offers methodological framework for answering key benchmarking questionsonly substantial work covering this topicworld-wide coverage and usageBenchmarking is a buzzword of the last decade that describes a method for comparing different companies, by measuring various data, performance and goals. This book focuses on the methodological aspects of the right selection of benchmarking partners.

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Develops a specific benchmarking methodology relevant to international tourism destinations. This book evaluates different approaches to benchmarking, and their application within tourism destinations. The book considers organization benchmarking - performance evaluation of a particular organization and its departments - and destination benchmarking, which involves all elements such as transport services, airport services, accommodation, leisure and sport, hospitality and local attitudes.

This pioneering book will familiarize you with benchmarking techniques that can be used to gauge and improve the performance of hospitality and tourism businesses anywhere! With compelling case studies drawn from hotel management, environmental systems, and destination practices, it examines important aspects of benchmarking, including satisfaction barometers, indicator development, and finding/networking with benchmarking partners.

Learn both theory and practice of knowledge management Sir Francis Bacon once wrote, “Knowledge is power.” Knowledge Sharing and Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism provides strategies to grab that power and the competitive edge in the tourism industry through knowledge management (KM) and quality assurance. Leading tourism and hospitality experts offer the latest theory and practical frameworks to expand the knowledge needed for creating and maintaining success at destinations around the world. Each cogent chapter provides fresh directions for future research and the creation of effective ways to share and use knowledge. As the tourism and hospitality industry expands, the competition increases as the search continues for ways to ensure quality, know the consumer, and discover the best standards of destination operation. Knowledge Sharing and Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism is a unique foundational text that clearly explains the theory and practical management of knowledge in this lucrative, very competitive industry. Knowledge theory is used to explore organizational functioning, change issues, and operations at destinations in industry clusters and networks. Chapters are extensively referenced. Topics in Knowledge Sharing and Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism include: the role of higher education in transferring knowledge into practice four kinds of benchmarking e-mail response quality quality management at the destination level and its path to knowledge sharing tourism managers knowledge needs—the knowledge type, where the knowledge is available, and sharing that knowledge between academics and the industry strategic planning in knowledge management three element framework of knowledge management assessment a case study of an international tourism project and the use of knowledge management a case study of best practice in tourism research dissemination in Quebec and Queensland Knowledge Sharing and Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism is crucial, idea-sparking reading perfect for tourism researchers, tourism managers, administrators, educators, and students.

The aim of this book is to enhance theoretical and practical understanding of quality management in tourism and hospitality. It provides a benchmark of current knowledge, and examines the range of research methods being applied to further develop tourism and hospitality service management research. It is hoped that this book will stimulate new research questions by highlighting tensions and challenges in the area.

Containing the proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability this book addresses the multi-disciplinary aspects of urban planning; a result of the increasing size of cities; the amount of resources and services required and the complexity of modern society. Most of earth’s population now lives in cities and the process of urbanisation still continues generating many problems deriving from the drift of the population towards them. These problems can be resolved by cities becoming efficient habitats, saving resources in a way that improves the quality and standard of living. The process however, faces a number of major challenges, related to reducing pollution, improving main transportation and infrastructure systems. New urban solutions are required to optimise the use of space and energy resources leading to improvements in the environment, i.e. reduction in air, water and soil pollution as well as efficient ways to deal with waste generation. These challenges contribute to the development of social and economic imbalances and require the development of new solutions. Large cities are probably the most complex mechanisms to manage. However, despite such complexity they represent a fertile ground for architects, engineers, city planners, social and political scientists, and other professionals able to conceive new ideas and time them according to technological advances and human requirements. The challenge of planning sustainable cities lies in considering their dynamics, the exchange of energy and matter, and the function and maintenance of ordered structures directly or indirectly, supplied and maintained by natural systems. Topics covered include: Urban strategies; Planning, development and management; Urban conservation and regeneration; The community and the city; Eco-town planning; Landscape planning and design; Environmental management; Sustainable energy and the city; Transportation; Quality of life; Waterfront development; Case studies; Architectural issues; Cultural heritage issues; Intelligent environment and emerging technologies; Planning for risk; Disaster and emergency response; Safety and security; Waste management; Infrastructure and society; Urban metabolism.