How negative factors influence youth hostel stay aftermath COVID-19 pandemic.

The bookings and revenues of youth hostels have significantly decreased because of the multiple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary to investigate young consumers' perceptions of visiting youth hostels aftermath this pandemic. The current study examines the relationship between multi-dimensions of perceived risk, three types of images, willingness to pay and visit intention. A convenience sampling was developed where 534 questionnaires were received, followed by subsequent empirical testing of the proposed hypotheses using SPSS and AMOS-SEM. Results showed that perceived risk negatively influenced cognitive and affective image, respectively. Cognitive and affective image positively influenced overall image and finally influenced willingness to pay and visit intention separately. In addition, cognitive image positively influenced affective image. The theoretical framework satisfactorily accounted for willingness to pay and intention, and our results help youth hostels practitioners invent efficient strategies to boost young consumers' willingness to pay and intention to visit youth hostels.

Exploring the impact of functional, symbolic, and experiential image on approach behaviors among state-park tourists from India, Korea, and the USA.

This study provides insights into the influence of state park image, visitor emotions, and place identity on visitors' revisit intentions by considering the moderating impact of national culture. A quantitative process with the data collected in India, Korea, and the US was used. Hierarchical regression analysis evidences the moderating role of national culture, which is hardly explored in the state park context. Results confirm that most hypotheses are fully or partially accepted, which suggests that brand image and national culture influence visitor intention. This study helps practitioners better understand the relevance of national culture in developing appropriate visitor attraction/retention strategies.

Can the perceived risk of particulate matter change people's desires and behavior intentions?

Particulate matter (PM) is a hazardous airborne pollutant that encompasses all airborne particles with diameters ranging from 0.001 to 100 µm. It is composed of total suspended particles (TSPs), consisting of two main particle sizes: PM10 and PM2.5. PM poses various threats to human health because of its rapid mobility and its ability to spread over a wide area. In particular, it has long-term negative effects on such organs as the lungs and heart. China and South Korea, located in Northeast Asia, are representative of the countries at risk of PM, and their populations live with an awareness that the harms of PM go beyond physical risks. Therefore, based on previous studies, this study classifies the perceived PM risks into physical, psychological, financial, functional, and time risks. It has tried to verify the effect of this risk perception on the behavior intention of Chinese and Koreans and examine the moderating effect according to the difference in nationality. The study's conceptual model was constructed by applying Ajzen's proven theory of planned action. Utilizing AMOS 22.0 and SPSS 22.0, an analysis was performed. Following this analysis, it was determined that there was a significant causal relationship between perceived PM risk and behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Additionally, it was discovered that perceived PM risk significantly impacted desire and behavioral intention. These findings demonstrate that when persons are exposed to high concentrations of PM, they perceive a variety of risks that go beyond the merely physical, and they can form different attitudes depending on their nationality. This study greatly contributes to the theoretical and practical implications by presenting more diverse perspectives on PM risk.

The sharing economy in the hospitality sector: The role of social interaction, social presence, and reciprocity in eliciting satisfaction and continuance behavior.

The sharing economy is still transforming the hospitality industry at an exponential speed. The idea of acquiring goods and services through a collaborative approach is becoming a significant part of the world's overall economy. Many use platforms and social media channels to make purchase decisions while communicating with others. This study, therefore, investigates the socialization factors and values of the sharing economy as driving forces of the rapid growth of the hospitality businesses related to sharing economy. The study also assesses their influence on satisfaction and continuance behavior and explores the role of reciprocity and perceived risk by applying the value-based adoption theory. Using mixed methods, the present research identifies the crucial attributes and validates the proposed theoretical framework. Our findings provide valuable insights for hospitality businesses participating in the sharing economy.

Antiviral COVID-19 protein and molecular docking: In silico characterization of various antiviral compounds extracted from Arisaema jacquemontii Blume.

