Tourist inflows in Sikkim have increased significantly in recent years, with Buddhist monasteries serving as major religious attractions drawing visitors from across the globe. This study is conducted to understand the interrelationships between service quality, satisfaction, trust, past experience, and loyalty in the context of Buddhist monasteries as a religious tourism destination. A sample of 395 is drawn using stratified random sampling techniques, and primary information is collected by employing a semi-structured questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) are used to validate the results. It is observed that loyalty underscores the highest mean, followed by trust and past experience, whereas service quality and satisfaction require improvement. Further, it is observed that tourists' past experiences have a significant impact on enhancing their loyalty and satisfaction, affecting both loyalty and trust. Service quality indicates a strong influence on satisfaction, but the effect on loyalty is comparatively weak. Trust emerges as a crucial factor in ensuring tourist loyalty and retention. It is confirmed that service quality, trust, and experiences need improvement for building long-term loyalty and a competitive advantage. Furthermore, tourist satisfaction is a key mediating factor, trust is a critical driver of tourist retention, and past experiences are a significant enhancer of loyalty. This study offers practical recommendations to tourism planners and managers in designing strategies that reinforce visitor experiences, trust, and ensure the sustainable growth of the tourism industry in Sikkim.
Sustainability has become a significant research area in higher education institutions (HEIs) as they strive to address mega-issues such as environmental degradation, world hunger, and social inequalities, which heavily impact humanity. This paper explores the relationship between student research projects in hospitality and tourism courses and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN in the academic year 2024-2025. The content analysis of these projects revealed several interesting trends, including the most popular SDGs and the contributions of different sectors to the research. SDG 12, which focuses on responsible consumption and production, ranks first. Themes such as resource sustainability, waste reduction, and the transition to a circular economy are significant in hospitality research. The second is SDG 2, which aims to end hunger. Students are seeking new food solutions, protein alternatives, and nutritious products to solve food security and nutrition problems. SDG 8, on the establishment of decent jobs and economic growth, is also a priority, particularly in the study of tourism. Students are considering how tourism can generate employment, enhance entrepreneurship, and improve local economies. Student research is making significant contributions to sustainability across food systems, economic development, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation. Hospitality and tourism research are inherently interdisciplinary and address sustainability challenges at both local and global levels. However, the study found that research mainly focuses on a few SDGs, highlighting the need for greater attention to underrepresented goals such as climate action, equality, and sustainable infrastructure.
Mountain tourism has expanded rapidly, driven by changing travel motivations that increasingly emphasize leisure, wellness, and nature-based experiences. This shift has positioned mountain destinations as critical spaces for advancing sustainable tourism development, strengthening local livelihood opportunities, and ensuring environmental conservation, while simultaneously contributing to socio-economic development and community well-being. In response to this interest, the present study provides a hybrid review of mountain tourism research published between 2001 and 2024. Based on 1773 peer-reviewed articles, the review uses a Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology (TCCM) bibliometric framework combined with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol to map and synthesize scholarly contributions. The analysis examines publication trends, keyword patterns, influential authors and journals, citation structures, and bibliographic linkages to reveal how mountain tourism scholarship has developed over time. The findings reveal the emergence of five dominant research themes: community participation, tourism resources, geotourism, climate change, and sustainable development. These themes highlight the interdisciplinary and evolving nature of mountain tourism scholarship, reflecting the integration of diverse perspectives and an increasing emphasis on sustainability, resilience, and long-term socio-environmental balance. The hybrid review further identifies key research gaps and proposes future research directions to advance sustainability-oriented theory, practice, and policymaking in mountain tourism.
