Tourism Industry Research Articles

Regimes of value: Economic transformations, ecological livelihoods, and salt cooperatives on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast

This article investigates changing regimes of value in the salt flats on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast as a way of exploring how diverse economic practices reflect communities’ relations with their environment. Combining a feminist political economy (FPE) lens with postsocialist analysis of social change in Bulgaria, I trace the salt flats’ transformation from cooperatively managed local ecological livelihood to passive property rendered most valuable when sold for development into the now-dominant tourist industry. In contrast, I also outline contemporary diverse economic practices inspired by the salt flats, which seek alternative means of conceiving the economy. Drawing on these experiences, I argue that the postsocialist lens can offer a robust perspective on conceptualizations of the diverse economy.

Sustainable Tourism Performance Through Green Talent Management: The Mediating Power of Green Entrepreneurship and Climate

This study investigates how green talent management influences green performance, green entrepreneurship, and the green organizational climate. Additionally, it analyzes the impact of green entrepreneurship and green organizational climate on green performance. The research also delves into the mediating roles of green entrepreneurship and green organizational climate within the framework of dynamic capability theory in the tourism and hospitality industries. Data were gathered from employees working in travel agencies and tour operators in Saudi Arabia, with a PLS-SEM analysis conducted on 788 valid responses. The results revealed that green talent management has a positive impact on green performance, green entrepreneurship, and the green organizational climate. Additionally, the study found that both green entrepreneurship and a green organizational climate positively influence green performance. Importantly, the findings underscored the partial mediating roles of green entrepreneurship and green organizational climate in the link between green talent management and green performance. This study enriches the literature by clarifying the mechanisms through which green talent management can be utilized to enhance green performance. Theoretically, the findings expand on dynamic capability theory by emphasizing the importance of green-focused human and organizational resources as dynamic capabilities that enable environmental adaptation and sustainable competitive advantage. Practically, these insights provide actionable implications for tourism and hospitality organizations seeking to improve sustainability practices through green talent management, green entrepreneurship, and a green organizational climate, thereby reinforcing the role of dynamic capabilities in achieving sustained green performance.

Sports poverty alleviation: concept and model innovation for the development of Chinese sports towns in the new Era

In recent years, sports-themed towns have emerged as a key component in China's rural revitalization and poverty alleviation strategy, integrating sports, culture, tourism, and health industries to drive regional economic and social development. However, the literature often overlooks their long-term impact on social, cultural, and community development. Research aims to explore the concept of “sports poverty alleviation” and propose a new development model for sports towns in China, focusing on economic growth as well as social and cultural enhancement, public health, community integration. The study employs mixed methods, including documentary analysis and empirical research, to evaluate the effectiveness of various sports town models in poverty alleviation. Findings reveal that while these towns successfully boost short-term economic growth, especially through tourism and events, their sustainability is challenged by homogenization and a lack of competitiveness. Many towns fail to capitalize on local cultural and natural resources, and while they contribute to immediate economic benefits, they often lack long-term employment and integration strategies for local communities. Successful cases like the Mashan model demonstrate how integrating local resources and cultural identity with sports industries can lead to sustainable development and poverty alleviation. The research concludes that a more holistic approach to the development of sports towns in China is needed. Economic benefits should be complemented by a focus on social, cultural, and community development to ensure long-term success. The proposed innovative development models offer practical solutions to enhance the uniqueness and sustainability of sports towns, contributing to China's rural revitalization and poverty alleviation efforts.

Rural Tourist Attractions Recommendation Model Based on Multi-Feature Fusion Graph Neural Networks

With the rapid growth of the rural tourism industry, traditional tourism recommendation technologies can no longer meet the necessary requirements. To address the issue of rural tourist attraction recommendations, a rural tourist attraction recommendation model is constructed based on a multi-feature fusion graph neural network. First, construct a feature map based on the relationship between tourists’ preferences and tourist attractions, and incorporate the attention mechanism to enhance the model’s learning capabilities. Second, utilize a two-part graph model to extract positive and negative preference features of tourists, and a conversation graph model to extract tourists’ transfer preference features. Finally, various features are utilized to generate suggested content by computing scores for tourists’ travel preferences. To address the problem of recommending tourist groups, suitable features for random group matching are collected and the cosine function is employed to identify users with similar random group features. Finally, the multi-features are merged, and the tourists’ interest preferences are scored to arrive at content recommendations. In the experiment on individualized attraction recommendations, data from the Chengdu area were used to test the proposed model. The accuracy of the model’s recommendations was 0.822 for five recommendations which outperformed the other models. In the experiment for group-based attraction recommendations, this experiment tested the Chengdu dataset. The proposed model achieved the highest accuracy of 0.972 when the group size was 70, outperforming the other two models. Additionally, with regards to different numbers of recommendations, the proposed model’s accuracy was 0.5241, which was the best performance among the three models when the number of recommendations was set to five. The proposed recommendation model performs optimally in suggesting tourist attractions and meets the needs of rural tourism. The research content provides crucial technical references for tourist traveling and rural tourism development.

