Pilgrimage routes face challenges such as fragmented experiences, inadequate infrastructure, and limited knowledge, hindering their full potential and economic benefits. Esteemed academic scholars Vítor João Pereira Domingues Martinho, João Augusto Guerra da Rocha Nunes, Maria Jesus Pato, and Liliana Castilho offer a compelling solution in their book, Experiences, Advantages, and Economic Dimensions of Pilgrimage Routes. Through meticulous research, the book provides valuable insights to enhance the pilgrimage experience and unlock the economic potential of these routes. It presents alternative paths to harmonize pilgrims' journeys and addresses the issue of fragmented experiences. This essential resource serves students, researchers, local authorities, municipalities, and policymakers, creating a platform for engaging in discussions and fostering improvements in pilgrimage routes. Covering a wide range of topics, including heritage, culture, spirituality, tourism, regional development, and rural planning, the book offers a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between pilgrimage routes and societal aspects. Experiences, Advantages, and Economic Dimensions of Pilgrimage Routes empowers readers to contribute to the transformation and revitalization of these sacred paths, allowing for their continued significance and economic prosperity.

In a world grappling with many challenges, the global tourism and hospitality industries find themselves at a crossroads. Existing strategies fall short of stakeholder expectations, while the immense potential of the industry to address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains underutilized. Negligible attention from academia towards creating value for the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) compounds the issue, hindering the development of strategies essential for SDG achievement. This book, Interlinking SDGs and the Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Through Tourism, presents a compelling exploration of how the tourism industry, with its vast potential, can become a key driver for socio-economic and environmental gains, specifically targeting the BoP market and SDGs. The book emphasizes the scarcity of research on inclusive tourism products for BoP stakeholders and proposes innovative strategies to bridge this gap. It advocates for personalized products, inclusive supply chains, and collaborative processes, underlining the potential of these approaches to not only serve BoP needs but also act as a catalyst for achieving SDGs. Through a series of recommended topics, the book invites researchers, academicians, tourism analysts, and industry practitioners to collaborate on developing practical business models that integrate SDGs and BoP needs. Interlinking SDGs and the Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Through Tourism stands as a call to action for academia and industry stakeholders to unite in creating a sustainable and equitable future through tourism.

In a world witnessing the transformative rise of China, the intricate dynamics of its soft power diplomacy have become a focal point of global attention. As geopolitical landscapes shift, the need to understand how China crafts its foreign policy, especially through the strategic use of soft power, becomes imperative. Soft Power and Diplomatic Strategies in Asia and the Middle East is a crucial resource to unraveling these complexities. The book addresses the post-COVID-19 changes in China's soft power application, providing an in-depth, comparative analysis of its diplomatic endeavors in the Middle East and East Asia. By exploring cultural exchanges, economic collaborations, and religious engagements, the book offers nuanced insights into China's strategies, making it an indispensable tool for academics, policymakers, diplomats, and those intrigued by contemporary geopolitics. This book aims to dissect the multifaceted approaches China employs to achieve its diplomatic objectives. From cultural initiatives to economic partnerships and religious engagements, the book unravels the adaptability and complexity of China's foreign policy mechanisms. Its primary objective is to provide a comparative framework for studying China's soft power diplomacy, filling a notable gap in existing scholarship. The interdisciplinary approach ensures rich, diverse analyses, fostering dialogues across international relations, Asian studies, and political science. By offering new theories, methodologies, and empirical data, the book not only challenges existing notions but also sparks further academic inquiry into the strategic use of soft power in foreign policy.

