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This study aimed to study factors affecting hospitality and tourism student satisfaction and their intention to stay in the program. A model with nine factors was proposed and tested. The results showed that curriculum, hospitality & tourism degree commitment, student life, self-efficacy, and goals positively affect undergraduate student satisfaction with the program whereas curriculum, hospitality & tourism degree commitment, student life, and financial support affect their intention to stay in the program. This study also tested all hypothesized relationships to see if those relationships differ between underclassmen and upperclassmen. Implications for hospitality and tourism educators and administrators are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effects of international short-term educational trip experience on intercultural competence, specifically intercultural interest and effectiveness. Surveys and interviews with undergraduate educational trip participants from Macao, China, were conducted to measure the differences in intercultural competence and to investigate the reasons for its perceived differences between pre- and post-trip. The results support overall enhancement of both intercultural interest and effectiveness after the trip, while insignificant improvement for some students were found mostly because their intercultural competence was already high before the trip. This study suggests the utility of short-term international educational trips in enhancing intercultural competence in tertiary education, thus providing implications on intercultural education through tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's environment, satisfying and retaining customers is critical; therefore, restaurant managers should consider hygiene practices that customers could encounter during their visit. The purpose of this study was to understand the customers' perception of employees smoking in the restaurant industry. Specifically, the impact of seeing and smelling cigarette smoke on satisfaction, revisit intention, positive word-of-mouth intention, and perceived value was studied using four scenarios. A web-based questionnaire with 480 responses indicated seeing and smelling cigarette smoke influences customers' perception. Further analysis showed smelling affects perception more than seeing. Results offer practical and theoretical implications for the restaurant industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentoring has received considerable attention in higher education and industry, but little is known about perceptions of mentoring within disciplines, including that of hospitality and tourism. This study investigated undergraduate students' perceptions of mentoring to learn more about the factors that might need to be considered when implementing a formal discipline-related mentoring program. Differences in perceptions of mentoring were found between male and female students and first-generation and non-first-generation college students. Overall, students appeared to lack knowledge of mentoring. Implications for hospitality and tourism educators with regard to mentoring are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between benefits satisfaction and intent to leave among back-of-the-house employees in Las Vegas hotels. Employee benefits have generally been assumed to be an effective way to attract and retain employees; in fact, 70% of 45 U.S. companies include the benefit packages in their retention strategies. That idea that competitive benefits packages can help firms to win the retention war is widely accepted. The results of the study indicate that benefit satisfaction was significantly related to intent to leave; those who were satisfied with benefits were less likely to leave their jobs. The respondents who were 44 years old or younger and who were not either married or living with partners were more likely to leave. In addition, male respondents were more satisfied with their benefits than females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine customer intentions to download mobile applications in the hospitality industry. Even though major hospitality companies offer the mobile applications, many customers have not utilized them. The results showed what encouraged customers to download mobile applications in the hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach – The Technology Acceptance Model was applied for this research to explain customer intentions. College students were the target population of this study because they understand and adopt the technology well. Therefore, mobile applications will become a popular way to purchase goods and services when university students will have purchasing power. Findings – Even though major hospitality companies offer mobile applications, more than a half of respondents responded that they had not used mobile applications from the hospitality firms. The results showed that promotion information was not an only reason to download mobile applications; however, the results also showed that consumers who enjoy using smartphones and who are confident in themselves are more likely to download the mobile applications. Research limitations/implications – The data were collected in a university; therefore, generalizability is one of the limitations of this research. Multiple regressions only verify the relationship between dependant and independent variables. University students may not have a chance to plan their trips so they may not need the mobile applications. Originality/value – This study employed the TAM to examine the reasons why customers download mobile applications offered by companies in the hospitality industry. Literature discussing mobile applications in the hospitality industry is very scarce. This research will assist managements in utilizing their mobile applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]