The objective was to analyse the innovation influenced by transformational leadership in restaurant industry performance. The online questionnaire was applied via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Data collection reached 254 restaurant sector professionals, and their responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression. The results indicated that the innovation dimensions (menu, experiential, promotion, and technology) correlate positively and highly with transformational leadership. Innovations' impact and predictive power on restaurant performance were assessed, with leadership level as a weighting. The innovations related to the menu have the highest positive impact, followed by the innovations in promotion and experience. However, the innovation in technology had no significant impact. The result of the study provides theoretical and empirical contributions to the restaurant industry, generating propositions of innovative actions and highlighting the importance of transformational leadership. In the end, innovation is a critical part of any strategy to strengthen competitiveness and must be actively managed by leadership, stimulating the generation of new ideas and their conversion into marketable solutions.

Purpose: World Tourism Organization (WTO) recognizes image as the main aspect to be considered by a destination in its promotion and marketing process. Cities try to build valued and recognized images, established from an identity defined based on their own values. One of the strategies adopted for this construction is to hold events, through which it is possible to promote tourism, move the economy, improve the infrastructure, change the image and influence intentions to visit the destination. From the point of view of supply and demand, theorists have proposed two categories of destination image: the projected image and the perceived image. In this context, the objective of the research was to propose a model for measuring the Projected and Perceived Image through the Organizational Identity of the Volvo Ocean Race Brazil.Design/methodology/approach: With a quali-quantitative approach, the study universe is composed of in-depth interviews with the main members of the organizing committee, documentary and netnographic analysis of the event's social networks. For the analysis and interpretation of qualitative data, the collective subject discourse was used. Documentary and netnographic analysis were by means of deductive content analysis and correspondence analysis.Findings: The results supported the three secondary hypotheses of the research, leading to confirm the central hypothesis that the constructed organizational identity, projected by the image, is perceived by visitors to the event studied.Originality/value: It is understood as fundamental the expansion of studies regarding projected and perceived image, identity and the possibility of its application in tourist events, as social representations, as support also for the definition of management and marketing strategies.

This paper aimed to empirically validate a multidimensional measurement model for the Nature-Based Tourism Destination Image - NBDI, including the cognitive, affective, and conative components, present in the construct of variables tested by Chaves and Anjos, (2022). The validation of the NBDI measurement model relied on a non-probability quota-based sample consisting of 592 international tourists who visited the Legal Amazon destination. The results pointed out that the NBDI can be measured by a three-dimensional construct of 3rd Order, where the image components presented a positive influence in the formation of the overall image, being the affective component of greater influence, followed by the cognitive and conative, presenting convergent and discriminant validity. The study contributes to the theoretical discussions about NBDI, offering a multidimensional scale with reliable psychometric property and validated with 57 variables, scarce subjects in the scientific literature, as well as, in the marketing strategies of public and private institutions.

Purpose: The restaurant sector faces increasing pressure to innovate in response to competitive, technological, and cultural shifts. Despite a growing body of research, theoretical fragmentation persists. This study aims to categorize and critically examine innovation and creativity artifacts—constructs, models, methods, and frameworks—used in academic studies focused on restaurants and gastronomy. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA protocol. Peer-reviewed journal articles in English were retrieved from SCOPUS and Web of Science, totaling 70 studies. The analysis combined bibliographic performance mapping with qualitative content analysis to identify trends, theoretical contributions, and methodological characteristics. Findings: The results reveal an evolution from early qualitative studies rooted in haute cuisine to recent quantitative investigations emphasizing construct development and statistical validation. Artifacts were predominantly clustered around three thematic axes: linear models inspired by industrial processes; systemic sociocultural frameworks; and context-driven, emotionally grounded approaches. Studies were categorized into offer-side (organizational strategies, creative processes, ambidexterity) and demand-side (consumer perceptions, engagement, destination image) perspectives. Research limitations/implications: The review excludes non-English and non-peer-reviewed sources, limiting generalizability. Future studies should expand to include longitudinal, cross-cultural, and mixed-method approaches. Practical implications: Findings support restaurant managers in formalizing creative processes, fostering innovation-enabling environments, and aligning innovation strategies with consumer expectations. Originality/value: This review offers a structured taxonomy of artifacts and a comprehensive synthesis of a fragmented field. It highlights theoretical gaps, methodological limitations, and contextual biases, supporting the development of integrative, interdisciplinary research agendas in culinary innovation.

This study develops and empirically validates a theoretical model designed to assess the performance of tourism innovation ecosystems by integrating the dimensions of innovation, technology, and sustainability—dimensions that have typically been examined in isolation within the literature. The empirical investigation was conducted at two major tourism destinations: a pilot phase in Las Vegas, followed by the main study in Orlando, USA. Data collection was facilitated via the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform, and analysis was conducted using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), enabling the examination of eight hypotheses across seven constructs. The findings provided evidence of both convergent and discriminant validity and supported five of the eight proposed hypotheses. Specifically, the study confirmed significant relationships among technology acceptance and adoption, adoption and innovation generation, innovation and both sustainability and overall ecosystem performance, and adoption and sustainability. Conversely, collaboration and actor-integration barriers did not exhibit significant effects in Orlando, which is consistent with its mature institutional environment. Innovation emerged as a mediating variable linking technology and sustainability, exerting a substantial influence on overall ecosystem performance. This research advances the theoretical consolidation of the tourism innovation ecosystem concept and offers actionable insights for destination managers aiming to foster innovation, facilitate the adoption of connective technologies, and implement sustainable strategies. The proposed model demonstrates empirical robustness and practical relevance, providing a comprehensive framework for analyzing and enhancing smart, resilient tourism destinations.