Tour Guide Research Revisited: A Thematic Synthesis And Future Directions,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Tour Guide Research Revisited: A Thematic Synthesis And Future Directions, Zhicheng Yu, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Jiqing Deng, Wenling Zhou, Zhiyong Li
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Purpose: Existing knowledge on tour guiding is fragmented, which limits the understanding of this important profession. This paper aims to critically examine the progress of tour guide research, identify key theoretical tensions and propose future research directions based on a systematic synthesis of existing knowledge. Design/methodology/approach: A thematic analysis was conducted on 267 papers retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and Google Scholar databases. Papers were systematically coded, categorized into themes and integrated into a framework that represents relationships among key themes in tour guide research. Findings: The analysis generated an integrated framework consisting of nine interrelated …
Perceived Realism, Place Attachment, And Residents' Support And Involvement: Towards Resident-Centric Film Tourism Development,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Perceived Realism, Place Attachment, And Residents' Support And Involvement: Towards Resident-Centric Film Tourism Development, Deborah Castro, Sangkyun Kim, S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh, Songshan Huang
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
This study introduces the concept of perceived realism to (film) tourism studies and examines its effect in combination with place attachment on residents' support for and involvement in film tourism development. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) were applied to a sample of 401 Barcelona residents to explore both symmetrical and asymmetrical relationships among the research constructs. The PLS-SEM revealed that events-focused external realism affects residents' support for film tourism development, while narrative realism affects their involvement in film tourism development. In addition, place attachment directly affects residents' support for and involvement in …
The Nexus Between Local Food Tourism Events And Social Sustainability: Future Prospects And Priorities,
2026
Edith Cowan University
The Nexus Between Local Food Tourism Events And Social Sustainability: Future Prospects And Priorities, Alicia Orea-Giner, Francesc Fusté-Forné, Louise Todd, Eerang Park
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Food has increasingly taken a central role in events and festivals, and its significance in tourism has been well documented through various social and cultural perspectives. However, our understanding and the available research evidence regarding the substantial roles, contributions, and challenges of food tourism events, particularly in relation to social sustainability, remain limited. To accurately assess the development of research on food tourism events and those through the lens of social sustainability, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on studies published from 1983 to 2025, followed by a systematic literature review. The findings reveal five evolving research themes in the field: …
Evaluating The Determinants Of Tourism Demand For Policy Implications: Insights From The Moroccan Case,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Evaluating The Determinants Of Tourism Demand For Policy Implications: Insights From The Moroccan Case, Hakim Lakhlifi, Ghialy Yap
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Purpose: This study aims to assess the key determinants influencing Morocco’s international tourism demand to guide the development of an effective national tourism policy aligned with the country’s 2023–2026 tourism roadmap. By analyzing tourist arrivals (TA) from 45 source countries between 2000 and 2022, the research identifies economic and non-economic factors critical to achieving the target of 17.5 million tourists. Priority areas include pricing, infrastructure, security, governance and climate risk resilience. Design/methodology/approach: Using a hypothetico-deductive and quantitative approach, the study applies dynamic panel data models, including the generalized method of moments, to account for endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity. Key variables …
Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Conversational Agents In Tourism & Hospitality: A Systematic Literature Review & Future Research Directions,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Conversational Agents In Tourism & Hospitality: A Systematic Literature Review & Future Research Directions, Abdulaziz Alharbi, Ameet Pandit, Violetta Wilk, Philip J. Rosenberger, Shah Miah
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled conversational agents (AICAs) are transforming the tourism and hospitality sector. While studies focus on technical and operational aspects, there is limited exploration of consumer behaviour. This study employs the TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics and Methodology) framework to analyse the theoretical, contextual and methodological dimensions of AICA use. By utilising an AI-first, human-lens-second approach along with Leximancer for thematic analysis, it emphasises the importance of emotional, ethical and trust-related factors that are often overlooked in adoption models. The paper proposes an integrated conceptual framework that highlights the mechanisms, modifiers and implications of AICA use, along with offering future …
