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- Hotel distribution: the influence of online travel agencies on Porto and Northern Portugal hotelsPublication . Costa, Elga; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Ribeiro, Joaquim; Meneses, DanielaThis research aims to understand the influence factors of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to book accommodation in four- and five-star hotels in Porto and Northern Portugal, as well as to understand their role in the profitability of each hotel. Online distribution is a necessity for hotels, either to reach higher clients’ numbers or to give visibility to the brand. The presence of OTAs can cause a dependency of the hotels on these intermediaries, so it is necessary to understand the influence that OTAs have on hoteliers, as well as to understand if they have strategies to capture direct reservations. In this present research, the quantitative methodology was chosen, and the data collection instrument was the questionnaire survey. In a universe of 150 hotel units, 55 valid questionnaires were obtained. Exploratory factor analysis was used to define the weights and to construct the index of the influence of OTAs on hotel units. Data collection confirms the influence of OTAs on hotels and the hotels consider OTAs to be essential for maximising occupancy and revenue and as a way of reaching more customers.
- The importance of the maintenance area in the hotel sectorPublication . Silva, Tiago Camarinha; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Costa, Elga; Silva, Francisco J. G.; Ávila, PauloThe hotel sector is a diversified and highly technical sector, where the complexity of the facilities, the specific characteristics, and requirements of the area, as well as the regulations and applicable legislation, constitute an enormous challenge. Thus, a structured maintenance plan must include periodic intervention, the proper functioning of equipment, along with a greater reliability of services and energy efficiency. All these aspects will ensure greater protection and comfort to the customers of the hotel units and will enable the effective management of resources, impacting on the overall costs represented by the maintenance area in a hotel structure. This article aims to demonstrate the key importance of the maintenance area in the hotel sector, concluding that hotel facilities’ management enables processes’ optimisation, providing a significant contribution for the processes’ dynamics and the overall performance of the hotel, the staff and, therefore, the hospitality business.
- The impact of cross-selling in hospitalityPublication . Costa, Elga; Ribeiro, Joaquim; Santos, AnaHospitality, like most industries today, is constantly changing. Markets keep growing, consumers are increasingly demanding, and this requires from the hotel units a continuous work to achieve success where often the key factor is differentiation. The present study intends to observe if the cross-selling techniques are important tools for the hotel industry and if they become an effective differentiation factor on what concerns customer satisfaction and loyalty. For the accomplishment of this study, the authors applied surveys to three types of public: a) consumer; b) hotel manager; and c) hotel employee. It was found that, currently, these tools are effectively used in the hotel market and that they contribute to improve the relationship between the customer and the organisation. This means that these companies, in order to survive in today's market, must create new sales strategies and therefore distinguish themselves from the competition. Furthermore, this study also demonstrates that consumers take into consideration the opinion of others who already know these services. This word-of-mouth trend, now globalized across digital platforms, influences demand, and hotels are already aware of it, leading them to base their strategy on the increase of customer satisfaction, sometimes by implementing cross-selling techniques.
- The role of events and music festivals in urban tourism: case studyPublication . Liberato, Dália; Costa, Elga; Liberato, Pedro; Ribeiro, JoaquimThe city of Oporto assumes a decisive role in the North region of Portugal, as a tourism destination. In addition to the recognized material and intangible heritage, the city has been developing strategies to create partnerships with regional and national stakeholders in order to program events of different typologies, throughout the year, with benefits for the city and the region. The music festivals are one of the activities programmed with the greatest expression in the city, nowadays. The present research, integrated in a broader project, aims to highlight the importance of the programming of events. In view of this purpose, this article will discuss the need to adapt music festivals to the target audience, in order to adjust the offer with positive results at the level of behavioural attitudes of tourists, regarding the intention to repeat and recommend the event (and destination).