Arisaema jacquemontii Blume is a highly medicinal and poisonous plant belong to the family Araceae. It is used to treat several deadly diseases, including viral infections. It has antioxidant, anti-cancerous, antimalarial, anti-vermicidal, and antiviral activities. Therefore, five parts of the Arisaema jacquemontii Blume plant, such as leaf, seed, stem, pulp, and rhizome extract, were evaluated for metabolic and in silico characterization of probable compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. A total of 22 compounds were isolated from the methanolic extracts of A. jacquemontii Blume. A selected antiviral COVID-19 protein i.e., protease (6LU7) was docked against the obtained compounds. Different affinities were obtained through various compounds. The best results were shown by three different compounds identified in the rhizome. The maximum binding affinity of these compounds is 8.1 kJ/mol. Molecular docking (MD) indicate that these molecules have the highest binding energies and hydrogen bonding interactions. The binding mode of interaction was discovered to be reasonably effective for counteracting the SARS virus COVID-19. The findings of this study could be extremely useful in the development of more phytochemical-based COVID-19 therapeutics.

Use of Parthenium hysterophorus with synthetic chelator for enhanced uptake of cadmium and lead from contaminated soils-a step toward better public health.

Parthenium hysterophorus L. is a vigorous plant species with cosmopolitan distribution. It can uptake considerable quantities of heavy metals from the soil and accrue these metals in its different tissue. The use of chelating agent i.e., Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) can boost up metal uptake capacity. Pot experiment was performed to evaluate phytoextraction potential of P. hysterophorus for lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) with and without the aid of EDTA chelator. Shoot length, weight of root and shoot (both fresh and dry), leaves number, and chlorophyll contents of P. hysterophorus got reduced with an increase in metal uptake. The results revealed the highest concentration of Cd in shoot without and with EDTA was 283.6 and 300.1 mg kg-1, correspondingly. Increase in Pb concentration was also boosted up by the EDTA from its maximum concentration in shoot 4.30-9.56 mg kg-1. Generally, Pb and Cd concentrations were greater in shoots of P. hysterophorus than the roots regardless of EDTA in the treatments. EDTA also impacted positively the accumulation of essential ions K+, Na+, and Ca+2 in P. hysterophorus. The capacity of P. hysterophorus to accumulate Pb and Cd found to be increased with EDTA in the soil. Bringing metals level in the soil in accordance to the WHO standards can improve the ecosystem as well as public health.

Advancing the debate on hotel employees' environmental psychology by promoting energy-saving behavior in a corporate social responsibility framework.

Considering the vulnerable climatic conditions in most parts of the planet, a successful transition toward a carbon-free future is a critical challenge worldwide. In this respect, around 35% of the world's total greenhouse gas emission (GHG) is associated with the power sector (especially electrical energy). To this end, a vast of electrical energy has been used by the people in buildings. Specifically, a significant amount of energy in buildings is used for heating, cooling, and ventilation. While the available literature highlights the importance of neat, clean, and green electrical energy for the decarbonization of society, a critical gap exists in such literature. That is, most of the literature under this stream deals with the supply side (production) of electrical energy, while the demand side (consumption at an individual level) was neglected. To bridge this critical knowledge gap, this study investigates how the CSR engagement of a hotel organization can promote the energy-related pro-environmental behavior (ERPEB) among the employees with the intervening effect of employees' environmental commitment (EMEC) and Green intrinsic motivation (GRIM). Further, the conditional indirect role of altruistic values was also tested in this study. The data were collected from different hotel employees in Pakistan with the help of a self-administered questionnaire. We tested the hypothesized relationship through structural equation modeling (SEM). The results confirmed that CSR can be a potential motivator to impact the ERPEB of employees, while EMEC and GRIM mediated this relationship significantly. The findings of this study also confirmed the conditional indirect role of altruistic values. These findings offer various theoretical and practical contributions which are conversed in detail.