This study examines how thermal tourists in Turkey select facilities in the post-pandemic period, when perceived safety, sustainability, and cultural fit increasingly shape service expectations. It aims to identify the multidimensional determinants of thermal facility selection and to develop a facility-level measurement instrument, the Thermal Facility Selection Scale (TFSS). A cross-sectional survey design was employed, and data was collected from 344 adults with recent experience in thermal facilities using snowball sampling. The TFSS factor structure was explored through exploratory factor analysis using Varimax rotation, while sociodemographic differences were examined using one-way ANOVA with appropriate post-hoc procedures. The results reveal a robust multidimensional structure encompassing key dimensions such as Product Enrichment and Integration, Ethics, Safety and Environment, Accessibility, Price and Technical Infrastructure Quality, and Belief and Cultural Affinity. Preferences differed meaningfully by age, indicating distinct segmentation patterns within the thermal tourism market. Participants aged 65+ emphasized functional accessibility and medical/technical trust (APTIQ), whereas younger cohorts placed greater weight on experience enrichment and integration with gastronomy and leisure (PEI). In addition, safety, hygiene, and thermal water quality emerged as core determinants across all groups, reflecting heightened post-pandemic risk sensitivity. Taken together, the results imply a dual positioning strategy: safeguarding and clinical assurance for the ‘Silver Economy’ alongside experience-led value propositions for younger generations, while also integrating sustainability and culturally sensitive service design to enhance competitive advantage in thermal tourism.
This study examines the recovery trajectory of the hotel industry in the post-COVID-19 period in Taiwan, with a particular focus on revenue performance, employment dynamics, service quality, and guest demand. It further evaluates the role of labor market rigidity and heterogeneous recovery patterns across hotel types and locations. Using a comprehensive panel dataset covering all tourist hotels in Taiwan from January 2015 to September 2024, this study employs fixed-effects regression models to estimate the impacts of different pandemic phases on hotel performance. The analysis controls for time-invariant hotel characteristics, seasonal variation, and weather conditions, and further incorporates dynamic specifications and simulation analyses to assess recovery mechanisms. The total and room revenues recovered in the post-COVID period were approximately 9% and 13%, respectively. Moreover, this rebound was primarily driven by higher room rates rather than occupancy. In contrast, employment, service quality, and guest visits remained below pre-pandemic levels, indicating persistent labor shortages consistent with labor market rigidity. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that rural and non-five-star hotels experienced faster recovery than urban and luxury hotels. Simulation results suggest that restoring employment to pre-pandemic levels could increase revenues by up to 17.8%, exceeding the gains from demand recovery alone. The findings highlight the critical importance of workforce recovery in the hotel industry. Managers should prioritize employee retention and recruitment alongside demand stimulation strategies, while policymakers may consider labor market interventions to facilitate a more balanced and sustainable recovery.
Although it is widely recognized that hope and spirituality have a positive impact on aging, there is a significant lack of research investigating the mediating role of health perceptions in converting these resources into life satisfaction, especially in the specific context of thermal tourism. To address this gap, a cross-sectional mediation analysis was conducted to examine this association among 400 older adults (65 years and older) who visited thermal facilities in five Turkish provinces between October 2024 and February 2025. Participants were selected using convenience sampling, and data were collected using the Dispositional Hope Scale, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Health Perception Scale, and Life Satisfaction Scale. Results showed that participants exhibited high levels of hope (M = 50.0, SD = 7.07), spiritual well-being (M = 31.7, SD = 4.71), and health perceptions (M = 49.4, SD = 5.90), while showing moderate levels of life satisfaction (M = 16.3, SD = 4.76). Path analysis revealed that hope (beta = 0.295, p < 0.001) and spiritual well-being perception partially mediated the relationship between hope and life satisfaction (beta = 0.115, p < 0.001) and between spiritual well-being and life satisfaction (beta = 0.042, p < 0.05). These results suggest that integrating psychosocial support into thermal tourism services can improve perceptions of health, overall well-being, and promote healthy aging.
