectations met by providing error-free service.
2. Attitudes and behaviour – efficient handling of customer orders as well as creating a hospitable
environment.
3. Accessibility and flexibility – easy access to and service needs provided to satisfy variety of
individual requirements.
4. Reliability and trustworthiness – honest employees providing quality food consistently and
maintaining service quality standards.
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5. Recovery – co-ordination among employees to correct quality lapses and address customer
concerns.
6. Reputation and credibility – service and products in line with image and expectations (Theodoras,
Laios & Moschuris, 2005).
These factors need to be implemented as a unit as implementing them as free- standing entities will
not have the desired results (a quality dining experience). TQM principles are implemented using
improvement tools (statistical process controls), management processes (quality committees) and
measurement systems (cost of quality) (Hill & Wilkinson, 1995). The removal of restrictive and
limiting productivity practices is essential to ensure TQM (Wilkinson & Willmott, 1996). It is claimed
that only 20% of TQM interventions are successful. The high failure rate is attributed to poor
management practices and partial implementation of TQM principles (Hill & Wilkinson, 1995).
In the restaurant industry customers are participants in delivery and consumption of services (Al-
Khattab & Aldehayyat, 2011). Customers form an integral component of the service delivery process.
Customer satisfaction is a result of their perceiving value and quality service that will have a positive
impact on them which in turn leads to repeated support thereby ensuring sustainable competitive
advantage (Al-Khattab & Aldehayyat, 2011; Barber, Goodman & Goh, 2010; Cheng et al., 2012).
As customer or guest orientation features so prominently in TQM approaches, restaurateurs have to
take cognisance of the fact that TQM relies on organisational learning of procedures that focus on
efficient operations and service (Trim & Lee, 2007). TQM depends on an understanding of
customers’ expectations and it is an antecedent to service quality that in turn, is an essential element
in achieving customer satisfaction (Qin, Prybutok & Zhao, 2010). Customer satisfaction can be
equated to expectation fulfilment (Khan, Hussain & Yaqoob, 2012). The perceived value of menu
items influences customer expectations and behaviour (Iglesias & Guillen, 2004). When a service
meets a customer’s expectations he/she will experience the encounter as quality service and feel
satisfied. This situation creates trust and influences future behaviour (Hyun, 2010). Customer
satisfaction / dissatisfaction is the final phase in the five step purchase process described by Iglesias
and Guillèn (2004).
In addition to service quality, an above average dining experience depends on other aspects of quality.
These include price, location, food quality and physical environment (Barber et al., 2010; Hyun,
2010; Qin et al., 2010). In a study on perceptions of quality in the American fast-food industry, taste
of food was rated by customers as the most important indicator of restaurant quality (Min & Min,
2011). In an article Budhwar (2004) maintains that although quality restaurant service is regarded as
the minimum requirement, it does not necessarily ensure success. This view can be linked to the
motivational theory of Hertzberg who sees some factors as hygiene factors that need to be present for
other aspects to act as motivators or drivers of behaviour. This view is supported by Naude and Buttle
(2000) who caution against an overemphasis on quality service while very little proof of a direct link
between customer satisfaction and repeated buying exists. Their study suggests that quality of a
relationship is a more relevant predictor of repeat visits by customers.
However, the importance of service quality that meets customer expectations is undeniable, even
though researchers differ on whether it is a hygiene factor, motivator and/or a primary or secondary
factor in influencing customer behaviour.
A positive correlation exists between service quality and repeat patronage (Barber et al., 2010). If a
restaurant decreases the number of customers lost by 5%, this leads to a minimum increase in profit of
25% (Kotelnikov, 2008).
Customers that have had their needs met by quality service are more loyal and tend to promote
restaurants by word of mouth (AbuKhalifeh & Som, 2012;Stringam et al., 2010). A high correlation
exists between customer satisfaction levels and word-of-mouth reputation (Min & Min, 2011). Other
advantages identified are higher returns to investors, reduction in costs and lower vulnerability to
competitive pricing (Al-Khattab & Aldehayyat, 2011; Narangajavana & Hu, 2008). Peng and Lin
(2009) postulate that quality restaurant service encourages customers to spend more money.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Quality scales
Realising the importance of meeting customer quality demands, researchers have developed various
scales to measure service quality. Some of the most prominent scales are reflected in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Service Quality Scales
Scale Dimensions measured
SERVQUAL 1) Tangibility – appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel
and information material
2) Reliability – ability to perform the service accurately and dependably
3) Responsiveness – willingness to help customers and provide prompt
service
4) Assurance – Combination of competence, courtesy, credibility and
security
5) Empathy – Combination of access to communication with and
understanding of the customer (AbuKhalifeh & Som, 2012b; Blesic et
al., 2011; Budhwar, 2004)
SERVPERF 1) Tangibility
2) Reliability
3) Responsiveness
4) Assurance
5) Empathy
6) Recoverability (Qin et al., 2010)
SERVICESCAPE 1) Ambient conditions - temperature, noise, odours
2) Spatial layout and functionality - arrangement of furniture, and how
this relates to customer needs
3) Signs, symbols and artefacts – signage and decor creating positive
image or mood (Kincaid et al., 2010)
LODGSERV 1) Reliability
2) Assurance
3) Responsiveness
4) Tangibles
5) Empathy (Stevens et al., 1995)
6) Communication (Cheng et al., 2012)
LODGQUAL 1) Tangibles
2) Reliability
3) Contact - combination of responsiveness, empathy and inspiring
confidence (Getty & Thompson, 1994)
LODGSERV 1) Tangibles - the physical evidence of the service revealed by physical
facilities and appearance of personnel
2) Reliability - consistency of performance and dependability
3) Responsiveness - willingness or readiness of employees to provide
quality service
4) Competence - possession of the required skills and knowledge to
perform the service required
5) Access - approachability and ease of contact
6) Courtesy - politeness, respect, consideration and friendliness of
contact personnel
7) Communication - keeping customers informed in language they can
understand, and listening to them
8) Credibility - trustworthiness, credibility, and honesty
9) Security – protection from danger, risk or doubt
10) Understanding/knowing the customer - making the effort to
understand the customer's needs.
HOLSERV 1) Employees
2) Tangibles
3) Reliability (AbuKhalifeh & Som, 2012b)
TANGSERV 1) Food service - variety of food, variety of beverages, presentation of
food, presentation of beverages and quality of menu
2) Staff – employees’ dress, gender mix and attitude.
3) Ambiance/social - lighting, space, customer characteristics,
heating/air- conditioning, music, seating quality and interior design
4) Cleanliness - interior, restroom, parking area
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5) Accessibility - location and parking space. (Kincaid et al., 2010)
DINESCAPE 1) Physical surroundings
QFD 1) Service as a process with guests’ expectations measured at every stage
(Crick & Spencer, 2011)
DINESERV 1) Tangibility - parking area, building exterior, dining area, staff, decor,
menu, sufficient space, clean rest rooms, comfortable furniture
2) Reliability - service, prompt correction of errors, dependability,
consistency, accurate checking, accurate execution of order
3) Responsiveness - teamwork, prompt service and meeting special
needs
4) Assurance - knowledge, comfort, confidence, eagerness, willingness
to serve, safety and support
5) Empathy -sensitive to individual needs, attentive to needs,
sympathetic and reassuring, have customers best interest at heart
(Stevens et al., 1995)
+ Emphasis on aesthetic and functional dimensions (Barber et al.,
2010)
Lodging Quality
Index (LQI)
1) Tangibility - reception, uniforms, atmosphere, attractiveness,
congenial surroundings, efficient lighting, interior and exterior well
maintained, cleanliness
2) Reliability - reservations, room ready, equipment working, value for
money
3) Responsiveness – prompt response by employee, information
brochures, problems attended to, efficient room service.
4) Confidence – information supplied on places of interest, respect,
politeness, safe environment, convenient location.
5) Communication – clear tariffs, undivided attention at reception,
guests’ particular needs identified, needs anticipated (Getty & Getty,
2003)
It is impossible to measure hospitality service quality using one single measurement instrument
because the customer is always the ultimate judge of service quality (Al-Khattab & Aldehayyat,
2011). None of these instruments has been in frequent use or become generally accepted.
Cost of total quality management
TQM has cost implications. The restaurant manager needs to balance the actual cost with the expected
financial reward. The cost of quality (COQ) can be expressed as the sum of confirmation and non-
conformation cost (Ramdeen et al., 2007). Conformation costs comprise all the costs associated with
measuring, improving and maintaining quality restaurant service. Non-conformation costs are all
those costs associated with loss and spoilage of products and loss of patronage as a result of poor and
deteriorating standards. Some of these costs are listed in Table 2 (Schiffauerova & Thomson, 2006).
Table 2: Restaurant cost of quality (TCO) categories and factors
Category Restaurant factors
Prevention costs
Recruitment of skilled / qualified employees
Process / food and beverage quality audits
Process/\ menu design reviews
TQM training
Evaluation of food and beverage supplier
Hospitality marketing research
Menu engineering
Restaurant equipment maintenance
Assessment costs
Supply / Preparation/ Service quality audits
Menu item testing
Standardised recipe acceptance
Menu item acceptance
Recipe development
Inspection of ingredients and supplies
Inspection of preparation procedures
Continual supplier verification
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Internal failure costs:
Food waste
Re-preparation of dishes
Re-testing of menu items
Re-plating
Process/ menu design changes
Production/ service failure analysis
Downtime caused by defective preparation
equipment
Quality lapses caused by defective equipment \
processes
External failure costs:
Food / beverage item recall
Poor customer service
Complimentary meals
Complaint adjustment
Health liability claims
Discount due to defects
Menu item returns
Lost sales / return patronage
Grading systems
The main goal of tourism grading systems is to protect the customer (Callan, 1994). There are strong
arguments in favour of statutory registration of tourism service providers.
The development of grading systems involves a technical and social process (Grundström &
Wilkinson, 2004). The technical and social aspects are evident in the procedure set out by the South
African Tourism Grading Council for the development of a grading system that is as follow (TGCSA,
2012a):
1. Identify key role-players.
2. Develop minimum requirements and grading criteria in consultation with key role-players.
3. Produce a draft set of criteria and distribute this document to role-players in the industry for
comments.
4. Summarise feedback received.
5. Edit the grading criteria and produce a second draft to be distributed to role-players in the entire
industry.
6. Summarise feedback on second draft.
7. A road show should then be undertaken to discuss the proposed grading system with role-players.
8. All final comments from establishments should be captured during the road show.
9. Produce a final document listing minimum requirements and grading criteria.
Research Methodology Content analysis was used for exploratory research. The main purpose of exploratory research is to
develop and clarify ideas, and to formulate questions for further investigation. Existing literature is
perused to find new insights into a problem. Content analysis can be applied to any form of
communication (Adler & Clark, 2011). Content analysis refers to the gathering and analysis of
textual content. Content refers to messages, such as words, meanings, symbols and themes. Text
refers to that which is written, spoken or visualised (Neuman, 2003). When qualitative content
analysis is used, the primary aim is to document the analysis verbally, rather than statistically (Adler
& Clark, 2011). The current scenario was described using secondary data. It is always wise to start a
research activity with collection of secondary data. This approach could save time while still
providing quality data. A search was conducted on the World Wide Web and the following
information was gleaned.
Results Types of global quality management systems
Information on restaurant quality management systems is limited to literature that promotes and
describes systems that are widely used in Europe. Some of these restaurant quality management
systems that are: Michelin, Zagat Survey, Mobil, Three hats, Gault Millau and Gayrot. These systems
are limited as they focus on culinary quality only, and no evidence could be found that they are being
used in South Africa. No research based literature could be found on these restaurant grading systems.
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The governments of France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, among others, realised just how important
quality service provision was to tourists therefore they implemented a compulsory
classification/grading system (Callan, 1994). In South Africa grading of accommodation
establishments is voluntary and there is no restaurant grading system available. In the quest for TQM,
the National Department of Tourism developed a National Tourism Strategy. In the National Tourism
Sector Strategy 2010 to 2020, Cluster 2.2 Tourism Growth and Development: Supply Side. 2.2.6.
Quality Assurance document, the National Department of Tourism outlines the need to extend
grading or other forms of quality assurance to other sub-sectors of the tourism industry, including
restaurants.
Restaurant quality indicators
In a qualitative study when Michelin star chefs were asked to provide the reasons for success in their
restaurants, they identified the following aspects, listed from most important to least important
(Johnson et al., 2005).
1. Rigour, consistency and attention to detail
2. Teamwork and stability
3. Quality of the dish and service
4. Financial management
5. Stock control
Restaurant quality failure
It is important to note that, if quality failure occurs it does not necessarily lead to customer
dissatisfaction if the restaurant is able to make amends for the mistake. This phenomenon can be
described as the concept zone of tolerance (Lewis, 1993; Qin et al., 2010). Poor quality service is the
gap between perception and actual experience. Five possible gaps have been identified by Budhwar
(2004) as resulting from certain discrepancies (Lewis, 1993):
1. Managers’ perceptions of customers’ expectations incorrect – management unaware of customers’
expectations
2. Customers’ needs not translated correctly into service standards – misinterpreted service quality
standards
3. Service / performance consistency gap – management instructions not implemented
4. Marketing communication on service different from service delivered – promise reality gap
5. Difference between customer expectations and actual experience – perception reality discrepancy
Pun and Ho (2001) identify the problem areas that can lead to quality failures. These three areas are
highlighted by citing restaurant-specific examples in Table 3.
Table 3: Problems leading to quality failures
Problems Restaurant examples
Operational constraints
Oversupply of restaurants / unfair competition
Poor benchmarking / little information on competitors
Expense of maintaining quality
Skilled labour shortage
Uncommitted workforce Resistance to change/failure to implement quality improvement programmes
No contribution to problem resolution
Lack of customer feedback
Absence of guest satisfaction surveys
No records kept and maintaining on customer feedback
Experiencing negative customer feedback
No web page to allow for customer feedback
In summary TQM in the restaurant can be expressed as follow:
Service quality + Food quality + Price/Value = Customer satisfaction = Behavioural intentions
(Adapted from Qin et al., 2010)
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Grading procedures
According to the World Tourism Organisation grading can be defined as a system, “in which
hospitality establishments of the same type have been conveniently broken down into classes,
categories, or grades according to their common physical and service characteristics and established
at government, industry or other private levels” (Narangajavana & Hu, 2008).
The main goal of tourism grading systems is to protect the customer (Callan, 1994) by allowing the
customer to compare service providers using a standardised measure when deciding on which a
restaurant to dine at (Cser & Ohuchi, 2008; Narangajavana & Hu, 2008). Hatfield and Seiver’s
(20010) study on grading and customer preferences found that participants rated the importance of
restaurant grading as 8.3 (mean) out of ten in the selection or rejection of a restaurant to dine at.
Individual customer decision to dine at a particular restaurant is based on the following factors
adapted from Ingram (1996).
1. Historical customer perceptions
2. Purpose of dinner
3. Account settlement – acceptance of credit card
4. Location of restaurant – access, parking, visibility, traffic conditions, type of neighbourhood
5. Booking source
6. Knowledge of particular restaurant – good food
7. Existing grade
8. Published prices and terms
Implementation of a grading system is associated with positive business results in the hospitality
industry (Johnson et al., 2005; Narangajavana & Hu, 2008; Stringam & Gerdes, 2010). Some
hospitality organisations incorporate grading in their pricing differentiation strategy (Israeli & Uriely,
2000).
A grading system consists of two distinct processes: a registration standard (legal requirements) and a
grading standard (Narangajavana & Hu, 2008). The symbols often used in grading systems are stars,
crowns, diamonds, suns or letters. The development of a grading system involves a technical and
social process (Grundström & Wilkinson, 2004). The technical and social aspects of the procedure for
the development of a grading system are set out by the South African Tourism Grading Council as
follows (TGCSA, 2012a):
1) Identify key role-players.
2) Develop minimum requirements and grading criteria in consultation with key role-players.
3) Produce a draft set of criteria and distribute to the entire industry for comments.
4) Summarise the feedback received.
5) Edit the grading criteria and produce a second draft to be distributed to all parties associated
with the industry.
6) Summarise the feedback received on the second draft.
7) Undertake a road show to discuss grading with role-players.
8) Capture all final comments from establishments during the road show.
9) Produce a final document stating minimum requirements and grading criteria.
In England where the English Tourism Council (ETC), the Automobile Association (AA) and the
Royal Automobile Club (RAC) have harmonised standards, it was found that a single system was
beneficial to businesses and customers (Peng & Lin, 2009). These systems are limited as they focus
on culinary quality only. Furthermore no evidence could be found that they were being used in South
Africa. No research- based literature could be found on these restaurant grading systems. The
researcher will therefore base development of a restaurant grading system on the grading systems
currently in use for the grading of accommodation providers in South Africa.
Accommodation grading
Even though there are numerous organisations that grade hospitality establishments, most of them
consider only facilities and number of services (classification), while only a few assess quality of the
experience or encounter (grading) (Cser & Ohuchi, 2008). For research purposes the Swiss
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
classification is used generally as a basis for comparison, as the Swiss were pioneers in the
development of such a system (Cser & Ohuchi, 2008).
Switzerland
The Swiss Hotel Association has classified approximately 70% of Swiss hotels, emphasising
evaluation of infrastructure, stars are allocated according to levels of standard (Baker, 2004).
South Africa
There are two prominent grading bodies operating in the South African accommodation industry.
They are the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa and the Automobile Association of South
Africa.
The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGSA) grading system classifies accommodation
providers into 6 categories namely, formal service accommodation, guest accommodation, self-
catering accommodation, caravan and camping establishments, backpackers hostels and hotels and
game lodges.
The grading criteria include the rating the quality of each of the following aspects: management,
meals, room service, hotel layout, location, facilities, parking, valet service, housekeeping, porter
service, child care service (TGCSA, 2012b). The following hotel non-accommodation quality specific
criteria could be applicable to the restaurant industry: management, meals location, facilities, parking
and child care service.
The grading process starts with an application to the TGSA. An establishment must meet the
following minimum criteria before it is considered for grading: public liability insurance cover,
appropriate suitable safety and security measures for staff and customers; must be a registered
business; a Health and Safety Certificate; compliance with liquor and tobacco legislation; and
assurance that no unlawful discrimination is practised. TGSA will then conduct a quality standard
review that entails an inspection by an accredited agent. Once this process has been completed a 1 to
5- star grading is awarded to the accommodation supplier.
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) will grade an accommodation supplier once an
application form and payment have been received. The level of grading is decided upon by an
endorsement committee after having received an inspection report from an accredited agent.
United Kingdom
In 1992 the hotel industry in the UK was estimated to comprise 27 000 establishments (Callan, 1993).
The major participants in hospitality grading in the UK are: the Automobile Association (AA), Egon
Ronay (ER), the English Tourist Board (ETB), the Good Hotel Guide (GHG), the Guernsey Tourism
Board (GTB), the Isle of Man Department of Tourism (IOMDT), the Jersey Tourism (JT), Michelin
(M), the Northern Island Tourism Board (NITB), the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), the Scottish
Tourist Board (STB), the Wales Tourism Board (WTB), Which? Hotel Guide (WHG) and the
Meetings Industry Association (MIA) (Witthaus, 1999). The range of grades awarded are: 1 – 5 stars,
1 – 5 crowns, 1 – 5 pavilions, 1 – 5 suns, 1 – 5 keys and other grades such as. C, B, B+, A and A+
(Callan, 1993). In 2005 common rating standards were formulated and implemented in England.
This system relies on a 1 – 5 star rating (Manson, 2009). In an article by Manson (2009) she reports
that Mr. B. Cotton the chief executive of British Hospitality Association questions the validity of
grading when customers attach more value to specific brands in the hospitality industry. He does,
however see a need for grading of independent establishments who do not have the benefit of a well-
known brand.
The AA system classifies hotels in to three categories: Hotel, Guest Accommodation and Budget
Hotel / Self-catering. The hotel category is further subdivided into: Hotel, Country House Hotel,
Small Hotel, Town House Hotel and Metro Hotel. The guest accommodation category is subdivided
as follows: B&B, Guest House, Farmhouse, Inn, Restaurant with Rooms and Guest Accommodation.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
In an effort to promote environmental responsibility the Green Tourism for London organisation
grades hotels on their environmental programmes and actions awarding them a bronze, silver or gold
rating (Walton, 2007).
Austria
The Austrian Hotel Association grades hotels by awarding 1 to 5 stars (Baker, 2004)
Benelux
The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg used to share a grading system, but currently the Dutch
Hotel and Restaurant Association grades hotels by awarding 1 to 5 stars.
Germany
Dehoga, the German Hoteliers Association grades hotels by awarding 1 to 5 stars. If a hotel scores at
the high end of a grade an “S” for superior will be added to its star rating.
Australia
Most hospitality organisations in Australia make use of the Australian Automobile Association
(AAA) grading system (Lee-Ross, 1998). The scheme is voluntary and 1 - 5 stars are allocated
according to a points system.
International
A popular accommodation grading system is the Official Hotel and Resort Guide (OHRG) that is in
use around the world. The rating is done on two aspects; a) the quality of guest accommodation and b)
the extent of hotel facilities. The graded hotels can be classified according to quality levels namely:
Deluxe – Super Deluxe, Deluxe and Moderate Deluxe, First class – Superior First Class, First Class,
Limited Service First Class and Moderate First Class, Tourist – Superior Tourist Class, Tourist Class
and Moderate Tourist Class.
Comparison of grading
The European countries’ grading systems agree on 50%, of criteria whereas the Chinese and Japanese
systems are more divergent. Common criteria found in the various grading systems are: rooms,
sanitation, reception, lobby and public area (Cser & Ohuchi, 2008). A quaint criterion specific to
Japan is “natural hot spring”. The aspects that are applicable to the restaurant industry globally are
therefore, sanitation, comfort, reception.
Restaurant grading
A restaurateur’s primary strategic intent should be a successful restaurant. According to Min & Min
(2011:288) proper service standards need to be set for the restaurant industry to ensure business
success. A restaurant’s success depends on the successful consideration, implementation and
management of the following factors (Budhwar, 2004; Hyun, 2010; Pantelidis, 2010);
1. Location
2. Food
3. Service
4. Quality
5. Menu
6. Price
7. Atmosphere
8. Management
9. Concept / differentiation and marketing
One can therefore extrapolate that most of these success factors should form part of a restaurant
grading system to ensure that grading becomes a valuable component of any restaurant’s strategic
plan.
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International restaurant grading
According to the Automobile Association (AA) website in the United Kingdom (UK), restaurants are
graded by awarding Rosettes based on an assessment of an entire meal. Assessment of meals is done
during one or more visits by AA inspectors. The Rosette grading standards are as follows:
1. Rosette – restaurants achieve outstanding standards in the local area. Food is prepared with care,
understanding and skill, using quality ingredients. (50% of graded restaurants)
2. Rosettes – excellent restaurants that achieves high standards consistently. Precision is apparent in
cooking and quality ingredients are selected. (40% of graded restaurants)
3. Rosettes – outstanding restaurants achieving standards and recognition beyond the local area.
Cooking is done with ingredients selected and attention paid to highest quality ingredients. Timing,
seasoning and flavour will be consistently excellent. The excellent menu items will be supported by
intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list. (10% of graded restaurants)
4. Rosettes – top restaurants in the UK and nationally recognised for culinary excellence. These
restaurants are renowned for focused ambition, a passion for excellence, superb technical skills and
remarkable consistency. They combine appreciation of culinary traditions with an intense desire for
further exploration and improvement. (Very few restaurants)
5. Rosettes – top restaurants in the world. They are unique employing chefs with breathtaking culinary
skills to which other restaurants aspire. (A select few restaurants)
Other restaurant grading bodies in Europe and America are:
Michelin Guide / Guide Rouge – 1 to 3 stars awarded by professional inspectors
concentrating on the quality, mastery of technique, personality and consistency of the food
The Good Food Guide – rating out of 10 by public reviews, established in 1951 in the UK.
Best dining experiences are scored, ranging from high-end restaurants to hearty pubs
Gault Millau – 1 to 20 points rated by inspectors and local agents based on the quality of the
food
Le Cordon Bleu – reviews
Georgina Campbell’s Guide – 0.5 to 3 stars awarded by anonymous inspectors
Smulweb.nl – reviews
Egon Ronay’s Guide – 1 to 3 stars awarded by inspectors
Lekker –Netherlands restaurants ranked from 1 to 100
Knoopjelos.nl – 1 to 10 points awarded by inspectors
White Guide – 60 to 100 points awarded by inspectors.
Forbes Travel Guide – 1 to 5 stars awarded by professional inspectors, customers, self-
reporting.
American Automobile Association – 1 to 5 diamonds awarded by inspectors
Zagat –1- 30 points awarded by public review
The Australian restaurant industry can be graded by:
Australian Good Food & Travel Guide – 1 to 5 crossed fork and spoon symbols awarded by
inspectors.
In Pakistan the grading body is:
Food Connection Pakistan – 1 to 5 points awarded by registered users.
Discussion The research findings suggest that a variety of measurement instruments exist internationally. These
measurement instruments differ in the tourism, accommodation as well as the food and beverage
sectors regarding what is measured, how it is measured and how a score is derived. This proves that
an internationally accepted measuring instrument should be developed so that quality will be assessed
in a similar way globally. If consumers have a clear indication of what they can expect, their
satisfaction with the destination will correspond with performance and their level of satisfaction will
be enhanced.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Conclusions and Recommendations Standard measurement instruments do not exist in the tourism, accommodation as well as the food
and beverage sectors regarding, what is measured and how measurements are done and how scores
are derived.
This study was conducted to determine which global measuring instruments in quality management
exist to assist the restaurant industry in formulating grading standards that will impact positively on
the quality of service provided to customers. This, in turn, should have a positive economic impact on
the tourism industry. This paper has limitations as an exploratory study, as only secondary data were
used. This issue leaves ample opportunity for further research into the development of suitable
systems to measure quality management in the hospitality industry.
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World Expo 2020: Heralding Dubai’s Super-Growth – A Road Ahead Fayaz Ahamed1 & Ms. Vahbiz Cooper2
Abstract Once in every few years the world sees new inventions and experiences various ideologies. It comes
together to mix into each other’s cultures, respect each other’s beliefs and sometimes also adopt
certain values. Every five years and for a period of six months, World Expos attract millions of
visitors. An Expo is wherein all the major inventions e.g. Heinz Ketchup, sewing machines, world’s
first ever Ferris wheel, edible ice- cream cones, air conditioning, ice staking rinks in summer, mobile
phones, disposable dishes and so on; were invented. Expo’s help in creating partnerships among
country and innovates new technologies which the globe enjoys. The World Expo has never been held
in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia in the history of the event. The UAE is bidding to host
the World Expo 2020 in Dubai under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
The objective of this present study is to understand how the World Expo 2020 is going to impact
Dubai and its residents along with the environment in which it will be set up. The making of this
present study is done using secondary data.
Keywords: World Expo 2020, Tourism and Dubai
Introduction Expo 2020 is a Universal scale registered Exposition wherein investors come from various countries
and invest into one country which brings up the level of employment and helps the country to
progress. Dubai a city that lies in the United Arab Emirates has won the opportunity for holding the
next expo which is going to take place in 2020. Dubai will be celebrating its 50th anniversary of unity
in the UAE along with the expo. Dubai will be holding the expo from 20th October 2020 until 10th
April 2021. Around 25 million people are expected to visit the expo (Bureau International
des Expositions, 2013).
Every registered country gets a maximum of six months’ time to come up with a worldwide theme
that applies to everyone in various societies.
A few of the past held expo themes are:
1) “Industry of all Nations” from London - Expo 1851
2) “Arts and Industry” from Barcelona - Expo 1888
3) "Man and His World" from Montreal - Expo1967
4) "Discovery" from Seville - Expo 1992
5) “Humankind, Nature, Technology” from Hanover – Expo 2000
6) "Better City – Better Life" - Expo 2010 Shanghai China
7) “Feeding the planet, energy for life” Milan, Italy, between 1 May and 31 October 2015
The theme of the winning city for the World Expo 2020 is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.
Once a city has submitted its bid with the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) the other cities
have to do the same within 6 months. The earliest time for a city to bid itself was 2011 and the latest
was 2014. Izmir of Turkey and Ayutthaya of Thailand submitted their bids to BIE in early 2011
leaving only 6 months for the other countries to bid. The bidding ended on 2nd November 2011, by
which 5 cities had submitted their profiles, with 4 cities namely (Expo Bids 2013) Dubai - UAE;
Ekaterinburg – Russia; Izmir – Turkey; São Paulo – Brazil remaining. On 27 November 2013 Dubai –
UAE grabbed the title of “Host” for the expo 2020. This will be the first time that a Middle Eastern
destination will be hosting the expo (RIA Novosti 2013).
1 Ph d Research Scholar, Faculty of Management Studies, Wisdom Banasthali University.
Email: [email protected] 2 Department of Business Studies, Amity University, Dubai, UAE
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Review of Literature
History of the Expos 63 expos have taken place so far. One from each century has been mentioned below
(Bureau International des Expositions, 2013).
The 80’s The first world expo ever took place in London from 01-05-1851 to 11-10-1851. It was held in the
Crystal Palace by Prince Albert and Henry Cole having the theme “Industry of all Nations”. London
during the 1851’s was booming in technology. A lot of new products such as Hi-fi pictures by the
Scottish physicist David Brewster, harden rubber by the American inventor Charles Goody, Viennese
chairs” by the Hungarian furniture-maker Tonet, 1720-kilogram ingot of crucible steel produced by
the Krupp’s plant ; came up in London that attracted about 6 million visitors from all around the
world. London made a profit of about 186,000 pounds which was used to bring up educational
organizations such as Geological Museum, Museum of Science and Natural History, Museum of
Manufactures (known now as Victoria and Albert Museum) and Imperial College of Science.
The 90’s Montreal was the host for the expo from 28-04-1967 to 27-10-1967 organized by Compagnie
canadienne de l' Exposition universelle. This expo was originally to be held in Moscow (celebrating
the golden jubilee of the Russian revolution), but when USSR backed out for some reasons Montreal
was awarded as the winning city.
Montreal’s expo theme was “Man and his World” (borrowed from this book “The Planet of
Mankind by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry”. In order to match this theme, Montreal set up various
pavilions: Man and his Health, Man in the Community, Man and the Ocean, Man and the Space,
etc. Montreal promoted the social and environmental responsibility of the man along with the usual
scientific, technological and industrial progress. A lot of nations participated. - France, gave remains
of Yves Cousteau's underwater research expeditions to the “Man the Explorer” pavilion. The Soviet
pavilion had attracted about 13 million visitors due to the original space capsule in which Juri Gagarin
became the first man to orbit the earth. Netherlands gave a model of Zuider Zee that showed the
advances in land reclamation. Man the Creator pavilion included 180 works of famous painters from
50 national galleries. And last but not the least the Expo was the launch venue of the very famous
IMAX film presentations. Expo ‘67 was overall a successful World Exhibition. Around 50 million
people attended the Expo. Many buildings were removed once the Expo closed, however the
exhibition called Man and His World opened during the summers until 1981.
The 20’s Hanover held the expo from 1-07- 2000 until 31-10-2000. It was designed by Studio d'Arnaboldi /
Cavadini, Locarno and Albert Speer und Partner GmbH. The theme of the Expo was “Human being –
Nature – Technology Energetic and space economy”. It had begun on a very hard note. The BIE had
awarded the Expo 2000 to Hanover in 1990 beating out Toronto by a 21 to 20 vote. Many Germans
were not happy about this and protested until the expo began. 40,000,000 visitors were expected.
Unfortunately, only 18,000,000 people turned up. Nevertheless, the Expo went well and contributed
heavily to the German economy. A new railway station was built, networks of urban roads were
constructed, the tram routes were extended and a third airport terminal was made.
Expo 2000 aimed at creating and presenting solutions for generations to come. In order to accomplish
the aim a new area known as “the thematic area” was made. This area had thematic pavilions (which
concentrated on some of man’s critical difficulties): the Future of Labour, Environment, Health,
Nutrition etc. The Venezuelan Pavilion was made with completely re-usable materials. The pavilion
opened and closed like a flower. The flower petals were placed taking the weather into account. Many
pavilions were built with the planning of environmental and social impact, their effect on the
sustainability of growth. These were first thought of during the expo of 2000.
UAE in other Expos The UAE has an established track record of successfully participating in World Expos. In addition to
its presence at Expo 2012 in Yeosu, South Korea, the country has hosted national pavilions at revious
Expos in Hanover, Germany; Lisbon, Portugal; Seville, Spain; and Shanghai, China.
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The UAE Pavilion from the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai is now a permanent fixture on the skyline
of Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. With its dune-shaped structure designed by Foster + Partners, who
are designing the Zayed National Museum, the UAE Pavilion attracted almost two million visitors
during Expo 2010. It was voted the most popular international pavilion at that event, and won a range
of awards for its iconic design (Expat Women 2013).
Bids and Bidding Cultural diversity has positioned Dubai as the top pick to host Expo 2020, according to a survey
developed by Alliance Business Centres, a global business server provider that operates over 650
business centres with 15,000 companies worldwide. The survey is based on information from 1,000
executives from the Alliance Business Centres Network (ABCN) across 28 countries in Europe, the
Americas, Asia and Australia. The result of the survey showed that 57 per cent of the participants
(including 570 executives) voted in favour of Dubai, while 18 per cent saw Russia’s Yekaterinburg as
the best candidate to host Expo 2020. Brazil’s Sao Paulo scored 14 per cent of total votes and
Turkey’s Izmir lagged behind with 11 per cent. About 35 per cent of participants said Dubai’s
openness and cultural diversity are the main reasons qualifying it to host the Expo. This was followed
by the emirate’s strategic location as a central tourism and trade hub, its world class infrastructure as
well as its political and social stability, scoring close to 20 per cent each (Dubai Statistics Center,
2013).
Statement of the Problem
Why Dubai? The UAE has the caliber of holding the meetings, conferences and exhibitions of various industries,
and has established a track record of successfully hosting world-class events on a worldwide scale.
From 2006-2010, the country has managed to double the scale of its exhibition infrastructure. Now
more than 1.5 million visitors travel to the UAE annually to take part in over 300 events, including
more than 100 mega exhibitions and conferences. The industry is also important contributor to the
UAE’s national economy, with meetings, conferences and exhibitions providing the second-highest
level of GDP contribution of any country in the world.
