ABSTRACT. The Internet has often been used as an avenue for gay men to connect with other gay men while traveling (Pur, 2022). For example, gay men often using dating apps, such as Grindr and Scruff, to meet up and interact with locals, ask questions about a destination, and obtain input from members of the community about a destination. Furthermore, members of the community often promote and sell tourism-related businesses on apps. A new feature on Scruff allows members to post in advance the destination that they will be traveling to in advance. Gay men often use dating apps, such as Grindr and Scruff, at a higher percentage than their heterosexual counterparts (Galles-Watnick, 2023). Furthermore, a robust stream of studies has found that members of the LGBTQ+ spend about $281 billion on tourism, and they are more likely to have a passport than their heterosexual counterpart. While there is some understanding of how gay men use dating apps in general, there is limited research on their usage while traveling. Therefore, this study aims to explore how gay men utilize dating apps specifically in tourism destinations This research is guided by two research streams of motivations of gay travel and computer-mediated apps in tourism. Previous academic work on gay tourism focused on the demographic profiles and the economic impact of gay tourism (e.g., Hughes, 2012). Work in the past decade has examined the importance of “gay space” to the community as a space for identity formation, a place to feel safe, and a place to meet others (Miles, 2021). In the past few years, work has been cultivated in areas of rural gay tourism (Lewis, Mehmet, & McLaren, 2023) and transgender tourism (Monterrubio et al., 2021). Travel apps have revolutionized travel as tourists are now more knowledgeable about destinations and tourism planning is more customizable. A few studies in public health have examined how gay men use dating apps in the areas of sexual behavior and patterns (e.g., Goedel & Duncan, 2015). To the best of our knowledge, no study has examined how gay men use apps while traveling. This research utilized a survey that was distributed to N=276 gay men living in the United States that had used dating apps while traveling. We collected data on the frequency of app usage while traveling, the types of interactions sought while traveling, information gathered during app usage, and the benefits/challenges of using apps while traveling. Respondents were able to start/stop the survey at any time and not answer any questions they found uncomfortable. General findings revealed four major themes of app usage while traveling: (a) finding causal sexual encounters with locals; (b) social networking with locals; (b) finding information about the tourism ecosystem while traveling (e.g., attractions and events); and (d) exploring their identity while traveling. We also created a typology of gay male tourists based on tourism variables to identify three clusters of tourists: (a) pleasure seekers, (b) information-gatherer; and (c) identity-formers. This study extends the theoretical understanding of gay travel and computer-mediated apps in tourism. We also provide tactics how destination marketers, app developers, policy makers, and gay organizations can utilize apps to make tourism more accessible and enriching for gay men.

ABSTRACT. Tourism has been recognized as a key growth sector in Japan’s economic development, expected to contribute significantly to regional revitalization and employment opportunities. In 2023, the Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan was approved by the Cabinet, further reinforcing the importance of tourism as a strategic industry. Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused a severe decline in domestic and international tourism demand, a rapid recovery has been observed since mid-2022, with many tourist destinations regaining pre-pandemic levels of activity. In this context, many local governments have positioned tourism as a core pillar of regional development initiatives. When discussing regional revitalization and sustainability centered around the tourism industry, tourism demand forecasting plays a crucial role. However, tourism is also a highly vulnerable sector, particularly to natural disasters such as earthquakes. Once a disaster occurs, a sharp decline in tourism demand is often observed, and this impact can persist even in nearby areas with minimal direct damage or after the immediate risks of the disaster have diminished. It has been pointed out that a prolonged reduction in tourist arrivals can occur even when the affected area itself has largely recovered. Therefore, quantitatively assessing the decline in tourism demand following a disaster is essential for evaluating the resilience of the tourism industry and developing effective recovery strategies. This study aims to construct a regional-level forecasting model for hotel room availability using reservation plan data provided by online hotel booking platforms. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of actual earthquake disasters on the hospitality industry, focusing on the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1, 2024. This earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.6, recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 7 in Wajima City and Shika Town. The disaster caused extensive damage to infrastructure, buildings, and tourism-related facilities, severely affecting the hospitality industry. By analyzing changes in hotel reservation trends, we aims to clarify the magnitude and duration of the earthquake’s impact on hotel supply. One distinctive aspect of this study is the focus on reservation timing. Earthquakes occur suddenly, immediately affecting hotel reservations. Understanding how booking trends change based on reservation timing is essential for analyzing the initial disruption after a disaster and for discussing the role of hotels as public service providers during emergencies. By incorporating reservation date differences into the analysis, we provide valuable insights into tourism demand fluctuations in disaster scenarios. For this study, we use historical reservation plan data from Jalan.net, the largest domestic hotel booking platform in Japan. Jalan.net is a major player in Japan’s online travel industry, with an estimated over 300 million visits via PC and smartphone in 2022. We analyze booking data for all registered accommodation facilities in Ishikawa Prefecture that were listed on Jalan.net from January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2024. This dataset enables a detailed examination of the impact of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on hotel room availability across the region. The vacancy forecasting model was constructed using a hierarchical Bayesian approach. The model was trained on booking data from January 2021 to October 2023, while data from November 2023 onward was used as a test set for evaluation. The model achieved high predictive accuracy, confirming the effectiveness of Bayesian inference in forecasting hotel availability. We also incorporated explanatory variables such as public holidays and emergency declarations during the COVID-19 pandemic. As expected, holidays had a significant negative effect on vacancy rates, indicating increased demand. However, emergency declarations also showed a negative effect on availability, suggesting that rather than an increase in demand, hotels adjusted their operations by reducing available rooms. This effect was observed to decrease significantly during the third emergency declaration compared to the second declaration, indicating adaptation in hotel management strategies over time. Regarding the impact of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, our findings suggest that the earthquake led to a more than 50% decline in hotel room availability across Ishikawa Prefecture. Even six months after the disaster, its effects remain significant, highlighting the long-lasting impact of large-scale natural disasters on the tourism and hospitality sectors. A critical future challenge is distinguishing post-disaster recovery demand and secondary evacuation-related accommodation use from tourism demand. After a major disaster, accommodation facilities often serve multiple roles, including hosting displaced residents, emergency responders, and reconstruction workers. These factors can obscure the true recovery trajectory of tourism-specific demand. Developing a methodology to accurately separate these different types of demand will be essential for refining disaster impact assessments and improving post-disaster tourism recovery strategies.

ABSTRACT. Amid increasing recognition of forests’ benefits for human well-being, forest bathing—characterized by meditative walks in forest settings, at a comfortable pace, with periodic stops for rest, breathing exercises, and nature appreciation, aiming to immerse participants in the natural environment (Clifford, 2018)—has gained global attention. Japan has recently integrated this practice into tourism as a regular event by mobilizing local residents as guides to support rural revitalization. This approach, viewed as regenerative tourism, fosters reciprocal relationships between locals and tourists while boosting destination development (Bellato & Cheer, 2021). However, the value tourists perceive through host-guest interactions is traditionally seen as static outcomes tied to specific goals. This narrow view of value often fragments the host-guest relationship, framing it as a mutual gaze that may lead to destructive outcomes (Woodside & Martin, 2015). To address the value concept problem stemming from this theoretical bias, we draw on service-dominant logic to argue that the host-guest relationship is largely contextualized and operates around value co-creation, with this interactive value being experienced by tourists (Vargo et al., 2017). This provides the basis for exploring the role of locals in the forest bathing experience of tourists and examine the impact of such setting of communication on their value perceiving. This exploration has three objectives: First, we examine the conceptual overlap between regenerative tourism and Service-Dominant Logic, investigating how value is defined and co-created through host-guest interactions. Since a widely accepted definition of regenerative tourism has yet to emerge (Pearson et al., 2024), service-dominant logic is an appropriate metatheoretical framework for understanding this “living, networked system embedded in a natural system” (Pollock, 2019, p.7). This framework is able to explain the principles of regenerative tourism and justifies its analytical suitability. Our second objective is to clarify the definition of co-created value and refine existing concepts proposed in both conceptual studies (Helkkula et al., 2019) and narrative-based research exploring tourist value perceptions (Woodside et al., 2008). Our model confirms that value is co-created through tourist narratives within a social context, influencing others’ perceptions and interpretations. This extends the sustainable approach to forest-based tourism by highlighting that its development relies not only on natural resources but also on the ways of value interpretations, with implications for both scholarly and practitioner market research. Our third objective is to explore through empirical research, how tourists perceive the key value co-creation themes from their perspective within the current forest bathing host-guest interactions, using the aforementioned model. Given Carù & Cova’s (2015) assertion that value co-creation extends beyond individual experiences to collective contexts, we employed phenomenography to examine tourists’ perspectives on their co-created value experiences, aiming to identify various ways of understanding experiential value. As a method that examines respondents and enters their lifeworld to explore their reflections and understandings of specific phenomena (Marton & Booth, 1997), this study confirms that the method is effective for investigating tourists’ perceptions of value in forest settings, whether in cultural or natural contexts. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with tourists engaging in forest bathing activities led by local guides. Purposive and convenience sampling was employed, recruiting participants directly at the destination. Following Marton & Booth (1997), a sample size of over 15 was chosen to capture variations in experience and perception. Interviews focused on tourists’ value perceptions of forest bathing, including interactions with local guides, and were analyzed using relational, experiential, content-oriented, and qualitative categorization coding. The findings meet the three criteria for a phenomenographic outcome space (Marton & Booth, 1997), ensuring interconnected descriptive content that reveals structural relationships regarding value perception. Ultimately, findings are categorized based on tourists’ various ideas regarding the value of their forest bathing experiences and further discussed in terms of the differences and interconnections within each sub-dimension perspective. Theoretically, phenomenography is predominantly utilized in education to explore the various perceptions of research subjects regarding a specific phenomenon, emphasizing the similarities and differences in personal experiences. Grounded in the lifeworld of research subjects, this approach enables the categorization of tourist experience modes based on their perceptual methods and key service factors, facilitating future segmentation and further conceptualization research in forest-based tourism. From a management standpoint, the study elucidates the priorities in host-guest relationship networks within regenerative tourism, particularly in rural and forest contexts, from a tourist perspective. It also identifies tourist focal points in these relationships and their potential contributions to the systematic development of future tourism practices.

ABSTRACT. In light of the rapid growth of the nighttime economy within the tourism industry, encouraging tourists to engage in night tourism activities has become a pivotal strategy for theme parks. This study examines tourists who revisit the Mianyang Fantawild Oriental Heritage Theme Park after participating in night tourism, with a focus on their value-co-creation experiences. Drawing on Li’s (2012) framework, which divides tourism value co-creation into three temporal stages—before, during, and after the trip—this research identifies and analyzes the factors influencing value co-creation throughout the tourist journey in the context of nighttime tourism. The goal is to construct a theoretical model linking tourists' interactive experiences, value co-creation behaviors, and their willingness to revisit theme parks. Additionally, in-depth interviews are conducted with tourists who have returned to the theme park, delving into their past interactive experiences, perceived value, and co-creation behaviors. This research also explores the relationship between tourists' willingness to revisit and their actual revisiting behavior, providing insights into the factors that driving loyalty in the context of night tourism. Using the context of night tourism in theme parks, this study extends the application of value co-creation theory within the cultural tourism industry and offers insights for theme park operators.

Pine and Gilmore (1999) pointed out that the emerging experience economy encompasses industries like theme parks, where customer experiences play a central role. Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2004) proposed the concept of value co-creation, emphasizing that an enterprise’s core competitiveness lies in its ability to co-create value with consumers. Echoing the above, this study employs a mixed-method approach to explore the dynamics of value co-creation in the context of theme park night tourism. It leverages the concepts of experience economy and value co-creation to investigate tourists' online interactions prior to their visits, their immersive experiences during night tourism, and their perceived value recognition afterward. Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze data from 820 valid questionnaires. The results revealed that online interactions significantly enhance immersive night tourism experiences and perceived value recognition. These immersive experiences, in turn, positively impact perceived value recognition and play a critical role in driving value co-creation. Furthermore, immersive experiences, perceived value recognition, and value co-creation significantly and positively influence tourists' willingness to revisit. Value co-creation has a partial mediating effect between online interactions, immersive night tourism experiences, perceived value recognition, and willingness to revisit. Below is the empirical model.

The findings align with Liao and Chen’s (2020) assertion that tourists’ willingness to revisit exhibits heterogeneity and spatiotemporal variation and that a disconnect often exists between willingness and actual revisiting behavior. Insight from in-depth interviews further revealed discrepancies between tourists' stated intentions and their actual behavior. These interviews also highlighted that the distinctiveness of night tourism, compared to daytime activities, offers unique elements such as enhanced ambiance, thematic scenes, and live performances, which contribute to renewed interest and positive experiences. The study underscores that tourists’ revisiting behavior is influenced not only by their perceptions of and responses to online interactions but also by the novelty and evolution of night tourism offerings. This finding corroborates the quantitative analysis, suggesting that innovations in the night tourism context—such as refreshing the product mix and enhancing interactive experiences—can play a pivotal role in fostering loyalty and driving repeat visits.

Based on the research findings, the following management recommendations are proposed. First, theme parks should utilize high-quality online platforms to engage with tourists through online interactions, stimulating potential tourists' enthusiasm for visiting the destination. Second, constantly seek and develop innovative night tourism products with immersive experience attributes and focus on the value perceptions of visitors across all age groups during night tourism and assess their level of recognition. Three, guide tourists' online participation before their trip, their involvement in activities during the night tourism experience, and encourage the sharing of their subjective value recognition after the trip. By allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the entire process or reminisce about enjoyable moments, theme parks can enhance their ongoing value co-creation. Fourth, as the carrier of night tourism products, theme parks should not only sell physical products but also offer an immersive night tourism experience that evokes joyful emotional value. By utilizing an established value co-creation system, theme parks can engage staff, visitors, and online platforms throughout the night tourism process, thereby inspiring tourists' willingness to revisit, promoting revisiting behaviors, and effectively implementing revisit strategies. Last, theme parks can adapt to local conditions, seize opportunities, and leverage momentum to focus on the comprehensive development and trends of local tourism industries, and promote the integration and coordinated development of theme park night tourism with the urban nighttime economy.

References Li, L. J. (2012). A Study on the Mechanism of Tourism Experience Value Co-Creation: A Case of Beijing Xiangshan Park. Geography and Geo-information Science, 28(03), 96-100. Liao, P., & Chen, G. H. (2020). Research Progress and Implications on the Factors Affecting Tourists' Willingness to Revisit. Tourism Forum, 13(4), 87-100. Pine, J. B., & Gilmore, J. H. (1999). Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard Business Review, 76(4), 97–105. Prahalad, C. K., & Ramaswamy, V. (2004). Co-creation experiences: The next practice in value creation. Journal of interactive marketing, 18(3), 5-14.

ABSTRACT. Metaverse golf, as a virtual reality ecosystem for golf under the concept of the metaverse (Dionisio, Burns, & Gilbert, 2013), represents a typical case of the integration of the metaverse and sports. Through the innovative integration of cutting-edge technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT), metaverse technology has overcome the limitations of traditional golf in terms of time, space, capacity, and seasonal weather, bringing revolutionary changes to the development of golf. For instance, TGL (Tech Golf League) has redefined the golf tournament experience using metaverse technology, creating a new form of sports competition. Currently, the sports metaverse is in a phase of rapid development, with its technologies, application scenarios, and business models increasingly maturing, attracting widespread attention from both academia and industry (Ratten, 2018; Huang et al., 2021; Gadekallu et al., 2022; Chen & Huang, 2022). However, the development of the sports metaverse still faces technical bottlenecks and regulatory challenges (Scholz, 2022; Huang et al., 2023; Luo & Zhong, 2023; Yuan, 2024). Although studies suggest that metaverse technology can drive innovation in the business models of the sports industry (Singh, 2025; Singh et al., 2025), scholars and practitioners still lack an in-depth understanding of the specific pathways for business model innovation in the sports metaverse. Therefore, combining market practices with existing research to further explore the theoretical value and practical pathways of the sports metaverse business model holds significant academic and practical importance.

