This study provided a new multiple mediation-moderation model to explore how authenticity may enhance the flow experience through the function of perceived value and involvement. Data from 605 tourists were collected, and the results indicate that cognition (i.e. perceived value) and behavior (i.e. involvement) of tourists is an important mechanism linking the relationship between authenticity and flow experience. Moreover, this study also finds that innovation and culture are two critical moderators, which offers evidence that the flow experience will be enhanced when the tourists have a higher level of innovation and cultural identity.

Purpose: This study aims to provide novel insights via a joint investigation of the mediating role of environmental concern and ecotourism experiences. It further explores environmental concern and image as moderators of the association between tourists’ ecotourism experience and revisit intention. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a three-way framework which provided novelty ways of combined moderation-mediation tests on a sample of 474 foreign tourists. Findings: Results show that environmental concern and ecotourism experience mediated the relationships between motivation and revisit intention. The moderating test shows that foreign tourists’ revisit intention and ecotourism experience are highest when environmental concern and image are high. Practical implications: Results of this study suggest that it may be beneficial to relate resources of tourism’s organization to prepare for potential sustainable requirements and/or to assist tourists to develop positive pro-environment attitudes (such as inspire tourists’ sense of social responsibility to improve environmental quality), which could possibly improve the feelings about the natural environment as serving the public good and may raise concern about environmental protection reasonability for tourists. Originality/value: This research is the first comprehensive examination of foreign tourists’ pro-environment attitudes and conducts three-way interaction between tourists’ ecotourism experience, image and environmental concern, which may provide a benchmark for future studies.

To examine the brand development of starred hotels, this study examines asample of 615 five-star customers to confirm anewly proposed path for the formation of starred hotel brand equity. The research findings show that technological competence and service innovation implementation are the leading factors in hotel brand equity and have positive interaction effects on customers’ perceived value. The tandem mediation of customer cognition (perceived value) and emotional (trust) factors promotes the formation of brand equity. The moderating role of acceptance of electronic word-of-mouth (AEWOM) is highlighted to accelerate the path from customer cognition to customer emotions. This study not only contributes anew theoretical basis for the sustainable development of starred hotels but also provides anew perspective for future research on brand equity.

Purpose: Following the advancement of financial technology (FinTech) in modern society to assist investment decisions, robo-advisers had become widely used in mean-variance analyses to allow investors to formulate efficiently diversified investment portfolios. However, the concept of robo-advisers is new, and few studies have addressed issues related to them. To help readers to better understand robo-advisor adoption by a wide range of potential customers, this study explores integrated models of the attitudes (ATT) and behavioural intentions (BI) of users towards robo-advisors.Design/methodology/approach: A survey was used to gather data to determine how the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) applies to robo-advisors. A total of 242 valid questionnaires were collected.Findings: The results of our study show that performance expectations (PE), effort expectancy (EE), and social influences (SI) may have indirect influences on robo-advisor behavioural intention (BI) through attitudes. Furthermore, behavioural intention was also positively influenced by facilitating conditions (FC). Moreover, the investment to income ratio (IIR) moderated the relationship between the PE, EE, and SI influence on ATT. Additionally, experience is found to positively strengthen the relationship between EE and SI on ATT, and it moderated the relationship between FC and BI.Originality/value: This research is expected to expand the use of UTAUT to tools in the field of financial investments and help financial sectors formulate suitable marketing strategies.

This study constructs a new model of the night tourism experience to explore the influence mechanism of the night tourism atmosphere. This study was conducted with 659 tourists who have visited the historical and cultural blocks at night. The results show that pleasure and arousal play a moderating role between the night tourism atmosphere and a memorable tourism experience. Innovation and cultural contact play a positive moderating role in the process of the night tourism atmosphere affecting memorable tourism experiences. This study provides a new idea for and perspective on how destinations might improve the night tourism experience.

The purpose of this study was to examine the key characteristics of sustainable service innovation in the hospitality industry. We conducted a content analysis based on the interview records for 17 experts (including three academic scholars, three government officers and 11 top-level managers) with an average of 20 years of experience in the hospitality management domain in Taiwan. The analytical results conform to Amabile’s (1988) componential theory of creativity and innovation and show that 11 characteristics are major indicators of sustainable service innovation in the hotel management field. These include the following characteristics: market position, customer satisfaction, service orientation, environmental thinking, employee involvement, incentive mechanism, human resource development, environmental services, cultural resource management, government policy and school education. Accordingly, using the integrated theory of sustainable service innovation and professional opinions from experts, we provide theoretical and practical implications for current and future trends on sustainability and innovation in the hospitality industry.