Parole chiave
Hotel sector
Hotel size
Italy
Come citare
##plugins.generic.dates.accepted## 2024-01-27
##plugins.generic.dates.published## 2024-08-22
Abstract
Purpose: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the economies of many countries around the world. In recent years, the debate around the digital transformation of the European tourism industry has gained huge attention from both academia and industry.
Approach: Despite their importance, there is still a dearth of research devoted to analysing the digital-based critical success factors (DCSFs) for the successful operation of small-scale hotel businesses and comparing them with those of larger hotels. This study aims to deepen the scientific debate around this somewhat overlooked research area by presenting and discussing the results of an empirical study conducted on a sample of 367 Italian hotel businesses.
Finding: Results of exploratory factor analysis indicate that the main DCSFs are "internet and social media", "virtual reality", "robots,", and "artificial intelligence in data analytics". Moreover, a series of ANOVA independent t-tests reveals that significant differences exist in the hotel managers' and owners' views about DCSFs based on the hotel size (SMEs versus large hotels) and their level of education and work experience.
Implications: Contributions to the current body of knowledge and managerial implications are discussed, and suggestions for further research are derived.
Riferimenti bibliografici
Ahmad, S. Z. (2015). Entrepreneurship in the small and medium-sized hotel sector. Current Issues in Tourism, 18(4), 328-349, https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2014.934211
Alma Çallı, B., Çallı, L., Sarı Çallı, D., & Çallı, F. (2023). The impact of different types of service robots’ usage in hotels on guests’ intention to stay, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 14(1), 53-68. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-09-2021-0266
António, N., & Rita, P. (2021). COVID-19: The catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry?. Tourism & Management Studies, 17(2), 41-46.
Atkins, M. H., & Lowe, J. F. (1997). Sizing up the small firm: UK and Australian experience. International Small Business Journal, 15(3), 42-55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242697153003
Avcikurt, C., Altay, H., & Oguzhan Ilban, M. (2011). Critical success factors for small hotel businesses in Turkey: An exploratory study. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 52(2), 153-164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965509341288
Beaver, G. (2002). Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise Development, Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
Belanche, D., Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C., & Schepers, J. (2020). Service robot implementation: a theoretical framework and research agenda. The Service Industries Journal, 40(3-4), 203-225. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2019.1672666.
Brotherton, B. (2004). Critical success factors in UK budget hotel operations. International Journal of Operation and Production, 52(2), 153-164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965509341288.
Brotherton, B., & Mooney, S. (1992). Yield management—progress and prospects. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 11(1), 23-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-4319(92)90033-R
Brotherton, B., & Shaw., J. (1996). Towards an identification and classification of critical success factors in UK Hotels Plc, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 15(2), 113-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-4319(96)00014-X.
Brotherton, B., Heinhuis, E., Miller, K., & Medema, M. (2003). Critical success factors in UK and Dutch hotels. Journal of Services Research, 2(2), 47-78.
Brown, D. H., & Kaewkitipong, L. (2009). Relative size and complexity: e‐business use in small and medium sized tourism enterprises in Thailand. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 22(1/2), 212-231. https://doi.org/10.1108/17410390910932849
Buhalis, D. (1995). The impact of information telecommunication technologies on tourism channels: implications for the small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, PhD thesis, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Bullen, C. V., & Rockart, J. F. (1986). A primer on critical success factors. In The rise of managerial computing: The best of the center for information system research. In Bullen, C. V. and Rockart, J. F. (Eds) 383-423. Homewood, IL: Dow Jones-Irwin.