With its unmatched infrastructure and connectivity, Dubai, in particular, continues to witness strong
growth in the events sector. Last year, events held in the emirate witnessed a 14 per cent surge in
visitor attendance and five per cent growth in exhibitor participation. During the same period, the
Dubai World Trade Centre contributed 2.5 per cent to the city’s total GDP, positioning the events
sector as a key contributor to Dubai’s growth.
High-profile events in Dubai include an earlier Annual Meeting of the IMF/World Bank, the biennial
Dubai Airshow, a range of World Economic Forum Summits, the Dubai International Film Festival,
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Dubai World Championship (a US$7.5m golf
tournament on The European Tour), the internationally renowned Dubai World Cup - and the Dubai
Summer Surprises Festival, the largest event held in the Middle East region, attracting in excess of 2.2
million people.
Dubai is a cosmopolitan city that is inhabited by over 200 nationalities, Dubai is a melting pot of
cultures and a meeting point for peoples from across the globe. Home to just over two million
residents, two-thirds of the city’s population is between the ages of 20-39.
In line with the nationwide focus on comprehensiveness and openness, the city’s unbelievable
diversity has long served as one of its great strengths - helping to attract the best minds from around
the world, who are drawn to this meritocratic environment by the promise of great personal and
professional opportunity - and supporting its ongoing economic growth and diversification (Expat
Women 2013).
Research Objectives The overall objective of the study is to apply a micro approach to evolve an objective method for
analysing Dubai Expo 2020 and specifically intend to identify the opportunities and challenges.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
The following are the main objectives of the study:
1. To explore the process of Expo 2020.
2. To understand Dubai’s super-growth indicators and to analyze the challenges and
opportunities faced by Dubai Expo 2020.
3. To study the future outcome of the phase of super-growth initiated at Expo 2020.
The Theme The theme of the Expo 2020 has been chosen as “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. Dubai
believes that the world is extremely connected in various ways and a new vision of advancement
should be laid out for a common purpose. This theme perfectly portrays the upcoming ambitions of
the societies and shows how World Expos bring together individuals around the world and enable
them to concentrate in a common project. In the society that we live in today a transformed vision of
advancement and growth is required. A single individual, a single country or a single community
cannot make a huge difference, but when all of them work together to achieve a common goal is when
we achieve remarkable success and that is when the society has really advanced. “Future generations
will be living in a world that is very different from that to which we are accustomed. It is essential that
we prepare ourselves and our children for that new world.” - Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al
Nahyan (UAE interact 2013).
Expo Live Expo Live is a new idea and a new plan for the global interest of Dubai Expo2020 to bring out
innovation and to create a sustainable development for the future. It is a vision for a transformative
expo that will set clear targets and leave a mark on the lives of the people all around the globe. It
outlines real challenges that inspire countries to collaborate and work together to deliver tangible
results before, during and after the expo. It wants to find the world’s best ideas that are out there and
make them happen. It aims to be a platform full of solutions for some of the challenges of the world
that are excellent in nature but create a boundary to the progress of sustainability.
The Site The site of the Expo is known to be 438 hectare long, and with an open plaza which has been named
as Al Wasl. The meaning of Wasl is “the connection” and is also the ancient name for Dubai. This
site is going to be created by HOK along with Populous and Arup. It is going to be located near the
newly made Al Maktoum International Airport which equidistant from Dubai as well as the capital
Abu Dhabi. The site will be divided into 3 pavilions namely – Sustainability, Mobility and
Opportunity. Various countries will set up their pavilion into the areas that match their growth plan.
Since sustainability is the heart of this Expo the structure is made using photovoltaic panels that act as
shade providers as well as capture more than enough sunlight to create almost half of the energy that
will be used during the Expo on site. Other on site plans includes recycling wastewater, reusing
materials and monitoring the Expo’s carbon footprint.
Other ways by which mobility and sustainability will be maintained is by cable cars inside the Expo
as no private cars will be allowed.
Once the Expo ends in 2021 the three main pavilions – the Welcome Pavilion, the Innovation Pavilion
and the UAE pavilion shall be joined with each other and changed into a National Museum (HOK
2013) and the pavilion grounds will be converted into either a university or a research and
development centre.
The Future
Challenges The challenges that are going to be faced by the Expo are Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity
which are also the sub themes of the Expo.
Mobility
1. Dubai will need to build a well-organized, environmentally safe and a strong system that will
improve the movement of commodities (goods and services) and individuals around the globe.
2. They will also need to come up with new developments for storage of the goods, especially
perishable goods (food, medicines, etc.) and will have to decrease waste.
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3. New types of information and communication methodologies should be developed so as to
contribute to the combination if businesses and create new kinds of dealings among various
societies.
4. Dubai will also need to work on developing and launching new low – carbon vehicles and
infrastructures as this will improve the environment.
5. Dubai will not only have to construct and manage the new means of mobility that is eco – friendly
but will also have to train and educate those who will be working with them in the future.
“Effective logistics and transportation systems make the movement of people, goods and services
around the world much easier. As the markets develop and work together, new innovations are needed
to produce more practical solutions.” – Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai Port World.
Sustainability
1. Consuming and distributing new sources of clean water and energy to places where it is not
available or are not developed enough to access it.
2. The resources need to be handled efficiently and effectively so that they are not wasted. This
can be done by relooking into the technologies around and by recycling and reusing the waste
products.
3. Building new infrastructure that helps in production and distribution of various partnerships,
technologies and so on.
4. Introducing new groundbreaking business replicas that encourage affordable schemes.
5. Educating people as to how to conserve and use resources optimally and promoting other
ways as to how one can be sustainable.
“Today substantial advancement in the production, delivery and consumption of water and energy is
becoming increasingly significant. Improving access to natural resources through responsible
conservation and achieve supervision are important areas the world should look at. A transition to
renewable energy is key to global prosperity and climate change mitigation and oil- rich nations must
lead by example.” – Dr. Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, Minister of State, Chief Executive Officer and
Managing Director of Masdar (Dubai Expo 2020, 2013).
Opportunity 1. Dubai will need to undergo a change in terms of business transactions, introduce
manufacturing units to develop economic growth.
2. New jobs need to be sprung up across all cultures living in Dubai. This would need an out of
the box approach in terms of developing the human potential through trainings etc.
3. Dubai will need to tap trade development with different countries to ensure economic and
financial sustainable growth thereby maintaining a stable financial economy which is crucial
for attracting investments into the country.
Apart from the Sub – themes being the challenges Dubai can also face the challenges in:
To decide how to manage their resources correctly in the narrow time frame of 7 years that
they have got in hand.
As a lot more job opportunities will raise so will the need to select the best of the best. One
small mistake from any of the employees can risk the entire event. Hence Human Resource
Management will need to work hard in selecting the more loyal and hardworking employees.
Benefits Expo 2020 is going to create an economic boom for United Arab Emirates and turn this place into a
location for innovation (Gulf News 2013).
1. Dubai will be spending around $8.1 billion on building the infrastructure and $8.4 billion on
other projects like the expansion of the Dubai metro and various road networks, which will
eventually raise the standard of living of the inhabitants and also attract more tourists.
2. Stocks in Dubai have begun to double in the financial market.
3. Airports will be expanded.
4. Dubai will also build World Trade Centre in Jebel Ali, a national museum and a plan to
connect Dubai World Central to the Al Maktoum Airport metro line.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
5. The Government has also decided on building a Dubai Expo Headquarters, which will be
known as the largest ever used for a World Expo. Also for the first time in the history of
Expos, visitors from abroad during the Expo 2020 will constitute 70-75 %.
6. New technology will be portrayed in the exposition which will in turn be a major help in
terms of education and economic development and will help the youth of Dubai to get new
visions which will enhance the upcoming technological and economic growth.
7. More than 40,000 small and medium-sized firms have been set up this year which when
calculated results in a 13% increase.
8. Expo will also generate 277,000 jobs (50,000 permanent jobs) (Al Arabiya Network (2013).
9. It is estimated that Dubai will get returns reaching up reach Dh130-140 billion due to the
hosting of the Expo.
10. People from around the world will learn about the culture and heritage of UAE and will see
how all various nationalities stay together in peace and harmony and also how each of their
values, beliefs and thinking gets respected. Along with this the residents of UAE will also
learn the culture and trends of the foreigners
11. The theme of Dubai itself, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, will bring new
partnerships for financial growth which will bring about a sustainable future.
12. A fresh chapter of ideas will bloom from individuals, which will help human talent to be
recognized and thereby developing UAE differently from the rest of the world.
13. Investing in and generating renewable energy in UAE will broaden its energy sources and
increase the security of its supply. These steps will contribute to the UAE’s goal of
transitioning into a knowledge-led and sustainable economy. – Dr. Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber,
Minister of State, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Masdar.
14. “A World Expo in Dubai will attract new opportunities across the region and around the
world, establishing new partnerships and creating a lasting experience for everyone who visits
and participates,” – Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation
Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.
15. As the infrastructure is developing, Dubai is also planning to extend its metro line by building
the Purple Line route.
16. Dubai’s Gross Domestic Product is known to boost itself up as Dubai hosts this event. It is
known to amount to a total $23billion US dollar from 2015 to 2021.
Limitations An oil rich nation shall not face major limitations; nevertheless, Dubai just has 7 years to build what
the entire world is looking forward too. Hence, time can be one of the major limitations that the
Expo2020 will face.
Apart from time, the weather of Dubai can be a limitation for the Expo as temperatures reach at the
peak (47 – 48 degrees to even 50 degrees at times).
The Confidence of the Business Bosses Everyone knows about the foresight of the UAE’s leaders. Their vision has put this country
prominently on the world map and Expo 2020 is yet another milestone. We have always believed in
their leadership – Nilesh Ved (Chairman, Apparel Group). We have witnessed Dubai hosting some of
the best events, which have benefitted businesses, residents and visitors and we believe that it is
uniquely poised to host the Expo. – Vipen Sethi (CEO, Landmark Group). Apart from attracting
tourists, the Expo will give rise to trade opportunities as well. This will help expand the reach of local
businesses and enable them to export their wares made in the UAE to the outside world. – Abdulla
Ajmal (General Manager, Ajmal Perfumes).
The Expo will not only allow the world to see the top quality services that Dubai offers but also help
to pioneer new partnerships for growth and sustainability and demonstrate our excellence in health –
care innovations. – Marwin Abedin (CEO, Dubai Healthcare City). Over the past few decades, the
UAE has grown into a vibrant and dynamic nation, an economic powerhouse and a country that
strives to excel. Expo 2020 will be another feather in Dubai’s hat as it is known to have achieved
success in all growth areas. – Dr. Jamil Ahmed (Managing Director, Prime Healthcare Group). We
believe that our different business segments will benefit immensely form the economic surge that
Expo will create. The administrative vision of the UAE government aptly imbibes Dubai’s bid theme
of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. – Ebrahim Al Abbas (Chairman, Al Abbas Group). Expo
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2020 will be an opportunity for us to meet people of different cultures, understand different mindsets,
and experience the latest trends in and outside our industry and to learn about new innovations. –
Eugene Mayne (Group CEO,Tristar Transport). By bringing the best minds together in Dubai for
Expo 2020 we will stimulate new ideas that will lead to innovative answers to the world’s concerns,
resulting in a better future for all mankind. – Hussain Al Qemzi (Group CEO – Noor Investment
Group and CEO – Noor Islamic Bank). Dubai’s remarkable world-class infrastructure and central
geographic location make it an ideal place to host Expo 2020. The event will also cement its status as
one of the leading cities in the world, to live in and for business alike. – Dr. Adnan Chilwan (Chief
Executive Officer, Dubai Islamic Bank). Dubai is land of unlimited opportunities and a place for all
organizations and brands to achieve their goals and objectives. Expo 2020 will have positive impact
on all industries and create growth opportunities – Dr. Reem Osman (CEO, Saudi German Hospital
Dubai) (Blogs The National 2013).
Conclusion In conclusion, Dubai is capable enough to be the Host of the Expo as it has the advance technology
and the money supply in order to build an Expo which the world will remember. Dubai also has the
knowledge of how to welcome its guests as most of the revenue Dubai gains is from the tourism
sector and hence Dubai is a professional when it comes to hospitality of its tourists.
In my opinion the Dubai Expo 2020 will be one of the most successful Expo’s ever held as the top
officials of Dubai will be spending the Dirhams wisely and carefully. They will also look into how
they can use the resources of Dubai efficiently and effectively, as one of the sub- theme of the Expo is
sustainability.
As UAE is a multi – cultural country and each one’s religion, values, customs and beliefs are
respected visitors will feel less homesick and will enjoy their stay as they make deals. Partnerships
will also rise among various companies in various countries and Dubai will make a good profit.
References
Dubai Statistics Center - Government of Dubai Expo 2020 Dubai UAE “Book Let” (2013). Retrieved From the Dubai
Statistics Center. http://www.dsc.gov.ae/Ar/Documents/EXPO%202020%20BOOKLET%20English.pdf
RIA Novosti (2013) Russia to propose Yekaterinburg as Expo 2020 venue. Retrieved from the website:
http://en.ria.ru/business/20110802/165518448.html
Al Arabiya Network (2013). NBAD to add 900 jobs ahead of expected Dubai Expo 2020 boom. Retrieved from the website:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/banking-and-finance/2013/12/10/NBAD-to-add-900-jobs-ahead-of-expected-Dubai-
Expo-2020-boom-.html
Gulf News (2013). Counting all the benefits from hosting Expo 2020. Retrieved from the website:
http://gulfnews.com/business/opinion/counting-all-the-benefits-from-hosting-expo-2020-1.1258646
Official Site of the Bureau International des Expositions “Expo 2020 Dubai, First World Expo In The Middle East”
Retrieved from the website: http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/2020-dubai-uae
Official Site of the Bureau International des Expositions “History of Expos ” Retrieved from the website: http://www.bie-
paris.org/site/en/home/history-of-expos.
HOK (2013) “Design” Retrieved from the website: http://www.hok.com/about/Expo Bids (2013) “Bids for Expo 2020”.
Retrieved from the website: http://expobids.com/2020.htm
Expat Women 2013) “Dubai Has Won The Bid! Fantastic news!” Retrieved from the website:
http://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/monthly_discover_dubai_World_Expo_2020_Dubai_11496.aspx
Expat Women 2013) “Theme” Retrieved from the website:
http://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/monthly_discover_dubai_World_Expo_2020_Dubai_11496.aspx
UAE interact (2013). Sheik Zayed Quotes. Retrieved from the website:
http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/Sheikh_Zayed_in_quotes/18411.htm
Dubai Expo 2020 (2013) “With leadership comes responsibility” Retrieved from the website:
http://expo2020dubai.ae/en/theme/sustainability/with_leadership_comes_responsibility
Blogs The National (2013). “Business” Retrieved from the website: http://blogs.thenational.ae/#Business
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Strategic Planning for Effective Hospitality and Tourism Education: Some
Observations and Suggestions Kumar Ashutosh1
Abstract Tourism Education includes professional training in which the participants decide to understand
travel practices in specific areas with the idea of learning something to be applied later in industry. In
exact terms, tourism education is related to learning about distant destinations for smooth functioning
of agencies involved in this industry. In India many schools / universities, vocational/professional
institutions are imparting tourism education at various levels. Due to lack of any regulatory body for
this stream, maintaining quality has become a real challenge.
Keywords: academic institutions, business school, tourism & Travel Management, Industry,
Education.
Introduction Universities and industry, which for long have been operating in separate domains, are rapidly inching
closer to each other to create synergies. The constantly changing management paradigms, in response
to growing complexity of the business environment today have necessitated these two to come closer.
Higher education institutions not only contribute skilled human resources to business, but also in
various intangible ways. The intersecting needs and mutually interdependent relationship requires
identifying means of further strengthening academia-industry partnerships.
Extremely dynamic business world and the rapidly developing knowledge based service economy
have put in an increased demand for professionals to manage the business effectively. And this is
precisely the reason why amongst various other fields of knowledge, desire for acquiring management
qualifications is growing, both amongst the fresh graduates and working executives. The very simple
initiatives can help in bridging the gap between.
1. The skill-gap studies should be looked into while planning new curricula so that students can take
advantage of more placements in their respective sectors.
2. At the same time, the industries must need to help in the related research activities grow through
endowments in chairs so that technology up gradation would help them cut costs.
More such collaborative ventures would pave the way for providing training to students and in
helping design courses which would be relevant to the needs of tourism industry.
Need for Academia-Industry Interface
Academia- Industry Interface could be defined as interactive and collaborative arrangement between
academic institutions and business corporations for the achievement of certain mutually inclusive
goals and objectives. Traditionally, business schools were looking for placements and internships for
their students and the industry for fresh recruits who are well trained and equipped with the right KSA
(knowledge, skills and attitude) to be able to contribute to organization’s growth. Bisoux (2003) has
explored the relationship between academics and industry. He says that corporations are placing
growing emphasis on finding the “right person”. It forces the business schools to think more carefully
on whom they hire, and therefore the role of industry in the entire business school model becomes
important.
Today, the business schools have realized the importance of ‘working closely with employers’ for the
following reasons:
Increasing complexity in academic and business world and constantly changing needs of the
industry;
Increasing criticality of human competence in creating and sustaining competitiveness of the
organizations;
1 Head, Department of Tourism, College of Vocational Studies, University of Delhi, India. Email-
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Shift in management paradigm of business schools from earlier academic models to revenue
based models. ;
Growing competition for student placements and industry mind-share, with rapid increase in
the number of business schools and hence the management graduates;
Growing pressure from industry to make their fresh inductees productive from day one to
reduce the subsequent training costs. Greenberger (2001) is of the view that organizations
today are looking for trained professionals and students capable of taking decisions. Some of
the training in formative years comes out from business corporations, via collaborative
internships with corporations to enhance learning opportunities to students;
Increasing interdependence between academia and industry to satisfy need for sustenance and
innovation in their respective areas.
Modes of Interface
For the above reasons, Industry rather than just being the customers of business school output today
have become stakeholders and partners in progress. Industry on the other hand has also discovered the
advantages of collaborative learning opportunities. Corporations seek to play increasingly important
role in activities of academic institutions to incubate the talent they need. The shift towards the short-
term performance metrics and shareholders interest has led to a number of changes in conduct of
business, which has translated its effect on business schools.
Beard (1994) has a number of recommendations towards increasing and enhancing academia-industry
interface, which include:
Greater degree of industry-school collaboration to integrate employer’s needs into the
programmes on offer;
Real involvement with industry to allow students to gain valuable practical experience and also to
facilitate development of business;
Improve the programmes by encouraging the participation of a number of guest speakers who can
offer their own practical experiences;
Academic staff should be encouraged to keep their skills updated by undertaking practical
consultancy on regular basis.
Table 1: Indian Tourism at a Glance Foreign Tourism Arrival (FTA) in India 1997-2013
Year FTA in India
( in Millions)
% change over
previous year
1997 2.37 3.8
1998 2.36 -0.7
1999 2.48 5.2
2000 2.65 6.7
2001 2.54 -4.2
2002 2.38 -6.0
2003 2.73 14.3
2004 3.46 26.8
2005 3.92 13.3
2006 4.45 13.5
2007 5.08 14.3
2008 5.28 4.0
2009 5.17 -2.2
2010 5.78 11.8
2011 6.31 9.2
2012 6.58 4.3
2013 ( P) 3.31 2.6
Sources: Tourism statistics at a glance, Ministry of Tourism. Govt. of India
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Institutes of Travel and Tourism in India
There are a total of 172 training institutes in the area of tourism & Travel Management; 11 of them
are Government promoted ones and 78 of them are affiliated to Universities while the balance are
privately owned/ managed ones.
These institutes have been established with the following objectives:
To impart knowledge and skills to understand in totality the travel and tourism and cargo
industry, its inter-relationships and impacts.
To develop analytical and innovative attitudes to facilitate change and increase the
effectiveness and efficiency of the tourism industry.
To impart comprehensive international travel education of the highest standards
(Sources: Manpower in Tourism Industry Market Pulse report by Ministry of Tourism, Government
of India, 2004 & Rao. G.K., 1996)
There are a number of avenues, through which business schools collaborate with industry. Some of
the commonly used avenues are:
1. Guest Lectures by industry representatives.
2. Suggestions in curriculum and content designing.
3. Executive Education and Management Development Programmes.
4. Joint seminars by academia and industry both for executives and students.
5. Consulting on management and related issues by academia;
6. Academia generating ideas and acting as incubators to new business.
7. Inclusion of industry experts in governing councils and other board of studies.
8. Industry providing financial and infrastructure support to business schools for their development.
9. Funding academic and applied research.
(Source- Hooper, Eilean, Education, communication and interpretation: towards a critical pedagogy in
museums- Greenhill)
To achieve mutual goals academia and industries should interact more with the business schools
concentrating more on revenue-based models, industry orientation in curriculum and collaborative
internships which were never seen earlier.
As the need to help each other grows with globalization, the faculty members now need more output-
oriented approach, consultancy, research projects and training for revenue generation and survival of
their respective centres. We have some good industry-academia collaborations like IGNOU- Travel
industries, DoT KUK- ITDC, General Motors-IIT Kharagpur centre on automobiles, Vodafone
telecom research centre at IIT-K and Railway research centre at IIT Kanpur.
Objectives The primary research has been taken up with following objectives:
To identify the areas where academic institutions include industry participation;
To assess the perceived benefit accrued from this partnership in specific areas and incidences;
Methodology Primary data has been collected from Deans and Directors of 30 Business Schools in India. The
administrators of these business schools were personally interviewed and sent across a structured
questionnaire. They were asked to rate the extent of their business schools collaborating with industry
on 23 listed areas on a scale of 1 to 5. (1 being the lowest level of collaboration/ or the benefit accrued
and 5 being the highest degree of collaboration/ or benefit accrued).
Analysis & Discussion The foremost question that the survey asked from the respondent Deans and Directors of the business
school was on various modes of Academia-Industry interface that they use. Table 1 and 2 depicts the
summary of responses on above. According to the data, guest lectures are the most popular mode of
industry interface. Guest lectures are sessions taken up by executives in addition to classes taken up
by professional teachers. The objective of this is to give students an overview of industry practices
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
and help them relate the theory to real life applications. At IILM, it is mandatory for the instructor to
arrange minimum of six industry sessions in the thirty-two session course. Indian School of Business
and Media (ISB&M) organizes more than 300 guest lecture for MBA students every year.
The second most preferred mode is establishing partnership through training and internships of
students. This method is a self-feeding method. Industry gets a firsthand feel of students in a business
school, thus increasing their placement opportunities and strengthening long term relationship
between the two entities. Involving industry in student training and internships has become mandatory
in business curriculum in Indian business schools. All students have to spend two months with
corporate working on a specific project to gain hands on experience.
There are a number of avenues, through which business schools collaborate with industry. Some of
the commonly used avenues are:
1. Guest Lectures by industry representatives.
2. Suggestions in curriculum and content designing.
3. Executive Education and Management Development Programmes.
4. Joint seminars by academia and industry both for executives and students.
5. Consulting on management and related issues by academia;
6. Academia generating ideas and acting as incubators to new business.
7. Inclusion of industry experts in governing councils and other board of studies.
8. Industry providing financial and infrastructure support to business schools for their development.
9. Funding academic and applied research. (Source- Rao, G. Krishna Ranga (1996), Tourism Education and Training in India, Tourism Recreation
Research, Vol. XX, No.2)
A. Extent of collaboration with the industry
Table 2: The top five modes by which business schools collaborate with industry
S. No. Areas of collaboration Mean score Standard
Deviation
1 Guest Lectures 3.9 0.63
2 Training and Internship of students 3.7 1.10
3 Including industry into Governing Councils
and Board of studies 3.5 1.30
4 Executive Education programmes 3.3 1.70
5 Industry inputs in curriculum designing 3.2 1.40
Table 3: The least preferred modes of collaboration
S. No. Areas of collaboration Mean score Standard
Deviation
1 Faculty selection 1.5 1.08
2 Joint community development services 1.7 1.30
3 Helping industry in training and selection of
their staff 2.0 1.51
4 Financial support from industry for academic
activities 2.2 1.55
5 Providing incubator services for start up
companies/ ideas 2.2 1.40
The inclusion of executives in the Governing Councils and Board of Studies in business schools is yet
another preferred mode of collaboration. The objective of having industry representation is to include
the latter’s view in governance and other activities of business schools. Adorning these councils with
the known names in industry is perceived to enhance the image and recall value of the institution,
which not only attracts prospective students, donors and other stakeholders but also work in favour of
business schools during ratings and rankings.
Executive Education (long-term management training programmes for working executives) transpires
to be the fourth most preferred mode of academia-industry partnership. Rao and Bowonder (2004)
conducted a study on Management Education in India, which elucidates that there is a fundamental
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
shift in business school offerings away from traditional MBA programmes to more part-time and
executive education programmes. Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) has been extending their
domains to executive education on modular classes to facilitate executives’ involvement and strike
relationship with organizations. XLRI (India) among others have created a Partnership Model with
organizations for Executive Education initiatives. Management Development Institute (MDI), one of
the top business schools in India was established with the prime objective of imparting management
education to executives and government officials. Today, even after expanding itself into other forays,
it still conducts six month to one year National Management programmes (NMP) for company
sponsored executives and civil services officials. These initiatives besides increasing the industry
mind-share also fetch revenue to business schools.
Finally, the business school faculty is slowly integrating the industry’s views into their curriculum.
Miller (1993) identifies significant revisions in curriculum and contents, which are undertaken in
business schools, with an objective of including industry recommendations. Many business schools in
India have been inviting suggestions from industry to update their curriculum and include the topics
of present day relevance. This is done with a view of imparting the knowledge and skills set, needed
by graduating students in constantly changing global business environment.
Table 2 gives a brief summary of the least preferred modes of collaboration. It is clearly evident that
business schools do not wish to collaborate with industry on their internal issues. Faculty & staff
selection, training and development are viewed as in-house activities, where industry’s participation is
not invited.
In view of government’s increased interest in education and the latter being included as crucial issues
in WTO debate, there has been increased spending on development of higher education in India. The
cash rich private institutions are today less dependent on industry for funding and infrastructure
support. They not only have donors but also generate income from consulting, executive education
initiatives to support their functions.
Academia-Industry interface has not been considered through providing of incubator services to
industry for new start-ups by commercializing the ideas given by academic fraternity and helping
corporate grow in initial years. Industry has shown limited interest in including academia into their
strategic decisions regarding new business ideas, decreasing the chances of partnerships in this area.
B. Extent of Perceived benefit from the mentioned partnership methods
Table 4: The highest perceived benefit is from following modes of partnerships
S. No. Areas of collaboration Mean score Standard
Deviation
1 Joint Seminars 4.3 0.67
2 Case writing 4.3 0.87
3 Guest Lectures 4.2 0.63
4 Management Development Programmes 4.2 0.79
5 Training and Internships 4.1 0.62
Table 5: The least perceived benefit accrued
S. No. Areas of collaboration Mean score Standard
Deviation
1 Faculty Selection and Induction 1.7 1.34
2 Helping corporate in selection of their staff 2.3 1.83
3 Involvement in student selection 2.7 1.4
4 Outsourcing complete courses 2.7 1.62
5 Joint community development services 2.8 2.02
The second question seeks the respondent’s view on the perceived benefits of various collaboration
modes for their business schools.
Joint Seminars are considered to be an effective mode of not only cross-branding but also
strengthening the academic relationship between business school and the industry. They are an
opportunity for students to gain an understanding of the latest industry trends and industry a chance to
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gauge the institute and its students for prospective placements. Symbiosis Institute for International
Business (SIBM) organizes regular workshops for students to keep them abreast of latest industry
trends. The respondents perceive this particular mode, as one of the most effective collaboration tool.
Case writing, which is one of the most important aspect of B-school research not only adds to current
knowledge pool but also enhances the learning experience of students. It serves as a benchmark study
for business corporations who are either in same stage of business cycle similar business. Innovations
in management teaching can only be brought about by in-depth understanding of business processes
by academicians and thought leaders. Formal relationship between industry and academia can
definitely add to the research and knowledge generation. Industry, therefore has taken up an initiative
of generating knowledge by funding business and academic research. CII has collaborated with many
business schools to support both academic and applied research initiatives. Though this has been
perceived as one of the best ways of collaboration, considerable steps have not taken up by business
schools in this direction. Case writing and Applied Research, therefore does not figure in the top five
preferred modes of academia-industry interface
Similarly, the Management Development Programmes (MDP) is perceived to be among the top five
most effective modes. MDP, though quite similar to executive education programmes are short-
duration capsule courses, which focus on a particular area or topic. Very few institutions in India are
taking the necessary steps to develop the MDP network, benefiting both academia and the industry.
MDI conducts more than hundred MDPs every year for executives either as open programs and
customized company programs. . It has formal contracts with organizations, which invest in their
human capital through continuous or formal training.
The perceived benefit accrued from having a guest lecture is quite high (though less than collaborative
research initiatives. It is interesting to note that this mode figures on the top in table 1). Administrators
regard these as great value addition to student learning. Similar is the thought for Executive
Education, with perceived benefit score being 3.9, indicating the effectiveness of this tool to build
industry partnerships. Training and internships are also perceived quite high on their effectiveness in
building long term enduring relationship between industry and business schools.
Table 5, gives the overview of those collaboration modes, which are perceived quite low on their
effectiveness. Contradiction arises in the case of inclusion of industry in Councils and Boards of
studies. Though, considered as a preferred partnership mode, (figuring at third rank in Table 2) the
perceived benefit from this is average (3.2). Administrators have varied view of this kind of
association. The remarks by respondents in this study makes it evident that this mode is effective
when the executives actively contribute into institution’s operations and development rather than
playing a passive role of attending scheduled meetings and chairing important events.
The low mean score of benefits of industry involvement in faculty and student selection is definitely
in line with the results in table 3, where this is considered among the least preferred modes. Business
schools have their own policy and rules on recruitment and selection of students and faculty members.
Outsourcing the entire course has been perceived quite low on its effectiveness. Academicians feel
that this particular mode is not able to impart the conceptual underpinnings of the issue, as
practitioners tend to deal with the issue at only the practical level from their own perspectives, thus
reducing the possibility of its general application across situation. Thus practitioners though bring a
different perspective to the class yet do not emphasize upon understanding of basic concepts and
underlying theories.
Though joint community development services and partnerships for providing incubators services are
not preferred interaction modes, they are perceived higher on their effectiveness (3.2 and 3.4
respectively). Both academia and industry are not exploring the right strategy to make this kind of
alliance work towards their mutual benefit.
Conclusion & Recommendations
It is imperative for business schools to bring Academia and Industry closer and build strong
collaborative relationship;
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Each business school needs to identify the areas where they can build an effective academia-
industry relationship. They need to revisit their mission and academic model to be able to identify
the right Interface mix;
It is not a must that all modes of partnership are equally beneficial to every business school. They
have to work on ‘differential relationship’ mechanism.
Academia and Industry need to take build organic relationships, with long term strategic intent
contributing to growth and development of both the entities;
The research supports that Indian Business Schools have been traditionally using guest lectures as
the most preferred medium of industry collaboration. They are not only considered as a medium
to establish industry networks, by giving latter an experience of institute and the students and
increasing placement opportunities but also add to the learning value for students.
Business schools essentially have collaborated with corporate to provide training and internships
to students. Two-month internships are integral part of business curricula in India with certain
credit assigned. This is seen as one of the best methods of giving students both the theoretical
concepts and their applications and enhancing their ability to relate the two for decision making
purpose;
Executive Education and Management Development Programmes are two important areas where
Indian business schools are foraying. These initiatives on the part of business schools trigger
industry’s interest to collaborate by assisting them in development and training of their human
capital, hence increasing the mind-share and enhancing the image of the business school. This
kind of partnership model is still in initial stages in India, with a need to work on appropriate
strategy for mutual benefit.
Including industry inputs has been perceived quite beneficial by business schools in improving
the quality of output and making them competent of surviving in rapidly changing business
environment. However, not many institutions have been able to work on the right method of
including the industry’s viewpoints into curriculum and structuring the course for student and
corporate benefit.
This research validates the above-mentioned statement that collaborative research is still in the
infancy stage in India. Academicians across regard academia- industry partnership in case writing,
applied research, and problem based consulting as one of the most favoured and value adding
alliances. But these areas are not exploited by business schools, which is not only loosing on an
effective collaborative method but also denying Indian management education of critical and
innovative knowledge and inputs.
One area, which has not been effectively explored by business schools, is Industry participation in
student mentoring. Mentors who are friends, philosophers and guides, are top professionals, who
have willingness to impart knowledge & skills and hence bridge gap between classroom and
marketplace reality. Mentorship as defined by Gupte (2004) is an interaction at the practice level
through project of preferably a small group of seven to eight students with the mentor. This
concept has been necessitated due to rapidly changing industrial needs in the country on one hand
and growing requirement for industry ready individual after education.
Business schools need to evaluate the effectiveness of various modes employed by them
objectively, so that future course of action can be designed with specific goals and well planned
procedures.
Business schools have to move beyond the phenomenon of ‘working with employers’ towards the
concept of ‘working with partners’. The collaboration between the two is dynamic and complex. A
synergistic relationship has to be carved between the business schools and the industry so that both
can benefit and also contribute to enhancing the entire teaching-learning process.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Indian Tourism and Hospitality Industry-Trends and Development
Mahendra Singh Negi1, Mukul Tiwari & Tripti Singh
Abstract India is substantial and vibrant country and is at verge of becoming a major global destination.
Tourism and hospitality industry in India is one of the most profitable industries in the country and
credited with contributing a substantial amount of foreign exchange. India's hospitality and tourism
industry had experienced a strong period of growth which is derived by the burgeoning Indian middle
class and high spending foreign tourists with coordinated government campaigns. This paper
identifies some of the trends affecting the tourism and hospitality industry, including globalization,
guests’ safety and security, technology, service and many more along with the new trends in
accommodation sector. Furthermore, the paper attempts to analyze the development of Indian tourism
and hospitality industry through Foreign Tourist Arrivals and Foreign Exchange Earnings of the last
13 years for which Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) has been calculated .Results showed that
the tourism and hospitality sector contributes significantly to the national economy as well helps in
the creation of jobs in the country. The suggestions to the hoteliers include careful analysis of the
current and future trends and application of the proper adaptations, investing in exceptional services
and sustainability of their lodging, as well as utilizing the new technologies and the social networks.
Moreover, the hotel owners should consider the retirees as their potential guests and, finally, they
must seek ways to retain effective, diverse and competent staff.
