Profitability in the hotel sector: a PLS approach

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the determinants of hotel profitability through the application of a least squares path modelling (PLS) and to deepen the study of their heterogeneity through clustering techniques.

An eclectic model that incorporates the dimensions identified as determinants of profitability in the previous literature is estimated by means of PLS. Subsequently, in a second stage the hotels are classified using clustering techniques to study which combination of hotel characteristics, location, competitive environment and tourist destination achieve higher profitability.

The results show that hotel characteristics, hotel location, competitive environments and tourist destination factors impact on the hotel performance. Also, the results highlight that the eclectic model proposed have to be further developed in future studies, incorporating more theoretical constructs and variables.

The results contribute to identify and quantify the determinants of profitability in the hotel sector and which combination of them achieve higher profitability. Moreover, this paper provides new evidence to support an eclectic theory of profitability determinants in the hotel sector. Consequently, this paper claims the need of a deeper integration of different areas of expertise to analyse hotel profitability.

This research is the first empirical evidence that proposes an eclectic model and uses clustering techniques in the study of profitability differences considering simultaneously hotel characteristics and its location. The variables used allow to measure different aspects of the attributes of the hotel and its location.

本论文旨在借助偏最小二乘回归（PLS）方法来分析酒店盈利性的决定因素, 以及通过聚类分析来研究决定因素的多样性。

本论文首先借助现有文献中盈利性各种决定因素来构建折衷模型, 并采用PLS来估算这个折衷模型。然后, 本论文通过聚类分析法将酒店分类, 从而研究决定哪种组合, 包括酒店特点、地理位置、竞争环境、和旅游目的地等特性, 达到最高盈利。

酒店特点、地理位置、竞争环境、和旅游目的地影响了酒店整体绩效。此外, 本论文还指出这个折衷模型应该进一步发展, 建议未来研究中应该囊括更多理论结构和变量。

本论文结果对于酒店行业盈利性决定因素的确立和量化做出贡献, 本论文还对确立酒店盈利性组合成分做出贡献。此外, 本论文结果对于酒店行业盈利性决定因素的折衷理论做出更多实践性验证。因此, 本论文提出酒店盈利性课题有必要进一步跨领域深入研究。

本研究是首篇论文提出和验证折衷模型并利用聚类分析法以研究酒店盈利性和同时考虑酒店特点和地理位置。本论文测量的变量评估了酒店及其地理位置的各项特性。

地点, 偏最小二乘法, 旅馆, 盈利能力

研究论文