Chiappetta Jabbour, C. J., Mauricio, A. L., & Jabbour, A. B. L. D. S. (2017). Critical success factors and green supply chain management proactivity: shedding light on the human aspects of this relationship based on cases from the Brazilian industry. Production Planning & Control, 28(6-8), 671-683. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2017.1309705
Coles, T., Warren, N., Borden, D.S., & Dinan, C. (2017). Business models among SMTEs: Identifying attitudes to environmental costs and their implications for sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25, 471–488. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1221414
Del Chiappa, G. (2022). Tourism, Hospitality and Culture 4.0: shifting towards the metaverse, in Del Chiappa. (ed.), Buonincontri, P., Errichiello, L., Micera, R. (gen. eds.), 2022. Tourism, Hospitality and Culture 4.0: Shifting towards the metaverse, Vol. 2, Tourism Studies on the Mediterranean Region Book Series, McGraw-Hill, Milano.
Del Chiappa, G., Bregoli, I., & Fotiadis, A. K. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on Italian accommodation: A supply-perspective. Journal of Tourism, Heritage & Services Marketing (JTHSM), 7(1), 13-22. 10.5281/zenodo.4516187
Dredge, D. (2006). Networks, conflict and collaborative communities. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 14(6), 562-581. https://doi.org/10.2167/jost567.0
El-Gohary, H. (2012). Factors affecting E-Marketing adoption and implementation in tourism firms: An empirical investigation of Egyptian small tourism organisations. Tourism management, 33(5), 1256-1269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.10.013.
Fabiani, S., Schivardi, F. & Trento, S. (2005). ICT adoption in Italian manufacturing: firm-level evidence. Industrial and Corporate Change, 14(2), 225-249. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dth050
Fiala, J., Hán, J., Husák, J., Chadt, K., Chalupa, Š., Jenčková, J., ... & Visvizi, A. (2022, April). More Than Virtual Reality: Tools, Methods and Approaches to Hotel Employee Training. In The International Research & Innovation Forum (pp. 435-443). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Fotiadis, A., Yeh, S., & Huan, T. C. (2016). Applying configural analysis to explaining rural-tourism success recipes. Journal of Business Research, 69(4), 1479–1483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.128
Geller, A. N. (1985). Tracking the critical success factors for hotel companies. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 25 (4): 76-81. https://doi.org/10.1177/001088048502500414
Godovykh M., Baker, C., Fyall, A. (2022). VR in Tourism: A New Call for Virtual Tourism Experience amid and after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Tourism and Hospitality, 3(1), 265-275. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp3010018
Gursoy, D., & Chi, C. G. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on hospitality industry: review of the current situations and a research agenda. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(5), 527-529. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1788231
Hair, J. F. (2010), Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective. New York: Pearson Education
Hair, J. R., Anderson, R., & Tatham, B. W. (1998). Multivariate data analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Haktanir, M., & Harris, P. (2005). Performance measurement practice in an independent hotel context: A case study approach. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 17(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596110510577662
Hall, C. M. (2009). The public policy context of tourism entrepreneurship. In Ateljevic, I., & Page, S. J. (Eds). Tourism and entrepreneurship (pp. 243-263). Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.
Hallak, R., Assaker, G., & O'Connor, P. (2013). Profiling tourism SMEs according to owners' support for community: a cluster analysis approach. Tourism Analysis, 18(6), 691-705. https://doi.org/10.3727/108354213X13824558188749
Han, D. I. D., Tom Dieck, M. C., & Jung, T. (2019a). Augmented Reality Smart Glasses (ARSG) visitor adoption in cultural tourism. Leisure Studies, 38(5), 618-633.- https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2019.1604790.
Han, D. I. D., Weber, J., Bastiaansen, M., Mitas, O., & Lub, X. (2019b). Virtual and augmented reality technologies to enhance the visitor experience in cultural tourism. In Augmented reality and virtual reality (pp. 113-128). Springer, Cham.
