ESHT - DH - Comunicações em eventos científicos
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing ESHT - DH - Comunicações em eventos científicos by Title
Now showing 1 - 10 of 13
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Actions and strategies on hotel websites: case study of 4- and 5-star hotels in Porto and Northern PortugalPublication . Costa, Elga; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Ribeiro, Joaquim; Meneses, DanielaThe investigation focuses on the identification of actions and strategies that hoteliers apply on their websites, to capture direct bookings versus their dependence on the OTA, to evaluate the importance and function of the websites of the 4- and 5-star hotels in Porto and Northern Portugal. Online distribution is a necessity for a hotel, either to reach the largest number of customers or to give visibility to the brand. Hotel websites, however, allow greater proximity and communication with the customer, potentiating hotels’ possibility to increase direct bookings. It is therefore necessary to understand which actions and strategies hoteliers must consider for capturing direct bookings. Thus, the main objective of the study is to identify the hoteliers’ dependence on the OTA and the consequent actions and strategies they apply on their websites to capture direct bookings. In the present investigation, the quantitative methodology was chosen, and the data collection instrument was a questionnaire survey, applied in a total universe of 150 hotels, 4- and 5-star hotels in the Region of Porto and Northern Portugal, where 55 responses were obtained. The data obtained were treated and analysed using the SPSS software. The results obtained confirm the existence of actions and strategies in hotels to capture direct reservations; hotels consider these strategies as an essential condition for increasing direct bookings. Limitations have arisen in the collection of questionnaires due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Most hotels closed due to lack of customers and consequently, the sample for the present study is limited in the diversity of the typology of respondents. It is intended with this work to understand what actions and strategies hotels apply on the website, as well as to understand if hotels follow the new technological trends, in what the contact and communication with the client concerns.
- Circular economy in the restaurant sector: do practices go hand in hand?Publication . Melo, António; Azevedo, Daniel; Silva, Susana; Silva, Goretti; Figueiredo, Ana; Barreto Salgueiro de Melo, Carla IsabelThe growing importance of sustainability has led the restaurant sector to explore circular economy practices to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency. This ongoing study examines the correlation between the adoption of one circular economy practice and the implementation of another within the restaurant sector. The study aims to identify specific practices that are related and assess the extent of these associations. A quantitative methodology was used with a survey that evaluated the adoption of 22 circular economy practices. Data collection was conducted between June and September 2023, resulting in 304 responses. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 28.0 with factor analysis employed to identify patterns of practice adoption. The results reveal that while some practices are indeed implemented together, such as energy-efficient equipment being strongly associated with monitoring energy consumption, many other practices did not exhibit significant correlations. For instance, waste reduction initiatives and water-saving measures often appeared isolated, without a consistent implementation linked to other practices. This suggests that restaurants may focus on aspects of circularity while neglecting others, indicating a fragmented rather than integrated approach. The findings point to key areas, such as waste management and energy efficiency, where more strategic interventions could encourage a holistic adoption of circular economy principles. These patterns underscore the need for further investigation into barriers that prevent cohesive practice implementation and opportunities for aligning efforts across multiple sustainability dimensions.
- Describing skills in hotel management syllabi: a view from the fieldPublication . Silva, Rosa; Soares, Gisela; Pataco, Teresa; Oliveira, Mónica; Silva, Susana; Silva, CândidaDeveloping a course curricula is a complex and difficult task since it must reflect the fundamental technical competencies and skills, but also the soft skills that students must develop to practice a specific profession. In this sense, Higher Education Institutions have been struggling to find strategies and incorporate methodologies into their course curricula that will promote the balanced development of these technical and transversal competencies and skills. Therefore, this paper describes an exploratory study on how the competencies and skills dynamic is featured in the description of the learning outcomes of a 3-year Bachelor in Hospitality Management degree in Portugal. It analysed the forty learning outcomes of the different subjects of the degree and framed in the Reference Framework by The Council of the European Union. Moreover, it also analysed the application of the taxonomy of Bloom in describing the learning outcomes. The preliminary results show that there are some explicit learning outcomes outlined in the reference framework of the European Union but they still lack those related to soft skills development. Furthermore, the application of the taxonomy of Bloom is adequate and fully present in the learning outcomes. These results highlight the need of reviewing the description of the learning outcomes, mainly its alignment with the content and teaching and assessment methodologies adopted by the different subjects.