This study takes Golfzon China as a case to explore the development of new business models in the metaverse golf domain. Through literature review and field research, the study systematically examines the historical evolution and current development of Golfzon China. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including senior and middle managers, coaches, and users of Golfzon China, to extract the unique pathways and specific strategies of its business model innovation.

The findings reveal that Golfzon China, as a leader in the metaverse golf industry, adheres to the brand philosophy of "enabling anyone to enjoy golf anytime, anywhere." Through technological innovation and business model transformation, it has successfully opened up a new digital golf market. Its core strategy focuses on three key areas: "digital sports, digital venues, and digital competitions," constructing a business system supported by metaverse golf simulators, Golfzon city courses, sports parks, and indoor golf tournaments. By leveraging high-tech products such as golf simulators and innovating commercial scenarios like venues and tournaments, Golfzon China has not only advanced the development of indoor golf but also indirectly promoted the upgrading of traditional outdoor golf. Furthermore, Golfzon China has established a golf business innovation platform and a cultural dissemination platform, giving rise to new business models such as youth golf training, new media marketing, and golf e-commerce retail. The integration of its member online platform with Golfzon venues has enabled resource sharing and information exchange, forming a networked platform development model. This model has significantly improved resource utilization efficiency and enhanced its adaptability and development capabilities in the Chinese market. By integrating golf simulators, venues, and online platforms, Golfzon China has reshaped the value chain of the golf industry, providing consumers with innovative golf experiences and digital lifestyles. Ultimately, it has established a new model and ecosystem for golf development, driving the emergence of new consumption patterns, markets, and industrial chains.

This study focuses on the innovative application of metaverse technology in the golf industry, exploring how it drives business model transformation and constructs a digital golf industry chain. By analyzing the value creation mechanism of metaverse golf, the study reveals the intrinsic connection between technological innovation and business model reconstruction. Additionally, it explores future trends and areas for improvement in the development of the sports metaverse, providing theoretical references and practical insights for the application of metaverse technology in other sports domains. This research contributes to the theoretical framework of the digital sports industry and offers new perspectives for academic research and practical development in related fields.

References Chen, W., & Huang, H. (2022). Sports industry in the metaverse: Demands, transformations, and prospects.Journal of Xi'an Physical Education University, 39(4), 396–402. Dionisio, J. D. N., III, W. G. B., & Gilbert, R. (2013). 3D virtual worlds and the metaverse: Current status and future possibilities. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 45(3), 1–38. Gadekallu, T. R., et al. (2022). Blockchain for the metaverse: A review. Future Generation Computer Systems, 133, 1–15. Huang, Y., et al. (2021). Virtual reality in sports: A review of applications and future directions. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 10(6), 633–641. Huang, C., Qu, Q., Zhang, Z., et al. (2023). Structural barriers and solutions for the integration of the metaverse and sports development.Journal of Sports Science, 43(3), 14–25. Luo, H., & Zhong, L. (2023). Metaverse empowering the sports industry: Application scenarios, challenges, and strategies. Journal of Shandong Sport University, 39(5), 90–97. Ratten, V. (2018). Sport entrepreneurship: Developing and sustaining an entrepreneurial sports culture. Springer. Scholz, J. (2022). The future of sports in the metaverse: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Sport Management, 36(4), 1–15. Singh, J., Singh, R., & Singh, J. (2025). The sport metaverse: A deep dive into the transformation of sports events. In Internationalization of sport events through branding opportunities (pp. 103–118). IGI Global. Singh, R., Bawa, S. S., Singh, A., & Singh, H. (2025). Metaverse: Transforming the sports experience. In Internationalization of sport events through branding opportunities (pp. 81–102). IGI Global. Yuan, J. (2024). Governance path of metaverse empowering competitive sports under the holistic legal order.Journal of Shenyang Sport University, 43(3), 99–106.

ABSTRACT. This white paper examines the transformative potential of advanced technologies in reshaping hospitality education, focusing on efforts at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management (Collins, 2024a; Collins, 2024b). By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the Internet of Things (IoT) into curriculum, research, and industry partners, education and related college initiatives become much more relevant and impactful (Dirox, 2024; Prima, 2024).

The significance of this whitepaper lies not only in addressing the rapidly evolving technological demands of the hospitality industry and preparing future professionals with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly complex and technology-driven landscape, but also in the potential to create paradigm-changing breakthroughs. The literature reveals sporadic and decentralized efforts within higher education to integrate advanced technologies (Gulshan, 2024; Morch, 2024). While highly-focused initiatives such as the Nemacolin Hospitality Innovation and Technology Lab at West Virginia University demonstrate promising outcomes, they remain isolated cases rather than a cohesive movement (Glatt, 2024).

Employing a mixed-methods approach, the whitepaper integrates qualitative and quantitative analyses to evaluate the impact of emerging technologies on educational outcomes. Key methods include case studies, stakeholder interviews, and pilot programs that incorporate AI, VR, and AR in classroom and other settings (RexTheme, 2024; Chatbase, 2024). Notably, the whitepaper introduces an innovative virtual campus prototype created by Rosen College which enables instructors to potentially deliver lessons in VR and simulate real-world hospitality environments. For instance, students studying lodging management may analyze guest flow in a virtual, full-size model of a hotel lobby, while those focusing on culinary arts engage with photogrammetry-enhanced simulations of professional kitchens or meals. (Collins, 2024a). Collaborative partnerships with global industry leaders and technology developers are central to the methodology, ensuring practical applicability and relevance (Travel and Tour World, 2024).

The whitepaper identifies several transformative impacts of advanced technologies on hospitality education: 1. Immersive Learning Environments: Virtual simulations allow students to explore scenarios ranging from theme park operations and cruise ships to space tourism logistics, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. For example, virtual theme parks enable students to experiment with crowd management and operational efficiency without real-world constraints (Catron, 2024; Skift Travel Intelligence, 2024). 2. Personalized Education: AI-driven tools provide tailored learning experiences, adapting to individual student needs and fostering deeper engagement (Chatbase, 2024). Assignments leveraging generative AI enable students to analyze complex hospitality trends and propose solutions grounded in real-time data. 3. Faculty and Staff Development: Not only would students benefit from these advanced technologies and industry collaborations, but faculty and staff will also be able to leverage the tools for professional development, research, campus operations, and other internal needs. (Collins, 2024a). 4. Industry Collaboration: Strategic partnerships with global hospitality brands enhance research opportunities, create revenue streams, and would ideally position Rosen College as a hub for innovation. The development of augmented reality (AR) applications for campus tours and event planning exemplifies this synergy (Collins, 2024b, Travel and Tour World, 2024).

The whitepaper contributes original insights by proposing a scalable model for integrating advanced technologies into hospitality education. This model emphasizes adaptability, enabling institutions to remain agile amidst technological disruptions (Collins, 2024a). Additionally, the research highlights the economic and academic benefits of a self-sustaining Innovation Lab, funded through industry endowments, sponsorships, grants, and consulting services. The findings underscore the urgent need for educational institutions to act as catalysts for industry-wide innovation. By embracing technologies such as AI and IoT, hospitality programs can redefine guest experiences and operational efficiencies (Morch, 2024).

Rosen College’s vision of becoming a global innovation hub serves as a blueprint for other institutions aiming to align academia with industry demands. Initiatives like interactive AI-driven avatars and virtual reality-based professional development sessions demonstrate the practical potential of these technologies in real-world applications (Gulshan, 2024; Prima, 2024)

The whitepaper concludes that advanced technologies, along with strong industry partnerships, hold the key to transforming hospitality education, equipping future leaders with the tools to navigate and shape the industry's evolving landscape. Rosen College’s initiatives provide a compelling case for integrating technology and innovation into academic frameworks, ensuring that hospitality education remains relevant and impactful in the 21st century.

  CITATIONS 1. Glatt, J. (2024, December 3). Nemacolin Hospitality Innovation and Technology Lab opens at WVU. Hotel Management. Retrieved from https://www.hotelmanagement.net/business-strategy/nemacolin-hospitality-innovation-and-technology-lab-opens-wvu

2. Hospitality Net. (2024). China Hospitality Technology Alliance. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.hospitalitynet.org/organization/17017103/china-hospitality-technology-alliance.html

3. Gulshan, R. (2024, August 29). Hospitality technology and education: A story of evolution. India Today. Retrieved from https://bestcolleges.indiatoday.in/news-detail/hospitality-technology-and-education-a-story-of-evolution

4. SmartBrief. (2024, March 11). Q&A: HFTP’s Frank Wolfe on technological innovation in the hospitality industry. Retrieved from https://www.smartbrief.com/original/qa-hftps-frank-wolfe-on-technological-innovation-in-the-hospitality-industry

5. Carl, K. (2024, June 18). Transforming the Hospitality Industry: AI's evolving impact on customer experience and hotel operations. Hospitality Tech. Retrieved from https://hospitalitytech.com/transforming-hospitality-industry-ais-evolving-impact-customer-experience-and-hotel-operations

6. Catron, D. J. (2024, June 26). Technology feeds innovation boom for hospitality at HITEC 2024. PhocusWire. Retrieved from https://www.phocuswire.com/Technology-feeds-travel-innovation-boom-at-HITEC-2024

7. Morch, A. (2024, July 31). The AI revolution in hospitality: Transforming the hotel industry through innovation and employee empowerment. Hospitality Net. Retrieved from https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4123075.html

8. Travel and Tour World. (2024, September 27). Hospitality leaders converge in Spain to harness AI and technology for sustainability and enhanced guest experiences at the Tourism Innovation Summit. Retrieved from https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/hospitality-leaders-converge-in-spain-to-harness-ai-and-technology-for-sustainability-and-enhanced-guest-experiences-at-the-tourism-innovation-summit/

9. Skift Travel Intelligence. (2024). The 2024 Travel and Hospitality Technology Innovation Report. Retrieved from https://skift.com/insights/new-report-the-power-of-play-and-its-impact-on-global-tourism/

10. Chatbase. (2024). AI personalization. Retrieved from https://www.chatbase.co/blog/ai-personalization

11. Prima, S (2024, December 6,). 10 Virtual Reality Examples: Inspiring Use Cases Across Different Industries. Retrieved from https://rextheme.com/virtual-reality-examples/

12. Dirox. (2024–2025). Top VR/AR innovations transforming everyday life (2024–2025). Retrieved from https://dirox.com/post/top-vr-ar-innovations-transforming-everyday-life-2024-2025

13. CapsuleSight. (2024). 15 examples of the use of mixed reality in healthcare. Retrieved from https://capsulesight.com/mixedreality/15-examples-of-the-use-of-mixed-reality-in-healthcare/

14. Insights. (2024). The rise of the smart home: How technology is changing the way we live. Retrieved from https://insightss.co/blogs/the-rise-of-the-smart-home-how-technology-is-changing-the-way-we-live

15. Collins, B. (2024, November 1). Use-case scenarios, recommendations, and visualizations for innovation integration at Rosen College. University of Central Florida, Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

16. Collins, B. (2024, October). Establishing the Rosen College Hospitality Industry Innovation Lab: A bold step toward transforming hospitality education and industry. University of Central Florida, Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

ABSTRACT. This article aims to identify the research topics, explore knowledge gaps, and recommend future directions in the domain of event tourism through a holistic review of the literature published in 2014-2024. A total of 575 records of journal articles were searched from the Scopus database and based on keywords event tourism only 47 involved before analyzing staged were conducted in this study. Vosviews are used to analyze the hot topic and 11 articles were excluded in this study as titles, abstracts as these articles did not comply with the aim of understanding event tourism. Therefore, only 39 articles are involved in this bibliography that related to event tourism. The analysis results showed hot research topics: namely event tourism still is the main research topic of tourist attraction, tourist experience, motivation, and destination image yet the gaps are event tourism and revisit intention, especially in the context of smart tourism technology (STT). In addition, the discussion on risk in event tourism still demands further investigation as there is a lack of discussion on this area. The main contribution of this article is on the growing debates on smart tourism technology (STT) especially on the readiness among event tourism stakeholders on the usability of this technology. Yet readiness in STT contributes as the main component for choosing an event’s tourism destination; this leads to, future research directions being proposed to bridge these knowledge gaps. This review focuses on journal articles in English only and may overlook some significant research published in other languages and conferences. Nevertheless, this study benefits academics, industry practitioners, and policymakers by providing an understanding of the status quo, hot research topics, knowledge gaps, and future research directions in the domain of event tourism.

ABSTRACT. Development of a tourism statistical database is costly, especially when the area for the estimation becomes smaller, for example, the development of a statistical database for a province (large area) is more economical than that of a statistical database for a district (small data area) as estimation of accommodation statistics for a smaller area requires higher sample rate. In other words, in order to increase the accuracy of the estimation, a higher sample size (or sample rate) is required. This study aims to investigate the extent to which mobile big data can replace traditional survey data in developing statistics for accommodation tourism.

Traditional data is often obtained through surveys. Accommodation facilities are asked to fill in information about the number of guests staying and send it back to the organisation that is developing the database. Consequently, the data is used to estimate the number of guests staying in each area, i.e. prefecture, during a specific time period, i.e., month. A linear estimator has been acknowledged widely (GSO-VN, 2011; INE - Spain, 2017; Insee - France, 2017; JTA, MLIT, 2016; NSO-Thailand, 2016; Visitbritain, 2018). A time series method is also recognised, among others, to estimate the accommodation statistics (Australian Bureau of Statistics - ABS, 2016). These models are straightforward to apply but have a significant degree of variability because the accommodation data always presents extreme values ​​(Truong et al., 2021). Methods, that have been utilised in some cases, have been criticised by (Lickorish, 1997) that is an old and failed system. New methods that improve the accuracy and reliability of the estimates to support traditional methods should be encouraged.

This study utilises two data sources to represent two measurement methods to estimate the tourism accommodation statistics in Japan. The first data was collected using the traditional survey method described above. The tourism accommodation statistical data (illustrating the number of guests staying) in 47 prefectures across Japan were estimated using the linear estimator, i.e. sample mean. The second data source was mobile big data on a nationwide scale provided by Docomo Insight. The two data sources were collected over a period of 5 years, from 2019 to 2023.

This study found that big data can be used to partially replace traditional data in constructing accommodation statistics in prefectures in Japan. Big data, in some cases, provides richer information about accommodated behaviour that traditional survey methods cannot detect. For example, the accommodation of visitors who visit relatives and stay in informal accommodation facilities or stay at second homes. Big data provided by Docomo may not be representative of all travel activities of domestic Japanese tourists because there are other carriers in Japan besides Docomo. Using mobile big data from multiple carriers can provide more accurate and comprehensive information on accommodation statistics.

ABSTRACT. In the context of China's rural revitalization strategy, the government has been actively promoting the development of rural tourism. This has led to an influx of urban residents into rural areas for entrepreneurship or settlement, resulting in a phenomenon of rural gentrification. This paper examines Jijiadun Village in Kunshan City, China, using field theory to uncover the complex mechanisms driving the gentrification of rural tourism destinations. It highlights the bidirectional interaction between national policies and local embeddedness. The research reveals that rural gentrification involves not only the reshaping of physical space but also the reorganization of economic structures and social relations. Moreover, the gentrification process exhibits distinct regional and phased characteristics. Gentrification in rural tourism destinations is not driven by a single factor but results from the interplay of multiple actors and diverse forms of capital within the rural tourism field. Key stakeholders, including the government, enterprises, new villagers, and original villagers, compete for economic and symbolic capital, influencing each other and collectively transforming rural spaces. In the Chinese rural context, the gentrification of rural tourism destinations follows a dynamic transition from production-driven to consumption-driven processes. Initially, national policies and capital investment play a dominant role; as rural tourism develops, the autonomy of new and original villagers increases, with their local embeddedness and habitus guiding the gentrification process.