Key words: Profitable, Services, Development, Tourism and Hospitality
Introduction Hospitality can be term as kindness in welcoming or receiving guests or strangers. It is the most
diverse but specialized industry in the world. It is certainly one of the largest industry employing
millions of people around the globe. Hospitality refers to the relationship process between a guest and
a host, and it also refers to the act or practice of being hospitable, that is, the reception and
entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, with liberality and goodwill. Hospitality in other term is
an act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of
guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and
other services for travellers and tourists. In the contemporary West, hospitality is rarely a matter of
protection and survival, and is more associated with etiquette and entertainment. However, it still
involves showing respect for one's guests, providing for their needs, and treating them as equals.
Cultures and subcultures vary in the extent to which one is expected to show hospitality to strangers,
as opposed to personal friends or members of one's in-group. Providing hospitality means offering a
welcoming environment to visitors, and the hospitality industry is without doubt a people industry,
Wagen 1999). Hospitality business is closely intertwined with those in travel and tourism industry.
Tourism is travel for recreation or the promotion and arrangement of such travel. Tourism and the
hospitality industry so strongly affect one another that some associations and industry leaders
including the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (CHRIE), consider the
combined industries of hospitality and tourism as one large industry-the hospitality and tourism
industry (Chon, Sparrowe, 2008). Although hospitality is included as a sector within the tourism
industry but the hospitality is also regarded as an industry in its own since it’s meet the needs of
customer other than tourists.
The hospitality industry in many ways represents the country's growth and prosperity. The standard of
accommodation and the quality and variety of food available in a destination is a significant
component of the impression and image of that place in the mind of the traveler. Indians are becoming
more exposed to the world and therefore are now demanding the finest luxuries even within their
homeland. It is therefore of paramount importance that the hospitality industry keeps revamping and
reinventing itself to ensure that neither the international nor the domestic traveler is disappointed. The
hospitality industry meets the needs of local residents as well as tourist and travelers, whereas the
tourism industry concentrates on the needs of tourists and travelers only. There is an important
connection or network between the hospitality and tourism which is shown in the Figure no. 1 below.
1Assistant Professor, Amrapali Institute of Hotel Management, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India. Email:
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Table 1: Sectors of Tourism and Hospitality Industry
Sectors within Tourism Industry Sectors within Hospitality Industry
Accommodation Sector Lodging Operations
Food and Beverage Food and Beverage Operations
Attraction sector Retail stores
Transport Sector Licensed clubs
Tour operator and Travel agent Casinos
Promotion and distribution Specialist Sector Recreational activities
Miscellaneous tourist services and goods sector Reception
Source: Walker, J. (2010), Introduction to Hospitality Management
Fig1: Hospitality and Tourism Network
Source: Kasavana, M., Brooks, R. (2007), Managing Front Office Operations
Hospitality, travel and tourism industry in India is almost three times bigger than the size of
automotive manufacturing industry and generates more jobs than the chemical manufacturing,
automotive manufacturing, communications and mining sectors added together. Hospitality and
tourism sector’s direct contribution to India’s G.D.P is INR2 billion which is almost three times more
than the contribution of automotive manufacturing. Hospitality and tourism’s total contribution
including direct, indirect and induced impacts to G.D.P in country was INR 6.7 billion around 6.4%of
total G.D.P. supporting 39 million direct, indirect and induced jobs in India. Travel & Tourism
generated 98,031,500 jobs directly in 2011 (3.3% of total employment) and this is forecast to grow by
2.3% in 2012 to 100,292,000 (3.4% of total employment), Source Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
This includes employment by hotels, travel agents, airlines and other passenger transportation services
(excluding commuter services). It also includes, for example, the activities of the restaurant and
leisure industries directly supported by tourists. By 2022, World travel, tourism and hospitality is
forecast to support 327,922,000 jobs (9.8% of total employment), an increase of 2.3% pa over the
period. Figure no. 3 shows the total contribution of travel, tourism and hospitality to employment in
world for the year 2011, 2012 and 2022.
Fig 2: World Total contribution of travel, tourism and hospitality to employment
Source: World Travel and Tourism Council Economic Impact Report - 2012
Tourism is one economic sector in India that has the potential to grow at a high rate and ensure
consequential development of the infrastructure at the destinations. It has the capacity to capitalize on
the country’s success in the services sector and provide sustainable models of growth. In India, the
travel, tourism and hospitality sector is estimated to create 78 jobs per million rupees of investment
compared to 45 jobs in the manufacturing sector for similar investment. Along with construction, it is
one of the largest sectors of service industry in India. Apart from providing employment to a wide
spectrum of job seekers from the unskilled to the specialized, a higher proportion of tourism benefits
(jobs, petty trade opportunities) accrue to women. Thus, the expansion of the tourism sector can lead
to large scale employment generation and poverty alleviation. The economic benefits that flow into
the economy through growth of tourism in form of increased national and State revenues, business
receipts, employment, wages and salary income, buoyancy in Central, State and local tax receipts can
contribute towards overall socio-economic improvement and accelerated growth of the economy.
India needs to tap reap the full potential of a vibrant tourism sector Tourism has the potential to
stimulate other economic factors through its forward and backward linkages with a host of sectors like
agriculture, manufacturing, transport, hospitality, education, health, banking, etc. Expenditure on
tourism induces a chain of transactions requiring supply of goods and services from these related
sectors.
Review of literature The literature review includes the existing research on the scenario of current and emerging trends in
tourism and hospitality. Tourism has an economic impact upon economic and growth and
development (Ivanov and Webster, 2006). The Hospitality industry, geographically dispersed in easily
identifiable different sectors is one of the larger employers in most countries. The globalisation of the
industry has accelerated under the pressures of the “advances in technology, communication and
transportation, deregulation, elimination of political barriers...as well as growing competition in the
global economy (Clarke and Chen, 2007). The growth of tourism in broad refers to the gradual
evolution of tourism which is considered to be factor of the productivity for country’s economy
(Dritsakis, 2004). Tourism and hospitality has been variedly viewed by the sociologists , economists
and others as a cause of development- both material and non material(Kumar Nirmal,2009).Mishra,
R.P Sharma ,S.S and Acharya,Ram (World Tourism, 1981) have evaluated the role and impact of
tourism vis-a vis development in India with reference to forty other countries having various types of
economies and are of considered view that tourism is an important activity in India and the growing
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
importance assigned to tourism depicts the country’s earnestness to attract more and more tourists
from every part of the world. India’s tourism infrastructure is modern and several agencies are
engaged in setting up a sound base for the development of tourism in the country. Maneet Kumar
(Tourism today: an Indian Perspective) discusses various prospects related with tourism development.
He is of the view that tourism and hospitality is also a promoter of employment, goodwill and
friendship among the nations. Tourism has been recognized as one of the major revenue earning
industries worldwide. It is important to note that the concept and scope of tourism have been
progressively changing. Tourism is considered as one of the largest economic activity in the world,
and perhaps the largest in the services sector. It is also one of the fastest growing sectors of the world
economy. Tourism is vital for many countries, due to the income generated by the consumption of
goods and services by tourists, the taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry, and the
opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. Tourism has its own
direct and indirect effect on society which is regarded as an effective instrument of country’s
economic development. Government of India also adopted different approaches for promotion of
tourism, which include new mechanism for expediting implementation of tourism projects,
development of integrated tourism circuits and rural destinations, special capacity building in the
unorganized hospitality sector and new marketing strategies to promote India as a brand. According to
Amadeus, “the global hotel industry is driven by globalization, new technology and a new breed of
customers”. The hospitality industry is undergoing a period of extraordinary transformation with
unparalleled opportunity. Branding is increasingly crucial for building credibility amongst travelers
(Ferguson, 2008). A report commissioned by the Amadeus group to learn about the hotel industry
warned that the hospitality industry stands to face major difficulties from online social networking
and emerging new technologies such as bookings through mobile phones. Guests can now easily
exchange views about the “truth” of the hotels through social networking. Quality now more than ever
is given priority. Hotels are under pressure to deliver the highest standards of excellence as the
knowledge and level of exposure of travelers has increased. Mobile booking is expected to become a
common practice and therefore hotels will have to update their technology and communication
systems (Hayhurst, 2008). In recent years, organizations in the hospitality and tourism industry are
undergoing a great deal of disorder as the competitive forces within their business have shifted due to
the pressure of globalization.
Objective The objective of this research is to identify the current and future trends and development effecting
tourism and hospitality sector in Indian tourism industry. The paper also aims to look into the new
developments in this sector and to examine the emergence of new elements in the Indian hospitality
industry.
Data Base and Research Methodology For the data collection secondary sources has been used such as websites of Ministry of Tourism,
Govt. of India, World Tourism Organizations, (WTO), World Travel and Tourism Council, (WTTC).
Annual Reports of Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India and a report by Market Pulse for Ministry of
Tourism, Govt. Of India has also been taken into consideration. Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs),
Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) data is also been taken for which Compound Annual Growth Rate
(CAGR) has been calculated to analyze the data. The formula used is as follows:
CAGR: - ((End Value/Start Value) ^ (1/Periods-1))-1
Discussion and Analysis of Growth and Development of Hospitality and Tourism in India
India is full of attractions so lots of tourists visit here. Table no. 1 presents the number of Foreign
Tourists Arrivals (FTAs) in India during the period of 13 years i.e. 2000 to 2012 along with growth
rates. Tourism in India has registered a significant growth in recent years. There had been the
remarkable growth from the year 2002 to 2005 in foreign tourist arrival due to the various efforts
made by the Government of India including promoting India through the ‘Incredible India Campaign”
in overseas markets which led to increase in tourism growth about 65% during the period of three
years i.e. from the level of 2.38 million in 2002 to 3.92 million in 2005. For the tourism and
hospitality sector the year 2008-2009 has been a year of challenge and response with a drop seen in
number of foreign tourists due to impact of the global economic crisis out broken of H1N1 influenza
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
and terrorist attacks at the Taj Hotel and other significant locations in Mumbai. FTAs, in India during
the year 2010 were 5.77 million with a growth rate of 11.8 % as compared to the FTAs of 5.16 million
with a growth rate of -2.2 % during the year 2009. The major reason of the growth rate in foreign
tourist’s arrivals in the year 2010 was Commonwealth Games. FTAs in India during 2012 were 66.48
lakhs with a growth of 5.4%, as compared to the FTAs of 63.09 lakhs with a growth of 9.2% during
the year 2011 over 2010.
Table No. 2- CAGR of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India from 2000-2012
Year FTA (Million) CAGR in %
2000 2.65 0
2001 2.54 -4.5
2002 2.38 -6.3
2003 2.73 14.71
2004 3.46 26.74
2005 3.92 13.29
2006 4.45 13.52
2007 5.08 14.16
2008 5.28 3.94
2009 5.16 -2.27
2010 5.77 11.82
2011 6.30 9.19
2012 6.64 5.4
CAGR from 2000 to 2012 is 7.96%
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India-2012
Tourism also plays an important role in Indian economy and contributes substantially in the country’s
Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) also. Table No. 2 shows the Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs)
from tourism in India during the period of thirteen years i.e., from 2000-2012 and also it’s Compound
Annual Growth Rate. As shown in the table no. 2 there is a significantly growth in FEEs after the
launch of Incredible India campaign in the year 2002. FEEs from tourism during the year 2010 were
US$14193 million as compared to US$11394 million during the year 2009 and US$11747 million
during the year 2008.
Table 3: CAGR of Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) in India from 2000-2012
Year FEE(US Million) CAGR in %
2000 3460 0
2001 3198 -7.6
2002 3103 -3.0
2003 4463 43.8
2004 6170 38.2
2005 7493 21.4
2006 8634 15.2
2007 10729 24.3
2008 11747 9.5
2009 11394 -3.0
2010 14193 24.6
2011 16564 16.71
2012 17740 7.1
CAGR from 2000 to 2012 is 7.1%
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India-2012
The growth rate in FEEs in US$ terms during the year 2010 was 24.6% as compared to a decline of
3%in the year 2009 over the year 2008, FEEs from tourism in terms of US$ during 2012 were US$
17740 million with a growth of 7.1%, as compared to US$ 16564 million with a growth of 16.7%
during the year 2011 over 2010. Foreign Exchange Earnings during the year 2000-2012 witnessed a
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CAGR of 7.1 % whereas Foreign Tourist Arrivals during the year 2000-2012 depicts a CAGR of
7.96% as calculated.
Current Trends in Hospitality and Tourism
1. Globalization- Travel and tourism is one of the key sectors of Indian economy and a major earner
of foreign exchange for the country. Over the last decade the industry has posted strong growth riding
primarily on steep growth trajectory of India. According to World Travel and Tourism Council
(WTTC), the Travel & Tourism Industry contributes about 3.1% to India’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) with a total value addition of Rs 1.9 lakh crore. The industry generates a direct employment of
1,861,000 and indirect employment of nearly 4,908,500 as per the WTTC figures. The industry was at
cross roads in mid-1990s when a liberalizing economy opened the doors for massive increase in
investment into the sector and rising foreign tourist arrival (FTA) numbers, thanks to the successful
‘Incredible India’ campaign by the government, led it to the higher growth trajectory.
Table 4: Top 10 Source countries for Foreign Tourist arrivals in India in 2012
Source: Bureau of Immigration, Govt. of India-2012
During the 13 years there has been double-digit growth in FTAs, number of hotels and resorts has
multiplied and value addition by the industry has increased at a higher pace than the overall economy.
Globally, an ever increasing number of destinations have opened up and invested in tourism
development, turning modern tourism into a key driver of socio-economic progress through the
creation of jobs and enterprises, infrastructure development and the export revenues earned. Tourism
exports account for as much as 30% of the world’s exports of commercial services and 6% of overall
exports of goods and services. Globally, as an export category, tourism ranks fourth after fuels,
chemicals and automotive products. For many developing countries it is one of the main sources of
foreign exchange income and the number one export category, creating much needed employment and
opportunities for development. Global market trends indicate that long-haul travel, neighbouring
country tourism, rural and ethnic tourism, wellness and health holidays, cultural tourism, spiritualism,
ecotourism, sports and adventure holidays, and coastal tourism and cruises are a few emerging areas
of tourist interest. From a geographic viewpoint, there has been a remarkable rise in Asian tourists,
particularly from China and the East Asian countries. It is essentially a process by which an ever
tightening network of ties that cut across national political boundaries connects communities in a
single, interdependent whole, a shrinking world where local differences are steadily eroded and
subsumed within a massive global social order. Opening of international boundaries by India for the
tourist and well connected airlines and infrastructure has also helped in Globalization of Indian
Tourism and hospitality Industry. The air transport industry, which is located mainly in the
industrialized regions and in the newly industrialized regions is a key determinant in the development
of tourism. It is expanding twice as fast as the general output of the Indian economy. Air transport
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
accounts for more than 80% of international tourist arrivals in the country and to move from one place
to another within India. As an internationally traded service, inbound tourism has become one of the
world’s major trade categories. Significant income growth in India and the emergence of a new
middle class has sparked a desire to travel which prevails in times of crisis.
Fig 4: Foreign Tourist Arrivals and Foreign Exchange Earnings during 2012
Source: Ministry Of Tourism, Government of India -2012
Leading hotel brands have pepped up their investments and are in various stages of commencement of
new proprieties in India, both in metro and non- metro cities. Cities such as Hyderabad, Pune, Jaipur
and Chandigarh have emerged as growth markets. The emergence of these secondary and tertiary
cities has led to an aggressive increase in hotel development activity, which was previously dependent
in just five main cities. Another trend that has now emerged in the various major markets is the
growth of micro-markets, especially in the larger cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc, where travel
time has increased.
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Figure 5: Factors for Increase in Foreign and Domestic Tourists Arrivals
Source: India Brand Equity Foundation, 2010
2. Safety and security. The industry’s concern with security has increased greatly due to several
terrorist attacks worldwide, as well as because of tourists’ kidnappings, robberies and assaults.
Security of all types of hospitality and tourism operations is critical and disaster plans should be made
for each kind of threat. Personal safety of guests must be the first priority (Walker, 2010). Increased
security measures exist in all the international airports and most airline companies have upgraded
their security measures by investing millions of dollars. Moreover, they make plans in order to exceed
the requirements of the airline industry through technology advancements (Hall et al, 2003).
Accommodation sector like star hotels and resorts have also installed new security programmes and
hi-tech security devices in their properties for the safety of the guest. A property’s security program
should include certain actions and procedures to prevent or discourage incidents (Ellis and Stipanuk,
1999).Campaigns like “Atithi Devo Bhava” has also helped the locals to promote the safety and
security of foreign tourists among each other. Hotels and other tourist’s attractions places are now
equipped with security gadgets and safety equipments which were not visible few years back.
3. Diversity. The tourism and hospitality industry is among the most diverse of all industries in terms
of employee population and groups of guests. Hospitality and tourism present a unique opportunity to
understand new cultural experiences for both employees and the tourists. It is important for the
personnel to understand and appreciate different cultures in order to enhance the nature of their
cultures. Interactions with tourists of different cultures, religions, races, colours, ages, genders and
sexual orientations. It is for this reason that businesses plying their trade in this industry must
endeavour to train their personnel to appreciate and accommodate people from diverse backgrounds
around the world. Ministry of Tourism, India is looking at diversifying the tourism products by
developing and promoting the nascent/upcoming niche /upcoming products of the Tourism Industry.
As such, diversity not only facilitates easy understanding of different cultural, social and economic
perspectives but enhances the delivery of satisfactory services as well, through communication and
observation (Merchant, 2011). Diversity in the hospitality and tourism industry is enhanced through
visions that promote equal employment opportunities to cater for the different nationalities in the
market. The industry gets to appreciate the world's socio-cultural and economic differences through
the recruitment of people of diverse backgrounds. As such, businesses in this industry need to
establish organizational policies that not only discourage discrimination but also encourage
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intercultural activities such as cultural educational programs and forums. Businesses also should
employ organizational structure that comprise of people from different regions and races and spread
key appointments to qualified staff from across the board.
4. Food and Beverage
The global food service industry is enormous and complex and therefore it is difficult to get any
accurate data to present a world-wide overview. The Food and Beverage sector in each category of
hotel plays a different role. The way in which a luxury hotel plans and strategizes its F&B department
is different from that of a budget hotel. Traditionally while budget hotels, pay little or no importance
to catering, the full-service hotel on the other hand, tend to promote their hotel around a branded
hotel. In the mid-market sector, the conventional hotel-restaurant retains its dominant position,
whereby F&B services are offered as a value added incentive for in-house guests (Clarke and Chen,
2007). Several hotels, both in the luxury and budget sector, opt to outsource their food and beverage
operations. This trend it set to increase as already established brand become a more secure revenue
option and also the hotel then avoids the cost of running a restaurant (Clarke and Chen, 2007). It has
been accepted that a critical hindrance in the future development of the hotel catering sector is the
shortage of food service specialists, who are able to propel the market forward, manage the food and
beverage business efficiently and develop effective marketing techniques. In India while in the UK in
2005, approximately 4.1 billion pounds was spent on dining in hotels, out of the total eating out spend
of 27.6 billion pounds (Clarke and Chen, 2007). Existing hotels are likely to profit from the enhanced
performance of the non-room sources of income such as food and beverages and spa and club
memberships. The supermarket trend has taken hold in India, and now shoppers have the opportunity
to explore good, up and coming food stalls and markets in various places tourist destinations new
innovations in ingredients and equipments are also in a trend to attract the palate of the guest.
5. MICE Tourism
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism is among the greatest revenue
earners in the world (McCabe et al, 2000). India is going the global way and MICE is becoming a
major part of its tourism and hospitality industry. MICE have a potential business segment that will
generate greater number of tourists and higher revenue for the country in the years to come (Koul,
2005). As a sign of the Indian MICE market maturing, the 49th ICCA Congress & Exhibition took
place in Hyderabad, India in October 2010. To achieve this India put together a tremendous bid
backed by the support of the national and state government as well as small and large private
companies (www.iccaworld.com). Several leading hotel chains are looking to MICE as a substantial
non-room revenue source. The government too has realized the potential of MICE tourism and
announced the building of several convention centers across India and also established The India
Convention Promotion Bureau. Its main agenda is to promote India as the chosen destination for
conferences and conventions of any sort as well as to market the country to the World as a destination
for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions and strengthen the brand positioning of
‘Incredible India’ as a MICE destination (www.conventionicpb.org). India with its unique culture,
hospitable people and rich natural heritage is an obvious choice for conferences and exhibitions. It is
an amazing amalgamation of tradition and culture, style and splendour, warmth and feelings, beauty
and nature, comfort and convenience, virtually everything the modern conference organizer or
delegate could expect, for the rewards of success. Large number of resorts, hotels is now providing
international standards with spacious convention facilities and modern business centers and internet
connectivity. Indian conference facilities are today equipped with latest technologies and support
facilities including computerized automation systems, transmission facilities, satellite network
connection etc However in a world of extreme technological advancement bordering on digital
insanity, the power and value of the human touch in maintaining ties cannot be undervalued. It is here
that the Indian hospitality beats all others and emerges as amongst the most preferred global
convention destinations .Today, the country boasts of some world-class convention centers such as
The Ashok, New Delhi, Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad, Le Meridien,
Cochin, The Jaypee Palace Hotel, Agra are forerunners in the Indian MICE tourism facilitating both
domestic and International standard of business conventions and conferences. At present there are
different travel divisions within tour corporations and airlines that exclusively target MICE
movement. Several destinations have started to promote MICE products to specialized agencies and to
the corporate world at large. The inbound MICE segment is growing at 15 to 20% annually. It is
estimated that the value of the total global MICE meetings market is in excess of $270 billion.
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According to industry estimates, the Indian in-bound MICE market in first seven months in 2004 was
$20 million, which is 40% more than the same period last year. India also ranked 27th in the Global
Meetings market. While the business of MICE holds enormous potential for any country there is still a
long way to go for India. At present, in India, incentives are the largest component of MICE, but in
this quickly maturing market, it is only a matter of time that the entire gamut of MICE activities
becomes a popular and important of the industry. India holds only about 0.96% of the worlds’
meetings share. However, the current demand-supply imbalance hampers the MICE market. Due to
lack of availability of quality hotel room and the consequent rising prices, India is often not a feasible
destination for large conferences. “Logistical bottlenecks and lack of appropriate infrastructure” also
create problems and result in making India an unattractive MICE destination (Malkani, 2008).
6. Service.
As global competition and market consumption change the expanding service sector, quality plays an
increasingly essential role in both attracting and retaining service customers (Helms and Mayo, 2008).
Service quality and the degree of satisfaction derived from service quality are becoming the most
important differentiating factors in almost every hospitality environment (O’Neill and Palmer, 2004).
For the hotel industry, the increasing competition and expansion of unique services and convenience
has forced hoteliers to continuously search for the competitive advantage (O’Neill, 2005).Service is at
the top of guests’ expectations, yet few companies offer exceptional service. World-class service does
not just happen; training is important in delivering the service that guests have come to expect
(Walker, 2010). Hotels are increasing their investments to improve service quality and the perceived
value for guests, so as to achieve better customer satisfaction and loyalty, thus resulting in better
relationships with each customer (Jones et al., 2009). Relationship quality has a remarkable positive
effect on hotel guests’ behaviour: it creates positive word of mouth (WOM) and increments repeated
guest rates (Kim et al., 2001). The Cornell Hospitality Industry Perspectives published a report titled
“Making Customer Satisfaction Pay: Connecting Survey Data to Financial Outcomes in the Hotel
Industry” by Pingitore et al, (2010). In this report it is demonstrated that customer satisfaction has
clear linkages to actual financial outcomes. All hoteliers know that in order to survive they need to
attract and retain guests. However, hoteliers also need to know specifically what it takes to satisfy
their guests. The study found, for instance, that guests who experienced outstanding service were
likely to spend more on ancillary items (e.g., restaurant, room service, day spa, recreation facilities) in
subsequent hotel stays. Getting things right is important. Four key performance indicators particularly
affected guests’ evaluations: reservation was accurate, check-in was completed within five minutes,
no problems were experienced during the stay, and no billing errors occurred. Guests who
experienced all four of these performance indicators were most likely to grant the hotel a top
satisfaction rating. As seen in figure 5, satisfaction scores are composed of seven key factors, with the
Guest Room (24%) and Costs & Fees (23%) constituting almost 50% of the importance weight. The
Hotel Facilities factor (19%) represents almost one-fifth of the importance weight, while the Check-In
and Check-Out, Food & Beverage, Services, and Reservation factors constitute the remaining one-
third of importance.
The recruitment and management of people in the hospitality industry is becoming an increasingly
challenging task. So as to meet these challenges and establish a competitive advantage, managers
must provide effective leadership and recognize the significance of developing strong skills amongst
their staff (Go et al, 1996). They must also have financial and commercial management experience to
attain best results in today’s modern hotel set-ups (Gibson, 2004, Burgess, 2007). However it is clear
that whether one trains raw talent or provides stock options for retention, one thing is for sure that
steps need to be taken to reduce the increasing rate of attrition in the industry. With the demand far
exceeding the supply, the government is allowing 100% foreign direct investment thus attracting a
huge international attention. Lured by the 20-25% return on investment, even foreign banks such as
Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are investing in the hospitality sector. The Citigroup
Property Investors has earmarked $350 million for such investments (Hotel Business Review, 2008).
The UK based Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) plans to open 20 hotels in India with over 5000
rooms under its brand – Holiday Inn. (Hotel Business Review, 2008)
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Fig 6: Factors driving satisfaction scores
Source: Cornell Hospitality Industry Perspectives, 2009
7. Technology-Technology is a driving force of change that presents opportunities for greater
efficiencies and integration for improved guest services. It plays a crucial role in success of the
tourism and hospitality industry. Technology changes enhance the guest experience by incorporating
acceptability, accessibility, affordability, accountability of the people dealing with tourists and audit
of what has been achieved). Technology has become a tourism business activity in development of
strategic resources and is considered as a tool to increase competitiveness. Effective use of
information technology can make significant operational improvements. Advanced software and
communication tools allow enlarging operational efficiency, for example, orders may be made better,
faster and cheaper. In addition, decision-making through decision support tools, databases and
modelling tools assist the manager’s job. Thanks to expert systems, sophisticated expertise can be met
by any manager (Romanovs, 2000). Technology changes the tourism business rules more specifically.
Information on all tourist services is available virtually from all over the world. Technology on
wireless communication systems enabling voice, text and data communication among employees,
managers, departments and guests is now being adapted by hotels. Comprised of intelligent system
software and lightweight, hands-free or handheld communication devices, these systems allow hotel
staff to deliver the best customer service. Examples of wireless communication solutions for the
hospitality industry include communication badges, food and drinks ordering systems, as well as
devices that allow hotel agents to check-in and check-out guests, process credit cards, print receipts
and program room keys anywhere in or nearby the hotel. Wireless technology results in increase in
staff productivity, reduces response time to satisfy guest requests, improves overall guest satisfaction
and service as well as reduces queues at the reception desk.
Technology and Trends in the development of tourism lodgings and guest room In the past few years there is a certain trend towards developing green lodgings and an increasing
number of hotels worldwide apply policies friendly to the environment. This is due to the fact that
green hotels not only do save money for the owners but they save natural resources as well, by
enhancing the biodiversity, while at the same time they promote environmental conscience to the
guests. Another reason for the development of green hotels is the fact that there are tourists who are
“environmentally sensitized” and even when they travel, they wish to apply resource saving practices
in their everyday life. Organizations that certify the environmental policies of various enterprises,
have conducted researches realizing that on average a hotel of 150 rooms consumes in one week, the
amount of energy consumed roughly by 1.000 households in one year. The basic reason is that people
in their residences are aware of the water and energy cost, but in the hotels the increased consumption
does not influence the rate to be paid by the guests. The possibility of increased consumption is
interwoven with the offered services and luxury. There are some technologies in trend e.g. of water
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saving that decrease the operating costs. Research’s have shown that the hotels using modern
technologies to save water, consume the one fifth of water per guest in relation to hotels that do not
use them. Most importantly, the guests do not observe any difference in the levels of comfort and
luxury. These saving techniques contribute both in the reduction of water, as well as in the reduction
of energy for the heating of water. Energy efficiency provides hotel owners and operators cost savings
that benefit the bottom line. Efficiency also improves the service of capital equipment, enhances guest
comfort and demonstrates a commitment to climate stewardship. Hotel, restaurants and resorts are
making use of enabling technologies to remain competitive in growing hospitality market.
Accommodation sector are now using automated messaging software which allows hotel to
communicate with guests through SMS and email before, during and after their stay. Targeted and
relevant quality messages enables hotel to minimize no-shows, up sell additional services, reduce
commissions and bring guests back time and time again. Furthermore use of laptops, iPods etc has
given rise to a media Port requirement in guestroom where the guest can simply plug in the gadgets at
the writing desk and it connects to the L.C.D. Products installed in room are more easily available in
India with dealers here who arrange the sampling and import of materials this gives designers a wider
range to work within the hotels. L.C.D T,V has eliminated the need of bulky cabinet in front of the
bed but the space requirement for mini bar and tea/coffee kettle has given challenge to designers to
come up with interesting suggestions like to create the mini bar at the end of the room as a separate
unit ergonomically designed so the guest doesn’t always have to bend down to get drinks .Again
linked to technology , hotels internationally are looking at how a room can light up when a guest
walks in the door, or one touch systems to control all aspects of the room lights , curtains ,L.C.D etc,
at the same time being user friendly , Clever use of space is in new trend , put in the basics then play
with the rest. Rooms now-a-days also have art deco themes, bold colours a bean bag for a chair etc in
their boutique concept. Hotel building are planned as boxes to allow natural air to flow through
thereby making it eco friendly and not requiring central air-conditioning in public spaces one from
another .LED lights are used to make a day white space into a mauve collared space in the night
.Outdoor furniture are used in the open spaces to make them more conductive to the weather
elements. The overall interiors space made the guest feel comfortable. Today, handheld devices
having a display screen with touch input and a miniature keyboard is used for KOT (kitchen order
ticket) generation in restaurants. The hotels are becoming increasingly conscious for the security of its
guest. Keys Hotels launched women only floors in India with video phones in each room to ensure
that the women travelers feel secured and enjoy the hospitality and amenities without any
apprehension. Many international chains have added various amenities such as special hair dryers and
toiletries and operate women-only lounges on the dedicated floor. The usage of electronic key card by
the residential guest has not only enhanced the security measure but has also become a facilitator in
access to guest floors, elevators and recreational facilities. The easy kiosks for check-in, 24x7
automated vending machines for snacks, beverages and other facilities have left the transient traveler
more contented and happy. Besides, direct hotel reservations, the central reservation systems (CRS)
and global distribution systems (GDS) serve as the primary channels of sales for hotel room nights.
The hotels maintaining huge facility have now shifted their focus from revenue management to yield
management by maximizing occupancy and protecting rates variations to optimize the RevPAR. A
majority of hotels now use computers in the areas of reservations, registration, guest history, guest
accounting audit, back office accounting. Similarly, most restaurants are using computerized point-of-
sale terminals and registers that control guest checks, kitchen orders, and guest payments. In addition
such a system stores a great amount of data, which can provide a range of averages, and ratios that can
be used to evaluate such items as menu-mix analysis, average guest check, seat turnover, cost of sales
analysis, and inventory control, to name a few possibilities. Computers have in effect, successfully
removed much of the time consuming drudgery present in a manual accounting system. The analysis
and evaluation of labour productivity, cost control, inventory control, menu costing, budgeting, and so
on can be obtained quickly and accurately from a computer, using software designed for a restaurant
operation. Needless to say, software programs are available for specific business operations within the
hospitality industry, which can assist in the safeguarding of assets, controlling cost, maximizing
profit, and providing information to measure the efficiency and productivity of an operation
Technology adoption is slow in the hotels, but is expected to gather momentum with overall
technology implementation costs coming down and is becoming friendly to use. Also, most of the
hotels are in the process of adopting core hotel solutions, hence investment in the loyalty technology
space seems to take low priority. Traditionally big hotels in India have always been very customer-
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
oriented like the ITC, The Oberoi etc, and are used to provide customized solutions for their regular
guests. Loyalty programmes have been viewed as just another value adds among many other things
that the hotel does. The world has changed a lot and the perception of security also.
8. Demographic changes. The global population is gradually increasing and many retirees have the
time and money to travel and utilize hospitality services. According to the United Nations, population
ageing is increasingly becoming one of the most salient social, economic and demographic
phenomena of our times. The population volume decreases, migration internal and international
increases and age, gender, educational and household structures have all changed in recent years and
will continue to change up to 2020. Demographic change can affect different aspects of tourism. It
impacts directly on tourist demand (volume and structure) and the tourism labour market (number of
workers and their qualifications) and has an indirect effect on jobs within the tourism industry and
tourism services (type and quality of sector-specific and enhancing infrastructure).Overall, the
expected impact of demographic change on demand for holidays can be summarized as slight increase
in demand, shift in the structure of demand with the importance of senior citizens for tourism rising
more rapidly than their share of the population. Demographic changes will lead to shifts in travel
behaviour, resulting in particular from journeys made by people in the age group of 60 to 79 years,
including a higher proportion of journeys abroad and fewer journeys within their country, more air
travel and car journeys, less travel by coach and rail, lower seasonality (fewer summer holidays) and
greater significance attributed to culture, nature and health, with a decline in beach and relaxing
holidays at the same time. Changing lifestyles of the new tourists are creating demand for more
targeted and customized holidays. A number of lifestyle segments- families, single parent household,
“empty nesters”(i.e. couples whose children have left home), double income couples without children
–has become prevalent in tourism, signalling the advent of a much more differentiated approach to
tourism marketing. Low air fares and proper railways and airways connections – leave travel
concession to the employees made them to travel along with their family members.
9. Price-value. Price and value are significant factors to the more perceptive guests of today.
Customers and their perceptions about price have changed. Guests are resistant to paying more
(instead, they prefer to get more for less) and tourism enterprises should take measures in order to
solve this problem. The key word is "value." Value is what you get compared to what you pay. But
how could an hotelier increase value without lowering prices? Indian guest are very concern about
value for money. Changes in consumer behaviour and values provide the fundamental driving force
for the new tourism. The increased travel experience, flexibility and independent nature of the new
tourists are generating demand for better quality, more value for money and greater flexibility in the
travel experience. The top five elements that create value during a hotel stay are:
Guestroom design (size, comfort, room equipment, kitchenette, entertainment, heating /
ventilation / air conditioning, cleanliness).
Physical property - exterior, public space (cleanliness, landscaping, size, architecture).
Interpersonal service (service friendliness, attentiveness, professionalism, personal
recognition).
Functional service (service speed, efficiency, check–in and check–out efficiency).
Food and beverage related services (sanitation, quality, atmosphere, room service.
