Tourism Research Research Articles

Humorous or serious? The interaction effect of language style and tourism activity type on tourist well-being

Promoting Well-being is one of United Nations’ sustainable development goals and it also attracts increasing attentions in tourism research. Based on the stereotype content model (SCM), this study examines the interaction effect of service employees’ language style and tourism activity type on tourist well-being. The mediating effects of perceived pleasure and perceived professionalism is also studied. The theoretical value of this paper is two-fold: First, it is the first study of the adaptability of tourism activities to different language styles and of how this adaptability difference affects tourist hedonia and eudaimonia. The discovery of the interaction effect between tourism activity type and language style also provides a legitimate explanation for resolving the contradiction between humour and seriousness in previous studies. Second, this study sheds new light on the stereotype content model. It introduces two new constructs—perceived pleasure and professionalism and reveals their mediation effect in the interaction effect. These constructs support affective and cognitive evaluations of social judgments. Our findings have important implications for tourism practitioners who seek to develop effective service strategies to enhance tourist well-being and thus promote sustainable tourism.

Exploration Of Subjective Norms Of Tourists In The Application Of Planned Behavior Theory To Predict The Intention To Visit Tourist Objects In Indonesia

This research aims to explore a deeper understanding of the factors that influence tourists' intentions to visit tourist attractions in Indonesia using the Planned Behavior Theory (TPB) approach. This research focuses on exploring tourists' subjective norms, which is one of the main components in the TPB, along with attitudes and behavioural control. The research method involves an online survey targeting a sample of tourists who have visited or intend to visit tourist attractions in Indonesia. The research instrument consists of structured questions designed to measure critical variables in the TPB, with particular emphasis on subjective norms. Data analysis used descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to identify relationships between key variables. The research findings are expected to significantly contribute to understanding the factors that influence tourists' visiting intentions, as well as their implications for developing marketing strategies and managing tourist attractions in Indonesia. It is hoped that the results of this research can become a reference for tourism industry stakeholders, government and researchers in consumer behaviour and tourism to improve the management and development of tourist attractions in Indonesia to increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of tourist destinations globally.

Understanding how tourists with disabilities’ perceptions of residents’ emotional solidarity influence their behavioural intention: the mediating role of perceived fairness

Tourists with disabilities face several constraints when travelling, including interpersonal issues. The intergroup contact theory suggests that intergroup contact can diminish social prejudice. This study aims to understand how tourists with disabilities’ perceptions of residents’ emotional solidarity influence their attitude and behavioural intention towards a destination and the mediating role of perceived fairness. A systematic sampling survey was conducted among 359 tourists with disabilities in China. The results revealed that emotional closeness and sympathetic understanding had a positive effect on perceived fairness and attitude towards the destination, but a welcoming nature affected attitude alone. Ultimately, perceived fairness and the attitude towards the destination impacted behavioural intention. Additionally, the results confirmed the mediating role of perceived fairness between emotional solidarity and behavioural intention. The contribution of this study to accessible tourism research is to provide a model that helps to explain how tourists with disabilities’ psychological mechanisms and behavioural patterns are affected by favourable interpersonal relationships with destinations. In short, it promotes the concept of perceived fairness. The study also argues that greater social inclusion contributes to the quest for good health and well-being (SDG #3), equality (SDG #10), and inclusive and sustainable cities (SDG #11).

Navigating the landscape of tourism, leisure, and sport studies in Mexico

ABSTRACT Research in tourism, leisure, and sports in Mexico is justified by the country's rich cultural, natural, and traditional diversity, as well as its economic and sociocultural relevance. Despite growth in these fields, challenges persist, such as lack of international recognition, limitations in interdisciplinary research, and barriers to knowledge publication and dissemination. This work presents a consensus derived from the Latin American Colloquium on Interspecies Relations in Tourism, Leisure, and Sports in 2023. The consensus highlights the increase in interdisciplinary collective research in these areas but acknowledges the scarcity of scientific studies in Mexico. Complex sociocultural practices and conditions shape various tourism, leisure, and sports activities, implying a need and opportunity for research in the country. Additionally, the importance of integrating local Mexican knowledge into the global academic discourse and overcoming challenges such as editorial biases and language barriers is emphasised. Lastly, Mexican academics and the global community are urged to collaborate in disseminating and challenging intellectual colonialism concerning knowledge about leisure, tourism, and sports in Mexico.