ABSTRACT. Yangshuo, China, celebrated for its "the best landscape under heaven," is also a globally recognized karst climbing destination. The local climbing community began to take shape in the 1990s and has since developed increasingly profound social interactions with the local government and rural tourism communities over the past three decades. This dynamic offers a microcosmic perspective on the cultural transformations driven by sports tourism in rural areas.

This study examines the social capital of Yangshuo's rural tourism communities, employing a research framework grounded in cultural adaptation theory. Utilizing methods such as ethnography, participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and social network analysis, the study deconstructs how the development of the rock climbing community has restructured social capital within these rural tourism communities. It reveals the dual dynamics of cultural conflict and integration in a globalized context. Key findings include:

1. The rock climbing community has established new relationship networks through localized "vertical natural space practices," which have expanded bridging social capital while weakening bonding social capital due to resource competition. Bridging social capital refers to connections between individuals from different backgrounds, fostering broader social networks. In contrast, bonding social capital involves strong ties among individuals with similar backgrounds. The expansion of bridging social capital has facilitated greater interaction between locals and climbers, promoting cross-cultural understanding. However, resource competition, particularly over access to climbing routes and public spaces, has strained existing social bonds within the community.

2. Cultural conflicts are evident in the value tensions between "pro-environmental behavior" and "natural ethics," as well as the rule clashes between "consumerism" and "reciprocity" during the development of climbing walls. Pro-environmental behavior emphasizes the preservation of natural resources, while natural ethics focuses on respecting the intrinsic value of nature. These differing perspectives often lead to conflicts when developing new climbing routes. Additionally, consumerism, driven by commercial interests, can clash with traditional reciprocity norms that prioritize community welfare over individual gain. For instance, the commercialization of climbing routes may prioritize profit over environmental sustainability or community consensus.

3. Cultural integration occurs through shared rituals (climbing festivals), cross-sector collaboration (rescue alliances), and symbolic reproduction (local dialect terms like "cheese wall"), leading to the emergence of "hybrid social capital" that combines instrumental rationality with emotional connections. Climbing festivals serve as platforms for cultural exchange, where locals and climbers celebrate their shared passion for outdoor activities. Rescue alliances bring together diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, local organizations, and international climbers, fostering collaborative efforts in safety and environmental protection. Symbolic reproduction, such as the use of local dialect terms in climbing jargon, reflects the blending of cultures and reinforces a sense of belonging among participants.

Since 2021, we have conducted regular and in-depth fieldwork in Yangshuo over four consecutive years. This study shifts focus from the one-dimensional emphasis on tourists' experiences in existing rock climbing research to uncover the power relations underlying the transformation of social capital forms. Unlike the Western tradition of "climber autonomy," the delicate balance among government-led tourism development, local rock climbing organizations, and rural tourism communities in Yangshuo exemplifies the particularity of "capital conversion" in Bourdieu's field theory. Local residents' selective cultural integration of rock climbing challenges the assumption of unidirectional cultural assimilation or adaptation, revealing a complex pattern of "instrumental social acceptance - value-based social exclusion" at the level of social capital. This provides a relational perspective on the sustainable development of sports tourism.

Theoretically, this study (1) questions the universality of the concept of "community participation" in Western rock climbing research, highlighting a unique form of interaction under strong governmental intervention; (2) contributes empirical evidence of cultural conflicts in non-Western contexts, particularly the tension between natural ethics and "rock climbing consumerism." Practically, it suggests that when the expansion of weak ties brought about by rock climbing tourism exceeds the carrying capacity of traditional strong ties within the community, it may lead to structural breaks in social capital. This insight offers critical parameters such as the "ratio of outsiders to locals" and "public space occupancy rate" for sports tourism planning.

ABSTRACT. Ice and snow tourism, along with the skiing economy, have become significant drivers of regional economic growth and sustainable development worldwide. However, the distribution of ice and snow resources is geographically unbalanced, with traditional skiing economies concentrated in high-latitude, cold regions. A crucial question in global tourism and economic research is how warm-climate regions can leverage technology, capital, and market forces to allocate ice and snow resources across regions and establish a local skiing industry. China is experiencing rapid expansion in its skiing economy, particularly in its southern warm-climate regions, where indoor ski resorts serve as key platforms for industry development. Hot Snow Miracle in Guangzhou, the only indoor ski resort in South China, presents a typical case of ice and snow resource relocation. This study, based on resource flow theory, examines the mechanisms through which ice and snow resources flow from northern ice-rich regions to southern non-snow areas, establishing a flow system comprising material resource flow, social resource flow, and cultural resource flow. Furthermore, it analyzes the dynamic mechanisms that enable successful adaptation in new geographic contexts. Findings indicate that horizontal resource flows include infrastructure development, capital investment, and the transfer of skiing culture across regions, while vertical resource flows involve local market consumption, resource reproduction, and value transformation. Key influencing factors include technological innovation (snowmaking techniques, skiing equipment), market development (consumer habits, sports promotion), and policy support (subsidies, event organization). The case of Hot Snow Miracle demonstrates that the skiing economy‘s success depends not only on hardware investment but also on market perception, cultural adaptation, and industry coordination, ultimately driving the scaling, industrialization, and localization of the skiing economy in southern China. This study provides both theoretical frameworks and empirical references for the development of skiing economies in non-traditional ice and snow regions globally. It suggests that optimizing resource allocation strategies, strengthening market guidance, and enhancing policy support can further promote the sustainable growth of the global skiing economy in diverse climate zones.

ABSTRACT. Strengthening relationships between local communities and tourists affected by major disasters is considered an effective way to facilitate the recovery process (Stylidis et al, 2014). In addition, the motivations of tourists visiting disaster-affected areas are diverse, including educational and learning reasons, social interest and emotional interest (Biran et al, 2011: Kang, 2012). It is believed that a tourism guide business that addresses the interests and concerns of such tourists, while explaining the nature, history and culture of the local community, will contribute to the recovery of the region after a disaster. This study aims to examine the changing role of the tourism guide business as it is implemented during the long-term recovery process after a major disaster, and to gain insights into the management of tourism destination recovery. Cohen (1985) proposed two roles for tour guides: a leadership role, in which the guide leads the guests, and a mediation role, in which the guide acts as an intermediary between the host destination and the guests. Subsequent research has refined these categories. Weiler and Davis (1993) retained Cohen's two-domain framework, but replaced leadership with tour management, which focuses on groups, and mediatory with experience management, which focuses on individuals, and added a new resource management, which focuses on the host environment. Pereira and Mykletun (2012) proposed a model with the addition of the Economy domain. On the other hand, in the recovery phase after a major disaster, tourism guides also play the role of storytellers (expressed as 'kataribe' in Japanese) who link the past of the disaster to future concerns about how to protect lives (Bui and Saito, 2022). There are studies that have focused on the role of tourism in the recovery phase after a major disaster, such as those that have focused on the support of external organisations (Robinson and Jarvie, 2008), those that have focused on vulnerability (Calgaro and Lloyd, 2008) and those that have focused on social capital (Partelows, 2021), but there are few studies that have focused on the changing role of tourist guides in the long-term recovery. In this study, we conducted interviews with people involved in the tourism guide project in the Matsukawaura district of Fukushima Prefecture, which was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami that struck the Tohoku region of Japan in March 2011. The tourism guide project is organised by local accommodation business owners and tourism association staff, and can be divided into two phases: the first, which ran from 2012 to 2015, and the second, which began in 2020 and, after a hiatus, continues to the present day. Of the nine interviewees, three were involved in the first phase, four in the second phase and two in both phases. The interviews were semi-structured, based on the framework proposed by Cohen, and aimed at understanding the current situation of activities related to the aspects of 'Tour management', 'Experience management', 'Resource management', 'Economy' and 'Story telling' presented in the subsequent research. In the analysis we used the grounded theory approach and conceptualised the data by segmenting and coding the interview content in relation to the above aspects. In the Matsukawaura area, the earthquake and tsunami caused significant damage to local resources, as well as reputational damage from the explosion at a nearby nuclear power plant, resulting in a significant drop in tourism demand. However, there was a demand from businesses for reconstruction assistance, and the management of the accommodation itself was maintained. In the first phase, training to improve guide skills and trial tours were carried out to prepare for the revival of future tourism demand (Tour management and Experience management). Then, as reconstruction progressed and business demand declined, the second phase began as an initiative to capitalise on the knowledge and experience gained. In the first phase, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, there were many educational trips and much work to be done to meet the need to convey the experience of the disaster (Story telling), but in the second phase, with the changing needs of tourists, the focus shifted to increasing participant satisfaction (Experience management) rather than the learning element, and to increasing the economic impact on the region (Economy). Furthermore, in both the first and second phases, interviewees pointed to the usefulness of public support programmes provided by national and prefectural governments to improve the skills of interpreters who communicate the value of local resources (in the resource management area), suggesting the effectiveness of implementing similar policies in the recovery process after major disasters.

References Biran, A., Poria, Y., & Oren, G. (2011). Sought experiences at (dark) heritage sites. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(3), 820–841. Bui, H. T., & Saito, H. (2022). Resource convergence for post disaster recovery. Annals of Tourism Research, 93, 103375. Calgaro, E., & Lloyd, K. (2008). Sun, sea, sand and tsunami: Examining disaster vulnerability in the tourism community of Khao Lak, Thailand. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 29(3), 288-306. Cohen, E. (1985). The tourist guide: The origins, structure and dynamics of a role. Annals of tourism research, 12(1), 5-29. Kang, E. J., Scott, N., Lee, T. J., & Ballantyne, R. (2012). Benefits of visiting a ‘dark tourism’ site: The case of the Jeju April 3rd Peace Park, Korea. Tourism Management, 33(2), 257–265. Partelow, S. (2021). Social capital and community disaster resilience: post-earthquake tourism recovery on Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. Sustainability science, 16(1), 203-220. Pereira, E. M., & Mykletun, R. J. (2012). Guides as contributors to sustainable tourism? A case study from the Amazon. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 12(1), 74-94. Robinson, L., & Jarvie, J. K. (2008). Post‐disaster community tourism recovery: the tsunami and Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka. Disasters, 32(4), 631-645. Stylidis, D., Biran, A., Sit, J., & Szivas, E.M. (2014). Residents’ support for tourism development: The role of residents’place image and perceived tourism impacts. Tourism Management, 45, 260–274. Weiler, B., & Davis, D. (1993). An exploratory investigation into the roles of the nature-based tour leader. Tourism management, 14(2), 91-98.

ABSTRACT. The intense competition among tourist destinations necessitates ongoing attention to marketing and communication strategies. Websites serve as a crucial source of information for travelers with disabilities, who have specific needs. This research examines the accessibility efforts of Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) in terms of both physical and communication aspects. It is based on a qualitative exploratory content analysis of seventeen DMO websites and their social media channels.

Preliminary findings indicate that DMOs vary in their levels of accessibility content. Additionally, there is evidence that different types of disabilities are recognized and addressed in their physical and communication initiatives, with input from various local stakeholders. Further results will be shared at the conference, highlighting examples of best practices to assist practitioners in their pursuit of improved accessibility.

ABSTRACT. Generating Emotional Energy in Red Tourism Destinations: An Interactive Ritual Chains Approach

Xinyi Shi, Dan Zhu, Donghua University, China

This study delves into the often-overlooked aspect of how the material elements inherent in red tourism destinations serve as catalysts for emotional experiences. While existing research on red tourism primarily focuses on the management of heritage resources and tourists' engagement with commemorative objects, there is a gap in understanding how these material elements generate emotional energy. The study seeks to answer: How does material elements at red tourism destinations promote the generation of tourists’ emotional energy?

Materiality plays a crucial role in red tourism destinations. New materialism posits that objects possess agency and vitality, rather than being inert (Muecke & Wergin, 2014; Latour, 2013; Bennett et al., 2010). In the context of red tourism, objects evoke emotions through sensory interactions, fostering deep emotional and memorial connections (Pink, 2009). Material relics embody history and collective memory, triggering emotional resonance (Macdonald, 2013; Lowenthal, 2015). Objects in red tourism serve two primary functions: a systemic function, where they are assigned symbolic and practical roles that shape tourists’ perceptions and behaviors, and an improvisational function, where tourists’ emotions and intuitive reactions give objects meanings beyond their institutional intent (Terzidou, 2020).

Interaction ritual chain theory explains how rituals synchronize participants’ micro-rhythms and emotions through a common focus, leading to the generation of emotional energy (EE), group solidarity, symbolic representations, and moral commitment (Collins, 2004). While the common focus often includes materials, values, and etiquettes (Sterchele, 2020), tourism research has predominantly examined rituals in events, transformational tourism, museums, glamping, shared accommodation, ethnic villages, and hospitality, with a focus on synchronous tourist interactions but neglecting engagement with objects (Simons, 2019; Soulard et al., 2021; Hu et al., 2023; Xiang et al., 2023; Yin & Zheng, 2017; Li et al., 2022; Xiang et al., 2022). By examining materiality in red tourism within this framework, this study enriches the theory by demonstrating how objects shape tourists' emotional energy.

The study was conducted at Longhua Martyrs' Cemetery, a revolutionary memorial park in Shanghai with a rich historical background. The site comprises four areas: a ritual square, martyr cemetery, heritage relics, and a memorial museum. Data was collected through ethnography, including on-site video analysis and semi-structured interviews, supplemented by online texts from Rednote, with strict attention to privacy protection. A total of 62 videos were analyzed frame by frame, generating 189 observation notes. Thematic analysis was applied to 25 interview transcripts and 220 online texts.

This study identifies two types of material elements in red tourism destinations that contribute to the accumulation of emotional energy through formal and informal interaction rituals. Material elements holding symbolic meanings act as common focus for tourists to gather, as well as common focus for tourists and spirts of martyrs to connect. They share same instant emotions, and accumulate into tourists’ emotional energy under the cognition of Chinese history and present.

In formal interactions, such as the flower basket offering ceremony and educational research trips, elements fulfill a systemic function by structuring ritualistic engagement. Ritual elements, including solemn music, flowers, and monuments, serve as focal points that synchronize tourists’ actions, fostering a collective sense of solemnity while delineating boundaries that exclude outsiders. The interplay between historical understanding and the immediate emotions evoked by these elements generates collective patriotic emotional energy.

In informal interactions, elements exhibit an improvisational function, categorized into authentic and artificial elements. Tourists emotionally engage with the spirits of martyrs, using these elements as focal points to connect with historical narratives. Authentic elements, such as prison cells and martyrs' relics, evoke profound sorrow and a sense of historical weight. Artificial elements, strategically designed by destination managers, similarly influence visitors’ emotions. For example, an AR ballet depicting martyrs' sacrifices in the memorial museum elicits deep emotional responses, moving visitors to tears. Comparing historical suffering with contemporary life, transient sorrow is transformed into enduring patriotic sentiment and resilience in everyday experiences.

The generation of emotional energy can fluctuate or be disrupted. Community participation, such as residents writing red poems with water on the ground, enhances tourists' emotional engagement. Conversely, inappropriate elements, like food in the cemetery, disrupt the solemn emotion, causing frustration and complaints.

