Smart Technologies are revolutionizing tourism, as they promise to change the way tourists behave and how companies interact with them and generate profits. The increasing availability of real-time data in combination with advanced machine learning techniques, artificial intelligence, and business analytics, to name but a few, will transform the tourism industry forever and in unthinkable ways. The degree of sophistication achieved by Smart Technologies and the speed with which transformations are taking place means that those people lacking a relevant digital background may lag behind, therefore being unable to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the data economy and fully benefit from its applications. This practical book explains the key ideas that tourism practitioners and decision-makers must know to understand Smart Technologies, and the management principles supporting them. The contents: Include real-life cases to illustrate to the reader the true dimension of the "smart" phenomenon and the new frontiers that are yet to open in the coming years Bring together the knowledge and experience of leading experts from academia, the tourism sector, and technology companies, who reveal in a unified way the fundamental points your organization must consider in the path towards being smarter Create a practical knowledge tool that allows getting the most out of Smart Technologies, its products, and future trends, while learning how to make them a competitive tool, and avoid being left behind Features full color figures and photographs The book will be a vital resource for Tourism practitioners, strategic planners, and policy makers as well as students of tourism marketing, management, and technology.

Problems arise if budgets for services are held constant whilst prices rise. Education, cultural activities and health services are under constant budgetary pressure. The authors argue that the price of commodities is linked to demand and price increases would therefore seem to threaten the very existence of these services. The paradox of these services is that in spite of their exploding costs, demand persists. Policymakers struggle with the problematic question of whether to limit public service budgets as costs for their provision rise. The service sectors of advanced economies are surprisingly vigorous - the employment of an ever increasing share of the labour force is one phenomenon. Economists are perplexed by the interplay of slow service and fast goods productivity growth and wonder why the demand for services is so persistent. The Growth of Service Industries is intended for use by both policymakers and economists and serves as a useful introduction to service productivity analysis.

This book offers a new perspective on improving healthcare that draws inspiration from sources as diverse as American healthcare history, Lean Six Sigma, patient experience, employee engagement, clinical microsystems, physician burnout, and industrial design thinking. This work focuses on the three value streams that form the foundation of all healthcare service processes: healthcare-worker value stream, patient value stream, and organizational process. The interaction of patients and healthcare workers in the context of these three value streams creates the meaningful experience that is essential to healing and to the success of healthcare organizations. Meaningful healthcare experience design guides the work of designing these value streams and improving them to promote experiences that are meaningful and healing for both patients and healthcare workers.

The industrialization of prostitution and the sex trade has created a multibillion-dollar global market, involving millions of women, that makes a substantial contribution to national and global economies. The Industrial Vagina examines how prostitution and other aspects of the sex industry have moved from being small-scale, clandestine, and socially despised practices to become very profitable legitimate market sectors that are being legalised and decriminalised by governments. Sheila Jeffreys demonstrates how prostitution has been globalized through an examination of: the growth of pornography and its new global reach the boom in adult shops, strip clubs and escort agencies military prostitution and sexual violence in war marriage and the mail order bride industry the rise in sex tourism and trafficking in women. She argues that through these practices women's subordination has been outsourced and that states that legalise this industry are acting as pimps, enabling male buyers in countries in which women's equality threatens male dominance, to buy access to the bodies of women from poor countries who are paid for their sexual subservience. This major and provocative contribution is essential reading for all with an interest in feminist, gender and critical globalisation issues as well as students and scholars of international political economy.

Tourism Fictions, Simulacra and Virtualities offers a new understanding of tourism's interaction with space, questioning the ways in which fictions, simulacra and virtualities express tourism in the built environment and vice versa. Since its beginnings, tourism has inspired themed built environments that have a constitutive, and sometimes problematic, relationship with the "real" world and its architectural references. This volume questions and rethinks the different environments constructed or adapted both for and by tourism exploring the relationship between the "real" and the "unreal" within the tourist bubble and the ways in which the real world inspires simulacra for tourism use. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach this book touches on a wide range of geographical areas, eras and subjects such as post-socialist tourism in Poland, the Hawaiian imaginary in Las Vegas, Rio de Janeiro's Little Africa, as well as multiple instances of virtual reality in tourism. This timely and innovative volume will be of great interest to upper level students, researchers and academics in tourism, architecture, cultural studies, geography and heritage studies.