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly transforming how tourists access, process, and interact with travel information and services. However, the mechanisms underlying GenAI adoption in cross-cultural tourism contexts remain insufficiently understood. This study aims to explain how emotional and experiential factors shape the adoption of GenAI among international tourists by extending the Technology Acceptance Model. In particular, the study integrates perceived emotional responsiveness and engagement experience as novel antecedents, alongside perceived personalization and satisfaction, to capture both cognitive and experiential dimensions of technology use. Drawing on data collected from 541 international tourists visiting Vietnam, the study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to examine the relationships among these constructs. The results indicate that engagement experience is the strongest predictor of GenAI usage behavior. Perceived emotional responsiveness does not directly influence usage but exerts significant indirect effects through perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and engagement, highlighting the importance of experiential pathways in shaping technology adoption. These findings extend the Technology Acceptance Model by demonstrating that GenAI adoption is driven not only by utilitarian evaluations but also by emotional and experiential interactions with AI systems. From a practical perspective, the results provide guidance for tourism platforms and destination managers to design emotionally responsive and culturally adaptive GenAI systems that enhance user engagement, increase tourist satisfaction, and support sustained technology use across international travel contexts.
The study aims to introduce the concept of the constructed environment and its influence on tourism destination management in Northeast India. Post-pandemic, the region shows significant recovery, necessitating a systematic approach to managing the sector. To establish the relevance of the study's concept, the literature review is based on a triangulation review matrix. The study has three main objectives: firstly, to highlight the status of the constructed environment; secondly, to determine its impact; and thirdly, to investigate stakeholder consciousness. A qualitative methodology is adopted, with data collected through questionnaires and interviews, focusing on 28 destinations with 2,305 responses from tourists, to assess concepts and stakeholder management. Data analysis employs opinion synthesis matrices and graphical representations, examining elements of the constructed environment and stakeholder consciousness in relation to the objectives. The study effectively addresses stakeholder competence and consciousness by correlating these with tourist satisfaction, expectations, and revisit intentions. It provides strong evidence for improving the environment by maintaining excellent Assam demonstrate outstanding performance in environmental management and maintenance. The study emphasizes the importance of stakeholder awareness when framing policies and assessing each destination's status based on tourist responses regarding the constructed environment.
The purpose of this study is to explore tourists' experiences in niche county-level destinations and to develop a conceptual framework linking destination attributes to tourist needs. Three Chinese county-level destinations Anji, Tonglu, and Dujiangyan were selected as case sites. A mixed qualitative approach was employed, integrating semi-structured interviews with netnographic data collected from social media platforms, including Rednote and Sina Weibo. Specifically, 118 social-media posts and 17 interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and triangulated across data sources. The findings reveal how destination's intrinsic and extrinsic attributes interact with tourists' intrinsic and extrinsic needs. Elements of destination attributes include natural environment, local food, cultural heritage, county pace of lifestyles, and elements of tourist needs such as relaxation, emotion, escape, and social activities. It generates seven distinct experience types: sightseeing experience, adventure experience, eating-food experience, emotional experience, culture and heritage experience, social interactive experience, and media-ritual experience. Theoretically, this study advances experience theory by integrating motivational perspectives with place-based attributes, thereby deepening the understanding of niche tourism in county-level destinations. Practically, the framework connecting destination attributes with tourist needs, along with the typology of niche county-level experiences, provides international insights for advancing niche tourism development. It also provides destination managers with tools to segment visitors, guide product innovation, and design branding and social-media strategies.
The article addresses the issue of assessing the quality of digital marketing communication of destinations conducted by 326 certified Tourist Information Offices (TIO) in Poland. The objective of the study was to conduct a multidimensional analysis of the relationship between website quality and social media activity, and the level of digital marketing communication, using secondary analysis and customized indicators: the Digital Maturity Score (DMS), the Social Media Activity (SMA), the Attractiveness of Digital Communication Channels (ADC), and the Integrated Digital Presence Indicator (IDP). These indicators have been identified as key factors in enabling a final typology of TIOs based on the Level of Digital Maturity of Websites (LW) and the Level of Activity in social media (LS) in the destination marketing communication process. The formal TIO certification category (C-TIO) exerts an influence on all indicators of digital marketing communication. The significance of these relationships only attained the recommended minimum effect size (RMPE) in the case of SMA and IDP (& rhov;=0.23, p<0.001). For DMS (& rhov;=0.15, p=0.005) and ADC (& rhov;=0.12, p=0.037), these relationships were extremely weak and below the RMPE threshold (RMPE <0.20). The article makes a significant contribution to research on the digital transformation of tourist information organizations and destination e-marketing by proposing indicators and highlighting practical implications. The proposed indicators allow for the identification of the effectiveness and efficiency of internet marketing practiced by TIO and can be used to evaluate the integrated communication process of other institutions managing tourist destinations.