- Marketing's impact on sustainable tourism: an empirical study of hotel units in the Northern Region of PortugalPublication . Liberato, Dália; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Guedes, Marta; Costa, Elga; Liberato, PedroSustainable tourism emerges as a response to mass tourism, caused by the intensification of travel. As a result of Sustainable Tourism, the practice of Responsible Tourism and Conscious Tourism emerges, leading to behaviors of greater environmental, cultural, and social sustainability at the destination, but also to an increasing environmental concern. The hospitality sector, government agencies, trade associations and tourism service providers in each country play a pivotal role in increasing environmental awareness/education among local communities and visitors at the destination. The main objective of this research is to understand the importance of Marketing in Sustainable Tourism, applied to hotel units in the northern region of Portugal. As specific objectives, the research aims to: Identify the marketing strategies adopted by the hotel units that lead to greater involvement of stakeholders (tourists, employees, stakeholders and local community), Identify the marketing strategies adopted by the hotel units, valued by the guests, before, during and after the tourist experience and find out how Marketing in Sustainable Tourism contributes to the dynamization of the region and improvement of the destination experience. In the development of this study, a qualitative methodology was selected, consisting of an exploratory study, based on semi-structured interviews. The sample consists of directors and/or managers of hotel units awarded with the “Green Key” certification, in 2022, in the northern region of Portugal. Furthermore, some partner entities that assist in the certification of these enterprises were also included, namely ABAE and consulting companies in the Sustainable Tourism sector. From an analytical point of view, it provides interesting results for the northern region of Portugal, where a continuous growth toward its sustainable development is expected, with an increasing number of certified tourist accommodations and their contribution to the distribution of economic wealth in the region, dynamization and promotion, as well as the responsible engagement of tourists with residents and increasing awareness of these indicators.
- Sustainability practices in events’ organization in Lisbon. Empirical study of the Rock in Rio Music FestivalPublication . Liberato, Dália; Costa, Elga; Moreira, Cláudia; Liberato, Pedro; Ribeiro, JoaquimIn recent years, the number of music festivals held throughout the world has increased significantly. These festivals are diverse and feature a variety of musical genres, and some aim to celebrate local culture and traditions. Therefore, several reasons drive a visitor to participate in the event, and the impacts that such a large event produces on the destination where it takes place are unquestionable. This research aims to study music events, in particular the Rock in Rio festival, and to understand the motivations that lead visitors to participate in this event, as well as the impacts at the destination where it is held. From this perspective, the main objective of this study is to identify main sustainable practices in the Rock in Rio event and their impact on the destination. A qualitative methodology was used engaging members of the Turismo de Portugal (national DMO), VisitLisboa (regional DMO), and hotel units in the city of Lisbon. Considering that social sustainability is a topic still underdeveloped in scientific studies, particularly when related to music events, this study will bring new contributions. The main results suggest that the Rock in Rio event impacts Lisbon, positively and negatively, as a destination, with the most evident positive impacts related to the city destination’s promotion, supply development, and the image and reputation creation. Even though the sustainability approach is already in everyday life, sustainable practices are not as evident in events as in destinations, particularly in the hotel sector. However, they are already defined as a valued element for choosing destinations and events.
- El cambio del perfil del profesional de recursos humanos en PortugalPublication . Martins, Dora; Silva, Susana; Costa, ElgaEl presente estudio pretende caracterizar el perfil de los profesionales responsables por la gestión de recursos humanos, en concreto su perfil académico, las funciones que ocupan y los requisitos demandados por las empresas portuguesas que pretenden admitir a nuevos profesionales para asumir funciones en el ámbito de la gestión de personas. Este estudio está basado en una encuesta por cuestionario realizado a una muestra de 261 responsables de recursos humanos de empresas ubicadas en Portugal (133 fueron encuestados en 2004, 128 fueron encuestados en 2013). En paralelo, fueron analizados 78 anuncios publicados en 2014 para identificar el perfil requerido en la actualidad. Los resultados muestran que, durante los últimos 10 años, la gran parte de los profesionales responsables por la gestión de recursos humanos asumen papeles específicos relacionados con los recursos humanos (RH). La calificación superior en RH empieza logrando más importancia en 2013, cuando se compara con otras áreas de calificación superior (ej. Gestión, Derecho e Ingeniería) prevalecientes en 2004. Las vacantes disponibles en anuncios relacionados con la función de RH buscan, sobretodo, candidatos (1) para asumir el cargo de técnico de RH, (2) que posean calificación superior en las áreas de RH o Ciencias Sociales y (3) que detengan competencias personales e interpersonales, así como competencias lingüísticas e informáticas. Basado en estos resultados, el artículo discute en detalle las principales implicaciones teóricas y prácticas. Sugestiones de investigación futura son, de igual modo, presentadas.