The impact of foreign direct investments on the increase in the number of visitors in tourism - Case study Republic of Kosovo

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plays a significant role in the Republic of Kosovo's economy, namely in the tourist sector. The primary goal of this research is to examine the impact of FDI on the increase in the number of tourist visits (NTV), as well as the trend of NTV and government spending on recreation, culture, and religion in the Republic of Kosovo. The results demonstrate that NTV increased in Kosovo between 2008 and 2022, however this increase was not consistent. The most pronounced growth was in 2021 compared to 2020, at approximately 133%, while the most pronounced decline in NTV was in 2020 compared to 2019, at -46%. From 2008 to 2022, the FDI trend was the highest in 2022, when the value of FDI reached 778.2 million euros, while the government's expenditures in the fields of recreation, culture, and religion were the highest in 2021, at approximately 61 million euros. Empirical analysis indicates that FDI has positively impacted the expansion of NTV in Kosovo, with a β parameter of 0.41. The report suggests that state officials adopt more sustainable and effective policies that will result in higher FDI, government tourism spending, and NTV in Kosovo. A sustainable FDI policy for the tourism industry will have an impact not only on tourism, but also on other tourism-related businesses. Furthermore, a critical appraisal is required in Kosovo to improve tourism performance and regional economic development, among other things.

The non-linear price effect on guest satisfaction of the Michelin-starred restaurants

ABSTRACT Existing studies on the price–satisfaction relationship in the tourism industry are limited, particularly those examining the causality in the restaurant industry. This study examines the effect of price on guest satisfaction based on a sample of 439 customers in 8 Taiwanese Michelin-starred restaurants during the period of January 2022 to April 2022. Theories suggest two opposite price effects on satisfaction: the positive price effect represents the signal of expected quality while the negative price effect is associated with the guests’ perception of sacrifice. The empirical results indicate an inverted U-shaped impact of the restaurant price on food satisfaction but the price does not affect service and physical environment satisfaction. Moreover, the restaurant price–food satisfaction relationship could be affected by the moderating influence of the star rating system to become a U-shaped function (for one-starred restaurants).

AI-Enhanced Strategies to Ensure New Sustainable Destination Tourism Trends Among the 27 European Union Member States

The United Nations 2030 Agenda defines the priorities and aspirations for global development based on seventeen ambitious sustainable development goals encompassing economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Tourism plays a vital role in the list of actions for the people and the planet. While the tourism industry drives economic growth, its environmental and social impact is equally high. Sustainable tourism aims to reduce the damage caused by the tourism industry, protect communities, and guarantee the industry’s long-term future. These changes require tourists’ collective and concerted effort. The question arises whether tourists are willing to be more demanding about sustainability when looking for a destination. This study uses artificial intelligence to classify a new trend in European citizens’ search for sustainable destinations and to generate intelligent recommendations. Using data from the Flash Eurobarometer 499, we use a tree-based algorithm, random forest, to obtain intelligent citizens classification systems supported by machine learning. The classification system explores the predisposition of citizens to contribute to the three pillars of sustainability when choosing a destination to visit based on gender, age, and the region of living. We found that European citizens place little emphasis on the social sustainability pillar. While they care about preserving the environment, this competes with the cultural offerings and availability of activities at the destination. Additionally, we found that the willingness to contribute to the three pillars of sustainability varies by gender, age, and European region.

When Guests Become Hosts: The Boomerang Effect of Tourists’ Negative Behaviors on Their Country of Origin

Tourists are commonly regarded as ambassadors shaping their country’s image in international tourism. However, the role of the boomerang effect for outbound tourists on their country of origin is often overlooked in theory and practice. Through four studies, this groundbreaking research explores the boomerang effect of tourists’ negative behaviors on their home countries, encompassing the impact on tourism imports and subsequent spillover effects on manufacturing product exports. The findings reveal that tourists’ negative behaviors not only diminish the willingness of destination residents to visit the tourist-originating country by influencing perceived warmth and psychological distance but also decrease their intention to purchase manufactured products from the country of origin by amplifying psychological distance. Importantly, the moderating effect of product added value in spillover effects is highlighted. These conclusions expand the influence of tourists’ negative behaviors and innovatively bridge theoretical perspectives between the tourism and manufacturing industries on the reverse country-of-origin effects.

