This study investigates the impact of green talent management on green performance, focusing on the mediating roles of green organizational culture and green organizational citizenship behavior. Data were collected from employees of Saudi Arabia’s travel agencies, and 1276 valid responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that green talent management positively influences green performance, green organizational culture, and green organizational citizenship behavior. Additionally, the study demonstrates that green organizational culture and citizenship behavior positively affect green performance and mediate the relationship between green talent management and green performance. This research addresses a gap in the literature on tourism and hospitality, human resources management, and organizational behavior by empirically examining these relationships within Saudi Arabia travel agencies. This study also provides managerial implications for tourism and hospitality businesses, along with limitations and suggestions for future research.

Purpose: The study seeks to explore the intricate dynamics among customer relationship management (CRM) practices, guest satisfaction and loyalty in the hospitality context. Additionally, it aims to examine the moderating influence of guest engagement on the relationships between CRM practices and guest satisfaction and loyalty.Design/methodology/approach: An integrated theoretical framework is developed by incorporating CRM practices and guest engagement into the satisfaction-loyalty framework. Two research instruments were adapted from the literature to assess the perspectives of customers and employees in the hotel industry in Kashmir. The customer survey measured guest satisfaction, loyalty, and engagement, while the employee survey focused on CRM practices, including key customer focus and CRM organization. Data was collected using a pen-and-paper survey with convenience sampling across 10 qualifying hotels, each classified as 3-star or above. A total of 270 matched responses from guests and employees were obtained and analyzed using descriptive analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and moderation analysis with SPSS and AMOS software. The study utilized a rigorous data matching process to ensure reliability, with guest-employee pairs verified and cross-checked with hotel records.Findings: The results indicate CRM practices play a pivotal role in shaping guest satisfaction and loyalty. Notably, personalization and a targeted customer approach emerged as the most influential factors in enhancing tourist satisfaction. Similarly, prospecting, personalization, and effective knowledge management significantly contributed to visitor loyalty. The establishment of robust relationships is underscored through collaborative active guest engagement. Furthermore, the study highlights the nuanced relationship between satisfaction and loyalty moderated by guest engagement. High levels of guest engagement amplify the positive impact of satisfaction on loyalty, while lower engagement levels attenuate this effect. Moreover, the moderating influence of guest engagement on the relationships between CRM practices and guest satisfaction and CRM practices and guest loyalty was notably strong at elevated guest engagement levels and relatively weaker at lower engagement levels.Research limitations/implications: While the study findings encourage organizations to prioritize customer relationship development, hospitality entities must emphasize the adoption of CRM philosophy and robust guest engagement measures. Actively involving guests in co-creating services can yield incremental benefits in terms of attracting, retaining, and effectively serving guests.Originality/value: This study introduces novel dimensions to the existing CRM framework within the hospitality context, specifically exploring the impact of hotel-specific elements (personalization and prospecting) on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, it innovatively investigates the moderating role of guest engagement in the satisfaction-loyalty relationship, expanding its scope to include the relationships between CRM practices and guest satisfaction and guest loyalty.

This study aims to investigate the role of cognitive processing – driven by hedonism, emotional experiences and nostalgia – in enhancing destination evangelism and revisit intentions among virtual reality (VR) tourists. By addressing gaps in existing literature on VR tourism, it aims to provide insights into how cognitive engagement influences visitation and advocacy for destinations. The research comprises two studies. Study 1 employs a within-subjects pre-post quasi-experimental design with 197 participants who completed the same survey measure before and after viewing a VR video of the Taj Mahal. Study 2 utilizes a mixed-methods approach, which included surveying 377 participants at popular hotels in Kashmir followed by conducting unstructured interviews with 24 respondents to gather qualitative insights. Data analysis includes paired-sample t-tests, structural equation modelling (SEM) and narrative content analysis. Results of Study 1 reveal a significant change in both destination evangelism and revisit intentions following VR exposure, indicating VR exposure has a significant impact on creating destination evangelism and revisit intentions. Results of Study 2 indicate that nostalgia, hedonism and emotional experience influence cognitive processing, which in turn leads to destination evangelism and revisit intention. Further, results indicate that tourist engagement moderates the effect of cognitive processing on destination evangelism and revisit intention in a way that the positive effect of cognitive processing on both destination evangelism and revisit intention intensifies at higher levels of tourist engagement. Qualitative insights derived from interviews validate that VR experiences evoke strong emotional connections that foster advocacy and loyalty towards destinations. These findings suggest that destination marketers should leverage VR technology to enhance tourists’ emotional engagement and evoke nostalgia, thereby cultivating stronger relationships with tourists. The study highlights the importance of cognitive processing in developing effective marketing strategies that encourage destination evangelism and repeat visitation. This research fills a critical gap in the literature by examining the cognitive and emotional factors that drive tourist behaviour in VR contexts, specifically focusing on how these factors influence loyalty and advocacy. It contributes to the emerging discourse on metaverse tourism management, offering actionable insights for optimizing virtual destination experiences.

