African Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Effect of Technological Innovations on Restaurant Sustainability in Nairobi County, Kenya

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 11:22:57 +0000

The hospitality industry, which is defined by social interaction and gathering, was seriously threatened by the coronavirus disease 2019. The pandemic exacerbated risk in several ways, putting sustainability as a critical objective at a crossroads. The management of restaurants needed to reorganise and innovate to survive and thrive during and after the pandemic. Technological innovations created opportunities to lower health hazards for guests and staff while maintaining operations in an unpredictable business environment. A review of the literature revealed a paucity of technological innovations and sustainability in restaurants in Nairobi County. The study sought to evaluate the effects of technological innovations and the sustainability of restaurants in Nairobi County, Kenya. Schumpeter’s theory of innovation served as the study's theoretical foundation. To explain the relationships between technological innovation and sustainability, the study employed a descriptive research design with Likert scale ratings. A census of restaurant managers from the 81 full-service restaurants housed in 54 classified hotels in Nairobi County was the unit of observation. Using self-administered questionnaires, the studies obtained a 70 per cent response rate (57 responses). SPSS version 25 was used to analyse the data and findings presented using descriptive and inferential statistics. Restaurants used innovations in technology to mitigate dangers as well as to improve cleanliness and sanitation. The relationship between technological innovations and sustainability was positive, moderate, and significant at the p = 0.05 level of significance; the Pearson correlation value was r = 0.473. Furthermore, the adjusted correlation coefficient (R2) indicated that technological innovations predict 21% of the variance in sustainability. Restaurant sustainability increased moderately due to technological innovations. As a result, the study recommends that the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife prioritise hospitality technologies to increase restaurant sustainability. Restaurant management should promote technological innovation, acquisition, and training. Finally, academia should lead the discourse about the implementation and spread of technological innovation

Assessment of Socio-Economic Gender Issues Affecting Women’s Participation in Alpine Tourism: A Case Study of Mt. Kenya National Park

Cornelius Kipchirchir, Asborn Juma Misiko, Dennis Cheruiyot Kiplangat — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:30:17 +0000

The study sought to investigate the socio-economic gender issues affecting women's participation in alpine tourism in Mt. Kenya National Park. The study was guided by the following objectives: to assess the social gender issues affecting women's participation in alpine tourism and to analyse the economic gender issues affecting women's participation in alpine tourism. The study used a descriptive research design, and data was collected through structured closed-ended questionnaires distributed to 133 women participating in alpine tourism activities. 107 questionnaires were duly filled and returned. Structured interviews were conducted with the officials of Kenya Wildlife Service and the leaders of Mt. Kenya Guides and Porters Association. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis, and quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that the marital status of the female mountain crew was the dominant social gender issue affecting women's participation in alpine tourism as most guides, porters and cooks were unmarried, and for those who were married, the majority of them experienced challenges relating to balancing work and family responsibilities. The study also established that there is a wage disparity between men and women working as guides, porters, and cooks. The study recommends the need for policy makers to implement policies that promote gender equality in the workplace, ensuring equal opportunities for women to engage in alpine tourism activities such as guiding, portering and cooking.In addition, the study recommends the need to develop family-friendly policies which enable married women to fully participate in alpine tourism activities without compromising their family duties. The study also recommends the need for the Nyeri County Department of Tourism, Trade, Culture and Cooperative Development in partnership with Mt. Kenya Guides and Porters Association, to organise short course training on mountaineering and capacity-building programs to enhance the English language proficiency of female porters and cooks, thereby improving their communication skills and enabling them to interact more effectively with tourists. The study further recommends the need for Mt. Kenya Guides and Porters Association to undertake a sensitisation forum for its members about sexual harassment subjected to female mountain crew by men participating in alpine tourism activities

Effects of the Informal Street Food Vendors’ Operations on the Socio-cultural and Economic Wellbeing of Nyeri Town Public

Asborn J. Misiko, Rodgers Isaac Kisiang’ani — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:21:47 +0000

