Apostolos Ampountolas

Real estate investment trusts during market shocks: Impact and resilience

Dr. Apostolos Ampountolas, SHA Assistant Professor of Hospitality Finance, recently published an article in the Tourism Economics Journal that examined five real estate investment trusts (REITs) market indices’ responses to market shock from the initial COVID-19 pandemic announcement using an event study design. This study advances our understanding of pandemic-related market... More

A Segmented Machine Learning Modeling Approach of Social Media for Predicting Occupancy Demand. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Photo by Rhema Kallianpur on Unsplash

A Segmented Machine Learning Modeling Approach of Social Media for Predicting Occupancy Demand. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management

By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. Abstract Purpose This study aims to predict hotel demand through text analysis by investigating keyword series to increase demand predictions’ precision. To do so, this paper presents a framework for modeling hotel demand that incorporates machine learning techniques. Design/methodology/approach The empirical forecasting is conducted by introducing a segmented machine learning approach... More

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Will Blockchain shift Online Travel Agencies toward growth or to an end? Tourism Economics. Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Will Blockchain shift Online Travel Agencies toward growth or to an end? Tourism Economics

By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. Abstract The hospitality industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally. With the emergence of different distribution platforms, customers can obtain real-time price changes, availability, and promotions. Looking to the future, traditional online travel agencies will have to undergo a utility shift in order to adapt to new... More

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Postcrisis REIT performance using financial ratios: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach Tourism Economics. Photo by Jason Dent on Unsplash

Postcrisis REIT performance using financial ratios: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach Tourism Economics

By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. Abstract This study examines the performance of public lodging real estate investment trusts (REITs) following the financial crisis period from 2013 to 2017. We employed data envelopment analysis, a nonparametric technique based on linear programming, to measure performance. Determinants of efficiency were assessed by a set of financial... More

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Active Learning to Improve Self-Confidence and Decision-Making Skills Through the Use of Hotel Simulation Photo by Canva

Active Learning to Improve Self-Confidence and Decision-Making Skills Through the Use of Hotel Simulation

By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. ABSTRACT This study evaluated the use of hotel simulation learning and how it promotes users’ confidence as a decision-making tool. Given the challenges of preparing students for the service industry, it enables them to make hypothetical decisions based on real-life scenarios. The perceived learning experience can enhance students’... More

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Examining the relationships between market indicators and hotel pricing approaches Photo by Canva

Examining the relationships between market indicators and hotel pricing approaches

By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. Abstract Hotels are employing revenue management (RM) to improve profitability by efficiently managing the effects of capacity, as well as the effects of performance factors to model consumer behavior. This empirical paper discusses the extent and use of different pricing approaches and their success in this multichannel environment. More

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Does Airbnb have a homogenous impact? Photo by Andrea Davis on Unsplash

Does Airbnb have a homogenous impact?

Examining Airbnb’s effect on hotels with different organizational structures By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. Abstract Although a number of studies have examined Airbnb’s impact on hotels, previous studies have yielded mixed results and are limited in their geographical scope. Additionally, the impact of Airbnb on hotels with different organizational structures has not been previously... More

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The effects of shocks on Turkish tourism demand: Evidence using panel unit root test Photo by Elizeu Dias on Unsplash

The effects of shocks on Turkish tourism demand: Evidence using panel unit root test

By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. Abstract This empirical study examines the stationarity of tourism demand in Turkey in response to the effects of structural breaks, which indicate external or internal shocks based on tourist arrivals from 12 Slavic-speaking countries between 2000 and 2016. We employed a panel unit root test based on the... More

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Peer-to-peer marketplaces: a study on consumer purchase behavior Photo by Headway on Unsplash

Peer-to-peer marketplaces: a study on consumer purchase behavior

By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. Abstract Purpose The online travel environment continues to expand as the numerous peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplaces that comprise the “sharing economy” have also multiplied and expanded, resulting in a move from the traditional hospitality industry to a new digital ecosystem. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects... More

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The role of social media as a distribution channel for promoting pricing strategies Photo by BRUNO EMMANUELLE on Unsplash

The role of social media as a distribution channel for promoting pricing strategies

By: APOSTOLOS AMPOUNTOLAS, Ph.D. Abstract Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how using social media (SM) as a tool to influence demand motivates the distribution of different price promotion strategies to encourage consumers to utilize direct bookings, along with how this impacts revenue strategies and profitability. Design/methodology/approach This study surveyed hotel executives... More

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