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This study aims to examine issues of talent management (TM) in events. Specifically, it investigates the triangular relationship that exists amongst temporary event workforces, event employment businesses (EEBs) and event organisers (EOs).

A mixed method design was used including a quantitative survey of UK temporary event workers (TEW) to examine their characteristics and motivations to work at events; a qualitative survey with (EOs) to understand the reasons for using TEW and (EEBs) and interviews with EEBs to understand their challenges in delivering best-fit between TEW and EOs.

This study sheds light on the complex relationships amongst temporary event workforces, EOs and event employment businesses. Findings show TEW who display high levels of affective commitment towards their employment organisation and possess the characteristics of extraversion and contentiousness, are highly motivated to work at events. EOs suggest their operational restrictions (such as limited resources, time and expertise) are fuelling the need to use EEBs to source staff with the right skills and attitudes. In turn, these recruiters demonstrate they play an active role in reconciling the often-conflicting needs of EOs and TEW.

This study extends knowledge and understanding on TM in events by providing insights into the characteristics of TEW as a growing labour market segment in the event sector. Significantly, the study contributes to a better understanding of the critical role that EEBs play in the construction, development and management of talent in events.

This study aims to evaluate the complex behaviour of tourists in terms of the formulation of destination image related to its gastronomy. Through the examination of gastronomic image, memorability of experiences and food personality traits such as neophobia and neophilia, this research investigates the chaordic (chaos versus order) systems and provides specific pathways that formulate the gastronomic destination image.

Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study examines the chaordic relations amongst memorable tourism experiences (MTEs), gastronomic neophobia and neophilia and gastronomic image upon the formulation of destination image. This study also includes two grouping variables (nationality [stratified], age).

Three sufficient configurations were revealed that can lead to the formulation of destination image, explaining the attributional gastronomic decision-making of holidaymakers. These solutions concern: food personality traits, generated experience and gastronomic image.

In spite of the need for examining the complexity and the chaordic systems in the gastronomic domain, the lack of a sufficient number of studies using fsQCA hinders its full potential. The complete lack of gastronomic studies using this method highlights the necessity of its use for research in the respective field.

This study explores the complexity of how food-related personality traits influence the attainment of MTEs and the formulation of gastronomic image and how the chaordic systems influence the overall image of a destination.

Accessible tourism is evolving as a field of academic research and industry practice, set within a dynamic social context. The field is interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary. The purpose of this paper is to examine key concepts and global initiatives that will shape accessible tourism futures.

Three of the authors have extensive academic experience in the area and the fourth author is the Managing Director of the pre-eminent European Network for Accessible Tourism. In taking a limited Delphi approach to canvassing key areas likely to shape accessible tourism futures, the following concepts and policy initiatives were examined: motivations, dreams and aspirations of people with disability; demography; UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; destination competitiveness; universal design (UD); and the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

A discussion of each of the above areas was placed in context to accessible tourism futures and to contextualise the papers that were selected for the special issue. The latter part of the paper outlines the contribution of each empirical paper to the issue discussing the approach, findings and implications. Stakeholder collaboration was identified as the key common theme of the papers and the factor for developing accessible tourism solutions, recognising the value of the market and capitalising on it. A collaborative approach is required to recognise the complementary nature of the different paradigms; to re-shape and transform the future of the accessible tourism industry. To assist in the development of accessible tourism futures, UD principles should provide a foundation to enhance the future competitiveness of tourism destinations and organisations.

The paper’s examination of the concepts and global policy considerations provides a strong academic and practitioner foundation for considering accessible tourism futures. In doing so, accessible tourism futures are shown to be affected by key concepts related to core tourism considerations and major policy initiatives on accessibility and sustainability. Yet, accessible tourism futures also have the potential to create their own momentum and contribute unique learnings on the diversity of tourism markets that will shape tourism concepts and global policy initiatives in their own right.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the US states and territories’ official tourism information websites based on the Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) and Section 508 guidelines to identify the compliance of websites towards disabilities policies and their behaviour pattern.

The official tourism websites of 57 states and territories were analysed through the TAW tool for WCAG 2.0 and AChecker for Section 508. Cluster analysis was used to produce a group of websites underlying the accessibility issues obtained from the online tool to understand the common pattern of behaviour.

The result revealed that websites have serious and significant accessibility issues underlying the prescribed guidelines that would interfere with the use of the website by disabled people. The main issues that make the website least accessible focussed on the following guideline of WCAG 2.0: compatible, navigable, text alternative, distinguishable and adaptable.

The empirical results provide the US states and territories’ tourism authority to better understand web accessibility in their websites and its impact on disabled people.

As the web plays an important role in individual lives, this study highlights the accessibility issues which need immediately focussed and technically planned actions from the respective states and territories to ensure that designed web content should communicate effectively and universally.