- Designing a toolkit for tourism educators: from paper to actionPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, Carla; Melo, AntónioTeaching practical and transversal skills is a key component within Tourism Education (TE), not only because of its service-oriented nature, but also due to the fact that most programs include some sort of practical component, ranging from classes and seminars to workshops and work placements (Chandra et al., 2022). On the other hand, with TE being a fairly recent area, particularly in Higher Education, where it has become the object of an ongoing discussion regarding academic and vocational streams, teacher training and development is increasingly being perceived as a challenge, thus creating a need for initiatives that address these issues (George, 2007). Based on this premise and focusing on the concept of Experiential Learning, this paper aims to outline the design phases of a Toolkit to support educators and practitioners currently working in Tourism Higher Education, highlighting its key areas of application, and reflecting on its potential. In addition to presenting the rationale behind the project, the authors will put forward the different sections of the toolkit, which will include guidelines, expected outcomes, sample lesson plans and a list of annotated resources, as well as overall reflections based on their application. Stemming from an interdisciplinary collaboration from educators currently working on different programs and industry subsectors (i.e., accommodation, catering, travel agencies, tour operators, etc…), this toolkit will integrate contributions from different fields and reflect different educational approaches and activities, including simulation, project-based learning and role-playing activities. As a result, it will reflect hands-on experiences, being consistent with current best-practice and action-based research approaches.
- “Eu nem sei o que é um badejo em Português!”: um projeto de desenvolvimento de vocabulário específico em língua inglesa para a indústria hoteleiraPublication . Soares, Gisela; Pataco, TeresaEste artigo discute a metodologia utilizada numa unidade curricular (UC) de língua inglesa para fins específicos, onde se abordam, em articulação com uma das disciplinas nucleares, conteúdos relacionados com as atividades operacionais da indústria da restauração e catering, e faz uma reflexão sobre a aquisição de vocabulário para a indústria hoteleira no âmbito do primeiro ano da licenciatura em Gestão e Administração Hoteleira. Considerado o volume de léxico especializado que se espera que os aprendentes venham a dominar, e ainda que pareçam considerar o seu domínio o melhor indicador de proficiência linguística, os alunos de 1º ano revelam não ter ainda desenvolvido estratégias que lhes permitam adquirir de forma autorregulada e autónoma o léxico da indústria em que pretendem inserir-se, confiando no docente para selecionar, explicar, traduzir ou definir “todas as palavras importantes” que pensam virão a ser-lhes úteis. Partindo da premissa que importa contrariar esta tendência, tem vindo a ser adotada uma estratégia com resultados satisfatórios (taxas de aprovação rondando os 80% nos últimos cinco anos) assente, paralelamente, no desenvolvimento de atividades de cunho mais tradicional, desenhadas para suportar a evolução da aprendizagem, por exemplo, com trabalho sobre variados inputs linguísticos que permita o desenvolvimento das quatro macro-competências, associado à forma e ao desenvolvimento do léxico, articulado com uma orientação task-based, atualizada na realização de um projeto interdisciplinar, intitulado TV Cooking Show. Da análise qualitativa da metodologia, dos seus resultados, e da revisão da literatura disponível, podemos concluir que, sendo simultaneamente um desafio para docentes e discentes, esta orientação parece potenciar a autonomia dos estudantes, relativamente à identificação, organização e apropriação do léxico, bem como no desenvolvimento de competências de pesquisa, organização e autoavaliação, ainda que seja possível identificar que os estudantes apresentam posteriormente dificuldades na transferência destas competências para outras UC de língua inglesa.
