This study investigates how technology and digitalisation influence the sustainability of gastronomy cultures in destinations, specifically through the perspectives of chefs working in Michelin-starred restaurants in T & uuml;rkiye. Adopting the qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 chefs working in Michelin-starred restaurants. The thematic analysis of the data revealed three main themes: the supportive roles of technology and digitalisation; the potential risks and challenges of technology and digitalisation; and changes in consumer preferences and their impact on gastronomy cultures. Promotion and visibility enhancement, preservation and documentation of gastronomic heritage, and efficiency and innovation in preservation practices are among the sub-dimensions of supportive roles of technology and digitalisation. Moreover, cultural and culinary standardisation and homogenization, as well as the decline of artisanal skills and personal touch, pose potential risks and challenges. Finally, changes in consumer preferences include shifting toward trendy, visual experiences over culinary appreciation, and increased transparency and awareness of food origins. This research contributes to understanding how technology and digitalisation affect the sustainability of gastronomy cultures, specifically by addressing existing theoretical gaps and providing context-specific insights. By offering significant implications for policymakers and practitioners to integrate relevant technologies and digital tools effectively, the study aims to strengthen culinary identities and sustain gastronomic cultures in the digital era.

This study examines the positive and negative aspects of travellers’ memorable cycling experiences, as well as the underlying emotions, using photo-elicitation. Accordingly, semi-structured photo-elicitation interviews were conducted with 18 international cyclists, based on their selection of 82 photos. As a result of content analysis, themes of positive memorable experiences were identified as “accomplishments,” “discovery of landscape, history, and rural settings,” “local and authentic aspects,” “infrastructure and amenities of destinations,” and “socialising and support.” In contrast, negative memorable experiences included “infrastructure and amenities of destinations,” “challenging weather conditions,” “personal issues,” and “mechanical failures.” Underlying emotions for each theme are also presented. The research outputs offer a significant theoretical framework on memorable cycling experiences and the underlying emotions from a holistic perspective, aiding destination managers, policymakers, and service providers.

This study presents a systematic review of the evolution and influence of robot chefs, focusing on the transition from fundamental engineering to socially autonomous robot chef systems. It reviews existing research to compile current knowledge, research categories, themes, and topics. A systematic search was performed in the Scopus database, following PRISMA guidelines. Out of 632 records, 70 studies were selected for thematic analysis. The analysis identified three categories: robot design and functionality; human-robot interaction; and technical challenges and opportunities. ‘Robot design and functionality’ includes manipulation and movement, sensing and perception: aspects that enhance situation awareness, and task planning and automation as key themes. ‘Technical challenges and opportunities’ is structured around three main themes: advancements in robot intelligence and adaptability, practical implementations and cost reduction, and exploration of current trends and future prospects. Robot design is evolving from basic mechanical systems to more sophisticated, socially aware machines. Human-robot interaction remains a vital challenge, influencing acceptance and practical use, while technological obstacles involve sensory integration, navigation, and autonomy. This research contributes to the field by synthesising existing knowledge and, based on identified gaps, presents a research agenda to guide future work on the robot chef systems.

PurposeThis study examined the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven technological tools in Michelin-starred restaurant kitchens on the general skills, creativity and innovativeness of chefs.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 chefs working in Michelin-starred restaurants.FindingsThe findings identify three main areas of impact of AI-driven tools: culinary skills, creativity and innovation. The findings reveal a complex relationship between AI-driven tools and culinary expertise in Michelin-starred kitchens. First, while AI-driven tools have the potential to diminish skills, they also facilitate skill development and knowledge acquisition. Chefs acknowledge AI's potential to expand creativity through new techniques, but also consider AI-driven tools a potential limiter or threat to creativity. They emphasise the need to balance the use of AI-driven tools with traditional skills. Moreover, the dual role of AI as both an enabler and a limiter underscores the need for strategic integration that inspires without compromising the authenticity of haute cuisine.Originality/valueThe study contributes to understanding how and why AI-driven tools benefit or challenge human skills, creativity and innovation, which can guide Michelin-star restaurants and their chefs in adopting AI technology.

This paper provides a systematic review and thematic analysis of coastal heritage studies in tourism and hospitality literature to evaluate current knowledge and research topics. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), a systematic literature review was conducted. The systematic search on the Web of Science and Scopus databases yielded 416 records, among which 52 studies were eligible to apply thematic analysis. The thematic analysis revealed seven main themes: tourism impacts, coastal heritage attractiveness, sustainability, geography and environment, tourist motivations and experiences, coastal destination planning and development, marketing and promotion, and technology integration in coastal heritage and tourism. Each theme has been discussed by providing the related research topics and key findings. A unique contribution of this research is the comprehensive assessment of coastal heritage research through the thematic analysis of relevant publications. In light of the thematic analysis and key contributions on the subject, this research proposed a future research agenda that can guide and shape future studies in this field. This study contributes to the literature by offering a comprehensive assessment of coastal heritage research through thematic analysis of relevant publications and outlining a future research agenda.

