The Experience Economy in Thai Hotels and Resort Clusters: The Role of Authentic Food

Our paper “The Experience Economy in Thai Hotels and Resort
Clusters: The Role of Authentic Food” has been accepted for publication by Acta Universitatis Danubius Oeconomica and will appear in No.3, 2013 at the end of June. Here is the abstract (in the structured format required):

The Experience Economy in Thai Hotels and Resort Clusters: The Role of Authentic Food

Thanan Apivantanaporn & John Walsh

Abstract

Objectives: This paper explores the relevance of authentic Thai food in contributing to the experience economy in Thai hotels and resort clusters.

Prior Work: Although hotels and other tourist institutions in Thailand have been making some sporadic attempts to incorporate specifically Thai food and beverage (F&B) elements into their overall product offering, this has rarely been attempted in a thoughtful and systematic manner, despite the importance of F&B in determining overall levels of customer satisfaction and the importance attached to incorporating ‘Thainess’ into the hotel and tourism industry.

Approach: This paper draws on qualitative research and personal observation undertaken in a wide range of Thai hotels with a view to identifying emergent value-adding clusters in the domestic hospitality sector.

Results: The paper describes and categorizes the uses of Thai F&B currently and identifies shortcomings in industry vision, which leads to recommendations for both hotel and resort managers and also to those responsible for national level tourism development efforts.

Implications: The paper also recognizes the problematic nature of the concepts of ‘authenticity’ in this context and attempts to reconcile differing conceptions.

Value: The paper contributes to improving the quality and value of Thai hotels in the larger tourism industry.

Keywords: hospitality, Thailand, tourism

JEL Classifications: L83, M31

Authentic Thai Food and Beverages as an Element of the Experience Economy in Hotels and Resort Clusters

I will be at the 2012 Asian Food Heritage Forum on Monday and Tuesday – the paper by Thanan Apivantanaporn and myself, is as the title of this post indicates. Here is the abstract:

Abstract

Although organisations and institutions in Thailand are taking steps to incorporate authentic ‘Thainess’ into the hotel sector and tourism industry as a means of adding value to products and creating the experience economy, to date little attention has been paid to the food and beverage (F&B) element. Despite the importance of F&B in determining customer satisfaction overall and, also, in promoting Thailand as a destination, it is surprising that no sustained effort has been made to define authenticity with respect to Thai food (bearing in mind also regional variations) or to incorporate certificates of quality to establishments providing such authentic dishes. Currently, hotels have been making some sporadic attempts to incorporate specifically Thai F&B elements into their overall product offering but rarely in a thoughtful, systematic way. This paper draws on qualitative research and personal observation undertaken in a wide range of Thai hotels with a view to identifying emergent value-adding clusters in the domestic hospitality sector. It describes and categorizes the uses of Thai F&B currently and identifies shortcomings in industry vision. This leads to recommendations for both hotel and resort managers and also to those responsible for national level tourism development efforts. The paper also recognizes the problematic nature of the concepts of ‘authenticity’ in this context and attempts to reconcile differing conceptions.

Thanan Apivantanaporn and John Walsh

The conference organisers advise me that the full papers will be included on the conference proceedings CD – we’ll see if there are any other publication possibilities. Do let me know if you would like to see the full text as it currently stands.

 

Driving Force for Service Innovation through Creating Unique Value Proposition: Capitalizing on Cultural Identity in the Spa Industry of Chiang Mai, Thailand

Announcing: Apivantanaporn, Thanan and John Walsh, “Driving Force for Service Innovation through Creating Unique Value Proposition: Capitalizing on Cultural Identity in the Spa Industry of Chiang Mai, Thailand,” Information Management and Business Review, Vol.4, No.5 (May, 2012), pp.242-51, available at: http://ifrnd.org/IMBR/Vol%204/4(5)%20May%202012/2.pdf.

Abstract:

The Thai spa industry is recognized as one of the driving forces for economic development in terms of revenue and employment. However, the current economic downturn and intensifying competition from neighboring countries pose substantial challenges and threats to the industry. The Royal Thai Government has initiated an innovative development model that capitalizes on the country’s unique cultural capital. This paper investigates a specific case study of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, where the legends and ancient wisdom of the now defunct Lanna state have been developed over the course of decades and now constitute significant constructive and creative cultural capital. It investigates these issues through examination of government policy and measures, expert opinions, literature review and field observations. It is found that three factors are relevant to the development of the industry: (1) knowledge based service; (2) collective cluster effort and (3) business ecology system; together, these contribute to new service innovation which in turn contributes to new business value propositions. Keywords: Value creation; service strategy; creative industry; spa industry; Thailand