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PurposeThe novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has completely changed the landscape of the hospitality industry. The World Health Organization does not officially recommend wearing face masks in the workplace. Wearing face masks is controversial worldwide, however it has been widely adopted in Hong Kong society. Hospitality practitioners have worn face masks to work and serve customers for almost a year long, matching the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper proposes a conceptual model of face mask effects and also discusses and evaluates the effects of wearing face masks during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA convenience sampling method is employed to investigate hospitality operators using in-depth and focus group interviews with managers, front-line staff and customers.FindingsThe perspectives of both hospitality practitioners and customers are included in this study. The concepts of (1) invisible care, (2) sense of safety and (3) service trust have been introduced in this study. These provide valuable insights for the service industry when facing a large-scale health crisis, now and in the future.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper analyzes interview data collected from 35 respondents – 14 managers, 6 practitioners and 15 customers – in order to understand the critical effects of wearing face masks during the pandemic and the perspectives of both hospitality practitioners and customers.Practical implicationsFor the hospitality industry, wearing face mask in service has already become a “new normal”, face mask effects might create an impact on service design, service delivery and service quality.Originality/valueThe findings show that wearing face masks turns hygiene and safety into a form of invisible care in the Asian hospitality industry. Practitioners' perspective regarding the necessity of a smile is less important to Asian customers, showing a discrepancy between the two parties. Customers do not believe that service quality has dropped due to the wearing of masks, but that the level of hygiene has risen. Unlike customers, practitioners are more concerned about not providing good quality service. However, the interview data show that respondents generally agree that mask wearing is a gesture and symbol for the hospitality industry to make tangible a new form of caring, professionalism, safety concern and communication.

In the theme park industry, returning visits are often considered a measure of success.Numerous parks have incorporated virtual reality (VR) technology to encourage visitors to return.

A World Wide Web-based course at Winona State University (Minnesota) in the history of modern Germany , offered during the 1997-98 academic year, showcased several teaching innovations. Taught in "studio mode," with a workstation for each student, the course combined seminar discussions with electronic communication via e-mail and listserv. HTML "commentaries" for each class replaced traditional lectures. Most course reading was available online through access to the J-STOR database. Students learned electronic research skills in the process of searching out and analyzing course-related Web sites. This paper begins with an introductory section that lists the advantages of Web-based courses and outlines seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. The second section discusses course design considerations, including the constructivist themes of active learning, individualization, cooperative learning, critical thinking, contextual learning, and learning to learn. Classroom technology is addressed in the third section. The fourth section describes the course, including links to other Web sites, the ability to access reserve readings, and assignments. Course design and production are covered in the last two sections, including hyperlinks, transition from text-based to HTML format, cost, and faculty role. It is concluded that creation of Web-based courses demands significant effort, but the payoff is great. (AEF)

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