Hansen, C. N., & Eringa, K. (1998). Critical success factors in yield management: A development and analysis, Progress in Tourism and Hospitality Research, 4(3), 229-244. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1603(199809)4:3<229::AID-PTH160>3.0.CO;2-P
Horwath (2022, July 2023). Italy and chains, Report 2022. Retrieved from: https://cdn.horwathhtl.it/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/04/ITALY_HOTELS-CHAINS_2022.pdf
Hoyer, W. D., Kroschke, M., Schmitt, B., Kraume, K., & Shankar, V. (2020). Transforming the customer experience through new technologies, Journal of Interactive Marketing, 51(1), 57-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.04.001
ILO (2001, February 2023). ILO's World Employment Report 2001: Despite Improved Employment Outlook, Digital Divide Looms Large. ILO NEWS. Retrieved from: https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_007830/lang--en/index.htm
Ingram, A., Jamieson, R., Lynch, P., & Bent, R. (2000). Questioning the impact of the ‘graduatization’ of the managerial labour force upon the management of human resources in the Scottish hotel industry. Journal of Consumer Studies & Home Economics, 24, 212-222, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2000.00128.x
Israel, K., Zerres, C., & Tscheulin, D. K. (2019). Presenting hotels in virtual reality: does it influence the booking intention?. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 10(3), 443-463. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-03-2018-0020
Ivanov, S., & Webster, C. (2019a). What should robots do? A comparative analysis of industry professionals, educators and tourists. In Pesonen, J. & Neidhardt, J. (Eds.) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2019, Proceedings of the International Conference in Nicosia, Cyprus, 30 Junuary 2019, pp. 249-262.
Ivanov, S., & Webster, C. (Eds.) (2019b). Robots, Artificial Intelligence and Service Automation in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality. Bingley: Emerald Publishing
Ivanov, S., Seyitoğlu, F., & Markova, M. (2020). Hotel managers’ perceptions towards the use of robots: a mixed-methods approach. Information Technology & Tourism, 22, 505-535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00187-x
Javed, S., Rashidin, M. S., & Jian, W. (2021). Predictors and outcome of customer satisfaction: moderating effect of social trust. Decision, 48(1), 27-48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40622-020-00258-2
Jay, L., & Schaper, M. (2003). Which advisers do micro‐firms use? Some Australian evidence. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 10(2), 136-143. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000310473166
Jung, T. H., Lee, H., Chung, N., & tom Dieck, M. C. (2018). Cross-cultural differences in adopting mobile augmented reality at cultural heritage tourism sites. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(3), 1621-1645. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-02-2017- 0084
Karanasios, S., & Burgess, S. (2008). Tourism and Internet adoption: a developing world perspective. International Journal of Tourism Research, 10(2), 169-182. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.649
Lasek, M., & Jessa, S. (2013). Chatbots for customer service on hotels’ websites. Information Systems in Management, 2(2), 146-158.
Lawson, R., Alcock, C., Cooper, J., & Burgess, L. (2003). Factors affecting adoption of electronic commerce technologies by SMEs: an Australian study. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 10(3), 265-276. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000310489727
Lee, S. M., Kim, J., Choi, Y., & Lee, S. G. (2009). Effects of IT knowledge and media selection on operational performance of small firms. Small Business Economics, 32, 241-257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-007-9095-5
Lee‐Ross, D., & Johns, N. (1997). Yield management in hospitality SMEs. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 9(2), 66-69. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596119710164795
Leidecker, J. K., & Bruno, A. V. (1987). CSF analysis and the strategy development process. Strategic planning and management handbook, 333-351.
Leung, X. Y., Lyu, J., & Bai, B. (2020). A fad or the future? Examining the effectiveness of virtual reality advertising in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 88, 102391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102391
Li, L., Peng, M., Jiang, N., & Law, R. (2017). An empirical study on the influence of economy hotel website quality on online booking intentions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 63, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.01.001.
Li, S. C., Wong, M. C., & Luk, S. T. (2006). The importance and performance of key success factors of international joint venture hotels in China. Chinese Economy, 39(6), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.2753/CES1097-1475390606
Lukanova, G., & Ilieva, G. (2019). Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation in Hotels. In Ivanov, S. & Webster, C. (Eds.), Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality, Emerald Publishing Limited, 157- 183.