Nyeri town boasts of informal street food vendors found on almost every street, offering products ranging from indigenous to trendy cuisines. During evening hours, the informal street food operators compete for the street space with the town public. The design and the size of the town’s major streets have not been reviewed to accommodate the increasing number of informal street food vendors and the growing urban community. This study investigated the effects of the informal street food vendors’ location, products, operating time and modus operandi on the Socio-cultural and Economic Wellbeing of the urban community in Nyeri town. The researchers combined the integrated model, neo-Marxist and neo-liberal theories to contextualize the development and growth of informal street foods. Neo-Marxist theory posits that the informal sector expands as urbanization increases, and the Neo-liberal theory –argues that entrepreneurs pursue informal sectors in order to operate outside the official business frameworks to explore the subject of the study. Using the cross-sectional survey design, the study adopted the enumeration and convenience sampling techniques to select vendors and consumers respectively that responded to the questionnaire administered face-to-face. The qualitative data was analysed using the thematic content analysis, and the output was transformed into quantitative data to give percentages and frequencies. The informal street ventures inconvenienced street users, especially during rush hours. The food-related waste and a cocktail of food aromas made the street ambience less attractive. The equipment used on the streets and the unsecured fire points posed a great risk to the public. The study concludes that informal street food ventures provide employment that sustains livelihoods. The informal street businesses facilitate the flow of resources, and promote the mainstream economies like agriculture, retail and food manufacturing, thus contributing to wealth creation in the county. The study recommends benchmarking to explore ways to change the perception that informal street foods are unsafe, unhealthy and the ventures make the street look unattractive. In countries like Thailand in the city of Phuket, informal street foods are conducted in an organized manner

Effect of Digital Security Systems on Market Performance in 3-5 Star Rated Hotels in Nakuru County, Kenya

Agatha Muthoni Kimingi, Lilian Mwenda, PhD, Peninah Chege, PhD — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:07:31 +0000

The study sought to assess the effect of digital security systems on hotel market performance in 3- 5-star rated hotels in Nakuru, Kenya. The research included a conceptual framework that showed the relationship between digital security systems and market performance. A descriptive research design was used to help evaluate the opinions of the target population, which included the staff and managers of the major departments within the hotels under study. Both closed and open-ended questionnaires were used for data collection. A census was done for all the managers while staff were selected using a cluster sampling technique. A total of 152 out of the 200 questionnaires that were issued were usable for the study. The data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study indicated a positive correlation between the utilisation of digital security systems and market performance. The study found that access control systems exert the most significant influence on the market performance of 3- 5 star rated hotels in Nakuru County compared to the other three variables under study. The study concludes that digital security systems are vital components contributing to the improvement of hotel performance. The study recommends stakeholders enforce digital security standards within the hotel sector and emphasise the importance of digital security systems to enhance guest safety. In addition, hotels should prioritise development of user-friendly systems. Further studies, as recommended by the study, can focus on the influence of digital security systems in different tourism sectors beyond hotels and include customers as the target population

Adoption of Digital Technologies as a Driver for Cost Leadership Strategy in Tour Firms within Nairobi City County, Kenya

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 07:39:42 +0000

Digital technologies play a major role in reducing the cost of operations in tour firms. The main focus of the study was to find out the adoption of digital technologies as a driver of cost leadership strategy in tour firms within Nairobi City County. The specific objective was to investigate the influence of mobile applications on cost leadership strategy in tour firms in Nairobi City County. Embedded research design was applied in the study. The study adopted the null hypothesis that mobile applications had no statistically significant influence on cost leadership strategy in tour firms within Nairobi City County. The study population was 278 tour firms obtained from the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) list where a sample of 164 tour firms were selected through the application of Yemane’s (1967) sample size formula. 10 tour firm mangers were selected for interviews. Systematic random sampling was utilized for the determination of the sample size of 164 tour firms. Semi-structured questionnaires and interview schedules were utilized as data instruments. Questionnaires were filled by tour consultants while interviews were conducted with tour firm managers. 133 respondents filled out the questionnaires representing 81% response rate while 7 interviewees were conducted representing 70% response rate. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used during data analysis. The study utilized both ANOVA and multiple regression tests to test the hypotheses, and influence between the adoption of digital technology and cost leadership strategy. The results of the R Square equals 0.919 therefore revealing that 91.9% of cost leadership is attributed to mobile applications. The study confirmed there was a statistical significance (p =.000) between mobile applications and cost leadership. Mobile applications as a digital technology tool accounted for a positive significant increase (B = 637) in cost leadership strategy. The study concluded that there is a positive strong influence between the adoption of mobile applications and cost leadership strategy. The study recommends that tour firms should fully adopt digital technologies to maximize cost control, minimize marketing costs, and promote operational efficiency