Market segmentation – as exemplified by eco tourism, medical tourism, rural tourism, cultural
tourism, and cruise and adventure tourism is clearly in evidence and is experiencing a great success.
New niche markets are constantly being identified in an attempt to diversify the industry further.
Future trends of tourism and hospitality
Tremendous growth in the Indian economy is the main reason for the growth in tourism in India.
Though the infrastructure is still a constraint it sustains the current growth and that the government
should invest in infrastructure like transport, accommodation, better roads, health and hygiene, etc. for
the growth of the industry has invested in new technology like CRM tools and state of the art security
systems. In air transport network India has bagged 37th rank for itself. Indian tourism industry is
ranked 5th in the long-term (10-year) growth and is expected to be the second largest employer in the
world by 2019. Today increased tourism in India has created jobs in many sectors. The Indian
Tourism and hospitality industry is based on certain core nationalistic ideals and standards which are:
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Swaagat or welcome, Sahyog or cooperation, Soochanaa or information, Sanrachanaa or
infrastructure, Suvidha or facilitation, Safaai or cleanliness and Surakshaa or Security. Indian Tourism
Industry has got a major boost because of the booming IT and outsourcing industry with increased
number of business trips made by foreigners to India, who will often add a weekend break or longer
holiday to their trip. They spend more time here in India than almost any other country worldwide.
Tourism in expected to grow further over the next few years due to the changes taking place on the
demand and supply sides. The factors that will account for the further growth of tourism will include
the change in standards of living due to more spending power or disposable income, better education,
long leisure time and aging population. Owing to growth of tourism sector, infrastructure will
improve, competition will increase, new products will enter the market and better services will be
provided. Today, all the major international hotels chains like Holiday Inn, Radisson, Le Meridien,
Hilton, Accor, Choice Hotels, Hyatt and Hilton are present in India and are willing to expand their
business. The emergence of branded budget and economy segment hotels present tremendous
opportunities. The main niche markets (sports, travel, spas, health care, theme parks, cruise ships,
religious travel and others hold great potential and develop rapidly. With all the positive signals,
hospitality industry in India is getting consolidated and has many more opportunities to grow further.
The demand for demand for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow by 8.2 per cent between
2010 and 2019 and will place India at the third position in the world whereas capital investment in
India's travel and tourism sector is expected to grow at 8.8 per cent between 2010 and 2019. India is
also projected to become the fifth fastest growing business travel destination from 2010-2019 with an
estimated real growth rate of 7.6 per cent. India's growing strength in the information technology, bio-
technology, pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors has prompted a few prominent international
bodies to host trade shows and conventions in the country and similar prominence is also expected in
the coming years. Concept of Green hotels and eco lodgings will be more prominent in nearby future
along with sustainable tourism and destination development. Similarly Food and beverage offerings in
India have evolved and are fast making a mark for themselves. Of late, standalone restaurants like
Indigo, Olive, Hakkasan, Trishna, Zest, and Smoke House Grill, to name a few have raised the bar for
the F&B offerings across major metros. Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) brands like Domino’s, Pizza
Hut, KFC, McDonald’s have huge expansion plans in the next five years which can hold the market.
In India tourism and hospitality accounts for 9.2 % of the total employment which is likely to be
increased in next few years. Tourism and hospitality industry estimates around 77.5 millions job by
2016.An additional employment of 24.5 million (direct and indirect) is likely to be created during
2010-2016. Table 5: Estimated employment in India
Source: Report of the working group on tourism 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017), Ministry of Tourism, Govt.
of India, 2011
Guests’ virtual and physical social networks will be the best distribution channels in coming future for
the tourism and hospitality industry. Internet, technology is to play a vital role in nearby future. Food
and beverage offerings and hotels is tending to increase in next seven year. The total number of
restaurants could touch 240,000 in year 2020. The mix is likely to remain largely the same; however,
fast food outlets and cafes in the organized sector are likely to grow much faster than the others if one
goes by the stated expansion plan of large chains. The existing accommodation units may not be
sufficient for the targeted number of FTAS and DTVs in 2016. Requirement of additional rooms in
2016 for the targeted growth of tourism during the 12th Five Year Plan are given below:
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Table 6: Requirement of Room in the year 2016
Source: Report of the working group on tourism 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017), Ministry of Tourism, Govt.
of India, 2011.
Conclusions There is an increase in Indian tourism and hospitality sector in terms of foreign tourist arrivals and
foreign exchange earnings. The trends that are mostly affecting the industry are: the increased concern
with guests’ safety and security, the enhanced diversity in the workforce composition, the importance
of outstanding services leading to additional opportunities for increased revenue, the new technologies
which contribute to improved guest services and enhance competitiveness, the population ageing that
impacts directly on tourist demand and the tourism labour market and the correlation between price
and value which is very important for the perceptive guests of today. In the field of tourism lodgings
development, the trend is an increasing number of hotels applying policies friendly to the environment
which is not only saving money for the owners but also saving natural resources as well hence
promoting environmental conscience to the guests. As per the World Travel and Tourism Council
Economic Report 2012 by 2022, the travel, tourism and hospitality is forecast to support 9.8% of
total employment and requirement of more than 20 lakhs room by 2016 in the country. The future
trends in the hospitality industry include more green and eco-lodgings, intelligent hotels with
advanced technology, guests virtual and physical social networks as a distribution channels,
development of mega hotels as most of the International hotel chains and food outlets are willing to
expand their business in India which is expected to place India at the third position in the world.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Gastronomy Tourism and Destination Image Formation
Shunali1 & Manik Arora
Abstract Gastronomy is somewhat related to the word culinary which relates to the kitchen or cookery.
Culinary, gastronomic, or cuisine tourism involves learning about food and beverage products and
different styles of cooking. It is about the discovery and enjoyment of different tastes and flavours.
Gastronomy tourism can be used as an easy method of getting knowledge of new cultures and
traditions and local food & beverages are the main motivational factor behind gastronomy tourism. It
has gained recognition in recent years and now-a-days a very high volume of tourists are considering
dining and food as relevant activities during their travels. It has also been realized that food is not
only the source of satisfying hunger but can also be very beneficial in other aspects too. Gastronomy
plays a significant role in creating a quality visiting experience for tourists and, therefore, influences
their revisit intentions and also helps in building destination image. Image is a perception that a
person has for a destination Food or gastronomy is an important attribute that can be used in a
destination image building. Gastronomy tourism helps to promote particular tourist destinations.
Now- a -days tourists are more aware of the cuisine available in their selected destinations. It has
also been observed that the key objective of some tourists to visit a particular destination is to
generally indulge themselves in the local cuisine. For many more, the quality of the cuisine on offer is
an important part of the holiday experience as a whole. Every destination has some type of specialty
food or local cuisine that can attract tourists. Destinations must bear this in mind that they should
offer their best food to tourists so that their local tourism industry gets long term benefits and can
build its image as gastronomy tourism destination. Jammu is on such destination which is offering a
wide variety of gastronomic products with high quality of local ingredients to tourists. Moreover,
these local products have enough potential to build Jammu’s (J&K) image as gastronomic tourism
destination. Thus, the purpose of this study is to find out impact of gastronomy tourism on destination
image building of Jammu as gastronomy tourist destination.
Key Words: Gastronomy, Destination Image, Food Image
Introduction Food tourism is a new branch of tourism that is slowly but strongly affecting the world’s travel
industry. Culinary tourism has not been given much consideration for a long time. Kim, Eves, and
Scarles (2009) found that food tourism and its consumption is at its introduction stage, and is still
establishing its branches but now tourists start realizing that gastronomy is a easy way to get
familiarized with the traditions of a particular destination, and an important medium for cultural
expression (Fieldhouse, 1986). Food has always been a major aspect of overall tourist experience at
particular destination and sometimes good local gastronomic products enhances the overall tourist’s
experiences and become a reason for destination revisit. (Bourdieu, 1984) explained that it increases
both tourists’ culinary knowledge and cultural experience. This clearly indicates that there is an
inseparable relationship between the culinary industry and tourism industry. Tourists enjoy local food,
especially the items that are authentic and traditional in nature (McIntosh and Goelder, 1990). Local
food is one of the basic components of a destination’s attributes, that attract tourists and thus increases
the overall tourist experience (Symons, 1999). Gastronomy to be an important element of tourism and
also found that tourists give great importance to food during travelling and spent a major part of their
expenditure on food. According to (Hudman, 1986) that tourist spent 25 percent of total expenditure
on food and food also have strong impact on decision making of tourists in identifying their option of
location to be visited (Henderson, 2009).Gastronomic products of a destination help to increase the
destination demand (Haven-Tang & Jones, 2006) and ultimately its image. Every destination is now
trying to compete with each other in order to build its destination image (Kotler, Haider and Rein,
1993). Food is one such important element that can be used in the development of a destination
image (Quan & Wang, 2004). Many destinations had already started using food as promotional tool
for building image of the destination (Hjalager & Richards, 2002).Food has strong influence on the
tourists’ experiences at particular destination which further influence their decisions for destination
choice and help in building the image of the destination (Ritchie,Tung &Ritchie,2011). According to
1 Research Scholar, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Jammu, J & K, India. Email:
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Okumus et al. (2007), cuisine has great potential and it can be used as tool for building destination
image by increasing the number of tourists towards the host destination. In addition to this local food
promotional techniques like tourism web sites, food events, festivals etc showcasing local
gastronomic products also help in promoting food of the destination and thus in turn building the
image of the destination (Hall, Mitchell and Sharples, 2003; Long, 2003; Henderson, 2004).Karim
(2006) found that the food of a destination plays an important role in attracting tourists to visit a
particular destination and thus help in building image of the destination as gastronomic tourism
destination. Bigne et al. (2001) and Lee et al. (2005) found that destination image plays two important
roles in behaviours of visitors firstly it influence the destination choice decision-making process, and
secondly it influence the behaviour of tourist ,their revisit intentions and their willingness to
recommend the same destination to others. Today behavioural intentions are considered as a better
predictor of performance (Chi & Qu, 2008). Hall and Mitchell (2006) found that availability of food
products and related activities hold tourists for a long time in the host destination .Not only they
would like to stay longer but they would like to revisit the destination again and again. Satisfied
tourists were found to have higher tendency to revisit the same destination and provide positive
comments to their friends and relatives (Chen & Tsai, 2007; Yoon & Uysal, 2005) and quality
gastronomic food products have positive impact on behavioural intentions. Chen & Tasi (2007) found
that by knowing the relationships between tourists’ behaviour and its determinants, destination
tourism managers can build destination image and can increase the tourist inflow. In addition,
behavioural intentions are also strongly influenced by tourist satisfaction (Yoon and Uysal, 2005).
Tourist behaviour can be divided into three stages: pre-, during- and post visitation (Kozak and
Decrop, 2009) and if tourist found good quality local ingredients and food at the destination it will
strongly influence their behaviour and in turn destination image. Thus, the purpose of the proposed
study is to find the impact of gastronomy on destination image building.
Background of the Study
Gastronomy Tourism The origin of the term gastronomy cannot be dated back. But according to Scarpato (2002), the word
“gastronomy” was first emerged in a poem published by Jacques Berchoux, a Frenchman in 1804.
Finally, in 1835, the word gastronomy was included and defined in a French dictionary as “the art of
good eating.” Scarparto (2002) further explained that those people, who were involved in food and
drinks in ancient days, did not have any particular skills or professions that were directly related to
food and drinks. According to the Long (2004) culinary tourism is an intentional, exploratory
participation in the ‘foodways’ of an ‘other’- participation including the consumption or preparation
and presentation for consumption of a food item, cuisine, meal system, or eating style considered as
belonging to a culinary system not one’s own. Culinary tourism is a special form of tourism. Special
interest tourism can be defined as travelling by tourists who have a common interest and their need
can be fulfilled at a particular destination (Weiler & Hall, 1992). According to (Beardsworth &
Keil,1997), food reflects human cultures when tourists tastes new local cuisines, they are actually
experiencing a new culture, gastronomy of every destination have different styles of cooking
,flavours, tastes and ingredients which is actually a rear view of the culture, customs and traditions of
the host destination. Furthermore,(Bourdieu,1984) stated that having local food during travelling is
one of the important experience that people have during their visit that not only increase their culinary
knowledge, but also make them aware about the culture of the host destination which further motivate
them to visit the host destination again and again.
Destination Image Destination image means individual’s perception, feelings and knowledge of a particular destination
(Fakeye and Crompton 1991). Bigné, Sánchez and Sánchez (2001) define destination image as the
subjective analysis of reality by the tourist Now-a- days, food and drinks of many countries are used
for building image of the destinations and the process of image building is not limited to urban cities
but many rural areas that are rich in their gastronomy are also building their image as gastronomic
tourism destination (e.g. Hall and Macionis, 1998; Bessie´re, 2001; Sharples, 2003). Studies showed
that food and wine is used to market a destination and help in building the image of the destination, it
is also the expression of the destination which completely express the culture and traditions of the
destination (Cohen &Avieli, 2004; Hall & Sharpies, 2003; Handszuh, 2000; Hjalager & Richards,
2002;Long, 2003; Richards, 2002; Wolf, 2002a).This make food an important source of image
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
building and provides an opportunity to tourist to experience new gastronomic products , food
producers can also get benefit as local food products become an important means of selling the
identity and culture of a destination (Quan & Wang,2003) and in turn building the image of the
destination through its local gastronomic products. Okumusa, Okumusb& McKercher (2005) studied
how two different destinations use food in their destination marketing. They found that when food is
used in destination marketing, the destinations build their own different images. Thus it clearly
indicates that food have strong influence on destination image building and have capability of
building, loyalty among visitors which in turn has a positive effect on the long-term performance and
quality of the destination (Keane 1997; Reichheld and Sasse1990).Sometimes food help in repeat visit
among travelers and Repeat visitation indicates travelers’ satisfaction with the destination, which may
influence their return intentions as well as creating positive word of mouth (Oppermann 1999) the
desire to seek new experiences and new travel destinations can play an important role in explaining
travelers’ intentions to return to a location, (Babuand Bibin 2004; Garcia et al. 2012; Jang and Feng
2007) and gastronomic products of a destination is now becoming the most enjoyable activity in the
destination. Fields (2002) describes that when tourists are experiencing new local cuisines, they are
actually experiencing a new culture he further describes that gastronomy can be a motivator in many
ways like it motivate tourists towards the culture of the destination not only towards the culture but it
also increase visitors motivation towards the local cuisine of the destination and tourists can
strengthen their knowledge of the local cuisine by eating as the locals eat, and exploring new cuisines
and food of the host destination many times encourage their revisit intentions and strongly influence
the image of the destination. Quan and Wang (2004) studied the relationship between tourists’ food
consumption and their visiting experience and found that past food experience could insist tourists to
taste local cuisine again( Ryu and Jang ,2006) If a positive food image is formed in tourists’ mind
they would like to revisit the same destination again. Thus food plays a pull factor for the tourists and
which help in building image of the destination too.
Objective 1) To determine the food image of Jammu.
2) To study the impact of demographic profile of tourists on their perceptions about the food
image of Jammu.
3) To assess the relationship between food image and destination image of Jammu.
Hypotheses and Data Requirement The literature revealed that there exists a relationship between demographic profiles of the tourists on
the image of the destination. Tassiopoulos, Nuntsu and Haydam (2004) studied demographic and
psychographic profile of wine tourists in South Africa order to get information for wine tourism
development in South Africa. Kim (2010) examined the effects of demographics, experience, and
expertise on destination image formation in the ski resort context. The study clearly noticed the
effects of demographics (gender, age, and income), expertise and experience, on destination image
assessments and found that relationships between demographic factors, experience, and expertise,
shows linkages with image assessments. Beerli and Martin (2004) also pointed out that an individual’s
personal characteristics, including demographics and prior experience, affect the formation of an
image , since beliefs about the attributes of a destination depend on the internal factors of the
individuals. Therefore, it can be said that the various Demographic attributes of tourists have an
impact on their perception about food image of any destination and thus holds true for Jammu and
Kashmir too.
H1:-There exists a significant impact of demographic characteristics of tourists on their perception
about Jammu food image
The previous researches point out that many destinations are rich in their food culture and have wide
range of exotic cuisines which further help in building their positive image. Jalis et al (2009) studied
that gastronomy is a relevant source for attracting tourists to Malaysia and was identified as the new
tourism product in Malaysia. In addition, the findings of the study demonstrated that the local
gastronomic products can be a source for boosting the local economy. This also shows that Malaysia
has a positive food image. According to Global Report on Food Tourism (2012) many destinations
like Kazakhstan, Korea, Moscow, Brazil, Georgia etc are rich in their gastronomic products and they
have capability to build their image as positive food image. Jammu and Kashmir is also known for its
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rich and varied cuisine for all its three regions and thus may have a positive food image among the
tourists. Thus with this backdrop, the following hypothesis is based upon.
H2:-Jammu has a positive food image.
The previous researches have pointed out that the destination image can be developed as a
gastronomic tourism destination. Horng and Tsai (2012) explained that Hong Kong and Singapore do
not have enough natural resources that make tourism experiences more enjoyable, but they have a
good range of food and gastronomic products and strong culture background and with the
combination of tourism and creativity, they can attract large number of tourists and build destinations
as gastronomy tourism destination. Kivela & Crotts (2006) took the example of Hong Kong that its
food is the main focus of the travelers during their visit at that place. So, it can be promoted as a
gastronomy tourism destination. Similarly Jammu and Kashmir is a destination where one can not
only enjoy good weather ,mountains ,and beautiful scenery but it has an immense variety of
ingredients , flavours and exotic food to taste and this will help to build Jammu and Kashmir’s image
as a gastronomic tourism destination.
H3:-Food Image has a significant effect on the destination image of Jammu
Data was collected from primary sources with the help of structured questionnaire, which was
carefully prepared after a thorough review of literature. The survey instrument consisted of four major
sections. The first section contains questions on personal profile of the respondents including gender,
age, occupation, marital status, education, monthly income, purpose of visit and Length of stay in
hotel. Second section comprises 20 statements on food image developed by Karim et al (2011). Third
section deals with 21 statements on destination image was developed by Russell (1980) and later used
by other tourism researchers (Hosany, Ekinci and Uysal, 2006). A five point Likert was used in the
study, representing a range of attitudes from ‘1’ being strongly disagree to ‘5’ being strongly agree to
measure food image & destination image.
The sample for the study was collected from tourists travelling to Jammu region. The sample size was
determined by using the formula given by Krejcie & Morgan (1970). The calculated sample size is
110. . The data were analysed with the help of SPSS (16.0). The mean score has been used to deduce
the opinion regarding food image. Regression equation was framed to find the impact of food image
on destination image and ANOVA to evaluate the effect of demographics on food image.
Results It was revealed from the study that 54 of the sample are males and 70 are females. The maximum
respondents were from the age group of 20-40 years while 42 were below 20 years. The 48 of the
sample are married and the rest representing 76 were single. Out of all the respondents 55% of the
respondents have the monthly income less than 10000. Among the participants of the present
research, nearly 65% of the tourists have visited for the pilgrimage purpose followed by leisure and
business.
According to regression results, the coefficient of determination, R² = 0.049. This implies that 4.9% of
the variation in the food image is explained by the regression and the remaining 95% of the variation
by error. Also, the coefficient of correlation r = 0.2216. The Positive sign shows that there exists a
positive direct relationship between the food image and destination image (r = 0.2216). This implies
that food image has an impact on destination image.
The regression coefficient B = 0.324 shows that the destination image which is a dependent variable
changes by 0.3 units for each unit change in food image which is an independent variable. Thus, it is
found in the study that food image has an impact on the destination image and the value of r² = 0.0491
indicate that about 4.9% change in destination image is due to change in food image. Hence, we can
say that hypothesis 3 of the study is supported by the data.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Table 1: Regression Output
Multiple R 0.2216
R –square 0.0491
Coefficient of correlation r = 2216
Anova Degree of
Freedom
Sum of
Square
Mean
Sequence
F-Value Significance F
Regression 1 1.081 1.081 6.30127 0.0133
Residual 122 20.937 0.1716
Total 123 22.019
Intercept 2.261 0.460 4.913 2.816
X- variable- Food Image 0.324 0.129 2.510 0.0133
From Table 1, the regression equation as formed is:-
Destination Image = 2.261 + 0.324 (Food Image).
Table 2: T-test for Gender
Gender
Male Female t-test
Food Image 3.499 3.352 1.912
Table 2 represents the t-test for gender of the respondents. Since the calculated value of t (0.1912) for
gender is less than the table value (1.96), the hypothesis that there is a significant difference in the
perception of tourist in relation to food image on the basis of their gender is accepted.
Table 3: ANOVA represents significant difference in Age
Source of Variation Sum of
Square
Degree of
Freedom
Mean
sequence
F- Value
Between Rows (Food Image) 0.0837 2 0.0418 4.7434
Between Column (Age) 0.217 1 0.2170 24.599
Residual 0.0176 2 0.0088
Total 0.3184 5
Table 4: ANOVA represents significant difference in Income.
Source of Variation Sum of
Square
Degree of
Freedom
Mean
sequence
F- Value
Between Rows (Food Image) 0.1560 4 0.0390 0.2391
Between Column (Monthly
Income)
0.1312 1 0.1312 0.8048
Residual 0.6524 4 0.1631
Total 0.9397 9
According to two way ANOVA analysis there is a difference in the food image of a destination
according to age (p=199.50 > 0. 05). Also there is a difference in food image by the level of employee
income. (p=224.58 > 0.05). (Table 3 and 4). Hence on the basis of above discussions we can say that
our first hypothesis (H1) stands accepted.
Table 5 represents the mean score of the food image, since the total mean is 3.41, it signifies that
Jammu is not considered as a gastronomy destination but, its image can be developed as a gastronomy
tourist destination if the tourists are well informed about the local cuisine of the place, quality
ingredients that are used in preparation of food. Further, traditional cuisines should be added in
existing menus of various food counters. Hence, we can say that H2 is not supported by the data.
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Table 5: Mean Score of Food Image
S.No. Statement Mean Score
1 Add to eating enjoyment 3.68
2 Value for Money 3.53
3 Reasonable Price 2.71
4 Delicious 3.73
5 Well Presented 3.68
6 A lot of traditional menu 3.09
7 Local Ingredients 3.48
8 Nutritious 3.65
9 Variety of food services 3.82
10 Quality of food services 3.79
11 Attractive eating surrounding 3.40
12 Quality Ingredients 2.39
13 Clean Environment 3.73
14 Variety cooking methods 3.19
15 Variety flavours 3.53
16 Information on the food 2.87
17 Easy Access 3.27
18 Halal 3.45
19 Hot & Spicy 3.16
20 Originality and exoticness 3.11
Total 3.41
Conclusion and Managerial Implications The general conclusion in this research is that this research is twofold involving gastronomy and its
linkage with destination image. Moreover, gastronomy has strong influence on how tourists
experience a destination. In addition, gastronomy can also be used to revive the destinations that are
struggling for its image building. Unlike other activities and tourist attractions, gastronomy is
available at every destination with unique features that significantly influence the tourists visiting the
destination. As the results show that there is only 4.9% impact of food image on destination image
since, the study is conducted in Jammu region of J&K state where majority of tourists travel for the
purpose of pilgrimage and it is been seen that people travelling for the pilgrimage, tend to overlook
various factors. But, if we use proper promotional strategies for gastronomy of Jammu region, then
the results can be higher than the present status. It has also been revealed in the analysis that
perception of both male and females are different in terms of the food image.
This study is an evident proof which indicates that beside other factors, food image also influences the
destination image. The managerial contribution of this study will help to create awareness among
local community as it would generate the employment among locals which in turn raise their standard
of living, DMOs, policy makers (as it would result into generation of higher revenue) and hoteliers,
that like various far east countries, places with particular cuisines could be used to promote and build
the image of a destination.
In addition study will be a theoretical contribution to the existing literature and also provides genuine
support to the researcher who would like to work on other parameters related to food image and
destination image in future. As it is evident from the present research that food image has only 4.9%
influence on destination image which implies, there may be other factors which have major influence
on destination image . These variables could also be examined in future and a comparative analysis
can also be made in various other industries.
Limitations of the Study This research study has few limitations like sample size was small and the data is collected from only
Jammu Division of J&K state, although Kashmiri cuisines have its own glory among tourists coming
to the area. The method used in the research in order to collect data is Questionnaire method. Other
methods like group discussions, personal interview, etc. could have also been implemented for better
results.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
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Travel Motivation, Travel Behaviour and Travel Destination Choice: A
Relationship Framework among Pilgrim Tourists Suvidha Khanna1 & Nidhi Pathania
2
Abstract Pilgrimage motivation is generated through an inner consciousness of an individual having a sense of
faith for a specific pilgrim destination. In this research, the relationship between travel motivation
and destination choice of the pilgrims visiting the major pilgrimage sites of Jammu and Kashmir has
been discussed. Pilgrims are the special tourists whose pilgrim interest is to visit the place where they
can be involved in the religious activities. They are not at all worried by the situations or
circumstances prevailing over there which might include the seasonal variations, natural calamities,
terror incidents etc. The main idea behind pilgrimage is the faith prevailing among the tourists
visiting the destination irrespective of the fact that whether the conditions in the said pilgrim tourist
site are conducive or not for them. Also, different individuals have different personalities and they
behave accordingly. There is generally a disparity of views, perceptions and experiences among
individuals with varying backgrounds. Hence, it can be said that demographics play a vital role in
bringing a variation in the mindset and thinking of people; particularly pilgrims in this case. A large
number of studies have been carried on motivation, demographics and destination choice aspect of
tourists but not much of work has been carried on these variables of tourists visiting the pilgrim sites
of Jammu and Kashmir. With this background, the present research is to evaluate the influence of
tourists’ demographics on their travel motivation and travel choices and also to find out the
relationship between travel motivation and their destinations choice. The statistical tools applied in
this research study are t – test, Percentage Method, Annova, Co-relation and Regression.
Key words: Pilgrimage, Demographics, Motivation, Destination Choice, Faith.
Introduction India is a land of pilgrimage. People travelling for religious purposes have been there from the most
ancient times. Practically, all religions – Hindu, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism have their major and
minor pilgrim centres at different places across the country. There are also abundant pilgrimage places
of Sufism, Churches and mosques that are visited by people. Infact, to a majority of domestic tourists
in India, pilgrimage has always been the major motivational factor (S. Vijayanand, 2012). A
pilgrimage has been defined as, “A journey resulting from religious causes, extremely to a holy site,
and internally for spiritual purposes and internal understanding.” (Barber, 1993:1). Now a day’s
pilgrimage is defined differently, and can be considered a traditional, religious or modern secular
journey. The phenomenon of pilgrimage is currently experiencing resurgence throughout the world
with longstanding shrines still attracting those in search of spiritual fulfilment (Digance, 2003).
However, the literature on pilgrimage and religious tourism is still fragmented and lacks synthesis and
holistic conceptualization (Timothy & Olsen, 2006).
Tourists taking part in religious tourism cannot be classified into a single type of tourism, as too many
types of people with a variety of interests participate in religious events, ceremonies, pilgrimages and
processions. Religion as a concept is linked to variety of issues in the tourism research literature, but
is most commonly mentioned in relation to pilgrimage and discussions about the links between
tourism and pilgrimage (Cohen, 1992a, 1992b, 1998; Din, 1989).
Travel to sacred places may be motivated by a number of reasons, ranging from deeply religious to
plain curiosity. Such travel is generally placed within the purely religious domain of pilgrimage or
within the profane and hedonistic pursuits of tourism. While the focus in pilgrimage is on the
association with some sacred and numinous supernatural power and the ability to get closer to it by
1 Assistant Professor, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, University of Jammu, India.
E-mail: [email protected] 2 Research Scholar, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, University of Jammu, India. E-mail: [email protected]
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means of religious practices, tourism is mainly about ‘getting away’ to experience a change. However,
these two forms of travel are interconnected.
According to Rinschede (1992), modern tourism began with the ‘great religious tour’ organized by
Thomas Cook in the mid-19th century. Some scholars take this argument further and describe tourism
itself as ‘spiritual journey’ or a ‘sacred journey’ because it exhibits the ‘spiritual quest’ inherent in
pilgrimage (Graburn, 2001). But there are others who maintain its difference from religious or
traditional pilgrimages. This has generated a lot of debate on similarities and differences between
pilgrimage and tourism. Timothy and Olsen (2006) provide a comprehensive review of this debate,
and therefore instead of repeating it here it would be wiser simply to recognise that these are two
different forms of travel that increasingly overlap in the modern context.
It is generally accepted that people’s religion has been characterised as a key factor that influences
individuals’ behaviours as travellers, as reflected in their “visitation patterns” (Poria et al., 2003).
According to the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA), in 2007 over 300 million travellers
undertook journeys to sacred sites, and the industry size was estimated at $18 billion (Wright, 2007).
Moreover, sites with religious significance continue to attract millions of travellers every year (Jansen
and Kühl, 2008).
Review of Literature Pilgrimage Motivation
Pilgrimage tourism seems to be a newer academic concept but it is certainly not a new phenomenon
(Dallen J. Timothy and Daniel H. Olsen, Eds 2006). Based on pilgrims studies (Ines Hernandez-Avila
1996, S. Vijayanand, 2012) it can be said that a pilgrimage tourist as someone who visits a specific
place out of the usual environment, with the intention of pilgrimage meaning and growth. Without any
overt religious compulsion, this could be religious or non-religious in nature, but within the divine
context, regardless of the main reason for travelling.
There are a range of historical examples of linkages between religion and travel. Sheratt and Hawkins
(1972) characterized Islam as a “vital, vivacious and expanding religion” in which Muhammad’s
migration from Mecca to Medina was the genesis of the rapid spread of Islam throughout the world.
Nolan and Nolan (1992) described the European religious system as being comprised of religious
attractions, pilgrimage shrines (both touristic and non-touristic) and festivals. They highlighted the
interaction between the pious pilgrims and secular tourists acknowledging that “regardless of their
motivations, all visitors to these attractions require some level of services, ranging from providing for
the most basic human needs to fulfill commercial development that rivals the most secular resort.”
(Nolan and Nolan, 1992). Pilgrimage travel is often less prone to economic ups and downs in the
market place. Because faith-based travellers are committed travellers and they tend to save for these
religious experiences and travel despite the state of the economy. Faith travellers tend to have
different motives for travel then the tourists travelling for other reasons. For example, the faith –
based traveller often travels as part of a religious obligation or to fulfill a spiritual mission. Faith
based travel can provide a steady flow of income to a local tourism economy (Crain, 1996).
Travel Destination Choice
According to Pearce (2005), research on travel destination choice has been directed to broadly
referred choice set models in which destination images are seen as the result of the destination
characteristics; i.e. how they are presented and how they are integrated with the social, psychological
factors such as motives and interests. Papatheodoron (2006) stated that destination choice has always
been an important aspect in tourism and there are several factors involved in the influencing of travel
decisions, these factors constitute of culture, travel motivations, finances, previous experiences etc.
(Ankomah, Crompton and Baker, 1996)
Plog (1977) introduced a tourist typology which incorporated travel motivations, travel preparation
and destination choice. He divided the tourist segments into three main types: All centric, mid-centric
and psychocentric. Allo-centric seeks cultural and environmental differences from their norm, belong
to high income group, are adventurous and require very little in the way of tourist infrastructure and
facilities. On the other hand, psycho-centrics seek familiar surroundings, belong to lower income
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
groups and are unadventurous and require a high level of tourist infrastructure and facility. Mid-
centrics are in between the characteristics of psycho-centrics and allocentrics.
Travel Behaviour Schiffman and Kanuk (2000) stated that travel behaviour is behaviour that travellers seek to satisfy
their needs through purchasing a product or a service. Behaviour is affected by many factors that
include psychology factors (perception, learning, personality and attitude) and social factors (culture,
subculture, social class, reference group, family). The behavioural perspective of human personality is
a subjective quality mostly reflected in terms of spatial interaction of man and image formation and its
exposition (Pravin S. Rana, 2004). Xie (1994) indicated that tourists are consumers and tourist
psychology is to explore the psychology and behaviours of tourists. The major factor for travel
behaviour is Travel Motivation and Travel Destination Choice. As it is rightly pointed out by Maslow
(1943) that human motivation relates to the discovering of peoples’ needs and how these needs are
fulfilled, it is important to understand and have adequate knowledge about the motivations influencing
the travel behaviour of tourists since they have a direct impact on decisions that tourists make
(George, 2004) which includes travel destination choice also. Various researchers have analysed
travel motivation in order to conclude a better understanding of travel behaviour (Crompton, 1977;
Huang & Xiao, 2000; Lee, Lee & Wicks, 2004; Law, Cheung & Lo, 2004, Correia, Oom do valle &
Moco, 2007; Saayman, Slabbert & Van der Merwe, 2009).
Demographic Profile
Key demographic factors such as age, gender, income, employment and education are often important
and interrelated determinants of demand which often change over time (Karpati, 2009 Karpati and
Varga and Nabradi, 2010). Weaver et.al. (1994) and Cottrell (2003) found that age was a
discriminating demographic variable that influenced holiday behaviour and destination choices.
Several studies have attempted to examine the relationship between travel motivation and various
socio-demographic variables such as gender, age, educational level, and income. For example
Gitelson and Kersletter (1990) evidenced that females related relaxation, socializing and exploration
as more important than the male respondents. They also found that age was negatively related to the
importance of relaxation, excitement, socializing and exploration. Zimmer et al. (1995) showed that
age, income and education were important predictors of a persons’ desire to travel. Their study also
proved that travelers with higher educational background and more disposable income were more
likely to travel farther from home. Sangpikul (2008) in a study of senior travellers evidenced that
educational level was positively related to travellers’ intentions to travel. Their findings also showed
that relation, seeking knowledge and novelty were more important push motives among travelers with
a higher educational level.
Objectives of the Study The main purpose of this study attempts to study the influence of tourists’ demographics on the travel
motivation and to examine the relationship among travel motivations, travel behaviour and travel
destination choices of tourists visiting pilgrimage sites of Jammu and Kashmir and also to suggest
various steps and measures for providing better services to the tourists so that they can be motivated
in large number towards these pilgrimage sites.
Hypotheses H1: There exists a significant difference in travel motivations on the basis of tourist demographics.
H2: Travel motivations influences travel destination choices.
H3: Destination Choice and travel behaviour are positively related.
H4: Travel Motivation influences travel behaviour of the pilgrims.
Research Methodology The study is empirical in nature that includes the tourists visiting pilgrimage sites of Jammu and
Kashmir. The data is collected through a questionnaire distributed to the pilgrims visiting Jammu and
Kashmir with the aim of getting blessings by the respective deity of the pilgrimage site visiting.
