Generation Z, the cohort born approximately between 1995 and 2010, represents a generation shaped by digital technology, social connectivity and global awareness, who exhibit distinct attitudes, behaviours and values that differentiate them from previous generations. These differences are also reflected in travel behaviour. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of sustainable travel behaviour among university students, using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), augmented by knowledge, as a predictor, and based on survey data and regression analysis. Using a structured questionnaire and a sample of 217 students, this research measures five key constructs: attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, behavioural intention and actual behaviour. Data were analysed using Spearman’s correlation and regression analysis. Results indicate that all core TPB components, individually, significantly predict sustainable travel behaviour, with behavioural intention emerging as the strongest predictor. The findings confirm the presence of an intention–behaviour gap, highlighting the importance of strengthening social support and perceived behavioural control. Knowledge, however, did not emerge as a significant predictor of behaviour. This study contributes to the sustainable tourism literature by integrating cognitive and social aspects of decision-making, while also addressing the often-overlooked economic and social dimensions of sustainability. Additionally, it offers rare empirical insight into the sustainable travel behaviour of young Serbian tourists.
Social media play a key role in how people choose where to travel with influencers shaping many of these choices. This study investigates how YouTube influencers shape travel destination related interest in Japan by analyzing viewer comments on two highly popular itinerary travel videos. Viewer comments were collected using Python scripts and prepared for analysis through standard data-cleaning procedures. The analysis combines transformer-based language models and aspect-based sentiment analysis to examine sentiment, emotions, key destinations and itinerary-related themes in viewer comments. The findings show that itinerary-focused influencer content generates mainly positive sentiment and emotional engagement, along with planning-related viewer responses such as itinerary consideration, destination-specific questions, and reflections on past or intended future travel. The study offers practical insights for the tourism industry, policymakers and destination management organizations (DMOs) by showing how influencers’ content supports destination visibility and interest formation, with implications for promoting lesser-known destinations and managing overtourism.
This study examines tourists’ attitudes toward prices in the Republic of Croatia following the transition from the Croatian kuna to the euro. It investigates how the currency change influences destination choice, perceptions of price stability, and overall tourism attitudes that shape a destination’s competitiveness. A survey (N = 939) was conducted during the currency transition period to assess tourists’ expectations of price changes and the broader impact of the conversion on Croatian tourism. The survey results show that while most respondents trusted the euro as a stable currency and did not view currency differences as a barrier, more than four fifths expected tourism prices in Croatia to increase after the changeover, and payment behaviour was shifting toward card-based and digital methods. These expectations of higher prices, particularly for tourism-related services, raise concerns about the future perception of Croatia’s affordability and competitiveness. At the same time, the increased use of electronic payment methods suggests a move toward more seamless and modern transactional practices in the tourism sector. Overall, the research provides empirical insights into how currency conversion shapes tourists’ perceptions, behaviours and offers a foundation for further inquiry into the real impact of the common currency on tourism dynamics in euro area member states.
Understanding international tourists’ decision-making during periods of uncertainty is crucial for tourism recovery and destination management. Despite the significant disruption of global travel caused by COVID-19, limited empirical research has examined how tourists’ risk perception and anxiety influence international travel decisions following border reopening. Therefore, this study investigates the factors influencing such decision-making by integrating risk perception and anxiety into the theory of planned behavior (TPB). This study has developed a theoretical framework that combines risk perception, anxiety and TPB. A quantitative approach was used to measure inbound tourists’ decision-making for their trip to Bali after COVID-19. Self-administered surveys consisting of ten sections (physical, psychological, financial and time risks, anxiety, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, travel decisions and socio-demographic factors) were distributed to respondents. A total of 487 valid responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings show that perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and attitudes significantly influence international tourists’ travel decisions. Perceived behavioral control showing the strongest predictive value. While perceived psychological or physical risks did not directly affect travel decisions, all risk dimensions significantly increased travel-related anxiety. Implications for destination management organizations and marketing professionals in the post-pandemic era are discussed.
