Antonella Capriello

Farm attractions, networks, and destination development: a case study of Sussex, England

Purpose – The paper seeks to provide insights into network‐based perspectives of farm attractions, evaluating their effectiveness for destination development. The specific purpose is to uncover relationships between entrepreneurship, network marketing and management strategies, and sustainable tourism policies.Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative case‐study method generates holistic understanding of complex networks and networking activities. In‐depth interviews allow exploration of entrepreneurial processes.Findings – Cross‐comparisons reveal network effectiveness related to common goals shared among network members. Benefits such as problem solving, information dissemination, and opportunities to learn were important for members of a specific network, but may be undermined by individual entrepreneurial aims and differences.Research limitations/implications – The results concern a mature destination but the approach might be used for similar work in other sectors and settings. The network models sho...

Hedonic Hotel Pricing and Quality Signals: Which are the Market Value Drivers in a Transition Phase?

The study aims to uncover the relationships between price setting and reputation building processes through an application of hedonic price function. In coherence with a sustainable approach, the model proposed also includes variables related to land use policies and tourism development strategies. A simultaneous equations model is adopted where both price and quality signals are endogenously determined. This innovative method is appropriate in an emerging urban destination, characterized by an enhancement of the existing hotel industry. The findings reveal that, in accordance with a customer based perspective, a high star category and place uniqueness help explain consumers’ willingness to pay. A premium price is recognized for quality signals directed at balancing intangible aspects related to service provision with hoteliers’ environmental concerns. The results have important marketing implications for the competitiveness of the hospitality industry.

Il ruolo dei network per le imprese familiari: uno studio preliminare sulle attrazioni nell’area rurale del Sussex, Inghilterra

Il ruolo dei network per le imprese familiari: uno studio preliminare sulle attrazioni nell’area rurale del Sussex, Inghilterra - This paper analyses the relationships between family business and networking processes with a case study of visitor attractions in rural Sussex in England. Following a review of key literature on relevant aspects of entrepreneurial and tourism research related to networking activity, a focused study was undertaken to address formal and informal relationships. The results of cross comparison reveal that the presence of common goals between the network members is important in any long-term adherence to a network. The empirical evidence indicates that family businesses adopt a different networking strategy in relation to expected entrepreneurial problem-solving processes. A model is proposed in which networking process is explained in relation with information dissemination and knowledge diffusion, destination governance, and innovation process.