Dr Hugues Séraphin

This timely and topical book presents a unique critical exploration of the sociology of single travel and theory of consumption in relation to loneliness and tourism.

Logically structured and interdisciplinary in scope, this book introduces disrupting questions around the convergence of the post-modern self in relation to solo travel post-pandemic, with chapters exploring topics such as romantic loneliness, the benefits and drawbacks of single travel in a globalized world, the influence of technology on solo travel and the impact of sex tourism. International case studies and examples are given throughout and the book is richly illustrated and data-led. The volume looks to the future, exploring relevant trends and the development of new products and services in the next few years.

This volume is a pivotal resource for students, scholars and academics with an interest in tourism and mobility studies, international relations, development economics, crisis management, sociology and public policy. The book may also be of professional interest to practitioners and policymakers dedicated to tourism sociology and sociology of tourism consumption. -- Provided by publisher.

This book presents theoretical and empirical insights on communal food and dining practices which challenge the less sustainable and often solitary lifestyles encouraged by a social system based on unlimited growth. -- Provided by publisher.

This new volume, Post-Disaster and Post-Conflict Tourism, now going into its 2nd edition, takes an in-depth look at how global geopolitical tensions and global threats affect the tourism industry and offers tools and strategies for meeting these challenges.

The book is updated with chapters that include new research, studies, and experiences, many of which consider the fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism. It also includes five brand new chapters, for over 50 new pages of text.

With chapters by well-versed scholars who have worked as experts in post-disaster and post-conflict tourism, the book presents a host of case scenarios along with innovative strategies that can be implemented by postcolonial, post-conflict, and post-disaster destinations to encourage travel and tourism in these areas. Topics include using tourism as a vehicle for economic recovery, educating tourists at the pre-visit stage, developing and employing postcolonial branding and self-branding, using sports tourism and food events as a marketing strategy, the ethics revolving around post-disaster consumption, and much more. The new chapters discuss tourism in the age of the coronavirus pandemic and its dramatic disruptive effect on the tourism industry. The authors delve into post-COVID tourism marketing, health and wellness education and practices, ethical considerations for tourism operators, and more. A chapter also considers the challenges of sustainable supply chain management in tour operations.

With contributions from experts in this emerging field, this volume is a rich resource for travel and tourism professionals, policymakers, researchers, and others. It creates a bridge between the conceptual discussions around “dark consumption” (tourism directed to places that are identified with death and suffering) and the urgency to develop empirical models that support destination marketing organizations in a rapidly changing world. -- Provided by publisher.

Infants and young adults represent the future of the events industry. Yet, until now, there has been little research in this important and growing sector. Events Management for the Infant and Youth Market takes a comprehensive look at the unique challenges posed for planning and delivering events for young people. Bringing together practitioners and academics in unparalleled partnership, ground-breaking research is presented on event design and type in Europe, America, Asia, and Australia. The focus is on real-world application of ideas formed from empirical data.

Topics include: the ‘greening’ of events, factors affecting attendance, satisfaction, and the loyalty of customers, plus a detailed cross-section and analysis of stakeholders. Four types of events are covered, business, family, sports, and cultural. The scale of events encompass local community gatherings, business events, and private functions. Practical guidelines are given for the planning and delivering of these events successfully for infants and young adults. This is the future of events, as seen by leading experts and professionals. -- Provided by publisher.

It is safe to say that global capitalism has created the conditions for a more liberal market as well as free interchange among nations. This particularly pivoted in the rise and expansion of tourism, but at the same time, it made things harder for the destinations in view of a climate of excessive competition. This chapter brings some reflection on how educating tourists to visit destinations is mainly marked by an ongoing state of political violence and instability. The thesis held by the authors stands for tourism education avoids long-dormant ethnocentric discourses based on the fear of traveling to so-called risky destinations. This begs the question to what extent behind the alarmism of tourism safety and security lies deep western ethnocentrism.

Although tourism marketing and management have gained firm positions over the recent years, no less true seems to be that the rules of marketing have been put upside down just after the pandemic. The DMO model has been proven to be efficient in recycling destinations in the context of crisis and chaos. This chapter delves into the world of national identities and heritage as key factors of national cohesion and unity. Having said this, the DMO model helps readers to expand their understanding of tourist preferences as well as the narratives emanating from the core of nations and sold as national heritage.

Purpose: This research note argues that investigating the intersections between hospitality and speed dating events can yield practical implications for both industries. Hospitality professionals can gain valuable insights into how to enhance customer experiences by understanding the unique needs and expectations of individuals participating in dating events. Conversely, dating event organizers can draw upon the principles of hospitality to create more engaging and enjoyable experiences for their attendees, ultimately contributing to the success and longevity of such events.

Methods: Adopting the User-Centred Design (UCD), which is structured around seven distinct phases including understand, observe, engage, define, ideate, prototype and test, and implement.

Results: This study suggests a blueprint for the new concept of speed dating event. It proposes a methodology to develop a research agenda to generate strategies for implementing the “dinner date” concept.

Implications: Developing aligning goals between hospitality and dating industries creates a valuable experience for their target audience, where food is presented as a soft management tool facilitating this relationship.

Purpose. 
This concluding paper offers an overview of the academic and practitioner approaches to the issue of well-being in the luxury yachting sector of tourism, highlighting the significance of the theme issue. The paper proposes a Model of Luxury Yachting Research illustrating the relationship between the areas directly affecting well-being and suggests that the Model can serve as a road map for further research in the field.