Comparisons in Limited Mobility: Exploring the Shaping of Travel Experience for Individuals with Physical Disabilities

Tourism emerges as a focal point under the “new mobilities” paradigm. Current research, however, needs to address how groups with limited mobility navigate their travel experiences. This study delves into the tourism patterns of tourists with physical disabilities—a prominent mobility-limited demographic. Utilizing constructivist grounded theory through interviews, participatory observation, and online data collection, we discern that the tourism experience of those with physical disabilities is shaped dynamically by “comparison” across four orientations: time, space, self, and others. This multidimensional comparison transitions from tangible tourism to profound experiential realms, defining their unique travel experiences. “Comparison” is identified as a core microgenetic mechanism, challenging existing psychological theories and potentially reshaping our understanding of the experiential processes for all tourist groups, not just those with mobility limitations. The findings enrich our understanding of mobility-constrained tourism within the “new mobilities” paradigm, offering insights and practical implications for the tourism industry. This article is also available in [Chinese]. See supplemental material for details.

Sustainability in European luxury tourism companies: an analysis of practices and managerial perspectives

Purpose This paper aims to present findings from a preliminary study aimed at investigating sustainability practices and managerial perceptions within European luxury tourism companies. The study addressed two key research questions: What is the present state of sustainability practices in the luxury tourism sector? What are the managers' perspectives and the prevailing trends in the adoption of sustainable approaches? Design/methodology/approach The study used a mixed methods approach to gather data from a diverse range of European luxury tourism companies. The survey and the interview of companies’ representatives encompassed various organisational types engaged in different tourism activities, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of sustainability practices within the sector. Organisational characteristics, such as size, turnover and location, were considered to ensure a representative sample. Findings The findings of the study reveal a robust commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability across the luxury tourism industry. Despite variations in organisational characteristics, including size, turnover and location, the study identified a lack of significant differences in sustainability practices, indicating a noteworthy homogeneity within the sector. The findings also show that a high percentage of companies hold sustainability certifications and share an emphasis on authenticity, local engagement and economic profitability. Research limitations/implications The study's sample size may limit the generalisability of the findings. A larger sample size would enhance the study's robustness and allow for more comprehensive insights into sustainability practices within the luxury tourism sector. The study's focus on European luxury tourism companies may limit its applicability to other regions or contexts. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into sustainability practices and managerial perspectives within the European luxury tourism sector. The study offers original insights into the current state of sustainability in luxury tourism and highlights opportunities for further research and refinement of sustainability initiatives within the sector.

Analysis of Policies in the Field of the Tourism Industry from the Republic of Moldova in Ensuring the Sustainability of Sports Tourism

As diminishing the effect of the pandemic, the tourism industry in the Republic of Moldova is starting to recover after a period in which not only local tourism suffered, but also the international one. The current research aims at the potential of the sports infrastructure in the Republic of Moldova, but also the place of sports tourism in regional policies for the coming years. The subject of the research aims at the effects of the policies implemented in recent years, which contribute to the development of sports tourism. The methods that made it possible to carry out the present research included the analysis of specialized literature and the statistical-mathematical one. The results of the research highlighted the fact that in the Republic of Moldova, among the forms of tourism on the rise are gastronomic, transit and sports tourism, the latter becoming more and more popular. All this is due to central and regional policy instruments, which in recent years have led to the development of the necessary infrastructure, a fact that allowed the organization of large-scale sports events. Moreover, they had the ability to attract athletes, who used various local tourist services during the sports events. The mentioned leads us to conclude that at the regional level, in the development policies for the coming years, most of the authorities have measures to boost sports tourism.

A Systematic Review for The Development of Sustainable Tourism Destinations Based on Sports Tourism

The study purpose: The project's goal is to develop sustainable tourism destinations in Kemuning Village by reviewing the literature on sports tourism Materials and methods: An extensive literature review was carried out. Articles from 2015 to 2024 covered ways to enhance sustainable tourism by fostering the growth of sports tourism. For electronic searches, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus are used. All the articles that discuss how to improve sports tourism-based tourist attractions are included here. Results: According to the integrated theory of tourism, sports have a role in (1) tourism management strategies, which include methods, facilities, tourist attractions, SOPs, infrastructure, additions and maintenance of facilities, sustainable management of natural resources, and visitor security and safety; (2) the role of stakeholders, which includes the government as a regulator and related institutions; and (3) the role of the authorities, which includes government agencies and institutions related to Sports tourism will increase visits to Central Java and improve the economy. Sports activities in tourist destinations can benefit local governments, enhance community welfare, and create more job opportunities if they are appropriately managed. Sports tourism and activities can be combined in Central Java. Conclusions: Combining sporting activities like river tubing, paragliding, tea gardens, and jeep communities with Kemuning Village in Ngargoyoso District, Karanganyar, Central Java, Indonesia, can help the village grow its tourism industry due to the fact that it influences the social, cultural , and economic growth of the area, promoting local advancement.

