Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Cases: An International Case Journal

There is a conversation in American athletics over the mental health experiences of athletes. Elite athletes encounter consequences ranging from mental well-being to mental illness. Some experts are concerned health of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games athletes. The proliferation of research on elite athletes’ mental health culminated in the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Expert Consensus Statement. Given the importance of athletes’ mental health, this case study reviews the literature and the relevance of athletic identity to the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of poor mental health and fills the gap in theory/research and practice in elite sport.

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology used by various industries to enhance customer experience and elevate product/service quality. This case study examines the benefits and obstacles of VR adoption in the meetings and events industry context, focusing on its integration into convention center websites. Students assume the role of convention sales managers, develop a proposal for creating a VR tour for the facility, and present it to the stakeholders. Additionally, students examine the longevity of VR technology, assess its impact on convention sales and marketing, explore its benefits for venue and event planners, and consider the project's financial aspects.

Individuals define their social identity by going through self-identification where they associate with the group’s social identity. Marketing managers of fast-casual restaurants categorize groups of people so they can have a social identity in their locations. Nowadays, consumers are interested in superior quality food, healthier options, and a clean eating environment coupled with excellent customer service; the fast-casual restaurant is a mix of “quick-service” and “full-service” segments and has been the current trend in the restaurant industry. There is a growing interest in the market segmentation of fast-casual customers; however, there is limited research about the Indies.

When a business is not performing well, the biggest challenge of the leader is to determine the root cause of the issues and address each issue to turn performance around. This case study focuses on the deterioration of a hotel once considered one of the “grandest hotels in New England,” and the efforts undertaken by its new general manager, Barbara Jones, to return the hotel to its earlier stature of grandeur, superior customer service, and financial performance. The case study requires students to understand the role trust, accountability and inclusive leadership play to heighten employee engagement, manage conflict, and improve overall organizational performance.

This case study examines the rise of virtual restaurants and ghost kitchens as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the lens of organizational resiliency theory, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats surrounding these ventures and their viability is analyzed and discussed. The case study methodology was used to provide an in-depth, multi-faceted understanding of the virtual restaurant and ghost kitchen phenomenon. It was determined that minimal upfront investments coupled with data-driven support and the ability to test new concepts and increase a customer base serve as the strengths and opportunities afforded by virtual restaurants and ghost kitchens. Threats and weaknesses included a separation between the brand and the customer, an overcrowded market and a greater concentration of competition, as well as a more hands-off customer experience. This case leverages the tenets of organizational resiliency theory to explore the rise of virtual restaurants and ghost kitchens and provide educators and students with an explanation for how these concepts came to fruition, and how their existence can benefit the individual organization and impact the industry. Applications of the case in the classroom setting are also provided.

This case study focuses on how a wedding planner can plan a sustainable wedding by making the ceremony, and the events and items connected with it, sustainable. It briefly describes sustainability, with a focus on the triple bottom line of environmental, sociocultural, and economic sustainability. In addition, it applies the concepts and practices of slow travel and tourism and a sense of place, including neolocalism. The case asks the reader, as a wedding planner, to address the dilemma of how the events associated with a wedding can be sustainable and attuned to the complex aspects involved in engaging in environmental, sociocultural, and economic sustainability.

Cross-cultural adjustment continues to be among the main challenges’ expatriates encounter in the foreign society. One promising tool which may influence expatriate adjustment is social media. A case study was undergone to highlight the role that social media plays in the journey of expatriates’ adjustment by analyzing the experience of an expatriate manager in the hospitality industry. The case revealed that the use of social media was an effective and helpful tool during the adjustment process in terms of learning the language, building and retaining social connections, easing and reducing culture shock, assimilate quickly, and performing better.