Purpose -This paper aims to explore the opportunities and challenges faced by hospitality employers in accommodating a culturally diverse workforce in Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach -This is an exploratory paper based on interviews with hospitality employers in Northern Ireland. It seeks to answer the question "What opportunities and challenges does a culturally diverse workforce create for hoteliers in Northern Ireland?". Findings -This research highlights the potential of international workers as an invaluable new source of labour for the hospitality industry, provided that they are properly looked after and managed.Research limitations/implications -Future research could analyse the role of multicultural management in assuring business benefits associated with cultural diversity. Practical implications -The research suggests the importance of a positive proactive management system and solutions for training that could be incorporated into the workplace that celebrates its employee's cultures, that values and explores differences and that actively seeks to learn from other cultures, demonstrates tolerance, respects differences, identifies similarities and strives for inclusiveness. Training solutions are provided. Originality/value -This study suggests the removal of barriers to the successful integration of international staff into the workplace and society, while benefiting all staff, their organisations and the Irish tourism product.

International workers are a growing category of employees in the hospitality industry of Northern Ireland (NI). The retention and skills shortages of the industry are significant factors in facilitating this increase. Thus, international workers could be an invaluable new source of labour for the hospitality industry, provided that they are properly looked after and managed. However, little is known about the number of people moving to Northern Ireland to take up work in the hospitality industry. This paper sets out to answer some of the 'unknowns' -including nationality, demographic characteristics, educational, employment and economic background. The paper draws on data collected through a survey of migrant workers in nine hotels in Northern Ireland and focus groups with migrant employees in all of the survey establishments. Issues of social integration within the workforce and the wider community as well as the future that migrant workers see for themselves are discussed from a human resource perspective.

Purpose The use of “special events” as an attractor for destinations in the smart tourism paradigm has been suggested as one element of an effective destination strategy. This study aims to create new understandings of this potentiality by exploring an event from a participant perspective in smart tourism contexts by creating a model integrating factors impacting the smart event experience. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted five online focus groups by using Facebook secret groups to engage spectators of an international sports event. Discussions focussed on the digital event experience with particular reference to the event app. A subsequent interpretative phenomenological analysis facilitated the examination of how people make sense of this digital phenomenon and the impact on the overall event experience. Findings The findings demonstrate an increasing demand for real-time event integrative information, with more immersive and augmented experiences often sought by users. This has significant implications for the management of the digital event experience for all event stakeholders. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in its analysis of the smart event experience because of the use of a purposive sample from the International NW200 Event in Northern Ireland, which may limit the generalisability of research findings. Originality/value The study therefore, meets a critical gap in existent literature by providing the first event experience model in a smart tourism context and presenting the interlocking elements through the 4P’s (people, processes, personalisation and places) and 7R’s (rituals, realms, realities, renewal, review, relational and resourcing) of digital event experience.

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In August 2013, Northern Ireland hosted the World Police and Fire Games. The official event evaluation found that the games projected Northern Ireland in a positive light; however, this survey does not tell the full story. Leading up to this event Northern Ireland experienced 4 months of civil unrest. Many consumers turned to social media to seek reassurance and guidance. However, the event organizers did not provide such support during this crisis. In fact, by mismanaging concerns regarding political stability and visitor safety, this event in effect reinforced the negative stereotypical images of Northern Ireland and because it happened online, it was ignored in the official event evaluation. The two key lessons event organizers can learn from this case study are do not underestimate the power of social media, especially in a time of crisis, and in this digital age an event must have a social media strategy that has the flexibility to deal with a crisis.

It is widely held that social capital can help build sustainable communities (Cuthill 2010), yet researchers agree that further research is needed to fully understand the social dimensions of sustainable development (Getz 2009). In event settings, understanding how social capital is formed remains limited (Wilks 2011). This paper addresses this issue by examining the extent to which the UK City of Culture 2013 (CoC13) succeeded in building social capital in post-conflict Derry/Londonderry. The authors adopted a case study approach and mixed qualitative methods in the form of in-depth interviews and focus groups. The findings suggest that CoC13 helped to generate both bonding and bridging social capital, however, while intra community bonds were strengthened, exclusivity was also fostered. More positive were the examples of bridging capital cultivated across communities, particularly between young attendees, and between event organisers, with cooperation building trust and goodwill between volunteers. Some of the cross community relationships developed have been sustained. However, the lack of legacy planning has meant that the long-term social goals have not been met. In summary, the study suggests that in a post conflict society, events can help build social capital. However, in the absence of legacy planning, the benefits gained may soon evaporate.

Purpose -Collaboration is now an important part of public sector management. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that have helped shape the relationships between public agencies involved in sports tourism. Design/methodology/approach -Using critical case sampling 54 in-depth interviews were conducted with public officials in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Findings -The authors have produced the "Theory of collaborative advantage in relation to sports tourism". This model captures the dynamics of collaboration in the sports tourism policy arena. A total of 12 practitioner themes and four cross-cutting themes were identified and although each theme and the issues and tensions identified within it can affect inter-organizational relationships in a particular way, the model illustrates how each theme is interlinked and is part of a larger, more complex picture. Research limitations /implications -Like all empirical research, this paper has its limitations but if the issues that affect collaboration are not identified then they cannot be addressed. Although no two collaborative settings are the same, public sector managers need to be aware of the factors that affect, or may affect, inter-organizational relationships so that they can pre-empt problems and maximise the use of resources. Practical implications -Hopefully this paper will, in some way, lead to better planning and management of sports tourism and encourage those involved in sports tourism policy to adapt a collaborative, rather than an isolated, approach. Originality/value -This study has contributed to knowledge by providing a better understanding of the inter-relationships in the sports tourism policy arena.