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- The main strategies of restaurant revenue management and its applicability in the F&B departmentPublication . Maia, Pedro; Melo, António; Oliveira, MónicaOver the past years, Revenue Management has been used in various sectors, starting in the airlines, passing through the hotel and restaurant sectors, with a focus on the creation and maximization of revenue. In this sense, Restaurant Revenue Management becomes a useful tool for incomes, making establishments more competitive and contributing to business growth and sustainability in catering and restaurants context. The main objective of this study is to research the development and application of Restaurant Revenue Management, through the study of its systems and strategies, tounderstand how restaurant and catering establishments can optimize revenue through the creation and implementation of RRM systems. This research begins with a literature review where we aim to understand the principles and characteristics of Restaurant Revenue Management as a whole, to know the RRM strategies and how to apply them in the hospitality and catering sector. The methodology chosen was quantitative, where questionnaires were prepared and distributed to hotels and restaurants in Portugal. The results demonstrate that major part of the respondents is not familiar with the concept of Restaurant Revenue Management. Most respondents believe that the application of the RRM concept is important for the company's results and for those who are familiar with the concept, they consider that it allows the ideal customer to be defined based on their characteristics and enables decisions to be taken based on knowledge, creating a structure of fixed and variable costs. Purpose: Thus, the general and specific research objectives inherent to the study are: To assess how Restaurant Revenue Management is applied in Portugal in the restaurant and hotel contexts. To recognize what are its characteristics and practices. To understand how Restaurant Revenue Management influences revenues. To realize the advantages and disadvantages identified by the application of restaurant revenue management. Methodology: This research focuses on a quantitative methodology, using the questionnaire as a data collection tool. A deductive research approach was used in the scientific research process. The technical procedure used in the investigation phase was bibliographic research, having been collected information in several scientific articles and books on the subject. On a first moment, the collection of relevant documents for the research was made. The script was validated by six academic professionals and five professionals from the sector. After validation, an online questionnaire was conducted using the Google Forms platform. To achieve the maximum possible number of answers, the distribution channel used, to collect the results, was the e- mail. An initial telephone contact was made to confirm availability to answer the questionnaire. After this contact, the questionnaire was sent via e-mail. The questionnaires were conducted in Portuguese, as the study was only intended for entities located in Portugal. During the investigation, 880 questionnaires were sent out and 131 responses were received all completed, in a period between June and August. The instrument used to analyze and process the data collected was Excel. Results: The concept of Restaurant Revenue Management generally is not known among F&B departments, as demonstrated in the answers collected during the distribution of the questionnaire, in which 58.8% do not know the concept and only 41.2% of the respondents are familiar with the subject. Those who know and apply the concept of RRM consider the application of the concept and its respective impact important and crucial for the business. In the answers to the questionnaire about 57.4% consider its application important, while 24.1% considers it very important and 14.8% extremely important. Only 3.7% states that the RRM is not very important. Of the 131 respondents, only 41.2% are familiar with the concept of Restaurant Revenue Management, making a total of 54 responses. Originality: This is original research with the authors perspective constructed based in arguments from other research work to back up the investigation.