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Survey Instrument
The survey instrument used in this study is structured one and is a four part questionnaire. The
questions in the first part of the survey asked about the demographic profile i.e. gender, age,
qualification, occupation, marital status, income and travelling pattern. In second part, the questions
regarding travel behaviour characteristics are discussed where the respondents were given 5-pt. Likert
scale to rate their opinion with assigned values 1 being “Not at all important: and 5 being “Very
Important”. In third part of the questionnaire, destination choice attributes are discussed where the
respondents were assigned values 1 being “Not at all important” and 5 being “Very Important”.
Similarly, fourth part of the questionnaire includes the questions about travel motivation with
assigned values 1 being “Never” and 5 being “Always”.
Sampling Unit
The respective respondents were approached at the bus stand, railway station and the airport for their
responses about the pilgrimage sites they are visiting with in Jammu and Kashmir. In total 240
respondents were approached for this study but only 155 useable responses were received leading to
65% (approx.) response rate.
Statistical Techniques used
The statistical techniques used for the analysis of the data include Annova, Percentage Method, t –
test, Regression & Co-relation.
Research Outcomes
Table 1: Demographic Profile of Respondents (N= 155)
S.No. Demographic Variable N Percentage%
1 Gender
a) Male
b) Female
88
67
56.78
43.22
2 Age
a) Below 20
b) 20-40
c) 40-60
d) Above 60
18
78
48
11
11.61
50.32
30.96
7.09
3 Qualification
a) Undergraduate
b) Graduate
c) Post-graduation
d) Professional
e) Ph.D
f) Others
23
50
33
30
10
9
14.8
32.25
21.29
19.35
6.45
5.80
4 Marital Status
a) Single
b) Married
c) Separated
d) Widowed
72
71
01
11
46.45
45.80
0.64
7.09
5 Income
a) Less than 20,000
b) Rs. 20,000-40,000
c) Rs. 40,000-60,000
d) Above Rs.60,000
48
44
47
16
30.96
28.38
30.32
10.32
In table 1, the demographic profile of the respondents is given. It is found that approx. 57% (approx.)
of the respondents are males and the rest 43% (approx.) are females. Almost 50% (approx.) of the
respondents were from the age group 20 – 40 years while 31 % (approx.) were between 40 – 60 years,
12% (approx.) of the respondents were below 20 and approx. 7 % (approx.) of the respondents were
above 60. Almost 32 % (approx.) of the total respondents are graduates, 21 % (approx.) were post
graduates, while 19 % (approx.) were professionals, 15 % (approx.) are below graduation. Likewise
46 % (approx.) of the respondents are single and 45 % (approx.) are married, while 0.65 % were
separated and the rest 7.09 % are widowed. 31 % of the respondents were of the income group less
than 20,000 whereas (approx.) 30 % of the respondents were of the income group Rs.40,000-60,000,
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
28 % of the respondents were of the income group Rs.20,000 – 40,000 and 10 % of the respondents
were above Rs.60,000.
Table 2: t-value for gender
Travel
Motivations
Male (Mean) Female (Mean) t – test
3.574 3.818 -3.224
Table 2 represents the t-test for gender of the respondents. Since the calculated value t0.05 (3.224) is
greater than the table value at 0.05 (1.96), so the hypotheses that there is a significant difference in
travel motivation vis-à-vis tourist demographics on the basis of gender is rejected.
Table 3: Analysis of Variance for Age
ANOVA-age
Source of
Variation SS Df MS F
Between Groups 2.144142 2 1.072071 2.481577
Within Groups 48.81736 113 0.432012
Total 50.9615 115
Table 3 is the ANOVA for the age on travel motivation. The calculated value of F i.e. 2.4815 for v1=
2 and v2=113 at 5% level of significance is less than the table value = 3.15, thus hypothesis that there
is significant difference in travel motivation vis-à-vis demographics on the basis of age is accepted.
Table 4: Anaysis of Variance for Qualification
ANOVA-qualification
Source of Variation SS df MS F
Between Groups 5.22457 5 1.045491 4.580941
Within Groups 34.00572 149 0.228226
Total 39.23318 154
Table 4 is the ANOVA for the qualification on travel motivation. The calculated value of F i.e. 4.5809
for v1= 5 and v2=149 at 5% level of significance is more than the table value = 2.21, thus hypothesis
that there is significant difference in travel motivation vis-à-vis demographics on the basis of
qualification is rejected.
Table 5: Analysis of Variance for Marital Status
ANOVA-marital
status
Source of
Variation SS df MS F
Between Groups 2.13896 3 0.712987 2.902365
Within Groups 37.09423 151 0.245657
Total 39.23319 154
Table 5 is the ANOVA for marital status on travel motivation. The calculated value of F i.e. 2.9023
for v1= 3 and v2=151 at 5% level of significance is more than the table value = 2.6, thus hypothesis
that there is significant difference in travel motivation vis-à-vis demographics on the basis of marital
status is rejected.
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Table 6: Analysis of Variance for Income
ANOVA-
income
Source
of
Variation SS Df MS F
Between
Groups 2.986891 3 0.99563
4.14774
Within
Groups 36.24629 151 0.240042
Total 39.23318 154
Table 6 is the ANOVA for the number of income ranges. The calculated value of F i.e. 4.1477 for
v1=3 and v2=151 at 5% level of significance is more than the table value = 2.6, thus hypothesis that
there is a significant difference in travel motivations on the basis of income is rejected.
Table 7: Representing Regression between Travel Motivation and Travel Destination Choice
From table 7 the strength of association between the Travel Motivation (X) and Travel Destination
Choice (Y) is found out. Here, the coefficient of determination, R Square= 0.20.This implies that 20%
of the variation in the destination choice of tourists is explained by the regression analysis and the
remaining 80% of the variation is explained by error. i.e. only 20 % of the Travel motivation affects
the travel destination choice. And the regression equation is as under:
Travel Destination Choice = 2.294 + 0.437 TM
The regression coefficient b= 0.437 indicates that a one unit change in the travel motivation in the
pilgrim destination will bring about 0.437 change in the travel destination choice of the pilgrims.
Table 8: Correlation Analysis of Travel Motivations and Travel Destination Choices
Destination
choice
Travel Motivation
Destination Choice
1
Travel Motivation
0.45421
1
Also, Coefficient of correlation, r = 0.454
Here ‘r’ has a positive sign which indicates the direction of relationship between the dependent
variable: travel destination choice and independent variable i.e. travel motivation. This implies that
the travel destination choice of the tourists depend upon their travel motivational factor i.e.
Pilgrimage.
Table 9: Representing Regression-Ship between Travel Motivation and Travel Behaviour
Multiple R 0.214689
R Square 0.046091
Adjusted R square 0.039857
Standard Deviation 0.653414
From table 9 the strength of association between the Travel Behaviour (Y) and Travel Motivation (X)
is found out. Here, the coefficient of determination, R Square= 0.046. This implies that 4.6% of the
variation in the travel behaviour of tourists is explained by the regression analysis and the remaining
95.4 of the variation is explained by error. i.e. about 5 % of the Travel motivation affects the
pilgrimage travel behaviour. And the regression equation is as under:
Travel Behaviour = 2.227+0.282 Travel Motivation
Multiple R 0.452
R Square 0.206
Adjusted R 0.201
Standard Deviation 0.434
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
The regression coefficient b=0.282 indicates that a one unit change in travel motivation will bring
about 0.282 change in the travel motivation of the pilgrims.
Table 10: Correlation Analysis of Travel Motivation and Travel Behaviour
Travel
Motivation
Travel Behaviour
Travel Motivation
1
Travel Behaviour
0.2148
1
Also, Coefficient of correlation, r = 0.2148
Here ‘r’ has a positive sign and the value signifies low co-relationship between pilgrimage travel
motivation and travel behaviour. This also indicates that the directions of relationship between the
dependent variable i.e. travel behaviour and independent variable, i.e. travel motivation which implies
that the travel behaviour of the tourists depends upon their motivation to travel.
Table 11: Correlation Analysis of Travel Destination Choice and Travel Behaviour
Travel
Destination
Choice
Travel Behaviour
Travel destination Choice
1
Travel Behaviour
0.186
1
Also, Coefficient of correlation, r = 0.186
Here ‘r’ has a positive sign which indicates that the direction of relationship between the dependent
variable: travel behaviour and independent variable i.e. travel destination choice. This implies that as
the travel behaviour of the tourists do depend upon the destination choice that they make, but only to a
small extent.
Conclusions and Discussions The purpose of this research study was to determine the influence of tourist demographics on the
travel motivation and to examine the relationship between travel motivation, travel behaviour and
travel destination choice of tourists. The research indicates that there is not much difference in the
motivation of the pilgrims on the basis of gender. Males as well as females are equally motivated as
far as the pilgrimage motivation is concerned. If the pilgrimage motivation of the tourists is
considered on the basis of age, it has been seen that there exists a significant difference among the
perception of tourists visiting the pilgrim sites. It may be because of the fact that the visitors who fall
in the age group of below 20 are keen to visit the pilgrimage sites as they find them very adventurous
in nature and for the pilgrims above the age of 60 years may have some other travel motivation such
as just paying obeisance to the deities at these pilgrim sites. It has been realised that the motivation of
the tourists was not affected by the income, qualification and marital status. It has been found in the
study that there is a positive correlation between the travel motivation and travel pilgrimage
destination choices of the tourists visiting the destination site it is small as (0.45421). Pilgrims just
want to travel the particular pilgrimage destination irrespective of the number of choices they have
and through regression analysis, it has been proved that only 20 % of the travel motivation affects the
travel destination choice. The research also focuses on the regression-ship between travel motivation
and travel behaviour which reflects that there is very high correlation ship between the motivational
factors of the tourists for their travel and behavioural pattern that they follow. The study also signifies
the correlation ship of travel destination choice & travel behaviour of tourists. Though the calculated
value (0.186) shows very small relationship between the two variables, yet the positive sign reflects
that the travel behaviour which tourists follow is somewhat influenced by the destination choice that
they made for their travel. Results from this study provide interesting managerial implications in the
case of tourists visiting pilgrimage destinations.
Limitations and Future Research This research study has few limitations like the study area is limited to the pilgrims of Jammu and
Kashmir only and the results may not be same for other pilgrimage destinations across the world. Also
the numbers of respondents were only 155. A larger sample may affect the results of the research. The
demographic attributes considered in the study were gender, age, qualification, marital status and
income while other attributes like nationality, occupation and travelling pattern of the pilgrims could
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
be added. The research is a study of pilgrimage motivation, travel behaviour and travel destination
choice with the effect of demographics on it. More such dimensions can be added. Likewise,
comparative study of pilgrimage tourists and leisure tourists can be taken for research in future and
for better results.
References
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of Tourism, pp. 17 -31, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press.
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Law, R, Cheung, C., & Lo, A. (2004), “The relevance of Profiling, Travel activities for Improving Destination Marketing
Strategies”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 16, No. 6 , pp. 355 – 362.
Lee, C.K., Lee, Y.K., & Wicks, B.E. (2004), “Segmentation of Festival Motivation by Nationality and Satisfaction”,
Tourism Management, Vol. 25, No.1, pp. 61 – 70.
Nolan, M.L. & Nolan, S. (1992),“Religious sites as tourism attractions in Europe”, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 19,
No.1, pp. 68 – 78.
Rana (2004),“Behavioural Perspective of Pilgrims and Tourists in Banaras (Kashi), India”, in Raj. Aparna (ed.) The Tourist
– A Psychological Perspective. Kanishka Pub., New Delhi, pp. 187 – 206.
Rinschede, G. (1992), “Forms of Religious Tourism”, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 19, pp. 51-67.
S.Vijayanand (2012), “Pilgrimage Tourism Management Issues And Challenges with Reference to Tamil Naidu”, Asian
Journal of Multidimensional Research, Vol. 1, No.2, pp. 112-127
Saayman, M., Slabbert, E., & Van Der Merwe, P. (2009), Travel Motivation: A Tale of Two Marine Destinations in South
Africa, South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, Vol. 31, No.1, pp. 81 - 94 .
Schiffman, Leon G., and Leslie L. Kanuk (2000), “Consumer Behaviour “, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:Prentice Hall.
Timothy, D. J., & Olsen, D.H. (2006), “Tourism, Religion and Spiritual Journeys”, London: Routledge.
..... 84
Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Community Participation in Tourism Development and Livelihood
Sustainability Norlida H. M. Salleh
1, R. Othman
1, S. H. Mohd Idris
1 & M. Samsudin
2
Abstract Langkawi Island is among the top tourism destinations in Malaysia. It is drastically developing as a
tourist destination, especially after being announced as one of the free duty zones in 1987. The rapid
growth of tourism development has improved the local communities’ livelihood. Many of them have
been involved directly or indirectly in the tourism industry/business. In general, this study discussed
factors influencing participation of local communities in tourism business in Langkawi and tried to
point out why some of them do not wish to participate. This study also tried to compare the
sustainability of life between the two communities. From this study, in the context of business, many of
them are sole proprietors who started their business on their own and are doing it full time. Among
the main factors that pushed them to be involved in the tourism business is their passion for business,
earning sufficient income, dream of owning business and the desire to independently make decisions.
The important factors that discourage some of them from getting involved in tourism business are not
enough capital, lack of experience, high financial risk and have no business experience. In terms of
sustainable living comparison, there is no significant difference between those communities that
involved and do not involved in tourism business in terms of human, social and physical assets. While
in terms of financial assets, especially their income and savings, those who are involved in the
tourism business are faring better than those who are not involved. Based on the findings, this study
expects the stakeholders to provide incentives and programs so that more local communities can be
actively involved in the tourism business.
Keywords: Sustainability, Pulau Langkawi, local communities, the tourism industry.
Introduction Tourism industry is a significant industry as it is an agent of economic growth. Most countries
consider tourism industry as a key industry. It requires strategy and development planning in order to
remain efficient in the modern world and to bring more benefits to the country and the local
community in the country (Oakley and Marsden 1984).
The tourism industry in Langkawi has also been proven to be a major revenue earner for the country
in terms of total revenue generated. The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) (2010) reported
that this industry showed an increase in total revenue collected by 4.9 per cent (from RM6.8 million in
2009 to RM7.1 million).
This achievement is due to the seriousness of various parties, especially the Ministry of Tourism
Malaysia in introducing and promoting Langkawi as a popular tourism destination that should be
visited by both the national (domestic) and international tourists. The determination of the ministry to
promote and develop the tourism industry in Langkawi can be seen when the development plan was
also included in the 6th Malaysia Plan (Malaysia 1991).
The impact of these activities can be seen when the number of tourist influx to Langkawi was always
more than 2.3 million from 2007 through 2010, (Pepper 2010). However, the development of tourism
industry is meaningless if it is not able to reduce the economic gap in the local community. This
problem always occurs in tourism industry that does not get the participation from the local
communities in tourism development. According to a study conducted by Taylor (1995), he found that
community involvement in the current development of the tourism industry is often regarded as the
key to a stable development (sustainable); besides, the community is expected to share some of the
benefits (such as employment and income growth) and cost reduction (due to low wages) among
them.
1 School of Economics Studies, Faculty of Economics and Management Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia. E-mail: [email protected] 2 School of History, Politics and Strategy, (FSSK), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
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Therefore, there is a need for community participation in the mainstream development. Entries will
not only increase the income of the tourism industry itself, but more importantly, it will spread the
benefits to the local communities (McCool & Martin 1994; Salleh et al. 2011). In the long term this
will indirectly guarantee the sustainability of their lives and enable them to be independent in the
mainstream development of tourism industry (Clayton 1998).
Recognizing the importance of the involvement of local community in the development of tourism
industry, this study aimed to examine the involvement of the community in Pulau Langkawi tourism-
based businesses as well as to point out why some of them do not wish to participate. We also
analyzed the sustainability of their lives. Further discussion of this study is related to the conceptual
framework. This is followed by review of past studies, the methodology of the study, the empirical
findings, conclusion and policy applications derived from this study.
Research Framework Studies of community involvement and impact on sustainable living can be described as follows.
From Figure 1, it appears that the development of tourism industry and community in Langkawi
should be mutually related to each other. This means that the development of tourism industry should
provide some room for the community to be involved. Through community involvement, the benefits
gained will enable the tourism industry to continue developing and flourishing.
Figure 1: Research framework of tourism development, community participation and the impact towards
livelihood sustainability
These assets are nessessary for survival
Human Asset
Social Asset
Financial Asset
Natural Asset
Physical Asset
Proposed Strategies
Development of tourism
Industry
Involve in business related to
tourism industry
Not involve in any business related to
tourism industry
Sustainable Livelihood
Langkawi Island Community
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
However, in reality not all communities are involved in the development of tourism industry through
participation in entrepreneurship and business. This is because capital and the high risk involved in
some cases deter the involvement of local communities (Tosun 2000). Even though some
communities are not involved, the effects of development can still be enjoyed indirectly. Nonetheless,
if they were given an opportunity and support, they will probably venture into this industry.
Based on this research framework, a detailed study tries to accomplish the following objectives:
a) Review the types and nature of the involvement of local communities in the tourism-based
businesses.
b) Determine the factors that influence participation in the tourism-based business.
c) Determine the factors that cause people not venturing into tourism-based business.
d) Compare the sustainable livelihood impact of the two local communities (involved in tourism-
based business versus not involved in tourism-based business).
In assessing the sustainability of life, all the assets (sustainability indicators) owned by the community
will be compared between the two groups discussed. The indicator refers to human, social, financial
and physical (natural asset is not used in this study). Elements of each asset are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Indicator and Element of Sustainable Livelihood
Indicator Elements
Human Asset Education, training, work experiences, knowledge,
skills/expertise
Social Assets Family relationship/rapport, community
relationship
Natural/Environmental Assets Land, water source, forest products, biodiversity
Physical Assets Transportation, road infrastructure, technology
Financial Assets Savings, credit and loans
Source: Tosun (2000); Ireland et al. (2004); Salleh et al. (2011).
At the end of the study, policy recommendations will be offered as to further encourage community
involvement in the business. Policies will also be presented as to enhance livelihood sustainability of
the community in the study area, namely Langkawi Island.
Literature Review Tourism is one of the important activities especially to the economy (Oakley and Marsden, 1984) due
to the increasing number of tourist arrivals (WTO, various issues). This had encouraged several
countries to develop their tourism industry as a key sector in generating revenue. The selection of this
industry is a right choice, not only because the robustness of the industry to the economic and political
climate (Salleh et al., 2007), but also due to the strong bond of this sector with other sectors
(Briassoulis 1991; Fletcher 1989; Johnson and Moore 1993; Zechariah & Bashir 2004; Mohammad et
al., 2009; Salleh et al. 2012). These sectors include retail, transportation, education, accommodation,
catering, entertainment, sports, recreation, and so on. This association promotes high impact business
chain that ultimately capable of affecting tourism sub-sectors (Summary 1987, Fletcher 1989; Archer
1995; Archer & Fletcher 1996; Henry & Deany 1997; Frechtling Horvath 1999; Surendra 2000;
Kweka et al. 2003; Zechariah & Bashir 2004; Mohammad et al. 2009).
Hence, increased entrepreneurship and formation of new businesses are essential in creating and
maintaining the economy through creation of new employment opportunities, increase the country's
export capacity and economic growth. Here, entrepreneurs and business activities serve as catalysts
for economic development (Gilder 1984; Todorka 2009) as well as guarantors to the continuity of the
economy.
For rural tourism destination, the development of entrepreneurship and tourism-based business should
involve the local community. The involvement of local people in tourism activities are believed to
provide a variety of positive impacts to them. Tourism development is considered as able to
contribute towards the improvement of socio-economic status of the local population and changing
patterns of economic activities in the industry (Garegnani 1970). In fact, to achieve sustainable
development in the area, development should actively involve the local population (Anand & Sen
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2000). Job opportunities in the tourism business activities should prioritize on the local people in
order to prevent them from being marginalized, remain in the traditional economic activities, and no
process of economic change (Caroline et al. 2000). The failure to do so will result in continuous
poverty ( Ranis et al. 2000) which will eventually led to negative effects of tourism development on
the population, retarding its future success (Andriotis 2005).
Research Methodology This study was conducted in six main business areas in Langkawi Kuah Town, Padang Mat Sirat,
Ayer Hangat, Ulu Melaka, Kedawang, and Bahor, refer to Figure 2. The study’s instrument was face
to face interview using questionnaires with a total of 493 respondents. Half of the respondents are
businessmen/ women and the rests are not involved in any business.
Figure 2: Map of Langkawi Island and the Study Location
Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was the computer package used to analyze this study.
Descriptive statistical analysis is used to assess the demographic profile of the local
residents/respondents in addition to achieve the analysis’s first objective, examines the type of local
community involvement. Mean analysis was used to achieve the second objective which is to
determine factors that encourage and discourage the involvement of local community.
To assess the comparison of sustainability livelihood between the business community and non-
business community, independent samples test (t-test) and analysis of variance (F-test) were
conducted. The null hypothesis for both analysis were as follows: there is no difference in the
sustainability livelihood of the communities that are involved and not involved in the business in
aspects of human, social, physical and financial assets; and as an alternative hypothesis, there is
significant difference between the two groups. For both analyses, the null hypothesis will be rejected
if the critical value for the study is smaller than α = 0.05.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Empirical Findings The study began with a discussion of the socio demographic profile of respondents. This was
followed by a discussion of local community involvement, participation motivation factors and
analysis of sustainable livelihood.
Socio Demographic Profile
Socio demographic profile of respondent in this study is shown in Table 2. From the table, 42.8% of
the 493 respondents were men and the rest (57.2%) were female. In terms of race, most of the
respondents (84.58%) were Malays followed by Chinese (13:59%), India (1:22%) and the remainders
were from other races. Majority of the respondents were ethnic Malays because they are the original
inhabitants of the island of Langkawi.
For the respondents’ marital status, 69.37% of the respondents are married. This was followed by
those who are not married which was at about 26.17% and other categories (widow / divorced /
separated) were at about 20%. Majority of the respondents were between 31 to 40 years, representing
31.2% of the sample, followed by respondents aged between 21 and 30 years (29.8%) and 42-50 years
(19.3%). Table 2: Demographic Profile of Respondents
Details Item Total Percentage
(%)
Sex Male
Female
211
282
42.8
57.2
Race Malay
Chinese
Indian
Others
417
67
6
3
84.58
13.59
1.22
0.61
Marital Status Single
Married
151
342
30.63
69.37
Age Below 15
16-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61 and above
0
39
147
154
95
44
14
0
7.9
29.8
31.2
19.3
8.9
2.9
Community Participation in Tourism Business The study found that most of the local communities (64.9%) are interested in sole proprietorship as
compared to enterprise business (18.6%). Most of them owned the business due to their own effort
(71.2%), followed by business inherited from their family (13.7%). In terms of business operation,
about 79.2% are managing their business on full-time basis; only 20.8% are doing it on part time
basis. Table 3: Type of Tourism Business
Details Item Total Percentage (%)
Type of Ownership Partnership
Private Enterprise
Do Not Registered
Sole Proprietorship
39
53
8
185
13.7
18.6
2.8
64.9
Initial Ownership Start through their own efforts
Inherit the family business
Buying someone else's business
Other
203
39
12
31
71.2
13.7
4.2
10.9
Business operation Part time
Full time
59
226
20.8
79.2
Factors that Encourage Participation in Tourism Business
As mentioned in the research methodology, the second objective of the study is based on the mean
analysis. The higher the mean score, the more important the factor in influencing the local
communities in getting involve in tourism-based business. From Table 4, there are four main factors
that influence the local communities to be involved in tourism-based business. This is illustrated
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
below. Among the key factors are the attitude/interest in doing business (4.16), followed by the
second factor which is to fulfill the dream of having their own business (4.10), the third factor due to
the reward or income benefit (4.09) and the fourth factor is being independent in decisions making
(4.08). Table 4: Influencing Factors in Tourism-Based Business
Factors Mean Standard
Error
Attitude/interest in doing business 4.16 0.746
To fulfil the dream of owning business 4.10 2.481
Reward or income benefit 4.09 0.756
Being independent in decision making 4.08 0.727
Have an opportunity and it is in accordance with own need 4.04 0.821
Want to take responsibility 4.04 0.761
Want to gain experience 4.02 0.684
Having high self-confidence 4.02 0.748
Need more income for themselves and avoid being unemployed 3.98 0.826
Existence of close relationship with regular customers 3.98 0.738
To give pleasure to my family 3.97 0.789
Proud to be a member of the business community 3.97 0.784
Spirit of perseverance 3.96 0.777
Applying business knowledge 3.96 0.711
Taking advantage of the favourable economic environment 3.94 0.702
To measure own ability 3.93 0.649
Feeling of fun/enjoy dealing with business 3.93 0.741
Have a knowledge /skills 3.89 0.807
Expecting higher profit from business 3.89 0.815
Getting a good acceptance from the community (in terms of job) 3.89 0.713
Underlying business demand 3.87 0.772
Getting encouragement from friends and family 3.84 0.883
Not bound by working hours 3.83 0.923
Get site/premise 3.82 0.899
Want to work in Langkawi which is my hometown 3.81 1.032
Request by family members 3.60 1.052
Want their children to inherit this business 3.56 0.986
Continuing the family business 3.56 1.091
Retired and want a renewal in life 3.25 1.234
Factors that Discourage Participation in Tourism Business
Table 5 shows some of the factors that discourage local community from getting involved in the
tourism-based business. Among these factors are: no start-up capital to start a business (3.74), absence
and lack of experience in running a business (3.58), high financial risk (3.47), no knowledge of the
business (3.44) and fear of failure (3.42). Other factors that cause non-participation in tourism-based
business of the local communities are shown in the table below.
Table 5: Discourage Factors in Tourism Business
Factors Mean Standard
Error
No start-up capital to start a business 3.74 1.003
Absence and lack of experience in running a business 3.58 0.918
high financial risk 3.47 1.158
No knowledge of the business 3.44 1.071
Fear of failure 3.42 1.173
Much work, not enough rest time 3.35 1.202
Economic situation is not good 3.32 1.048
You have no idea what kind of business to start 3.16 1.117
No business networking 3.15 1.136
No friend in business 3.08 1.181
Feeling under-appreciated by society 3.06 1.214
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Not interested in business 3.02 1.326
Work does not commensurate with the money earned 2.97 1.127
Low income 2.95 1.172
No support from partner 2.82 1.225
Comparative Analysis of Livelihood Sustainability
In general, the development of tourism industry in Langkawi has increased the community’s
livelihood (Salleh 2013). Studies done by Mansfeld 1992; and Scoones 1998; also agreed that tourism
development brings a lot of benefits to the local communities. Additionally, most of them also
believed that people who are involved in tourism-based business gain more benefits as compared as
other people. This study tried to examine whether there is any difference in terms of benefits received
among the two groups of communities (community involved in tourism-based business versus not
involved in tourism-based business). Discussion of the comparative analysis will be based on Table 6.
Comparison will include the aspects of human, social, physical and financial assets.
In terms of human assets, there is no significant difference between the two groups (the p-value of
0.06 > the critical value of 0.05). This means that there is no statistical evidence that the community
involved in the tourism business has a higher level of education as compared to the community not
involved in tourism business.
In terms of social assets, the trust level of the two groups of communities to their family member’s,
neighbors and friends were evaluated. The results showed that there is no significant difference
between the two groups (the p-value of 0.12 > the critical value of 0.05). This is evidenced by the
results of the study where the P value of 0.120 > the value of 0.05. Hence, there is no statistical
evidence that the community involved in the tourism business have a higher level of trust as compared
to community not involved in tourism business.
In terms of physical assets, no significant differences were observed between the two groups’
essential infrastructure and basic amenities except for five items. The items which have significant
difference are road facilities (p-value = 0.008), public transport (p-value = 0.01), hospital or clinic
facilities (p-value = 0.003), prayer facilities (p-value = 0.009) and community centers (p-value =
0.005). The p-value of the five basic amenities was smaller than the critical value (α = 0.05), which
can be interpreted as: there is a difference between the two groups in terms of basic facilities they
received.
However, when financial asset was reviewed, there is a huge difference between the two groups,
especially in terms of income and savings. The average monthly income for the community engaged
in the business is about RM6,746 compared with non-involved community of just an average income
of RM1,155. Statistical analysis also showed that there is significant difference between them (p-
value is 0.000 < α = 0.05). In terms of savings there is also significant difference in which the average
level of annual savings for the community engaged in the tourism business is about RM15, 410 as
compared with community not involved in tourism business, which is only around RM2, 367 (p-value
is 0.001 < α = 0.05). This means that the community involved in tourism business has a higher
amount of savings compared to those who are not involved in tourism business.
The terms of ownership of assets, overall there is a difference between communities involved and not
involved in tourism business. Among the items are home ownership (p = 0.002), shop/stores (p =
0.000), orchard land (p = 0.001), car or van (p = 0.000) and trucks (p = 0.001).
Table 6: Comparative Analysis of Livelihood Sustainability of Local Community
Tourism Business Levene Test Independent sample T-test
Involve Do not Involve
N Mean N Mean F Sig T Df P
Human Asset
Education level 285 5.06 208 4.67 0.86 0.35 1.91 491 0.057
Social Asset
Trusty level 285 1.5 208 1.6 4.42 0.06 1.56 475 0.120
Physical Asset
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Water supply
Electric
Road
Public phone
Public transport
Hospital/clinic
Retail shop
Prayer facilities
Community center
285
285
285
285
285
285
285
285
285
1.29
1.32
1.38
1.57
1.51
1.43
1.31
1.38
1.50
208
208
208
208
208
208
208
208
208
1.29
1.31
1.25
1.56
1.40
1.27
1.29
1.25
1.34
0.05
0.21
23.7
0.27
7.14
30.7
0.02
18.8
14.5
0.82
0.65
0.00*
0.60
0.01*
0.00*
0.90
0.00*
0.00*
-0.13
0.17
2.68
0.09
1.96
3.04
0.34
2.63
2.81
491
491
486
491
477
490
491
486
484
0.9
0.87
0.008*
0.926
0.050*
0.003*
0.737
0.009*
0.005*
Financial Asset
Income
Saving
285
285
6746
15410
208
208
1155
2367
65.88
14.02
0.00*
0.00*
9.15
3.04
289
294
0.000*
0.001*
Note: * significant at α = 0.05.
Table 7: Comparative Analysis of Asset Ownership
Asset Ownership
Tourism Business
Df P
Conclusion Involve Do not Involve
Yes No Yes No
House 271 14 182 26 1 0.002* Significant different
Shop/store 242 43 96 112 1 0.000* Significant different
House land 212 73 140 68 1 0.086 No different
Orchard land 62 223 73 135 1 0.001* Significant different
Live-stocks 42 243 32 176 1 0.842 No different
Car/Van 274 11 157 51 1 0.000* Significant different
Lorry 46 239 11 197 1 0.001* Significant different
Motorcycle 255 30 194 14 1 0.144 No different
Share 16 269 9 199 1 0.520 No different
Note: * significant at α = 0.05.
Policy Implication and Conclusion This study is related to the discussion of local community participation in the tourism-based business
and its impact on livelihood sustainability. Specifically, the study sought to identify the characteristics
of business operators in Langkawi as well as factors that encourage their participation. The study also
pointed out why a part of the community is not interested in venturing into this industry. At the end,
this study attempted to compare the sustainability of community livelihood between two groups
(community involved in tourism-based business versus not involved in tourism-based business).
The research found that in terms of business, most businesses are in the form of sole proprietorship;
they started the business on their own and are full-time businessmen. Among the key factors that
motivate them to be involved in the tourism-based businesses are: driven by their own passion for
business, the desire to earn adequate money/income, dream of having their own business and the need
to be free (freedom to make decisions). Important factors that refrain some of the community
members from getting involved in business are insufficient capital, lack of experience, unwilling to
bear the financial risk and no business experience.
On the sustainability aspect, there was no significant difference in human, social and physical assets
owned by the two groups of communities. However, in terms of financial assets, the income and
savings of those involved in the tourism-based businesses are much better than those who are not
involved.
Based on the findings of this study, it is expected that the stakeholders can provide some incentives so
that more local communities can participate actively in the tourism industry, directly or indirectly.
Continued business opportunities, financial support, training and advisory services should be provided
to the local community to encourage and enhance their business. From time to time, discussions
between the merchants and the authority body, especially LADA, also need to be carried out in order
to solve or channel any related problems faced. This will also enhance the role of LADA as a body
entrusted with the development of Langkawi and stimulate participation of local communities in
Langkawi’s business activities.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Besides that, the education in Langkawi community also needs to be improved; this includes the
provision of basic and advanced skills training. This is because human asset has been proven to
increase revenue, economic growth as well as livelihood sustainability (Ranis, et al. 2000).
Acknowledgement This research was supported by the National University of Malaysia through Research Grant Scheme
GRANT: FRGS/1/2011/SS/UKM/03/17 and PIP-UKM-2013-001.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
E-Learning: An Emerging Trend to Strengthen Hospitality and Tourism
Teaching-Learning Process Parikshat Singh Manhas1 & Parvinder Kour2
Abstract Indian tourism industry has been considered at the nascent stage in terms of competiveness with other
countries. The inappropriateness of knowledge and techniques used for teaching in educational
institutes for the new entrants to such industry is one of the causes of dissatisfaction of the students.
To such an advent e-learning process has made the education more interesting and viable as e-
learning induces innovative and interactive training programs containing multimedia projections and
preset test questions that provide immediate feedback to the trainee(s)/students. Considering the
tourism and hospitality education, e-learning techniques serve as a compliment to the teaching
practices. The need for the motivated approach to the learning process especially in tourism and
hospitality sector may serve as a compliment to education process. As it has been found that
Information technology has played a very good role in getting easy availability of information by
simply on one click in any source/search engine, in this way helped a lot in delivery of sourceful
lecture and enhancing the traditional approaches of teachings and learning system by addition of
virtual standards in the learning hours of the curricula. Also it has been found that e learning is one
of the user friendly techniques used for the delivery of any lecture. So the present paper aims to study
the impact of e-learning on students over the traditional learning system in imparting the hospitality
and tourism education in India. Various secondary sources like journals, books and online data has
been used for the analysis. Also the data collected through the primary source in the form of self
structured questionnaire from various hospitality institutions has been analyzed by the usage of SPSS
16.0 by applying factor analysis, mean and standard deviation. It was found that if e learning
techniques are applied in the tourism and hospitality institutes, it enhances student participation,
increases their confidence level in delivering things and it has become one of the best tool of resource
for teachers while delivering the lectures and concludes with, making teacher-student teaching-
learning process a success.
