Planning studies are important for the competitiveness of destinations and their actions with the principles of sustainability. Kusadasi and Didim, which have been among the most important mass tourism destinations in Turkey since 1960, have also long experienced common problems such as lack of coordination, environmental and infrastructural problems, and a lack of an integrated destination approach. Although a series of initiatives have been attempted to solve these problems—with a series of initiatives and good intentions—these initiatives have ultimately failed to achieve their outcomes. The current study aims to present the problems faced with destination management in both destinations. Specifically, it explains the whole process of destination management, including an attempt to guide and play a mediating role for stakeholders through a participatory approach. Therefore, revealing salient problems experienced in both destinations and preparing action plans for the solution of these problems are possible. The research is based on qualitative data from key stakeholders and opinion leaders. The process of data collection took almost two years, including one kick-off meeting, four workshops, and five mini-meetings. In addition, seven in-depth interviews were carried out to follow up on the outcomes. Although common problems such as lack of cooperation, coordination, budget, qualified workforce, infrastructure, and promotion have been identified, establishing a coordination platform and preparing action plans seems to remain remote. Therefore, despite all efforts, attempts at management planning may be regarded as an example of destination management failure.

The pioneering work of Campbell et al. (1995a) presented four ways a corporate parent either creates or destroys value for the companies it owns. They are (a) stand alone, (b) linkage, (c) central functions and services, and (d) corporate development. Despite widespread acceptance of the concept of parenting advantage, empirical research remains scarce. Examining the methodological issues, this research describes the development of an instrument to measure the four strategies. An exploratory factor analysis yielded six distinct factors, accounting for 74.11% of the variance. The results partially validated the a priori classification scheme. A few factors partly reflected the measurement items (variables) gleaned from the four basic strategies. The factors are represented by a hybrid of items from different strategies. The paper concluded that the original conceptualizations of the strategies need to be better scrutinized and that further refinement of the operational definitions is also necessary.

The concept of blue economy has been advanced by many countries as a new economic frontier aimed at development and utilization of blue ocean resources. To effectively develop a blue economy, capital intensive infrastructure, human and intellectual resources are required although they have been found to vary between countries or regions due economic or natural endowments. A theoretical analysis of relevant theories including: Foreign Direct Investment and eclectic model, Transaction Cost, and Stakeholder theories was undertaken. Further, a critical conceptual analysis covering fifty-five articles on blue economy and collaborative strategies with multinational enterprises (MNEs) was conducted to in an attempt to develop appreciation of the blue economy and collaborative strategies with MNEs. The conceptual analysis was carried out under conceptual, contextual, theoretical, and methodological lenses to establish if any gaps exist and if they do, how they can be addressed. From the analysis it was established that 24 of the 55 articles reviewed discussed maritime and blue economy related subjects. The other 31 articles covered subjects related to collaborative strategies with respect to MNEs confirming that the concept is still developing. The analysis concluded that the concept of blue economy adopts a multi-dimensional approach borrowing from strategic management, finance, and economics. Moreover, it was concluded that collaborative strategies could contribute to development of countries through leveraging of blue economy resources. Further research was proposed to address the gaps identified from the synthesis of the paper.

A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis has become a key tool used by businesses for strategic planning. Scholars have conducted SWOT research for over six decades. However, a collective understanding of SWOT analysis remains vague. This study accessed, analyzed, and synthesized the SWOT literature, allowing for new theoretical perspectives and frameworks to emerge. Using an integrative literature review, this study reviewed SWOT studies historically, providing a greater understanding of the SWOT analysis in different sectors and the different approaches used in SWOT studies. Furthermore, it fills the knowledge gap in the strategic planning context and indicates meaningful implications for managers that could help improve their strategic decisions.

This study examined the relationships and interactions between corporate governance and firm values of lodging companies with different characteristics. The companies were analyzed separately using a classification and regression tree (CRT) analysis. The analysis results did not show a direct relationship between value and governance, yet that does not mean there is no relationship between them. When the companies’ governance scores were similar, corporate governance showed no distinguishing variable on firm value but is a hygiene factor. The analysis also found negative relationships between value and size. This may be important in preventing companies from becoming cumbersome. Also, positive relationships were found between value and the debt ratio of the lodging companies from the most valuable brands. This relationship showed the significance of using the debt ratio as a control tool in evaluating management performance.