The Particularities of the Structural Components of the Students' Educational Process, for Improving Skills in the Instructive-Tourism Practice

The content of the practice in higher education institutions assumes the position of the worker in the field of tourism, who, in addition to office work, is put in the position to go on the route, and this fact can only be achieved through an instructive-tourism practice. The subject of the research focused on the instructive-tourism practice that can have various structural components must be implemented taking into account various aspects of the tourism industry. The methods that provided us with the expected results included the analysis of the specialized literature and the structural aspects of the tourist instructive practice process. All of this presupposes the implementation of some modules for practical field activities, necessary in the training of students' professional skills. Thus, the obtained results lead us to conclude that the diversification of student practices is essential in their professional training.

The Impact of Effective Coaching on Sales Performance Mediated by the Role of Soft Skills in the Tourism Industry

This research aimed to design a model for the role of effective coaching in achieving sales representatives' performance through soft skills for Iraqi tourism companies using quantitative and qualitative approaches. A questionnaire was designed to collect data to analyze the relationship between the research variables for (427) paragraphs that were randomly distributed to each tourism salesperson. To prove the model, five hypotheses were formulated where the effect and relationship were proven in all hypotheses using (SPSS, SMART PLS) programs. The results emphasize the importance of implementing strong coaching programs aimed at developing self-awareness, personal responsibility and personal skills among employees. Moreover, the study highlights the need for tourism service providers to comprehensively assess and develop personal skills alongside technical competencies during recruitment and performance management processes. It recommends providing value for the potential benefits of implementing coaching programs to support professional development and enhance the performance of front-line sales personnel. The results of this research can help in developing coaching strategies and coaching programs specifically designed to improve salesperson performance, and ultimately improve customer experience in the tourism services sector.

Culinary Tourism and its Role in Diversifying Punjab Tourism Offerings

Culinary tourism, a rapidly growing niche within the tourism industry, encompasses travel experiences focused on exploring local food and drink, connecting visitors with a region’s unique culinary traditions. This paper examines culinary tourism in Punjab, India, a region known for its rich flavors, traditional cooking techniques, and vibrant food culture. Punjab’s culinary offerings, especially in cities like Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Patiala, have the potential to diversify and enhance its tourism appeal beyond religious and cultural tourism, attracting food enthusiasts and promoting cultural exchange. Through a descriptive analytical approach, this study explores how culinary tourism can serve as a driver for local economic development, supporting small businesses and local farmers while preserving Punjab’s cultural heritage. By highlighting local food festivals, traditional dishes, and farm-to-table experiences, the paper addresses how Punjab can leverage its culinary heritage to position itself as a premier destination for food tourism. Furthermore, this research emphasizes the role of culinary tourism in supporting sustainable economic development, underlining its potential to create jobs, preserve traditions, and diversify Punjab’s tourism market. The findings suggest that a robust culinary tourism strategy in Punjab can not only elevate the region's tourism profile but also contribute to a more resilient local economy. Keywords: Culinary Tourism, Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Economic Development, Food Tourism Punjab

Design and Development of Souvenir Jewelry using Hexi Pictograph

Background and Aim: Hexi rock paintings show what life was like for our ancestors in the early days. This paper looks at how Hexi rock paintings can inspire jewelry souvenirs, how rock paintings are used in jewelry, and where further research could be done. Materials and Methods: The researchers used a mixed methods approach to the study, examining the location, significance, and design applications of the petroglyphs, designing souvenirs using the art of jewelry and the content of the petroglyphs, conducting in-depth consultation on the content of the petroglyphs through a survey of the staff involved, and interviews with the experts, critiquing the products of the designs and incorporating the experts' views into the research process. Results: The result showed that the protective nature of petroglyphs makes fieldwork and the extraction of petroglyph content more challenging. However, during the design and development of products, we identified a market gap for Hexi petroglyphs. In light of market demand and consumer psychology, the study employs Hexi petroglyphs to produce jewelry souvenirs through the collation and extraction of their content, thereby promoting the protection of local culture, the development of the tourism industry, and the creative industry. This study examines the potential of Hexi rock paintings to be used as a source of inspiration for the creation of jewelry souvenirs. This study is closely related to the future development of Hexi rock paintings and contributes to the promotion of tourism around them and the development of local cultural tourism. Conclusion: This study examines the potential of Hexi rock paintings to be used as a source of inspiration for the creation of jewelry souvenirs. This study is closely related to the future development of Hexi rock paintings and contributes to the promotion of tourism around them and the development of local cultural tourism.