Keywords: e- learning, tourism and hospitality, education, knowledge.
Introduction Information and technology has captured its place in almost every sector. In recent times education
sector has also been affected by both revolutions of technology and communications. E-Learning, as
one of those TAs (Teaching applications), has been introduced to the field of education and has been
used in a teaching/learning setting, and associated with teaching methods and pedagogies, so that,
they come along each other, and were influenced by each other as well (Ahmad Al-Saai, et al, 2011).
Also change in the precedence to coup with the fast pace of development intensifies the role
information technology in hospitality and tourism sector. E-learning concept will not only ease the
core pressure of hospitality and tourism institutions across India but also enhance the effective way of
learning. It also reaches out the employees and creates a virtual environment making the learning
more effective and easy. Many scholars have given the definition of virtual classroom as a way of
presenting the information and concepts to learners in such a way that learners understand and adapt
themselves to the society (Suriyong Lertkulvanich, et. al, 2010). Hence, the basic purpose of e-
learning is to make the aspirants ready for the society of knowledge and learning about policies. In
India the challenge for the institutions and related professionals in the service industry is to upgrade &
update their front-end staffs and to make them ready at the practical grounds. To enhance the
manpower development and participation, motivation techniques are needed to enhance the
interaction between aspirants and teachers. And e-learning techniques and related aids help to create a
virtual environment and hence abet as a motivational factor to the learning process. The mission of
tourism and hospitality management programmes is ultimately to prepare students for the work-place
and to produce industry leaders who are motivated, service oriented and quick-thinking, with a multi-
1 , Associate Professor, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management & The Business School, University of
Jammu, India. Email: [email protected] 2 Ph.D. Research Scholar, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, University of Jammu, India.
Email: [email protected]
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
skills base that allows them to be creative, flexible and adaptable (Sigala et al, 2002). This research
paper aims to study present status of hospitality and tourism education and the impact of e-learning
techniques on hospitality and tourism education in India.
Literature Review Recent technological developments and the spread of the internet are having a notable impact on the
education process: transforming educational curricula, learning materials and instructional practices
(Sigala, 2002). According to Sulcic & Lesjak (2007), e-learning is learning through an electronic
media and TAs (Teaching applications) such as computer programs, video-conference, virtual reality
(virtual classroom), and internet. Also considering the education system, the influence of ICT on e-
learning and e-teaching in the classroom is having a corresponding influence on the working,
occupational, and business worlds as they create and generate new occupations and professions, and
strengthen other ways of dealing with continuing education (A. Bosom, et. al, 2007). E-learning
presents numerous research opportunities for faculty, along with continuing challenges for
documenting scholarship. Innovations in e-learning technologies point toward a revolution in
education, allowing learning to be individualized (adaptive learning), enhancing learners’ interactions
with others (collaborative learning), and transforming the role of the teacher (Olojo Oludare Jethro, et.
al, 2012). As enhancing students’ learning experiences and having the knowledge of the level of their
satisfaction become an important tool in terms not only of accomplishing the mission of the higher
education institution, but also of establishing an efficient institutional marketing effect (Sung Mi Song
and Robert Bosselman, 2011), hence good access to ICT is not only important to improve pedagogy,
it also has an impact on pupil performance (S. G Pedersen, 2006). Also, Dewar and Whittington
(2000) stated that the new technologies provide opportunities for creating learning environments that
enhance learner learning and achievement. Considering the learning perspectives in hospitality and
tourism institutions, web-based teaching and learning call for a serious reconsideration of the
effectiveness, especially in light of increased demand for education and the opportunities for
increased student motivation by new technologies if integrated with knowledge-based design sites,
(Hossein Arsham, 2002). In addition to all these, motivation is of great importance because, as the
research has shown, motivation influences the manner in which students learn. The more motivated a
student is, the better their results will be (Rebecca Oxford & Jill Shearin, 1994). As a consequence, an
e-learner may be seen as someone who is independent and self-motivated, and as having a positive
attitude to learning and the ability to collaborate and cooperate with fellow learners (Alan Clarke,
2004). It is crucial for tourism and hospitality students, soon to enter the global marketplace, to be
exposed to the on-line information resources and the managerial and technological uses of the Web in
context of e-business (Sigala et al, 2002). On the whole previous research supports the e-learning in
education but in terms of hospitality and tourism education the role of e-learning support system is
still a discussion point.
Problem Statement The usage of e-learning systems has influenced the education practices but in terms of hospitality and
tourism education system this procedure is still at the lingering stage. There is a need to motivate and
involve the generation to tourism and hospitality services and employ them to the industry at
professional front. Educomp, Sify, iProf are the most recent examples that are serving the nation with
their most innovative idea of e-learning. But a fact file cannot be determined in terms of hospitality
and tourism education that needs a strategic approach in India. The mere extension of the numbers of
the institutions is not a complete solution to meet the pace of competition and also may not decrease
the gap between the practical approach and perceived approach. Adding a web based curricula may
help the students and aspirants to gain self assessment towards market and attain more and more
knowledge about the industry’s practicality. Hence it may help the students as well as teachers to
approach to the emerging trends in the education system along with creating a virtual image of the
industry and service providing system along with traditional education system in India.
Objectives 1. To study the impact of e-learning on hospitality and tourism learning system.
2. To find out the effect of e-learning on the students capturing and retention.
3. To suggest the strategies for strengthen the academics through e- learning.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Research Methodology Sampling
The sampling of this research paper took place in the ten government and private Tourism &
Hospitality educational institutions of Jammu and Kashmir i.e. Institute of Hotel Management (IHM),
Srinagar, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (University of Jammu), Central University
of Jammu & Srinagar as well as Polytechnics of Jammu and Kashmir in order to find out the usage of
e- learning techniques and their impact on teaching learning process. The sample size of 232 samples
was taken from the students of above institutions at graduation and PG Level in the month March
2013. This sample size was calculated with the help of formula given by Krejcie & Morgan, 1970.
Research Instrument
The structured questionnaire is used on the basis e learning aspects after applying the 5-Point Likert’s
Scale instrument.
While as secondary data was collected from published journals, books and articles.
Research Tools
In order to go for the descriptive analysis, the mean, standard deviations were applied. In addition to
this the factor analysis is implemented to find out the factors there loading, Eigen value and to carve
out the factors on the basis of variable correlation matrix.
Data Analysis & Results Table: 1
V. No. Variables Mean Standard
Deviation
V1 Do you think that using power point presentation in lecture delivering
help students to memorize lecture easily. 4.72 0.45
V2 Notes by email and print media are better than hand written notes. 4.14 0.89
V3 Teacher can discuss the topics very well with the help of e –learning 4.38 0.74
V4 It becomes easy for a student to get clear picture about anything with the
help of 3D documentary and power point presentation 4.48 0.67
V5 Do you believe that using marker and board is better than electronic
system? 3.88 1.23
V6 Do you think that video conferencing system has made learning easy for
the students 4.36 0.93
V7 Do you think there is difference in attitude and confidence of teachers
while delivering lecture in e learning system and manual 4.46 0.70
V8 Do you believe that due to e learning it became easy for the student to
get access its material 4.36 0.71
V9 Do you feel that e learning enhances student participation in class 4.42 0.57
V10 E learning is a best tool in exchanging ideas in teaching learning process 4.38 0.71
V11 e- learning make students computer oriented and effective 4.34 0.73
V12 e -learning helps the teacher to communicate the students even outside
the class through internet. 4.46 0.78
V13 e -learning enhances the focus of students in the class 4.52 0.85
V14 e -learning helps to monitor the progress of student easily 4.38 0.93
V15 learners can share notes easily due to e learning 4.68 0.70
*= Mean **= Standard Deviation
Data collection with sample of 232 students took place at J&K state tourism and hospitality education
institutes of PG & UG level in which it was found that 65.51% are males while as 34.48% are female
students. In order to clarify the effect of e-learning on student participation, confidence level,
Teachers Lecture Delivery, teacher Resource, infrastructure and output study material, the descriptive
analysis is applied i.e. mean value and standard deviation which signifies the variance of the data and
helps to understand the effect of e learning in strengthening teaching-learning process which in turn
helps to gain student satisfaction and delightedness. The mean value and standard deviation itself
clears the above statement, as the mean value and standard deviation for the student participation
(F1=4.36*/0.81**), confidence level (F2=4.46*/0.70**), teachers lecture delivery (F3=4.42*/0.66**),
teaching resource (F4=4.72*/0.5**), infra structure(F5=3.88*/1.23**), output Study material
(F6=4.68*/0.70**).
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Table: 2
No. Factor Mean Standard
Deviation
F 1 Student Participation 4.36 0.81
F 2 Confidence Level 4.46 0.70
F3 Teachers Lecture Delivery 4.42 0.66
F4 Teaching Resource 4.72 0.45
F5 Infrastructure 3.88 1.23
F6 Output Study Material 4.68 0.70
Factor Analysis of Data Factor analysis
Factor analysis which is one type of multivariate analysis is used to define the underlying structure
called factors among the variables in the analysis. For the purpose of this study, factor analysis was
used in 11 variables of present study. The result of initial (first run of) factor analysis on eleven
independent variables showed KMO was 0.554 and significance level of Bartlett’s test of sphericity
was 0.00. In addition to this, the rotated factor matrix showed that all the 15 statement/Variables about
e-learning, their role in strengthening teaching learning process in hospitality and tourism education
and so on were adequate and all of 15 variables were resembling or correlating with the e learning in
terms of student participation, confidence level, teachers lecture delivery, teaching resource, infra
structure, output material. This was considered satisfactory as it fulfilled the criteria of KMO >0.5
(meaned factor analysis was suitable to be used for this data analysis) and significance <0.05 (which
indicated sufficient correlations existed among the variables to proceed for factor analysis. (Hair et al
2007).
Factor analysis on student participation, confidence level, teachers lecture delivery, teaching resource,
infra structure, output material. The factor analysis on 15 items measuring effect of e-learning on
student participation, confidence level, teachers lecture delivery, teaching resource, infra structure,
output material was carried out using Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization and principal
component analysis. These 15 items were initially grouped under SIX different components.
Total variance explained was 24.11% with KMO’s value 0.554. Barlett’s test of sphericity was
significant (p<0.01). The range of loading for each of the loaded items was from 0.612-0.845. Factor
loading 1 to 2 were renamed by researchers as specific student participation, confidence level,
teachers lecture delivery, teaching resource, infra structure, output material representatively. The
factor analysis on 15 items measuring Effect of e learning on teaching learning process of tourism &
hospitality education were grouped under six different components i.e. student participation,
confidence level, teachers lecture delivery, teaching resource, infra structure, output Study material.
Table: 3 KMO & Bartlett’s Test
Kaiser Meyer Olkin Measure of Sample
Adequacy
.554
Bartlett’s Test of Approx. Chi Square 1.0035
Sphericity
df 105
Sig. .000
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis
Table: 4 Total Variance Explained
Component Initial Eigen values Extraction sums of squared loadings
Total % of
variance
Cumulative
%
Total % of
variance
Cumulative
%
1 3.617 24.116 24.116 3.617 24.116 24.116
2 1.905 12.700 36.815 1.905 12.700 36.815
3 1.596 10.643 47.458 1.596 10.643 47.458
4 1.401 9.337 56.795 1.401 9.337 56.795
5 1.255 8.366 65.161 1.255 8.366 65.161
6 1.047 6.982 72.143 1.047 6.982 72.143
7 .831 5.538 77.143
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
8 .677 4.514 82.195
9 .652 4.347 86.543
10 .575 3.836 90.379
11 .445 2.966 93.345
12 .393 2.618 95.963
13 .280 1.870 97.833
14 .174 1.159 98.992
15 .151 1.008 100.000
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis
Table: 5 Component Matrix
Component
1 2 3 4 5 6
V1 .347 -121 -.299 .451 -.005 .429
V2 .490 -160 .331 .412 -.043 -.152
V3 .520 -.169 .565 .267 -.111 .001
V4 .126 .453 .625 -.270 -.225 -.122
V5 .236 .228 .129 .511 .546 -.091
V6 .576 .442 -.268 -.005 -.275 -.317
V7 .273 .558 -.288 .137 .449 -.304
V8 .668 .302 -.226 -.128 -.235 -.236
V9 .395 .382 .441 .070 -.086 .242
V10 .650 -.324 -.368 -.128 .109 -.110
V11 .592 .099 .007 -.023 .218 .500
V12 .619 -.013 -.300 .036 -.525 .252
V13 .480 .645 .177 -.273 .124 -.203
V14 .677 -.416 .110 -.298 .277 -.119
V15 .243 .363 .041 -.632 .353 .359
Extraction method: principal Component Analysis
Conclusion E-learning is one of the tools to connect the world’s institutions and can be considered as best and
easy way to grab the knowledge. Considering the hospitality and tourism institutions this aspect still
needs to be given a due consideration in terms of learning and teaching prospect. Also it can be
considered a complimentary statement that the e-learning era have finally sunup in India. But its
significance in terms of teaching and learning practices needs to be understood by the institutions as
well as concerned authorities. The study also chains to conclude the fact that that e-learning supports
and provide the students a virtual image of the industry and also help the learners to take an active and
creative part in learning activities through various simulations, role-play, remote control of real world
tools and devices, online master classes, or collaboration with other education providers. On the
whole it can be concluded that e- learning not only provide the knowledge about various related
aspect but also it has also a made the Teaching and learning process easy and affordable. Moreover
the change in trends in education system and learners’ characteristics and issues in the tourism and
hospitality industry in India also supports to the implementation e-learning strategies for the further
development of skills and knowledge ability among students. In addition to this e-learning also
supports the teaching learning practices thus acts as a fundamental aid that makes the teaching and
learning more interesting and easy. Implementing the technology-based learning systems with
classroom delivery practices in hospitality education offer opportunities to provide the amalgamate
support strategies in novel ways.
This paper concludes with the fact that if e learning is applied in the tourism and hospitality institutes
it will lead number of benefits to both demagogues and pedagogues. After analysis part it was found
that the after implementing the e learning tool for the teaching process it increases student
participation in the classroom and enhances the memorizing power of the students as audio visual aids
are the prime source of memorization.
In terms of pedagogy it acts as a tool of easy delivery in the class room while discussing the things or
concepts in the class. The picture cannot be discussed with the students in traditional methods, which
are possible only with the help of audio –visual aids. Secondly it is beneficial for the teachers as the
teachers can have high level of control on the students due to his face to face communication while
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delivery of lectures through PowerPoint presentation and students gain the maximum interest in the
class because of different colours, sound and fonts used in the PowerPoint presentation.
In short e learning can prove a tool of motivation, confidence, control and participation for both
students and teachers if implemented in teaching and learning process.
Suggestions India has already made its provisional development in terms of e-learning process and even some of
the Indian companies are already primarily working as service providers to the US and Europe. In
contrast to this transformation several Indian companies that have already lined up with some very
innovative offerings in education business like Educomp, Sify, iProf. Also considering the
government’s level in the e-learning, IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University), India’s
largest Open University has set an example as a virtual university for India and also for foreign
countries like Africa by introducing the Pan-African E-learning Network that will go a long way in
alleviating the needs of African nations. Implementing e-learning not only provides the education
opportunities but helps to increase the globalized stratum of training and professionalism. In general
Tourism is experiencing a skills gap and the lack of qualified labour represents together with
increased competition on quality a vicious circle (Jens Friis Jensen, 2001). Need of understanding
such aspect in tourism and hospitality education justify the relevance of development of e-learning
strategies i.e.
1. E-learning should be implemented in Tourism and hospitality institutions as there are a number of
figures and diagrams that needs 3D presentations and that all is possible through e-learning
techniques and tools.
2. Hospitality and tourism industry are services oriented industry which can be explained in the
institutions with the help of virtual films or movies.
3. Intuitions of Tourism and Hospitality should be well equipped with LCD projectors, over head
projectors to make e-learning an effective tool for teaching and learning practices.
4. Focal group discussions with other universities and related intuitions are only possible through the
e-learning tools that need to implement.
5. E-learning tools should be discussed with teachers before teaching and learning process.
6. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in School”
was launched in December 2004, to provide opportunities to secondary stage students to develop
ICT skills and also for ICT aided learning process (Ministry of Human Resource Development,
Government of India (2013). The same should also be considered and implemented in tourism
and hospitality institutions.
7. The concept of the SMART school could also be a robust in teaching and learning practices of the
tourism and hospitality sector making the education more attractive and effective creating a visual
impact on the students.
Limitations As various other research studies, the current study has some theoretical and methodological
limitations. First, the research was carried out in Jammu and Kashmir and therefore the findings are
geographically bound and are likely to have limited application to other areas. Apart of these
limitations, it is hoped that this study will stimulate further research on such concept of E-learning in
other institutions as well and provide valuable insights for both academics and practitioners for
studying and identifying alternate teaching and learning techniques.
References
Alan Clarke, E-Learning Skills (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004), 1–2.
Arsham, H. (2002). Impact of the Internet on Learning and Teaching. United States Distance Learning association Journal,
16 (3).
Bixler, B., & Spotts, J. (2000). Screen design and levels of interactivity in web-based training. (Online) Available at:
http://www.clat.psu.edu/homes/jds/john/research/ivla1998/ivla98.htm.
Dewar, T., & Whittington, D. (2000). Online learners and their learning strategies. Journal of Educational computing
Research, 23 (4), 385-403.
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Fernandez, B. E., Hernandez, M. J., Garcia F. J., & Seoane, A. (2007). Excellence in Virtual Education: The Tutor Online
Approach. Journal of Cases on Information Technology, 9 (2), 61-74.
Jensen, J.F (2001). Improving in order to Upgrade Skills in the Tourism Industry. Report of WorkingGroupB.Retrievedfrom:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/files/working_groups/finalreportb_june2001_en.pdf.
Jethro, O. O., Grace, A. M., & Thomas, A.M. (2012). E-Learning and Its Effects on Teaching and Learning in a Global Age.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2 (1).
Lertkulvanich, S., Buranajant N., & Sombunsukho, S. (2010). The Development of VIrtual Classrooms by Using Virtual
Image Creation Technique. International Journal of Human and Social Sciences, 5, 8
Pedersen, S. G. (2006). E-Learning Nordic 2006: Impact of ICT on education. Ramboll Management.
Oxford, R. & Shearin, J. (1994). Language Learning Motivation: Expanding the Theoretical Framework. (1994). The
Modern Language Journal. 78(1), 12-28.
Overview on ICT, (2013). Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Retrieved from
http://mhrd.gov.in/ict_school on 23rd of June, 2013.
Saai, A.A., Kaabi, A. A., & Muftah, S.A (2011). Effect of a Blended e-Learning Environment on Students' Achievement
and Attitudes toward Using E-Learning in Teaching and Learning at the University Level. International Journal for
Research in Education (IJRE), 29, 34-55.
Scott, T. (2000). The Wired Campus, Business Weekly, 102.
Sigala, M. (2002). The evolution of internet pedagogy: Benefits for tourism and hospitality education. Journal of Hospitality,
Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 1(2), 29-45.
Sigala, M., and E. Christou. (2002). Using the Internet for complementing and enhancing the teachings of tourism and
hospitality education: evidence from Europe. Proceedings from the international scientific conference on rethinking of
education and training for tourism, 18-20 April. Zagreb, Croatia: University of Zagreb.
Song, S., & Bosselman, R. (2011). Contextual Factors that Influence Learning Effectiveness: Hospitality Students’
Perspectives, 1-6.
Sulcic, V., & Lesjak, D. (2007). Blended learning and study effectiveness. Issues in Information Systems, 8(1), 127-133.
Tassiopoulo, D. (2010). Use of the internet for enhancing tourism and hospitality higher education in Southern Africa:
implications for e-learning. New Achievements in Technology Education and Development, Safeeullah Soomro (Ed.),
InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/new-achievements-in-technology-education-and-
development/use-of-theinternet-for-enhancing-tourism-and-hospitality-higher-education-in-southern-africa-implic.
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Making the Customer feel at Home through Sensory Marketing: A Study
of Shiros Restaurant in Bangalore Sherry Abraham1, Victor Anand kumar2 & Bushan D. Sudhakar3
Abstract With the proliferation of brands and an overload of marketing communication, the marketplace is
increasingly competitive for the marketers and confusingly crowded for the customers. The consumer
behavior literature identifies exposure-attention-perception as the front end of information processing
for consumer decision making. This in turn affects what consumers comprehend, what attitudes they
form, what they remember and finally, what decisions they make. In this context, sensory marketing
emerges as an approach that appeals to all five senses - touch, taste and smell, not just sight and
hearing – in order to foster a lasting emotional connection between the brand and the consumer that
optimizes purchasing and brand loyalty.
This paper investigates the use of sensory marketing in the hospitality business – specifically, in the
restaurant industries. From the case studies collected for analysis, the paper attempts to draw
generalizations and identify the best practices in sensory marketing for the hospitality industry.
The quantitative method used in this research includes both deductive and inductive techniques. The
deductive method involved study of secondary literature on sensory marketing, its effectiveness and
how the senses may be used to drive sales and customer loyalty. The inductive method involved
administration of an online questionnaire to 20 customers of Shiros – a luxury restaurant specializing
in Far Eastern cuisine in Bangalore. The respondents could answer the questionnaire on a four point
Likert scale. The results of the questionnaire were summarized and analyzed in excel. The results of
the analysis have been presented in graphical format and through weighted average tables. The main
purpose of the questionnaire was to understand the links between quality of customer service and
customer delight and to identify the gaps between customer expectation and reality of customer
service delivered by restaurants in India. The author also interviewed the marketing manager of
Shiros to understand the reasoning behind the creation of its unique ambience.
The study highlights the use of sensory marketing in the restaurant industries, especially by the
leading and iconic brands. The paper compiles a list of best practices in sensory marketing
implementation in hospitality business. The findings provide compelling evidence to include as many
sensory touch points as possible in a brand’s appeal to the customers. The case studies discussed
have shown just how important the senses are in establishing an emotional connection. Sensory
marketing helps to meet the experiential needs of the customer. It is emphasized that the benefit of
sensory branding is to achieve a better brand awareness through multi-sensual experience,
consistency, and effective process that can penetrate consumers’ memories.
Though several studies exist in the area of sensory marketing, studies with an industry focus and
using case analysis are far and few. An industry focus has helped this study to compile industry-
specific findings and the case method has paved the way for an in-depth analysis and relevant
generalizations. This study is an illustration of a powerful marketing tool in the world’s largest and
fastest developing industry.
Keywords: sensory marketing, sensory branding, restaurant industry,
Introduction ‘It is not slickness, uniqueness or cleverness that makes a brand. Its truth’
With the proliferation of brands, the marketplace is increasingly competitive for the marketers and
confusingly crowded for the customers. This scenario makes it essential for marketers to differentiate
their product or service offering apart from those of competitors in meaningful ways. While several
1Department of Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University, India. Email: [email protected]
2 , Department of Management Studies, Pondicherry University, India. Email: [email protected] 3 Department of International Business, Pondicherry University, India. Email: [email protected]
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
differentiators are available in the marketers’ tool kit, an effective differentiator is branding. While
branding has evolved as a marketing science over the last 50 years, a recent development is Sensory
branding which is likely to become an important aspect of the way brands create true points of
difference in an increasingly competitive market. The underlying logic is that appealing to all five is
likely to heighten the brand awareness and strengthen the impression a brand leaves on its audience.
Branding is essentially about building emotional ties between consumers and products. In this process
of branding, when the sensory experiences are employed, it leads to unique sensory perceptions and
powerful retention value. In this paper, a collection of case studies are assembled to probe into the
principles and practices of sensory branding in the restaurant industries. An analysis of these case
studies brings to surface many generalizations which will be of value to marketers wanting to appeal
to all the five senses.
Branding
Branding is another approach to differentiation. A brand is defined as ‘a name, logo or symbol
intended to distinguish a particular seller’s offering from those of competitors (Koehn 2001). It also
embodies the abundant marketing messages connected with the offering and the complex set of
customer expectations that arise from it. Branding refers to the communication effort that aims to
differentiate a product or service from its rivals and to create a positive attitude towards it (HBS
2006). One could make a case that branding is the culmination of efforts to differentiate product or
service. By building a familiar and favourable image for an offering, the marketer has a better than
even chance of becoming the buyer’s first choice among many competitors.
In creating a differentiation, first of all, the brands aim to be memorable, yet mass communication and
commercial messages remain resolutely two-dimensional, that is, they are visual and they have sound.
Yet humans are most receptive, and most likely to form, retain, revisit and reinterpret memory when
all five senses are in operation. Lindstorm (2005) says: Marketers have to go back to the basics and
identify what actually appeals to human beings on an ordinary, everyday basis. Almost our entire
understanding of the world is experienced through our senses. Our senses are our link to memory and
can tap right into emotion.
Need for Sensory Branding Sensory branding is defined as the purposeful design and deployment of the interaction between the
senses in order to stimulate a consumer’s relationship with a brand; and to foster a lasting emotional
connection that optimizes purchasing and brand loyalty (Kahn 2007).
As a consequence of commonplace branding and pervasive branding communication resulting in
information overload for customers, the brands face obstacles such as overexposure, brand
proliferation and cannibalization, higher new product failure rates, diminishing effectiveness of
advertising and product commoditization. In the face of these obstacles, sensory branding provides the
following benefits to a marketer: It
1. Stimulates one’s relationship with brand
2. Allows emotional response to dominate one’s rationale thinking.
3. Offers different dimensions of a single brand.
4. Helps achieve a strong, positive, loyal bond between the brand and the consumer so that the
consumer will turn to the brand repeatedly, and
5. Assists emotional engagement, so that there is a match between perception and reality.
The human body consists of five sensory systems that provide sensations when an external stimuli or
sensory inputs are given. The massive influx of visual stimulus that is encountered everyday in the
marketplace has long dimmed the awareness of and need for integrated other senses. However, other
sensory stimulus - sound, smell, touch, taste - still affect consumer mood and decision making. A
research finding (Lindstrom 2005) revealed that 99 percent of all brand communication today is
focused on two senses: sight and hearing. In sharp contrast, 75 percent of our emotions are generated
by what we in fact smell. Smell is a vital part of our experience but largely ignored in brand
communication. The underlying point is the effect of using the senses as branding tools is magnified
many times when multiple senses are included simultaneously. This total sensory synergy produces a
domino effect. In the way impressions are stored in the brain, if one sense is triggered, it will lead to
another, and then another…a whole vista of memories and emotions can instantaneously unfold.
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Creating synergy across the senses should be the ultimate goal (Lindstrom 2005). Today, branding has
developed into a 5-dimensional aspect; incorporating all the five senses of taste, sight, touch, sound
and smell. By integrating this approach, an appealing ‘brand’ would be harnessed. The best solution
to gain brand dominance in the market today is multi-sensory branding. A multi-sensory branding
strategy encompasses all the senses. The following table illustrates the human sensory systems and
their significance in brand communication.
Table 1: Sensory systems and their significance to branding
Sense Significance
Sight Most seductive sense
Often overrules the other senses
Colour plays an important role
Sound Connected to mood
Only 4% of Fortune 500 brands use sound online
Role of music is important
Smell Evokes memory, alters mood and influences choice
10,000 times more sensitive than taste
75 percent of human emotions are generated by scent
Taste Sweet, salty, sour or bitter
Hard to introduce but highly effective
Develops linkage in the memory
Touch Skin is the largest organ in the body
Alerts us to a sense of well being or pain
Texture of products and experiences
Marketing and promotion is clearly essential for successful tourism and hospitality development,
however, it is often overlooked or simplistic in nature (Hannam, 2004). Morgan et al. (2002)argue
that conventional tourism marketing tends to focus on confirming the intentions of tourists, rather than
persuading them to consume differently. The paradigm shift in tourist behaviour brings to light the
fact that marketing of tourism products and services has become increasingly complex, being
associated not only with transmitting an image of a place, but with attempting to sell an experience of
a place through relating it to the lifestyle constructs of consumers. Experiential marketing with
sensory appeal is going to be the in-thing in tourism (Williams, 2006).
Experiential marketing was first introduced by Pine and Gilmore (1998) as part of their work on the
experience economy. It has evolved as a response to a perceived transition from a service economy to
one personified by the experiences the tourists participate in. As the delivery of experiential market
offerings involves engaging customers in a memorable way, the destination planners could trigger the
attributes of sensory branding. As tourism sells experiences, memory value is of profound importance.
In this context, until and unless the tourists’ mind set is touched upon with intrinsic values, read
stimulating the five senses, the power of recollection would not be intense. Hence, designing
memorable experiences holds the key, which is definitely achieved through sensory branding.
Analysis of Questionnaire administered to customers of Shiros Restaurant in Bangalore
The restaurant chosen for this research is Shiro’s located in UB city mall in Bangalore city. With a
price level that caters to the rich, its ambience is both unique and attractive. From the interview
conducted with the marketing manager of Shiro’s, it was learnt that all the furniture, the decorations,
even the table settings and pots for plants have been sourced from Far Eastern countries such as
Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. This is purposely done to create an ambience of the Far
East since the restaurant specializes in Far Eastern cuisine. Special pains are taken to play Far Eastern
music with staff being hired for the oriental looks. The cooks are imported from Thailand as are the
ingredients for the food served. The music, the lighting, scents used, even staff uniforms all evoke the
Far East and its allure. The manager attributes this, more than to anything else, Shiro’s reputation as
the finest luxury Far Eastern restaurant in Bangalore.
The following section analyses the questionnaire administered to the 20 customers of Shiros. The
customers were first asked as to what brought them to Shiros. Their responses are summarized in
Table 2.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Table: 2 Reasons for Visiting Shiros
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Weighted
Average Interpretation
Scale 4 3 2 1
The food tastes better than
other restaurants 5 15 0 0 3.3 Agree
I like the atmosphere, the
overall dining experience 20 0 0 0 4.0 Strongly Agree
This restaurant is cheaper
compared to other restaurants 0 0 0 20 1.0
Strongly
Disagree
It is conveniently located 0 0 18 2 1.9 Disagree
The chef here has a very
good reputation 14 6 0 0 3.7 Strongly Agree
The customer service in this
restaurant is superlatively
good
5 15 0 0 3.3 Agree
I love Japanese food. Except
for this restaurant, there are
no other good Japanese
restaurants in Bangalore.
2 18 0 0 3.1 Agree
It can be seen that while the reputation of the chef, the customer service, the quality of the food and
the predilection for Japanese food are reasons for visiting Shiros, the atmospherics have been rated as
the main reason for customers making their visits. This is even though the restaurant is regarded as
being expensive and not very conveniently located. It may be inferred that its atmosphere is its biggest
attraction.
The customers were then asked to list out what they thought of when somebody mentioned Far
Eastern cuisine food to them. Their responses are summarized in Table 3.
Table 3: Connotations of Far Eastern Food
The majority of the customers immediately thought of Shiros when they thought of Far Eastern food.
The restaurant has therefore been able to successfully link its name with its cuisine. This is in spite of
other very good restaurants such as Zen and Edo’s present in Bangalore city and specializing in the
same kind of cuisine. From the literature review identification of product with brand name was found
to be one of the key achievements of a successful marketing program. The answers to the following
questions provides cues on how this was achieved.
The respondents were then asked as to whether the ambience at Shiros reminded them of Far Eastern
countries. Table 4 summarizes their response.
3 2 0 3
92
0
20
40
60
80
100
The country Japan
Zen Restaurant at the Leela Hotel
Sushi / Tempura / Seaweed / Dim
Sun
Edo’s restaurant at the Royal
Gardenia hotel
Shiro’s Restaurant in UB
City
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Table: 4 Ambience at Shiros
It can be seen that all the respondents unanimously stated that the ambience at Shiros reminded them
of the Far East. The link between brand name and brand recall is thus established with the
atmospherics playing a most important role in achieving this.
The respondents were then asked whether they felt a visit to Shiros was justified in light of the high
prices charged there. Table 5 summarizes their response.
Table: 5 High Prices at Shiros
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Weighted
Average Interpretation
Scale 4 3 2 1
The ingredients used in the food are
imported from Japan, so it is bound to
be expensive
1 1 0 18 1.3 Strongly
Disagree
No other Japanese restaurant in
Bangalore can provided me with a
dining experience that is
quintessentially Japanese like Shiro’s
19 1 0 0 4.0 Strongly
Agree
I like Japanese food. I don’t care about
the price 0 2 18 0 2.1 Disagree
I come to Shiro’s to treat myself
specially. That’s why I don’t bother
about the price
0 0 20 0 2.0 Disagree
I like being seen in Shiro’s. I consider
dining at Shiro’s to be a statement of
my status
0 0 1 19 1.1 Strongly
Disagree
No. I do not consider the price worth
dining at Shiro’s 0 0 0 20 1.0
Strongly
Disagree
It is evident that even though prices are high, the majority of respondents felt that their visit was
justified because of the whole dining experience. It is evident that Shiros is able to provide its
customers with a dining experience that is memorable and stimulating. It is this that makes its high
prices justifiable.
The customers were then asked if whether on the basis of their experience at Shiro’s would they visit
a restaurant that stimulates all their senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch) or would they visit a
restaurant for the taste of its food alone. Table 6 summarizes their responses.
It can be seen from Table 6, that all the respondents said that a multi-sensory experience would be far
better enticement to visit a restaurant rather than the reputation of its food alone.
100
0 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Yes No
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Table: 6 Reasons to Visit a Restaurant
The respondents were then asked about how the colour schemes at Shiros affected their experience.
Their views are given in Table 7.
Table 7. Colour Scheme at Shiros
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Weighted
Average Interpretation
Scale 4 3 2 1
The colour scheme at Shiro’s does
not affect me in any way 0 0 0 20 1.0
Strongly
Disagree
I find the colours at Shiro’s to be
soothing and relaxing. 5 15 0 0 3.3 Agree
The colour scheme makes me feel
happy 20 0 0 0 4.0 Strongly Agree
The colour schemes used remind
me in some way of Japan 0 18 0 0 2.7 Agree
The colour scheme is distinctive,
unusual and not commonly found 20 0 0 0 4.0 Strongly Agree
The colour schemes used convey
an impression of luxury,
subtleness, refinement and class
4 16 0 0 3.2 Agree
It is evident that the colour scheme has a strong impact on the customers in terms of making them feel
happy, reminding them of the Far East, soothing and relaxing them and conveying impressions of
luxury, class and refinement. Insofar as the impact of colour is a sensory one, it may be inferred that
the sense of sight does play an important role in the overall sensory marketing of Shiros.