Analysis of Henan Tourism Demand Difference Based on Data Mining and Intelligent Analysis

Relevant tourists fields in Henan have conducted in-depth investigations on Henan tourism, in order to provide reference for subsequent tourism research; Based on the increase in the number of Henan tourists, studying outbound tourism activities from the perspective of tourists can explore its development law and formulate effective marketing strategies. Based on this, this paper proposes a data mining method to analyze the differences between different consumer groups in tourism needs and marketing strategies. The joint example analysis shows that our data mining analysis is very reasonable and effective. Our data experiments show that based on the increase in the number of Henan tourists going abroad, the tourism strategy designed in this paper can promote tourists' interest and increase the number of trips.

Cultural heritage tourism at film-related tourism sites: staged and existential authenticity at Hengdian World Studios

ABSTRACT The trend of incorporating culture and heritage into various aspects of tourism, such as film-related tourism, is gaining momentum. In addition to the film-related attractions, film-related tourism can encourage tourists’ engagement with cultural heritage tourism and consumption of heritage products at the destination. Examining the case of Hengdian World Studios (China), the world’s largest outdoor film studio and film shooting base, this paper discusses how cultural heritage tourism is induced at a film-related tourism destination as well as how the tourism destination represents authenticity and how tourists perceive such representations. Hengdian World Studios simulates several real heritage sites in different areas of China for screen media productions as well as for tourist consumption. This paper examines the concepts of ‘staged authenticity’ (MacCannell [1973]. Staged authenticity: Arrangements of social space in tourist settings. American Journal of Sociology, 79(3), 589–603. https://doi.org/10.1086/225585) and ‘existential authenticity’ (Wang [1999]. Rethinking authenticity in tourism experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(2), 349–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0160-7383(98)00103-0) in the context of tourism studies to understand cultural heritage tourism at film-related tourism sites. The discussion is based on research undertaken at Hengdian World Studios between 2018 and 2023 drawing on ethnographic methods and online interviews with 50 tourists. This paper contributes to the understanding of authenticity issues in tourism studies from different perspectives and the interconnections between film-related tourism and cultural heritage tourism.

Seasonality in Tourism and Hospitality: A Review and Typology for Future Research

Although seasonality is an old tourism phenomenon, the advent of global hypermobilities and the changing features of the tourism industry requires a considerable revisit to the longstanding assumption of tourism. This study provokes further research on various seasonality aspects implicated in the discussion based on the broad range of the literature review and the subsequent findings. The article explores the current seasonality research in tourism and hospitality and proposes a typology and literature-based agenda for future scholarly investigations. Results provide an overview of seasonality research in tourism and hospitality by examining key themes in theory, methodology, research topics, and geographical features. We underscore the importance of theoretical and conceptual development and a comprehensive approach to seasonality research in tourism and hospitality.

Big Data in Tourism Destinations: A Systematic Literature Review

Tourism is an industrial sector that has a variety of data originating from tourists. This data can be utilized and reprocessed through the application of artificial intelligence technology such as big data and machine learning to analyze and predict tourist patterns so that it can be used in developing the tourism sector. This research aims to present a systematic literature review regarding the role of big data and machine learning in the tourism context. This research reviews 25 research papers related to big data and machine learning applied in the tourism industry. The categorization of tourism research related to big data and machine learning is based on research published from 2018 to 2023. The focus of this research is to provide an in-depth review based on journal rankings, research objectives, types of data used, and algorithms applied in the research . The results of this research are to provide a systematic literature review that can be used to help future researchers discover new research topics and present insights into future prospects regarding the use of big data and machine learning in tourism.

