Tourism Industry Research Articles

Tourism Industry in the Kingdom of Cambodia in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tourism Industry in the Kingdom of Cambodia in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The role of technology in tourist guiding: future career, service quality, marketing and tourist experiences

Purpose This study aims to investigate the perceptions of tourist guides in Türkiye regarding the role of technology in the tourist guiding profession. Design/methodology/approach This research adopted an exploratory qualitative case study approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with 29 professional tourist guides actively working in different regions of Türkiye. Findings The findings reveal the dual roles of technology in tourist guiding. While it can facilitate service quality and enhance experiences, technologies such as robot tourist guides, augmented reality and virtual reality are perceived as disruptive and potentially damaging service quality and tourist experiences. Originality/value The research offers unique insights into the facilitative and disruptive aspects of technological tools in the tourism industry. These findings have direct implications for destination managers, travel agencies and tourist guides worldwide, equipping them with a comprehensive understanding of the role of technology in tourist guiding and guiding their future actions, strategies and policies.

Unlocking sustainable competitive advantage: The catalytic role of digital talent and knowledge workers in digital leadership in tourism and hospitality industry

The study aims to investigate the impact of digital leadership on sustainable competitive advantage, digital talent, and knowledge workers. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of digital talent (DT) and knowledge workers (KW) in the relationship between digital leadership (DL) and sustainable competitive advantage (SC), using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as its theoretical foundation. The researchers employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine survey data from 784 employees working in Egyptian travel agencies and tour operators. The results demonstrate that DL significantly enhances SC, DT, and KW. Moreover, DT and KW were shown to positively contribute to SC and serve as partial mediators in the relationship between DL and SC. The findings highlight the crucial role of developing DT and creating an environment that embraces technological acceptance and innovation. This approach amplifies the strategic effectiveness of DL, ultimately contributing to long-term organizational success.

Dissecting the sustainable tourist experience: sustainable consumption theory and co-creation theory approach

PurposeTourists are increasingly co-creating meaningful experiences and demonstrating a growing preference for sustainable travel choices. In response, this study investigates the co-created sustainable tourist experience in the Bahamas.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on sustainable consumption theory and co-creation theory, it aimed to develop a more comprehensive framework that encompasses the entire spectrum of the sustainable tourist experience. Data from 25 in-depth interviews and participant observation were analyzed using an inductive-deductive method.FindingsThe analysis revealed multiple aspects of sustainable tourist experience, including sustainable consumption dimensions (environmental, social/individual, social/interactive, economic and institutional) and co-creation phases (co-production, value-in-use and co-creation), along with travel stages (pre-trip, on-site and post-trip). Based on these insights, this study developed a framework that delineates the mechanism of sustainable tourist experience.Practical implicationsThis study outlines managerial implications for the tourism and hospitality industry, highlighting sustainability as central to the tourist experience. Destination planners are encouraged to promote sustainable initiatives that align with tourists’ desires to co-create experiences, enhancing satisfaction, supporting destination sustainability and contributing to long-term industry viability.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to existing research on co-created, across-stage sustainable tourist experiences by presenting a holistic framework that elucidates the underlying mechanisms. This study extends existing conceptual studies by offering a deeper understanding of how tourists interact and co-create with destinations, emphasizing the need to integrate sustainability more effectively into the tourist experience across all stages of travel.

The Use of Digital Twins to Address Smart Tourist Destinations’ Future Challenges

This research aims to conceptualise the use of the digital twins (DT) tool in tourism to address smart tourist destinations’ future challenges to enhance tourists’ experiences and residents’ quality of life through better services developed by DTs. This paper investigated the use of DT technology to tackle the new challenges facing smart tourist destinations (STDs) in terms of urban planning, sustainability, security, marketing, and tourism activities by using data on this topic from expert researchers and public and private organisations. Also, this research adopted a systematic review approach to analyse and illustrate the existing literature on the topic of DTs and their use for STDs, which helped us develop the DT concept in a STD context. The findings of this research reveal that DT technology is emerging as a disruptive technology tool that is being used to improve the management of STDs in terms of their efficiency, safety, sustainability, environmental protection, productivity, and energy consumption. Moreover, DT technology is a nascent tool in the tourism and marketing industries, but its versatility in relation to its capacity to analyse data and predict the behaviour of tourism and business ecosystems to address relevant issues at STDs gives it a key role in the tourism industry. Finally, a new definition of DT technology has been included in this study within a tourism and STDs context, filling the gap in this topic in the tourism industry according to some researchers’ suggestions. There are limited scientific publications about DT technology that jointly tackle the DT technology and STDs sphere. Accordingly, this manuscript defines DT technology and provides a new viewpoint of this technology that will help to initiate academic discussions on DT tourism within the context of STDs.