- Strategic approach to thermal tourism during and after Covid-19Publication . Liberato, Dália; Quintela, Joana A.; Neto, Paulo; Liberato, Pedro; Brandão, Filipa; Costa, ElgaHealth and wellness have become important motives for consumption, attracting the researchers’ interest. One of the current challenges in academic research and in the wellness tourism industry is the conceptual development related to the key term wellness. In recent years in Europe, classical thermalism, focused essentially on the “cure” dimension, has been replaced by modern thermalism, which is particularly based on the “wellness” dimension, and the offer is more focused on preventive therapeutic motivations, combined with recreational and tourism aspects. Although the pandemic period led to the stagnation of tourism businesses, health tourism capitalized on the opportunity and developed successfully from the impact of the pandemic. The main objective of this work is to understand the challenges and strategies of the sector during and after Covid-19, namely whether the impact of the pandemic confirmed the need to reassess products and services, with complementary and composite offers that combine nature, sports, and nutrition, among others. A qualitative methodology approach was used to answer this objective, drawing on semi-structured interviews. The results report the challenges that Covid-19 represented to the sector, regarding the expenses increasing with disease prevention and equipment maintenance, the lack of investment, and the decrease in wellness products consumption.
- Crisis management in business tourism. An empirical study in the Iberian PeninsulaPublication . Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Liberato, Dália; Sousa, Marta; Liberato, Pedro; Costa, ElgaThe covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant humanitarian, social, and economic crisis, impacting various sectors, including tourism and hospitality. Among the affected segments, business tourism, which is a vital contributor to the local and regional economies and expected to grow, has also faced substantial challenges during this period. To understand and analyse the crisis management within the business tourism industry in the Iberian Peninsula, this research follows a qualitative methodological approach, through semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs from the tourism sector in Portugal and Spain. The overarching goal of this study is to assess the impact of the covid-19 crisis on business tourism in the Iberian Peninsula. To achieve this, specific objectives include comprehending the effects of the pandemic on business tourism, identifying crisis management practices, and analysing the measures adopted by tourism professionals in response to the crisis. Key findings from the study emphasize the changes in events organization, such as exhibitions, congresses, fairs, and shows, which had to adapt to new social distancing policies, leading to cancellations, postponements, or a shift to online formats where possible. Additionally, significant changes due to health and safety concerns were observed, with Regional Entities and the national DMO (Turismo de Portugal) initiating initiatives like the Clean & Safe seal, implementing safety measures, and adapting products and services. The digital environment emerged as a critical platform for strategies during this time. Regarding crisis management practices, it was noted that many companies lacked a structured crisis management model, often resorting to reactive action plans when faced with specific challenges. Notably, the support received from the government was considered fundamental in managing the crisis, alongside effective communication among stakeholders, strategic marketing approaches, and the development of resilience. In conclusion, the covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the business tourism industry in the Iberian Peninsula, requiring adaptive measures, particularly in event organization, safety implementation, and digital strategies. The study also highlights the importance of crisis management practices, emphasizing the role of government support, communication, marketing, and resilience in navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic. These insights provide valuable guidance for the industry's future preparedness and response to crises.
- 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.