Tourism is widely recognized as a sector with the potential to promote inclusive and sustainable development, yet women’s participation often remains limited by structural and cultural barriers. The purpose of this article is to analyze the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in sustainable tourism and to consider how addressing these challenges can advance women’s economic empowerment in the eastern part of Indonesia. The specific research aim is to identify and prioritize the most critical constraints through the integration of multiple stakeholder perspectives. The study applied a hybrid methodological design combining the Delphi technique, the Q-sort method and thematic analysis. Data were collected from experts, policymakers, community leaders and women entrepreneurs between January and June 2025. The findings reveal that women face interlocking barriers: restricted access to finance and credit, socio-cultural norms limiting mobility and leadership, weak institutional frameworks, and insufficient training and digital literacy. These constraints are compounded by poor infrastructure and limited market access in remote areas. The study contributes to scholarship by applying a multi-method approach and situating women’s empowerment within the underexplored context of Eastern Indonesia. Policy recommendations include gender-sensitive financial inclusion, accessible capacity-building initiatives, and strengthened women’s cooperatives to foster agency and leadership in tourism.
Technological progress in information and communication technologies (ICTs) has facilitated the implementation of automation and the integration of more advanced technologies in all industries. With the advent of robotics, artificial intelligence and service automation (RAISA) technologies, tourism service providers and market players have redirected their attention from traditional and conventional methods of service delivery to more modern and innovative approaches. Emerging technologies such as big data, mobile internet, the internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) have been fueling a rapid growth in innovations that facilitate a sustainable shift towards social robots. While AI is extensively studied in the field of tourism research, robotics and intelligent service automation have received less comprehensive research attention. The present study endeavors to investigate the prospective landscape of the travel and tourism sector using a rigorous qualitative secondary data analysis approach through web page content analysis on the awareness and usage of RAISA technologies in the global marketplace. The publication proposes four primary research objectives: investigating the advantages of RAISA, evaluating its usage and adaptability, examining the effects and difficulties of implementing the systems, and establishing a sustainable future with RAISA-enabled services. Research in these fields will facilitate the systematic and organized generation of knowledge, enabling the academic community to guarantee the advantageous implementations of intelligent automation in the tourism sector. This work presents a taxonomy for RAISA technologies in tourism and presents a persuasive case for how this interdisciplinary field should be included in conventional tourism research.
The article introduces the concepts of geographical, natural, living, and tourism environments, examined from a geographical perspective and based on a holistic approach considering their terminological and structural factors, which, in their causal spatial relationships, contribute to a cohesive geographical ‘integrity’ of identifiable tourism landscapes. Qualitative research in philosophical geography is based on an extensive compilation of contemporary literature from multiple fields, such as geography, (geo)ecology, tourism, and physics, along with the author’s personal insights. The article highlights the cohesion of geography, tourism and environmental protection, indicating the role of geographical resources in tourism planning and environmental protection, including heritage preservation. The findings underscore their geographical nature, highlighting that they are essential elements of geographical space and, consequently, geographical subjects. This research advocates the involvement of geographers in their exploration of tourism and environmental conservation. Geography holds a fundamental role in both (geo)ecological and tourism research, as tourism and environmental conservation are inherently spatial, rendering them indispensable within the field of geography.
This study seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the current body of literature on blockchain technology within the tourism industry and bridge the existing research gap in this area. We searched the Web of Science Core Collection using the topic field with the keywords “blockchain” or “block chain” combined with “tourism”. The search covered titles, abstracts, author keywords and KeyWords Plus, and was refined by using the “hospitality, leisure, sport & tourism” category and documents in English only. After relevance screening based on titles, abstracts and author keywords, 118 documents were included in the analysis. Descriptive and keyword co-occurrence analyses were conducted using VOSviewer. The first publication on blockchains in tourism appeared in 2018, followed by a gradual increase in scholarly output. The results show that blockchain-related tourism research has grown rapidly in recent years but remains fragmented, with publication activity concentrated in a limited number of technology-oriented journals but with weak collaboration across authors, institutions and countries. Taken together, these findings indicate an expanding yet still unconsolidated research field shaped by emerging academic attention rather than mature research integration.