The customers were then queried about the impact of perfumes and fragrances used at Shiros. Their
responses are summarized in Table 8.
It can be seen that the fragrances used at Shiros play an important role in not only stimulating
appetite, soothing the guests but also in evoking the Far East. The brand recall of Shiros may thus be
attributed in large part to the sense of smell that is catered to by the restaurant.
Table: 8 Impacts of Perfume and Fragrances
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Weighted
Average Interpretation
Scale 4 3 2 1
They stimulate my appetite 17 3 0 0 3.9 Strongly Agree
They remind me of the Far
East and its cuisine 6 14 0 0 3.3 Agree
They soothe me, make me
feel more relaxed and want 20 0 0 0 4.0 Strongly Agree
100
0 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
I would visit a restaurant that offers a
multi-sensory experience
I would visit a restaurant for its food
alone
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to spend more time in the
restaurant
There is an overwhelming
smell of food that remind
me at all times that I am in
a restaurant
0 0 2 18 1.1 Strongly
Disagree
The scents used are too
strong. They do not
stimulate my appetite
0 0 0 20 1.0 Strongly
Disagree
They make the restaurant
seem bright, clean and
fresh
3 17 0 0 3.2 Agree
The authors then queried about music played at Shiros.
Table: 9 Impact of Music
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Weighted
Average Interpretation
Scale 4 3 2 1
The music is in line with
the branding of Shiro’s as a
Far Eastern restaurant. It
evokes thoughts of the Far
East
14 6 0 0 3.7 Strongly
Agree
The music is soothing,
refreshing, peaceful and
makes me want to spend
more time in the store
7 13 0 0 3.4 Agree
I find the music too soft
and mild. I like more loud
music
0 0 2 18 1.1 Strongly
Disagree
The music is unusual, not
to be found easily and one
of the reasons I visit
Shiro’s
20 0 0 0 4.0 Strongly
Agree
The music complements
and is in line with the
decorations and other
visual elements of the
stores.
3 17 0 0 3.2 Agree
It can be seen from Table 9 that music played at Shiros is important in invoking the Far East to its
customers. Much of the instant brand recall and the dining experience enjoyed by customers at Shiros
may be thus attributed to the sense of hearing.
The responses of customers regarding the food served at Shiros are summarized in Table 10.
It is evident that the food served at Shiros is rated very high and contributes to the overall dining
experience. Customers were then queried if, given a choice, they would choose between Shiros and a
cheaper restaurant. From the answers summarized in Table 11, it can be seen that Shiros has been
preferred.
From table 7 to 10, it is evident that the senses of sight, smell, hearing and taste have all been
stimulated by the ambience of Shiros. When measured against the responses summarized in Table 2 to
6, it is evident that this sensory experience plays an important role in the high rating given to Shiros
by its customers. That Shiro’s is the preferred Far Eastern restaurant of choice can be made out from
Table 11. However, it is not just the food that attracts the customers there, it is the overall dining
experience.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Table: 10 Impact of Taste
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Weighted
Average Interpretation
Scale 4 3 2 1
The food is very tasty and
one of the main reasons why
I visit Shiro’s
6 14 0 0 3.3 Agree
The food is exclusively Far
Eastern and evokes the
country of the Far East and
its cuisine to me very
strongly
8 12 0 0 3.4 Agree
The food is good but not
very differentiated from any
other Far Eastern restaurant
in Bangalore
0 20 0 0 3.0 Agree
There are some Far Eastern
dishes which I can find only
in Shiro’s
7 13 0 0 3.4 Agree
The food is not good. They
seem to spend more on the
décor and ambience than on
improving the quality of the
food
0 0 0 20 1.0 Strongly
Disagree
I am unacquainted with Far
Eastern food. It is an
expensive restaurant, so the
taste of the food ought to be
good. I really can’t judge
0 0 19 1 2.0 Disagree
Table: 11 Choice of Restaurant
Findings There is a general perception that sensory branding is more applicable for the service industry where
there is a varied combination of goods, products, resources, and experience. The case study of Shiros
in this paper reiterates the aesthetic, escapist, educational, and experiential value of multi-sensory
branding for restaurants. To overcome the triteness of restaurant visits, sensory branding is proven to
be immensely useful. Thus sensory branding offers certain clear benefits for marketers and their
brands in the restaurant sector. The concept of sensory branding is likely to become an important
aspect, the hospitality brands would create sensible points of difference in increasingly competitive
markets. Sensory branding holds the key to establish points of differentiation for such brands in global
market. It lends them a definitive identity. More recently there has been a significant development in
the quality of branding by restaurants. The key characteristic of these service brands is that people
deliver them and the quality of the brand experience is entirely dependent on the people involved in
the business process. As a result, the most successful restaurants have invested hugely in people
training and sensitivity programs towards making them aware about the intricacies and implications of
sensory branding.
100
0 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
I would choose Shiro’s I would choose the cheaper restaurant
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Conclusion Sensory branding needs to be used with the concept of involvement and hence requires segmenting
consumers and profiling them in accordance with their involvement levels. With consumers having
access to a plethora of information, apart from the rapid changes, sensorial appeal will play a vital role
in enticing them towards brands. Surveys show that the sense of smell is probably the most
impressionable and responsive of the five senses. Smells make people reminiscent of certain
memories and it is directed towards their “feelings.” It certainly touches customers emotionally rather
than getting filtered by their brains as most marketing messages are processed. Lack of concrete
theoretical framework is a hindrance to the innovative application of the subjective attributes of
sensory branding in the service industry. The scope of this paper covers all major sectors of
hospitality industry. Even though sensory branding is used in principle by certain highly rated service
brands in the aviation and hospitality sectors it is not devised as a continuous and consistent process.
This paper is directed at being an eye opener for firms in the service industry to continuously realize
and recognize the impact of sensory branding implications.
References
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Kahn, R. (2007). 5-D Sensory Branding. Kahn Consulting Inc. <http://www.kahnconsulting.com/images/Kahn_5-
D_branding.pdf>.
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Lindstrom, M. (2005). Brand Sense: Build powerful brands through touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. New York: Free
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Morgan, N., Pritchard, A., and Pride, R. (Eds) (2002).Destination branding: creating the uniquedestination proposition.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Emerging Healthy Food Options offered by the Hotel Industry
Sunetra Roday1, Annu Pillai2 & Aparna Deshpande2
Abstract The aim of this study is to explore the major trends followed by restaurants/ hotel kitchens in Pune
and Mumbai in providing wellness menus and the chef’s role in using locally procured foods
creatively. Literature shows that both the processing industry and the catering industry have
witnessed a significant change giving the caterer an unlimited choice of foods. Awareness, need and
lifestyle factors have created a demand for healthy food and beverage options. The healthy eating
trend has gained momentum because of rising disposable incomes and globalization. Many leading
global hospitality brands are now committed to health and wellness [Raval (2004), Sharma and
Khanna (2012), Basu (2013), Biswas (2013)]. The focus of the research is specifically on cuisine
served in star category hotels and fine dining restaurants. Through the questionnaire, we obtained
information about current and emerging practices being followed in the industry. The findings
suggest that there is a distinct shift in menu items both ordered by and offered to guests in the past
decade. There is growing awareness amongst customers about the role of food and its relation to
lifestyle related diseases. Many customers look for foods which promote health, longevity and
wellness. Smaller portion sizes, attractive dish presentations and exotic foods with additional health
benefits are preferred by guests. The interaction between Executive Chefs and guests has increased.
Some leading global hospitality brands are making special efforts to offer wholesome, attractively
presented meals not only to guest but also to employees. The study also finds that while fresh from
farm to the table is another popular trend in some restaurants, the use of convenience foods and
premixes is on the rise. Although the trend of healthy eating has picked up, yet more efforts are
needed to ensure healthy options for wellness right food choices and practices to retain the nutrients.
Key words: Convenience foods, Lifestyle diseases, Customer awareness, Wellness.
Introduction The food industry, be it the catering industry or the processing industry, is growing at a phenomenal
rate to provide meals to our growing population and is keeping pace with the ever-changing demands
of the people. With rapid developments in science and technology, combined with urbanization and
globalization, it is now possible for the caterer to offer delectable menus featuring novel ingredients
superior in quality and available in food stores all year round. The concept of seasonability of fruits
and vegetables is now passé. As the world economy becomes more integrated and communication
faster, diet transition is inevitable. Globalization has played an enormously important role in the
transformation of food consumption patterns of Indian households, particularly in urban areas. Vast
changes in the Indian social and cultural practices have been brought about by modernization and
influence of the media. Increase in disposable incomes and long hours spent away from home
commuting to work or for long trips, make eating out a necessary part of our daily life. Thus eating
out, besides being a social event, is a matter of convenience whether it is the canteen in an educational
institute, industry, hospital, wayside joint or during travel by any mode of transport. Celebrations,
events and special occasions are on the rise and chefs are faced with the unending challenge of
creating novel delectable spreads (Roday 2010). The ever-increasing market for convenience foods -
tinned, canned, chilled, frozen or vacuum packed presents a whole array of complex operations in
food processing. This weaning away from the traditional fare of yesteryears has caused a shift in focus
from farm fresh produce to partially or totally processed convenience foods, specially packed for
caterers and requiring minimal labour and time to prepare and serve (Roday 2012). While this topic is
widely discussed in magazines and article, actual research on emerging healthy food options in India
is almost non-existent. The trend of eating out has gained momentum, making it necessary to study
whether food served is wholesome, nutritive and acceptable, and whether the industry can face the
challenge of tackling lifestyle related diseases.
1Principal, Maharastra State Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Pune, Maharastra, India.
Email: [email protected] 2Senior Lecturer, Maharastra State Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Pune, Maharastra,
India. Email: [email protected] & [email protected]
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Review of Literature Food service professionals have realized that ‘Quality’ is the key word if you are looking at repeat
customers. The overall quality of food served to the customers depends on many factors like the chefs
culinary skills, selection of raw ingredients, the layout of kitchen and placement of equipment to
ensure smooth flow of work. Most chefs agree that efficient systems contribute to less waiting time
for the guest, better quality products and result in higher sales.
Impact of Technology on Kitchens
Like every other department in the hotel industry, technology and innovations have entered the
kitchen and new cooking techniques, novel items on the menu, exotic flavours and styles of
presentation have made their presence felt, and hotels are witnessing visible metamorphosis in the
kitchen (Lokesh 2013).
Pankaj Chaturvedi, CEO Rich Graviss products opines that the spiraling cost of land in urban centers,
shortage of skilled manpower, high labour costs and availability of multifunctional power efficient,
time saving, innovative equipment have all contributed to the shrinkage in sizes of kitchen space.
According to Rajeev Sinha, Executive director, Celfrost Innovation, the kitchen size is diminishing in
the new Food and Beverage outlets, as owners want more covers for customers and are on the lookout
for sleek innovative multi-functional equipment to save on kitchen space. State-of-the-art equipments
and innovative processes are making work more efficient and faster for the kitchen brigade (cited in
Bhandari 2013).
Multiunit ranges with a combination of gas burners, a griddle, a fryer, or steamer with a full length
hood can maximize cooking efficiency and space utilization. Today, chefs have access to latest
equipments with inbuilt hygienic sensors to measure pressure, temperature, flow, etc. which ensures
quality both in terms of nutritive value and food safety of the product.
The food operator is constantly on the lookout for products which are time saving, require less labour,
create minimum wastage but at the same time improve quality of the end product in order to gain
profits and repeat customers.
The availability of healthy fruits and vegetables is on the rise with a compounded annual growth rate
of 5 to 6% heralding in the ‘Rainbow Revolution’, the emphasis being on consumption of large
portions of all brightly collared fruits and vegetables both in India and abroad. However huge post-
harvest losses take place each year which need to be tackled urgently through enhanced marketing and
provision of adequate cold storage facilities( as per survey conducted by ASSOCHAM in 2013).
Major food processing giants are looking at a new concept from farm to freezer cooking, and are
working with local growers to pick and quickly freeze produce generally within 24 hours to retain
natural fresh flavours better and make these frozen products available to restaurants and markets
throughout the year. With the advent of flash freezing technology, frozen foods have entered the
market in a big way and an unbelievable range of products of high quality is available across the
globe all year round.
Customer Awareness and Demands
Very often the customer is better informed about the health benefits of food being served and the
authentic recipe of the product. Many chefs are moving out of their traditional role and come out of
the kitchen to interact with guests (Joy 2012). They need to know more about the food they serve both
in terms of health benefits and basic dietary restrictions for lifestyle related diseases, as well as origin
and authenticity of the recipe. Customers are demanding organic produce and ask questions about
where the food has been sourced from, giving preference to farm fresh local produce.
Trends in the food industry are largely dictated by the demands of the customer. While the trend is
towards smaller portions, the focus is on filling the stomach with flavourful light nutritious foods with
lingering tastes like clear soups and salads (Basu 2012). Awareness, need and lifestyle factors have
created a demand for healthy food and beverage options. People are now making ‘conscious’ efforts
to look good and are understanding the role of right food choices and health. The healthy eating trend
has gained momentum because of rising disposable incomes and the flood of food commodities
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
available off the shelf. Healthy food and beverages are fashionable and are an integral part of the
lifestyle of upwardly mobile urban society, and the same is reflected in eating out options as well
(Biswas 2013). As more and more people are becoming health conscious and turning vegetarian,
bakers and confectioners are also concerned and are opting for premixes and ready to use products.
New products which have no added sugar and are less sweet like sugar free whip topping for sugar-
free cakes and desserts, eggless, gluten-free and no trans fats, are being launched by the processing
industry (Nair A 2011).
The international traveler has contributed significantly to this visible change in foods offered on the
menu and cooking techniques introduced by the industry says Pankaj Chaturvedi. Customers have
welcomed the introduction of newer cuisines and ask for items savoured in their trips abroad
(Bhandari 2013).
The quality of the product determines its acceptance and even the level ingredient source is partially
changing. While the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) operator is looking to source partially finished
products like pizza bases, burger buns, patties, cut-vegetables and readymade sauces, other operators
are stressing on use of locally grown foods and prefer serving authentic cuisine.
Authentic, Sustainably Sourced and Convenience Foods Authentic food is in demand today. Delectable food and sumptuous spreads which are an integral part
of festive celebrations are on the rise. Authentic cuisine takes precedence over innovations and fancy
menu items during the festive season. The lingering aroma, fragrance and taste which stimulate the
taste buds, emanating from traditional fare is something which people staying away from home, be it
for business or profession, relish when served in the right ambience. To the traveler, traditional food is
an integral part of the Indian experience.
Gourmet tourists are interested in knowing the main ingredients, seasonability, regionality, social
practices and rituals food is associated with, and the culture linked to serving such foods. Indian food
is as diverse as its culture and terrain, and plays a pivotal role in food tourism.
With India’s steadily expanding economy and greater exposure to foreign food and beverages, the
growth of gourmet and specialty food products in India has increased dramatically. Gourmet and
specialty food events expose people to the latest developments in nutraceuticals, functional foods, and
other innovative ingredients displayed by the best of domestic and international food industry players
from across the globe on a common platform.
At the same time, hotels are recognizing the tangible benefits from sourcing sustainable foods and are
creating their own sustainable food policies. Customers are demanding sustainably sourced food and
prefer to eat in a sustainable restaurant. Responsible food sourcing is a key element while formulating
the procurement strategy. Some of the measures followed by hotels with sustainable food policies are
using natural food ingredients which are locally grown, reduced use of food additives and sodium, and
serving beverages and desserts with all natural sweeteners (Tuppen 2013).
In the 5th Culinary Congress of the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) 650 chefs from
India deliberated on promoting local cuisine, sustainable food sourcing and using local food
ingredients to make international dishes. Indians today are better travelled and know more about food
due to exposure to satellite television and T.V shows. The eating out culture in India has shown a
dramatic change. There is bound to be change in menus and hygiene standards (Joy 2012).
The global market for organic food products has trebled between 2000 and 2011 with USA, Germany
and France being the largest markets for organic food. Organic foods are gaining popularity and
contribute to save the soil sustainability campaign.
Indian cuisine has a wealth of ingredients and vast diversity of cuisine because of our culture and the
variety of spices available. According to Chef Sudhir Pai; Chefs, entrepreneurs and hotel chains have
created great restaurants where the best of regional dishes of India are served in an authentic manner.
Thanks to the increasing awareness of guests about regional cuisines, there is a demand for newer
authentic cuisines, from around the country quotes Chef Naren Thimmaiah 2013.
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Ayurvedic literature more than 5000 years old indicates that food has evolved in India states celebrity
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. While spices were treated as medicine, seasonal regional produce was given
prime importance and discipline in eating was enforced. Healthy eating was a part of our culture, and
this authentic cuisine should be preserved. (cited in Chakraborty 2013) Many chefs in leading hotel
chains and entrepreneurs are of the firm belief that this is the right time to promote authentic
traditional Indian cuisine. Indian restaurants are increasing their focus on diets for wellness and
lifestyle by serving ‘Satvik’ food based on the principles of ‘Ayurveda’. The food industry, be it niche
restaurants, main stream restaurants or five star hotels are cashing in on the increasing demand for a
wellness diet by serving healthy and natural menus. (Rawal 2004)
The need for safe wholesome food is well known. A lot of new trends and international practices in
the field of food safety, quality and hygiene in the food sector have come to India but yet many of the
catering staff/ in-charges have not yet heard about these norms and practices or do not follow them. It
is well said that ‘we are what we eat’, and ensuring availability of safe and quality food for the
population is of vital importance for any country (Kumar 2012)
However in a survey conducted in U.S. in 2001, chefs strongly agree that food service professionals
view nutrition as important in menu planning. They did not perceive that the number of customer
requests for modified menu items was increasing or that consumer’s nutrition is an important factor
when selecting a restaurant. Preparation of low fat foods does not require additional work, and that
they can be made equal in taste to foods containing higher amounts of fat. (Johnson 2002) Looking
good by eating healthy food is the new mantra. To meet this growing demand, luxury hotels are
waking up to the concept of organic food, chosen according to yogic principles of healthy eating, and
menus are tailor-made for each guest after a consultation with the hotels ayurvedic or naturopathic
doctors. Ingredients are locally sourced, and are often grown on the hotels own organic farms. (Gupta
2013)
While most convenience foods in the market today are laden with saturated fats, sodium and sugar
and provide little nutritional values, advertising gimmicks like ‘fat free’, ‘low-fat’, ‘low calorie’ etc.,
has to be taken with a pinch of salt (Ganapathy 2012). Chefs need to understand the commodities they
use.
According to Culinary Guru Nita Mehta there is a distinct shift in the choice of bakery products and
many bakeries are offering healthier options to customers such as multigrain breads, whole grain
products, sugar free desserts and lighter frostings with fruits as a garnish in place of whipped cream
(Biswas 2013).
The current and emerging trends also point out to regional Indian cuisines and nouvelle Indian food,
Asian Street food mainly Vietnamese, Malay, Indonesian, Korean, are on the rise globally. Anti-cafés
or chef owner-driven places that look at local availability and offer authentic cuisine are popular.
Healthy eating and organic foods are no longer the boring options on the menu, but gourmet fare with
customers opting for organic thalis and green consciousness along with willingness to pay more for
good healthful options is the trend (Bhatia 2011). Other healthful options apart from nutrients in our
food, are a number of important non-nutritive chemical components called nutraceuticals. They play a
vital role in maintaining optimal health, vitality and longevity. Foods containing nutraceutical in
significant amounts are referred to as health foods. The nutraceuticals marketing is booming with
prebiotics and probiotics, antioxidants and phytochemicals flooding the market in the form of
functional foods and beverages, and dietary supplements (Kalbag 2012). Even hotels and restaurants
are cashing in on this opportunity and have started introducing special menus or healthy menus (Pant
and Thomas 2013). Health foods are considered to be highly beneficial to health beyond their
nutritive value and address specific health concerns. With an increasing number of youngsters
knowing the problems faced by our changing life style, the trend for treatment of lifestyle diseases
like Hypertension, Atherosclerosis, Diabetes, Obesity and Cardiac problems is gradually shifting from
curative to preventive.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Wellness Initiative by Leading Hospitality Brands A number of wellbeing initiatives have been recently introduced by leading international hotel chains.
The industry has realized that there is a strong correlation been lifestyle related factors such as
obesity , inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables , lack of regular exercise etc. and the
duration of sick leave and loss of productivity at work. Many leading global hospitality brands are
committed to health and wellness. Hyatt Hotels and Resorts have partnered with The Partnership for a
Healthier America (PHA) to improve the nutritional profile of food menus at full-service managed
Hyatt properties across US and Canada. According to Brian Povinelli Global brand leader, Westin
Hotel and Resorts (Starwood hotels), Westin was the first hotel brand to offer its guest signature
SuperFood RxTM
menus to encourage a healthy lifestyle and this programme has been extended to its
associates around the world. Westin hotels and resorts make the healthiest choices irresistibly
appealing, so guests feeling better than when they arrived (Povinelli B 2013).
The media has played a vital role in bringing about a change in our food habits through food shows
and advertisements. Live demonstrations by Indian and International chefs in magnificent state-of-
the-art kitchen set-ups; give tips to improve culinary skills. Research shows that youngsters prefer in
India more Italian food like pizzas’ and pastas followed by Chinese, and north Indian and south Indian
food (Maindola 2013). Social media also influences ones choice of cuisine and food outlet.
The ongoing deliberations on health foods and wellness menus in hotels world-wide, its link with
customer demands, lifestyle related diseases, developments in food technology and sustainable food
sourcing, and a dearth of such research in the hotel industry of an emerging economy like India,
became the impetus for current study.
Research Methodology The hotel and catering industry is now and will continue to provide a major share of food and
nutrition to the public. This escalating trend highlights the importance of the chefs’ role in providing
healthful food to curb the incidence of lifestyle diseases and implement sustainable practices for a
healthy community and healthy environment. The purpose of this study is to assess whether chefs /
caterers are providing healthful menus and study efforts taken on their part to increase customer
satisfaction.
Objectives The main objectives of this research are:
To study the major trends followed by restaurant/hotel kitchens in providing healthful and
wellness menus to their customers.
To study the creativity of the chefs in providing attractive locally procured healthful food to the
customer without compromising on taste.
To achieve the objectives and to examine the major trends followed in providing healthful foods,
chefs from upper segment catering establishments were selected for the case study. A list of reputed 4
and 5 star hotels, speciality restaurants and caterers from Pune and Mumbai was prepared and a
random sample of 20 hotels (4 and 5 star), 10 speciality restaurants and 10 catering establishments
were selected. Only 50% of the selected sample agreed to participate in the study on condition that the
establishment would not be identified; but responses of chefs would be used for purpose of the study.
Senior chefs from these establishments were contacted telephonically and by emails. The objective of
the study was explained and the chefs were assured that strict confidentiality would be maintained. A
survey was conducted to accumulate responses. A questionnaire was developed with the help of
review of literature and suggestions from experienced managers of upper segment properties in Pune
and Mumbai which was also the basis for framing the parameters. The questionnaire sought
responses in an interactive style and included both open-ended as well as close-ended questions .The
questionnaire comprised of two sections. Section 1 collected personal information about the
participants like education and work experience while Section 2 was drafted for obtaining chefs views
about major trends followed at present and included 20 questions which covered five broad
parameters namely:
Customer awareness and demands.
Reasons for choice of commodities.
Chefs’ perception about nutrition and wellness.
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Emerging trends in foods being served.
Food safety measures followed.
The questionnaire was distributed to chefs from major international hotel chains and to entrepreneurs.
Approximately two third of the chefs were employed while others were entrepreneurs.
A total of 50 questionnaires were distributed and out of which 35 were received. The final sample size
resulted in 33 usable responses.
Sample Design S. No Category Number of
Establishment
No. of
Respondents
Designation
1 4 & 5 Star Hotels 10 18 Executive chef 07
Sr. Sous chef 02
CDP 05
DCDP 04
Total 18
2 Speciality Restaurants 05 08 Director (Chef) 08
3 Entrepreneurs 05 07 Director (Chef) 07
TOTAL 20 33 33
Data Analysis The qualitative approach was used for analysis to achieve results from the research. The method of
structured interview was applied where this allowed for a two way conversation and information was
obtained orally. It is observed from the personal information obtained from table 1 that the maximum
respondents were from management levels who are involved in decision making. The age group
ranged between 28 to 42 years while two respondents were above 60 years. All respondents had a
work experience of minimum 7 years. 94% of the respondents’ have completed a Diploma/Degree in
hotel management.
Findings and Discussions The findings were analyzed based on the following parameters
Customer Awareness and demands
All chefs have opined that today ,the customer is well-informed about health food benefits, recipes
and ingredients used and often pose questions about the authenticity of food served.. All respondents
agree that guests have more food options on the menu.10% respondents opined that customers
demand organically grown foods.
Reasons for choice of commodities
All chefs opined that there is a marked change in the quality of ingredients available today both in
basic and ready-to-use form. Exotic vegetables are available all year round and imported ingredients
are easy to procure. It was found that convenience foods were increasingly popular in international
hotel chains and imported foods were used on a large scale as ready to cook, ready to eat food, ready
to serve beverages and frozen foods. Frozen fish fillets are preferred to fresh fish. Chefs are aware of
food additives in processed foods and that many have high sodium content. 90% chefs were aware
that processed products are less nutritive but preferred using them because of consistency in products,
better quality of finished product, ready availability, cost effectiveness and lesser dependence on
labour for preparation. 80% respondents feel that these foods would not have any side effects on
health in the long run as they are hygienically prepared and stored. The reduction in kitchen space and
labour problems was another relevant finding and the major reason for using convenience foods.
The use of additives such as emulsifying agents, stabilizers, and bleaching agents has increased, along
with the use of food colours, flavouring agents and leavening agents which were already being used
earlier. Premixes have become increasingly popular in the bakery department especially in the bread
and pastry section because of the distinctive flavour and taste which they impart to the product. All
respondents who use premixes prefer them because of consistency in end product and simplicity of
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
use. While food colours were used by all respondents, 50 % respondents opined that no artificial
sweeteners or mono sodium glutamate was used in the food.
Table: 1 Change Observed in Commodity Preference and Use
S.No. Parameter Response in Preference %
1 Processed food(frozen foods) 70
2 Processed food( ready to use) 60
3 Processed food (ready to cook) 30
4 Premixes/additives 75
5 Organic food 20
6 Whole grain and multigrain 90
7 Local, farm fresh produce 50
8 Exotic fruits and vegetables 50
Chefs’ perception about nutrition and wellness
Most respondents were aware of the approximate nutritive value of food served to customers in terms
of calories, i.e. high and low calorie foods, sugar and fats and were cutting down on the use of sugar,
salt, Trans fat and fatty foods in the kitchen. However Trans fats were still used by 70% of the
respondents especially in the pastry section and Indian kitchen. Four respondents stated that they use
only butter in place of margarine in the bakery Department. The most popular cooking medium in the
Indian kitchen was sunflower oil. Apart from vegetable oils, vanaspati, butter, ghee and margarine,
the trend is towards healthier option like olive oil, sesame oil, mustard oil and coconut oil. A variety
of other fats and oils are specially used in different preparations to give a distinctive flavour and taste
to authentic foods. Healthy cooking methods such as steaming, poaching, grilling, stir frying and live
counters on buffets are used by all respondents.
There is a significant increase in use of healthy options and functional foods in the menu. Only 25%
respondents stated that foods with special properties and health benefits were offered on the menu or
as a separate menu to guests. Although salads were part of the menu, 90% respondents were not aware
of the non-nutritive health benefits but had included them on the menu for the customers to select
from. It was found that respondent 1 from the Five star category hotels offered flexi-buffet options for
health conscious guests from the set buffet like opting for only cereals and fruits at breakfast or only
soups and salads for lunch. Respondent 1 also has in room dining menus with a low calorie food
section and wellness cuisine offered by the spa. Apart from canned and fresh juices on the breakfast
menu, healthy juice options like wheatgrass, bitter gourd, and cucumber etc are also served by 30%
respondents. Only 42% chefs responded to the question about offering special foods to guests
suffering from lifestyle related diseases like high blood pressure, Diabetes and obesity, stating that
sugar-free and low calories foods in terms of low fat food were on the menu. 15% respondents stated
that foods for other life style related diseases were served on demand.
Table: 3 Some foods with additional health benefits which are being used widely used in all hotels
Group Foods with additional health benefits
Cereals Oats, Wheat bran, barley, wild rice
Fruits Blueberries, Strawberries, Citrus fruits, red grapes, bananas, Olives
Legumes Sprouted moong, desi channa, black eyed beans, black gram, green peas, chickpeas
Miscellaneous Dark chocolate Red wine, Green tea, Fenugreek seeds, Turmeric, Sundried tomatoes, Tofu
Nuts and Oilseeds Flax seeds, olive oil, Grape seed oil, sunflower seeds.
Vegetables Broccoli, Carrots, Onions, Garlic, Bell peppers, Cabbage, Celery, Beans, Zucchini, Cherry
tomatoes, Parsley, Yellow corn, Asparagus, Green romaine, red romaine, Lettuce
Milk Products Yoghurt, Curds, tofu, Low fat milk, cream and cheese.
Emerging trends in foods being served
All respondents except one respondent opined that there is a distinct reduction in the size of portions
served in all outlets which contributed significantly to reduction in overall calories and fat
consumption. Respondent 4 had introduced a special Women’s experience menu in which all portions
served were small and were proportionately priced. Chefs give importance to plate presentations and
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dish presentations even for simple local cuisine. Starters offered on the menu were bite sized. Single
travelers have the option of ordering half a portion instead of a full portion. Small attractively served
portions are displayed on the buffet dessert counter to enable customers to savour all delicacies with
minimum wastage or overeating.
Food safety measures followed
All international chain hotels surveyed were HACCP/ISO certified or had their own in-house hygiene
certification standards.80% establishments were aware of hygiene standards and took measures to
ensure safety of food being served. All commodities were purchased as per Standard Purchase
Specifications and checked for quality. Time and temperature control in storage and preparation areas
was monitored.
Cooking was done as close to time of service as possible to retain maximum nutrients. The buffet
counter was constantly refilled and only required portions were reheated. Frequent reheating and
overcooking was avoided.
All respondents opined that apart from skills and creativity there is a need to include more healthful
options on the menu as guests are demanding organic foods and have good knowledge of foods.
Discussion Literature suggests that the need to promote health and well being is the latest trend in the industry,
and foods to encourage a healthy life style are being promoted in international chain hotels worldwide
along with fitness programs. The importance of good health has been recognized by leading global
hospitality brands and special efforts are being made to offer wholesome, attractively presented meals
not only to guest but also to employees. This study assessed whether chefs / caterers are providing
healthful menus and the efforts taken on their part to increase customer satisfaction, as a case study in
Pune and Mumbai.
The major trends mentioned in the questionnaire are listed below:
Sauté, stir fry or bake instead of frying, no overcooking and repeated reheating avoided.
Brown rice, wild rice, parboiled rice, couscous in salads.
Whole grain and multigrain flours are replacing refined flour.
Sunflower oil is used as the major cooking medium along with olive oil, sesame oil, groundnut
oil, soya bean oil and coconut oil.
Olive vinaigrette and light dressings replace traditional mayonnaise
Ample use of flavourful herbs like tarragon, parsley, leeks, celery, and mushrooms along with
freshly ground pepper and reduced use of cream and butter
Minimal use of Trans fats and margarine and awareness about their ill effects. Margarine is being
replaced by butter.
Increased use of antioxidant rich vegetables and fruits to add colour and texture in salads and
desserts and as a garnish. Preference for fruits with high antioxidant properties black grapes,
pomegranate, blood orange, and berries.
Increased consumption of nuts (flaked, slivered, and roasted) pistachios, peanuts, walnuts,
almonds, hazelnuts, water chestnuts in almost all types of, preparations.
Miniscule assorted garnishes and toppings with assorted tastes, textures and colour to add
interest to monotonous healthy soups. Big, chunky garnishes are passé.
Seeds – flax seeds, caraway seeds, Niger seeds.
Salads – endless healthful combinations of vegetables along with grains, sprouts, mushrooms
and olives, often served warm.
Exotic vegetables being procured locally, are in demand
Chocolates – dark, white and flavoured
Gluten free, sugar free, egg free and Vegan options
This indicates that there is a major transition in choice of commodities, methods of cooking, inclusion
of healthful options and reduction in the use of hydrogenated fats, with more stress on small portions
and attractive presentation of dishes. Although food operators are putting in their best efforts to ensure
that delectable food is offered to guests to suit their palates, they are often unaware about its role in
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
promoting good health or how it has been sourced. Some of them are still grossly ignorant about the
food value of the commodities they use to create mouth-watering delights and continue to follow
practices which lead to loss of vital nutrients. Chefs need to understand and put into practice cooking
procedures which retain the food value, for example, cut fruits are displayed on breakfast buffets
immersed in cold water for hours to stay crisp and fresh with little attention paid to leaching losses of
water soluble vitamins and minerals. If a customer orders a dish it is the caterers moral responsibility
to ensure that it contains and has retained the nutrients it is supposed to have, to provide the expected
health benefit.
The study notes that while processed foods and premixes are used by all food operators for many
products, they are especially popular in the bakery department. To achieve distinctive tastes and
textures in pretzels and bagels, and in egg-free mixes and gluten-free mixes for breads are on the
increase. However caterers should refrain from the use of sugar in sugar free products and use of
caustic soda in pretzels and ammonia in ginger bread. There has been an increased use of food colour
in the industry. Colours are added to cold gels and spread on cakes, mousses, and sponges. Use of
fresh fruits to enhance colour in desserts is on the increase.
The study shows that International hotel chains are all set to promote health and wellness packages
which are often clubbed with unique healthy lifestyle amenities. Healthy foods and light menus are
served in small portions. The idea is to allow health conscious guests to eat what they want to, but in
small quantities. Food products which are anti-carcinogenic containing antioxidants and flavonoids
for example blue berries, oranges, nuts, chocolate etc. often form a part of such menus. Salad counters
with healthful options of vegetables and sprouts rich in nutraceuticals like phytochemicals,
antioxidants, anti-carcinogens and pre and probiotics should be offered.
Chefs are re-inventing recipes so that they still taste super-satisfying but are lower in saturated fat and
sodium and higher in fibers. They are aware that foods people crave about and indulge, in need to be
made healthy. While the demand is more from the high end clientele and international tourists, today
the customer wants to avoid heavy Punjabi gravies, thick layers of cheese, a layer of oil or ghee
floating on food and are demanding lighter menus low in calories and saturated and trans fats, no
refined flour, and use of olive oil and healthy oils as a cooking medium. They prefer more of fresh
vegetables organically grown, live warm salads tossed in olive oil in front of the guest and stir fried
and baked dishes on the menu. Whether the vegetables have been properly washed and when they
were cut is another doubt, hence live stations have gained popularity.