- Interdisciplinarity in action: developing students’ soft skills through project-based learning and field workPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, Carla; Melo, António; Liberato, DáliaRecently, much due to the growth of the industry, tourism professionals are increasingly being challenged to develop new skills and adapt to dynamic markets, requiring them to be flexible, creative and, particularly after the recent COVID-19 pandemic, resilient. Mirroring these changes, Higher Education Institutions (HEI), and more specifically Tourism Higher Education (THE), are increasingly becoming aware of the need to rethink and further expand their programs, not only to make them more diverse and inclusive, but also meet current demands, particularly concerning the development of tourism graduates’ soft skills. Focusing on a project carried out at the School of Hospitality and Tourism (Vila do Conde, Portugal), this paper aims to describe an innovative interdisciplinary approach that combines academic and technical knowledge with the development of (inter)personal transferable skills, by challenging students to complete a collaborative assignment on different industry subsectors. Involving five different courses and facilitators, this assignment followed a Project-based Approach (PbL), having challenged students to carry out field work to collect stakeholders’ perceptions on what they considered to be the most important soft skills within the industry, most particularly in the Entertainment/Events, Travel Agencies/Tour Operators, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) and Accommodation subsectors. Framed by a literature review, the data and ensuing analysis were compiled and put forward in a short paper, that was publicly presented and discussed. Working in groups of 3 to 6 members, students conducted a total of 45 interviews, which resulted in 13 short papers, all of which identifying key soft skills and reflecting on how they can be developed. In addition to describing the rationale behind the project and its implementation, this paper will address the affordances and potential of interdisciplinarity in tourism education, not only by reflecting on the project’s outcomes, but also on participants’ expectations and final perceptions. Drawing from two questionnaires and unstructured observation, it is, therefore, expected to further advance recent research in innovative practices in Tourism Education, as well as provide other educators a case study that can support similar initiatives and projects.
- Learning by doing: fostering tourism students’ soft skills through interdisciplinarity and collaborationPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, Carla; Melo, António; Liberato, DáliaHaving a strong affinity and interdependence with a wide range of sectors and industries, tourism is, by nature, an interdisciplinary field. However, despite this realization, there are still different barriers to the development of interdisciplinary research and active collaborative projects within Tourism Higher Education. In addition to these barriers, there is also a disarticulation between tourism curricula and what practitioners perceive as being key skills within the industry. Hence, as the context in which the tourist activity takes place becomes more competitive, resulting in a pressing need for skilled and multifaceted professionals, educational institutions and tourism educators are increasingly being challenged to overcome these barriers and come up with creative projects that can help bridge the gap between academia and the labour market. Aiming to describe an interdisciplinary project focusing on soft skills within different tourism subsectors, this paper will draw on a literature review, project outputs and two questionnaires, as to describe its implementation and overall results. Mostly based on students’ perceptions and determining whether they are aligned with the industry’s current demands and expectations, in addition to a general description, it will crosscut different perspectives, analysing the importance attributed to soft skills by students and prospective employers. Deriving from this analysis and the project’s scope, the authors will also put forward a reflection regarding the impact of the project on not only student’s perceptions regarding soft skills, but also on the affordances of the project to develop transversal competences, making a case for other innovative initiatives. As a result, the final section of the paper will include references to lessons learnt and future research directions.
- A literary event as a simulation-based activity in Higher Education Training (HET) in tourismPublication . Ferreira, Ana; Villares, MartaNowadays, in a technological era, the entire labor market has new rules, demanding new skills from workers, namely working as part of a team, being creative and adaptable to new situations and to all clients. Given these new challenges for future graduates, teachers must adapt their teaching methodologies, particularly in tourism studies, where students need to practice these skills to apply when they enter the labor market. With these premises in mind, the main aim of this article is to analyze “Heart, Brain and Stomach”, a literary dinner organized by students as a final assessment for students of two different degree courses: a postgraduate course in Literary Tourism and a degree in Restaurant and Catering Management at a Portuguese High Education Institution (HEI). To stimulate teamwork, creativity, communication and collaborative skills among students, this event combined soft skills and technical (e.g. event organization and management) skills, while helping students to broaden, rethink and redesign our gastronomic culture into new proposals for the customer, be they resident, visitor or tourist, leveraged by structured practical training and work simulation approaches that reflect professional scenarios and their future challenges. Based on literature research, observation, and content analysis (resulting from questionnaires applied to students and participants in the event), this article aims to frame the activities carried out, crossing different perspectives to establish the importance of soft skills in shaping the future careers of Hospitality, Tourism and Catering graduates. The authors will reflect on students’ overall performance and feedback as crucial components of teaching and learning experiences. Furthermore, since the event consisted of a proposal to cross two different courses, the teamwork and its consequences both on the results of the practical activity and on professional relationships in the intergenerational labor market were analyzed. This research aimed at understanding the impact of simulations on students’ meaningful learning. It is therefore hoped that this work will contribute to reflection and development of new pedagogical approaches with simulation-based activities, particularly in tourism.
