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Despite the fact that there has been much research in the field of COVID-19 and its impacts, the existing literature has been extensively dominated by a limited time scale and departments in the hospitality industry. Therefore, this study investigates the potential short-term impacts of a pandemic on hospitality operations, specifically relating to the revision of annual budgets and the provision of regular services and how these operations progressed in 2 years. The study aims to fill the literature gap and convey the mission to guide entrepreneurs and managers from an industrial perspective. Data were collected twice: the first was in the early weeks of 2021while the second corresponds to the early weeks of 2022 through personal interviews with 13 general managers of hospitality businesses operating in Turkey. Findings indicate that the pandemic has substantially changed the proposed annual budgets and hospitality operations. However, such changes have yet to be fully stable later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destinations and hotel businesses take advantage of many benefits of the online world. Extensive qualitative (review texts) and quantitative (review scores and room rates) data sources enable them to assess their positions through the eyes of their customers. The aim of this study is to propose a method focusing on customer reviews and rates in order to help hotel businesses with assessment of their positioning strategies. The dataset included a selection of five-star hotels in Istanbul, a city destination of Turkey. Room rates and the findings from a thematic narrative analysis of TripAdvisor reviews from a cognitive and experiential perspective were combined to create a position map. The findings extend traditional classification systems and reveal three competitive groups of five-star hotels with specific attributes in a city destination. Other findings offer some insight for hotel and destination managers, enabling them to evaluate the performance of positioning strategies of five-star hotels in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to understand the most efficient hotel system and why efficiency varies across years and between the two differing types of hotel businesses in Turkey. Design/methodology/approach: A data envelopment analysis (DEA) analysis was used to characterise the efficiency of all-inclusive (AI) and bed and breakfast (B&B) hotel businesses with one output (total revenue) and three inputs (labour, food and capital costs). The Malmquist approach is then used to discern changes in total efficiency (TTE) and intertemporal shifts in the efficiency frontier (technological change (Tch)). Findings: The results reveal that the AI hotel operates at 100% efficiency in the summer and year-round. The B&B hotel business operates at 89.6% with variable constant returns to scale during the summer and with 100% efficiency. The results of the Malmquist approach indicate that the total factor productivity grew in the years 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, while the other years were marked by inefficiency. Such increases were due to technical efficiency change (TEch) and Tch, which means that managerial and allocative efficiency (AE) were barely achieved. Slight differences were noted in the two time periods (all year and summer), suggesting that the scale of hotel businesses is prepared to operate all year round, and this calls for strategies to mitigate seasonality. Research limitations/implications: As to avenues for future research, the limitations of this study are threefold. First, the hotel businesses are not parallel in terms of the duration of their service offerings. Future research may consider including an AI hotel business that is in operation for the whole year. Second, businesses in Turkey are sceptical about sharing their data as it is considered confidential. However, to better generalise the results and encourage hoteliers to consider the positive outcomes of such analysis, the number of observations could be increased by considering more hotel businesses in both categories. Third, a mixture of data representing businesses operating in various countries may reflect if the efficiency scores vary internationally. Practical implications: Overall, AI hotel businesses are more attractive but less efficient than B&B. Furthermore, the external crisis impacts the efficiency of hotel businesses meaning that hotel managers could keep on exploring AI, perhaps educating their hosts not to waste or not offer huge quantities. Hotel managers may also need to enlarge their seasonal activities to ensure more efficiency. Social implications: Despite the intentions of AI hotel businesses to increase their profitability with a lower level of service quality, this study shows that the AI hotel business is very attractive but not so efficient due to the higher propensity of guests to consume food and beverages in excess that compromises the definition of efficiency as zero waste. AI is very attractive for family groups or those seeking the pleasure of relaxation at seaside resorts and is also very popular in Turkey. On the other hand, the B&B hotel business is more efficient but less attractive. Originality/value: The contributions of this paper are threefold. First, the authors analysed the efficiency and inefficiency of hotel businesses within nine years of operations. During this period, Turkey experienced first a tourism boom (2011–2014) followed by stagnation and subsequently a sharp decline due to political instability resulting in an (in)direct impact on tourism (2015–2019). Second, the authors compared the efficiency and inefficiency of AI and B&B hotel businesses. Third, the authors examined the effects of hotel management factors to ensure efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate how the coronavirus has resulted in harmful effects on the tourism industry and how it has most likely shaken the common traditional practices that the industry had followed for years. With a chronological order, this is a case study focusing on personal observations and also personal communication with hoteliers and retailers commencing from the early weeks to the end of 2020 in Turkey. The study has resulted in the categorization of risks, challenges and responses under 10 parts. The study also provides implications for the literature and the industry at the business and destination level altogether. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although tourism is an industry‐driven discipline, its philosophical roots are inseparable in education. The nature of tourism, expectations of each stakeholder – industry, tourists, academia, students, educators, society – and managerial attitudes of universities in general and tourism schools in particular, make it controversial to design a flawless education system for the interest of all parties. Based on educational philosophies, this study aims to reveal the perspectives of academics on ontological and epistemological dimensions by seeking answers to the objective, role, responsibility, and problems of tourism education. The study applies content analysis as a qualitative research method. Data were collected among 30 tourism academics with at least a PhD through an unstructured online form. Results demonstrate that tourism faculties in Turkey had a symbolic or superficial structural change in recent years. Tourism academics espoused an eclectic approach, prioritizing the role of educators as well as a vocational curriculum. Results also reveal that tourism education has encountered various problems arising from intellectual resources and physical resources, managerial policies, and institutional changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to accomplish three objectives: (a) to reveal the reasons why women academics prefer tourism academia; (b) to examine the experiences and perceptions of gender (in)equality of women academics; (c) to determine the cultural, social and family‐based variables affecting the careers of women academics. The study is based on three steps by the application of triangulation method including interviews and focus groups. Study findings suggest that the academia is an attractive environment for women to escape from the industry despite the former brings several problems in taking steps for maintaining their career‐based responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As past research has considered the major stages of the consumer behavior model separately, it is hardly possible to evaluate the most effective factor over final decision making. Thus, this study has a special significance, as it evaluates every stage, makes a comparison between stages, and puts forward the relationship between them. The discussion of findings is related to the assessment of data collected through a questionnaire survey among Turkish domestic tourists. Study findings have concluded a positive interrelationship among all stages of the consumer behavior model in tourism, and these findings can be regarded as sufficient evidence to support the 10 research hypotheses proposed in the study. In light of these findings, the paper also addresses both theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate customer deviance directed against employees working in the hotel industry. First, the literature about the dark side of customers is reviewed. Second, the source of deviant behavior is discussed. Third, the methodology is explained. Finally, the research findings are presented. The assessment of findings is based on 21 semistructured interviews. Although there are some serious deviant behaviors such as stabbing and physical sexual harassment, the deviant behaviors are generally seen as yelling at employees and behaving impolitely, which made employees questioning their status of work and dispirited. The study findings also suggest that the customers from different countries have different deviant behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey has developed rapidly over the last two decades in international tourism with record number of international visitors and tourism earnings. Parallel with developments in international tourism, greater achievements have been reached in domestic tourism and an increasing number of second homes were built on coastal areas of Turkey. More than three million second homes are used as vacation homes especially during summer seasons today. One of the continuing debates about these second homes is their seasonality and the excess capacity that can be used during low seasons. The aim of this research is to measure perceptions of home owners toward alternative business models for the year round use of second homes in Turkish tourism and propose policy improvements for tourism planners. Research results show that five alternative business models can be used to revive second homes in tourism sector; direct marketing model, peculiar second home entrepreneurship model, international operations model, domestic operations model and facility board model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper, an investigation of gender diversity in the Turkish hospitality industry, focuses on two primary objectives: (a) exploring the potential relationships between gender and several demographic factors, and (b) examining the possible existence of a gender effect regarding employees’ perceptions of recruitment and earning potential decisions. Results, based on 682 surveys, show that, in the male-dominated Turkish hospitality industry, there is a significant gender effect for two of four demographic variables and with respect to recruiting efforts and earning potential. These findings could have some important managerial implications for addressing gender diversity in the (Turkish) hospitality industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper explores the connection between three perceived Fundamental Moral Orientations (FMOs) and three perceived outcome preferences for men and women working in the Turkish hotel industry. Specifically, the study aims to investigate the relationships between the perceived FMOs of selfishness, self-fullness, and selflessness, and the perceived outcome preferences of serving personal, customer, and organizational interests. Additionally, the study examines whether gender influences either the perceived outcome preferences of hotel personnel or the FMO/outcome relationships. Based on data from 682 surveys, the FMO/outcome relationships and gender differences in those relationships are tested with correlation analysis; also gender effects and gender differences in the outcome orientations are explored with the single sample t-test and one-way MANOVA, respectively. Some gender effects and/or gender differences exist in each set of results. The mutual theoretical implications of the FMO/outcome relationship results and the outcome preference results are discussed, as are potential managerial implications for the Turkish hotel industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has three specific questions: (1) To what extent do decision strategies used by students when making their choice of school correlate with their level of satisfaction with the chosen school?, (2) To what extent do such strategies correlate with their future behaviour (e.g., word-of-mouth recommendation or switching to a different school)?, and (3) To what extent do school-based variables (e.g., equality, accessibility) relate to the fundamental variables - satisfaction, recommendation and switching? The discussion of findings is based upon the analysis of primary data collected from university students studying tourism in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings of a completed research project on the competitive position of Turkey vis-à-vis five countries in the Mediterranean basin: Spain, Italy, Greece, France and Cyprus. These partner countries are self-selected by foreign tourists and service providers (hoteliers, travel agents or tour guides) as the direct competitor to Turkey. The discussion of findings is based upon the analysis of data gathered from 1,086 respondents through a six-week period in the summer of 2004. Findings obtained from the two groups were then compared to each other using t-test. Results suggest that both foreign tourists and service