Can Environmentally Friendly Hotels Lead Customers To Green Behaviors? Evidence From The Stimulus–Organism–Response Model And Social Cognitive Theory,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Can Environmentally Friendly Hotels Lead Customers To Green Behaviors? Evidence From The Stimulus–Organism–Response Model And Social Cognitive Theory, Saeid Nosrati, Mohtaram Rabbani, Razieh Sharifipur Shirazi, Ilkay Yorganci, Niusha Talebzadeh, Negin Bassirat
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Purpose Using the stimulus–organism–response model and social cognitive theory, this study aims to examine how environmentally friendly hotels influence customers’ green patronage intention and green word-of-mouth. The study explored the mediating effects of hedonic value and utilitarian value and the moderating role of environmental concern. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 200 customers of environmentally friendly hotels in Iran and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Mplus (version 8.3) software. Findings The results indicate that environmentally friendly hotels positively influence hedonic and utilitarian values, as well as green patronage intention and green word-of-mouth. Additionally, hedonic and utilitarian values partially mediate …
Artificial Intelligence Agents And Agentic Systems In Hospitality And Tourism: Challenges, Opportunities And Research Agenda,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Artificial Intelligence Agents And Agentic Systems In Hospitality And Tourism: Challenges, Opportunities And Research Agenda, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Mohamed Youssef Ibrahim Helal, Ibrahim A. Elgendy, Mousa Ahmed Albashrawi, Laurie Hughes, Mazen Shawosh, Vincent Dutot, Il Jeon
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) agents and agentic systems have the potential to transform the tourism and hospitality (T&H) industry by automating existing processes and improving operational efficiency. This viewpoint paper aims to explore and analyze the potential opportunities and challenges, and establish a comprehensive research agenda for developing AI agents and agentic systems within the T&H industry. Design/methodology/approach: This article comprehensively analyzes current literature, user sentiment analysis and market trends assessment on AI agents and agentic systems. It identifies critical areas where these technologies can transform the T&H industries, providing valuable insights into this emerging field and its potential for …
A Critical Review Of The Theory Of Planned Behaviour In Tourism Research,
2026
Edith Cowan University
A Critical Review Of The Theory Of Planned Behaviour In Tourism Research, Kourosh Esfandiar, Arghavan Hadinejad
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has received considerable attention across various academic disciplines and remains one of the most widely applied–yet increasingly critiqued–theoretical frameworks in tourism research. Despite its widespread use, there is a notable lack of critical reflection on its adequacy in capturing the complexity of tourist behaviour and a limited exploration of alternative theoretical pathways. This paper addresses this gap by critically evaluating the appropriateness and limitations of the TPB in tourism research. Special attention is given to the Theory of Reasoned Goal Pursuit (TRGP), a recent extension of the TPB, alongside complementary frameworks from parent disciplines …
Advancing Sustainable Tourism Behavioural Research: A Metacognitive Perspective,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Advancing Sustainable Tourism Behavioural Research: A Metacognitive Perspective, Arghavan Hadinejad, Kourosh Esfandiar, Liubov Skavronskaya
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
The current scholarly inquiry on sustainable tourism behaviour research predominantly relies on cognitive behavioural approaches, particularly exemplified by the widespread application of the theory of planned behaviour among other theories. Given recent advancements in psychology underscoring the necessity to expand beyond conventional cognitive frameworks, the current research aims to integrate metacognitive perspectives in sustainable tourism behaviour scholarship. This perspective explores the reflective awareness and control individuals exert over their cognitive processes which can uncover nuanced factors shaping sustainable tourism behaviour that may be overlooked in traditional cognitive models. Using a critical review approach, this research proposes the adoption of alternative …
Approaches To Personal Transformation In Tourism Research,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Approaches To Personal Transformation In Tourism Research, Xiaoyu Zhang, Noel Scott, Ana Cláudia Campos
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
The study of tourism transformation is evolving with five different research streams identifiable, studying personal transformation, social transformation, transformative service design, and transformation related to destinations or tourism as a whole. This paper examines the evolution of these five approaches and contrasts their disciplines, theory and assumptions through a review of 310 journal articles. Each of these five approaches views the ‘self’ as the object that is transformed with variations within them as to what aspects of the self change. The key issue then is how the self is interrelated with the ‘triggers’ of transformation. In this review, three triggers …