The local community has different attitudes towards the economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts of tourism. However, studies examining the relationships between attitudes towards tourism development and social psychology, cultural attitudes and community attachment, are limited. In this context, the aim is to investigate the impact of social-psychological and cultural attitudes as well as community commitment to support for cultural tourism development. A quantitative research method has been applied and data were obtained from participants, determined by convenience sampling, with a questionnaire technique. The surveys were conducted among the local residents of Cizre district in Şırnak province, located in the south-east of Türkiye. Descriptive statistics, factor, correlation and regression analyses were used to explain the conceptual model. The results of the research show that community commitment, cultural attitude and the social-psychological attitudes of local people positively affect the development of cultural tourism. In the light of the research results, various recommendations are presented.
This study examines hotel employees’ perceptions of smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and algorithms (STARA) awareness regarding challenges and hindrances as well as analyzing how these perceptions influence their job performance. It also investigates the role of work-life balance as a moderating factor in the relationship between STARA awareness as a stressor with job performance. A quantitative research approach was employed, with data collected online and from face-to-face questionnaires. The study targeted employees from 5-star hotels in Jakarta who have had at least two years of experience working with technology and hold permanent or contract positions (excluding daily or part-time workers). A total of 400 respondents participated. The findings indicate that viewing STARA awareness as a challenge positively influences job performance, while perceiving it as a hindrance has no significant effect. Moreover, work-life balance was found to impact job performance. Future research could extend these findings by comparing international and local hotels and incorporating additional variables such as technological competence, organizational support and work involvement.
The night-time economy (NTE) refers to urban activities occurring between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM, mainly focusing on activities related to nightlife venues (bars, clubs and coffee shops), creative industries (concerts and other musical events, theaters, festivals, cinema screenings, museums and galleries) and supporting activities such as hospitality, health services, transportation, delivery services, telecommunications, etc. It is very powerful in the context of tourism development, but precise statistics on the night-time economy are not readily available due to methodological challenges in its assessment. Still, its contribution to urban development is undoubted. Nightlife is an important aspect of the broader concept of the NTE and may have an important impact on the destination image. It is not easy to examine how tourists perceive nightlife experiences, but TripAdvisor offers significant insights into it, however, not many studies have analyzed tourists’ TripAdvisor reviews on nightlife experiences. Croatia has a prominent tourist industry and its capital, Zagreb, is the national center of creative industries. The aim of this study is to analyze how tourists evaluate their nightlife experiences there. So far its nightlife has not been systematically researched so this study has the goal of understanding which environment-related factors influence such experiences, and which nightlife images tourists assign to this city. Based on this, recommendations for policy makers and NTE professionals can be drawn. The methodology applied was aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) of TripAdvisor reviews of the city’s clubs and bars in the three-year period (2022–2024), which was conducted in Python. Findings are classified into the following categories: social, sensory, cultural, safety and economic and the results show that the aspects of Zagreb nightlife mentioned most often are social- and sensory-related, being the factors that most strongly influence it. Safety-related reviews are not often considered while the economic-related dimension recorded the highest share of positive sentiment. Overall, the image that tourists assign to Zagreb’s nightlife is related to friendliness, affordability and vibrancy. The contribution of the study is seen in findings which may be used for the improvement of Zagreb nightlife and NTE as well as in tourism policy making.