This study contributes to the field by exploring how materiality in red tourism destinations generates tourists’ emotional energy and emphasizes the role of elements in reinforcing their political and cultural significance. Given these sites' responsibility to convey Chinese revolutionary history and development achievements, the findings offer a practical approach to fostering national identity and historical responsibility among tourists.

Reference

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Hu, A., Miao, F., Liu, S. (2023). Study on the Impact of Perceived Interpretation Quality on Museum Experience: Based on the Theory of Interaction Ritual Chains and the Application of AR. Journal of Fudan University (Natural Science), 62(06):723-740.

Latour, B. (2013). An inquiry into modes of existence: An anthropology of the moderns. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Li, R., Zheng, C., Yin, S., Yin, H. (2022). Research on the Emotional Experience Process and Arousal Mechanism of the Host-Guest Interaction Ritual of Ethnic Village Tourists: A Case Study of Gaoshanliushui Toasting Ritual. Human Geography, 37(2), 94-102.

Lowenthal, D. (2015). The past is a foreign country-revisited. Cambridge University Press.

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Soulard, J., McGehee, N. G., Stern, M. J., & Lamoureux, K. M. (2021). Transformative tourism: Tourists' drawings, symbols, and narratives of change. Annals of Tourism Research, 87, 103141.

Sterchele, D. (2020). Memorable tourism experiences and their consequences: An interaction ritual (IR) theory approach. Annals of Tourism Research, 81, 102847.

Terzidou, M. (2020). Re-materialising the religious tourism experience: A post-human perspective. Annals of Tourism Research, 83, 102924.

Xiang, K., Cao, Y., Qiao, G., & Li, W. (2023). Glamping: an exploration of emotional energy and flow experiences in interaction rituals. Tourism Management Perspectives, 48, 101149.

Xiang, K., Huang, W. J., Gao, F., & Lai, Q. (2022). COVID-19 prevention in hotels: Ritualized host-guest interactions. Annals of Tourism Research, 93, 103376.

Yin, Y. & Zheng, Z. (2017). Research on Interaction: Ritual Chains in Sharing Accommodation. Journal of Huaqiao University (Philosophy & Social Sciences), (03):90-98.

ABSTRACT. Introduction The number of candidate cities for the Olympic Games is decreasing because of a lack of public support for hosting the Games without urban development. The number of candidates for the host city has been limited due to a succession of bids being turned down, and the method of deciding on the host city without bidding stages or through dialogue between the IOC, the organisation of the Olympic Games, and the host city has become the method of decision-making. Considering the rising costs of hosting the Games, the post-Games use of the competition venues and legacy planning with temporary competition venues are often used. Temporary competition venues are built in the city centre and are planned to be dismantled after the Games. This is a conflict of interest for the IOC, which aims to host the Games in an environmentally friendly and sustainable. In addition, the site for the temporary competition venues will be built in a location where permanent venues cannot be built, so that the competition broadcast images transmitted to the world at the time of the Games will retain images showing the landmarks of the host city in the background of the athletes' competitions. The IOC, which is concerned about the younger generation being not interested in the Olympics, is promoting the idea of a visual Olympics, including the creation of “Olympic Channel”, their own media on YouTube to appeal directly to the younger generation. The impressive scenes of the Games will be recorded online, as well as in people's memories. The background of this research was to focus on temporary competition venues and the images of the games.

Objectives The objective of this study is to find factors that will lead to the future potential Olympic Games in developed cities that do not need to redevelop the lands. This objective is achieved by analysing the evolution (development, development and evolution) of venue planning for the recent Olympics held in developed cities, such as the Paris Olympics 2024 and past Olympic Games, Tokyo Olympics 2020 and London 2012 and by analysing TV broadcasting images (Olympic-scape, see below) of the Olympics at the time they were held, and by examining the architectural planning of the Olympics, the public spaces in the host city. The project is the same as clarifying the architectural planning of the Olympics and the use of public space in the host city.

Existing research and previous cases The research into temporary competition venues for the London 2012 Olympics and the accompanying previous papers and case studies (e.g. Greenwich Park Equestrian Venue and Horse Guards Parade Beach Volleyball Venue) and the same competition venues for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The Paris Olympics 2024, Tokyo Olympics 2020 and London Olympics 2012 will be studied based on the idea of the Olympic-scape, which deciphers the relationship between the athletes, the competition venues, the host city landscape and TV cameras to produce live TV broadcast images. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the further development of the S.N.S. and video channels will make it possible to clarify the planning of the Games and the competition venues with a greater awareness of TV broadcast images. The study's novelty lies in identifying the planning of the Games and the competition venues with a greater understanding of visual images due to the further development of S.N.S. and video-sharing websites such as YouTube.

Survey Olympic Games and venues The survey will focus on temporary competition venues, such as beach volleyball, equestrian, archery triathlon, etc, planned for the city centres of the Paris Olympics 2024, Tokyo Olympics 2020 and London Olympics 2012. Marathons, for example, are excluded from the survey, as the urban space itself becomes the competition venue.

Survey Methods The competition venues in the city centres of the host city will be surveyed on-site, along with official documents such as candidature files and official reports, and official images such as on the Olympic Channel. (1) Characteristics of the venue surroundings: Presence or absence of landmarks of the host city located around the venue and their features. (2) Venue site: Existence and characteristics of public spaces and squares in the host city. (3) Venue characteristics: Scale, competitions used in, and shape of venue, etc. (4) Characteristics of competition images: Characteristics of the urban landscape shown in the background image of the competition.

Results The results of this study are as follows； (1) Characteristics of the venue surroundings: Landmarks selected by the host city's view management framework in the urban landscape, etc. (2) Venue site: Scale and characteristics of the venue site, including how it is used daily. (3) Venue Characteristics: Scale, shape and orientation of spectator seating, etc., and how they are located within the site. (4) Characteristics of competition images: Unique scenic features of the host city broadcasted in the background of the competition

Discussion　 The results of the survey will be compared and discussed about the Paris Olympics 2024, Tokyo Olympics 2020 and London Olympics 2012 to see how the background images of the athletes were broadcasted by scale, shape and orientation of the competition venues and the landmarks in the surrounding urban environment.

Conclusion According to the results and discussion of this study, planning the competition venues for the Olympic Games in the city centre and retaining them as competition broadcasted images would enhance the sustainability of the Games. Although the temporary competition venues will be dismantled after the Games, the competition images will be archived online as a legacy, along with the memories of the excitement of the Games. With the establishment of the Olympic Channel, the IOC welcomes the archived competition digital images as it will create a new impression of the Olympics and expand interest among younger generations. The International Sports Federations (IFs), who are responsible for the integrity of their sport on an international level, will also welcome the temporary competition venues planned for the city centres, as they will naturally attract media attention and increase exposure from the perspective of promoting the Games. It is the same for the host city, which welcomes the idea of planning temporary venues in the city centre to host the Olympics, as it will raise the profile of the Games by generating publicity. In the field of urban planning, the use of a public open space such as the city piazza, plaza and square, as a competition venue site will bring new insights into urban planning. Furthermore, as in the architectural planning field, for a temporary competition venue with broadcasted images in mind, the shape of the competition venue and its layout plan will lead the idea of the planning of opened competition venues, providing an opportunity to consider public architecture opened to urban space.

ABSTRACT. Disability is of growing concern for communities and societies today, with approximately 15% of the global population living with a disability, of whom 190 million experience challenges in daily functioning (The World Bank, 2019). These figures are of critical concern today given that the number of people living with disabilities expected to increase to 1.2 billion by 2050 (Connell and Page, 2019; Hansen and Fyall, 2021). Research indicates that accessibility should be addressed through interdisciplinary approaches at the destination-level in collaboration with key stakeholders, in order to achieve system-wide changes (Connell and Page, 2019; Volgger et al., 2021). Accessible tourism is one such area with disability an increasing concern for all areas of citizenship (WHO, 2011). The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2006) recognises the rights of people with disabilities to access services from all areas of citizenship (Michopoulou et al., 2015).

Tourism is recognised as an essential feature of modern life and are linked to disability legislation, providing opportunities for people with disabilities to pursue quality of life, improving wellbeing, and preventing social exclusion (Kastenholz et al., 2015). Indeed, accessible tourism has become a popular topic among tourism scholars (McKercher & Darcy, 2018). However, access issues are common with scholars and practitioners alike failing to comprehend the needs of the wider disability spectrum (Bauer, 2018). The social model of disability highlights where the key constraints to access lie for disabled people: physical constraints, attitudinal constraints and informational constraints. Indeed, the industry, and society as a whole, lack disability awareness, resulting in an inability to deliver accessible experiences.

McKercher & Darcy’s (2018) seminal work recognised the heterogenous nature of disability, including various types and levels of disability. They identified the need for a more holistic approach, through their four-tiered framework, breaking down and grouping constraints hierarchically. Yet, it remains unclear and a practical shortcoming within the literature as to who is to develop accessible tourism experiences and how. One profession that specifically deals with accessibility is that of occupational therapy. Hansen et al. (2021) argue that occupational therapy and occupational therapists should play a critical role in the delivery of accessible experiences, in collaboration with key destination stakeholders. This presentation, part of a wider study into the role of occupational therapy in the delivery of accessible tourism experiences, highlights the unique skills of occupational therapists and how they could translate into the development of accessible destinations and communities. Occupational therapists support disabled people engaging in meaningful occupations, as well as negotiating constraints to those meaningful occupations (Royal College of Occupational Therapy, 2022). Meaningful occupations are defined as all tasks and/or activities that bring value and purpose to everyday life, including leisure and recreation (Hansen et al., 2021; Hammell, 2021; World Federation of Occupational Therapy, 2023). Occupations are key “to everyday living as people of all ages plan, structure and use their time doing the things they need and want to do” (Brown, 2008, p. 67).

Accessibility, participation and performance are all key to the premise of occupational therapy, which aims to foster engagement in meaningful occupations and enhance the environment to facilitate these opportunities (Whiteford et al., 2020). Occupational therapists further provide expertise in understanding the capacities of individuals with a wide range of disabilities and how environments might be adapted to increase inclusivity (WFOT, 2020). This unique expertise contributes to accessibility considerations and innovations, whilst also moving the outcomes toward full inclusion as they are capable of addressing generic constraints of disability, as well as the unique and individual constraints faced by people with disabilities (Rensburg et al., 2018). Importantly, occupational therapists are increasingly working with communities, supporting them to identify strategies that address the health and wellbeing of its residents, including disabled residents (Melville et al., 2022). Acknowledging that destinations play a key role in the communities they sit in and vice versa, this increasingly holistic role of occupational therapists has the potential to transform how accessibility is delivered across destinations.

We conducted 20 interviews with destination managers, accessible tourism consultants and occupational therapists from the UK and US. Our initial findings indicate that occupational therapists are uniquely placed to advocate for the rights of disabled people and provide disability awareness training to tourism service providers.

Specifically, we discover occupational therapists, through their person-environment fit approach, have a unique skillset enabling them to address physical accessibility adaptations, which could translate across critical touchpoints within the tourism destination.

ABSTRACT. In today’s highly competitive global tourism market, destinations strive to differentiate themselves, with festival events emerging as a key breakthrough strategy. However, many destinations, despite significant investments in infrastructure, find themselves in a dilemma of having physical assets but lacking an engaging cultural narrative. The Wuzhen Theatre Festival, recognized as one of the world's three major theatre festivals, has successfully transformed Wuzhen from a traditional Jiangnan water town into an internationally renowned cultural tourism destination. Many foreign visitors first learn about Wuzhen through the theatre festival, which then inspires them to visit. This unique mechanism of destination enchantment holds significant research value. This study aims to take the Wuzhen Theatre Festival as a representative case to systematically and deeply analyze the internal mechanisms through which festival events endow fascination upon destinations and to explore the key factors influencing this process and their interrelationships. Current research on destination fascination mainly focuses on its conceptualization, dimensions, and impact mechanisms. Kaplan (1995) was among the first to explore two aspects of destination fascination—participatory fascination and content fascination—highlighting that diverse and engaging tourism activities can enhance visitors’ emotional responses. To address the complexity of this research domain, Liu (2017) further expanded the dimensions of destination fascination, categorizing it into fitness, uniqueness, attractiveness, mystique, richness, and friendliness—a classification widely recognized by scholars. In recent years, some researchers have investigated the impact of destination fascination on tourists’ well-being and destination loyalty (Wang Y. C. et al., 2020). However, discussions on the formation mechanisms of destination fascination remain insufficient, particularly from the perspective of festival events. This study adopts a single case study method, which is well-suited for exploring complex social phenomena (Yin, 2018), especially those that have not been extensively studied or theorized (Eisenhardt, 1989). The research selects the Wuzhen Theatre Festival as the case study and collects data from multiple sources. Primary data was obtained through nine rounds of field research, involving interviews totaling 1,031 minutes with key stakeholders, including the chairman, general manager, deputy general manager, and scenic area operations managers of Wuzhen Tourism Co., Ltd., as well as Wuzhen Theatre Festival staff, local residents, and tourists. Secondary data includes 34 internal company documents and 41 records from Wuzhen’s official website and third-party online sources. The study finds that the destination fascination shaping mechanism of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival is primarily reflected in three key aspects: platform creation, meaning-making in products, and event leverage amplification. First of all, in terms of platform creation, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival demonstrates a multi-stakeholder co-creation model, where top-tier artists initiate the festival, young actors inject creative vitality, and tourists actively engage through interactive participation. The festival fosters diverse and dynamic exchanges, where classical and avant-garde ideas collide, art seamlessly integrates with daily life, and international collaborations deepen. Secondly, regarding meaning-making in products, the integration of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival with Wuzhen’s historic streets and alleys imbues the town with new cultural connotations and humanistic spirit, reshaping its identity and achieving cultural projection at the destination level. The festival also attracts younger demographics, enhances cultural sophistication, and reshapes consumer perceptions of Wuzhen. Finally, at the event leverage amplification level, cultural events bestow high-added-value intellectual property (IP) upon Wuzhen, utilizing major cultural activities to enhance brand awareness and reputation. Through a decade of continuous iteration and radiative influence, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival has significantly expanded its impact, facilitating the synergistic development of Wuzhen and the festival itself. This provides a replicable model for other destinations seeking to leverage festival events for tourism and cultural branding. Among these three aspects, platform creation serves as the foundation for meaning-making in products and event leverage amplification, offering a creative source and developmental conditions for destination fascination shaping. Meaning-making in products enriches the content of the innovation platform, enhances event leverage effects, and elevates the destination’s brand value. In turn, event leverage amplification strengthens meaning-making in products, expanding the destination’s overall influence. This study not only enriches the theoretical framework of event tourism and destination development, refining the process mechanisms of destination fascination, but also offers practical insights for global destinations hosting festival events. By providing targeted event strategies, this research helps destinations stand out in market competition and achieve sustainable development.

ABSTRACT.     In Korea, recreational fishing is one of the most popular sport activities and represents the nature-based tourism market. More than 8 million people participate in recreational fishing activities, and the number of tourists who use recreational fishing boats, which can be said to be an active group, reaches 5 million annually (Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 2024). One of the reasons why recreational fishing is so prevalent in Korea is because of the country's natural environment, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and its abundance of fisheries resources that allow people to catch a variety of fish species. In addition, the country has a high level of consumption experience and preference for seafood (Han et al., 2022), which has led to the unique development of culinary tourism that combines leisure and dining experiences.    