Experience Economy Perspective on Recreational Fishing Tourism Travelers’ Reviews: A Data Science Approach

Fishing tourism, a niche yet burgeoning sector within the broader tourism industry, presents a unique opportunity to explore the dynamics of the Experience Economy. This study delves into the intricacies of fishing tourism through the lens of data science, leveraging web crawling techniques to gather extensive data from reviewer profiles on TripAdvisor. By employing natural language processing (NLP) techniques, the study investigates the correlation between Experience Economy dimensions and user profiling aspects within this domain. The findings of this study shed light on the predominant dimensions of the Experience Economy within fishing tourism. “Entertainment” emerges as the primary dimension, closely followed by “Aesthetic”, “Educational”, and “Escapist” elements. Notably, the study reveals frequent co-occurrences of certain dimension pairs, such as “Entertainment”–“Aesthetic” and “Educational”–“Entertainment”, underscoring the multifaceted nature of the fishing tourism experience. The implications of this research extend beyond academic discourse to practical considerations for stakeholders in the fishing tourism sector. By highlighting the socioeconomic benefits inherent in fishing tourism for local communities and fishers, the study emphasizes the importance of governmental support. This support, in the form of infrastructure development, effective leadership, legislative measures, and financial backing, is deemed essential for fostering sustainable growth and development in this sector. This study stands as a pioneering endeavor within the realm of fishing tourism research, particularly in its focus on Experience Economy dimensions and user profiling. By drawing data from both business pages and user profiles on TripAdvisor, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between tourist experiences and the broader economic and social landscape of fishing tourism destinations.

Value formation in AI-integrated service system: review and implications on hospitality and tourism research

ABSTRACT The ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and other disruptive technologies, has attracted a surge of AI studies. Previous reviews primarily offered a bird’s view of AI research and were somewhat one-sided focusing on AI’s bright sides. Reviews on the networks of resources, process dynamics, and divergent outcomes of this complex system are rare, if any. This review article aims to fill this research gap by deconstructing how value is formed in the AI-integrated service system. Guided by the SPAR-4-SLR protocol and interactive value formation framework, this study reviewed and analyzed state-of-the-art AI studies (i.e. 2019–2023) published in six selected top-tier hospitality and tourism journals. This review makes contributions by outlining the resource orchestration, resource integration practices, and divergent outcomes of value formation in the AI-integrated system in hospitality and tourism. Future research directions and implications were also provided to advance the field.

Satisfaction unveiled: decoding the antecedents and consequences of halal tourism – a metaanalytical approach

Purpose This study aims to identify the dimensions of satisfaction in the halal tourism literature by analyzing the identified antecedents and outcomes. The study aims to synthesize the current empirical findings in halal tourism. Additionally, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the factors that lead to halal traveller satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Using a meta-analysis approach, this paper synthesizes the fragmented and conflicting findings of 56 quantitative studies focusing on satisfaction and its antecedents and consequences in the halal tourism context. Data from 145 relationships representing an aggregate sample size of 21,173 were used. Additionally, this study extends the analysis by incorporating contemporary factors such as the impact of COVID-19, sample size and gender as moderators. Findings The findings indicate that both physical characteristics and psychological aspects are positively related to satisfaction. Further, this study reported that endorsement and revisit intention are the significant consequences of satisfaction. Lastly, this study identifies the significant moderating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, sample size and gender on the relationship between satisfaction and its antecedents/consequences. Research limitations/implications Global halal tourism industry caters to Muslim and non-Muslim tourists across the globe; this article identifies the contributing factors of satisfaction in the halal tourism context. Policymakers can adapt according to their needs and preferences. Originality/value This study provides cumulative evidence to the literature regarding the relationship between satisfaction and its antecedents/consequences in halal tourism. This is the first meta-analysis study on the mentioned topic, making significant theoretical, managerial and methodological contributions to halal tourism research.