Formerly a largely Western practice, leisure travel is today the most dynamic industry in the world in terms of growth. Developments in transport and communication systems mean tourism is now an integral part of our understanding of the world, and involved in the exponential increase of links between societies and different cultures. The Tourist Places of the World has comprehensive data on the number of international visitors annually. It also includes an original map ? not dictated by country, but by major tourist areas and places. The hierarchy of destinations drawn is highlighted by the different levels of popularity and passenger flows; from the universal places where all societies meet to the still unfrequented places. Beyond the recognition of global tourism, the challenge is to understand how and why societies can achieve a better life through sustainable development, which encompasses social, economic and environmental dimensions.

This is the first comprehensive guide to green design using economic input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) models. It is a must-have for companies trying to improve the environmental profile of their products and processes, for regulators attempting to quantify life cycle implications of products and services, and for students and scholars of green design.

Environmental life cycle assessment is often thought of as "cradle to grave" and therefore as the most complete accounting of the environmental costs and benefits of a product or service. However, as anyone who has done an environmental life cycle assessment knows, existing tools have many problems: data is difficult to assemble and life cycle studies take months of effort. A truly comprehensive analysis is prohibitive, so analysts are often forced to simply ignore many facets of life cycle impacts. But the focus on one aspect of a product or service can result in misleading indications if that aspect is benign while other aspects pollute or are otherwise unsustainable.

This book summarizes the EIO-LCA method, explains its use in relation to other life cycle assessment models, and provides sample applications and extensions of the model into novel areas. A final chapter explains the free, easy-to-use software tool available on a companion website. The software tool provides a wealth of data, summarizing the current U.S. economy in 500 sectors with information on energy and materials use, pollution and greenhouse gas discharges, and other attributes like associated occupational deaths and injuries.

The Evolution of the British Funeral Industry in the 20th Century examines the shifts that have taken place in the funeral industry since 1900, focusing on the figure of the undertaker and exploring how organisational change and attempts to gain recognition as a professional service provider saw the role morph into that of 'funeral director'. As the disposal of the dead increased in complexity during the twentieth century, the role of the undertaker/funeral director has mirrored this change. Whilst the undertaker of 1900 primarily encoffined and transported the body, today's funeral director provides other services, such as taking responsibility for the body of the deceased and embalming, and has overseen changes such as the increasing preference for cremation, the impact of technology on the production of coffins and the shift to motorised transport. These factors, together with the problem of succession for some family-run funeral businesses, have led large organisations to make acquisitions and manage funerals on a centralised basis, achieving economies of scale. This book examines how the occupation has sought to reposition itself and how the 'funeral director' has become an essential functionary in funerary practices. However, despite striving for new-found status the role is hindered by two key issues: the stigma of handling the dead, and the perception of making a profit from loss.

This book situates the 2020 Tokyo Olympics within the social, economic, and political challenges facing contemporary Japan. Using the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a lens into the city and the country as a whole, the stellar line up of contributors offer hidden insights and new perspectives on the Games. These include city planning, cultural politics, financial issues, language use, security, education, volunteerism, and construction work. The chapters then go on to explore the many stakeholders, institutions, citizens, interest groups, and protest groups involved, and feature the struggle over Tokyo's extreme summer heat, food standards, the implementation of diversity around disabilities, sexual minorities, and technological innovations. Giving short glimpses into the new Olympic sports, this book also analyses the role of these sports in Japanese society. Japan Through the Lens of the Tokyo Olympics will be of huge interest to anyone attending the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. It will also be useful to students and scholars of the Olympics and the sociology of sport, as well as Japanese culture and society.

Why not make money off that empty room? Home-hosting platforms like Airbnb have inspired millions of homeowners to start a vacation rental business. One room is all it takes to generate real income-if you know what you're doing. The short-stay marketplace has grown increasingly competitive. Bad reviews can torpedo bookings, while problem guests can strain your property and sanity. Before you leap, let this helpful guide steer you in the right direction. Written by an experienced host who earned almost $50,000 in her first year, Turn Your Spare Space into Serious Cash provides an unvarnished picture of what to expect and step-by-step instructions for succeeding in your new venture. Packed with stories both heart-warming and hair-raising, it explains how to: Prepare your space * Price it right * Choose the best hosting websites * Make your listing pop * Offer a welcoming experience * Keep even the most demanding guests happy * Get five-star reviews * Protect your privacy and your property * Stay on top of legal, tax, and business matters * And more Sharing your home with strangers can be frustrating and disruptive . . . or fun and lucrative. This book helps you minimize the headaches and maximize your rewards.