    Due to the growing popularity of recreational fishing, various experiential tourism programs centered around fishing are being developed (Jung & Park, 2023). Coastal local governments, often perceived as being at a disadvantage due to a lack of artificial tourism resources, are increasingly focusing on leveraging their natural assets for recreational fishing. Given its suitability for outdoor activities, recreational fishing is emerging as a key strategy for enhancing local tourism. From a tourism marketing perspective, this trend highlights the importance of utilizing both the experience and image of recreational fishing to revitalize local tourism industries (González & Piñeiro Antelo, 2020; Moksness et al., 2011).

    In this context, this study aimed to assess the emotional image perceived by fishing tourists and examined its impact on fishing tourism demand. In general, tourism images are closely associated with tourism destinations (Wei et al., 2024); consequently, measurement tools designed for assessing destination image can also be applied to evaluate the imagery of tourism experiences. The core of this study is an emotional image recognition measurement questionnaire, which employs bipolar measurement variables using adjectives that evoke corresponding images (Lehto et al., 2014; Papadimitriou et al., 2015). This survey was designed to capture respondents’ perceptions and reactions to adjectives expressing emotions related to fishing tourism, thereby assessing their emotional image recognition of fishing tourism.

    The online survey was conducted in February 2024, obtaining 877 usable samples. The results of factor analysis revealed two factors (e.g., pleasant and comfort) exist, and a regression analysis was conducted to analyze the factors that affect demand for fishing tourism. The analysis results showed that the pleasant and comfortable emotional image factors positively affected the demand for fishing tourism, and the frequency of online information searches for fishing, which indicates an interest in fishing itself, also had a positive impact. On the other hand, travel expenses, which are a proxy variable for price, were not statistically significant at the usual significance level but were significant at the 10% significance level and showed a negative coefficient, which is in line with an economic theory (Mankiw, 2001).

    The contributions of this research paper are as follows. From an academic perspective, this paper empirically measures the emotional image of fishing tourism using existing tourism image measurement tools. This presented an analytical and management tool that can manage the image of fishing tourism. The emotional image measurement items can be used universally due to the characteristics of the measurement variables, allowing for comparative analysis with various types of tourism markets. For example, unlike cognitive image tools optimized for individual tourism markets, emotional image perception measurement tools measure based on the emotional perception of tourists, allowing markets that cannot be compared with cognitive image elements such as fishing tourism, urban tourism, and rural tourism to be compared with emotional perception. This versatility would allow the position of fishing tourism to be more clearly revealed in major tourism markets and provide tourism policymakers with the ability to manage the fishing tourism market.

Acknowledgements: This research was supported by Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion (KIMST) funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (20220252).

ABSTRACT. According to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), global tourism-related carbon emissions are expected to increase from 1.597 billion tons in 2016 to 1.998 billion tons by 2030, accounting for 5.3% of all anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. Hotels account for approximately 1% of global carbon emissions. To achieve sustainable tourism development, numerous behavioural intervention measures aimed at guiding tourists to engage in pro-environmental behaviours have been implemented and have received widespread interest from tourism researchers (Demeter, Fechner, & Dolnicar, 2023; Sharma, Saulais, & Huang, 2024; Souza-Neto, Marques, Mayer, & Lohmann, 2023). Green nudging is a type of behavioural intervention that is designed to promote environmental protection and mitigate environmental externalities with the goal of encouraging individuals to engage responsibly in sustainable behaviours (Schubert, 2017). The effectiveness of green nudging is assessed in terms of whether the implementing enterprises achieve cost savings or efficiency gains. Most assessments focus solely on whether individuals engage successfully in pro-environmental behaviours, but few studies have explored the effectiveness of green nudging in the context of tourist experiences. In the tourism context, the inherently hedonic nature of travel creates a distinctive research environment. Tourists’ experiences during the nudging process have a significant effect on their subsequent decision-making behaviours, such as word-of-mouth and intention to return. Prioritizing the experiences of tourists is essential for preventing tourism enterprises from engaging in practices where “the loss outweighs the gain”. However, studies have not assessed the effectiveness and consequences of pro-environmental behaviour interventions in onsite and offsite tourism contexts from the perspective of tourists’ experiences. This research provides a critical reflection on studies of green nudging in tourism. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, relevant studies were collected using the following four steps: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion (Page, et al., 2021). In accordance with the literature screening criteria established by Souza-Neto et al. (2023), we searched for relevant research in two major databases: Web of Science (Core Collection) and Scopus. The literature search utilized advanced search techniques. The title/keywords/abstract were defined as (Hospitality OR Hotel OR Tourism) AND (Nudging OR “Choice Architecture") AND (Sustainability OR Sustainable). Finally, we selected 55 relevant studies from the two databases and employed content analysis to systematically review assessments of green nudging in tourism and its shortcomings while identifying future research directions. The literature analysis suggests that current evaluations of green nudging in tourism often focus on the perspective of the implementers of nudging to explain how changes in individual pro-environmental behaviours lead to cost savings and benefits for enterprises, whereas very few evaluations consider the tourist experience. When evaluating green nudging in tourism, the sustainability of future green nudging effects can be maintained after changes in individual pro-environmental behaviours only by considering the impact of nudging on the quality of the tourist experience to avoid the dilemma in which "the loss outweighs the gain" for tourism enterprises (Carrel, et al., 2023; Crow, et al., 2019; Diaz-Beltran, et al., 2023; Kawa, et al., 2022). On this basis, several future research directions are proposed. First, when green nudging strategies for tourism are developed and assessed, it is important to consider the experiences of tourists during the nudging process. Second, increasing attention should be given to digital green nudging methods in tourism. Third, it is necessary to focus on pro-environmental behaviours related to transportation and shopping in tourism. In conclusion, this research reviews and reflects on the literature related to green nudging in tourism from three perspectives: current cost savings for enterprises, immediate profitability, and experiential quality for tourists. This study reveals that previous research on the effects of green nudging has focused solely on the outcomes and benefits for enterprises resulting from changes in tourists' pro-environmental behaviours without assessing the potential consequences of green nudging on tourists' experiences. This research suggests that if the indicator system for assessing the effects of green nudging overlooks tourists' experiential quality, this may lead to a situation in which the loss outweighs the gain, thus causing tourism enterprises to suffer losses rather than achieve benefits.

ABSTRACT. Quantitative effectiveness verification in destination marketing has become important for local governments and regional Destination Marketing Organizations, from the perspective of evidence-based policy making. Measurement of the number of tourists in a region has traditionally been done in various forms, falling into two main categories (Shoval et al., 2024): survey-based method (Baumgartner et al., 2024) and mobile-data-based method (Moussouri et al., 2015). Survey-based method has the advantage of ability to investigate not only the places visited but also other information, e.g., the means of transportation to the area and the purpose of the movement. However, it has the limitation of a limited sample size. Recently, there have been many attempts to use mobile data. While mobile-data-based method allows for collecting a large-scale data, it is difficult to grasp the tourist's travel situation e.g., the means of transportation. In this study, we verified, with accuracy, what areas passengers who used airlines ultimately travelled to or travelled around after disembarking at their destination airports using mobile phone data. This study is the first demonstration experiment by a collaboration between a Japanese mobile network operator, and a Japanese airline, and is unique. By clarifying to which specific areas passengers disembarking at each airport in Eastern Hokkaido travel to and travel around, this study has made it possible to provide a scheme that can be used to verify the effectiveness of various destination marketing strategies and to gain insights for developing optimal policies for public transportation from airports. To this end, we develop a method to grasp the movement of tourists by creating statistical information through Private Cross-aggregation Technology (PCT) (Nozawa et al., 2023) based on data held by transportation agencies and location information held by mobile phone operators. Our method allows us to understand the means of transportation by using the data held by transportation agencies, and we can collect data on a large-scale by preserving privacy. The method involved two steps: 1: Creation of Statistical Information on Tourist Mobility. Utilizing flight and mobile network operational data, which includes location information, linked via mobile phone numbers, we generate statistical information (the number of tourist) detailing tourist flows from arrival airports to surrounding areas. During this process, PCT which consists of privacy-enhancing techniques (e.g., Homomorphic Encryption and differential privacy) are utilized to ensure that individuals cannot be identified, and each organization can create statistical information without disclosing data to each other. 2: Modeling the Relationship Between Distance and Tourist Ratios. First, the ratio of airline users can be calculated using the statistical information created in the previous step and population data based on mobile phone operation data, called Mobile Spatial Statistics (Terada et al., 2013). Then, the relationship between the distance from the arrival airport to each area and the ratio of airline users are modeled. Because it has been reported that human movement follows a power law (Brockmann et al., 2006; Barbosa et al., 2018) where the number of visitors is proportional to the power of the distance, we adopt the gravity model. Finally, by comparing the predicted number of visitors from the model with the actual number of visitors, it is possible to confirm whether the ratio of airline users is high relative to the distance from the airport. This method allows for the selection of areas that are expected to have an effect in promoting wide-ranging movement. We evaluated our method using actual data, with a focus on Kushiro Airport, Memanbetsu Airport and Nakashibetsu Airport located in Eastern Hokkaido. Key findings are as follows: 1. The relationship between the distance from the arrival airport to the area moved and the ratio of airline users (not the number of users) follows a power law for each airport. For example, Abashiri city and Kitami city follow the power law. 2. Upon investigating the areas where the actual ratios of airline users were higher than the ratios of airline users predicted by the model for each airport, it was found that there is a common area (Teshikaga Town). When examining the proportion of visitors from each airport to that area, it was found that the proportions are balanced, suggesting that this area may serve as a watershed dividing the usage of different airports. Therefore, by encouraging air travelers to move beyond the watershed, it may be possible to increase the number of tourists traveling to a wider area, with different airports for the outbound and return trips. We leveraged the findings to develop a new tourism route.

ABSTRACT. Amid growing climate change concerns, ecological issues have become a key focus for scholars and practitioners. Tourism, responsible for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, significantly contributes to climate change (Lenzen et al., 2018). Green innovation is a vital strategy for tourism enterprises, helping to enhance market share and gain competitive advantages (Gürlek & Koseoglu, 2021). Corporate green innovation (CGI) aims to develop environmentally friendly services, processes, and methods to reduce environmental impact (Gürlek & Tuna, 2018). Despite increasing research on CGI, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) are often neglected (Gössling & Reinhold, 2024). OECD research indicates that a significant proportion of emissions are attributed to SMEs (OECD, 2021); therefore, SMTEs have substantial potential to contribute to sustainable development (Gössling & Reinhold, 2024; Smith et al., 2022). However, SMEs, unlike large firms, often lack urgency and face extra barriers (Chan, 2011; Shahin et al., 2024). Therefore, exploring strategies to encourage greater participation of SMTEs in CGI is of considerable importance. Research on CGI in SMTEs has made significant progress (Gössling & Reinhold, 2024); however, there remain gaps in both theoretical explanations and methodologies. The drivers of CGI into external and internal factors, but most rely on single theoretical perspectives, neglecting the integration of multiple frameworks. External drivers explore how enterprises engage in CGI to gain legitimacy or manage their relationship with the external environment, or are supported by tourism innovation intermediaries within the ecosystem, using stakeholder theory (Achmad et al., 2023), social identity theory (Kornilaki & Font, 2019), and ecosystem theory (Roser et al., 2023). Internal drivers focus on organizational capabilities and internal motivations, encompassing green supply chain management (Shin & Cho, 2022), green human resource management (Achmad et al., 2023), digital capabilities (Tiago et al., 2021), and executive values and dynamic capabilities (Khan et al., 2023; Masele, 2019). Despite significant advancements, the interplay between motivations, capabilities, and opportunities in driving successful CGI in SMTEs remains underexplored. Additionally, research methods primarily rely on case studies, grounded theory (Bressan & Pedrini, 2020; Roser et al., 2023), and survey-based regression analysis (Cantele & Cassia, 2020; Chan, 2011; Tosun et al., 2022). However, these approaches fail to capture the intricate causal relationships and essential mutual configurational supports, necessitating the adoption of a configurational approach to effectively comprehend CGI in SMTE. Based on the "Motivation-Opportunity-Ability" theoretical model (MacInnis & Jaworski, 1989), this study aims to investigate how the following factors—(a) motivational factors: executives' paradoxical cognition; (b) opportunity factors: policy support and industry association embedding; and (c) capability factors: digital transformation and green supply chain management—can be strategically configured to facilitate high CGI performance in SMTEs. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on 301 Chinese hotels, we uncover three type pathways for CGI in SMTEs. The Integrated Orchestration Type exhibits substitutive effects of opportunities and capabilities under paradoxical motivation. This contrasts with the work of Ren et al. (2023), who focus on the impact of corporate environmental and profit logics on performance, suggesting that paradoxical cognition is key for achieving high levels of CGI. The Ecosystem Embeddedness Type reveals SMTEs can foster CGI via industry association support and green supply chain capabilities, regardless of motive. The Digital Adaptation Type shows SMTEs can indirectly enhance CGI through digital transformation, bolstered by policy and association opportunities, even without a strong motive. Both the Ecosystem Embeddedness Type and the Digital Adaptation Type highlight that opportunities and capabilities complement each other when SMTEs motives are dispensable, extending understanding of green practices in SMTEs under motive constraints (Grimstad et al., 2020). Our research responds to the call for more empirical studies on sustainable practices in SMTEs (Gössling & Reinhold, 2024) and makes two notable contributions. First, we advance our understanding of CGI in SMTEs by exploring which combinations of motives, opportunities, and capabilities lead to their green innovation. While prior studies on CGI have acknowledged the role of executive paradox cognition (Gao et al., 2019), the opportunities of policy and industry association support (Achmad et al., 2023; Roser et al., 2023), and the impact of corporate digitalization and green supply chain management (Qian & Chen, 2024; Shin & Cho, 2022), they have not captured the interactive effect of these factors in successfully achieving CGI, especially in SMTEs (Bressan & Pedrini, 2020). Second, the use of fsQCA analysis offers a novel perspective by emphasizing the complexity of factor interactions, which contrasts with the linear approaches typically employed in existing studies (Cantele & Cassia, 2020; Tosun et al., 2022).

