Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague

In this paper, the use of virtual reality (VR) in the education of future hotel and tourism industry employees is explored. Through interdisciplinary co-operation of researchers and practitioners in the field of technology, hospitality, and pedagogy, a 3D training module simulating the environment of a hotel reception was developed. As a part of the project, the key elements of communication between/among hotel staff and various types of guests were identified, and variant scenarios of communication situations were built. The development of scenarios followed the principles of effective simulation, including realism (immersion), drama (involvement), and challenge (motivation). The methodology of training communication skills of students using VR was compiled against the backdrop of the leading sources existing in the literature and practice. The latter embraces the principle of the “action review cycle”, which contains (1) a description of expectations from the simulation, (2) a description of experience, and (3) an analysis of differences between expectations and actual experience. In this study, the basic action review cycle was extended by “reflection”, i.e. quality of communication and professional accuracy. The VR tool elaborated on this paper remains a pilot and so more research and testing are needed to make it marketable.

The aim of the study is to examine the differences of opinion among students (n = 74) of Czech higher economic education institutions on the requirements of employers for accountants. Data collection was conducted in 2020 using a questionnaire. The data were analysed by Pearson correlation coefficient to look for relations between variables (i.e., gender, type of higher education institution, popularity of accounting, professional interest, quality of school training, importance of competencies). Gender differences and differences between students in terms of type of institution were tested by Mann-Whitney U-test. It was found that there is a need to strengthen students' awareness of the requirements of employers in the Czech and international labour market in the field of accounting practice. Gender, type of institution and popularity of the accounting subject have an influence on the perception of the importance of competences for accounting practice. Differences were found at the level of soft skills, namely in the case of effective communication and responsibility. The findings suggest the need to strengthen practical training in terms of time allocation, involvement of experts from the field, internships, as well as the modernization of the curriculum.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused several changes in business operations, and influenced several processes in the hospitality industry and other economic sectors. Previous research was mainly focused on analyzing previous pandemics and creating recovery plans and strategies.

The paper is focusing on the problem of price optimization in the area of accommodation services. The main aim is to propose a novel simulation-based methodology of price optimization based on the customer’s price acceptance. The authors create a model based on the known approaches but extended by the stochastic approach and optimization based on the coefficient of price elasticity. The whole model is created, the price is set and optimized in two steps. The first step makes segmentation and optimization (with the price elasticity approach). The second step then sets the price of the reservation—the final price for a customer. This reservation price is mainly determined by knowledge of the length of stay, occupancy and booking lead time. All those parameters are described in the text from the economic point of view and make the base for the whole and complex revenue management model.

Tourism management has undergone significant changes in recent years under the influence of two factors: the strengthening of the fiscal decentralization approach and the development of a collaborative economy that significantly affects the tourism market, both on the supply and demand side. Tourism taxes are one of the management tools on the local level. The paper focuses on innovation in the act on local charges and fees so that it meets the requirements of the current state and the expected development in the future, laying emphasis on the use of digital platforms in tourism. The proposed and accepted legal regulation will bring the Czech self-government many advantages such as i) extended powers for self-government; ii) increased revenues to the municipalities´ budgets; iii) the update of such groups of tourists that are exempted from local taxation, and iv) the liability to ensure local taxation for all types of objects providing short-term temporary accommodation.

The aim of the article is to propose approaches to waste reduction in gastronomy and food industry in the context of the White Paper for Hospitality in Europe: 2019-2024 EU Mandate and the circular economy.White Paper presents the industry´s top five priorities -Collaborative economy, Better regulation, Digital, Food Policy and Social Affairs.The priority Food Policy shows that voluntary measures, as the ones which took the European hospitality industry together with the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA) to reduce food waste and develop food donations, are proving their effectiveness and therefore favourably replace European-wide legislation in this case.Waste in gastronomy and food industry can be classified into two areas, organic and inorganic waste.Organic waste constitutes a percentage of purchased but unused food and directly translates into the finances of customers.Inorganic waste is more dangerous because it is associated mainly with the packaging necessary for packing food to go.The possibilities of reducing waste in gastronomy are summarized based on own primary and secondary research.Better knowledge of options of residual foodstuffs disposing/management could be achived not only by explaining legislation and real options of disposing waste but also by providing various recommendations and ideas to restrict residual foodstuffs and food waste.

Lipno nad Vltavou is one of the most dynamically developing municipality in the Czech Republic over the last twenty years. It is evident that the answer to this question consists in rare political stability and suitable and reasonable tourism management. The research question of this article is therefore if other actors in the micro region (so called "Union of Lipno municipalities") perceive the political stability in the area stable and the cooperation within the council as adequate. To answer this question a questionnaire survey with all of 15 municipalities in the Lipno region was a part of a project titled "Development strategy of the territory of the Lipno municipalities" implemented by the Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague in 2016. It was found that all the respondents have a positive statement about the political stability in the micro region and the political stability in the micro region is also perceived as the most important criteria influencing the cooperation within the council. The potential for further development of the micro region is seen by their representatives at first in the development of the tourism; on the contrary, the greatest threat is perceived in high level of bureaucracy, the lack of transport infrastructure, the migration of young people out of the region and a high degree of protection of nature and landscape.