Journal of outdoor recreation and tourism, Jun 1, 2023
Solo female travel represents a growing market segment, with an increasing number of females pref... more Solo female travel represents a growing market segment, with an increasing number of females preferring to travel alone. This paper aims to explore the international solo women's traveler experience; it uses a novel approach by studying the comprehensive experience of solo women travelers through analyzing user-generated content. It explores the opportunities, motivations, and constraints faced by solo women travelers. The content of user-generated videos is crucial to destinations' attractiveness and image. In this context, the researchers analyzed the 50 most viewed YouTube videos shared by solo women travelers using both inductive and deductive approaches. The content of the videos was analyzed using Leximancer to classify the most commonly occurring concepts in the text of transcripts, while the videos were also watched, and manual coded in relation to a conceptual model developed based on the existing academic literature. The findings showed a relationship between the type of accommodation solo females choose to stay in and the willingness to meet locals. Furthermore, the time of the day and the destination's reputation heavily influenced the activities and safety perception of the travelers. Management implications: Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and travel planners aiming to target solo women travelers are encouraged to first recognize this interesting segment. Based on the videos that we have analyzed more content like this could be made available and having a DMO who caters specifically to the need of solo female travelers will enhance the destination image and will encourage others to come and visit. A solo female traveler-friendly destination could be launched for, and by, destinations that allow solo females to freely move and practice their activities at any time and any place. This will encourage travelers to visit, and consequently, the presence of other females will increase the overall safety perception as was found in the current research.
Solo female travel represents a growing market segment, with an increasing number of females pref... more Solo female travel represents a growing market segment, with an increasing number of females preferring to travel alone. This paper aims to explore the international solo women's traveler experience; it uses a novel approach by studying the comprehensive experience of solo women travelers through analyzing user-generated content. It explores the opportunities, motivations, and constraints faced by solo women travelers. The content of user-generated videos is crucial to destinations' attractiveness and image. In this context, the researchers analyzed the 50 most viewed YouTube videos shared by solo women travelers using both inductive and deductive approaches. The content of the videos was analyzed using Leximancer to classify the most commonly occurring concepts in the text of transcripts, while the videos were also watched, and manual coded in relation to a conceptual model developed based on the existing academic literature. The findings showed a relationship between the type of accommodation solo females choose to stay in and the willingness to meet locals. Furthermore, the time of the day and the destination's reputation heavily influenced the activities and safety perception of the travelers. Management implications: Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and travel planners aiming to target solo women travelers are encouraged to first recognize this interesting segment. Based on the videos that we have analyzed more content like this could be made available and having a DMO who caters specifically to the need of solo female travelers will enhance the destination image and will encourage others to come and visit. A solo female traveler-friendly destination could be launched for, and by, destinations that allow solo females to freely move and practice their activities at any time and any place. This will encourage travelers to visit, and consequently, the presence of other females will increase the overall safety perception as was found in the current research.
Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patt... more Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patterns in various sectors, especially the restaurant and hospitality industry. This paper examines Lebanese Millennials' needs and the way Lebanese chain restaurant operators could efficiently satisfy them. Researchers implemented a mixed-method approach and collected 484 valid responses using an online self-administered questionnaire. The survey covered mainly: Millennials' restaurant selection attributes, social media food sharing, and satisfaction. Moreover, a semi-structured interview was conducted with six local chain restaurants' operations managers to explore how they are satisfying Lebanese Millennials' needs. The results indicate a discrepancy in priorities regarding restaurant selection between Millennials and restaurants' managers. Interestingly, this study reveals a statistically significant relationship between sharing food on social media and preferring food presentation over taste.