Design/methodology/approach. 
This paper argues that luxury yachting could be considered as a form of tourism which contributes to the well-being of a wide range of stakeholders relevant to the sector, and not only to those who experience their holidays on board luxury yachts. It builds on the range of contributions in this theme issue, using a synthesis of the knowledge generated from this publication.

Findings. 
The paper argues that luxury yachting as a specific and unique sector of tourism, which presents itself as a meta economic sector, is representative of the evolution of global finance and the global economy. Additionally, luxury yachting can act as a transformative societal force which positively encompasses and impacts its relevant stakeholders and sectors. The synthesises of the articles presented in this issue identifies four main areas of further academic enquiry in the field.

Originality/value. 
The value of this paper is that it presents luxury yachting as a prism which enables the investigation of the issue of well-being in the context of luxury tourism. This theme issue has addressed the well-being aspect of the luxury yachting tourism and, by doing so, has emphasised the significance of luxury yachting as a field of research which is ripe for extensive academic investigation. The outcomes of the issue have informed the Model of Luxury Yachting Research, a road map which is offered as a guide for further research in the field of luxury tourism.

The dating services industry has grown strongly over the past five years worldwide, with dating services increasing in popularity, contributing billions to the hospitality industry. In this opinion paper we carry out a preliminary examination of the connection between the dating industry and the hospitality industry and conduct a a pilot study as platform for further research seeking to examine the connections between these industries. The preliminary findings indicate that the dating services industry and the hospitality industry are interconnected, and that entertainment, service interaction and the hospitality venue’s ambiance are central factors to both the dating and hospitality industries. Nevertheless, future research must investigate further intersectional gaps, more specifically, to examine the synergies between business partners delivering products and services which are placed at this intersection between dating and hospitality.

Purpose

Drive, power and consciousness are the corner stones for the long-term sustainability of any industry. In the luxury yachting industry, the objective of this study is to evidence through the case of sunreed yachting that environmental innovation in the yachting industry has been key to sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

As a case study central to this paper, Sunreef has reconciled key luxury sustainability indicators to improve its brand image. This article adopted a case study approach to provide a systematic documentary analysis of online materials. It is also supported by a critical review of recent literature.

Findings

Beyond reconciling the three core components of any long-term sustainable strategy, the paper provides evidence that luxury yachting can operate without impacting negatively on the environment and local population, providing it is fully aware of the challenges faced by the planet in terms of sustainability, and that everyone has a role to play in achieving sustainability (consciousness) and also a willingness (driver) to invest in research and development (power).

Originality/value

This paper addresses the sustainability challenge in the luxury yachting industry. The case of Sunreef Yachts Eco has shown that green communication and innovations are able to reverse the unsustainable ecological trends in the yachting industry. This paper argues that “green activism” is the key encapsulating all the approaches by Sunreef, linking “consciousness”, “power” and “drivers” in sustainability yachting.

Purpose
This introductory paper aims to provide an overview of the significance of the theme issue.

Design/methodology/approach
The article explains why luxury yachting can be considered as a form of tourism which contributes to the well-being of stakeholders in the sector.

Findings
Luxury yachting (tourism) can be considered as a meta economic sector because luxury yachting is a representative of the evolution of global finance and economics. Luxury yachting is also a transformative sector of activity which positively spills over to other sectors and stakeholders, contributing to the well-being of a large community.

Originality/value
The value of this paper is that the paper presents luxury yachting as a prism which enables the investigation of other topics. For this reason, the article refers to luxury yachting as a meta-sector of the economy and a field of research.

Purpose – The tension between individual and collective well-being is at the core of the macromarketing
perspective, and transformative luxury research (TLR) has recently begun to consider this in the context of
luxury consumption. This conceptual paper reviews TLR in the setting of the tourism and hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a literature review in the field of marketing and
tourism management.

Findings – The authors propose a TLR–management model (MM), which identifies the link between TLR and well-being, as well as four elements that are important for the success of luxury innovations: risk; trust; ethics and ambidextrous management practices. Further studies will be able to apply this conceptual model in diverse luxury markets to develop more industry-specific versions of it but should always maintain the model’s focus on individual and collective well-being to ensure that it supports the growth of transformative luxury in the future

Practical implications – The research has highlighted the benefits (individual and community well-being) of
transformative research in the field of luxury products and services, but also the requirements (taking risk,
trust and ambidextrous management) to achieve this transformative stage.

Originality/value – The study provides a guideline to be followed by the luxury yachting industry to reach
its transformative potential.

This study bridges the gap between three industries, namely the dating industry, the event industry, and the hospitality industry. Because of the width and depth of speed dating events, this type of event is perfectly suitable to further discuss and formulate propositions in hospitality and event management studies. From a conceptual point view, this study is supporting the fact that a new type of event should be added to the existing ones developed by Getz and Page (2020). As a result, this study has coined ‘Special Interest and Meso-adultainment events’, as a new type of event. This type of event would include entertainment and recreational activities such as speed dating events, masochism bondage events, etc. From a practical point of view, this study has revealed the fact that speed dating events are not only meeting existing needs, but have some potential to grow. In terms of future research, this study is suggesting a focus on the hospitality industry and on hospitality management studies.