Visitor Profile: Shaping Experiential Quality, and Post-Consumption Behaviours in Kenyan Theme Parks

Joshua Ngacha Weru, Joseph Muiruri Njoroge, PhD, Antoneta Kariru Njeri, PhD — Wed, 08 May 2024 10:01:43 +0000

Visitor experiences are individual occurrences characterized by their subjective nature. As a result, each consumer has a unique perspective on the quality of experience depending on their visitor profiles. The literature implies that demographic and travel characteristics are factors that may influence the perceptions of visitors. While some studies have examined the inﬂuence of these factors on marketing variables, more information is still needed to help predict visitors' post-consumption behaviours and to understand how they interpret experiences. This study explored whether experiential quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions differ according to individuals’ demographics and travel characteristics. A survey was conducted collecting data from 324 visitors in presumed leading theme parks in Kenya. Independent two-sample t-test and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for the analysis. Except for gender and first or repeat visitors, the results for all other demographic and travel characteristics showed significant differences in at least one of the variables studied

Optimizing Experiential Quality to Drive Positive Post-Consumption Behaviours in Kenyan Theme Parks

Joshua Ngacha Weru, Joseph Muiruri Njoroge, PhD, Antoneta Kariru Njeri, PhD — Wed, 08 May 2024 10:02:12 +0000

Experience quality has become increasingly important, particularly for the theme park sector. This is because visitors' post-consumption behaviours are influenced by experiential quality, and this has an impact on theme parks' overall success. There have been studies on the relationship between psychological outcomes such as perceived value, image, experiential satisfaction, and behavioural intentions in theme parks and experience quality; however, most of these studies have focused on the global north. In light of this, this study examines management' and guests' perceptions of experiencing quality, perceived value, and post-consumption behaviours (satisfaction and behavioural intentions) in what are thought to be Kenya's top theme parks. According to the research findings, improving experiential quality is critical for nurturing favourable post-consumption behaviours from both managerial and tourist perspectives. Furthermore, visitors place a premium on cost/affordability, outstanding service, and enjoyable and thrilling encounters as critical components of delivering visitor value and creating quality and memorable experiences. Both managers and guests reported high visitor satisfaction and positive behavioural intentions. The authors suggest that optimising the quality of visitor experiences at theme parks leads to beneficial post-consumption behaviours and overall park success

The Mediating Role of Behavioural Intentions on the Relationship between Eco-Friendly Perceptions and Behaviour of Guests in Eco-Rated Camps at the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Christine Weveti Kinyua, Rayviscic Mutinda, PhD, Antoneta Njeri, PhD — Sun, 12 May 2024 17:28:37 +0000

The study sought to establish the mediating role of behavioural intentions on the relationship between eco-friendly perceptions and behaviour of guests in eco-rated camps at the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya. The approach of the study was guided by Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and a pragmatic philosophical position with an embedded mixed methods research design. Based on the visitor arrivals to the MMNR, 208, 620 visitors were targeted for the study from which 399 were selected using clustered, stratified and proportionate random sampling techniques. Data was collected using questionnaire survey method and analysed with the help of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based on the Partial Least Squares technique (PLS). Based on the 272 questionnaires that were returned, the results indicated that, behavioural intentions had partial mediation effect on the relationship between perceived behavioural consequences (40.8%) and perceived behavioural control (30.6%) on eco-friendly behaviour. However behavioural intentions did not have significant mediation effect on perceived subjective norms. The findings underscored the importance of understanding behavioural and control beliefs of hotel guests. Moreover, this study singled out some socio-demographic characteristics of guests which could have an indirectly link to subjective norms and proposed addition of religion, place of origin, travel companionship and monthly expenditure to the TPB. Future researches could deepen understanding of socio-demographic characteristics and their indirect link to subjective norms in different regions as well as investigating eco-friendly behaviour of guests in eco-rated hospitality facilities in Kenyan urban areas

Effect of Eco-Friendly Perceptions on Behaviour of Guests in Eco-Rated Camps at the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Christine Weveti Kinyua, Rayviscic Mutinda, PhD, Antoneta Njeri, PhD — Fri, 17 May 2024 08:56:55 +0000