ABSTRACT. This study examines the role of hotel real estate investment trusts (REITs) in reshaping hotel management strategies and their implications for regional tourism economies, focusing on Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture. The majority of tourist accommodation facilities in Japan are Ryokans—traditional Japanese inns. Ryokans are popular among both domestic and inbound tourists because of their traditional features. However, they now face a dilemma regarding whether to maintain their traditional family-run business model amidst modern challenges, including succession issues, financial pressures, limited scalability, and fluctuating market demands. Aso City, renowned for its unique tourism environment and rich cultural heritage, recorded a historic peak of 52,750 monthly inbound visitors in November 2023, signaling its growing prominence as a tourist destination. Leveraging this distinctive background, this study explores three coexisting hotel management models in Aso City: traditional ownership and operation models, vertically integrated models, where ownership and operation are distinct, and REIT-driven models operating under a vertical integration framework. The study’s primary objective is to compare the financial performance, strategic characteristics, and broader regional impacts of these models, specifically focusing on the role of hotel REITs in revitalizing local tourism economies. By integrating perspectives from the tourism and hotel management literature, this study seeks to fill a critical gap in the existing research on Japan’s hotel REITs, which have been underexplored despite their rapid growth since the introduction of J-REITs in 2001. Most research on REITs, particularly Japanese REITs, focuses on investor or financial market perspectives, such as their implications for financial markets compared with other investment options. However, there has been insufficient attention paid to the strategic implications of REITs for operational management practices, specifically the relationship between asset ownership structures and hotel operational management. As of 2024, there were 58 listed REITs, highlighting their expanding influence on Japan’s real estate and financial markets, but their strategic role in the tourism sector is insufficiently addressed. This study employs a mixed-method approach combining financial performance analysis, regional tourism statistics, and qualitative insights derived from stakeholder interviews. Financial data and operational Key Performance Indicators from hotels operating under different management models in Aso City are analyzed to identify patterns in profitability, efficiency, and scalability. Tourism statistics, including inbound visitor data and accommodation trends, are examined to assess the relationship between hotel management models and regional tourism dynamics. By conducting qualitative interviews with hotel managers, REIT operators, and policymakers, we gain nuanced insights into the strategic and operational considerations influencing hotel REIT-driven models. The preliminary findings indicate that REIT-driven vertical integration offers significant advantages in terms of financial stability and scalability, enabling hotels to adapt more flexibly to fluctuating market demands. These models also demonstrate the capacity to align financial innovation with local tourism development goals, particularly in enhancing infrastructure investment and operational efficiency. In contrast, traditional ownership models, while deeply rooted in local culture, often face challenges in accessing capital and achieving economies of scale. Vertically integrated models that do not involve REITs exhibit moderate performance but lack the financial agility characteristic of REIT-driven frameworks. The implications of these findings extend beyond financial performance. Hotel REITs in Aso City contribute to the revitalization of the regional economy by fostering employment opportunities, encouraging infrastructure development, and attracting higher inbound visitor volumes. However, there are still some challenges - particularly for Ryokans - including balancing financial objectives with sustainable tourism practices and ensuring equitable benefits for local communities. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the interplay between real estate finance and tourism development. It highlights the potential of hotel REITs as a strategic tool for regional economic revitalization, offering practical recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders. These include fostering public-private partnerships to support REIT-driven hotel projects, aligning REIT operations with sustainable tourism goals, and replicating successful models in other regions to enhance Japan’s tourism resilience. The study underscores the transformative potential of financial instruments such as REITs in shaping the future of regional tourism. By situating the analysis in the unique context of Aso City, this study provides critical insights into the strategic advantages and challenges of integrating financial innovation into Japan’s tourism industry. Ultimately, the findings aim to inform the design of innovative, sustainable strategies for regional economic development, bridging the gap between real estate finance and tourism studies on an international scale.

ABSTRACT. Research Purpose and Relevance: This study investigates how social innovation embedded in festival activities contributes to the inheritance and conservation of China’s Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (China-NIAHS), using the Xinjiang Yili Tianma International Tourism Festival as a case. Agricultural heritage systems, as repositories of traditional farming wisdom, ethnic culture, and biodiversity, face challenges of marginalization and intergenerational discontinuity in modernization. While existing conservation strategies emphasize policy interventions or technical restoration, the innovative potential of festivals—dynamic platforms integrating cultural dissemination, economic collaboration, and social mobilization—remains underexplored. This research addresses two core questions: (1) How do festivals leverage social innovation to revitalize agricultural heritage systems? (2) What implications does this model hold for heritage conservation and rural revitalization in multi-ethnic border regions? The findings provide theoretical and practical insights for the dynamic conservation of China-NIAHS and contribute globally applicable lessons.

Literature Review: Current studies on NIAHS focus on three perspectives: ecological conservation (e.g., sustainable farming techniques), policy implementation (e.g., national certification frameworks), and community participation (e.g., local knowledge transmission). However, three critical gaps persist: (1) limited exploration of social innovation theory in heritage conservation, particularly its application to festivals; (2) geographical bias toward eastern agrarian systems (e.g., terraced fields), overlooking borderland nomadic cultures; and (3) a dichotomous view of “conservation versus development,” overlooking their synergistic potential. By integrating social innovation theory, Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and heritage studies, this study constructs a"festival-social innovation-heritage system"framework to address these gaps.

Methodology:An embedded single-case study design was employed, centered on the Yili Tianma International Tourism Festival (2013,2017,2022-2024). Mixed methods were used:(1)In-depth interviews: Semi-structured interviews with 48 stakeholders (government officials, herders, intangible heritage inheritors, and enterprises) to identify drivers and barriers of social innovation. (2)Participatory observation: Longitudinal tracking of festival planning, execution, and evaluation, documenting cultural performances, community interactions, and economic partnerships. (3)Longitudinal data analysis: Comparative analysis of five-year trends in festival scale, heritage policies, and socioeconomic indicators (e.g., herder income, employment rates).(4)Archival research: Triangulation of government documents, media reports, and academic publications.Methodological innovations include a"cultural activation-economic sharing-institutional synergy” model and the application of ANT to map interactions between human actors and non-human actors.

Key Findings:The festival activated agricultural heritage conservation through three social innovation mechanisms: (1)Cultural activation: Nomadic heritage elements (e.g., equestrian arts, seasonal migration rituals) were transformed into immersive experiences (Horseback Intangible Heritage Theater, Grassland Culture Workshops), amplified by short videos and livestreaming. (2)Economic sharing: A "government-enterprise-cooperative" model extended the horse industry chain (e.g., equestrian competitions, dairy product processing, eco-tourism), raising herders’ average annual income from ¥10,000 (2013) to ¥20,003 (2023), with direct community participation surging from 28% to 63%. (3)Institutional synergy:A cross-sectoral "Tianma Culture Protection Alliance" integrated cultural, agricultural, and ethnic affairs resources, securing provincial intangible heritage status for three traditional skills and formulating the Tianma Heritage Conservation and Utilization Guidelines. The festivals’ annual cycle created a self-reinforcing loop: cultural memory revival→economic value creation→social identity strengthening, shifting heritage conservation from static conservation to innovative coexistence.

Original Contributions:Theoretical Contributions:(1)A Festival-riven Heritage conservation Model was proposed, highlighting the mediating role of social innovations between festivals and heritage sustainability, transcending the "conservation versus utilization" dichotomy.(2)A Borderland Triple Helix Framework elucidated government-market-community synergies in multi-ethnic contexts, expanding social innovation theory’s geographical and cultural dimensions.Practical Contributions: (3)Strategies for converting cultural symbols (such as the image of the Tianma) into marketable intellectual properties were discussed in the context of agricultural heritage IP development.(4)A model integrating 'resource equity and skill training' was discussed, aiming to increase the participation of herders in tourism service training and enhance local agency (5)An adaptive policy solution was proposed to promote the harmonization of heritage policies with regional development plans (including rural revitalization), ensuring policy consistency.

Conclusion:The Xinjiang Yili Tianma International Tourism Festival demonstrates that socially innovative festivals can dynamically revitalize agricultural heritage systems, achieving synergy between cultural conservation and socioeconomic development. This case provides a replicable "festival-led heritage revitalization" paradigm for China’s borderlands and enriches global agricultural heritage conservation practices. Future research could explore digital technologies in enhancing festival innovation and compare efficacy across festival types and scales.

ABSTRACT. Rhythmanalysis, as a dynamic framework, plays a pivotal role in understanding timespace, place, and everyday life (Edensor, 2010). Emerging from multidisciplinary perspectives in music, dance, anthropology, sociology, and philosophy, it has evolved into a critical tool in human geography for examining timespace relations (Flemsæter et al., 2020), identity formation (Spence, 2014), and social ecology (Mels, 2016). Although rhythmanalysis has rich theoretical connotations, existing studies have yet to systematically organize and interpret its key characteristics, such as temporality, placeness, embodiment, materiality, and emotionality. Moreover, they have not explained how these rhythmic attributes contribute to ontological discussions in human geography, thereby advancing research topics such as the politics of time, space, everyday life, and mobility. Additionally, there is a lack of studies focusing on the Chinese context. This study systematically reviews rhythmanalysis in human geography, analyzing its publication trends and thematic evolution, aiming to advance theoretical and methodological frameworks for understanding Chinese social phenomena through rhythmanalysis.

This study systematically analyzes rhythm-related literature in geography journals using the Web of Science Core Collection. A literature review outlines publication trends and key themes. BERTopic, a topic modeling algorithm, generates word vector representations, reduces dimensionality, clusters topics, and extracts core vocabulary using a class-based TF-IDF transformation. Additionally, the Word2Vec model examines the thematic evolution of rhythmanalysis by computing word similarities based on cosine values. Researchers use this method to identify semantic metaphors of rhythm across different stages in human geography literature.

Based on the overall publication volume of existing literature, the author categorizes previous studies into three stages: the embryonic stage(2002-2008), the initial development stage(2009-2017), and the rapid development stage(2018-present). Rhythm-related research primarily appears in high-impact journals focusing on mobility, socio-cultural geography, environment and planning, urban geography, and rural studies, establishing rhythmanalysis as a significant theoretical perspective and research methodology in human geography. The analysis identifies four primary areas: (1) rhythm and modern urban characteristics, (2) rhythm and mobility, (3) rhythm and modern Western philosophical trends, and (4) variations, patterns, and dynamics of rhythm from a rhythmanalysis perspective. Regarding semantic evolution, during the embryonic stage (2002-2008), rhythm was primarily used to understand emotions, time, pathways of mobility, play and performance, and social identity. In the initial development stage (2009-2017), the explicit adoption of Lefebvre’s rhythmanalysis theory led studies to focus more on specific contexts such as work, sensory experiences within rhythms, and material relations influencing rhythmic changes. In the rapid development stage (2018-present), research has increasingly incorporated the musicality and emotional aspects of rhythm, examining mobility at the collective level and focusing on cognition, sensation, and emotion at the individual level.

Human geography examines issues such as time and place, identity and race, perception and emotion, narrative and methodology, structure and conflict, and holidays and commodification through the lens of rhythm. This approach not only explores the essence and state of human existence, the politics of everyday life, and the ongoing focus on key issues like leisure, mobility, and commodification but also includes methodological discussions in research design. Specifically, the repetitive, differential, cyclical, and paused characteristics of rhythmic temporality have been thoroughly understood, offering perspectives on topics such as the temporal structure of modernity, power relations in time usage, and how concepts of time and social norms are altered in social action. Rhythm's sense of place focuses on multiple rhythms, emphasizing the self-rhythm of places and the rhythms of others. It delves into issues such as spaces as containers and places filled with emotion, analyzing the fundamental laws of sustainable spatial development, human-environment interactions, the construction of place meanings, and issues of spatial power and justice. Through the power structures of the body and identity, rhythm advances the understanding of the micro-politics of everyday life. Rhythm is a crucial dimension for understanding mobility, with existing studies exploring the politics of mobility through key concepts like repetition and difference. Furthermore, research has also advanced the exploration of rhythmanalysis, both as a theoretical perspective and as a research method, deepening the understanding of social phenomena.

Finally, in the Chinese context, rhythm is both a tool for philosophical reflection and a means for practical transformation. How to integrate traditional Chinese culture with rhythmanalysis, achieving the contextualization and extension of the concept of rhythm, in order to better address how rhythm can shape a sustainable, healthy, and harmonious life experience amid the unprecedented changes of the century, and provide methods for the comprehensive development of humans, is a key issue for rhythmanalysis research in China. Additionally, exploring solutions for harmonious coexistence between humans and technology in the AI era is another critical question that needs to be answered in the Chinese context.

ABSTRACT. This study explores how stakeholder collaborations contribute to the sustainability of sports events in Malaysia, with Le Tour de Langkawi serving as the case study. As sustainability becomes an increasingly central objective in global sports event management, there is growing recognition of the need to involve multiple stakeholders in achieving long-term social, economic, and environmental outcomes. This research is situated within the intersecting domains of event management, community development, and sustainability studies, addressing the pressing need to incorporate local stakeholder perspectives into sustainable sports event planning. By focusing on the Malaysian context, the study also adds regional insight to a predominantly Western-centered body of literature.

A review of the existing literature reveals that while stakeholder theory and collaborative governance have been widely applied in public policy and environmental planning, their application in the management of sustainable sports events remains limited, particularly in Southeast Asia. Most prior studies emphasize top-down approaches led by government agencies or major event organizers, often overlooking the nuanced, bottom-up contributions from grassroots actors such as local communities, merchants, and volunteers. While concepts like partnerships and communication are frequently cited as key elements of sustainable event planning, few studies examine the processes by which trust, engagement, and shared responsibilities among diverse stakeholders translate into sustainable outcomes on the ground.

To address this gap, the study employed a qualitative case study design focusing on Le Tour de Langkawi, one of Malaysia’s most prominent international cycling events. Data were collected from eleven distinct communities that actively participated in the event, including stakeholders such as local authorities, event organizers, merchants, volunteers, and residents. Thematic analysis was conducted using the constant comparative method, which facilitated the identification and refinement of recurring themes across interviews and observational data. This methodological approach allowed for a deeper understanding of stakeholder dynamics while highlighting grassroots contributions to sustainability, whcih is an element often marginalized in traditional event evaluations.

The analysis identified five key themes that encapsulate the dynamics of effective stakeholder collaboration. First, stakeholder collaboration itself was central, involving clearly defined roles, partnership structures, and trust-building among organizers, authorities, and community members. Second, communication and coordination emerged as crucial, with both digital and printed platforms playing significant roles in campaign outreach and logistical planning. Third, community engagement and involvement were highlighted through the inclusion of schools, volunteer participation, and broader efforts to raise local awareness. Fourth, economic empowerment through collaboration was evident in both immediate benefits, such as increased local income and business activity, and long-term outcomes like tourism development, job creation, and place branding. Lastly, collaborative environmental stewardship featured prominently, with stakeholders jointly engaging in eco-friendly practices, waste management strategies, and green event initiatives.

This study offers several original contributions to the field of sustainable event management. It expands the current discourse by centering bottom-up stakeholder engagement, challenging the dominant reliance on top-down policy frameworks. It also provides a more nuanced understanding of how community-level trust, alliance-building, and shared ownership play pivotal roles in sustaining large-scale events beyond their operational execution. In particular, the study reframes communication as more than a functional tool, positioning it as a foundational pillar for aligning stakeholder interests and cultivating a collective sense of responsibility. Furthermore, the findings illustrate how sports events can serve as effective platforms for both economic empowerment and environmental education at the community level, thereby enhancing their overall value and impact.

In conclusion, this research advances theoretical and practical understandings of sustainable sports event management by demonstrating that effective, inclusive stakeholder collaboration is essential for achieving long-term sustainability goals. The insights generated can guide event organizers, policymakers, and local communities in designing and implementing sports events that are not only operationally successful but also socially and environmentally responsible. Future studies could build on this work by applying the thematic framework developed here to other cultural or geographical contexts or by integrating quantitative methods to further assess the scope and scale of stakeholder impact.