Lumpkin, J. R., & Ireland, R. D. (1988). Screening practices of new business incubators: the evaluation of critical success factors. American Journal of Small Business, 12(4), 59-81. https://doi.org/10.1177/104225878801200404
Manthiou, A., & Klaus, P. (2022). The interplaying factors of the robotic tourism experience: the customer journey's touchpoints, context, and qualities. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 177, 121552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121552.
Marais, M., Du Plessis, E., & Saayman, M. (2017). Critical success factors of a business tourism destination: Supply side analysis. Acta Commercii, 17(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v17i1.423
Martin, L. M. (2004). E‐innovation: Internet impacts on small UK hospitality firms. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 16(2), 82-90. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596110410519964
Moriarty, J., Jones, R., Rowley, J., & Kupiec‐Teahan, B. (2008). Marketing in small hotels: a qualitative study. Marketing intelligence & planning, 26(3), 293-315. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500810871348
Morrison, A., & Conway, F. (2007). The status of the small hotel firm. The Service Industries Journal, 27(1), 47-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642060601038643
Morrison, A., Carlsen, J., & Weber, P. (2010). Small tourism business research change and evolution. International Journal of Tourism Research, 12(6), 739-749. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.789
Moutinho, L. (1990). Strategies for destination development: The role of small businesses. In Goodall, B & Ashworth, G. (Eds.), Marketing tourism places (pp. 104– 122). London: Routledge
Murphy, J., Hofacker, C., & Gretzel, U. (2017). Dawning of the age of robots in hospitality and tourism: Challenges for teaching and research. European Journal of Tourism Research, 15(2017), 104-111.
Ngai, T. C. E., Cheng & S. S. M. Ho (2004). Critical success factors of web-based supply-chain management systems: an exploratory study. Production Planning & Control, 15(6), 622-630. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537280412331283928
Öğüt, H., & Onur Taş, B. K. (2012). The influence of internet customer reviews on the online sales and prices in hotel industry. The Service Industries Journal, 32(2), 197-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2010.529436
Orea-Giner, A., Fuentes-Moraleda, L., Villacé-Molinero, T., Muñoz-Mazón, A., & Calero-Sanz, J. (2022). Does the Implementation of Robots in Hotels Influence the Overall TripAdvisor Rating? A Text Mining Analysis from the Industry 5.0 Approach, Tourism Management, 93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104586
Pestek, A., & Sarvan, M. (2020). Virtual reality and modern tourism. Journal of Tourism Futures, 7(2), 245-250. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-01-2020-0004
Peters, M., & Buhalis, D. (2013). SMEs in Tourism Destinations. In C. Costa, E. Panyik, & D. Buhalis (Eds.), Trends in European Tourism Planning and Organisation. Bristol: Channel View Publications
Putra, F. K. K., & Law, R. (2023). Critical success factors for virtual hotel operator partnership with small-and medium-sized hotels: perspectives of owners and operators. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-06-2022-0244
Revfine (2019, July 2023). How artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the travel industry. Retrieved from: www.revfine.com/artificial-intelligence-travel-industry
Revfine (2020, July 2023). How Virtual Reality (VR) can Enrich the Hospitality Industry. Retrieved from: https://www.revfine.com/virtual-reality-hospitality-industry/
Rohlíková, L., Fiala, J., Hán, J., Husák, J., Chadt, K., Chalupa, Š., ... & Visvizi, A. (2022). Innovating in the Tourism Industry Through Virtual Reality (VR) and Education in the Hotel Business: VR-Enhanced Three-Phase Future Hotel Staff Training. International Journal of Smart Education and Urban Society (IJSEUS), 13(1), 1-12. 10.4018/IJSEUS.309955
Samala, N., Katkam, B. S., Bellamkonda, R. S., & Rodriguez, R. V. (2020). Impact of AI and robotics in the tourism sector: a critical insight. Journal of tourism futures, 8(1), 73-87. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-07-2019-0065
Schengenvisainfo (2023, August 2023). Italy’s Travel & Tourism Industry Achieves Remarkable Post-Pandemic Recovery. Retrieved from: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/italys-travel-tourism-industry-achieves-remarkable-post-pandemic-recovery/
Seyitoğlu, F., & Ivanov, S. (2021). Service robots as a tool for physical distancing in tourism. Current issues in tourism, 24(12), 1631-1634. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1774518
Smrutirekha, Sahoo, P. R., & Karki, A. (2022). Trends of Artificial Intelligence in Revenue Management of Hotels. In Smart Trends in Computing and Communications: Proceedings of SmartCom 2022 (pp. 299-309). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Stankov, U., & Gretzel, U. (2020). Tourism 4.0 technologies and tourist experiences: a human-centered design perspective. Information Technology & Tourism, 22(3), 477-488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00186-y
Statista (2023, August 2023a), Total number of international tourist arrivals in Italy from 2015 to 2022 (in million travelers). Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/780963/inbound-tourist-arrivals-in-italy/#:~:text=Despite%20the%20significant%20annual%20increase,reaching%2074.7%20million%20in%202022.