Pathways To Prosperity: How Tourism Industry Training Reduces Poverty,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Pathways To Prosperity: How Tourism Industry Training Reduces Poverty, Panpan Sun, Songshan Huang, Ghialy Yap, Zhibin Lin, Lei Zhao
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
This study investigates the effects of tourism industry training (TIT) on poverty alleviation, considering both direct and indirect pathways. Integrating labour mobility theory, human capital theory, and the tourism-led growth (TLG) hypothesis, we propose a new theoretical framework. Based on panel data from 29 Chinese provinces between 2000 and 2019, the empirical results show that TIT has a significant negative effect on poverty level, depth, and severity, with a larger direct impact than the indirect effect through tourism development. We also find significant regional differences in the impact of TIT on poverty reduction, with TIT having a more substantial impact …
Leveraging Esg Investment To Enhance Labor Employment In Hospitality And Tourism Firms: An Signaling Theory Perspective,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Leveraging Esg Investment To Enhance Labor Employment In Hospitality And Tourism Firms: An Signaling Theory Perspective, Bing Hu, Tianyu Zheng, Songshan Huang, Ke Zhang
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Despite the growing focus in hospitality and tourism literature on the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment on corporate performance, empirical research has yet to explore its effects on labor employment, which are critical to economic vitality and social cohesion. Drawing on signaling theory, this study explores the effect of ESG investment on hospitality and tourism firm’ labor employment. The results of a fixed effects panel model suggest that ESG investment positively influences the labor employment of hospitality and tourism firms. Moreover, this positive effect is stronger for hospitality and tourism firms with fewer financing constraints and less …
The Challenges Of International Travel Insurance For Leisure Travellers With Pre-Existing Mental Health Conditions,
2026
Edith Cowan University
The Challenges Of International Travel Insurance For Leisure Travellers With Pre-Existing Mental Health Conditions, Alison Mcintosh, Gregory Willson, Dhananjana Madushani Morayes Gajaweera Marthinna Moraslage
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
International leisure travel is deemed therapeutic for reducing stress and improving mental health and wellbeing, although unfamiliar environments can exacerbate pre-existing mental health conditions. Travel insurance plays a crucial role in mitigating risks for travellers. There is a lack of critical evaluation regarding how insurers assess risk, determine coverage eligibility and communicate exclusions. International travel insurance policies may contain restrictive clauses, ambiguous wording and outright exclusions that may disproportionately disadvantage travellers with pre-existing conditions, including mental health conditions. This paper evaluates whether New Zealand’s international travel insurance policies adequately accommodate travellers with pre-existing mental health conditions. Analysis of 23 international …
Dispositional Awe And Its Effect On Destination Residents’ Pro-Environmental Behavior Intention,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Dispositional Awe And Its Effect On Destination Residents’ Pro-Environmental Behavior Intention, Kunmei Liu, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Zhicheng Yu, Zhiyong Li, Shanzhen Hu
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Residents have a profound and enduring impact on destination environmental sustainability, yet the emotional and trait-level factors of their pro-environmental behavior remain underexplored. Grounded in Broaden-and-Build theory, this study examines whether and how dispositional awe translates into Tibetan residents’ pro-environmental behavior intention. Through four complementary studies combining in-depth interviews (N = 15) and surveys (total N = 800), we demonstrate a consistently strong association between dispositional awe and pro-environmental behavior intention. Two survey-based studies incorporating both self-reported pro-environmental behavior intention and peer-reported pro-environmental behavior reveal that this relationship is partially mediated by connectedness to nature and place identity. By shifting …
Leveraging Collective Resources For Digital Transformation: The Role Of Tourism Trade Associations Under The Resource-Based View,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Leveraging Collective Resources For Digital Transformation: The Role Of Tourism Trade Associations Under The Resource-Based View, Tianyu Zheng, Ke Zhang, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Bing Hu
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
In the digital age, while hospitality and tourism (H&T) firms accelerate digital transformation to stay competitive, the role of tourism trade associations as external resource providers in these firms’ digital transformation process remains underexplored. Drawing on resource-based theory (RBT), this study examines how tourism trade associations influence H&T firms’ digital transformation and explores the moderating effects of marketization and business climate. Using 2,049 firm-year observations of 144 publicly listed H&T firms (2009–2022), this study finds evidence suggesting that tourism trade associations facilitate digital transformation. Crucially, we find that marketization and business climate negatively moderate this relationship, indicating a substitution effect …