Mental well-being in the workplace has emerged as a critical area of concern, particularly in the hospitality sector, where employees face demanding schedules, emotional labour and heightened customer expectations. This article investigates the mental well-being and the psychological distress of Greek hotel employees through a case study based on 139 survey responses. The research examines demographic profiles, daily work pressures and the impact of the post-COVID era on psychological well-being, while also documenting coping strategies and policy recommendations. Results reveal high levels of stress, extended working hours, moderate satisfaction with working conditions, and significant challenges in maintaining a work-life balance. Post-pandemic, employees reported a decline in self-assessed mental well-being, with anxiety, emotional exhaustion and sleep disturbances being prevalent. Despite these challenges, few employees sought professional support, reflecting stigma and low organizational attention to mental well-being. Suggestions provided by employees centered on reducing working hours, improving communication with management, and introducing structured mental well-being programs. The study highlights the urgent need for organizational, sectoral and governmental policies to safeguard employee well-being, enhance resilience and promote sustainable employment practices in the Greek hotel industry.
This study addresses the under-researched area of Sufism within religious tourism, specifically examining how Sufi hosts perceive Muslim and non-Muslim visitors at the El Sayed Ahmed El-Badawy mosque and tomb in Egypt. Utilizing qualitative methods, the research identifies five distinct visitor types based on their behaviors and interactions. Notably, Sufi hosts perceive the concept of the “pious pilgrim” differently from Western literature, emphasizing a broader understanding that includes those who engage meaningfully with Sufi practices and teachings. The findings contribute to tourism marketing strategies by highlighting the diverse demands of different visitor groups, thus enabling better management and interpretation of Sufi sites. This research not only enriches the academic discourse on religious tourism but also offers practical insights for enhancing visitor experiences and sustaining the sanctity of Sufi sites.
The hospitality sector is facing growing scrutiny over its energy consumption and carbon emissions, placing hotels under pressure to pursue net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) targets while maintaining high service quality. This study investigates the adoption of energy reduction technologies in the Irish hotel industry and their link to sustainable hotel operations through digital transformation, specifically via the adoption of robotics, AI and service automation (RAISA). Survey responses were collected from various star category hotels within Ireland. Valid survey responses were included in the data analysis which involved linear regression and bootstrapping. The theoretical underpinning of the study was diffusion of innovations theory. Results indicated an uneven adoption, with energy software and automation systems being more prevalent among innovators and early adopters, while technologies such as smart thermostats are more common among the late majority. Energy software strongly correlates with overall RAISA adoption, highlighting its role as a digital enabler. The study indicates that the adoption of sustainability-driven energy reduction technologies can bolster broader digital adoption. By demonstrating how sustainability-driven energy reduction technologies can catalyse broader digital transformation, the study provides actionable insights for hotel managers seeking to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability, as well as for policymakers aiming to design targeted interventions that accelerate technology adoption across the sector. The research also contributes theoretically by linking energy management to RAISA adoption within the framework of the diffusion of innovations, offering a model for understanding technology adoption pathways in the hospitality sector.
This study examines the role of multisensory experiences in enhancing tourists’ satisfaction with local culinary experiences and their intention to share these experiences online. It investigates how the interplay of sensory modalities influences tourists’ perceptions and behavioral responses. A quantitative research approach was adopted, employing an online survey with a structured questionnaire. Data were collected from 250 tourists who had tested East Java’s local cuisine, using a convenience sampling method. The relationships between sensory experiences, satisfaction and online sharing intention were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that taste and aroma significantly influence tourist satisfaction, whereas visual, auditory and tactile experiences do not exhibit a direct impact. Furthermore, higher satisfaction levels are positively associated with tourists’ willingness to share their culinary experiences online. This study contributes to the tourism and hospitality literature by highlighting the critical role of taste and aroma in shaping memorable culinary experiences. The findings provide practical insights for restaurant owners and destination marketers, emphasizing the need to design marketing strategies that leverage dominant sensory cues to enhance engagement and encourage electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) sharing.