Les fluctuations du taux de change ont des impacts sur tous les secteurs economiques surtout au n... more Les fluctuations du taux de change ont des impacts sur tous les secteurs economiques surtout au niveau de l’exportation, de l’importation, du choix d’investissement, du pouvoir d’achat et du secteur du tourisme. Le tourisme et le taux de change sont tres vulnerables a des facteurs exogenes d’ou la complexite qui se pose au niveau de la gestion. Assurer un developpement durable est devenu une preoccupation pour les etats et les acteurs touristiques, d’ou une autre complexite qui s’ajoute au secteur touristique. Le developpement durable consiste a assurer l’equilibre entre trois poles en tension : economique, social et environnemental. Les etudes realisees dans cette recherche ont montre que le taux de change a un impact important sur le tourisme notamment sur la durabilite economique de ce secteur. Le modele economique qui se base sur la competitivite des prix touristiques, qui a ete adopte dans cette recherche, a pu estimer qu’une appreciation de l’euro de 10 % peut deteriorer la balance touristique francaise d’environ 4 Milliards d’euros. De meme, une etude sectorielle comparative entre la Grece et la Turquie a prouve la durabilite de la competitivite touristique de la Grece malgre la crise. Ces resultats montrent la necessite de promulguer et d’appliquer une politique touristique durable, maintenir une durabilite economique du secteur touristique et adopter un management effectif prenant en compte la complexite du tourisme et du taux de change. Finalement, le tourisme domestique reste le pilier dans n’importe quelle politique touristique nationale qui, en meme temps, evite la deterioration de la monnaie locale.
International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Reviews, 2019
Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski ... more Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski resorts’ visitors, their motivations, preferences, and perceptions. Thus, authors seek to analyze the characteristics of seasonal tourism demand in Lebanese ski resorts for the sake of reducing seasonality. Methodology: Quantitative methods were used and four out of the five ski resorts in Lebanon were analyzed. An online questionnaire was distributed to visitors, using a mix of self-selection and snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire resulted in 206 respondents. Responses showed high internal validity with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.83. Main Findings: The relationship between place attachment and annual visitations was validated and authors were able to point the deteriorated value for money among resorts. Furthermore, the K-mean clustering resulted in segmenting visitors into three groups of interest to be targeted in order to reduce seasonality. Implications: This study helps t...
International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Reviews, 2015
Tourism in Lebanon has always been a key contributor to the national economy. It is one of the ma... more Tourism in Lebanon has always been a key contributor to the national economy. It is one of the main sectors Lebanon depends on besides banking. In this research, dark tourism was approached as an important type of tourism that has a significant potential role in Lebanon. Unfortunately, this is not reflected in the Ministry of Tourism list of tourist’s attractions. The interviews done in this research showed that the Lebanese government gives no attention to such sites, and even dark places’ owners do not give their sites the needed attention in term of tourism development strategies. 100 questionnaires were collected in three different locations. Results showed that the youth generation in Lebanon is interested visiting dark-related destinations. The motivations and willingness to pay were studied for four different sites. Sources of information had a very important effect on visiting dark-related sites. As for payment, a randomized complete block design test revealed that visitors’...
Exchange rate fluctuations have impacts on all the economic sectors mostly exports and imports, c... more Exchange rate fluctuations have impacts on all the economic sectors mostly exports and imports, choice of investment, purchase power last but not least tourism. Tourism and exchange rate are very vulnerable to exogenous factors, hence the complexity that arises at the management level. Ensuring sustainable development became a priority for governments as well as for tourism businesses, thus, another complexity adds up for the tourism industry.Our studies have shown a notable impact of exchange rate on tourism, especially on the economic development of this sector. Applying an economic model based on tourism price competitiveness, we were able to estimate that an appreciation of 10% of the Euro could deteriorate the French tourism receipts by around 4 Billion Euros. On the other hand, a comparative study between Greece and Turkey showed price competitiveness on favor of Greece despite the economic crisis. Finally, the domestic tourism constitutes an essential pillar for any national ...
