• Beyond ethics: The transformational power of overlapping motivations in implementing strategic sustainability actions 

      Bonilla-Priego, Maria Jesus; Nájera-Sánchez, Juan-José; Font aulet, Xavier (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2021-10-18)
      We develop a methodology to identify patterns between sustainability motivations, actions and engagement. We apply this methodology to analyse a 3 1/2-year intervention that yielded 151 sustainability actions undertaken by 46 outbound tour operators. We find three aspects that can be explained by the tour operators' motivations to act sustainably, namely, a connection between: (i) the actions taken ...
    • Changes in air passenger demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis: using Big Data to inform tourism policy 

      Gallego, Inmaculada; Font aulet, Xavier (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2020-06-05)
      This paper develops a methodology for the early detection of reactivation of tourist markets to help mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, using Skyscanner data on air passenger searches (>5,000 million) and picks (>600 million), for flights between November 2018 and December 2020, through ForwardKeys. For future travel during the May to September 2020 period, the desire to travel (based on ...
    • Co-learning through participatory evaluation: an example using Theory of Change in a large-scale EU-funded tourism intervention 

      Montano, Luigina Jessica; Font aulet, Xavier; Elsenbroich, Corinna; Ribeiro, Manuel Alector (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2023-06-24)
      Tourism interventions, as tools for social change and preservation of natural and cultural assets are inherently complex. This study presents an improved method for the evaluation of complex tourism interventions. We argue that participatory methods can promote a culture of evaluation that supports partners throughout evidencing project impacts, eliminating negative attitudes to evaluation ...
    • Consulting on the European Union's 2050 tourism policies: An appreciative inquiry materiality assessment 

      Guix, Mireia; Font aulet, Xavier (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2022-01-22)
      Stakeholder consultations serve as powerful legitimising devices upon the balance of participants, the quality of the process and its effective results. We propose a deliberative digital stakeholder consultation methodology based on an appreciative inquiry approach to materiality assessment. We illustrate its application in a four-month consultation for the European Commission (2020 European Tourism ...
    • COVID-19 social distancing compliance mechanisms: UK evidence 

      Wu, Jialin (Snow); Font aulet, Xavier; McCalmley, Claire (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2021-12-23)
      Non-compliance with social distancing (SD) measures clearly has negative effects on both public health and post-pandemic economic recovery. However, little is as yet known about people's views on and factors influencing their behavioral intentions toward SD measures. This study draws on moral disengagement theory and the norm-activation model to investigate mechanisms that promote or hinder compliance ...
    • COVID-19 social distancing compliance mechanisms: UK evidence 

      Wu, Jialin (Snow); Font aulet, Xavier; McCamley, Claire (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2021-12-23)
      Non-compliance with social distancing (SD) measures clearly has negative effects on both public health and post-pandemic economic recovery. However, little is as yet known about people's views on and factors influencing their behavioral intentions toward SD measures. This study draws on moral disengagement theory and the norm-activation model to investigate mechanisms that promote or hinder compliance ...
    • Designing for experiences: a meta-ethnographic synthesis 

      Smit, Bert; Melissen, Frans W.; Font aulet, Xavier; Gkritzali, Alkmini (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2020-12-17)
      Experiences are at the core of tourism and hospitality. Understanding how to design, manage and measure such experiences has become a key topic in academic literature focused on this sector. This paper presents the characteristics of an optimal design process model for experiences, based on the results of a meta-ethnographic synthesis of such processes. The characteristics can be seen as critical ...
    • The effects of message framing in CSR advertising on consumers’ emotions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions 

      Stadlthanner, Katja Anna; Andreu, Luisa; Ribeiro, Manuel Alector; Font aulet, Xavier; Mattila, Anna S. (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2022-04-28)
      While recent research on sustainability communication demonstrates the relevance of message framing, research on the effects of message framing on consumers’ emotions is scant. Using the StimulusOrganism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this paper examines the impact of environmental advertisements (stimuli) on two discrete emotions – hope and guilt – (organism) and how these emotions influence ...
    • The elusive impact of pro-environmental intention on holiday on pro-environmental behaviour at home 

      Wu, Jialian (Snow); Font aulet, Xavier; Liu, Jingyan (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2021-02-03)
      There is limited research studying how pro-environmental behavioural intentions gained in a tourism context subsequently influence intentions and actual behaviour at home. This study reports on a three-stage study that surveys Chinese domestic tourists on holiday, and at home one week and one month after the holiday experience. The findings suggest that the stated pro-environmental intention on ...
    • Evaluating policy complexity with Causal Loop Diagrams 

      Crabolu, Gloria; Font aulet, Xavier; Eker, Sibel (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2023-05-15)
      Methods to capture the complexity of using policy instruments would allow us to better evaluate the reasons for their effectiveness. Drawing from complexity science, we produce a Causal Loop Diagram to analyse the implementation of two informational policy instruments in a tourism destination: the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria and the European Tourism Indicator Scheme. To interpret the ...
    • Explaining the willingness of consumers to bring their own reusable coffee cups under the condition of monetary incentives 

      Nicolau, Juan Luis; Stadlthanner, Katja Anna; Andreu, Luisa; Font aulet, Xavier (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2022-01-13)
      An increasing number of hospitality firms attempt to foster sustainable practices among their customers. Amongst these, incentives for customers to bring their own reusable products stand out. In this study, we first analyse whether consumers are willing to bring a reusable coffee cup (RCC) under the condition of a monetary incentive (qualitative decision) and the minimum discount required for ...
    • The Hidden Power of Sustainable Tourism Indicator Schemes: Have We Been Measuring Their Effectiveness All Wrong? 

