Andreas Wittmer

Building trust and identity on the Web - New IT transaction platforms to overcome psychological barriers to rent

In Switzerland the holiday-home-market is a major pillar in the accommodation sector as there are more holiday apartment beds than hotel beds. While the number of hotel beds decreases for economic reasons a positive trend of holiday apartment beds exists, but only a limited number of second homes are on the market. This study investigates the barriers-to-rent on an economical, social and psychological level based on theoretical models and empirical survey in Swiss destinations. It was found that IT could play an important role in increasing the number of second-home beds available on the market. By using internet platforms which connect owners, guests and agents, psychological and economic barriers for owners can be overcome. Especially the psychological barriers, which include identity and trust issues encounter positive effects if web-platforms are introduced. The results of this study also give insights for the durable goods in the leisure sector and their rental.

The future of ancillary service fees in air travel – an exploratory investigation of budget air travellers

Ancillary service fees are often associated with low-cost carriers (LCC). However, today, more and more full service carriers (FSC) have introduced such fees as well and service chains of LCCs and FSCs look very similar. This article compares different European airlines in terms of ancillary fees and services for the low yield passenger segment and based on a passenger survey, it researches into the question what the budget air traveller of today really wants when he/she books a flight. Interestingly, the willingness-to-pay and the willingness-to-use selected service elements differ between budget air travellers of a FSC and those of a LCC. Generally, passengers of LCCs would pay higher amounts for additional service attributes than passengers of FSCs. However, the main lesson is clear: there are additional service elements that add value to budget air travellers and the latter are generally willing to pay considerable amounts for these value-adding propositions.

Challenging 'Common Knowledge' in Tourism - A Partial Polemic

Tourism research as well as practice is very heterogeneous, due to its different cultural roots and dominant business patterns. Despite this heterogeneity, dominant intellectual avenues in a number of domains have emerged. As a result, we today are essentially stuck in a sort of trenches. In our paper, we try to identify some of those intellectual trenches and call for/ propose ways to get out of them. They include, among others, topics related to consumer behaviour, destination management, and sustainable tourism. Although we try to provide evidence for our claims, we might appear polemic at times, as we intend to provide contentious arguments about sometimes very controversial topics.

Fundamentals and Structure of Aviation Systems

The history of aviation beginning with the first drawings and flying items goes back to the fifteenth century. The aviation industry has grown to a remarkable size over the centuries and is one of the important industries of economic growth today. The aviation industry is structured along the aviation value chain. Air transport is characterised by high fixed costs, low profit margins in a growing market, and by its dependence on external factors. The stakeholders of aviation profit from the economies and drivers of aviation. The aviation system model includes different environments, such as the economic, ecological, social, technological and political environments, which are the platform of the aviation market.

Supporting mobility: evaluating mobile technology advances in tourism.

This is a product of the work undertaken by the Aladdin consortium to develop mobile support systems for tourists and tour guides to meet the demands for relevant, up-to-date information and problem-solving options in real time in the destination. There are many approaches advocated to evaluation and this article considers the implications of hard and soft approaches, over and under evaluating projects, and the issues of inclusion and exclusion of key actors from the evaluation. A framework for the review of the evaluations undertaken within seven completed projects, critically assessing the methods used, is presented leading to a model of best practice, advocating greater clarity in evaluation, emphasizing the importance of transparency, traceability, and triangulation. The process has been informed by the need to be reflexively critical (taking our own processes through a process of critical examination, evaluation, and reflection) and we have been concerned to ensure that Aladdin learns from and builds on those experiences and that our own development processes are transparent, reflexive, and self-critical.

Costs and Benefits of Risk Management

This chapter provides an overview of: Different sources of risk from a microeconomic perspective The conflicting nature of risk perception: managers vs. shareholders Different risk perceptions of shareholders and stakeholders Systemic risk in network industries Implications of risk management on an operational level The cost and benefits of implementation and optimization of risk management for the company

Study of the Level of Risk and Safety Management System Implementation in Practice

The presented risk management survey was conducted in winter 2012/13 with the aim to gain an insight into corporate risk management procedures, and the level of implementation of such procedures in aviation companies and organizations. The survey was set up online and was distributed among small, medium and large Swiss enterprises in the aviation industry. A sample of 27 companies participated in the survey. This is a small sample which allows an insight into the implementation level of Risk Management, but does not provide statistically significant and completely representative conclusions. The examination of the topic follows a qualitative research approach and the findings meet the expectations of the researchers, providing a valid base for discussion and further research.

Aviation Risk and Safety Management: Methods and Applications in Aviation Organizations

The International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) decision to require aviation organizations to adopt Safety Management Systems poses a major problem especially for small and medium sized aviation companies. The complexity of regulations overstrains the aviation stakeholders who seek to fully advantage from them but have no clear guidance. The aim of the book is to show the implementation of such a new system with pragmatic effort in order to gain a gradation for smaller operators. This approach should illustrate the leeway in order to adapt the processes and to show the interfaces between Corporate Risk Management and Safety Management. The book shows how to build a system with reasonable effort, appropriate to the size and complexity of the specific operator. It also gives inputs on the key aspects and how to effectively operate such a system with the various interfaces. Furthermore, the book highlights the importance of Corporate Risk Management independent of Safety Management Systems based on ICAO.

The Environment of Aviation

The political history in aviation has a great impact on the rather politically dependent aviation industry. Major technological innovations have shaped developments in aviation. The airline industry is of high economic relevance with its direct, indirect, induced and catalytic economic impacts. Aviation is especially important for social development. Ecological effects of air transportation have an impact on a global, regional, and local level.

Aviation Systems: Management Summary

The ongoing liberalisation of markets, rapid technological changes, and the establishment of new businesses in air transportation constantly raise new questions for theory and practice. Current and future developments in aviation are thereby shaped by the industry actors and structures, in short, the aviation system. The textbook ‘Aviation Systems’ addresses these questions by providing a detailed picture of major management aspects in the field of air transportation. Directed at students, researchers and practitioners alike, the book deals with the three major actor groups in aviation: the air transportation industry itself (supply side), the customers (demand side), and the regulatory bodies and organisations (institutional side).