In the current era where environmental degradation is alarming, hospitality enterprises have picked up pace and put greater effort in finding practical solutions to the problem. In this regard, the main driver of environmental conservation is stakeholders’ support, especially that of clientele. However, effectiveness of ecological measures mainly depends on favourability of hotel guests’ perceptions towards the initiatives. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study sought to establish the effect of eco-friendly perceptions on behaviour of guests in eco-rated camps at the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. The philosophical position of the study was pragmatism with an embedded mixed methods research design. The study population comprised of 44 eco-rated camp managers and 208, 620 visitors to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 10 managers and 399 hotel guests were selected using clustered, stratified, and proportionate random sampling techniques. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics while, inferential statistics were derived from Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based on the Partial Least Squares technique (PLS). Qualitative data was analysed using narrative analysis. The results showed that perceived behavioural consequences and perceived behavioural control had significant effect on eco-friendly behaviour of guests β=0.0317, p = 0.005 <0.05 and β=0.289, p = 0.001 <0.05, respectively. However, perceived subjective norms had no significant effect on eco-friendly behaviour of guests β=0.008, p = 0.36 >0.05. The study recommends environmental protection campaigns that strengthen favourable behavioural and control beliefs as well as a better understanding perceived subjective norms and precise socio-cultural contexts in order to augment the most compelling practices. Future research approaches could narrow the sampling frames and test the predictive role of normative beliefs in a specified socio-cultural setting

Contribution of Tourism Investments and their Impact on the Local Economies of Kenya: A Case Study of Nakuru County

Fri, 24 May 2024 13:16:36 +0000

Tourism development stimulates growth by attracting foreign direct investment and building new facilities and partnerships. This study sought to establish the contribution of hospitality and tourism investments to the local economy of Kenya, taking Nakuru County as a case study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, accommodating qualitative and quantitative methods; both primary and secondary data. Purposive sampling was used to select 51 out of 151 tourism and hospitality investments in the study area. Secondary data were obtained from tourism and hospitality published and unpublished reports from government and non-governmental organisations. Quantitative data were analysed through descriptive statistics, content and regression analyses. Salaries of staff, park entry fees, and curio shops constituted 2%, 21.3% and 0.5%, respectively, of the total revenue generated in the study area. Regression analysis results indicate that tourism investment accounted for a 36.6% improvement in the economy, as shown by the values [R Square=0.366, F (1, 151) = 87.311, p<0.05]. Tourism and hospitality investments contributed Kshs 10.12 billion, which was 54% of Nakuru County's gross domestic product, showing that tourism and hospitality investments contribute significantly to the local economy and, by extension, to the country’s economy

Sustainability Practices and Brand Identity in City Hotels: The Moderating Impact of Guests’ Length of Stay

John Musau, Isabella Mapelu, PhD, Antoneta Kariru Njeri, PhD — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 07:46:20 +0000

The adoption of sustainability practices in city hotels is increasingly prevalent, driven by the imperative to reduce environmental impact, comply with regulations, and meet the growing demand for sustainable offerings. These practices serve to differentiate city hotels from traditional brands and bolster brand identity. However, the extent to which sustainability initiatives contribute to a hotel's objectives and are perceived by guests remains debated. This study, conducted in Nairobi County, assessed the impact of sustainability practices on brand identity and guest travel preferences. It explored the mediating role of travel preferences in the relationship between sustainability practices and brand identity, as well as the moderating influence of length of stay. Drawing on the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), Environmental Attitude Behaviour (EAB), and Brand Identity Prism (BIP) frameworks, survey data from 205 guests across 36 classified hotels in Nairobi were analysed using structural equation models. The results confirmed a positive and significant relationship between sustainability practices and brand identity, as well as their impact on guest travel preferences. While mediation effects were not observed, the study revealed that both short and long stays significantly moderated the relationship between sustainability practices and brand identity. This research contributes empirical evidence on the interplay between sustainability practices, guest preferences, and brand identity across different lengths of stay. It suggests that hoteliers can leverage environmental and social sustainability initiatives to cultivate a brand identity aligned with guests' environmental and hedonic inclinations, thus gaining a competitive edge in the city hotel market