Tourism Researchery in a State of Turbulence: Time for Great Repair and Renewal?

Abstract

Is tourism research at a standstill, or is it progressing or regressing? The answer is not so simple because of the strong neurosis surrounding tourism research, which requires immediate action. There are a number of false truths (i.e. research traditions and practices that are continued even though they are controversial) that are only visible to those who can bother to notice them. One of the things that surprises me most in this academic turmoil is those who un/knowingly and un/willingly perpetuate the false truths, even though they know they are controversial. As far as tourism research is concerned, I think that if we want to understand tourism research and advance it, these current apathetic behaviours towards widespread misconduct and false truths should also be part of the sub-theme of the tourism discipline. This case report aims to discuss both the nature and causes of the neurosis, and how to respond to it or, at best, overcome it, focusing on potential and actual issues directly relevant to the research world in turbulence. For a variety of reasons, tourism researchers, like their counterparts in other disciplines are very, if not entirely, concerned about publishing, but less concerned about their social or educational influence. All that seems to matter is the score of publication, citation, fame and prestige. As researchers, we are more concerned with the impact factor of journals and articles than with analysing basic educational problems or social injustices in our field. Yet, despite all this bravado, research-related problems in our field continue to grow rapidly (see reports on accelerating rates of research misconduct, article retractions, and the proportion of meaningless research and its costs to the economy in general and the environment in particular). There is no doubt that producing more publications does not advance science or solve problems. (While 90% of research has focused on business-related issues, nothing seems to have changed as tourism business continues to face similar problems.) This is a significant dilemma, but not one that most researchers are concerned about. Tourism researchers, again like their counterparts in other disciplines, are still more likely to research topics that have publication potential than those that do not. Frankly, are we making a research decision on the basis of altruism or egoism? There is a major problem with tourism academia in that researchers are more concerned with publishing than with doing meaningful science. Until the frenzy of meaningless research and lust for publication ends, all these efforts will only serve to expand the garbage dump on the surface of the knowledge base. Finally, science is drowned in orthodox rules or how to publish in SSCI journals at the cost of losing academic freedom, authentic self and the research spirit. The vital questions that remain are: what does the researcher want to achieve internally not just externally, what is it worth doing, and for whom? Just as it is different to have food casually and to enjoy having it with enthusiasm, so it will be different to do research casually and to enjoy research with wise pleasure and enthusiasm, giving one's whole authentic self.