Statista (2023, August 2023b). Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in Italy 2019-2022. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/627988/tourism-total-contribution-to-gdp-italy/.
Teodoro, A., Dinis, I., Simões, O., & Gomes, G. (2017). Success factors for small rural tourism units: an exploratory study in the Portuguese region of Serra da Estrela. European Journal of Tourism Research, 17, 136-148.
Thomas, R. (2000). Small firms in the tourism industry: some conceptual issues. International Journal of Tourism Research, 2(5), 345–353. https://doi.org/10.1002/1522-1970(200009/10)2:5<345::AID-JTR236>3.0.CO;2-9
Thomas, R., Shaw, G., & Page, S. J. (2011). Understanding small firms in tourism: A perspective on research trends and challenges. Tourism management, 32(5), 963-976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.02.003
Ukpabi, D. C., Aslam, B., & Karjaluoto, H. (2019). Chatbot adoption in tourism services: A conceptual exploration. In Robots, artificial intelligence, and service automation in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality (pp. 105-121). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Van de Vijver, F. J. R., & Tanzer, N. K. (2004). Bias and equivalence in cross-cultural assessment: An overview. Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée/European Review of Applied Psychology, 54,119-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erap.2003.12.004
Velev, D., & Zlateva, P. (2017). Virtual reality challenges in education and training. International Journal of Learning and Teaching, 3(1), 33-37.
Vishwakarma, P., Mukherjee, S., & Datta, B. (2020). Travelers’ intention to adopt virtual reality: A consumer value perspective. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2020.100456
Vladimirov, Z. (2015). Factors for the e-business adoption by small tourism firms and the role of shadow economic practices. European Journal of Tourism Research, 10, 5-34.
Wang, Y. L., Wang, Y. D. & Horng, R. Y. (2010). Learning and innovation in small and medium enterprises. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 110(2), 175-192. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635571011020296
Wirtz, J., Patterson, P., Kunz, W., Gruber, T., Lu, V. N., Paluch, S., & Martins, A. (2018). Brave New World: Service Robots in the Frontline. Journal of Service Management, 29(5), 907-931. doi/10.1108/JOSM-04-2018-0119
World Tourism Organisation (2000) Marketing Tourism Destinations Online, WTO Business Council.
WTT (2023, July 2023). Travel & Tourism sector shows strong recovery in Italy says WTTC, wttc.org. Retrieved from. https://wttc.org/news-article/travel-and-tourism-sector-shows-strong-recovery-in-italy
Yeh, S. P., & Fotiadis, A. (2014). Social interactions in rural tourism: A host perspective case study. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala. 46. 131-143.
Zaltman, G., LeMasters, K., & Heffring, M. (1982). Theory construction in marketing: Some thoughts on thinking. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
TQuesto lavoro è fornito con la licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale.
Copyright (c) 2024 Giacomo Del Chiappa, Salamun Rashidin