Purpose This research aimed to compare the effectiveness of human-generated, AI-generated (ChatGPT), and hybrid promotional texts using the AIEDA model, which incorporates anticipated emotions from the Model of Goal-Directed Behavior. Design/methodology/approach We conducted an experimental study and applied PLS-SEM and other inferential statistics to analyze whether 455 participants from the UK could differentiate between human-created, AI-generated (ChatGPT), and hybrid promotional texts and compared promotional effectiveness. Findings Participants were not able to distinguish between the three texts. However, the human-generated text was consistently less preferred. Effectiveness perceptions declined as participants suspected AI authorship, regardless of the text’s actual source (human, AI, or hybrid). The AIEDA model, which incorporates positive and negative anticipated emotions, proved effective in all three scenarios. Practical implications Tourism marketers can leverage AI for content creation but should maintain human oversight. Originality/value The study adds to communication theories and research on promotional text by deepening our understanding of algorithmic authorship and its impact on consumer behavior in tourism marketing. This study was one of the first to compare the effectiveness of human-created, AI-generated, and hybrid texts in tourism marketing, correlate respondents’ preferences toward advertising texts with texts’ suspected AI authorship, and use an extended AIEDA model.

This research evaluates chefs' perceptions of the role of technology in restaurant kitchens. It adopts a comprehensive approach that integrates the relevant factors identified in previous research to provide a multidimensional approach. Following a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 restaurant chefs. The perceptions of chefs on the role of technology in restaurant kitchens consist of eight main themes, which include mostly positive aspects: food and service quality, human resources, financial, competitiveness, image, customer experience, food waste and job safety. This research contributes to a theoretical and practical understanding of the relationship between restaurant management and technology in service industries, specifically the restaurant industry, and offers a conceptual model of the role of technology in restaurant kitchens.

This research note addresses a gap in current research on the role of technology in restaurants, which often focuses on operational benefits and customer experience rather than the experiential impact on chefs. Based on an exploratory qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews with chefs, the study explores how chefs perceive the influence of integrating technological tools in their future practices and the impact on their skills and creativity. The findings provide insights into the facilitative and destructive roles of technology. The paper contributes to the understanding of how and why technology enhances and inhibits human skills and creativity, thus guiding businesses in hospitality about the adoption of technology in restaurants.

Purpose This research aims to explore the role of technology in the future of restaurant labor. It focused on the opinions of restaurant employees, including managers, regarding technological trends such as service robots, self-service kiosks, robot chefs and automated cooking systems and how these may affect the future of restaurant labor. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was adopted, and interviews were conducted with restaurant employees in the USA. Findings The findings uncovered that the benefits, impacts and shortcomings of technological trends in the restaurant industry differ depending on employees’ perspectives. Also, the findings of the shortcomings of each technological trend support the need for human labor as some aspects of technological trends cannot address the requirements of some tasks. Originality/value This research proposed a conceptual framework explaining the role of technological trends in the future of restaurant labor. It is one of the first studies to examine the role of technology in the future of hospitality labor, specifically restaurant labor, after the pandemic.

The paper develops a conceptual framework for the economic aspects of service robots in hospitality companies that includes several key components: task automatability by service robots; effects of service robots on back-of-house and front-of-house operations (full vs partial process automation); impacts of service robots on jobs in hospitality companies (substitution, enhancement/augmentation, transformation, new job creation); and the effects of service robots on key performance metrics such as productivity, profitability, revenue, and cost. Additionally, the paper looks at the external and internal factors that drive the economic aspects of service robots in hospitality. Finally, the paper outlines the theoretical and managerial implications and develops a research agenda on the economics of service robots.

This study explores the perceptions of key stakeholders responsible for tourism and hospitality (T&H) organisations in Portugal regarding deregulating access to professions in T&H labour. A qualitative research approach was utilised. Through in-depth interviews, data was collected purposefully from the participants. According to the qualitative findings, opinions on regulating and deregulating professions in T&H labour emerged as against deregulation, against regulation, and moderate. However, most opinions fall under the against deregulation category. Moreover, deregulating access to the profession has both positive and negative impacts, and the influences of deregulation on working models include two sub-themes: self-employment and accumulation of functions. Finally, policymakers' responses to deregulation include elements such as the increase in the number of associates that joined associations, the partnership of associations with educational institutions to create certifications, and the creation of unions for specific positions. This research contributes valuable insights from key stakeholders on the deregulation of professions in T&H labour in Portugal, providing policymakers and scholars with a better understanding of the viewpoints on regulating and deregulating professions in this sector.