providers are homogeneous to suggest that Turkey is stronger on the friendliness of local people, but is weaker on the physical distance to the target markets and the effective using of methods for promotion and advertising. The detailed assessment of findings and implications is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of job satisfaction has become an important issue in tourism because this industry requires a great interaction between the contact personnel (frontline employees) and the individual customer and because quality perceptions are evaluated mostly on the basis of the performance of subjective (intangible) criteria. Thus, the extent to which employees are satisfied with what they are responsible for may directly influence the level of customer satisfaction with their services. Using an improved form of job descriptive index, this study aims to evaluate the predictors of hoteI employees' both job satisfaction and their intention to stay in the hoteI business. The discussion is based upon the findings of a survey carried out among those working in the Turkish hotel industry. Findings suggest that such attributes as the work itself, supervision, and promotion are the determinants of the level of overall job satisfaction. The level of overall job satisfaction in turn leads to changes in the employees' intention to continue working in the hotel business. Theoretical and practical implications arc also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer complaints are an important factor for service providers; effective handling of consumer complaints can be a key to acquiring loyal customers. However, despite the abundance of studies on customer complaints regarding goods and service products of hotels and restaurants, there is a lack of research on customer complaints regarding tourism destinations. Aiming to specifically focus on customer complaints about a tourist destination, researchers of this text investigated (1) what types of complaints foreign tourists have, (2) how they tend to report their complaints and to whom, and (3) what sorts of practical measures they recommend to resolve their own complaints. To achieve this, an on-site self-administered survey was undertaken on foreign charter tourists visiting the southwest part of Turkey during the summer of 2004. Results showed that tourists had several complaints and several suggestions about resolving their complaints, mostly with monetary compensation. The article includes managerial implications and future research suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to consider the repeaters' perceptions of changes in respect of the overall quality of sample destinations by examining in two categories such as positive (or better) and negative (or worse). Data were collected by administering a qualitative survey among British tourists visiting Bodrum, located in south-west part of Turkey, in the summer of 2004. Respondents were asked to indicate in which respects they had noticed any significant differences in comparison to their previous vacations in the same place. The attributes found to be better and worse than previous years were then ranked on the basis of percentage scores. This paper provides some clearer insights into repeat visitation for tourism destinations which can contribute to effective policy making by local tourism authorities and tourism service providers. Keywords: repeat visits, tourism marketing, destination performance, content analysis, Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about tourist motivations would enable tourism destination planners to better satisfy consumer needs. Recent studies evidence the heterogeneous nature of tourist motivations, and highlight the importance of motivations (e.g., Bansal & Eiselt, 2004). The context-dependency of motivations to specific destinations and tourist market emphasizes the need of further research. The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, to explore the primary reasons influencing British tourists' decision making while taking a summer holiday in two resorts (Fethiye and Marmaris), located in Mugla (Turkey), and second, to identify customer segments, depending on their socio-demographic characteristics and holiday-taking patterns. On the basis of multi-step cluster analysis, five segments were found: fuzzy tourists, recreational-type, active, escape seekers and relax-quiet tourists. Managerial implications and further research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantial amount of research has been carried out on foreign tourists' perceptions of the attitude and behaviour of locals. However, locals' perceptions of foreign tourists' attitude and behaviour has not received as much attention from researchers. The aim of this study was to empirically investigate the locals' perceptions of attitude and behaviour of those foreign tourists who regularly visit a destination. The study was undertaken on various local service providers in the tourism and hotel industry, such as hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and gift shops in the central part of Fethiye, a popular tourist town in southwest Turkey. Using both open-ended and structured questions, locals' perceptions of two nationalities of foreign tourists, namely British and Germans, were measured. Findings revealed that, overall British tourists were viewed as more positive than their German counterparts. Theoretical and practical implications are provided, followed by limitations and future research suggestions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has been designed to test the use of a practical approach developed (1) to measure external performance of international tourist destinations and (2) to investigate their competitive position, not only against each other but also against other major self-selected destinations on the basis of the actual tourists' perceptions of various self-reported destination attributes. The sample population chosen comprised British tourists visiting Turkey and Mallorca in the summer of 1998 and who had been to other destinations in the previous 4 years. An open-ended questionnaire was designed to achieve the research objectives. From the research findings, it is apparent that the analysis of tourists' self-reported judgments is relevant to report differences in regard to the areas of strengths and weaknesses of one destination vis-à-vis those of another in the same competitor set. Implications of the findings for the theory of consumer research in tourism, for understanding qualitative research, for destination management and marketing, and for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares the tourist destination performance between Spain and Turkey. Strengths and weaknesses of the two destinations; Implications for further comparative study on destination performance; Limitations in identifying suitable destination attributes.

An introduction to articles published within the issue is presented, including one on the marketing of Turkey as a destination, another on the development of tourism in the Central African sub-region and one on the contribution of low-fares airlines to the development of destinations.