Identifying Critical Paths and Drivers of Carbon Emissions From Tourism: An Integrated Analysis Toward Sustainable Tourism

ABSTRACTGiven the highly fragmented structure and strong industrial linkages of the tourism industry, exploring the flow and drivers of carbon transfer is critical for sustainable tourism. This study combines the environmentally extended input–output (EEIO) model with structural decomposition analysis (SDA) and structural path analysis (SPA) to identify the key sectors, paths, and drivers of carbon emissions from tourism. Taking China as a case, the results show that: (1) China's tourism carbon emissions grew from 34.68 Mt. in 2002 to 137.87 Mt. in 2019, with road transport (22.58%), food and beverage services (21.10%), shopping (20.52%), and air transport (14.91%) constituting the primary emitters. (2) Critical supply chain path “source sector → tourism‐related sectors → final demand” spurring carbon growth of tourism primarily centers on the tourism‐related sectors associated with road transport, air transport, food and beverage services, and shopping, where the source sectors mainly come from energy and food supply, manufacturing, transportation, and logistics sectors. (3) Despite considerable sectoral and path‐level heterogeneity, the key driver for inhibiting tourism carbon emissions is direct energy intensity, while final demand remains the main obstacle to low‐carbon tourism. In addition to the limited effect of energy restructuring, the promising role of optimizing the supply of intermediate goods in cubing tourism carbon emissions is revealed. Finally, relevant theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Analysis of the Development of Datong Tourism Industry from the Perspective of the Black Myth Wukong

The explosive fire of the black myth Wukong is not only its technical production, but also its stunning location. This paper is going to explore six of these tourist venues and Datong, a city full of tourism consumption potential. The relationship between tourism and urban development will be explored through practical cases. This paper will refer to national policies and discuss related topics of tourism and urban transformation. And put forward ways to expand the international market. Datong has the most locations for the black myth of Wukong with six. At the same time, in the process of the transformation of Datong from an energy-based economic city, tourism needs to publicize Datong in the process of playing its advantages in promoting economic growth. This paper not only analyzes the benefits in other similar Internet celebrity tourism cities, but also analyzes the new opportunities in the continuous improvement of the transportation network.

Evaluation of Tourism Ecological Security and Measurement of Regional Differences in China

ABSTRACT Expanding upon the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model system, this work employs the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach, Kernel density estimation, Spatial autocorrelation, Dagum Gini coefficient, and geographic detectors to evaluate the ecological security level of China’s tourism industry from 2010 to 2020. Examining the tourism ecological security’s spatio-temporal evolution, geographical disparities, and driving variables is the goal of this study. One thing that stands out from the data is that (1) there is a clear increase trend in the time series of tourism ecological security (TES). (2) There is spatial variability and lack of landscape equilibrium when the general geographical distribution pattern in space gradually decreases from east to west. (3) According to the Dagum Gini coefficient, there is a decreasing geographical non-equilibrium of tourism ecological security, with the main cause of this non-equilibrium being the inter-regional disparity between the east and west. (4) The factors affecting the tourism ecological security are complex and diverse. These factors are closely related to the economy, environment and population of the city. The findings provide a reference for the sustainable development of regional tourism ecology.

