ABSTRACT This work concerns an urban vegetable garden in the north-west of Portugal and aims to describe the hospitality surrounding this environment. This study resulted from a two-year field investigation, which was methodologically driven by ethnography and supported by the anthropology of food. The concept of the semiosphere, linked to the semiotics of culture, was used as a reference to analyse the codes of hospitality that circulate in this space. This allusion helped emphasise the boundary separating the vegetable garden from urban texts and enunciating the collective memory established there, aligned with a group of mostly older people. These themes contoured dynamics that elucidated a hospitality profile, which was confronted with the four unwritten laws of hospitality proposed by Camargo. With this, it was concluded that the hospitable profile of this semiosphere emphasises the asymmetry law that the guest must respect the host’s right to space.

ABSTRACT The hospitality industry is diverse, with restaurants forming a significant sub-sector. Within these, the sale of wine and other drinks is not only a potential source of profit, but also an integral part of the dining experience. Wine stewards, or sommeliers, play a pivotal role in elevating this experience by creating personalised connections with diners, simplifying the complexities of wine and curating memorable moments that go beyond the meal itself. Wine stewards, as professional specialists in wine service, have responsibilities that include developing wine lists, advising guests on wine selection and providing wine, spirit and other beverage service. However, rapid changes, including technology, are impacting on the unique nature of wine steward/sommelier work and their professionalism. This article explores these changes through the lens of a professionalism typology of four key traits: high-level knowledge, autonomy, collegiality and service. It examines how technological advancements, such as QR codes and digital wine lists, are simplifying wine service and potentially de-professionalising the role of wine stewards. The article also discusses the implications of changing technology for future beverage service, wine steward professionalism and hospitality management.

ABSTRACT Due to the dearth of thorough literature reviews, this review compiles information on the evolving concept of dark kitchens. Forty-nine research articles indexed in the Scopus database were gathered for the review. Performance analysis and science mapping were used to track research evolution, map the intellectual structure and identify research gaps through VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. The findings suggest that dark kitchens research arguably began in 2019 and continues to grow steadily. While studies are predominantly collaborative, Cai Ruiying and Leung are the most influential scholars. Most of the studies are from India and the United States, with sub-Saharan Africa underrepresented. The thematic discussions on dark kitchens revolve around technology and sustainability, consumer behaviour, methodological frameworks, labour dynamics and business adaptation during emergencies. Dark kitchens, COVID-19 and purchase decisions are interconnected concepts. The review underscores the importance of continued investigation into this evolving paradigm, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of flamingo encounters on guest satisfaction and ethical considerations at a 5-star resort in the Dutch Caribbean. Using a quantitative approach, the researchers surveyed 50 resort guests to explore perceptions of animal tourism, flamingo experiences, and animal management practices. The findings reveal strong positive correlations between these variables, with the flamingo experience significantly mediating the relationship between general animal tourism attitudes and perceptions of animal management. Despite generally positive guest perceptions across all dimensions, the study highlights the need for transparent communication about animal welfare practices. Key recommendations include enhancing transparency in flamingo care, participating in conservation programmes, and providing engaging educational content about the flamingos. While limited by sample size and single-location focus, this research contributes valuable insights into the delicate balance between providing unique guest experiences and maintaining ethical standards in animal tourism.

ABSTRACT Despite hotels pursuing sustainability through the adoption of green practices, how the adoption is implemented has not attracted much research attention. Thus, this study explores the implementation strategies employed by city hotels in Kenya in their adoption of green practices, and assesses the relationship between the implementation strategies and the achievement of sustainability in the hotels as the study objectives. A representative sample of 87 three to five-star hotels in the then four major cities in Kenya was drawn using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Primary data were collected from 132 hotel departmental heads and 69 operations managers using a self-administered questionnaire and an interview schedule. The study found that the hotels were non-committal (M = 3.40) on the implementation strategies that they used in the adoption of green practices because they lacked awareness of their importance and guidance on execution. Further, the results showed that a 27.5% variation in the achievement of sustainability is due to the employment of implementation strategies. Utilisation of implementation strategies enhances sustainability in the hotel by 0.176 units. This is significant as it implies that for any hotel to achieve sustainability through the adoption of green practices, the implementation approach is key.

ABSTRACT This study examines the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) training in improving hospitality skills, as well as the effects of various learning styles, as measured by the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, on VR education. As the hotel business advances, creative training approaches that combine theory and practice are critical. VR provides immersive, engaging experiences that potentially revolutionise traditional learning methods. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, which included quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews and focus groups. Participants comprised Hotel Management School Leeuwarden students and Roast Leeuwarden restaurant staff. The survey assessed involvement, comprehension and satisfaction, whereas interviews offered more information about their experiences. The findings revealed that divergent learners, who prefer observation and reflection, were more engaged with VR instruction, whereas hands-on learners benefited but needed more coaching. Prior VR exposure greatly enhanced training outcomes, emphasising the necessity of introducing users to the technology. These findings highlight the importance of personalised VR training to accommodate diverse learning styles and promote its adoption into hospitality education. Future research should focus on long-term knowledge retention and greater customisation of VR apps to satisfy the different educational objectives of hospitality training.

ABSTRACT This viewpoint article explores the impact of fast-paced advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on the hospitality industry’s workforce, focusing on the employability and career sustainability of today’s hospitality education graduates. AI technologies reshape traditional job roles and introduce new demands for resilience, adaptability and emotional intelligence. Hospitality graduates must develop human-centric skills and technical proficiency to ensure career sustainability. The article recommends revising hospitality curricula to incorporate digital literacy, emotional intelligence and lifelong learning, enabling graduates to thrive in a technology-driven future. Collaboration between educators and industry stakeholders is critical for preparing a resilient workforce to navigate ongoing technological disruptions.

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of tourist travel for the well-being of older people by identifying some of the psycho-sociological components of their decision-making processes in the context of nursing homes and the family, with reference to the values and difficulties that may either motivate or affect them. Given the trend towards an increase in the percentage of the elderly population in our societies, and with the anthropological, sociological and ethical questions that this raises, it is very important to consider crucial aspects in contemporary research, especially those related to their well-being, including leisure travel. The practical component of this study is part of a qualitative research methodology, which before taking the existence of social facts for granted, aims to understand the participants’ perceptions of the world.

ABSTRACT Despite being an industry at the forefront of adopting sustainable practices, there has been a continued paucity of hospitality research focusing on the extent of adoption of sustainability practices and their contribution towards achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) from developing countries’ viewpoints. Hence, this research explores the current context of sustainability practice adoption, its implications and its alignment with SDGs through a case study research based in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This research builds on the work of Mihalič and colleagues’ hotel sustainability business model to thematically explore the current context of sustainability practice adoption. This study employs a qualitative research method, combining semi-structured interviews and participant observations from 11 chain hotels selected through a purposive sampling approach. The research findings suggest that local hotels have already adopted various sustainability practices across all triple bottom-line considerations. However, most hoteliers did not understand how economic progression relates to their sustainability commitments. Moreover, several hoteliers interpreted sustainability efforts purely with pro-environmental efforts. The study further indicates that larger chain hotels tend to implement sustainable practices and align their operations with SDGs, whereas smaller chain hotels face significant challenges in adopting sustainability practices and SDG alignment due to a lack of resources and knowledge.