The severe shortage of foreign tour guides currently impedes the full recovery of inbound tourism in Suzhou. This study aims to explore the underlying mechanisms by which insecurity, caused by high Policy Opacity and Risk Volatility (PROP-V), influences guide return intentions. Utilizing a multi-language questionnaire based on semi-structured interviews, this research employed a Stratified Quota Sampling method considering prepandemic service experience, professional qualifications, and return intentions. A total of 552 tour guides working in Suzhou participated in the survey. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) validated an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model incorporating PROP-V. The findings reveal that PROP-V experienced the largest negative influence on Subjective Norms (SN) (beta = -0.552). This erosion of social normative pressure subsequently led to diminished attitudes and perceived behavioral control, resulting in a significant decrease in return intentions. Practically, these results provide a theoretical justification for the extended TPB model in crisis contexts. The study suggests that, for China's post-COVID-19 inbound tourism workforce restoration, policymakers must prioritize transparency to rebuild the "social contract" and professional confidence, rather than relying solely on economic incentives.
The concept of sustainability is increasingly gaining importance today, and it has led to the popularity of sustainable tourism and sustainable gastronomy concepts in destination marketing. The aim of the research is to determine the role of gastronomy tourism in destination marketing in Northern Cyprus. The research is important in terms of taking the views of travel agencies on the role of gastronomy tourism in destination marketing in Northern Cyprus. The research was conducted with the case analysis method, which is one of the qualitative research methods. In the data collection process, a semistructured interview form developed by the researcher was used. Travel agencies, which have an important role in destination marketing, constitute the study group of this research. Within the scope of the research, 28 travel agencies were interviewed. According to the results of the research, it was determined that gastronomy tourism in Northern Cyprus is not effectively emphasized in destination marketing, and accordingly, tourists coming to the island do not experience the gastronomy richness of the island. Therefore, the study emphasizes that local gastronomy can serve as a strategic tool contributing to economic development, destination branding, and sustainable tourism growth. In this context, the findings of the study both provide strategic suggestions for the promotion of gastronomy tourism at the local level and contribute to the literature to fill the gaps in this field.
Participation in leisure activities is a multidimensional process shaped by individuals' positive attitudes, their belief in the meaningfulness of such activities, and their sustained involvement. Mental endurance refers to the ability to cope with challenges arising from the stressful and competitive nature of daily life and is generally stronger among individuals who are extroverted, social, self-confident, and experience low anxiety. Life satisfaction represents a general sense of well-being and contentment based on personal values and expectations. This study investigates how participation in leisure activities affects life satisfaction and examines the mediating role of mental endurance in this relationship. Focusing on skiing as a leisure activity, the research analyzes how participation influences emotional and cognitive well-being through mental endurance. Data were collected from 300 individuals participating in skiing at Paland & ouml;ken Ski Resort using a convenience sampling method and were analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that mental endurance mediates the relationship between leisure participation and life satisfaction. To evaluate the model's explanatory power, R2 values were examined. The R2 for the life satisfaction construct was 0.389, indicating that the model explains 38.9% of the variance, representing a moderate level of explanatory strength. The mental endurance construct showed an R2 value of 0.577, indicating a high explanatory level (57%). Overall, the results suggest that strengthening individuals' mental endurance enhances life satisfaction and positively contributes to psychological well-being and the ability to manage life challenges.