Advancing tourism resilience and data science using multimodal data

ABSTRACT To address data selection bias in tourism research and objectively assess tourism resilience, this study uses the impact of COVID-19 on China’s tourism industry as a case. By using data from POI, UGC, nighttime lights, corporate revenue, and infections, the study develops a multimodal ‘city-enterprise-tourist’ data approach to analyze tourism resilience comprehensively. The multimodal approach disproves the assumed correlation between city size and tourism resilience during public crises while uncovering resilience differences within the tourism sector. As a result, the multimodal data method effectively avoids data selection bias and offers a detailed understanding of tourism resilience. The study highlights the importance of integrating diverse data sources and targeted resilience improvements in tourism resilience research. It provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the impact of public health crises on tourism, contributing to both data science and tourism resilience research.

Exploring the interrelationship between local employment and income in gateway communities in the US Lake States: empirical evidence from spatial simultaneous equation models

ABSTRACT Few empirical studies have examined whether recreational tourism industries have replaced resource extraction industries as the primary drivers of economic growth in gateway communities. This study investigates the relative impacts of tourism and resource-based industries on the local development of gateway communities by employing a spatial simultaneous equations model with data from 4426 Minor Civil Division (MCDs) in the US Lake States. The results suggest that the transition to a service-based economy has occurred in the gateway communities of the US Lake States and is a key contributor to employment growth. In contrast, the resource extraction and construction sectors have contributed to median household income growth, reflecting the benefits of multifunctional rural landscapes.

Impact of social movements and employer responses on tourism employees: a reactive attitude framework perspective

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research note is to explore the impact of social movements on the tourism profession from an employee perspective. This study interviewed 28 tourism employees and analyzed the data through the lens of Strawson’s reactive attitude framework. The results revealed how tourism employees reacted to social injustice issues outside of their own workplace. The participants’ feelings varied but were mainly influenced by their work location, ethnicity, and diversity of their working and living environments. Moreover, employees displayed various emotional reactions based on their job positions and attitude toward their company's public support of social movements and implementation of DE&I measures. Based on these preliminary findings, this paper concludes by presenting key research opportunities that integrate social justice, employee well-being and internal crisis management and communication within the tourism industry.

Impacts of Air Pollution on Community Well-Being in the Tourism Sector: A Comprehensive Literature Review

This critical review examines the interplay between air pollution and community well-being within the tourism industry. Utilizing a systematic literature review methodology, the study focuses on three domains: air quality, tourism, and sustainability. Employing VOSviewer for bibliometric analysis, the research identifies key themes and trends. The findings reveal that air pollution, particularly in urban tourist destinations, negatively impacts tourist behavior, reduces visitor numbers, and threatens the economic sustainability of tourism. Additionally, it highlights health risks to both tourists and local communities, underscoring the need for adaptive strategies and sustainable practices. The study prioritizes articles employing statistical methods and incorporates geographic visualizations using GeoPandas and Matplotlib to illustrate research distribution. By synthesizing the existing literature, this review emphasizes the importance of effective policies that balance tourism growth with environmental protection amidst escalating ecological challenges.

Research on Paths to Enhance the Quality of Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Consumption Scenarios in Liaoning

With the continuous improvement of the socio-economic development level, people's living standards have been ensured, leading to a greater focus on spiritual satisfaction. This shift provides new opportunities for the tourism industry. During the process of driving economic growth and social development, the integration of culture, sports, and tourism industries has emerged as an important force. The development of these integrated industries, as a new model of industry integration in China, has been found to have a high degree of industry fit through systematic practical application. This integration not only enables effective resource consolidation and optimal allocation but also creates more attractive and competitive products and services to meet diverse consumer demands. Analyzing from the consumer perspective, the integration of culture, sports, and tourism can further stimulate consumers' potential, and how to leverage this integration to enhance consumption levels has become an urgent issue for relevant departments and enterprises. This paper comprehensively analyzes the importance of improving the quality of cultural, sports, and tourism consumption scenarios, proposes solutions to problems encountered during development, and thus promotes high-quality development of the industry.