Tour Guide Sincerity In The Context Of Short Videos,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Tour Guide Sincerity In The Context Of Short Videos, Yangdie Ou, Chaowu Xie, Jiangchi Zhang, Songshan (Sam) Huang
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
In short videos, tour guides’ demonstration of sincerity is key to enhancing visitor interaction, though its underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This study employed a mixed research design to uncover the dimensions of tour guide sincerity and its impact on tourist behaviors. Study 1 analyzed 28,717 reviews using grounded theory, identifying two core dimensions of tour guide sincerity: “sincere atmosphere” and “sincere quality”; it further constructed the “tour guide sincerity → sincerity experience → sincerity response” model. Study 2 validated this model using structural equation modeling through an online questionnaire survey. Results indicate that tour guide sincerity enhances word-of-mouth recommendations via …
Living On Display: Reciprocal Gazes, Everyday Encounters, And The Politics Of Visibility In The Sunshine Coast Tourism Community,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Living On Display: Reciprocal Gazes, Everyday Encounters, And The Politics Of Visibility In The Sunshine Coast Tourism Community, Madura Thiwanka Pathirana, Noel Scott
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
This community case study analyses the production, negotiation, and contestation of reciprocal gazes within everyday settings, particularly focusing on contemporary lifestyle tourism destinations, and the examination of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Based on 48 in-depth interviews with tourists and locals, this case study looks at the politics of visibility that are part of host-guest relations in everyday encounters at the beach, cafe, marketplace, and online-mediated market. Intersecting with critical tourism studies, and tourism studies on the traveler, host, and reciprocal gaze, this study focuses on residents' experiences of being observed, judged, and photographed and the impacts of their experiences on …
How Perceived Empowerment And Place Attachment Drive Residents’ Support For Sustainable Tourism In Central Vietnam: A Serial Mediation Model,
2026
Edith Cowan University
How Perceived Empowerment And Place Attachment Drive Residents’ Support For Sustainable Tourism In Central Vietnam: A Serial Mediation Model, Phuong Kim Thi Tran, Nhi Thao Ho-Mai, Tuan Nien Tran, Vinh Trung Tran
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
From the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S–O–R) framework, this study proposes a serial mediation model to examine psychological drivers of residents’ support for sustainable tourism development (STD) in central Vietnam. Specifically, this study investigates how perceived empowerment and place attachment as stimulus influence residents’ attitudes (ATT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) as organism, which in turn shape their intentions to support STD as response. The study empirically surveyed 686 residents engaging with tourism services in three cities, namely Hue, Da Nang, and Quang Nam, in central Vietnam. This study utilised both online and …
Developing Indicators For Measuring The Sustainability Of Hotels,
2026
Edith Cowan University
Developing Indicators For Measuring The Sustainability Of Hotels, Reem Mohamed Abdalla Eltoum, S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh, Joaquim Dias Soeiro, Mohsen Marjani
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
The aim of this study is to develop a comprehensive set of indicators for monitoring and measuring sustainability in the hotel industry in Malaysia. It gives special attention to the environmental, social, resiliene and economic dimensions. This study applies the Delphi method by interviewing three key stakeholder groups—hotel managers, academicians, and hotel staff—in two rounds, in order to assess and validate indicators identified from the literature. Findings reveal demonstrate a strong attention to indicators associated with environmental sustainability, especially those which relates to waste management, consumption of energy and water and recycling which amounts to 51% of participants view. Further, …
The Role Of Games In Hospitality Management Education,
2026
Edith Cowan University
The Role Of Games In Hospitality Management Education, Arghavan Hadinejad, Samira Zare
Research outputs 2022 to 2026
Building upon game-based learning, this study compares hospitality students’ cognition, metacognition, engagement, satisfaction, and performance in a course across two academic terms at an Australian university. One term featured teaching content without any games while the second term incorporated gamification. A quasi-experimental design was used in which surveys, interviews and students’ evaluation reports were utilized. Students demonstrated more favorable cognitive thoughts, and higher levels of engagement and satisfaction in the gamified course. Students’ performance in assessments across the two courses as well as their metacognition were found to be similar. This study presents a game effectiveness matrix with Kahoot as …