      Crabolu, Gloria; Font aulet, Xavier; Miller, Graham (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2023-09-11)
      Evaluating whether sustainability indicator schemes contribute to better sustainable destination management has proven challenging. We adopt a systems thinking approach to shed light on the elusive impacts of sustainable tourism indicator schemes. We conduct online participatory workshops with 19 experts in sustainable tourism monitoring, to produce a causal loop diagram that illustrates how ...
    • How environmental gain messages affect cause involvement, attitude and behavioural intentions: the moderating effects of CSR scepticism and biospheric values 

      Stadlthanner, Katja Anna; Andreu, Luisa; Font aulet, Xavier; Ribeiro, Manuel Alector; Currás-Pérez, Rafael (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2022-05-27)
      Purpose - This study examines the direct effect of outcome message frames (gain vs loss) on cause involvement and the moderating roles of consumers' corporate social responsibility (CSR) scepticism and biospheric values. Furthermore, the authors analyse (1) the effects of gain-framed messages on consumer attitudes towards an environmental cause (i.e. the use of reusable coffee cups) and towards the ...
    • The impact of COVID-19 on European tourists' attitudes to air travel and the consequences for tourist destination evoked set formation 

      Gallego, Inma; Font aulet, Xavier; González-Rodríguez, M. Rosario (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2022-02-10)
      We study how risk conditions derived from the COVID-19 pandemic may impact on both the desire to travel and intention to visit of tourists and, therefore, on different stages of the destination choice process. We analyse 5134 million flight searches and 379 million flight picks during 2020 for the 17 largest European tourism source markets. An unweighted index number is employed to measure the ...
    • International air travel attitude and travel planning lead times across 45 countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic 

      Gallego, Inmaculada; González-Rodríguez, M. Rosario; Font aulet, Xavier (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2022-11-08)
      his paper explores global differences in travel risk perception based on i) attitudes towards travel abroad, and ii) the time required to plan travel. Baseline data from 2019 is compared with data from 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A methodology based on Big Data is developed through the Skyscanner metasearch engine, working with 20,756 million flight searches and 1979 million ...
    • A multi-criteria, composite index methodology to measure the suitability of target markets for the hotel industry 

      Gallego, Inma; González-Rodríguez, M. Rosario; Font aulet, Xavier (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2023-04-13)
      This article presents a multi-criteria methodology to identify target markets for the hotel industry, based on objective and quantitative criteria from official statistical sources, using five dimensions: volume, evolution, seasonality, length of stay and expenditure. The methodology allows tourism organisations to: i) identify market indicators that respond to their organisational goals; ii) ...
    • Participatory complexity in tourism policy: Understanding sustainability programmes with participatory systems mapping 

      Wu, Jenny Suno; Barbrook-Johnson, Pete; Font aulet, Xavier (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2021-07-09)
      Linear logic models are insufficient to understand how interventions work in complex areas such as sustainable tourism. We present Participatory Systems Mapping (PSM), a novel method to develop shared understandings and collective management of complex policy issues among stakeholders. We use PSM with stakeholders in Barcelona to support the design of an upcoming evaluation of an existing sustainability ...
    • Standing with our hometowns? The relationship between residents' perceived threat from COVID-19 and intention to support tourism recovery in their hometown 

      Liu, Yan; Cao, XinYue; Font aulet, Xavier; Cao, XingPing (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2022-07-17)
      A hometown is the place to which an individual has an affective bond resulting from either being born there or living there for lived for a long time. This article investigates people's intention to support the revival of tourism in their hometowns post-COVID-19. The research hypothesises that individuals are affected by the threat to ontological security, freedom of movement, and freedom of ...
    • Sustainability, Competitive Advantages and Performance in the Hotel Industry: A Synergistic Relationship 

      Pereira-Moliner, Jorge; López-Gamero, María D.; Font aulet, Xavier; Molina-Azorín, José F.; Tarí, Juan José; Pertusa-Ortega, Eva M. (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2021-12-22)
      The relationship between sustainability, competitive advantages, and performance is a topic with no conclusive results in the tourism industry. To contribute to the debate, the purpose of this study is i) to analyze the influence of sustainability on cost and differentiation competitive advantages and ii) to examine the possible synergistic relationship between sustainability and performance. ...
    • Trustworthy or misleading communication of voluntary carbon offsets in the aviation industry 

      Guix, Mireia; Ollé, Claudia; Font aulet, Xavier (Journal article; Tidsskriftartikkel; Peer reviewed, 2021-09-13)
      We assess the communications of 37 airlines on their own websites regarding voluntary carbon offsets (VCO) to determine the extent to which they are either trustworthy or misleading. We propose an innovative coding framework that captures the trustworthy or misleading attributes of the messages as they are applied to: i) the type of claim (product, process, fact or image), and ii) the nature of ...