Protecting cultural landscapes is about managing the relation between the living heritage and the... more Protecting cultural landscapes is about managing the relation between the living heritage and the physical environment. Since the 19th century, scientists are interested in landscapes as field of research because of their distinctive, interconnected natural and cultural values. In Lebanon, cultural landscapes are affected by the ineffective management and protection as well as the inappropriate land uses. Furthermore, sustainable tourism which has merged in the last decade, is still unable to solve the negative impacts caused by mass tourism on the Lebanese cultural landscape. Therefore, for the purpose of improving sustainable tourism management at cultural landscape, this research aims to explore the characteristics of cultural landscape, through the identification of natural and cultural resources, and to assess their management and protection strategies based on an innovative approach in cultural landscape management. Data were gathered based on nine semi-structured interviews w...
(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)IntroductionGlobalization and Knowledge economy had affe... more (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)IntroductionGlobalization and Knowledge economy had affected the world path of business and exchange of goods. These concepts have resulted in an amendment of communication, knowledge share and cultural mix (Brown et al., 2008). They made a modification in the economic situation of the whole world and caused the born of new markets, new opportunities, and new systems (Maxwell et al., 2011).Tourism is one of the most important sectors in many countries. Their major profits come from tourists' expenditures in a certain nation. Exchange rate fluctuations can be a major problem for these countries however, being a member of an economic and monetary union can eliminate various costs such as: currency conversion costs, banks transactions and also can stimulate the mobility of people, goods and capital (Ratz & Puczko, 1999).Thus, the usage of universal currencies less vulnerable than others along with the adoption of a tourism policy focusing on domestic tourism to stabilize the economy of the tourism destination have many advantages for the success and economic development of such countries. The Euro currency is a universal currency and is one of the currencies considered as less vulnerable to the fluctuations of exchange rate.The unification of the Euro currency since January 2002 has facilitated tourism flow and provided many payment facilities. For instance, Europe has a significant participation in international tourism and represents a leading tourist region in the world; in 2008 the country had a market share of 53%, with 489 million international arrivals (Gligorijevic & Petrovic, 2009). Hence, this unification and the development of tourism in Europe have benefited many countries by giving them the opportunity to be a part of this union and enjoy many economic advantages with regard to the exchange rate and tourism.Being a member of the European Union, Greece has been able to avoid many costs associated with the exchange rate and its fluctuations, as well as to increase the tourist's expenditure in the country. On the other hand, the great emphasize on domestic tourism and its stabilizer role has allowed the region to respond effectively to various economic crises. The current study will present the main factors that keep a prosperous tourism industry in Greece despite economic difficulties and heavy competition.Theoretical FrameworkEurope has faced great challenges and many triumphs by using a unified currency, the Euro. This unification of the currency gave Europe a competitive advantage over continents; shortly afterwards, these changes began to appear throughout the globe, affecting the international market activities, and tourism establishing a unique identity for the world to witness. The Euro soon began to influence their financial markets and the tourism sector throughout the world. One of these sectors was the tourism industry, funding 16% of its GDP (Ratz & Hinek, 2006).Tourism IndustryAccording to the UNWTO, "Tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes" (UNWTO, 2008). The social factor in tourism is directly related to economic factor since it may have a positive or negative impact on the economic situation of a certain country. Moreover, for the less developed regions tourism will improve its economic situation (Coccossis & Constantoglou, 2005).Therefore, tourism may deteriorate the resources of the estimated touristic countries by the usage or consumption of the local/ national resources of the country. The originality and uniqueness of the tourism sector is that it is a factor of economic development (Jacint and Contavella-Jorda, 2000). Also tourism is considered as a form of internal export: the international tourism trade is not constituted of an exchange of products, but essentially of displacement of people: it is the customer that moves and not the product (Marques, 2012). …
Protecting cultural landscapes is about managing the relation between the living heritage and the... more Protecting cultural landscapes is about managing the relation between the living heritage and the physical environment. Since the 19th century, scientists are interested in landscapes as field of research because of their distinctive, interconnected natural and cultural values. In Lebanon, cultural landscapes are affected by the ineffective management and protection as well as the inappropriate land uses. Furthermore, sustainable tourism which has merged in the last decade, is still unable to solve the negative impacts caused by mass tourism on the Lebanese cultural landscape. Therefore, for the purpose of improving sustainable tourism management at cultural landscape, this research aims to explore the characteristics of cultural landscape, through the identification of natural and cultural resources, and to assess their management and protection strategies based on an innovative approach in cultural landscape management. Data were gathered based on nine semi-structured interviews w...