This study examines the impact of good governance on the tourism sector in the top 10 countries that attract the most tourists worldwide. Good governance encompasses the rule of law, government effectiveness, political stability, transparency, accountability, and corruption control. The study has transformed these elements into a comprehensive index called the Corporate Governance Index (CGI). Panel data methods are conducted, and the Beck and Katz and Driscoll and Kraay estimator techniques are employed in the analysis. According to the findings, a 1-unit increase in the CGI leads to a 17% increase in tourism expenditure and a 7% increase in the number of incoming tourists. These findings show that countries with strong and transparent institutions are more attractive to international tourists. A stable political environment, low corruption perception, and effective public services positively influence tourists' travel decisions. Additionally, good governance ensures economic stability and internal security, strengthens the country's global image, and yields positive results in the tourism sector. This study combines governance indicators, which were previously addressed separately in the literature, into a single composite index, namely CGI, and empirically reveals the impact of crosscountry governance differences on tourism performance through a comparative analysis using panel data techniques. Furthermore, the estimation methods used in the analysis increase the reliability of the results. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of good governance reforms for the sustainable growth of the tourism sector and provides policymakers with concrete recommendations for improving governance quality.
Hallyu and revisit intentions have been highlighted as important research topics in the competitive market of tourism destinations. Despite extensive research on repeat visitors, it remains unclear why people undertake repeat visits and what characteristics define repeat visitors. Using the Stimulus-Organism-Response model, this research aims to identify the Hallyu-relevant factors that influence non-Korean revisit intention to South Korea. A mixed-methods design was employed, collecting 222 data points, with 88% deemed usable. An open-ended question was analyzed through thematic analysis to explore tourists' impressions after their visits. The qualitative results indicated that Kcuisine, K-drama scenery, K-pop music, and K-drama celebrities leave a strong impression on international tourists. The regression model explained 63% of the variance, demonstrating the significant influence of Hallyu on revisit intention. The standardized beta coefficients showed that K-beauty products (Beta = .314, t = 4.267, p < .001) and K-cuisine (Beta = .251, t = 3.372, p < .001) were the most influential predictors. From the perspective of non-Korean visitors, K-cuisine and K-beauty products are key factors driving their desire to revisit South Korea. This cultural immersion through Hallyu promotes sustainable tourism, supports local economies, encourages cross-cultural exchange, and redefines destination loyalty. It shifts the focus from traditional tourism to fostering repeat visits and deeper cultural connections, thereby enhancing the overall tourism experience and long-term destination appeal.
Choosing the right location is crucial for the success of a business. Selecting an inappropriate site for accommodation investments can adversely impact the business and potentially lead to failure. Therefore, it is essential to determine the most suitable location through an objective and systematic approach. This research proposes a methodology that combines entropy-based weighting and TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods to support the tourism destination selection process in investment decisions. The study analyzed 19 tourism destinations in Turkey that hosted 100,000 or more foreign tourists, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's 2024 Border Statistics Annual Bulletin. The evaluation criteria included distance to the nearest airport (in kilometers), population, Herfindahl Index Contribution Level, hotel occupancy rate, number of tourists (demand), and seasonality. Criterion weights were calculated using the entropy method, and destination rankings were established using the TOPSIS method. The reliability of the findings was validated through Spearman's Rank Correlation analysis. Additionally, the robustness of the results was confirmed via Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis. The analysis revealed that Istanbul and Antalya are the most attractive destinations for accommodation investments. Conversely, cities with smaller populations and limited tourism activities, such as Ardahan, I & gbreve;d & imath;r, and Hakkari, ranked lower. The methodology employed in this study is expected to aid investors and policymakers in evaluating tourism destinations effectively.
Over the past three decades, rural tourism has evolved rapidly into a key strategy for promoting sustainable development in rural areas and has become a significant focus of tourism research. It contributes not only to rural revitalization and economic diversification but also to the preservation of natural and cultural resources. However, the existing evaluation systems for assessing rural tourism suitability remain fragmented and insufficient, often lacking scientific rigor, comprehensiveness, and practical applicability. To address this gap, this study develops a suitability evaluation model comprising five criteria and twenty-eight indicators, integrating both qualitative and quantitative dimensions. Based on case studies of three rural tourist destinations in China at different stages of development, this study identifies environmental and infrastructure factors as the most influential determinants of rural tourism suitability. The findings reveal considerable variations in how destinations at different stages present and manage their suitability attributes, indicating the need for context-specific planning and development strategies. This paper enhances the theoretical understanding of rural tourism suitability assessment and proposes a systematic, scalable framework to inform future studies. By clarifying the key indicators and evaluation mechanisms, this study provides practical guidance for stakeholders across the public, private, and voluntary sectors engaged in rural tourism development and policymaking.