ABSTRACT. The e-sports is currently growing rapidly and live e-sports events are showing great commercial value and interest. Similar to sports sponsorship, companies expect to obtain commercial and investment returns by sponsoring e-sports events. Many sponsorship advertisements appear on the game screen of live events.The logos and advertisements of sponsors have become an important focal point of attention in e-sports live streaming events. The Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral (CAB) Theory provides a robust explanation for the mechanism of advertising effectiveness. This theory posits that an individual’s cognition (perception/knowledge) of an object determines their attitude (emotional evaluation), which in turn shapes their behavioral intention (propensity to act)Brand perception, brand attitude, and purchase intention are critical dimensions for measuring the effectiveness of sponsor advertisements. Sponsorship advertisements in film/television media, sports events, and video games can prompt audiences to recognize and remember brand names more accurately, thereby enhancing their brand perception. Brand attitude represents consumers' overall evaluation of a brand, formed by judging the practical impact of the brand’s functional attributes or product utility on themselves. Purchase intention, meanwhile, refers to the likelihood that consumers will incline to buy a product. Sponsors aim to influence the audience's attitude toward the brand through advertising, thereby boosting their purchase intention and ultimately driving actual consumer purchases. Thus, brand perception is typically the primary objective in measuring advertising effectiveness, while actual purchase behavior remains the ultimate goal of advertising or sponsorship efforts.There is a great need to analyze the effects of sponsorship advertising in the e-sports field, but there is a lack of relevant empirical validation and research is yet to be done on the mechanisms underlying the impact of sponsorship advertising on audiences of live e-sports events. This study uses a hybrid research design combining experimental research and structural equation modeling to explore the advertising effects of live e-sports events based on a review of the literature and previous research. Firstly, a controlled experiment was conducted with a sample of e-sports audiences (n=81) to explore the differences in the perception of sponsored brands among e-sports audience subjects in a context with or without sponsorship advertising. Secondly, a sample of e-sports audiences (n=440) was surveyed using Smart-PLS SEM to verify the causal pathways between brand perception, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions in advertising effectiveness and a 'two-step' approach was used to evaluate the measurement and structural models. The results of the experimental study showed that there were significant differences in the subjects' attention, memory, and recognition of the sponsor's brand with or without the stimulus of sponsorship advertising. The results of the structural equation modeling showed that brand perception had a direct positive influence on brand attitude, the brand attitude had a direct positive influence on purchase intention, and brand fit played a moderating role in the relationship between brand attitude and purchase intention. This study adopts a mixed research design to prove the effectiveness of sponsorship advertisements in e-sports events, which has certain research breakthroughs and value. The main conclusions: Firstly, sponsorship advertising for live e-sports events has an impact on audiences' brand perception and theoretical models of advertising effectiveness are applicable in live e-sports events. Secondly, advertising agency should improve the level of advertising design, optimize the form of advertising implantation, and improve the attractiveness of sponsorship advertising, and sponsors could focus on consumer expectations of the brand, increase brand-consumer interaction, showcase the brand image, and improve consumer brand attitude and purchase intentions. Lastly, Brand fit is an important variable influencing the effectiveness of sponsorship advertising in e-sport events. Sponsorship events should focus on the intrinsic connection between the brand and the event and improve consumer perception of the fit between the brand and the event. Prospects for follow up research: simulate the real audience viewing environment; consider the impact of different e-sports, different audience viewing motives, and other factors on the advertising effect; explore the advertising effect of e-sports events in an offline viewing environment; consider the sponsorship advertising value of e-sports players and e-sports teams.

ABSTRACT. With the development of digital technology, live streaming has become an important social interaction platform that promotes user community participation and influences consumer decisions. In China, live streaming of rural sports events, with its authentic rural atmosphere and immersive interaction, has enhanced the visibility and tourism appeal of rural areas. For example, the “Village Super” rural football tournament attracted over 700 million online viewers, driving 12.25 million visitors to the area and generating 13.5 billion yuan in tourism revenue. Despite the significant potential of this live streaming format in boosting the rural economy and tourism, the number of tourists actually traveling to the destination for in-person viewing remains limited. However, there is still a lack of systematic research on how to effectively convert online traffic into offline tourism behavior. Online community participation stems from community marketing research, which focuses on consumers’ interaction motives within brand communities and their impact on brand attitudes and behaviors. According to the COBRA framework, online community participation can be divided into three levels: consumption, contribution, and creation, and may influence user decisions through emotional activation mechanisms. Affective Transfer Theory suggests that emotional experiences in a specific context can transfer to subsequent contexts, thus influencing attitudes and behaviors. In the context of rural sports event live streaming, community interaction enhances the event experience and may promote offline tourism decisions through emotional transfer. Event satisfaction and destination trust, as key emotional factors, affect viewing willingness and travel decision certainty. Additionally, involvement is an important antecedent variable that drives community participation. It determines the depth of individual cognition, emotional investment, and interaction levels, and enhances the online-to-offline behavior conversion through emotional resonance mechanisms. This study draws on the classification framework of consumer involvement in social media environments and divides involvement into product involvement, advertisement involvement, and situational involvement, exploring how they drive community interaction and promote tourism behavior conversion. Although previous studies have focused on the impact of online interaction on offline behavior, there is a lack of systematic theoretical explanations of its conversion mechanisms. To fill this gap, this study innovatively integrates involvement theory and affective transfer theory to construct an integrated framework encompassing involvement, online community participation, emotional experience, and offline behavior, revealing the underlying mechanisms of online-to-offline conversion. This study employs empirical analysis methods, combining Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Necessary Conditions Analysis (NCA), to explore the impact mechanism of community participation in rural sports event livestreams on destination tourism. By adapting and adjusting validated scales, the study ensures that the measurement indicators are suitable for the research context and target population. The survey was distributed via online platforms, recruiting respondents who had watched rural sports event livestreams. A total of 436 valid questionnaires were collected for data analysis. The study finds that event involvement and live streaming involvement are the core driving factors of community participation, particularly in enhancing viewers’ emotional resonance and willingness to interact, thereby fostering long-term engagement. Viewers’ consumption and contribution behaviors have a significant impact on viewing satisfaction, while creation behavior, although it enhances satisfaction, does not constitute a necessary condition. Furthermore, viewing satisfaction and destination trust directly influence offline behavior, especially in terms of how event live streaming contribute to shaping the destination’s image. Finally, this study proposes a systematic theoretical framework, filling the theoretical gap in the online-to-offline behavior conversion, and providing new perspectives and theoretical support for user behavior research in digital environments. The practical significance of this study lies in enhancing the appeal, interactivity, and immersion of live streaming content to stimulate viewer involvement and drive the innovation and branding of rural sports events, particularly in terms of diversifying event content and integrating regional culture. Event organizers should leverage live streaming platforms, social media, and other multi-channel collaborations to create a “live streaming—community interaction—offline experience” marketing loop, converting online viewers into offline tourists and promoting rural economic growth. Future research could adopt a longitudinal study design to track changes in viewer behavior, and further introduce variables such as streamers characteristics and platform recommendation algorithms to explore the multi-dimensional factors influencing viewer behavior.

ABSTRACT. The rapid proliferation of mega-events in Hong Kong, including international trade fairs, cultural festivals, and sporting competitions, has positioned the city as a key global destination for large-scale gatherings. These events play a crucial role in boosting the local economy and enhancing Hong Kong’s international reputation. However, their success is contingent on customers' experiences through the customer journey, creating a complex interplay pre-event, during-event, and post-event. Despite a growing focus on Customer Experience Management (CEM) in the broader service industry, there is a notable lack of research examining its application in the events sector, particularly regarding the challenges and opportunities presented by mega-events in dense cities like Hong Kong. This study attempts to address this gap by exploring the dynamics of CEM at mega-events with the aim of identifying and optimizing all key customer touchpoints to enable overall satisfaction and loyalty. The study objectives were: 1) to identify the essential components of customer relationship management, and 2) to assess the influence of different touchpoints physical, emotional, and digital on re-attendance intentions.

Customer experience is a critical factor in service interactions, influencing customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty. Previous studies highlight CX as a dynamic, multidimensional process that unfolds across various touchpoints from pre-purchase to post-purchase stages (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016; Kranzbühler et al., 2018; Zha et al., 2023). This study is grounded in three key theoretical frameworks: the Experience Economy (Pine & Gilmore, 2011), which emphasizes the importance of creating memorable experiences rather than merely offering services; Experiential Marketing (Schmitt, 1999), which focuses on sensory, emotional, cognitive, and relational aspects of consumer engagement; and the Customer Experience Model (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016), which examines customer interactions across different phases of the journey. Prior research underscores the significance of CEM at each touchpoint, from pre-event communications to on-site interactions and post-event follow-ups (De Keyser et al., 2020; Homburg et al., 2017; Lemon & Verhoef, 2016). However, there is a lack of clarity on how these touchpoints function collectively in high-pressure environments such as mega-events. Moreover, existing studies tend to analyze individual touchpoints in isolation rather than adopting a holistic approach to the customer journey (Tueanrat et al., 2021; Weidig et al., 2024). Given these gaps in the literature, this study advocates for an integrated framework that captures the complexities of CX in major events. Data was collected during Muse Fest HK 2024, held on November 2nd and 3rd. The research employs a mixed-methods: -qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 event organizers and frontline staff to gain insight into their CEM strategies. A survey was conducted on event attendees, resulting in 613 fully complete questionnaires assessing satisfaction at various touchpoints. On-site observations further provided a real-time assessment of service interactions and customer engagement. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis, while inferential statistics were applied to the quantitative data to identify patterns and relationships in CX. Findings indicate that seamless coordination across touchpoints is crucial for minimizing attendee frustration and enhancing overall event satisfaction. The study highlights three primary factors reliability, availability, and accountability as the most critical components of CEM influencing re-attendance intentions. Physical touchpoints, such as venue accessibility, crowd management, and staff responsiveness, are essential in shaping perceived service quality and determining attendee loyalty. Emotional touchpoints such as attendees' arrival experiences, interactions during the event, and departure significantly shape their overall impression. Digital touchpoints, including mobile ticketing, event apps, and AI-driven customer support, are key determinants of pre-event satisfaction and help set attendees' expectations. Post-event engagement is highly influential in driving re-attendance and generating positive word-of-mouth promotion. Effective post-event strategies, including feedback solicitation and social media engagement, can strengthen customer relationships and enhance long-term event success. The study also identifies several barriers to effective CEM in mega-events, with inclusivity being a major concern that event organizers must address. This research makes a valuable theoretical and practical contribution by proposing a holistic CX framework specifically designed for mega-events in urban settings. Theoretically, it extends existing CEM models by emphasizing the nexus between various touchpoints and advocating for a comprehensive, rather than fragmented, approach to service enhancement. Practically, the study offers actionable recommendations for event planners, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach that aligns physical, emotional, and digital service solutions across all event phases. This study fills a critical literature gap by providing insights that can help event planners refine their CEM strategies, ultimately improving customer satisfaction and ensuring the sustained success of mega-events in dense urban environments like Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT. Background: Japan has a tremendous, unique culture that attracts tourists from overseas and other local areas. Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings are a significant cultural resource for revitalizing local tourism in Japan. Kanazawa Higashiyama Higashi Chaya and Kawagoe preservation districts represent Symbolic preservation districts in Hokuriku and Kanto areas. These Important Preservation Districts are widely recognized as an essential source of culture-led urban regeneration and well-known tourist destinations. However, the tourism industry is heavily influenced by seasonality due to climate (Steiger, Posch, Tappeiner, & Walde, 2023; Töglhofer, Eigner, & Prettenthaler, 2011), tourist behavior (Ogawa, Yamaguchi, Honda, Inahara, & Nakayama, 2022; Tahira, Ito, & Fujii, 2020), natural disaster (Nishimura, Kajitani, & Tatano, 2012; Takano & Meguro, 2010), infections (Arima, 2024; Cui & Shibusawa, 2023), and so on. Although local governments, communities, and citizens are trying to build citizen-led sustainable town development, the population and traditional buildings face significant aging challenges. Moreover, due to the unbalancing between the number of tourism workers and the increasing number of tourists, especially in high tourist seasons, over-tourism is becoming another new challenge for the government, local communities, and citizens. Furthermore, natural disasters and infectious diseases also significantly negatively impact the seasonality of tourism development. Research Purpose: In this study, we aim to explore the past and the current situation of seasonality and forecast the future demands of these two well-known preservation districts by comparing Japanese tourist seasonality through analysis of the visitor flow data. Brief literature review: Japanese scholars began to study Japanese domestic tourism by adopting time-series analysis. Mori (1959) studied the changing needs of sightseeing parking spaces due to the high seasonal, daily, and timely variations. Moreover, others focused on the attractiveness of tourism resources, the impact of natural disasters, and the methodology of estimating the tourism-demanding(Kaji & Akagi, 1991; Komori & Matsuura, 1972; Takahashi & Igarashi, 1990). Most scholars agree that seasonality is a negative characteristic of the tourism industry, a chronic problem (R. Butler, 1998; R. W. Butler, 2001). Scholars have pointed out several reasons for analyzing seasonality's importance in tourism from different viewpoints. For example, Lundtorp (2001) focused on its economic importance and influence on pricing. In cultural destinations, according to Cuccia and Rizzo (2011), Jeffrey and Barden (2000), seasonality analysis provides valuable information for monitoring the hospitality industry agencies’ performance and future marketing strategies. There are several main approaches to measuring seasonality in time series analysis. In recent years, the ARIMA model has become the primary method for analyzing trends and seasonality. However, Japanese and foreign scholars focus on tourism's social and economic impact, especially in larger areas. Moreover, studies on the time series analysis of historical preservation districts are lacking. Historical districts are a tourism resource and a national and local treasury of Japanese culture. Researchers and government policymakers must understand the historical and current situations of historical districts regarding tourism development, trying to find a scientific method to balance preservation and utilization. Data and methodology: We used the KDDI Location Analyzer (KLA) to collect yearly, monthly, and daily Japanese local tourist flow data from different areas to those two preservation districts over seven years between 2018 and 2024, before, during, and after COVID-19. We applied combined approaches to time series analysis and measured the seasonality and trend due to the unique characteristics of the two preservation districts. Empirical findings: We found no significant differences in the seasonality between those two preservation districts over a long period. In both preservation districts, November was the peak season for tourism before and after COVID-19. In January, the number of Japanese tourists declined. However, the seasonal variances are different in these two preservation districts. After COVID-19, the number of visitors didn’t increase as much as before COVID-19. Compared to the Higashi-Chaya preservation district, the seasonal fluctuation in the number of visitors is significantly apparent. In the Kanazawa Higashi-chaya preservation district, the number of tourists of the age of 20 is higher than other age groups, especially on weekends. However, there are no significant differences between other different age groups. Compared to the Higashi-chaya district, Kawagoe preservation districts have no substantial differences in the number of visitors between each age group. The original contribution to the field: This study enriches tourism seasonality research by revealing nuanced post-COVID-19 recovery patterns in historic preservation districts, emphasizing differences in age-based visitation trends. It advances discussions on sustainable tourism management and adaptive strategies for heritage sites facing fluctuating visitor demographics and seasonal imbalances.