There is a serious issue affecting the tourism sector right now. Traditional service models and approaches are no longer sufficient to meet the evolving needs and expectations of travelers in a world characterized by unpredictability and rapid change. The demand for immersive and unique experiences has pushed this industry to explore innovative solutions. The challenge serves as the backdrop for the book, Service Innovations in Tourism: Metaverse, Immersive Technologies, and Digital Twin. In response to the industry's changing demands, this book offers a visionary solution. It presents a thorough exploration of service innovations in tourism, focusing on the transformative potential of the metaverse, digital twins, and immersive technologies. These cutting-edge innovations are reshaping the tourism landscape, offering travelers exciting new ways to choose accommodations, plan trips, and engage in events. This book goes beyond theoretical exploration into practical guidance that gives academic scholars, practitioners, students, and industry professionals the skills and insights they need to navigate and thrive in this quickly evolving field.

As the digital government field continues to evolve rapidly, scholars and professionals must stay ahead of the curve by developing innovative solutions and gaining comprehensive insights. The global landscape of digital governance is undergoing transformative shifts, necessitating a deep understanding of historical developments, current practices, and emerging trends. This urgent demand for knowledge forms the crux of the problem that the book, Emerging Developments and Technologies in Digital Government, addresses with expert knowledge and insights. The book serves as an indispensable resource for academic scholars grappling with the complexities of digital government. It critically examines historical transitions from technology-centric paradigms to people-centric models, shedding light on the global impact of open data initiatives and the vital role of human-computer interaction in reshaping government websites. For professionals and researchers across disciplines such as library sciences, administrative management, sociology, and information technology, this book becomes a beacon, offering insights and tangible solutions to navigate the multifaceted dimensions of digital government.

Service organizations are grappling with unprecedented challenges in maintaining and enhancing productivity. As the landscape evolves, traditional approaches to service operations become obsolete, necessitating a deep understanding of the intricate dynamics at play. Innovative Technologies for Increasing Service Productivity delves into this urgent issue, offering a comprehensive exploration of the trends and challenges confronting service industries. The book sheds light on the impact of digital transformation, emerging technologies, and disruptive business models, serving as a guide for navigating the complexities of service productivity in an ever-changing environment. As a groundbreaking solution, this book not only identifies challenges but provides various solutions for service organizations to thrive amidst technological disruption. Its unique selling points lie in the breadth of its coverage, spanning diverse service industries and dissecting the symbiotic relationship between technology and productivity. Offering practical strategies and tools, the book equips service professionals with the means to enhance productivity, quality, and customer experience. By connecting the gap between theoretical insights and practical implementation, it stands as a valuable resource for academics, researchers, and service managers seeking innovative solutions to the evolving landscape of service productivity.

The reverberations of an unparalleled labor shortage echo through service-based industries, leaving the hospitality, tourism, and food and beverage sectors grappling with a critical challenge. The fallout from the 2020-2021 global health crisis has laid bare a systemic flaw: the absence of sustainable career pathways for front-line workers. From airlines to cruise ships, theme parks to restaurants, and bars, the shortage of front-line workers has reached a critical level, preventing organizations from operating at full capacity even as public health restrictions are lifted. This crisis stems not only from the economic aftermath of the pandemic but also from the longstanding neglect within these industries to cultivate a resilient front-line workforce. Front-line positions, often considered transient and unskilled, lack the structured development pipelines that other professional industries utilize successfully. As organizations struggle to address these workforce challenges, Career Pathways and Professional Identities for Front-Line Workers in the Service Industries serves as a guide filled with solutions in the face of industry-wide adversity. Career Pathways and Professional Identities for Front-Line Workers in the Service Industries responds to the urgency within the hospitality, restaurant, and tourism industries, by applying the dynamics of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the Gig Economy, to propose innovative solutions to engineer sustainable career pathways and foster professional identities. Ideal for employers, educators, and researchers involved in these industries, the book aims to guide organizations in optimizing operations, implementing leadership-focused succession planning, and minimizing the impact of labor fluctuations. From an academic perspective, it harmonizes industry-focused programs, offering a distinct element for hospitality, restaurant, and tourism management curricula. Additionally, it opens avenues for research on transitioning low-pay roles into meaningful, long-term careers with a focus on continuous improvement.