- ICT skills in hospitalityPublication . Silva, Susana; Aires, Cátia; Silva, Cândida; Melo, AntónioGlobalization and advances in information and communication technology (ICT) have contributed to the computerization of society, but also to the improvement of working conditions in diverse areas of activity. Hospitality have not been an exception to this reality and increasingly is seen a proliferation of ICT in these areas of activity and the consequent need for training and specialization by these professionals. Thus, this research aims to understand the level of preponderance of ICT in the hotel activity and to characterize the use of ICT in hotel activities. Thus, a quantitative study was conducted with the dissemination of an online survey to hospitality companies during November 2017 to January 2018. Our sample has 51 hotel companies from different categories and several tourism regions in Portugal. The respondents were 15 (29,5%) female and 36 (70,5%) male with mean age of 45,7 (SD=12,1) years. In our sample, 43 (84%) had a formalized Room Division department, 38 (74,5%) had F&B department, and 32 (62,7%) had sales and marketing department. The results suggested that, for each department, the need of digital skills is related to the specific features of the Department. For the majority of the departments, the seniority of the activity is related to the need of an advanced level of digital skills, for example in the room division department, the front office manager needed a medium (n=26, 58%) or advanced (n=17, 38%) level of digital skills but, for 40% (n=15) of the participants, the housekeeper, to order online the amenities, needed a basic of digital skills. In the F&B department Food and Beverage, the Head Chef for the task of procurement, through an online system, the goods needed for an event, 75% (n=28) of the participants referred that requires a medium-advanced level of digital skills. To the Barman, for promoting, in the Instagram, the image of a new cocktail available, we observed that 13 (38%) participants referred the need of basic level of digital skills. Only in the sales and marketing department, all the functions required an advanced level of digital skills, the sales manager, for the several tasks needed medium-advanced level of skills (n=27, 85%), 85% (n=27) of the revenue managers also needed an medium-advanced level of digital skills, and 47% (n=15) of the participants referred that sales promoter needed an advanced level of digital skills. In conclusion, this paper discusses the ICT skills needed to develop the several activities in each department of a hotel, as well as in managing the different issues of each department, namely in the relationship with costumers and guests, before, during and after the reservation, using ICT to promote hotel ecologic sustainability, managing social networks and promoting the hotel online.
- "Rota dos Sabores" – simulation-based learning in Tourism, Hospitality and Catering education and trainingPublication . Melo, António; Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, SandraCurrent society and the labour market value and demand that people have the ability to work in teams and be creative, innovative and adaptable to new situations. Having become increasingly important in education, these skills are particularly relevant within the tourism, hospitality and catering fields, which traditionally rely heavily on practical teaching and learning approaches, focusing on real-world issues and skills that reflect the professional scenarios and challenges of future graduates. Drawing from these premises, this paper will describe ‘Rota dos Sabores’, a student-organized gastronomic event taking place in the last semester of the degree in Catering and Restaurant Management. Aiming to enhance students’ creativity, teamwork, collaborative skills, and their ability to adapt to new situations, this event combines both soft and technical skills (e.g., event organisation and management), at the same time it helps students broaden their international gastronomic culture, being leveraged by structured practical training and work simulation approaches. Based on desk research, observation and content analysis (resulting from questionnaires applied to the students and event participants), this paper aims to frame the activities carried out, crosscutting different perspectives as to establish the importance of collaboration and teamwork in shaping the future careers of hospitality graduates. In addition to describing the different event stages and its implementation, the authors will reflect on students’ overall performance and feedback as crucial components of teaching and learning experiences. As a result, this paper is expected to contribute to the development of new training and inform future simulation-based activities in this area.
- Soft skills in action: developing tourism students skills through interdisciplinarityPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, António; Melo, Carla; Liberato, Dália; Lopes, Maria CarlosTourism research has highlighted the strategic need to identify and assess relevant skills for the sector to ensure organizations’ competitiveness. Describing an interdisciplinary project carried out at the School of Hospitality and Tourism (Polytechnic Institute of Porto), this paper aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on the importance of soft skills in the tourism industry and the role played by higher education institutions and tourism education in promoting their development. Working toward bridging the gap between academia and the labor market, this project covered five different courses and challenged students to write research papers, drawing from interviews with stakeholders from different tourism subsectors. Making use of a collaborative approach, based on complementarity and field work, the project succeeded, exceeding initial expectations and enhancing participants’ teaching and learning experiences. In addition to being aligned with current trends in tourism education, it also provides valuable insights on the affordances and attainability of interdisciplinarity, ultimately informing further joint initiatives within this scope.
- Shaping the new normal: Portuguese hotel and event managers’ reactions to COVID-19Publication . Melo, Carla; Melo, António; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Meneses, DanielaThe COVID-19 pandemic has created a worldwide crisis, which has had an impact on all economic sectors, having transformed social and consumption patterns. This crisis has been particularly difficult for the tourism industry, with uncertainty and the emergence of new consumer profiles and demands prompting swift reactions from policymakers and stakeholders. Focussing on two sub-sectors of the Portuguese tourism industry – hospitality and events – this paper aims to identify the most relevant concerns and Crisis Management Strategies adopted in each of these sectors in the early stages of the pandemic, putting forward a multi-layered analysis, juxtaposing the different challenges faced by managers and how they were approached. Based on previous studies and on 14 semi-structured interviews with hotel and event managers, the authors adopted an exploratory qualitative approach as to record and categorize the interviewees’ perceptions, having established the transversal importance of resilience, flexibility, and technology for each sector’s recovery. Moreover, taking into account the singularity of each setting, the authors were also able to identify more specific sectorial categories, which have had an effect on both the decision-making and future outlooks for both the hospitality and events industries. Overall, despite being hopeful, hotel and event managers anticipate different recovery challenges, with the first highlighting the importance of soft skills, and the latter emphasizing the need to regain the public’s confidence, at the same time they will have to rethink their offer as to better address current needs and concerns.
