In this study, we aim to investigate environmental management representatives’ perceptions regarding the extent of the contribution of green hotel practices to achieving the environment-related sustainable development goals (SDGs). To achieve this aim, a questionnaire was developed and directed to the person in charge of environmental duties in the investigated hotels, who were selected by a convenience sample method. A sample of 48 participants from four and five Green Star hotels, representing 63% of the total Certified Green Star hotels in Egypt, was surveyed. The findings of the study revealed that the implementation of green hotel practices in the certified four and five Green Star hotels surveyed contributed positively to achieving SDG 6, SDG 12, SDG 7 and SDG 13, respectively. The main driver of the adoption of Green Star criteria was the hotels’ commitment to environmental sustainability. The findings also indicated that, overall, there were statistically significant differences between four and five Green Star hotels in all SDGs addressed. The main implication of this study is that hotel operators should properly incorporate green hotel practices into their operational plans to achieve the environment-related SDGs.

The introduction of social media in the restaurant sector has changed the manner in which customers communicate with businesses. Social media marketing activities (SMMAs), such as customization, entertainment, trendiness, and interaction may have a substantial impact on followers’ perceived value and consumer behavioral intentions. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the impact of SMMAs on restaurant social media followers’ purchase intentions (PUR), willingness to pay a premium price (WPP), and e-WoM. Additionally, drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, we seek to explore the mediation impact of perceived value (PV) in these relationships. To achieve this, an online questionnaire was developed for data collection from a convenience sample of casual-dining restaurant followers in Saudi Arabia. A sample of 433 social media followers was studied using PLS-SEM for testing the study hypotheses. The findings highlighted the significant positive impact of SMMAs on followers’ PV, PUR, e-WoM, and WPP. Further, PV partially significantly mediated the relationship between SMMAs and their consequences. Consequently, providing relevant, up-to-date, and entertaining content; responsiveness to customer needs and feedback; and positive brand engagement significantly contributed to enhancing restaurant followers’ perceived value, which sequentially improves their purchase intention, boosts positive e-WoM, and promotes the possibility of WPP for restaurant products and services. This research provides restaurant operators and marketers with valuable insights into how SMMAs influence followers’ behavioral intentions and enhances their understanding of how perceived value can be utilized to capitalize on the benefits of social media.

Over the past few years, great attention has been given to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on employee psychological well-being (PWB), particularly in the hospitality industry. Like many aspects of human life, employee PWB is influenced by multiple factors. One of the factors that may affect employee PWB is transformational leadership (TLS). Accordingly, we aim through this study to empirically (1) examine the direct effect of transformational leadership on employee PWB and (2) investigate the potential independent and serial mediation effects of employee engagement (EEG) and job satisfaction (JS) on the TLS-PWB relationship after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire from a convenience sample of 403 front-line employees from five-star hotels in Saudi Arabia. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the bootstrapping technique was utilized to test the study hypotheses. Based on the demands–resources (JD-R) theory, the findings of this study reveal a significant positive effect of TLS on hotel employees’ PWB. Additionally, drawing on the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) model, the two main contributions of this study are: (1) EEG and JS serially and independently have a significant partial mediational effect on the TLS-PWB relationship among hotel employees, and (2) EEG has a greater impact on the TLS-PWB relationship as an intervening variable than the two other mediators (JS, as well as EEG and JS serially). Based on these findings, hotel management should mainly consider developing and encouraging TLS behavior among their managers to promote EEG and increase JS among their followers, which consequently enhances their PWB and alleviates negative psychological outcomes due to experiencing a disaster such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourism has a significant role in destination development, particularly in rural regions. However, within the context of the highly sensitive nature of rural areas to the ecological, economic, and socio-cultural effects of tourism development, it is important to assess the levels of satisfaction among the residents of rural destinations. The current study aimed to assess the impact of rural tourism development in the Al-Ahsa region, Saudi Arabia on the overall resident satisfaction and three relevant subdomains. The findings revealed that the three tourism development impacts under investigation, including the social, economic and environmental effects, were positively associated with resident overall satisfaction. The three influential developmental categories were also independent predictors of the satisfaction with the quality of life and environment subdomains. National policy makers are required to implement adequate rural tourism development measures and regulations to improve tourism services and activities, which would eventually be reflected in the quality of life of local residents.

Recently, with increasing customer awareness about environmental issues, guests staying in hotels and potential consumers are more and more concerned about environmentally sustainable practices and their associated consequences. From the hotel industry perspective, empirical studies conducted on the association between customer citizenship behavior (CCB) and environmentally sustainable practices (ESPs) with the existence of green satisfaction (GS) are scarce. Consequently, the primary aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of ESPs on GS and CCB in a sample of five-star eco-friendly hotels in Egypt, as well as exploring the potential mediative role of GS in the relationship between CCB and ESPs. Additionally, we attempt to empirically determine to what extent GS directly impacts CCB. The study suggests a conceptual model for testing four hypothesized relationships between ESPs, GS, and CCB. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping was employed for testing our hypotheses. The findings of the study confirmed the significant positive impacts of ESPs on GS and CCB. Further, GS significantly and positively affects CCB. Moreover, GS partially mediates the relationship between CCB and ESPs. Given the study findings, some practical implications for improving GS and boosting CCBs in the green/eco-friendly hotel industry context are suggested.

Digital transformation has altered the way customers interact with restaurants. As a result, digital transformation has had an enormous impact, changing restaurant customer value. Therefore, this research aims to develop a dynamic and sustainable method for creating customer value in digital transformation. This study suggested digital dynamic capabilities and digital customer orientation as a process model (i.e., sensing, seizing, transforming, and refining) to develop digital transformation and create a dynamic customer value. We chose fast-food restaurants in Egypt to examine the proposed model using a qualitative approach of semi-structured interviews with fast-food managers and hospitality experts. The findings indicated that fast-food restaurants’ different digital transformation capabilities and tools (e.g., value innovation, SWOT analysis, artificial intelligence, new technology selection criteria, digital maturity, building several digital platforms, and gathering and analyzing customers’ online reviews) help them create customer value. However, interviewees highlighted how well-suited the suggested digital dynamic capabilities are to serve as drivers of digital transformation in fast-food restaurants and create a dynamic customer value. This research expands the dynamic capabilities theory by adding digital customer orientation (i.e., proactive and reactive to customer feedback) to develop digital transformation and create customer value in fast-food restaurants. This research provides fast-food restaurant managers with an in-depth explanation of how to implement the digital dynamic capabilities model for executing digital transformation and developing a new dynamic customer value.