Can Multiple Attributes of Vegan Restaurants Affect the Behavioral Intentions by Customer Psychological Factors?

Over the past decade, there has been an increased interest in veganism in several nations across the world. In 2021, there were around 79 million vegans. While veganism is growing, it still covers only 1% of the global population. But if the diet keeps its steady growth rate, it's predicted to increase to one in 10 people within the next 10 years. However, in addition to the traditional, though poorly studied, multiple attributes ascribed to vegan restaurants, there may be other factors influencing the approach intentions of vegan restaurant customers. Within this context, this study investigated the psychological resilience associated with customer engagement (identification, enthusiasm, attention, absorption, and interaction) with the vegan movement for Korean vegan customers. The analysis was conducted using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0. The results revealed that numerous attributes ascribed to vegan restaurants positively affected customer engagement, especially identification, and strongly influenced psychological resilience as well. However, the identification customer engagement factor did not significantly affect the approach intentions of vegan restaurant customers. The study results suggested that when eliciting customer engagement to increase approach intentions toward vegan restaurants, it is necessary to emphasize customer psychological resilience, enthusiasm, attention, absorption, and interaction. This study contributes to food and consumer behavior literature on the approach intentions toward vegan restaurants.

How Do Air Quality Issues Caused by Particulate Matter Affect Consumers' Emotional Response to Tourism Destinations and Willingness to Visit?

This study identifies the perceived risk factors of particulate matter (PM) and the effect of the perceived risk factors of PM on the relationship between tourists' trust and aspiration regarding the tourist destination, the customer return on investment, and the willingness to visit a tourism destination. Accordingly, this study discussed the severity of PM, which plays a key role in causing air quality issues, and classified the factors for perceived risk of PM into physical, psychological, financial, functional, and time risks to verify its effect on consumers' emotional response and willingness to visit. Data collection for empirical analysis took place in April 2021 for two weeks. A total of 285 significant data points were obtained on tourists with travel experience in the past year. The demographic characteristics were confirmed using SPSS 22.0 (IBM, New York, NY, USA) and AMOS 22.0 (IBM, New York, NY, USA), and the measurement and structural models were verified through a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, respectively. The empirical analysis showed that the perceived risk of PM has a negative effect on trust in the tourism destination and desire for it, and the behavioral intention of customers. Furthermore, alternative attractiveness was found to play a significant moderating role. The results of this study proved the negative effect of PMs on tourism destinations and provided implications and insights to present a meaningful strategy for minimizing PMs' perceived risk.

Effect of Hotel Air Quality Management on Guests' Cognitive and Affective Images and Revisit Intentions.

Although city air pollution levels significantly affect the hotel industry, few studies have addressed the impact of air quality management on guests' cognitive and affective image formation and revisit intentions. Therefore, this research examined the effects of hotel air quality management on the formation of guests' cognitive and affective images and their revisit intentions. A total of 322 valid samples were obtained by surveying hotel guests who had perceived hotel air quality management activities in the past year, with SPSS 22.0 (IBM, New York, NY, USA) and AMOS 22.0 (IBM, New York, NY, USA) employed for the empirical analysis. The cognitive and affective image constructs revealed that cognitive (perceived value and perceived quality) image influenced revisit intentions but affective image did not. These results provide insights into the need for hotel managers to develop positive cognitive and emotional images through good air quality management and the need to induce customers to revisit based on these images.

Can Hotel Companies' Water Conservation Management and Waste Reduction Measures Influence Hotel Customers' Willingness to Pay More and Intention to Revisit?

This study investigated the effect of hotel water conservation management and waste reduction measures on customers' social and personal norms, willingness to pay more, and revisit intention, with cost consciousness as a moderating variable. A total of 311 valid samples were obtained by conducting a survey on customers who have used hotels for the past year. To perform the empirical analysis, SPSS 22.0 (IBM, New York, NY, USA) and AMOS 22.0 (IBM, New York, NY, USA) were used. As a result of the analysis, seven of the eight hypotheses were accepted, and the ninth hypothesis that tested the moderating effect was partially accepted. The results of the study revealed that a hotel's eco-friendly activities had a positive effect on its overall performance. The results also provide insight that can lay the foundation for the sustainable management of hotels.