- To play or not to play: a snapshot of the contribution of game-based approaches in tourism higher educationPublication . Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, AntónioIn a volatile and increasingly digital world, with rhythms (of life, learning, and experimentation) becoming more fast-tracked, it is with no surprise that students’ engagement and ability to focus have become one of the greatest challenges for higher education teachers. Despite the growing interest surrounding student-centred and active teaching and learning methodologies, there seems to be a growing disconnection from students, which hinders their learning and professional growth, making it necessary to invest in research, as well as the development of more meaningful and engaging strategies. In tourism education, game-based approaches have been successfully pointed out as strategies that enhance students’ motivation to act, by making learning more attractive and fun. Likewise, experiential learning methodologies (in general) have proved to be especially suitable within this setting since many of the skills to be developed are best worked on through learning-by-doing activities. Within the scope of this study, researchers have used gamified approaches that include board games and quizzes (e.g., Kahoot and student response systems such as Socrative), as well as other activities where game principles have been adopted to create more attractive and challenging learningscapes. Based on the data collected through classroom observation and students’ perceptions and results (e.g., their quiz scores), researchers were able to conclude that students are open and motivated to engage in gamified approaches. Moreover, despite the more relaxed and playful environment of these activities, students' ability to focus is greater, as is their involvement in the tasks to be performed. The findings also suggest that using games can help teachers pinpoint and address students’ doubts more quickly and effectively, which in some cases is enhanced with technology playing an instrumental role in collecting and recording data. In addition, gamified strategies proved to be reliable and simple to use, having yielded valuable insights on learners’ progress and the way they learn.
- A simulação nos laboratórios de hotelaria e restauração como mise-en-place para a atividade profissionalPublication . Campos, Joana; Melo, António; Oliveira, Mónica; Silva, José António; Fonseca, Rui; Quintas, Marta; Fernandes, Patrícia; Correia, RosaA formação em hotelaria e restauração desde os primórdios da sua existência que assenta o seu processo de ensino-aprendizagem com grande predominância da vertente prática e de simulação da realidade profissional futura. Nesta linha e no que diz respeito às competências técnicas para determinada função, elas podem ser desenvolvidas através de programas de formação técnica, em contexto de sala de aula ou laboratorial, assim como em contextos de estágio ou de simulação da realidade profissional, nos quais os estudantes alargam o seu portefólio de competências. Com efeito, as competências de metacognição são uma componente crucial no desenvolvimento dos estudantes e diplomados, uma vez que possibilitam a sua autoconsciência e a identificação daquilo que será necessário para os seus futuros profissionais (Monteiro, Almeida & Garcia-Aracil, 2016). Através da formação com uma componente prática, as UC PCR I e II na Licenciatura de Gestão de Restauração e Catering, TRB e TCP dos cursos TeSP Operações Hoteleiras e Serviços de Restauração e Catering e PAB I, II e GAB da Licenciatura em Gestão e Administração Hoteleira, promovem a simulação simbiótica dos momentos de serviço de cozinha e restaurante, passando por todas as fases a estes afetos, mas também ensaios teórico práticos, colocando os alunos como atores e elemento principal em cenários reais, fora dos seus contextos de conforto, mas solicitando-lhes resolução das problemáticas apresentadas, permitem o seu desenvolvimento na área do curso, designadamente desenvolvendo primeiramente competências técnicas, não esquecendo competências como a de liderança, de gestão de recursos humanos, de conflitos, entre outras.
