Local government’s role in promoting city hospitality: a meta-ethnography with a public management perspective

Purpose – Adopting a public-management perspective, this study aims to conduct a meta-ethnography to discern local government’s role in city hospitality in terms of promoting the welcome the city gives its guests, filling a gap in research into the subject. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used the seven-step iterative approach of Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnography. By conducting a systematic search in the major bibliographic databases, ten qualitative studies on city hospitality were identified that met the criteria to be included. Concepts alluding to a local government’s role in city hospitality were coded in NVivo 11 software, translated and interpreted through the lens of public management. A total of 14 semi-structured interviews with experts were also conducted to further validate the meta-ethnography findings. Findings – Six interrelated, third-order constructs were developed and conceptualized into an articulated model describing local government’s role in city hospitality from a public-management perspective: advocating, co-creating, strategizing, planning and implementing city hospitality, and promoting it into a sustainable tourism development. The model, also substantiated by expert feedback, describes local government actions to promote city hospitality and achieve sustainable tourism. It highlights a responsive, proactive and collaborative role for local government as a key actor responsible for the strategic management and co-creation of city hospitality. Research limitations/implications – The study introduces public governance cues into a city hospitality context, with theoretical and practical implications for hospitality and tourism researchers, businesses, politicians, public managers, city officials and destination marketing/management practitioners. Originality/value – The study proposes an original conceptual model that serves as an overarching framework and operative tool for understanding and practicing city hospitality in a contemporary public-management perspective. This lays the foundations for the development of a broadened notion of hospitality management, extended from the traditional context of the hospitality industry to that of the city or place. The study also showcases how meta-ethnography can be an effective methodology in business, management and accounting research, within which it is still a novelty.