The restaurant’s menu is considered the primary determinant of a restaurant’s profitability and ... more The restaurant’s menu is considered the primary determinant of a restaurant’s profitability and customer satisfaction. This article explores consumers’ preferences of restaurant menu measures applied during a crisis. Based on pertinent literature review in conjunction with inputs from F&B experts, the researchers identified a list of 6 restaurant menu practices that managers implement during a crisis. The researchers used the Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) method to identify customers’ choices for the menu measures. Based on the analysis of survey responses from 568 restaurant customers, the findings demonstrate that menu measures applied during a crisis are perceived differently across the three restaurant categories: fine dining, casual dining, and quick service. The results of this study have not only practical contribution to the case of Lebanon, but they also fill a gap in the knowledge, and extend the existing literature with restaurant consumers’
preference of menu measures during a crisis, and provide a list of practices to be implemented by F&B professionals.
Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patt... more Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patterns in various sectors, especially the restaurant and hospitality industry. This paper examines Lebanese Millennials' needs and the way Lebanese chain restaurant operators could efficiently satisfy them. Researchers implemented a mixed-method approach and collected 484 valid responses using an online self-administered questionnaire. The survey covered mainly: Millennials' restaurant selection attributes, social media food sharing, and satisfaction. Moreover, a semi-structured interview was conducted with six local chain restaurants' operations managers to explore how they are satisfying Lebanese Millennials' needs. The results indicate a discrepancy in priorities regarding restaurant selection between Millennials and restaurants' managers. Interestingly, this study reveals a statistically significant relationship between sharing food on social media and preferring food presentation over taste.
International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Reviews, 2019
Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski ... more Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski resorts' visitors, their motivations, preferences, and perceptions. Thus, authors seek to analyze the characteristics of seasonal tourism demand in Lebanese ski resorts for the sake of reducing seasonality. Methodology: Quantitative methods were used and four out of the five ski resorts in Lebanon were analyzed. An online questionnaire was distributed to visitors, using a mix of self-selection and snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire resulted in 206 respondents. Responses showed high internal validity with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. Main Findings: The relationship between place attachment and annual visitations was validated and authors were able to point the deteriorated value for money among resorts. Furthermore, the K-mean clustering resulted in segmenting visitors into three groups of interest to be targeted in order to reduce seasonality. Implications: This study helps the winter and snow tourism stakeholders in Lebanon to reduce tourism seasonality and consequently develop sustainable tourism products. It also enhances previous studies conducted on seasonal tourism demand. Limitations: The main limitation is that not all stakeholders were examined. Further research is needed to be conducted on visitors' decision-making processes and their actual behavior. The proposed segments in this study are subject to future tests and investigations. The novelty of the study: With no previous research attempting to analyze seasonal demand in Lebanese ski resorts; this study has a vital role to play in developing sustainable tourism products and helping winter and snow tourism stakeholders to reduce tourism seasonality. The clusters presented at the end of this paper are considered as a new proposition for ski resorts' managers who are shifting toward all-season operations.
Journal of outdoor recreation and tourism, Jun 1, 2023
Solo female travel represents a growing market segment, with an increasing number of females pref... more Solo female travel represents a growing market segment, with an increasing number of females preferring to travel alone. This paper aims to explore the international solo women's traveler experience; it uses a novel approach by studying the comprehensive experience of solo women travelers through analyzing user-generated content. It explores the opportunities, motivations, and constraints faced by solo women travelers. The content of user-generated videos is crucial to destinations' attractiveness and image. In this context, the researchers analyzed the 50 most viewed YouTube videos shared by solo women travelers using both inductive and deductive approaches. The content of the videos was analyzed using Leximancer to classify the most commonly occurring concepts in the text of transcripts, while the videos were also watched, and manual coded in relation to a conceptual model developed based on the existing academic literature. The findings showed a relationship between the type of accommodation solo females choose to stay in and the willingness to meet locals. Furthermore, the time of the day and the destination's reputation heavily influenced the activities and safety perception of the travelers. Management implications: Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and travel planners aiming to target solo women travelers are encouraged to first recognize this interesting segment. Based on the videos that we have analyzed more content like this could be made available and having a DMO who caters specifically to the need of solo female travelers will enhance the destination image and will encourage others to come and visit. A solo female traveler-friendly destination could be launched for, and by, destinations that allow solo females to freely move and practice their activities at any time and any place. This will encourage travelers to visit, and consequently, the presence of other females will increase the overall safety perception as was found in the current research.