A major problem in health economics is how to give a value to changes in health. This is the first book to examine all the money measures that are used in such evaluations. Changes in health might be caused by medical treatments, by public safety programmes and by anti-pollution programmes, and the cost-benefit analysis of such programmes involves the use of money measures. The author defines the properties of these money measures, examining them in both a certain and a risky world. He evaluates available empirical approaches for the assessment of the value of health changes, and considers measures such as quality-adjusted life years (qalys) and healthy-years equivalents (hyes). This book raises the important question of whether we are willing to pay the costs for our health care system. It will be of interest to advanced students of health economics and related disciplines, and will also be useful for professionals working on projects that affect human health.

The Funerary International series comprises essential reference texts for policy-makers, practitioners and academics with an interest in funerary practices globally. Each book has a country or region specific focus, addressing a standard framework of questions to aid comparison. This book sets English and Welsh funerary practice in its wider legal, national and local governance framework, including the continuing role of the Church of England. It provides the historical context for current practice, provides data on new trends in burial and cremation and examines recent developments including direct cremation and alkaline hydrolysis. It provides detail of current practice and includes a detailed description of a typical funeral, including commemorative practice, and discussion of funeral costs. Chapters address the legalities and technicalities of burial and cremation, explaining the concept of burial rights and the technicalities of grave construction, and outlining cremation certification requirements and the process of cremation. This book is a valuable desk-top resource to give a broader frame of reference for policy makers, and to provide explanation of key concepts for practitioners who may be new to this area of work. The text will be of particular value to academics that may be unfamiliar with the legal, technical and professional aspects of the funerary industry. The text is fully referenced, with an additional bibliography of further reading, and includes illustrations, charts, tables, diagrams and boxed text including key information.

This book serves a unique purpose within the world of engineering. It covers the economics of modern manufacturing and focuses on examining the techniques and methods from a cost perspective. It can be used by both students and professionals alike. The book is useful to students in industrial engineering and mechanical engineering programs as a primary textbook for engineering economy, production costing, and related courses. It can also be used by MBA students specializing in production management and finance. Specific topics of coverage include the computation of direct and indirect cost for manufacturing operations, including a variety of overhead operations in such an environment. Costing of manufacturing methods such as casting, forging, turning, milling, and welding is addressed along with inventory analysis. The book also includes fundamental concepts such as cash flow analysis, present and future worth analysis, and rate of return analysis. Related topics such as equipment replacement, comparison of alternatives, depreciation, buy versus make decisions, interest factors, and equivalence are covered in detail as well. Key Features: Addresses the costing of manufacturing operations through a step-by-step problem solving approach. Includes traditional engineering topics such as cash flow analysis, present worth, future worth analysis, replacement analysis, equivalence, and depreciation are addressed in depth as well. Offers a variety of solved examples that can be used to develop a thorough understanding of the underlying concept. Provides a number of practice problems at the end of each chapter. Presents a large number of figures and tables in almost every chapter, to assist in visualizing the concept and apply it successfully. Production Economics: Evaluating Costs of Operations in Manufacturing and Service Industries focuses on rigorous problem solving. Each topic is presented succinctly along with numerous solved examples, along with a large number of end-of-chapter practice problems where applicable.

Volunteers are central to sport at all levels, from mega-events to grassroots clubs. Sport Volunteering is a definitive guide to the issues associated with managing volunteers in sport. The book focuses on the psychology of the voluntary experience, the challenges inherent in managing a volunteer workforce for not-for-profit and other groups, and the development of volunteers. It provides a perspective on the roles of volunteers in the development and delivery of sport in a range of contexts - events, clubs, associations and other non-profit groups - and explores important contemporary issues such as sustainability, diversity and the management of risk. This book is essential reading for anybody studying sport volunteering or managing volunteers in sport, and a valuable resource for students of sport development, sport management, sport business, sport events, sport administration, sport policy, community sport, sport facilities, sport operations, event management or sport coaching.

Struggling to apply Lean effectively in your office environment? Office Lean is a book for anyone who wants to apply Lean better in contexts where the work is both intangible and complex. it explains in simple terms, what Lean is -- and what Lean isn't -- enabling office professionals to understand how it can be successfully applied to their complex office-based work environments. Contrary to popular opinion, Lean is not only for mass manufacturing or healthcare. It applies just as much to the digital world of "knowledge work" industries such as banking and financial services, software development, and government. But the fundamental concepts, straight from the factory floor, need a fair amount of translation to be effectively applied in cube farms. Overturning the common perception that Lean is about imposing rigid rules, or simply eliminating waste in the name of "efficiency", Eakin presents Lean as a dynamic, flexible, people-centric philosophy that delivers outstanding business results by improving employee engagement and customer experience. Office Lean helps Lean practitioners (leaders/managers and coaches/consultants) working in professional office environments access the amazing, transformative results Lean can bring to their specific domains. It combines clear explanations of the core concepts of the Lean philosophy with relevant, practical examples from the fields of accounting, finance, insurance, IT and government.