This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on marketing innovation and marketing performance. It also explores how marketing innovation affects marketing performance and investigates the mediating role of marketing innovation in the relationship between AI and marketing performance. To analyze survey responses from 398 employees at travel agencies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the researchers utilized PLS-SEM and WarpPLS 7.0 statistical software. The results indicate that AI positively influences both marketing innovation and marketing performance. Moreover, marketing innovation positively impacts marketing performance and partially mediates the relationship between AI and marketing performance. These findings provide valuable insights for tourism and hospitality businesses aiming to utilize AI for improved marketing results and sustained growth in a highly competitive market.

The research investigates the mediating influence of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices—including environmentally focused recruitment, training, and performance management—on the relationship between green leadership and employees’ green advocacy within Saudi Arabia’s hospitality and tourism industry. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to supervisors and managers working in five-star hotels, producing 544 valid responses for analysis. The conceptual framework was examined using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the WarpPLS 0.7 software to rigorously assess both the measurement validity and structural associations. The analysis demonstrated that green leadership exerts a positive and significant impact on GHRM practices as well as on employees’ willingness to advocate for environmentally responsible behaviors. Furthermore, GHRM initiatives were found to strengthen employees’ pro-environmental engagement and serve as a partial mediating channel between green leadership and green advocacy. Overall, the findings highlight that institutionalizing sustainable HRM approaches is a fundamental route through which leadership enhances environmental accountability and promotes the long-term economic viability of the hospitality sector. The study concludes by underscoring its theoretical and managerial implications, emphasizing how leadership-guided sustainability actions can foster an organizational culture grounded in ecological responsibility.

Purpose: This study explores the psychological motivations behind space tourism participation, specifically through the lens of optimal arousal theory. It examines how novelty seeking, sensation seeking and adventure seeking shape attitudes toward space tourism and ultimately influence behavioral intentions. Additionally, it evaluates how perceived risk and environmental concerns moderate these relationships, providing a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making process in this high-stimulation travel sector.Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a cross-sectional research design, collecting data from 511 luxury tourists who had stayed in eleven five- and seven-star hotels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS for descriptive statistics and SMART-PLS for structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships.Findings: The results highlight distinct patterns among psychological motivations: novelty seekers and adventure seekers remain motivated to engage in space tourism regardless of perceived risk. The results show that sensation seekers, however, exhibit a decline in interest when they perceive high levels of risk, indicating a threshold beyond which risk becomes a deterrent rather than a stimulant. Further, environmental awareness significantly reduces space tourism intentions, reflecting a trade-off between the desire for unique travel experiences and concerns about sustainability. Moreover, attitude plays a partial mediating role between motivations and behavioral intentions, reinforcing the idea that positive attitudes are crucial for translating high-arousal motivations into actual intent to participate in space tourism.Practical implications: Space tourism providers should tailor marketing to distinct consumer profiles. Campaigns should emphasize excitement, exclusivity and transformation while addressing sustainability concerns through carbon offsets and eco-friendly innovations. Clear safety assurances can retain sensation seekers who may disengage at high risk levels. Segmented strategies should differentiate novelty/adventure seekers, drawn to space travel’s uniqueness, from sensation seekers needing a balance of risk and excitement. Addressing these factors can enhance engagement, refine marketing and support sustainable industry growth.Originality/value: This study provides a unique integration of optimal arousal theory with sustainability concerns, offering a multidimensional perspective on consumer motivations in space tourism. By investigating the dual moderating effects of perceived risk and environmental awareness, it contributes novel insights into how psychological drivers interact with ethical constraints in decision-making. These findings fill a critical gap in the literature, positioning space tourism as an emerging yet complex sector where thrill-seeking aspirations must be balanced with risk and sustainability considerations.