Measuring the Ecoefficiency of Tourism in Typical Tourist Cities and Analyzing the Influencing Factors—Anhui Huangshan City as an Example

To protect the environment, promote sustainable tourism, and enhance the quality and efficiency of the tourism industry, accounting for and identifying the ecological efficiency of tourism is crucial. In this study, we constructed a scientific measurement system for assessing the ecological efficiency of tourism in Huangshan City from 2011 to 2022 using a Super-SBM (slack-based measure) model and a Tobit regression model. Our findings revealed the following: (1) The overall trend in the total efficiency in Huangshan City fluctuated considerably during the period under study but demonstrated an overall positive trend of development. Scale efficiency mostly showed consistent annual improvement, while pure technical efficiency remained relatively stable. (2) Economic, social, environmental, and human-resource- and transportation-related factors all exerted significant positive influences on the ecological efficiency of tourism in Huangshan City. Based on these results, in aiming to enhance the ecological efficiency of tourism in Huangshan City, comprehensively considering multiple factors, such as the economy, society, the environment, human resources, and transportation, is recommended. Attention should be paid to balancing industrial expansion with technological innovation while simultaneously investing in the development of education and human resources. Emphasis should also be placed on protecting and improving the environment alongside efforts to improve capabilities in technological innovation and the level of management. The research findings presented in this article offer a valuable theoretical underpinning, as well as practical guidance for Huangshan City and other representative tourist destinations on how they can enhance the efficiency of their tourism ecosystems, thereby facilitating high-quality and sustainable development within the tourism industry.

The Influence of Attractiveness, E-Wom, and Social Factors on Interest in Visiting Tugu Khatulistiwa, Pontianak City

This study discusses the influence of attractiveness, Electronic Word of Mouth (E-WOM) and social factors on the interest in visiting Tugu Khatulistiwa of Pontianak City in the tourism sector. This research is focused on the people of Pontianak City who have an interest in visiting Tugu Khatulistiwa. In this research, the type and data to be used is quantitative research with a survey method approach to achieve research objectives, namely identifying the role of e-wom appeal and social factors on visiting interest at the Tugu Khatulistiwa, Pontianak City. Using purposive sampling method involving 150 respondents. Hypothesis testing of this study was carried out with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS) with the Warp-PLS version 8.0 analysis tool. The results of this study reveal the important role of Attractiveness, E-WOM and Social Factors in influencing tourist interest in visiting a tourist destination. From the calculation of the coefficient value and significance value, there is a positive influence between Attractiveness and E-Wom on the interest in visiting the Pontianak Tugu Khatulistiwa, while the coefficient value and significance value of Social Factors do not have a positive influence on the interest in visiting the Pontianak Tugu Khatulistiwa. These findings provide valuable insights for the tourism industry in developing more effective and attractive marketing strategies. The practical implications of this research can help related parties in increasing attractiveness, promotion and factors that can shape a person's interest in visiting Tugu Khatulistiwa

Conceptual Model of Innovation Decision Process and Hesitation to Adopt Augmented Reality in Tourism Industry

Augmented reality (AR) is gaining popularity in tourism by improving immersive experiences. Therefore, understanding the factors influencing perceptions and barriers is critical. This study examines visitors’ attitudes and decision making hesitation. The innovation decision process is a conceptual model for comprehending user decisions and analyzing AR features and visitor characteristics. The early majority of AR users completed 401 online questionnaires. The causal relationships were investigated using PLS-SEM and IPMA. PLS-SEM results discovered that visual appeal and environmental embedding influenced AR attitudes. This study found that low tourist memorability affected visitor resistance and AR attitudes. The dimensions of visitor perception show that novelty and enjoyment significantly influence AR attitudes. Additionally, we discovered that AR attitudes significantly affected hesitation to reuse AR, revisit and engage in EWOM. IPMA results indicate that the AR attitude is significantly effective and crucial in reducing tourism AR hesitation. Additionally, we present a novel framework that integrates the domains of policy, people and technology.

The spatio-temporal evolution and influencing factors of the coupling coordination degree between tourism supply and demand in the Yangtze river economic belt

The imbalance between supply and demand is a pressing issue in the development of the tourism industry. Understanding the coupling coordination relationship and impact mechanism of supply-demand in the tourism system can help achieve high-quality tourism development. This study focuses on the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) as the research area, quantifies the tourism supply index (TSI) and tourism demand index (TDI) from 2011 to 2020 using the tourism development index model, calculates the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of TSI and TDI based on the coupling coordination model, and explores the factors influencing the CCD using the geographic detector. The findings indicate that: (1) The TSI and TDI in various provinces show fluctuation but exhibit an overall upward trend. (2) There were apparent spatial disparities of the CCD, with a distribution characteristic of high in the east and low in other regions. The CCD gradually improved, with its gravity center slowly shifting toward the southwest. All provinces entered the intermediate stage of tourism development since 2014. (3) Basic service guarantee, consumption drive, and innovation drive are identified as the dominant factors influencing the CCD. The study can provide valuable insights for tourism coordination and sustainable development.