Spatial evolution pattern of tourism flow in China: case study of the May Day Holiday based on Baidu migration data

ABSTRACT Tourism flows are an elementary part of mobility and an important topic in tourism research. Utilising Baidu migration data, we model tourism flows during China’s May Day holiday from 2019 to 2023. Employing hotspot analysis and the differential index for tourism flow methods, we scrutinise the spatial and temporal dynamics of tourism flows in China before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings are as follows: (1) Regarding temporal variations, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted China’s tourism industry, albeit with a slow recovery currently underway. (2) Spatially, tourism flows primarily concentrated within four major city clusters, with emerging tourism destinations like Zibo gradually gaining prominence. (3) Analysing changes in tourism flow during holidays reveals that cities can be categorised into four major types and six minor types, with a predominant trend of continuous decrease in tourism flow. These findings shed light on the intricate dynamics of tourism flows in China, offering valuable insights for stakeholders in the tourism sector.

More-than-food tourism

Food tourism researchers are increasingly seeking to question why tourists eat animals, and the ethical dimensions of such encounters. The tourist experience has largely been taken as the starting point in this research, influenced by the anthropological origins of this research field. In effect, human-animal relations, for the most part, remain absent from such interrogations. In this paper we seek to engage with critical tourist scholars who are increasingly turning to post-humanist and more-than-human framings, to move beyond a fixation with human agency in understanding how and why we eat animals in tourism settings. Multi author participant observation is utilised to examine a touristic encounter with smalahove, a traditional Norwegian dish of smoked and boiled sheep’s head. Through this case study we argue that future food tourism research ought to shift focus beyond the tourist experience, so as to fully understand the processes through which animals become eaten. In exploring the ways that human-smalahove entanglements provoke consideration for how humans and animals might be-together-otherwise, we call on food tourism researchers to consider what sorts of other food tourism encounters might prompt reflection and how such ethical reflections might be leveraged in food tourism ventures.

The Dolphins: poetry in studying ethical tourism and sustainability

This study explores the inclusion of poetry in the realm of consumer research in tourism, consumption, and sustainability, with a study of the poem “The Dolphins” by Carol Ann Duffy. It reflects on the analysis of poetry in advancing our understanding of tourism consumption, and deliberates that poetry could provide insight into complex, emotional, painful, and cruel consumption facets. The study crafts a reference point for the use of poetry as a data source and a methodological tool in tourism and sustainability research and highlights how poetry could help in advancing our understanding of ethical consumption and its confluence with animal welfare in tourism and raising ethical awareness and sensitivity. The study also reflects on the themes of expanding our consciousness as part of being better humans and tourists, and raising the social consciousness of organizations to work towards animal welfare.

Recasting sustainable summer holidaying: scripts, time experiences, freedom, place change and environmental imprints

In the summer of 2020, COVID-19 border closures, travel restrictions, infection risks and other uncertainties forced many people to cancel or adapt their holiday plans. This disruption created an exceptional context to study home-based holidaying experiences, representing a departure from pre-pandemic habits and routinely rehearsed summer holiday scripts. Responding to a longstanding bias in tourism research towards (high-carbon) international travel and a neglect of near-home holidaying, an explorative quantitative survey elucidated what novel or altered experiences may disclose about summer holidaying attitudes and transitions towards more sustainable forms of tourism. Theoretically informed by conceptualisations of holiday time, place change, role change, and routinisation of holiday practices, a SEM analytical framework revealed two primary inclinations. One was receptive to summer home holidaying and was associated with recognition of the environmental footprint of regular leisure travel and a willingness to recast vacation plans accordingly. The other was averse to home-based holidaying, driven by the view that it was unfulfilling and by a desire to resume international travel when restrictions were eased.

Tourism, War, and Media: The Russia-Ukraine War Narrative

Underpinned by framing theory, this study examines how the mainstream news media constructs the war and tourism narratives. Using frame analysis and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), this paper systematically unpacks the intertwined relationship between war and tourism in constructing its narratives during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Three main frames were identified, including “impact,” “response” and “status,” which encompass eight specific issues. Results of Qualitative Comparative Analysis show that there are three influential narrative patterns associated with negative emotional frames: dashed hopes in tourism destinations, debates over travel bans versus human rights principles, and pessimism and uncertainty in the tourism industry. This research advances tourism literature by providing a new interpretative and analytical lens to the intricate interplay between war and tourism, serving as an important reference for future frame analysis research in tourism.