- My video CV, or how to impress the hotel industryPublication . Soares, Gisela; Pataco, TeresaThis article discusses an information technology-inclusive teaching methodology used in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses, whose syllabi (in close articulation with the core subjects of the degree) contain topics related to the operational activities typical of the hotel industry. Furthermore, it reflects on how this methodology, first designed to address senior students’ concerns regarding vocabulary acquisition in the final semester of a Hotel Management degree (whose mastery they seem to consider the best indicator of language proficiency) evolved to encompass self-regulated learning skills. Although one would expect 3rd year students to have developed strategies which enable them to acquire the industry’s vocabulary in autonomous and self-regulated ways, experience shows us that they will still rely heavily on the lecturer to select, explain, translate or define “all the words” they deem relevant. In the attempt to counter such a trend and to address both the students’ concerns with vocabulary acquisition and an accompanying low feeling of self-efficacy, we have adopted a strategy with satisfying results as it has helped maintain high success rates - circa 90% - over the past seven years. This strategy is underpinned by more “traditional” learning activities (as proposed by a communicative approach to language teaching), such as noticing tasks, including work on realia, which are associated to the relevance of form and lexical development, with a task- based approach. The latter, which materialises in the form of an interdisciplinary project, called My Video CV, aims at developing the four macro-skills, while putting into practice technology skills learnt in ICT courses. The soundness of the My Video CV project, which is at the fulcrum of the action-research the authors have been conducting for seven years, is analysed using the criteria and indicators established by the Action Research journal. In the conclusion, and in line with action-research premises, the authors embrace their role as teachers researchers, their experience of the field and their value systems, as they believe, from the analysis of the My Video CV project, its results and the review of the existing literature, that the teaching methodology has, so far, effected a desirable change in students’ autonomy, in what concerns the development of research, organisational and self-assessment skills.
- Shift work and quality of life on tourism, hospitality and restaurant industry: the portuguese contextPublication . Silva, Susana; Martins, DoraThis research aims to study the association between shift work and the quality of life of workers. On the one hand quality of life includes several aspects of life (e.g. personal, family, marital or social) and serves as an important aspect in understanding the well-being of individuals in relationship with work life. On the other hand, shift work can be defined as any work organization of working hours that differs from the traditional diurnal work period. Furthermore, they are two factors strongly related, considering the increasing use of shift work in industry and services, especially from tourism, hospitality, and restaurant sectors, where shift work has the potential to disrupt different aspects of quality life. The main objective of this study is to characterize the quality of life of shift workers in the tourism, hospitality, and restaurant industry. More specifically to characterize their workers’ personal life, family life, marital life, and social life. Through an online questionnaire, data were collected from 122 shift workers linked to the tourism, hotel, and restaurant industry in Portugal. Data were analysed with IBM SPSS 27.0. Results showed significant differences between workers from fixed and rotative shifts for the personal life satisfaction level whereas workers from fixed shifts reported higher levels of satisfaction. Workers in the morning shift reported higher levels of personal life and family life satisfaction than workers that are not in the morning shifts. There are no differences between the satisfaction levels for workers from the afternoon, night, or weekend shifts. There are no differences among the marital life satisfaction according to the kind of shift (fixed or rotative; morning, afternoon, night, or weekend shift). This study provides several insights into the shift work theory and practice and contributes to knowledge of how human resource management will be reconfigured some practices to support the quality of life of shift workers in this industry. Limitations and future research suggestions are drawn in the last part of the paper.