This study investigates the role of hybrid tourism, which combines voluntourism and alternative tourism, in fostering territorial development in Saudi Arabia within the framework of Vision 2030. By integrating social participation and sustainable tourism principles, hybrid tourism is examined as a multidimensional tool for economic diversification and community empowerment. Using panel data from Saudi provinces and municipalities spanning 2014 to 2025, the analysis evaluates the impact of hybrid tourism intensity (HTI) on key development indicators, including local tourism employment, entrepreneurship, and social economy dynamics. A robust econometric strategy is employed, incorporating Fixed Effects (FE) to account for unobserved heterogeneity, a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach to capture the effects of tourism policy reforms, and Instrumental Variables (IV) estimation to mitigate endogeneity concerns. Additional robustness checks, such as alternative HTI specifications, placebo tests, and clustered standard errors, reinforce the reliability of the findings. Results demonstrate that regions exhibiting higher HTI achieve notable improvements in employment (18-24%), entrepreneurship (15-20%), and social economy development (around 22%), particularly in areas characterized by strong infrastructure, education, and institutional support. The study contributes to existing literature by conceptualizing hybrid tourism as a strategic lever for inclusive and sustainable territorial development in the Gulf region. It also provides actionable insights for policymakers aiming to balance economic growth with social inclusion and environmental sustainability.
This study explores and maps the existing literature on thermal tourism to provide comprehensive insights and inform future research directions. The research design is based on a bibliometric analysis of 48 documents published between 2013 and 2023 and indexed in the Web of Science database. Data were processed and visualized using Microsoft Excel and Bibliometrix, followed by a content analysis of 42 English-language articles to capture thematic developments in the field. The findings indicate that, despite a temporary decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, publications on thermal tourism have shown strong growth and recovery, with an annual growth rate of 46.65%. The most significant contributions originated from Portugal, China, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, and Japan, with research disseminated across 37 journals. Four central themes were identified: (1) tourist behaviors and satisfaction, (2) demand and motivations, (3) quality and resource management, and (4) strategic and sustainable development. Among these, tourist behaviors and satisfaction emerged as the most prominent research area, representing 38.10% of the analyzed literature. This paper addresses a gap in the literature by mapping the knowledge landscape in the relatively underexplored field of thermal tourism, highlighting its growth potential and proposing a future research agenda. The practical implications suggest that recognizing these trends and themes can help policymakers, industry stakeholders, and academics develop strategies to enhance sustainable practices and expand opportunities in thermal tourism.
This study aims to identify and evaluate the factors influencing tourists' intention to return to Hanoi and to propose management implications for local authorities and tourism businesses. These findings will help develop appropriate policies and strategies to enhance tourism quality and contribute to Hanoi's economic development. The destination is considered a brand that helps build and maintain the image of a unique place, enhance competitive position, and attract tourists to travel. Vietnam has a lot of tourism potential with rich and diverse landscapes, along with historical and cultural relics. However, during the past time, the number of tourists returning to Hanoi is still limited, not commensurate with the potential and strengths of Hanoi. Therefore, the author studies "Factors influencing tourists' intention to revisit Hanoi City, Vietnam." The research is based on a sample of 269 tourists who have experienced products and services at tourist destinations in Hanoi, meeting the study's requirements. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 23.0 software, employing Cronbach's Alpha reliability testing, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and linear regression. The results identify six key factors influencing tourists' intention to revisit Hanoi: (1) Natural environment; (2) Destination image; (3) Local cuisine; (4) Reasonable pricing of products and services; (5) Infrastructure; and (6) Safety and security. Based on these findings, the study offers management implications to assist tourism stakeholders in fostering sustainable tourism development in Hanoi.