“To the crematorium”: postwar U.S. tourism to West German concentration camps and beyond

AbstractFor a long time since the end of the Second World War, the memory of concentration camps influenced U.S. public views on Germany. When in the late 1940s Americans could travel to West Germany again, a new tourist industry brought West Germany, and with-it Germany’s recent past, closer to the U.S. American public. This article investigates the renewed travel interest of Americans in West Germany with a special focus on former concentration camp sites. It demonstrates the importance of tourism in creating new cultural ties, the ways in which U.S. tourism to the camps established a memory of the Second World War, and how these narratives influenced German-American relations. In newspaper articles, visitors to West Germany shared their experiences, attitudes, and challenges upon visiting the former concentration camp sites and through those interactions made sense of the war and their own position in the postwar world order.

Research on the evolution and driving factors of the coupling relationship among tourism industry, urbanization and human settlements of the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

This study examines the evolution of the coupling relationship among the tourism industry, urbanization, and human settlements of the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River from 2005 to 2019. By employing a constructed evaluation index system and a quantitative analysis model, the study aims to characterize and analyze this relationship. The key findings are as follows: (1) The coupling coordination level of the three major systems exhibits a continuous upward trend over the study period, albeit with a gradually slowing growth rate. The Changsha -Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration shows the highest average growth rate, followed by the Wuhan metropolitan area and the Poyang Lake urban agglomeration. (2) The variation coefficient and Taylor index of the coupling coordination degree demonstrate a fluctuating downward trend, indicating a convergence in spatial differences in interregional coupling coordination levels. Internal differences between city clusters within urban agglomerations are identified as the main source of overall differences in coupling coordination levels. (3) The coupling coordination levels of the three major systems follow an evolutionary trajectory characterized by "serious imbalance, moderate imbalance, mild imbalance". Clear features of level transitions are observed among various cities. (4) The endowment of tourism resources emerges as the primary factor driving the evolution of the coupling relationship among the tourism industry, urbanization, and human settlements. The study highlights the increasing diversification of driving forces and significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity in interregional driving forces for coupling relationship evolution factors.

Strategic corporate social responsibility in the tourism and hospitality industry: Conceptual proposal

Considering the growing significance of CSR in the corporate world, this study critically reflects the extant CSR literature and CSR practices, and proposes a conceptual CSR framework, called Strategic CSR, to highlight the importance of developing and implementing CSR practices that can create and optimize both social and business value. Strategic CSR incorporates four existing concepts and frameworks: creating shared value, enlightened stakeholder theory, resource-based theory, and CSR fit perspective. The essential argument for Strategic CSR is that businesses should develop and implement CSR practices that are directly related to the businesses’ core operations and competencies. This study also discusses several additional important issues to consider in developing and implementing Strategic CSR to enhance the understanding of the framework along with tourism and hospitality industry examples. This study conducted survey of which results generally support the proposed framework. Lastly, the study suggests several research directions for CSR scholars.

Festivals: an Opportunity for Sustainable Development of Tourism Regions

Objective: The purpose of this development is to present the opportunities provided by festivals as organized events for the sustainable development of tourism regions. Theoretical Framework: The article focuses on several key concepts. First, it examines the role of festivals as organized events in promoting tourism. Secondly, it is based on the sustainability principles, balancing environmental, economic and socio-cultural factors. Lastly, it considers event tourism as a significant driver for local development. Method: An empirical research which includes an analysis of published materials and documents that study organized events and festivals in particular as part of cultural and historical tourism was conducted. Results and Discussion: Festivals significantly contribute to the sustainable development of tourism regions by enhancing local cultural identity and attracting tourists. The successful organization of festivals can strengthen the image of a region, promoting long-term benefits for both the tourism industry and local communities. Research Implications: Festivals can serve as strategic tools for sustainable tourism development by fostering regional cultural identity and attracting tourists. Policymakers and tourism managers should prioritize festival planning and management as a means to enhance the economic, social and cultural sustainability of tourism regions. Originality/Value: The originality of the article lies in its focus on festivals as a unique catalyst for the sustainable development of tourism regions, highlighting their multifaceted impact on local economies, culture, and social cohesion. This study provides valuable insights into how well-managed festivals can enhance the long-term sustainability of tourism destinations, offering practical guidance for policymakers and event organizers.