Solo female travel represents a growing market segment, with an increasing number of females pref... more Solo female travel represents a growing market segment, with an increasing number of females preferring to travel alone. This paper aims to explore the international solo women's traveler experience; it uses a novel approach by studying the comprehensive experience of solo women travelers through analyzing user-generated content. It explores the opportunities, motivations, and constraints faced by solo women travelers. The content of user-generated videos is crucial to destinations' attractiveness and image. In this context, the researchers analyzed the 50 most viewed YouTube videos shared by solo women travelers using both inductive and deductive approaches. The content of the videos was analyzed using Leximancer to classify the most commonly occurring concepts in the text of transcripts, while the videos were also watched, and manual coded in relation to a conceptual model developed based on the existing academic literature. The findings showed a relationship between the type of accommodation solo females choose to stay in and the willingness to meet locals. Furthermore, the time of the day and the destination's reputation heavily influenced the activities and safety perception of the travelers. Management implications: Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and travel planners aiming to target solo women travelers are encouraged to first recognize this interesting segment. Based on the videos that we have analyzed more content like this could be made available and having a DMO who caters specifically to the need of solo female travelers will enhance the destination image and will encourage others to come and visit. A solo female traveler-friendly destination could be launched for, and by, destinations that allow solo females to freely move and practice their activities at any time and any place. This will encourage travelers to visit, and consequently, the presence of other females will increase the overall safety perception as was found in the current research.
Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patt... more Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patterns in various sectors, especially the restaurant and hospitality industry. This paper examines Lebanese Millennials' needs and the way Lebanese chain restaurant operators could efficiently satisfy them. Researchers implemented a mixed-method approach and collected 484 valid responses using an online self-administered questionnaire. The survey covered mainly: Millennials' restaurant selection attributes, social media food sharing, and satisfaction. Moreover, a semi-structured interview was conducted with six local chain restaurants' operations managers to explore how they are satisfying Lebanese Millennials' needs. The results indicate a discrepancy in priorities regarding restaurant selection between Millennials and restaurants' managers. Interestingly, this study reveals a statistically significant relationship between sharing food on social media and preferring food presentation over taste.
Les fluctuations du taux de change ont des impacts sur tous les secteurs economiques surtout au n... more Les fluctuations du taux de change ont des impacts sur tous les secteurs economiques surtout au niveau de l’exportation, de l’importation, du choix d’investissement, du pouvoir d’achat et du secteur du tourisme. Le tourisme et le taux de change sont tres vulnerables a des facteurs exogenes d’ou la complexite qui se pose au niveau de la gestion. Assurer un developpement durable est devenu une preoccupation pour les etats et les acteurs touristiques, d’ou une autre complexite qui s’ajoute au secteur touristique. Le developpement durable consiste a assurer l’equilibre entre trois poles en tension : economique, social et environnemental. Les etudes realisees dans cette recherche ont montre que le taux de change a un impact important sur le tourisme notamment sur la durabilite economique de ce secteur. Le modele economique qui se base sur la competitivite des prix touristiques, qui a ete adopte dans cette recherche, a pu estimer qu’une appreciation de l’euro de 10 % peut deteriorer la balance touristique francaise d’environ 4 Milliards d’euros. De meme, une etude sectorielle comparative entre la Grece et la Turquie a prouve la durabilite de la competitivite touristique de la Grece malgre la crise. Ces resultats montrent la necessite de promulguer et d’appliquer une politique touristique durable, maintenir une durabilite economique du secteur touristique et adopter un management effectif prenant en compte la complexite du tourisme et du taux de change. Finalement, le tourisme domestique reste le pilier dans n’importe quelle politique touristique nationale qui, en meme temps, evite la deterioration de la monnaie locale.