Applying the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, this study’s main aim is to analyze the psychological mechanisms through which virtual reality (VR) experiences encourage Generation Z’s physical visit intentions to cultural heritage sites. Specifically, the research investigates how key VR features (stimulus: interactivity and telepresence) influence internal states (organism: place satisfaction, perceived authenticity and mental image), and how these states subsequently drive visit intentions (response). The study addresses a critical gap by focusing on these emotional and cognitive pathways. Data from 415 Indonesian Gen Z respondents who experienced Borobudur Temple via VR were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Results reveal that interactivity and telepresence significantly enhance place satisfaction, authenticity and mental imagery. Furthermore, perceived authenticity and a strong mental image are powerful predictors of visit intention, while place satisfaction shows no significant direct effect. These findings highlight the importance of emotional and cognitive factors in engaging Gen Z with cultural heritage tourism (CHT). The study offers valuable theoretical and practical insights, while the findings encourage cultural managers and policymakers to adopt VR technologies.
This study aims to identify and evaluate the factors influencing visitor satisfaction in selected caves in Slovakia, with a particular focus on their relative importance and impact on overall satisfaction. A survey was conducted with 400 respondents – visitors to six caves managed by the Slovak Caves Administration. The analysis employed the importance-performance analysis (IPA) method alongside importance and satisfaction indices to assess objective satisfaction factors. These factors were ranked using the Friedman and Wilcoxon test, while relationships between subjective factors and satisfaction were examined through non-parametric methods, including Spearman’s correlation coefficient, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine the combined influence of objective and subjective factors on overall visitor satisfaction. The results indicate that several objective factors significantly affect satisfaction: group size during a tour, the tour route itself, cleanliness of exterior and entrance areas, cave location and accessibility, souvenir shop services, quality of the guide’s commentary and parking facilities. Among subjective factors, only the organization of the visit showed a statistically significant effect on overall satisfaction. These findings offer valuable insights for the strategic management and development of speleological tourism in Slovakia and may support efforts to enhance the competitiveness of Slovak caves on both domestic and international tourism markets.
The study aims to examine the influence of information sharing on social media on the green tourism intentions of the young. It examines the mediating roles of electronic word-of-mouth and environmental awareness in the relationship between social media information sharing (SMIS) and green tourism intentions (GTIs). Data were collected online from 412 respondents from South India aged between 18 to 35 Findings portrayed that social media information sharing positively impacts green tourism intentions both directly and indirectly via electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) and environmental awareness. Electronic word-of-mouth demonstrated a stronger mediating effect than environmental awareness (EA), underlining its significance in shaping sustainable tourism behaviour. Results provide valuable insights for tourism organizations to optimize green tourism marketing strategies by leveraging social media platforms. The study fills a critical research gap by exploring how digital interactions foster sustainable tourism goals among young social media users.
The article is focused on the economic performance of Czech companies in the accommodation, catering and hospitality sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to verify the influence of selected factors on their level and development using data from the Albertina database for the period 2018–2021 was used for the analysis. Return on assets (ROA) was selected as the main performance indicator and the indicators monitored included indebtedness, liquidity, size, age of enterprise and the sub-sector to which the enterprise belonged. The results showed that larger businesses and those operating in the hospitality and catering sub-sector managed the difficult situation caused by the pandemic better than those operating in the accommodation sub-sector. The factors of company size and sector therefore had the greatest influence on the value of the ROA economic performance indicator.
This paper aims to identify the key factors that contribute to a memorable wine tourism experience for visitors to the Urla Vineyard Route (UVR). This route the second most important wine tourism route in Türkiye after the Thrace Vineyard Route, was created by seven vineyard owners in 2015. In the research 378 comments of visitors posted on TripAdvisor between 2016 and 2023 were collected and the data was analyzed using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020 software. This research employed the netnographic research process. Results show that six factors affect visitors’ wine tourism experiences: the scenery and atmosphere of the vineyard and winery, winery staff, grape variety, food taste, wine tasting and price. Scenery is the most influential factor, while the price is the least in visitors’ wine tourism experiences.