Towards a typology of virtual tourists: Efficacy of visual patterns and attentional cues

Virtual tourism is rapidly emerging in prominence in contemporary tourism research. Previous studies tend to consider the virtual tourism population as a homogeneous entity, resulting in unintended consequences. Despite the ocular-centric nature within virtual environments, existing eye tracking studies have rarely classified virtual tourists into benefit-based segments, discounting the critical role of pre-existing visual patterns and associated attentional cues. Subsequently, this research constructs a theoretically rigorous and evidence-informed typology of virtual tourists, based on attention patterns discerned from eye tracking trajectory and associated visual cues, triangulated with interview data. Building on the theory of bottom-up and top-down attentional processing, four discrete virtual tourist typologies emerged in terms of visual completeness and visual cognition: visual passives, curious scanners, focused observers, and comprehensive engagers. The visual and cognitive characteristics among the groups were collated, revealing significant differences articulated between each of the virtual tourist typologies. This research not only advances knowledge through a renewed emphasis on typology-driven theorising within the virtual tourism population, but also offers practical insights into implementing an innovative and effective segmentation approach. Future research should consider comparing the theoretical and empirical specifications of the virtual tourist typology.

Developing 360-degree stimuli for virtual tourism research: a five-step mixed measures procedure

Developing 360-degree stimuli for virtual tourism research: a five-step mixed measures procedure

Determining Factors for Online Transportation Mode Selection to Tourist Destinations in Bali, Indonesia

Objective: The study aims to identify the significant factors influencing tourists' decisions to select online transportation modes to tourist destinations in Bali, Indonesia. It focuses on understanding the attributes that affect this choice and how they can improve the transportation services in the region. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework integrates various theories related to consumer behavior and decision-making processes. It considers factors like service quality, price, convenience, and safety, drawing from established models like the Theory of Planned Behavior to analyze tourists' transportation mode selection. Method: The research employed a quantitative approach, utilizing a questionnaire distributed to 384 tourists in Bali who have used online transportation. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between independent variables (service quality, price, convenience, safety) and the dependent variable (the selection of online transportation modes). Results and Conclusion: The study found that all the proposed factors (service quality, price, convenience, safety) significantly influence tourists' decisions to select online transportation modes in Bali. It concludes that enhancing these factors can lead to a higher preference for online transportation among tourists, benefiting both service providers and users. Implications of the Research: The findings have practical implications for online transportation providers, suggesting that improvements in service quality, competitive pricing, convenience, and safety can increase their market share. It also provides insights for policymakers on how to regulate and support the online transportation sector to improve tourist experiences in Bali. Originality/Value: This research contributes to the existing literature by specifically focusing on the online transportation mode selection among tourists in Bali, a context not extensively covered in previous studies. It offers empirical evidence on the factors affecting tourists' transportation choices, adding value to the field of transportation and tourism research.

Tourism research from 1945 to 2022

Purpose Existing tourism review articles have limited review topics and cover a relatively short period. This review paper aims to extend the coverage of the previous literature and enhances the completeness of tourism-related studies to provide comprehensive tourism-related literature from 1945 (World War II onward) to 2022. Specifically, this paper reveals the major research themes present in published tourism research during this time period and highlights the evolution of tourism research from the preliminary phase, the transversal phase, to the growth phase. Design/methodology/approach The present study visualizes tourism research through networks of coauthors and their countries and regions, cocitation analysis of keywords and explores the thematic evolution of tourism research after the World War II (i.e., 1945–2022) from Web of Science and Google Scholar through bibliometric analysis. Findings Findings reveal that the themes of tourism research in the past years can be divided into seven major research themes. The tourism research evolution from World War II to 2022 can be categorized into three stages: preliminary (1945–1970), transversal (1971–2004) and growth (2005–2022). In addition, the research themes of tourism are not static but evolve according to the dynamics of the society and the industry, and that seven main research themes have been formed, namely, “heritage tourism,” “medical tourism,” “adventure tourism,” “dark tourism,” “sustainable tourism,” “rural tourism” and “smart tourism.” Originality/value The present study expands and refines the comprehensive literature in tourism research, as well as reveals the trends and dynamics in tourism research through network analysis and thematic evolution research methods.