References Arima, T. (2024). The Effect on Tourist Flow of the Tokyo 2020 Games During the COVID-19 Pandemic Human-Flow Data Analysis by Time-Series and Combined Ratio of Spots. JAFIT international tourism review, 31, 7-15. doi:10.24526/jafit.31.0_7 Butler, R. (1998). Seasonality in tourism: Issues and implications. The Tourist Review, 53(3), 18-24. doi:10.1108/eb058278 Butler, R. W. (2001). Chapter 2 - Seasonality in Tourism: Issues and Implications. In T. Baum & S. Lundtorp (Eds.), Seasonality in Tourism (pp. 5-21). Oxford: Pergamon. Cuccia, T., & Rizzo, I. (2011). Tourism seasonality in cultural destinations: Empirical evidence from Sicily. Tourism Management, 32(3), 589-595. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2010.05.008 Cui, M., & Shibusawa, H. (2023). Analysis of the Impact of Infection Control Measures and Tourism Demand Stimulus Measures on the Floating Population Around Major Stations. Proceedings of JITR Annual Conference, 38, 45-48. doi:10.18979/jitrproceedings.38.0_45 Jeffrey, D., & Barden, R. R. D. (2000). An analysis of daily occupancy performance: a basis for effective hotel marketing? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 12(3), 179-189. doi:10.1108/09596110010320715 Kaji, H., & Akagi, S. (1991). Time Series Regression Analysis on the Impact of Natural Disasters on Commercial Activities. Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 26, 205-210. doi:10.11361/journalcpij.26.205 Komori, A., & Matsuura, Y. (1972). A Study on Estimation Method of Sightseeing Demand. Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 7, 181-186. doi:10.11361/journalcpij.7.181 Lundtorp, S. (2001). Chapter 3 - Measuring Tourism Seasonality. In T. Baum & S. Lundtorp (Eds.), Seasonality in Tourism (pp. 23-50). Oxford: Pergamon. Mori, M. (1959). STUDY ON THE FUTURE PLANNING OF SIGHT-SEEING PARKING SPACES subtitle_in_Japanese. Transactions of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, 1959(61), 54-62. doi:10.2208/jscej1949.1959.61_54 Nishimura, T., Kajitani, Y., & Tatano, H. (2012). DAMAGE ASSESSMENT IN TOURISM CAUSED BY AN EARTHQUAKE DISASTER. Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Ser. D3 (Infrastructure Planning and Management), 68(5), I_267-I_276. doi:10.2208/jscejipm.68.I_267 Ogawa, J., Yamaguchi, H., Honda, R., Inahara, R., & Nakayama, S. (2022). TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE IN KANAZAWA CITY UNDER COVID-19 PANDEMIC. Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Ser. D3 (Infrastructure Planning and Management), 77(5), I_649-I_662. doi:10.2208/jscejipm.77.5_I_649 Steiger, R., Posch, E., Tappeiner, G., & Walde, J. (2023). Seasonality matters: simulating the impacts of climate change on winter tourism demand. Current Issues in Tourism, 26(17), 2777-2793. doi:10.1080/13683500.2022.2097861 Tahira, M., Ito, H., & Fujii, T. (2020). Analysis of Behavior of Tourists and Estimation of Economic Value on Tourist Season of Taisetsu Furano Scenic Byway Route. The Tourism Studies, 31(2), 5-13. doi:10.18979/jitr.31.2_5 Takahashi, K., & Igarashi, H. (1990). STUDY ON THE RECREATION ACTIVITY BY RECREATION SPOT ATTRACTIVE INDEX. INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING REVIEW, 8, 233-240. doi:10.2208/journalip.8.233 Takano, Y., & Meguro, K. (2010). A Study on the Decrease in Travel and Tourism to Affected Regions after Natural Disasters. SEISAN KENKYU, 62(4), 421-423. doi:10.11188/seisankenkyu.62.421 Töglhofer, C., Eigner, F., & Prettenthaler, F. (2011). Impacts of snow conditions on tourism demand in Austrian ski areas. Climate Research, 46(1), 1-14. Retrieved from https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/cr/v46/n1/p1-14/

ABSTRACT. This study explores how Rongjiang County, a rural area in Guizhou Province, successfully transformed itself into a destination brand through the Village Super League (VSL). By leveraging grassroots football and ethnic cultural performances, Rongjiang created a tourism product that integrates sports, culture, and digital media to redefine its identity and attract national recognition. The VSL represents an innovative example of community-based tourism (CBT), emphasizing active community participation in enhancing quality of life while safeguarding cultural and natural heritage. As de Abreu and de Almeida (2024) and Salazar (2012) emphasize, CBT initiatives prioritizing authenticity and inclusivity can achieve both cultural preservation and sustainable economic growth. Rongjiang’s branding strategy builds on the role of sports in community engagement, socio-economic development, and identity building, as noted by Higham and Hinch (2018). The VSL combines grassroots sports with ethnic cultural elements, creating a unique experience that resonates with local and national audiences. Fan and He (2023) highlight the collaborative nature of the VSL, involving government agencies, businesses, media, and citizens in a synergistic platform for collective action. This study examines how such collaboration catalyzed tourism growth, redefined rural branding, and elevated Rongjiang’s visibility as a cultural and sports tourism destination. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining semi-structured interviews and social media analysis to understand the VSL’s success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 key stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, business owners, social media teams, and tourists. This sample size was determined based on the principle of saturation, where additional interviews no longer provided new insights. The number of participants is appropriate for a qualitative study aiming to capture diverse perspectives on collaborative processes, governance structures, and branding strategies. Main questions included: 1. How did local government agencies and community groups collaborate in organizing the VSL? 2. What role did ethnic cultural performances play in enhancing the event’s appeal? 3. How did businesses contribute to the VSL’s branding and economic impact? 4. What strategies did social media teams use to amplify the VSL’s visibility? 5. How did tourists help to spread their experience with the VSL through social media? Textual analysis of social media content provided further insights into how platforms like Douyin facilitated the construction and dissemination of the VSL’s brand narrative. These platforms also allowed for interactive engagement through likes, comments, and shares, creating a sense of community participation that extended beyond the physical event. By generating widespread attention and fostering a participatory online environment, the VSL became a cultural and social phenomenon. This dual focus on interviews and social media analysis ensures a comprehensive understanding of the innovative strategies employed in building Rongjiang’s destination brand, particularly the integration of digital tools with grassroots initiatives. Key findings from the research highlight several innovative aspects of Rongjiang’s approach to destination branding. First, the integration of grassroots football with ethnic cultural performances created a distinctive and culturally rich tourism product. This aligns with de Abreu and de Almeida’s (2024) assertion that CBT initiatives rooted in cultural authenticity can effectively promote sustainable development. Second, digital media amplification emerged as a transformative tool. Platforms like Douyin not only enabled the VSL to reach a national audience but also created a participatory space for online communities, amplifying the event’s impact. Third, stakeholder co-creation was critical to the initiative’s success. Inclusive collaboration among government agencies, businesses, and local communities ensured that the benefits of tourism growth were equitably distributed and that broad participation was encouraged. Finally, the tourism boom driven by the VSL revitalized various sectors, including hospitality, agriculture, and handicrafts, demonstrating the event’s far-reaching socio-economic impact. The research illustrates how Rongjiang’s VSL exemplifies the potential of grassroots initiatives to redefine rural tourism branding. By integrating cultural heritage, sports, and digital media, the VSL serves as a model for rural areas to achieve national prominence while promoting sustainable development. Fan and He (2023) observe that the multi-stakeholder collaboration behind the VSL reflects a broader trend in CBT, where diverse contributors work together to create innovative and impactful tourism products. Theoretical Contribution: This study contributes to the literature on rural tourism and destination branding by offering a nuanced analysis of the intersections between grassroots sports, cultural heritage, and digital communication. It advances the theoretical understanding of community-based tourism (CBT) by demonstrating how grassroots initiatives can serve as a catalyst for rural transformation when combined with digital media and stakeholder collaboration. The study also extends the destination branding theory by highlighting the role of cultural authenticity and participatory digital engagement in creating a compelling brand narrative. Furthermore, it contributes to the sustainable tourism discourse by illustrating how equitable stakeholder collaboration and cultural preservation can drive socio-economic development without compromising local heritage. These insights provide a framework for future research on rural tourism, particularly in contexts where digital tools and community participation are leveraged to achieve sustainable growth. Practical Implications: The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to leverage local culture and community engagement in tourism development. Policymakers can draw on Rongjiang’s experience to design initiatives that prioritize authenticity, inclusivity, and collaboration, while tourism practitioners can adopt similar strategies to enhance the appeal and sustainability of rural tourism products. References Abreu, L. A. d., Walkowski, M. d. C., Perinotto, A. R. C., & Fonseca, J. F. d. (2024). Community-Based Tourism and Best Practices with the Sustainable Development Goals. Administrative Sciences, 14(2), 36. Fan, H. and He, J. (2023). Co-Creation Models for City Branding in the Context of Social Media: A Case Study of Zibo Barbecue’s Viral Phenomenon. Journalism Lover, 10, 38-41. Higham, J.E.S. & Hinch, T.D. (2018). Sport Tourism Development (3rd ed.). Bristol: Channel View Publications. Salazar, N. B. (2012). Community-based cultural tourism: issues, threats and opportunities. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 20(1), 9-22.

ABSTRACT. Film and television productions not only shape destination images but also influence audiences’ emotional experiences and behavioral intentions. However, previous film tourism research focuses on tourists’ personal mental motivations and the impact of film productions on the attractiveness of a destination (Hao et al., 2019; Rittichainuwat & Rattanaphinanchai, 2015; Skinner et al., 2022), while neglecting how empathy fosters moral identification and altruistic behaviors among audiences. In particular, outdoor ensemble-cast reality shows (OECRS) incorporate narratives of social responsibility, such as community engagement, yet little research has examined how these narratives influence audiences’ emotional projection and actual travel behaviors. Furthermore, the way of audience involvement effects tourist expectations through affective destination image remains underexplored, in terms of how referential reflection functions as a key in this process. To address these gaps, this paper adopts an empathy-based theoretical framework and proposes a conceptual model linking audience involvement, destination image, and tourist expectations, with affective destination image as a mediating variable. It further demonstrates how the mechanism of film empathy facilitates moral tourism practices. This paper expands the predominant focus on film tourism as a personal interest-driven experience by illustrating how film empathy fosters altruistic tourism behaviors, where tourists seek to enact social responsibility at film destinations. This paper contributes a new perspective on how film empathy shapes tourist expectations, highlighting the role of referential reflection. In addition, it employs a mixed-methods approach to establish causality through quantitative analysis, followed by qualitative case to uncover the nuances of the empathy process. Practically, the findings offer insights for destination marketing, suggesting a shift to ethically engaged narratives to foster audience altruistic connections to destinations’ communities. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to analyze the relationship between audience involvement and tourist expectations in film tourism. The first case study focuses on the travel reality show Go for Happiness. In this case, surveys were collected within online fandoms, and PLS-SEM was used to examine the relationships among audience involvement, affective destination image, and tourist expectations. The second case, Become a Farmer Season 2, gathers qualitative data through semi-structured interviews on audiences who participate in moral activities during their travel after watching this variety. It highlights the role of collective emotional motivation and the altruistic expectations audiences develop toward destinations. This sequential mixed-method approach first establishes the causal path through quantitative analysis (audience involvement → affective destination image → tourist expectations), then qualitatively explores the audiences experience of empathy, strengthening the paper’s theoretical grounding and causal coherence. Relying solely on quantitative analysis would have limited the paper’s contribution to verifying the relationships between audience involvement, affective destination image, and tourist expectations, without addressing how the empathy process unfolds. The qualitative case fills this gap by illustrating how audiences connect a destination’s image with altruistic behavior, social responsibility, and personal values through the mechanism of empathy. This deepens explanatory power of this paper by exploring the process of constructing an affective destination image, explaining the direct influence of referential reflection on tourist expectations, and exploring the behavioral shifts that occur when audiences move from view to active engagement. In conclusion, (1) referential reflection directly enhances tourist expectations, whereas emotional involvement influences expectations only through affective destination image; (2) audiences’ emotional projection onto destinations is shaped by moral narratives in OECRS, transforming destinations into spaces for ethical engagement and collective value expression; (3) audiences exhibit a moral commitment in their travel decisions beyond personal hedonism, seeking to engage in responsible tourism activities such as community initiatives. Film empathy constructs tourists’ emotional experiences, as well as cultivates their practices of morality in destinations by extending self-oriented expectations to altruistic expectations. This engagement gives some practical implication in destination marketing. First, destination management organizations (DMOs) need to maintain a positive affective image of the destination, enhance emotional connections, and match the local experience and quality of tourism to the expectations of tourists. Emotions have become a higher level of aspiration for tourists, and maintaining an affective image of the destination can increase tourist loyalty, while optimizing the tourism experience to narrow the gap between desired and actual levels of experience can increase tourist satisfaction. Second, DMOs can draw on the altruistic narratives of OECRS to design travel products with community effects to attract tourists who wish to practice social responsibility while travelling and build a more morally appealing and sustainable destination image.

References: Hao, X., Xu, S., & Zhang, X. (2019). Barrage Participation and Feedback in Travel Reality Shows: The Effects of Media On Destination Image Among Generation Y. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 12: 27-36. Rittichainuwat, B. N., & Rattanaphinanchai, S. (2015). Applying a Mixed Method of Quantitative and Qualitative Design in Explaining the Travel Motivation of Film Tourists in Visiting a Film-Shooting Destination. Tourism Management, 46: 136-147. Skinner, H., Williams-Burnett, N., & Fallon, J. (2022). Exploring Reality Television and Social Media as Mediating Factors Between Destination Identity and Destination Image. International Journal of Tourism Research(2): 270-281.

ABSTRACT. The global tourism industry has boomed over the last decade. Among these, tourism resources ranging from breathtaking natural landscapes to cultural resources imbued with history and tradition are particularly prominent as World Heritage Sites (WHS). Many governments have actively pursued applications for World Heritage registration in recent years, leading to a dramatic increase in the number of registered WHS(Liburd & Becken, 2020). Between 1978 and 2024, the total number of World Heritage properties worldwide reached 1223, comprising 952 cultural heritage sites, 231 natural heritage sites, and 40 mixed heritage sites. Does the World Heritage Site truly have a positive impact on international tourism? How does it influence the number of inbound tourists, thereby benefiting the host country's economy? Despite limited prior research, this paper addresses the gap by investigating the relationship between World Heritage Sites and global tourism demand while distinguishing between the effects of natural and cultural heritage sites. Furthermore, based on the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model proposed by Butler (1980), which illustrates the cyclical concept of the development stages of tourism areas, this study observes the long-term evolution of impacts following World Heritage designation. Specifically, first we analyze the effect of WHS on inbound tourists using data on the number of WHS from 52 nations between 1995 and 2017. Secondly, we split the WHS sample into two categories (natural WHS and culture WHS) and examine how these sites affect inbound tourists in each group. Thirdly, to examine the long-term impacts of WHS, a fixed-effects model is used to panel data, extending the period to 22 years. Many studies on the economic effects of World Heritage sites have concentrated on their ability to boost visitor numbers and revenue(Buckley, 2004; Canale, De Simone, Di Maio, & Parenti, 2019; VanBlarcom & Kayahan, 2011; Zhuang, Yao, & Li, 2019). However, these studies primarily examined individual countries. Comprehensive global analyses remain limited. This study expands the scope to a global scale while distinguishing between different types of World Heritage sites to examine their varying economic effects in detail. Su and Lin (2014) analyzed 66 countries with World Heritage sites worldwide and found that a newly designated WHS could attract an additional 382,637 international visitors annually. Both natural and cultural heritage sites were shown to boost tourism, with natural sites having a slightly stronger impact. However, their study was limited to the period from 2000 to 2009, leaving the long-term trends in tourism impacts unexplored. Therefore, this study incorporates the tourism area life cycle theory and extends the time frame to cover 22 years, from 1995 to 2017. It examines the impact of World Heritage designation on tourism demand over the 15 years following recognition. In contrast to the positive effects identified in prior research, a pooled fixed-effects analysis by Yang, Lin, and Han (2010) found that the World Heritage designation has limited or insignificant effects on tourism demand. This potential endogeneity issue, as these sites are often already popular prior to receiving the designation, may bias the analysis. To address this issue, this study seeks to apply methods like propensity score matching for a more detailed analysis. Based on the current stage of research, this paper has reached several preliminary conclusions. 1. The registration of one WHS in a country was found to increase inbound tourist numbers to that country by approximately 1.8%. 2. When WHS are categorized into two groups—Natural Heritage Sites and Cultural Heritage Sites—it was confirmed that both types contribute to increasing inbound tourist numbers. Moreover, Natural Heritage Sites were shown to attract more inbound tourists than Cultural Heritage Sites. 3. From a long-term perspective, natural heritage sites exhibit an increasing trend in inbound tourist growth rates from three years before designation (preparation phase) to the first year after registration. However, growth rates decline steadily from the second to the sixth-year post-designation. This aligns with the life cycle theory's general assumptions about the developmental stages of tourist destinations. In contrast, cultural heritage sites show relatively stable fluctuations in inbound tourist growth rates, ranging narrowly between 1% and 3%, with smaller increases and decreases. As this study is still in progress, the final results may change with further improvements and advancements in analytical methods.