HOSPITALITY, EXPERIENSCAPE AND META-HOSPITALITY IN INCENTIVE TRAVEL

Abstract:

The goal of the research was to investigate the benefits of hospitality in the incentive travel segment and it presents the results of an empirical, exploratory and explanatory research by the mixed method based on Emic-Etic-Emic concepts. Due to the size and depth of the main study, the focus of this article was on the findings of the final Emic phase of the field research, based on the gaps observed in the results of the previous Emic and Etic phases. Qualitative research was carried out using the multiple case study method through participant observation in three trips, understanding the importance of hospitality among stakeholders involved in incentive travels to achieve a competitive advantage in the sector. The main results were that hospitality is important when creating strong business ties and competitive advantages, experienscape components are fundamental in travel and the possibility of achieving meta-hospitality during incentives. For future studies, it is considered to conduct other types of research with more respondents and continue the analysis of the advantages of hospitality in incentive travel, considering the manifestation of other stakeholders involved in this segment.

Keywords:
hospitality; stakeholders; competitiveness; incentive travels