International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Reviews, 2019
Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski ... more Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski resorts’ visitors, their motivations, preferences, and perceptions. Thus, authors seek to analyze the characteristics of seasonal tourism demand in Lebanese ski resorts for the sake of reducing seasonality. Methodology: Quantitative methods were used and four out of the five ski resorts in Lebanon were analyzed. An online questionnaire was distributed to visitors, using a mix of self-selection and snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire resulted in 206 respondents. Responses showed high internal validity with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.83. Main Findings: The relationship between place attachment and annual visitations was validated and authors were able to point the deteriorated value for money among resorts. Furthermore, the K-mean clustering resulted in segmenting visitors into three groups of interest to be targeted in order to reduce seasonality. Implications: This study helps t...
International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Reviews, 2015
Tourism in Lebanon has always been a key contributor to the national economy. It is one of the ma... more Tourism in Lebanon has always been a key contributor to the national economy. It is one of the main sectors Lebanon depends on besides banking. In this research, dark tourism was approached as an important type of tourism that has a significant potential role in Lebanon. Unfortunately, this is not reflected in the Ministry of Tourism list of tourist’s attractions. The interviews done in this research showed that the Lebanese government gives no attention to such sites, and even dark places’ owners do not give their sites the needed attention in term of tourism development strategies. 100 questionnaires were collected in three different locations. Results showed that the youth generation in Lebanon is interested visiting dark-related destinations. The motivations and willingness to pay were studied for four different sites. Sources of information had a very important effect on visiting dark-related sites. As for payment, a randomized complete block design test revealed that visitors’...
Exchange rate fluctuations have impacts on all the economic sectors mostly exports and imports, c... more Exchange rate fluctuations have impacts on all the economic sectors mostly exports and imports, choice of investment, purchase power last but not least tourism. Tourism and exchange rate are very vulnerable to exogenous factors, hence the complexity that arises at the management level. Ensuring sustainable development became a priority for governments as well as for tourism businesses, thus, another complexity adds up for the tourism industry.Our studies have shown a notable impact of exchange rate on tourism, especially on the economic development of this sector. Applying an economic model based on tourism price competitiveness, we were able to estimate that an appreciation of 10% of the Euro could deteriorate the French tourism receipts by around 4 Billion Euros. On the other hand, a comparative study between Greece and Turkey showed price competitiveness on favor of Greece despite the economic crisis. Finally, the domestic tourism constitutes an essential pillar for any national ...
Protecting cultural landscapes is about managing the relation between the living heritage and the... more Protecting cultural landscapes is about managing the relation between the living heritage and the physical environment. Since the 19th century, scientists are interested in landscapes as field of research because of their distinctive, interconnected natural and cultural values. In Lebanon, cultural landscapes are affected by the ineffective management and protection as well as the inappropriate land uses. Furthermore, sustainable tourism which has merged in the last decade, is still unable to solve the negative impacts caused by mass tourism on the Lebanese cultural landscape. Therefore, for the purpose of improving sustainable tourism management at cultural landscape, this research aims to explore the characteristics of cultural landscape, through the identification of natural and cultural resources, and to assess their management and protection strategies based on an innovative approach in cultural landscape management. Data were gathered based on nine semi-structured interviews w...