Volunteers are central to sport at all levels, from mega-events to grassroots clubs. Sport Volunteering is a definitive guide to the issues associated with managing volunteers in sport. The book focuses on the psychology of the voluntary experience, the challenges inherent in managing a volunteer workforce for not-for-profit and other groups, and the development of volunteers. It provides a perspective on the roles of volunteers in the development and delivery of sport in a range of contexts - events, clubs, associations and other non-profit groups - and explores important contemporary issues such as sustainability, diversity and the management of risk. This book is essential reading for anybody studying sport volunteering or managing volunteers in sport, and a valuable resource for students of sport development, sport management, sport business, sport events, sport administration, sport policy, community sport, sport facilities, sport operations, event management or sport coaching.

The world arms market has been in continuous flux since the end of the Cold War. This volume provides a policy-relevant analysis of the complex web of contemporary economic trends, political developments and strategic considerations that are shaping the contours of the new post-Cold War world market for weaponry.

Any event you plan and stage is a reflection of your organization's image - from the initial invitation to onsite operations. Whether you're planning a product launch, conference, sales meeting, an incentive event, or a gala fund-raiser, remember that the magic of a truly memorable event is in the details, but so is the devil. Whether your event is for 50 or 2,000 people, whether it has a budget of a few thousand dollars, or hundreds of thousands, it has to be perfect. Fully revised and updated, Event Planning, Second Edition, gives you a blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair and without any unexpected surprises and expenses. This unique book is loaded with practical advice on: * Choosing the best venue * Preparing and managing the budget, with sample costing forms included * Scheduling, staffing, and collaborating with other related professionals * Coordinating food and beverage, d cor, entertainment, and themes. It's still the comprehensive guide that it always has been, but much has changed in the industry in recent years, and this new edition of Event Planning includes: * Changes in security planning since 9/11 * Innovations in technology and how they can improve - or ruin - an event * How to stage an environmentally friendly event * New and updated examples and case studies of where things went right - and wrong * Event Risk Assessment - What You Need to Consider before Contracting * How keep your budget on target and where to find hidden surcharges * Ways on how to ease airport stress and make air travel a pleasurable part of the participant's event experience * When and When Event Planners and their Suppliers will need Work Visas * What you need to include in your client's event history in order to design your next event so that it maximizes your client's return on their event investment * A companion website with downloadable versions of the checklists, additional forms and tools

Many governments are pursuing with relentless vigor a neoconservative/transnational corporate program of globalization, privatization, deregulation, cutbacks to social programs, and downsizing of the public sector. Countries are forming into giant "free trade" blocs. Increasingly they lack the will and desire to resist encroachments of world "superculture". Furthermore, they encourage heightened commoditization of information and knowledge, for instance through provisions in bilateral and multilateral trade treaties. The analytical underpinning and ideological justification for this neoconservative/transnational corporate policy agenda is mainstream (neo-classical) economics.

Focusing on the centrality of information/communication to economic and ecological processes, "Communication and the Transformation of Economics" cuts at the philosophical/ideological root of this neoconservative policy agenda. Mainstream economics assumes a commodity status for information, even though information is indivisible, subjective, shared, and intangible. Information, in other words, is quite ill-suited to commodity treatment. Likewise, neoclassicism posits communication as comprising merely acts of commodity exchange, thereby ignoring gift relations; dialogic interactions; the cumulative, transformative properties of all informational interchange; and the social or community context within which communicative action takes place.

Continuing in the tradition of writers such as Russel Wallace, Thorstein Veblen, Karl Polyani, E. F. Schumacher, Kenneth E. Boulding, and Herman Daly, Robert Babe proposes infusing mainstream economics with realistic and expansive conceptions of information/communication in order to better comprehend twenty-first-century issues and progress toward a more sustainable, more just, and more democratic economic/communicatory order.

Combining a range of case studies with theoretical research, this volume analyzes current developments and best practice. The contributors discuss innovative approaches in assessment, peer assessment, the NCVQ model, the positive side of assessment, staff training for assessment, and much more.