This study elaborates on the economics of the Metaverse in tourism and hospitality. It identifies the Metaverse stakeholders from a tourism perspective, namely: IT companies (infrastructure), IT companies (Metaverse presence), tourism and hospitality companies, other (non-tourism) companies, destination management organisations, tourists, and public authorities. The paper elaborates on the activities each stakeholder would be able to perform in the Metaverse and the associated revenue and costs. Based on this, the paper discusses the economic relationships between the stakeholders, their impacts on the financial performance of tourism and hospitality companies, and the potential economic externalities of the Metaverse. Theoretical, managerial and policy implications, limitations and future research directions are outlined as well.

This study systematically reviews coastal tourism research within the tourism and hospitality field to synthesise current knowledge, research themes, sub-themes, and topics and propose a future research agenda based on thematic analysis and key findings. Building on prior discussions and through an in-depth literature review, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the field. A systematic search was carried out in the Web of Science database, following the PRISMA guidelines. Out of 676 records found, 224 studies were found eligible for thematic analysis. The analysis revealed six main themes: tourist motivations, experiences and behaviours; responsible and sustainable tourism development; coastal destination marketing, image and attractiveness; coastal tourism destination management; coastal tourism planning and development; and tourism impact. Each theme is further examined through sub-themes, research topics, and key findings. The thematic analysis provides a valuable contribution to the field by synthesising existing knowledge and, based on identified gaps, presenting a research agenda to guide future research related to coastal tourism.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the perceptions of tourist guides in Türkiye regarding the role of technology in the tourist guiding profession. Design/methodology/approach This research adopted an exploratory qualitative case study approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with 29 professional tourist guides actively working in different regions of Türkiye. Findings The findings reveal the dual roles of technology in tourist guiding. While it can facilitate service quality and enhance experiences, technologies such as robot tourist guides, augmented reality and virtual reality are perceived as disruptive and potentially damaging service quality and tourist experiences. Originality/value The research offers unique insights into the facilitative and disruptive aspects of technological tools in the tourism industry. These findings have direct implications for destination managers, travel agencies and tourist guides worldwide, equipping them with a comprehensive understanding of the role of technology in tourist guiding and guiding their future actions, strategies and policies.

Purpose - By focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) and tourism automation, this perspective paper aims to investigate how tourism and automation will work to create a world in which tourism has more sustainable production and consumption patterns. Design/methodology/approach - This perspective paper reviews the past developments of automation in tourism in the context of sustainable production and consumption patterns, the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and looks at the future of tourism and how automation will help it be more sustainable in terms of consumption and production patterns. Findings - The insights from this analysis suggest that automation technologies will play a major role in both the supply and demand sides of the tourism and hospitality industry, encouraging increased tourism sustainability. While automation technologies will have the greatest impact on the supply side in the near future, as such technologies will be used to minimise waste and energy usage, creating large gains for environmental protection, the technologies will also benefit responsible consumption. Big data and analytical technologies will work in ways to ensure that consumers are nudged into consumer practices that are increasingly sustainable. Originality/value - This perspective paper synthesises the literature on the subjects, namely, automation and SDG 12 in tourism, and points to important new future research agenda. This is one of the first papers in tourism to blend automation and SDG 12 literature to shed light on the use of automation in sustainable consumption and production in tourism.

The current paper explores the distant gastronomic experience of online cooking class participants. Accordingly, reviews from various online cooking class providers posted by participants worldwide during the Covid-19 era were included in this research to be examined through content analysis. Adopting the grounded theory approach, this study also aims to propose a model explaining the inter-relationships of the extracted dimensions. As a result, nine dimensions of distant gastronomic experience were revealed: characteristics and skills of service providers, distance learning, entertaining, distance celebration, escape and relaxation, socializing and togetherness, memorable, value, and recommendation and repurchase intention. Besides, a model that explains the inter-relationships of these variables was provided. Hence, the study contributes to the literature regarding gastronomic experience in general and distant gastronomic experience through online cooking classes by providing the components of distant gastronomic experience and their inter-relationships.

The research on emotional intelligence in social robots is growing. This paper provides a thematic analysis of the studies on robots and emotional intelligence, synthesising and evaluating current knowledge and research topics. In addition, based on the thematic analysis of the studies, it also provides a conceptual framework explaining the emotional intelligence of robots that includes both actors (human and robot) in a human-robot interaction setting. The findings are based on the analysis of 252 studies published until the end of 2022 and indexed in the Scopus database. The results unveiled two main themes (robot design-technical developments and characteristics and human-robot interaction), including sub-themes and topics that emerged in the literature. Finally, the themes and sub-themes were evaluated through a critical discussion to develop a conceptual framework for robots and emotional intelligence.