Simple practical measures to enhance nutritive value of food need to be followed by the industry like;
Practicing measures to retain vitamins and minerals originally present by not soaking cut fruits
and salad in cold water to retain freshness.
Keeping cut fruits/ salads/juices covered and chilled to prevent oxidation and loss of vitamins A,
B complex and C.
Steeping and sprouting of whole grains and pulses and using fermented products to enhance
nutritive value.
Using whole grain flours to retain maximum B-complex vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
which are lost during milling.
Making wise choices while selecting commodities to maximize the nutrients consumed and offering
healthy items directly on the main menu instead of keeping a special section for health foods, and the
use of the media to promote healthful food choices will go a long way in ensuring wellness for all.
Conclusion The consumer awareness and interest in healthy eating combined with a rise in the number of meals
consumed away from home and steady rise in incidence of lifestyle diseases, poses a challenge to all
chefs as it is their moral responsibility to serve safe, wholesome meals.
Chefs play an important role in providing safe, healthful food to the masses, which depend on meals
consumed outside the home to meet their Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). In addition, the
potential clash between the use of processed food and fresh, locally grown or sustainable produce
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
creates a situation where important decision regarding choice of commodities needs to be taken,
weighing all the pros and cons.
It is therefore necessary for chefs to have a better understanding not only of the health benefits and
choice of commodities of processed versus fresh foods, but also cooking and storage procedures to
ensure service of safe, wholesome food which is affordable and cost effective.
Hotels and Restaurants can play a vital role in introducing the trend for treatment of life style diseases
from curative to preventive by giving a boost to those foods which offer additional health benefits, to
address the problem of lifestyle diseases which are rampant today.
This paper builds upon previous research and current studies and articles in addressing this topic and
like earlier research, serves as a building block in our understanding of emerging trends in food
industry towards service of healthful food options. However, because the food and beverage service
industry is vast and diverse food options are offered in India, more in-depth surveys will be needed to
assess whether foods served today help in combating lifestyle diseases.
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2012
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Web Resources – all website accessed between 12/12/2013 to 25/01/2014
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www.doaj.org
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Role of IT in Branding and Positioning of a Hotel: A Case Study with
Special Reference to the Oberoi, New Delhi Rekha Maitra1
Abstract Times have changed since the days when conventional marketing was the need of the hour. Day-to-
day discovery of the latest gizmos in the cyber world has brought the revolutionary phenomena of
Online Marketing. An access to Internet via Mobile Phones, Smart Phones, I-Pad, Data traveler and
Wi-Fi has inherited the gala transformation in the arena of innovative global marketing approach.
Not denying the fact that mobile-obsessed consumers have discovered that these hospitality aids are
most convenient and cost-effective to use.
The latest Mantra of Internet/Online Marketing is sustained by effective web-site; the significance of
effective web-site cannot be undermined. Nurturing and proper care of web-site is essential for
boosting its growth and success. Be it service, or a wide range of hospitality products, all are sold via
their attractive web-page layout, where the interactive and user-friendly web-site offers additional
assistance in reaching up to the potential customer. Effective hotel web-site represents its best
features for their guest when they are linked.
In Hotel Industry, an Empty hotel room represents its perishability out here the potential profit is lost
forever. The Hotel Industry combats the loss by equipping the web-site with different tools of
marketing, i.e. ease of navigation, links to appropriate companion sites, facility of interactivity etc.
Hotels are investing huge chunk of marketing budget on making hotel website user friendly. The
platform not only offers the facility of booking by filling up on-site reservation form with the option of
updated and revised room rates, the form effectively reaches to the reservation cell for tapping the
potential guest.
The Oberoi Group, founded in 1934, operates 28 hotels across five countries, one Nile Cruiser and
one Backwater Vessel in Kerala under the luxury ‘Oberoi’ and five-star ‘Trident’ brands. The Group
is also engaged in flight catering, airport restaurants, travel and tour services, car rentals, project
management and corporate air charters. Oberoi Hotels & Resorts is synonymous the world over with
providing the right blend of service, luxury and quiet efficiency. Internationally acclaimed for all-
round excellence and unparalleled levels of service, Oberoi hotels and resorts have received
innumerable awards and accolades. The Group’s commitment to excellence, attention to detail and
personalized service has ensured a loyal list of guests and accolades in the worldwide hospitality
industry.
The Objective of this study is to analyze the significance and usage of Hotel Web-site in Online
Marketing. The idea is to explore the new design element that contributes to effective web-site content
and the activities involved in updating an existing one. The analytical study of web-site will help to
explore the significance of effective and interactive web-site in enhancing the Branding and
Positioning of the Hotel product.
The Hotel industry being a booming sector is growing leaps and bounds. Web-site of hotel is surveyed
in order to judge the effectiveness of 5 Star Hotels web-site The Oberoi Hotel, Sham Nath Marg, New
Delhi is picked up as it is considered as the best hotel brand. The hotel stands evidence in terms of
quality and excellence as a traditional classic hotel, pre and post independence era. Web-site users
and Hotel Sales and Marketing team were interviewed for obtaining the desired result. The opinion of
the user and the web-site development team has been tabulated and presented.
Key Words: Electronic Media, Social Media Marketing, Travel Review Web-sites, Search Engine
marketing
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Hotel Management, Manav Rachna International University, Haryana,
India. Email: [email protected]
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Introduction An effective online presence in the cyber world turns out to be a magic wand for the sellers as well as
the buyers. The connectivity via web-page helps to understand the consumers in better manner for
being able to sell the products. A few decades ago; the business policies were different from today.
The effective web-sites are blessings in disguise, as this helps in branding and positioning of the hotel.
This further helps to sustain the customer by converting them into client. . Web-sites are door to an
organization and must provide organized and relevant content. (Frost, 2012)
Customers does not need the quality only, they endorse the brand due to its longevity and trust among
its consumers. No doubt, the software giant Microsoft spends up to 10 billion dollars a year on
research and in understanding how the market will move forward. (Yogesh Kochhar, 2013)
In the persistent competition of hotel Industry, it becomes imperative for hotel web-site to offer the
proper information to potential customers, as most of the guest checks the hotel web-site before
booking a hotel. The web-sites have different pages dedicated for their services. Hotels at present
have largely adopted e-commerce to achieve different business goals. (Law1, 2005)
Hotels' managers have adopted the Internet as one of their primary marketing channels to attract
customers while website development has become one of their business infrastructures for online
bookings and transactions. On the other hand, hotels' websites are the main search target for travelers.
Especially for hoteliers, owning a website is an important step in order to increase visibility and brand
familiarity. However, most hotels are not aware of the important of making their websites visible to
search engines and the nature of their presence on the Internet. (Belkhamza, Apr2013,Vol. 18 Issue 1)
According to Pew Internet & American Life Project (2012), 91% of web surfers use search engines to
find information needed. Although this way of search for information may also benefit the hotel
organizations if their information exists in the Internet, it has a negative impact on the name branding
when the hotel does not own a website, or when the website is not well placed or found in the search
engine database. This challenge is increasing as the number of websites and domain names is
dramatically increasing. (Belkhamza, Apr2013,Vol. 18 Issue 1)
The role of IT in branding and positioning of the Hotel has not been discussed specifically in the
existing hospitality literature. The aim of the study is to essentially examine the role of IT in
facilitating the brand and position of the hotel with special reference to The Oberoi, New Delhi.
Role of Various Electronic Media at Oberoi Hotels and Resorts
When it comes to tourism, consumer-oriented marketing lies parallel to other businesses. Apart from
the old-fashioned and sometimes manipulative methods, the new savvy tourists opt to conduct their
travel plans online with good reasons. (Khare, Jun2010, Vol. 17 Issue 2)
The marketing strategy of Oberoi Hotel formulates the presence of its brand to the status quo of being
omnipresent. The hotel web-site takes pride in its pioneer and luxury brand. The web-site also
communicates the details about the National Tourism Award for the best 5 star deluxe hotel in the
country by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in 2013.
The volume of information shared online and the number of people looking for information on the
web has grown (Berger & Schwartz, 2011). Networking tools emerged to facilitate communication
between business firms and customers, which resulted to exchanges of information and influence
(Godes, 2011).
Role of Social Media
High traffic on a web-page assures the good number of potential buyers, therefore the hotel assures to
get the customers from the social media as well. Hotel Web-page can be discovered via social media.
The users like the page for sharing the brand experience. Hotel Web-page facilities can be shared and
signed in via different social networking web-sites i.e. LinkedIn, Face book, Twitter, Stumble upon,
you tube and Delicious etc. The option of an email and printing is also available.
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Role of Travel Review Web-Sites
Travel review web-sites are venues for customers to publish hotel reviews. There is segment of
people, who surf the net for user review prior to purchasing the hotel product; certainly, their decision
are based on the review of recommendation and rejection of the product. Travel review websites
(TRWs) are one of the most popular sources to explore the characteristics of the tourism industry.
Travel review websites are innovative marketing tools for hotels.WOM (Word of Mouth) marketing
theory has evolved with the development of virtual communities and online social networks. Review
of Hotel Oberoi on trip advisor is as follows:
Table: 1(a) Reviews from trip advisor community (n-782)
Traveller’s rating No. of Persons
Excellent 498
Very good 212
Average 54
Poor 14
Terrible 4
Source: (Tripadvisor.in)
Table: 1(b) Reviews from trip advisor community (n-782)
Rating Summary
Location ******
Sleep Quality *******
Rooms *******
Service *******
Value *******
Source: (Tripadvisor.in)
Role of Search Engine Marketing The particular key word helps the website in generating good traffic resulting in enhancing the
ranking of web-site, more the hit, and better are the prospect for good ranking.
One can search the hotel web-site via search engine. Google gets the lion’s share, when one
approaches the search engine with key words. Unique key words of The Oberoi brand assist you in
accessing About 10,600,000 results (0.18 seconds) in Google. All the different links with different
web-site can be accessed via different web-site addresses i.e.
www.oberoihotels.com/images/pdf,www.facebook.com,www.booking.com,ww.zomato.com
www.wego.co.in,www.tripadvisor.in etc.
Effectiveness of Oberoi Web-Site in Boosting the Hotel Product Sale
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand” This is one of the brainy quotes,
Certainly the Modern and digitally conscious Consumer also believes in the same mantra. They do the
web-surfing followed by web-surveys.
Virtual tour: Virtual tour extends the 360 degree view of the hotel with multimedia effects of sound
effects, music, narration and text. Whenever a visitor clicks on the virtual tour, the varied options are
explored with charming pictorial gallery of hotel’s facilities and amenities The different room icons
present on the web-site offer a glimpse of lavishly decorated hotel rooms i.e. premier room, luxury
suite living room, presidential living room etc. The facility is also being extended for dinning, spa,
pool, lobby, ball room and business centers.
Different Icons of Hotel Web-Site with Brief Description
The Oberoi hotel web-site is well equipped with different icons, which lead the consumer to Hotel
Overview; there are different sub- headings of Room & Suites, Dining, Spa & fitness, Meetings,
Tariff &Policies, Special offers, Reservations, Gallery’s, Awards, Contact us, Directions, Travel
Guide and Experiences etc.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Overview of Hotel, Rooms & Suites
A room being the most glittering product is also the highly perishable commodities. This costliest
product has high revenue at stake, therefore it becomes imperative for the hotel to reach to masses.
The sub-heading of Rooms and suites represent the hotel room view at glance with their authentic
features.
The web-link of the hotel represents following features about all the Rooms:
Electronic safe, Mini bar with premium international brands, 2 Line telephone with voice mail, Data
port for internet & e-mail connectivity, Wi-Fi internet access in all rooms and public areas, Electronic
door lock, Personalized butler service, In Room TV offering channels in English, French, German,
Choice of financial and International newspapers, Well-appointed work desk, DVD Player in all
rooms & suites, Non-smoking floor, In-House Guest Directory.
There is wide range of rooms available with the characteristic facet of their own. An Example of
Deluxe Rooms on Hotel Web-site is as follows:
The Deluxe Rooms covering 348 square feet are designed keeping in mind the needs of today’s
traveler. Located on the lower floors of the hotel, the rooms are equipped with all amenities that a
discerning global business or leisure traveler needs. The room offers an abundance of natural light
that filters into the room through a large picture window. An added amenity is the extensive pillow-
menu including Buck wheat pillow, Memory foam pillow, Dual zone pillow and Body pillow as
options to aid sound sleep. The wall to wall carpeting adds elegance to the décor.
The Deluxe room offers an option of a king size or a twin bed and is equipped with a workspace that
constitutes a writing desk and chair.
Similarly the web-page reveals the prominent aspects of Luxury Rooms, Executive Suite, Deluxe,
Luxury and Kohinoor Suites. (Resorts, 2013)
Dining: The web-link offers the overview of dining facilities available in Hotel viz.: Three Sixty,
Travertine, Taipan, Club Bar, The Oberoi Patisserie and Delicatessen picturesque images of the food
outlets with their brief description. The hotel web-page displays the unique and beautiful exhibit of
food and beverage service. For example,
The Club Bar at the Hotel is an ideal venue to relax and meet friends and associates over
beverages and drinks.
Three sixty offers the best of world cuisines and wines and 24 hours In-Room Dining It is
rated amongst one of the best restaurants in New Delhi. Taipan offers cuisines from all
provinces of China and dim-sum menu at the restaurant are must to try.
Spa & fitness: It is one of the best leading luxury spas in Delhi. The Spa offers professionally and
holistic treatments and therapies for refreshing the body with well-being techniques. The Online Spa
Menu consists of fitness facilities i.e. Signature Indigenous Rituals, Massage therapies, Revitalizing
Body Therapies, Skin and nail care etc. The Oberoi Spa experience consists of Ayurvedic Therapies,
Specialty baths, Yoga and Meditation and the Complete Spa Experience. The heated Swimming Pool
offers a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere for the guest. Full Spa Menu can be downloaded in PDF
Version.
Fitness facilities: The Oberoi, New Delhi gymnasium built in an area of 1500 square feet, is equipped
with four tread mills, two cycles, two cross trainers and a complete series of strength training
equipment by Life Fitness. It includes steam rooms and an indoor lap pool with separate sections for
ladies & gentlemen.
The brightly lit gymnasium has a mirrored wall on one side and a glass wall on the other that
overlooks the open air swimming pool. Complimentary Yoga sessions are conducted for the resident
guests every day from 7-8 am.
(Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, 2013)
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Meetings and Events: The description on the web-page is as follows:
The Oberoi, New Delhi offers the ideal venue for hosting event in luxurious settings enhanced by
gracious hospitality. State-of-the-art equipment coupled with unobtrusive service and professional
expertise will ensure a memorable experience.
From small meeting rooms to large conference halls, it offers a choice of venue for your meetings and
events. The Hotel offers six banqueting rooms that can serve from 25 guests in classroom style to 375
guests for cocktails and receptions. For private meetings and high level strategy meetings, a cocktail
reception, or an elaborate gala dinner, The Oberoi New Delhi offers the expertise to create events that
guests will remember for a lifetime. The 24 hours Business Centre offers four 2-seater Private Offices,
two 6-seater Conference Rooms, three 12-seater Board Rooms and a 16-seater Board Room.
There is an image gallery and virtual tour facility being extended at Meeting web-Page, Every Icon
can be opened in a new Window with enthralling images of the hotel. Virtual tour is an eye tonic for
people who are looking for serenity with state of the art corporate facilities. Assistance page is an
icing on the top. The facility of calling up the Hotel staff is readily available and an e-mail can also be
written for the professional help. The icons are displayed as Call us and Write to us.
(Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, 2013)
Special offers : A little scope of imagination is left with the list of icons displayed on the web-site.
The Special offers prompt the consumer to enjoy the long list of different options, i.e. Oberoi Exotic
Vacations, Oberoi Family vacations, Oberoi Exotic Honeymoon, Business travel plus, Spa retreats.
There is an enormous range of Customized rates i.e. Extended stay rate, Advance Purchase rate,
Oberoi special rate and Breakfast Inclusive Rate.
Extended stay rate is being offered for longer and extended stay rates.
Advance Purchase rate is for early booking and availing special rates for future stay.
The Oberoi special rate offers the flexible rate of the day, designed to meet the flexibility
requirement of today’s travelers.
Breakfast Inclusive rate offers the option of morning with a power-packed breakfast, which can
be chosen from International buffet or a’la carte and the rates are simple and flexible.
On the right hand side of the web-page a reservation page is displayed for making the reservation in
The Oberoi, New Delhi with check-in and checkout calendar for no. of PAX and Rooms.
Figure 1
Check in Check out
Rooms
Persons Per Room
(Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, 2013)
Reservation: The web-page opens with the pull down menu options of Name of hotel, Arrival Date
calendar, Departure date calendar, No. of rooms required and no. of persons per room. There is an
option of Hotel selection, Rooms Rates and Guest Details. A pull down menu also offers an option of
different currency i.e. Indian Rupee, Indonesian Rupiah, Iraqi Dinar, Japanese yen etc. There is also
an option of logging in and registering self in hotel.
Contact us: For making a contact with Oberoi Contact Centre, the address along with telephone and
email is presented .An example is given below:
Oberoi Contact Centre
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +91-11-23890606
Facsimile: +91-11-23890500
Address: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, 7, Sham Nath Marg, Delhi-110 054, India (Oberoi Hotels and Resorts)
Tariff Policies: Tariff policies ,which are valid from 01st September 2013 to 15 April 2014 and 16
Apr, 2014 to 31 Aug, 2014 is being displayed on the Hotel web-page with different terms and
conditions displayed for Arrival and Departure Policy, Currency converter, Guarantee Policy,
Cancellation Policy, Child Policy and No-Smoking legislation is displayed effectively ,which is user
friendly.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Figure 2
Room Type
Rates in Indian Rupees valid from 01st Sep 2013 to 15 Apr 2014
Single Double
Deluxe Room 20,000 21,500
Luxury Room 24,000 25,500
Premier Room 29,000 30,500
Executive Suite 37,000 37,000
Special Executive Suite 50,000 50,000
Deluxe Suite 55,000 55,000
Duplex Suite 80,000 80,000
Luxury Suite 65,000 65,000
Curzon Suite 1,00,000 1,00,000
Kohinoor Suite 3,50,000 3,50,000
(Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, 2013)
The Oberoi Experience: The Oberoi reflects the capital city's spirit in a harmonious blend of tradition
and contemporary sophistication. It is ideally located in the city center near shopping, financial and
business districts. Rooms offer a panoramic view of the Delhi Golf Course on one side and of
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi's premier heritage site, on the other. The award winning hotel is ideal for
business travel or leisurely holidays to explore the cultural wonders of Delhi.
The Different icons displayed on the web-site are as follows for the Oberoi Experience; Every
Experience is worth sharing i.e. Old Delhi Tour in a Rickshaw discusses the enchanting experience of
gliding through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk, where one can witness the architectural marvels
,the multi-colour facade, beautifully decorated shops, ethnically dressed men and women and hear
voices of hawkers and fragrances emanating from the variety of eating stalls that line these historical
alleys. Duration: 3 Hours, Price: INR 2,500 per person, all applicable taxes are extra.
Experience by Themes select Children
Experience by Hotel select Wildflow er Hall, Shimla in the Himalayas
Suggestive selling is being approached for the potential customers; there is an array of different
options to choose from the hotel web-site viz.: Tea tasting Session at Mittal’s, Spice Market Tour,
Private Cooking Session, and Private Yoga Session by the Pool is also being offered (Oberio Hotels
and Resorts, 2013).
Awards: The hotel has received Certificate of Excellence by trip advisor 2013,Best 5 star deluxe hotel
in the country by ministry of tourism, Government of India,2013, best business hotel in New Delhi by
Business Traveler, Asia-Pacific Travel Awards 2012 Top city hotels in Asia and many more.
Figure 3
Award Awarded By
Best Hotel in New Delhi Destin Asian, Readers’ Choice Awards 2011
Amongst the top 100 Hotels in Asia Condé Nast Traveler, USA, Readers’ Choice Awards 2010
Amongst Top 100 Hotels in the World Institutional Investor, 2009 The World's Best Hotels
Amongst Best Hotels and Resorts (World) Forbes Traveler 400, The World’s Best Hotels and Resorts
2009
Amongst 101 Best Hotels in the World Sunday Times Travel magazine, 2008
Amongst Top 50 Hotels in Asia Travel + Leisure, World’s Best Awards, Readers’ Survey 2008
Best Hotel in New Delhi Institutional Investor, 2007 The World's Best Hotels
Best Business Hotel in New Delhi Asia money, Business Travel Poll 2006
Top Hotels in India (Ranked 3rd) Zagat Survey, Top International Hotels, Resorts and Spas 2005
Apart from the links mentioned above there are many such more links available on the web page such
as Information request, Feedback, Reservation Office, Discover New Delhi, Local Tourist Sites etc.
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Results and Discussion Two sets of Questionnaire were developed, one for Oberoi Sales and Marketing team and another for
Oberoi patrons. The questionnaire was filled up by e-mail sent to the hoteliers and a personal
interview was conducted for hoteliers and patrons. The questionnaire is represented through results in
form of responses given by the respondents.
Responses of Questionnaire for Hotel Oberoi
Table 2: Strategy that yields the business for Hotel
A Web-site marketing 40%
B Search Engine marketing by key words 25%
C Word of mouth marketing 15%
D Electronic media marketing, i.e. Radio, Television 10%
E Print Media i.e. Newspaper and Magazines 10%
As the results show that, 40% of business is yielded by web-site marketing, wherein search engine
marketing by key words gets 25%, 15% is the outcome of Word of mouth marketing. Electronic
media and print media results in 10% of total share of marketing.
Table 3: How hotel web—site is updated for different locations?
A Centralized 80%
B Decentralized 20%
The Hotel web-site is updated for different locations centrally, as the web-page design remains
similar, but the blueprint changes with every hotel as well as the image gallery, information about the
rooms, dining facilities and other amenities available in the hotel.
Does the hotel constantly update web-site with latest schemes?
It was asked to S&M persons about the constant up-dating of hotel web-site with latest schemes that
attract the customer to purchase the hotel product, the obvious answer for this question was yes, as the
hotel web-site is constantly updated with latest and special offers about rooms, dining, spa and other
facilities.
What is the source utilized for updating the hotel web-site?
The question of updating the hotel web-site was posed with different options of Operational
departments of the hotel, Sales and Marketing department and outsourced to an agency. The services
are being outsourced for updating the hotel web-site, as the sales and marketing division remains busy
with follow - up and tapping the potential clientele, the head of the operational departments
participate in designing and providing the data, images and other information to the agency hired for
the job.
It is evident from the above figures that maximum expenditure on advertisement is through on line
search engines, logo clothing and promotional material, around 10 – 15 lakhs of rupees are spent on it.
Second in row is expenditure on advertisement Yellow pages /local newspaper, E-mail marketing
campaign, Direct mail campaign, around 1 – 3 lakhs is spent. Lastly expenses on advertisement in on
– line directory is around 5 – 10 lakhs. The figures are huge as the organization believes that it’s
important to create brand image in the market to fetch good business results.
Table 4: Estimate of Expenditure incurred on advertising, sales and marketing activities by Oberoi Hotel
1-3
Lakh
3- 5
Lakh
5-10
Lakh
10-15
Lakh
15-20
Lakh
20-25
Lakh
Exceed
25 Lakh
Don’t
know
Advertising in Yellow
pages /local newspaper
Yes
Advertising in online
directory
Yes
Advertising in on-line
search engines
Yes
E-mail marketing
campaign
Yes
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Direct mail campaign Yes
Market research Yes
Logo clothing or
promotional items (hats,
t-shirts, pens, notepads
Yes
Table 5: The inputs used while designing Hotel website
A Latest scheme updates
B Festive offers
C Vocal marketing with the help of blogs and vlogs
D Pictures of hotels
E Appealing advertisement campaign
F All Of the above
The question was asked about the inputs used while designing Hotel Web-site, 4 choices were given,
1st was about latest scheme updates, 2
nd was about festive offers, 3
rd was about vocal marketing with
the help of vlogs and blogs, 4th option was about pictures of hotels, 5th option was appealing
advertisement campaign, the hotel uses all the given techniques while designing Hotel Web-Site.
Table 6: In order to understand more about Website Services of Hotel Oberoi, please tell us the hotel’s
role in designing the effective web-site
A Monitoring the social media by having a web-page on all the social networking sites
B Creating customer value online by offering loyalty bonus
C Electronic brochures for awareness
D Creating a site that satisfies the Oberoi’s target audience
E All of the above
Web-site designing requires expertise. It cannot be carried out single-handedly; from software
engineer to web-site designer everyone participates equally for improving it as per the customer
temperament. The contents are provided by hotel, as it reflects the brand.
Table 7: Which of the following best describes the primary business activity of your Hotel via web-site?
A Hotel Rooms
B Retail i.e. Restaurant, coffee shop, bar, banquet etc.
C Health club facilities i.e. spa, gym etc,
D Membership offers
E Other(Please specify)
The primary business activity of Hotel via web-site is Hotel Rooms’ sale. In Hotels, Rooms are highly
perishable commodity. Accommodation being the key requirement of the guest generates the highest
revenue in the hotel, where in the associated sale of other products generates the revenue equal to
revenue of 2-3 rooms. The rooms are exclusively priced between 30,000 to 3, 50,000 rupees.
Therefore, the primary business activity of the Hotel via web-site is Hotel Rooms’ sale for generating
the revenue and subsequently the profit.
Table 8: Travel review websites (TRWs) are popular sources for retaining or losing guest, how does it aid
the hotel?
A Word of mouth advertisement on web-site brings honest review
B Customer loses the faith in brand by reading the negative reviews.
C User reviews help the hotel to improve services
D All of the above
Travel review web-site assists the hotel in retaining the guest by writing positive reviews of the hotel.
Trip advisor enquires about the personal experience of the guest and prompts them to share their
personal experience. Sometimes, the negative feedback of the customer generates negativity in other
potential customer therefore the travel review web-sites generates positive as well as the negative
impact for hotel.
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Table 9: Are these options available online?
Information available on Website State Yes or No
A City tours, Airport pick up Yes
B Type of rooms with Range of Room Prices Yes
C Meal plans with Choice of menus No
D Health club Membership No
E Business Centre Usage, Meeting space options No
The next question was about different features of Hotel Oberoi. The web-site being the face of hotel
offers most of the information online, i.e. city tours which has been discussed in our research report
under the Oberoi Experience Headings, which offers Old Delhi Tour in a Rickshaw, Tea tasting
Session at Mittal’s, Spice Market Tour, Private Cooking Session, and Private Yoga Session by the
Pool.
Table 10: How key words used in web-site help in enhancing the popularity of the hotel?
A Helps the website to generate high traffic
B Results in high ranking of the web-site
C Increases the number of visitors to the web-site
D The hotel gets more customers, which help it to grow quickly
E All of the above
The next question was how the key word used in web-site helps the hotel in enhancing the popularity
of the hotel and in return strength brand positioning. If the key words used in hotel web-site matches
with the search engine, it automatically leads the searcher to the web-site. The key words also help the
website to generate high traffic, it also results in high ranking of the web-site, and the increased
number of visitors to the web-site brings more footfalls creating awareness about the brand value. The
appropriate key-word helps the hotel to get more customers, which helps the hotel to grow more
quickly.’ Therefore, the key words help the hotel to enhance the brand image of hotel.
Why does the hotel invest in Web-site marketing?
The Hotel invests in web-site marketing and to promote the Hotel Products i.e. Hotel Rooms, Food
and Beverage service. The brand Web-Site serves as an Electronic Brochure, which includes the latest
and the current offers. Most of the consumers buy online products, where as even more use the
Internet to gather information either online or offline. Thus, the importance of web-site cannot be
undermined in building a stronger brand.
Questionnaire for Oberoi Patrons
One set of questionnaire was asked to be filled by frequent Oberoi patrons. The exercise was carried
out via sending e-mails and by meeting the guest to know the choice of buying their favourite brand
products. The questionnaire was designed keeping Internet user guest in mind. The guest, who Access
the Internet for buying or surveying the Hotel were specifically asked to answer the questionnaire.
50 Tourist as respondents were asked to fill the questionnaire:
The survey shows Electronic media has become a new channel for advertising and enhancing public
relations. The new ways of extending attractive customer services fosters the new method of
distributing the Hotel room product via Internet marketing, which further reduces the manifold cost
of sales & marketing division. People choose the different resources before zeroing down on a
property ,the resources opted by tourist are varied ,but amongst all of these Web-site marketing has a
high ranking and it emerges as the most powerful tool.
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Figure 4: The resources used for surveying a good/reasonable/attractive/branded hotel accommodation
for self/friend/relative
Figure 5: How would you like to book a room for yourself?
Hotel web-site ushers as the preferred mode of booking. The person, booking the room, gets to see the
colourful images of Hotel Facilities, Attractive layout of packages, its associated brands. All the
promotional tools play an important role in drawing the customer to a Hotel by offering them specific
information. Web-site becomes an ancillary source of information.
All relevant information that may help the customer to take appropriate decision regarding booking
like facilities, options along with costs with clarity regarding taxes , if any, location , map, distance
from station /airport, meals facility, assurance about cleanliness, booking cancelation procedure,
payment mode, medical facilities, charges for additional facilities etc……
On the basis of the responses obtained from the respondents it was found that 85%of the respondents
agree that Internet booking via Oberoi web-site is user-friendly, offers step-by step helpful
information for the new users as well making them learn how to gather information. 15%people
disagree, as they may be unskilled and untrained to handle computers, which is a major obstacle /
hindrance. There was a segment of guest, who uses the Web-site for Survey only, where as they opt
for booking via other tools, i.e. Telecalling, Walk-In etc.
Figure 6: Is Internet booking on Oberoi web-site user-friendly?
0 5
10 15 20 25 30 35
0 5
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Series1
0
50
100
YES NO
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Special Issue: Travel, Tourism & Hospitality - Trends and Issues Vol. 6, January 2014
Table 11: What makes you endorse the brand Oberoi Online?
Parameters No. of responses(50) Percentage
Due to its longevity in the market 12 24%
Offers interactivity and have website address
easy to remember.
14 28%
Allow for online booking and revise room
rates easily on the website
14 28%
Include a virtual tour of the property 10 20%
The responses clearly show that Oberoi patrons value the services offered by Oberoi hotel which
includes interactivity on the web site and easy to remember web link. It also has resulted in maximum
hotel room booking on internet via web site. Certainly Oberoi brand has been in market since early
1900s has been consistent and always improving in service standards. That’s why people endorse this
brand and would like to remain associated with the brand.
Table 12: What is your favourite mode of selecting the hotel product before buying?
S. No. Parameters No. of Responses (50) Percentage
A Yellow pages /local newspaper 5 10%
B On-line directory 5 10%
C On-line search engines 30 60%
D Market research 10 20%
Before buying any product, guest prefers to carry out survey; i.e. guest look for luxury hotel and make
a market research to find out which hotel offers value for money. Most favourite method is to obtain
the information via search engine, as it offers varied options to explore .The online directory and
yellow pages/newspaper advertisement gets the less response as the new generation likes to explore
everything online rather than opting for the conventional marketing.
Table 13: Please indicate which Oberoi products you would most likely to buy online?
Parameters No. of Responses(50) Percentage
A Hotel Rooms 18 36%
B Food & Beverage services 16 32%
C Health club facilities i.e. spa, gym etc, 10 20%
D Membership offers 6 12%
Guest were asked about the Oberoi product that they would like to buy online ,the two options
emerged, one was to buy Hotel Rooms and another was to buy Food &Beverage Service. Hotel rooms
and Food and beverage service being the key requirement of the guest is being booked/ purchased
online.
Table 14: In the past 3 months number of times guests visited hotel Oberoi’s web-site for buying product?
Parameters No. of Responses(50) Percentage
a Never 0 0%
b Once 5 10%
c Twice 15 30%
d Thrice 20 40%
e Four times 10 20%
Guest were asked the number of times they have surfed hotel web-site for buying online product, the
answers varied as per the category of guest depending upon their requirement of booking a hotel
room, moreover Oberoi being a business hotel, it is frequented more as compared to leisure travellers
they visit the web-site twice or thrice only.
Table 15: Which is a convenient and economical way for booking a hotel accommodation?
Parameters No. of Responses(50) Percentage
a Via hotel web-site 30 60%
b Via travel portal web-site 20 40%
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Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality and Tourism Research
Convenient and Economic way for booking a hotel accommodation is visiting the hotel via Hotel
web-site than visiting travel portal web-site, as surcharges are levied on travel portal web-site,
therefore hotel web-site is preferred mode of booking.
Table 16: Please rate the contents of Hotel Oberoi Web-site
Rating Agree Neutral Disagree
Web-site is consistent with company image Yes
Web-site is creative and interesting Yes
Web-site is informative and memorable Yes
Web-site is original and believable Yes
Web-site is relevant and influential Yes
Conclusion Our research studies explore the experience of Indian customers and their satisfaction in deriving the
desired information from websites. The study concludes that the Indian customer is influenced by the
service convenience attributes of online travel firms. However, the consumers place less importance
on the trust and security aspects in financial transactions, than on other service attributes of online
travel websites. If the services offered by these websites are increased coupled with display of
relevant information about destinations, the Indian customer would be encouraged to visit these
websites and use them for vacation planning.
When it comes to tourism, consumer-oriented marketing lies parallel to other businesses. Apart from
the old-fashioned and sometimes manipulative methods, such as travel agents’ suggestions, the new
savvy tourists opt to conduct their travel plans online with good reasons.
Hotel Web-sites are way to increase the profitability, which has many advantages such as Web, is a
low-cost tool alternative to paper brochures or press releases sent in overnight mail. Second, Product
Information is often updated in company databases, so web-page content is always current. Finally,
the web can reach new prospects, which are searching for particular products.. Websites are important
platforms for hotel Internet marketing. Website content can directly influence customer preferences
and decisions. The case study based on The Oberoi hotel has strengthen the facts that hotels believe
web site is a strong and powerful tool to have a wide and popular Brand image along with
strengthening its existence in the market.
Limitations No research study is complete without mentioning the limitations/ constraints. The survey conducted
certainly had some limitations as interviewing customers was a challenging aspect keeping in mind
the availability of time with them. Secondly people were not very open in discussing their preferences
and their pre – purchase surveys.
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