Can Environmentally Sustainable Development and Green Innovation of Hotels Trigger the Formation of a Positive Brand and Price Premium?

This study develops a theoretical framework to describe brand images and customer behaviors in relation to the eco-friendly activities of hotels. These eco-friendly activities were divided into environmentally sustainable development and green innovation. In this study, a survey was conducted on customers who had used a hotel in the past year, and a total of 329 valid samples were obtained. The empirical analysis was conducted using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0. The empirical analysis results showed that hotels' eco-friendly activities formed a positive brand image, which in turn had a positive effect on brand love and respect. It was also found that environmental concern, as perceived by customers, did not play a significant moderating role. Therefore, out of a total of eight hypotheses presented in this study, six hypotheses were supported, and two hypotheses were rejected. The findings of this study confirm that hotels' eco-friendly activities have a positive influence on their performance and provide meaningful insights, based on which strategies for the long-term development and growth of hotels can be established.

Perceived hygiene attributes in the hotel industry: customer retention amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a crisis in the hotel industry worldwide, but few studies have suggested methods to retain customers. This study proposes hygiene management as a means to minimize the indirect damage from COVID-19 to the hotel industry. It identifies perceived hygiene attributes and explores their influence on hotel image, word of mouth, and revisit intentions. This study identifies and validates three types of perceived hygiene attributes through qualitative and quantitative methods. It uses structural equation modeling to validate hypotheses and concludes that there are significant relationships of influence between the proposed variables. This study provides important and meaningful insights into hotel image and customer behavior through perceived hygiene attributes.

Hotels' Eco-Friendly Physical Environment as Nature-Based Solutions for Decreasing Burnout and Increasing Job Satisfaction and Performance.

This study investigates the effect of the hotel's nature-friendly environment on burnout, job satisfaction and job performance of hotel employees. A total of 11 hypotheses were set up to achieve the purpose of this study, and an empirical analysis was conducted based on 309 surveys collected from hotel employees. A total of 11 hypotheses were set to achieve the research goals, and an empirical analysis was conducted based on a total of 309 pieces of data collected from 320 hotel employees who are currently working in 11 hotels in South Korea. As a result, eight hypotheses were accepted and three were rejected. Specifically, it was found that the hotel's nature-friendly environment reduced burnout in employees, and indirectly had a significant effect on job satisfaction and job performance. Therefore, the relationship between the variables presented was clearly demonstrated through the research results, and the purpose of this study was satisfactorily explained. The results are expected to be of great help to hotel employees and researchers in developing strategies to efficiently manage hotel employees through nature-based solutions (NBSs). Based on the results, the proposed theoretical and practical implications are discussed in detail in the discussion section.

Exploring the Role of Healthy Green Spaces, Psychological Resilience, Attitude, Brand Attachment, and Price Reasonableness in Increasing Hotel Guest Retention.

The present research was an empirical endeavor to explore the effect of green spaces on the traveler retention process and to establish a theory connecting such green spaces, psychological resilience, attitude, brand attachment, and retention in the hotel industry. A quantitative approach was employed to achieve study objectives. Our findings from the structural analysis indicated that green spaces as nature-based solution significantly influence psychological resilience. In addition, such relationship contributes to increasing positive attitude, strengthening brand-self connection and brand prominence, and building traveler retention. A salient role of attitude in determining retention was found. A further analysis (metric invariance) revealed that the linkage from green spaces to psychological resilience was moderated by hotel price reasonableness, and the association became stronger when guests feel that hotel price is reasonable. Overall, this research successfully verified the importance of a hotel's green spaces and its role in guest psychological and affective responses and behaviors.