(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)IntroductionGlobalization and Knowledge economy had affe... more (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)IntroductionGlobalization and Knowledge economy had affected the world path of business and exchange of goods. These concepts have resulted in an amendment of communication, knowledge share and cultural mix (Brown et al., 2008). They made a modification in the economic situation of the whole world and caused the born of new markets, new opportunities, and new systems (Maxwell et al., 2011).Tourism is one of the most important sectors in many countries. Their major profits come from tourists' expenditures in a certain nation. Exchange rate fluctuations can be a major problem for these countries however, being a member of an economic and monetary union can eliminate various costs such as: currency conversion costs, banks transactions and also can stimulate the mobility of people, goods and capital (Ratz & Puczko, 1999).Thus, the usage of universal currencies less vulnerable than others along with the adoption of a tourism policy focusing on domestic tourism to stabilize the economy of the tourism destination have many advantages for the success and economic development of such countries. The Euro currency is a universal currency and is one of the currencies considered as less vulnerable to the fluctuations of exchange rate.The unification of the Euro currency since January 2002 has facilitated tourism flow and provided many payment facilities. For instance, Europe has a significant participation in international tourism and represents a leading tourist region in the world; in 2008 the country had a market share of 53%, with 489 million international arrivals (Gligorijevic & Petrovic, 2009). Hence, this unification and the development of tourism in Europe have benefited many countries by giving them the opportunity to be a part of this union and enjoy many economic advantages with regard to the exchange rate and tourism.Being a member of the European Union, Greece has been able to avoid many costs associated with the exchange rate and its fluctuations, as well as to increase the tourist's expenditure in the country. On the other hand, the great emphasize on domestic tourism and its stabilizer role has allowed the region to respond effectively to various economic crises. The current study will present the main factors that keep a prosperous tourism industry in Greece despite economic difficulties and heavy competition.Theoretical FrameworkEurope has faced great challenges and many triumphs by using a unified currency, the Euro. This unification of the currency gave Europe a competitive advantage over continents; shortly afterwards, these changes began to appear throughout the globe, affecting the international market activities, and tourism establishing a unique identity for the world to witness. The Euro soon began to influence their financial markets and the tourism sector throughout the world. One of these sectors was the tourism industry, funding 16% of its GDP (Ratz & Hinek, 2006).Tourism IndustryAccording to the UNWTO, "Tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes" (UNWTO, 2008). The social factor in tourism is directly related to economic factor since it may have a positive or negative impact on the economic situation of a certain country. Moreover, for the less developed regions tourism will improve its economic situation (Coccossis & Constantoglou, 2005).Therefore, tourism may deteriorate the resources of the estimated touristic countries by the usage or consumption of the local/ national resources of the country. The originality and uniqueness of the tourism sector is that it is a factor of economic development (Jacint and Contavella-Jorda, 2000). Also tourism is considered as a form of internal export: the international tourism trade is not constituted of an exchange of products, but essentially of displacement of people: it is the customer that moves and not the product (Marques, 2012). …
Protecting cultural landscapes is about managing the relation between the living heritage and the... more Protecting cultural landscapes is about managing the relation between the living heritage and the physical environment. Since the 19th century, scientists are interested in landscapes as field of research because of their distinctive, interconnected natural and cultural values. In Lebanon, cultural landscapes are affected by the ineffective management and protection as well as the inappropriate land uses. Furthermore, sustainable tourism which has merged in the last decade, is still unable to solve the negative impacts caused by mass tourism on the Lebanese cultural landscape. Therefore, for the purpose of improving sustainable tourism management at cultural landscape, this research aims to explore the characteristics of cultural landscape, through the identification of natural and cultural resources, and to assess their management and protection strategies based on an innovative approach in cultural landscape management. Data were gathered based on nine semi-structured interviews w...
The restaurant’s menu is considered the primary determinant of a restaurant’s profitability and ... more The restaurant’s menu is considered the primary determinant of a restaurant’s profitability and customer satisfaction. This article explores consumers’ preferences of restaurant menu measures applied during a crisis. Based on pertinent literature review in conjunction with inputs from F&B experts, the researchers identified a list of 6 restaurant menu practices that managers implement during a crisis. The researchers used the Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) method to identify customers’ choices for the menu measures. Based on the analysis of survey responses from 568 restaurant customers, the findings demonstrate that menu measures applied during a crisis are perceived differently across the three restaurant categories: fine dining, casual dining, and quick service. The results of this study have not only practical contribution to the case of Lebanon, but they also fill a gap in the knowledge, and extend the existing literature with restaurant consumers’
preference of menu measures during a crisis, and provide a list of practices to be implemented by F&B professionals.
Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patt... more Millennials worldwide are the connected generation that is actively changing the consumption patterns in various sectors, especially the restaurant and hospitality industry. This paper examines Lebanese Millennials' needs and the way Lebanese chain restaurant operators could efficiently satisfy them. Researchers implemented a mixed-method approach and collected 484 valid responses using an online self-administered questionnaire. The survey covered mainly: Millennials' restaurant selection attributes, social media food sharing, and satisfaction. Moreover, a semi-structured interview was conducted with six local chain restaurants' operations managers to explore how they are satisfying Lebanese Millennials' needs. The results indicate a discrepancy in priorities regarding restaurant selection between Millennials and restaurants' managers. Interestingly, this study reveals a statistically significant relationship between sharing food on social media and preferring food presentation over taste.
International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Reviews, 2019
Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski ... more Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski resorts' visitors, their motivations, preferences, and perceptions. Thus, authors seek to analyze the characteristics of seasonal tourism demand in Lebanese ski resorts for the sake of reducing seasonality. Methodology: Quantitative methods were used and four out of the five ski resorts in Lebanon were analyzed. An online questionnaire was distributed to visitors, using a mix of self-selection and snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire resulted in 206 respondents. Responses showed high internal validity with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. Main Findings: The relationship between place attachment and annual visitations was validated and authors were able to point the deteriorated value for money among resorts. Furthermore, the K-mean clustering resulted in segmenting visitors into three groups of interest to be targeted in order to reduce seasonality. Implications: This study helps the winter and snow tourism stakeholders in Lebanon to reduce tourism seasonality and consequently develop sustainable tourism products. It also enhances previous studies conducted on seasonal tourism demand. Limitations: The main limitation is that not all stakeholders were examined. Further research is needed to be conducted on visitors' decision-making processes and their actual behavior. The proposed segments in this study are subject to future tests and investigations. The novelty of the study: With no previous research attempting to analyze seasonal demand in Lebanese ski resorts; this study has a vital role to play in developing sustainable tourism products and helping winter and snow tourism stakeholders to reduce tourism seasonality. The clusters presented at the end of this paper are considered as a new proposition for ski resorts' managers who are shifting toward all-season operations.
International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Reviews, 2019
Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski ... more Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski resorts' visitors, their motivations, preferences, and perceptions. Thus, authors seek to analyze the characteristics of seasonal tourism demand in Lebanese ski resorts for the sake of reducing seasonality. Methodology: Quantitative methods were used and four out of the five ski resorts in Lebanon were analyzed. An online questionnaire was distributed to visitors, using a mix of self-selection and snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire resulted in 206 respondents. Responses showed high internal validity with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. Main Findings: The relationship between place attachment and annual visitations was validated and authors were able to point the deteriorated value for money among resorts. Furthermore, the K-mean clustering resulted in segmenting visitors into three groups of interest to be targeted in order to reduce seasonality. Implications: This study helps the winter and snow tourism stakeholders in Lebanon to reduce tourism seasonality and consequently develop sustainable tourism products. It also enhances previous studies conducted on seasonal tourism demand. Limitations: The main limitation is that not all stakeholders were examined. Further research is needed to be conducted on visitors' decision-making processes and their actual behavior. The proposed segments in this study are subject to future tests and investigations. The novelty of the study: With no previous research attempting to analyze seasonal demand in Lebanese ski resorts; this study has a vital role to play in developing sustainable tourism products and helping winter and snow tourism stakeholders to reduce tourism seasonality. The clusters presented at the end of this paper are considered as a new proposition for ski resorts' managers who are shifting toward all-season operations.
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preference of menu measures during a crisis, and provide a list of practices to be implemented by F&B professionals.
preference of menu measures during a crisis, and provide a list of practices to be implemented by F&B professionals.