- Soft skills & turismo: do mercado à academiaPublication . Melo, António; Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Liberato, Dália; Lopes, Maria CarlosA educação e formação em turismo tem vindo a ser alargada significativamente nas últimas décadas, concomitantemente com a importância da atividade turística para Portugal nomeadamente em termos sociais, culturais e económicos. As exigências dos desempenhos profissionais têm vindo a demonstrar a importância da formação técnica e a relevância da posse de competências transversais, ou soft skills, por parte de todos os atores deste setor. As competências transversais, entendidas como um conjunto de competências pessoais e interpessoais, podem ser utilizadas e são importantes em múltiplas profissões, independentemente da área específica de conhecimento (Vieira & Marques, 2014). Através da realização de um trabalho interdisciplinar, no âmbito de cinco unidades curriculares, os estudantes finalistas da Licenciatura em Gestão de Atividades Turísticas, foram motivados a recolher e analisar perceções relacionadas com as soft skills nos diferentes subsetores do Turismo, no sentido de perceber quais as competências exigidas/procuradas pelos seus potenciais empregadores. Para tal, através da aplicação de uma metodologia qualitativa, com recurso a entrevistas para a coleta de dados, os estudantes realizaram um trabalho investigativo, entre março e abril de 2021, do qual resultaram por grupo, um short paper e uma apresentação final em inglês. A realização deste trabalho interdisciplinar contribuiu, para os estudantes, na aquisição de competências relacionadas com a área do curso, designadamente a utilização de linguagem técnica, a capacidade de fornecer informações sobre o percurso académico, experiência profissional e o desenvolvimento de competências transversais, e, não menos importante para os docentes a construção de diálogos interdisciplinares e aprendizagens dialéticas.
- The changing face of events after COVID-19: initial reactions and future perspectivesPublication . Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, António; Meneses, DanielaThe COVID-19 health crisis has significantly impacted the tourism and events industries, having prompted different responses from stakeholders and decision-makers. Focusing on the initial response from event managers and drawing from their perceptions, this paper outlines the dimensions considered to have been more directly affected by the crisis, analyzing how they shaped event managers’ outlook on the future. In order to provide a comprehensive view, researchers carried out six interviews, having resorted to purposive sampling, as to collect data from managers working with social, corporate, and cultural events. Overall, Operations, Human Resources, and Decision-making stood out as the most relevant dimensions, mostly stemming from the need to act quickly when faced with this unforeseen situation, having had a short- and medium-term impact on recovery prospects. Together with Health and Safety and Customer Relationship Management, these dimensions are expected to play an important role in shaping the future of events, as, in addition to changes regarding the dimension, format, and sustainability, managers anticipate a shift in peoples’ behavior and expectations, which will ultimately affect their experience, calling for different approaches and strategies.
- O papel do nutricionista na restauração comercialPublication . França, Francisco; Rei, Mariana; Melo, António; Torres, DuarteIntrodução: Em Portugal, a atuação do Nutricionista na Restauração Comercial permanece, até à data, uma área subexplorada, que carece de uma definição transparente. Objetivos: Conhecer em que medida(s) pode o Nutricionista intervir nas atividades da Restauração Comercial em Portugal. Metodologia: Aplicou-se o método de Delphi online, cujo painel de peritos contou com a participação de Nutricionistas e Chefes de Cozinha. Na primeira ronda foram recolhidos dados pessoais e foi colocada uma questão aberta sobre a(s) medida(s) de atuação do Nutricionista na Restauração Comercial em Portugal. Na segunda ronda foi aplicado um questionário constituído por questões de resposta fechada relativas às medidas de atuação do Nutricionista na Restauração Comercial identificadas na ronda anterior. Resultados: Foram identificadas, consensualmente, 14 medidas de atuação do Nutricionista na Restauração Comercial, que se agruparam em 8 categorias: “Valorização Nutricional e Alergénios”, “Elaboração de Menus com Opções Saudáveis”, “Educação Alimentar do Consumidor”, “Segurança Alimentar, Cumprimento Normativo e Legislativo e Auditorias”, “Gestão de Operações”, “Gestão de Pessoas”, “Marketing e Comunicação” e “Rentabilidade do Negócio”. Conclusões: Do ponto de vista dos Chefes de Cozinha e dos próprios Nutricionistas, estes profissionais de saúde podem intervir amplamente nas atividades da Restauração Comercial em Portugal.
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