Navigating Uncertainty Through Resilience, Absorptive Capacity and Adaptive Performance in Shaping SME Exit Intentions in the Tourism Industry

This research examines how absorptive capacity and adaptive performance address the connection between entrepreneurs' resilience and their desire to leave their businesses among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism industry. Specifically, this study focuses on tourism SMEs in Terengganu, Malaysia, a region heavily dependent on tourism as a key economic driver. The study integrates multiple constructs within the tourism entrepreneurship domain, including resilience, absorptive capacity, adaptive performance, and business exit intentions. A survey was conducted using self-administered questionnaires between October 2023 and December 2023, with valid responses from 205 tourism SMEs. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrated a significant relationship between entrepreneurial resilience and the intention to exit the business, with absorptive capacity and adaptive performance acting as key mediators. The findings provide insights into how resilience helps entrepreneurs navigate challenges, sustaining their businesses amid uncertainties. The study offers strategic implications for tourism entrepreneurs, policymakers, and industry stakeholders by emphasising the importance of resilience and adaptive strategies in reducing business exit intentions. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of how entrepreneurial resilience, absorptive capacity, and adaptive performance interplay to influence critical business decisions, which can inform policies and interventions aimed at enhancing SME sustainability, particularly in emerging tourism markets.

ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISM IN GERMANY

Germany is one of the leading tourism countries in the EU, where international tourism contributes significantly to economic development, job creation and infrastructure. Germany is a popular destination for tourists, attracting millions of visitors annually. Major cities such as Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt are significant hubs for cultural and business tourism. This article examines the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on the German tourism industry between 2000 and 2023. The global pandemic resulted in a precipitous decline in international tourist arrivals due to the imposition of travel restrictions. However, following the lifting of these restrictions, the tourism industry began to demonstrate signs of recovery. The impact of the war also resulted in a reduction in the number of tourists and a shift in the structure of demand, with a greater focus on domestic tourism and neighbouring countries. Concurrently, Germany remains a significant tourist destination for a considerable number of European and international tourists. The article presents recommendations for enhancing the sustainability of the industry, particularly through market diversification, the integration of digital technologies and the development of novel tourism forms. Furthermore, the paper addresses the necessity for the tourism industry to evolve in order to meet the demands of a changing global landscape.

4-Years into the Pandemic Impacts: A Holistic Reflection and Educational Lessons Learnt in the Tourism and Agriculture Sectors

With the continual mutations of new variants in recent years, COVID-19 has adapted to coexist with humanity for decades to come. However, our understanding of the extent and longevity of the pandemic remains vague. Although the immediate repercussions of the pandemic on various sectors of the global economy still linger and could even last longer than was anticipated, four years into the pandemic provides an opportune time to examine key trends in research and strategies crucial to combating the effect in the long term. To that end, this study critically provides timely reflections on COVID-19’s impact on the tourism and agriculture industries highlighting their interdependence. It further examines key advancements, challenges, and prospects that have come to light during the pandemic era while reflecting on pre-, during-, and post-pandemic developments. Specifically, the review delves into the various dimensions and facets of these impacts, exploring how the pandemic affects the changing landscape in tourism and agriculture in the post-pandemic era, as well as the efficacy of the coping strategies. We proposed key novel strategies for ensuring the robustness of tourism and agriculture industries, integrating lessons from past crises into short-term, medium-term, and long-term solutions. It is worth noticing that the research outcomes align with the Sustainable Development Goals on sustainable production and consumption. The proposed strategies provide a solid foundation to fortify other industries in the face of subsequent crises of a similar kind. This review concludes by offering insightful perspectives on potential areas of investigation and recommendations during emergency crises.