The objectives of the research are: (1) to investigate the development of global competitiveness index (GCI) of ASEAN-7 countries as an illustration of economic performance and potentiality, (2) to investigate which factors or pillars are drivers for the improvement of GCI ASEAN-7 countries, and (3) to analyze the effect of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on GCI of ASEAN-7 countries. The analysis method used in calculating the weight of the contribution of each pillar to changes in the competitiveness index, and determining the effect of GDP on GCI, a Semi-Logarithmic Regression analysis is used. The result shows that during the period of year 2008/2009 to the year of 2016/2017, the rank and index of GCI of each ASEAN-7 countries continue to increase. The pillars of the basic requirement subindex still dominate the largest contribution to the improvement of the competitiveness index for Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. As for Malaysia and Singapore sub-indexes of efficiency enhancers and innovation-sophistication have been able to give the largest contribution to the improvement of GCI.  The GDP of ASEAN-7 countries has a positive and significant impact on the improvement of global competitiveness index, except for Thailand. The most problematic factors in improving the competitiveness index are corruption, inadequately educated labour, access to financing, tax regulations, and inefficient government bureaucracy.

YouTube is one of the emerging technologies that impact consumer behavior. In the tourism sector, travel video blogs (travel vlogs) have become increasingly popular since they are highly influential in influencing travel behavior. Similarly, YouTube travel vlogs are highly engaging and provide consumers with destination experiences. This study determines how consumer behavior expressed through emerging technologies, such as travel vlogs on YouTube, can influence travel intention and electronic-Word of Mouth (e-WOM) behavior. By incorporating the use and gratification (U&G) perspective, this study examines the role of information seeking and entertainment as motivational factors for watching travel vlogs as a source of satisfaction. It will, in turn, lead to a greater degree of engagement. The current study investigated the emotional and presence aspects of travel videos to determine engagement. To evaluate the research hypothesis, we collected data from 300 respondents who had traveled to a destination after watching a travel vlog. We tested the hypothesis by utilizing structural equation modeling, a feature of the Smart-PLS 3.0 software. The results indicate that consumer motivations for watching travel vlogs, including the desire for information and entertainment, significantly impact customer engagement, both emotion and presence. Customers who are emotionally engaged and perceive travel vlogs as having a high presence will significantly affect their travel intention behavior and influence them to share e-WOM. In addition, the current study provides insight into tourism managers and academics on how travel vlogs as emerging technologies influence consumer behavior.

The objectives of the research are: (1) to investigate the development of global competitiveness index (GCI) of ASEAN-7 countries as an illustration of economic performance and potentiality, (2) to investigate which factors or pillars are drivers for the improvement of GCI ASEAN-7 countries, and (3) to analyze the effect of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on GCI of ASEAN-7 countries. The analysis method used in calculating the weight of the contribution of each pillar to changes in the competitiveness index, and determining the effect of GDP on GCI, a Semi-Logarithmic Regression analysis is used. The result shows that during the period of year 2008/2009 to the year of 2016/2017, the rank and index of GCI of each ASEAN-7 countries continue to increase. The pillars of the basic requirement subindex still dominate the largest contribution to the improvement of the competitiveness index for Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. As for Malaysia and Singapore sub-indexes of efficiency enhancers and innovation-sophistication have been able to give the largest contribution to the improvement of GCI. The GDP of ASEAN-7 countries has a positive and significant impact on the improvement of global competitiveness index, except for Thailand. The most problematic factors in improving the competitiveness index are corruption, inadequately educated labour, access to financing, tax regulations, and inefficient government bureaucracy.

North Sumatra is one of the provinces in Indonesia with high levels of economic openness. On average, since 2000, the contribution of export value to the Regional GDP reached 40 % and import value of 28%. Using Granger causality method, the study aims to investigate causal relations between international trade and North Sumatra’s local economy especially the impact of exports and imports on Regional GDP, Regional GDP per capita, employment and poverty reduction. The empirical results of present study discovered that (i) the exports and imports respectively have positive and significant impact on regional GDP, regional GDP per capita, employment and poverty reduction, (ii) there is a bi-directional causality between imports and regional GDP, where GDP growth rate would boost imports over-proportionally, (iii) both exports and imports are dominated by intermediate goods as the raw materials for further processing industry, (iv) export structure which is dominated by the agricultural-based intermediate good is proverty-reduction through factor market in the upstream sector making the rural peoples benefited from the exports.

In Indonesia, the activities of supplying of electricity energy or generating of electricity power is still dominated by PT PLN (Persero)

This study aims to measure and to analyze the efficiency level of fuel oil usage in units of PT. PLN generation. The study result shows that until now the PLN is still operating in inefficiency condition, because of foil oil usage. The energy consumption level of fuel oil is less efficient compared with coal energy in generating electricity. Based on the short-term Cobb-Douglass analysis, the average decrease in oil fuel usage efficiency over the period 2011-2015 is 17.21% per year. Allegedly, even though the portion has decreaseddue to the unsustainable supply of non-fuel fuel, it is important to maintain the use of fuel oil.The government is asked to continue evaluate the use of fuel oil inputs, diversify input energy and increase efficiency in producing electricity in Indonesia.

No abstract

This study aims to analyse the market structure, conduct, and performance of the star hotel industry in North Sumatra. The study was conducted in 2019 with time series data for the period of 2013 to 2018. The market structure is measured using the methods of concentration ratio, Herfindahl-Hirschman index, and barriers to entry, while descriptive methods are used to analyse the conduct and performance of five-star hotels. The results of the study show that: (i) there is a concentration of three- and four-star hotels, and that the concentration of four- and five-star hotels have an oligopolistic structure; (ii) the market structure of star hotels tends to be monopolistic; (iii) the minimum efficient scale index of star hotels is relatively small, which means that new hotels have a good opportunity to get a larger market share; (iv) the level of service and the level of availability of star hotel facilities are classified as good; and (v) the star hotel market structure influences hotel business behaviour in North Sumatra, which in turn affects hotel business performance.