{"title":"Are Tourists Willing to Pay for Sustainable Tourism: Why and Why Not?","authors":"Birendra KC, Reynolds Kusi","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70228","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jtr.70228","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There is an increased demand for the hospitality and tourism industry to be more sustainable. The sustainability movement in the industry requires concerted efforts, where businesses need to go beyond their ongoing “business as usual” working philosophy to encapsulate broader implications for economic growth, social responsibility, and environmental conservation. Indeed, consumer choices and demands drive the industry, where consumers play a vital role in fueling a green movement in the hospitality and tourism industry. We collected and analyzed more than 500 qualitative responses from tourists to comprehend their willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainable tourism.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developing and Validating a Scale for Medical Tourist’ Motivation","authors":"Xiangyu Xu, Shanlang Lin, Xinwei Su","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70247","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jtr.70247","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study develops and validates the Medical Tourism Motivation Scale (MTMS) to fill the gap in systematic measurement within medical tourism research. Based on the Push–Pull Theory and Health Belief Model, qualitative interviews and Delphi consultations generated an initial item pool, refined and tested through two surveys in China and Southeast Asia (<i>n</i> = 333; <i>n</i> = 389). Analyses confirmed a reliable five-factor structure—health beliefs, cost-effectiveness, convenience, cultural and leisure integration, and risk and assurance. Structural modeling showed motivation significantly predicts behavioral intention (<i>β</i> = 0.66, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.44). The MTMS enriches theory by linking internal health concerns with external destination attributes and offers practical guidance for targeting health-sensitive travelers, improving convenience and assurance, and integrating cultural elements.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How Does Tourists' Digital Engagement Impact Destination Brand Digital Experience and Brand Value Co-Creation? The Moderating Role of Digital Credibility","authors":"Liying Chen, Jing Zhang, Mo Zhang, Hongli Pang","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.70234","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Digital social platforms have revolutionized the way tourists engage with destinations, prompting extensive research into the underlying principles and implications of this phenomenon. This study presents a validated conceptual model that investigates the influence of tourists' digital engagement on their digital experience with a destination brand, as well as the co-creation of brand value. To verify the proposed hypotheses, three experimental studies were conducted to examine the intricate relationship between digital engagement, destination brand digital experience, and brand value co-creation, as well as validate the moderating effects of tourists' digital engagement on subsequent responses leveraging diverse samples and varying digital media scenarios. It contributes to the growing body of knowledge on tourists' digital engagement and its impact on destination digital branding. By providing empirical evidence and practical recommendations, it addresses a crucial gap in current literature and offers actionable insights for both academics and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs).</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peiyao Wang, Long Zhang, Hongli Xiong, Luojiang Ye
{"title":"The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Smart Tourism: Efficiency and Privacy Perspectives","authors":"Peiyao Wang, Long Zhang, Hongli Xiong, Luojiang Ye","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.70232","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is a core driver of smart tourism. This study explores tourists' AI support intention by integrating the efficiency-privacy trade-off, emotional processes, and digital literacy's (DL) boundary role. An integrative model was tested using an online survey of users with AI tourism experience in China (valid sample = 522). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess reliability, validity, mediation, moderation, and predictive relevance. The findings reveal that Perceived Efficiency positively impacts, and Perceived Privacy Threat negatively impacts, Perceived Enjoyment and Positive Emotions of Self-benefit—with stronger effects on enjoyment. Tourists' support intention is driven mainly by perceived benefits. DL moderates the privacy threat-enjoyment link. Emotional and experiential factors matter more than pure cognition. The study advances smart tourism by showing how privacy, efficiency, and DL affect AI support.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tan Vo-Thanh, Duc Sinh Hoang, Thi Nhu Hoa Nguyen, Van Ha Luong, Mustafeed Zaman, Erose Sthapit
{"title":"Projected Versus Organic: Mapping Destination Image Congruence","authors":"Tan Vo-Thanh, Duc Sinh Hoang, Thi Nhu Hoa Nguyen, Van Ha Luong, Mustafeed Zaman, Erose Sthapit","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.70229","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study analyzes the alignment of three distinct images—Overt Induced I, Overt Induced II, and Organic—pertaining to a tourism destination. Using a comprehensive content analysis of various sources, including strategic marketing materials from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, promotional brochures from leading tour operators, and user-generated content from platforms such as Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Routard, and Lonely Planet, the data reveal significant congruence among these three images. Vietnam is represented as a destination that is rich in cultural, historical, and coastal attractions, which closely resonate with the perceptions of French tourists and influence their intentions to revisit or recommend the destination. This congruence supports the expectancy-confirmation theory, underscoring that satisfaction is achieved when actual experiences align with or exceed expectations. Furthermore, the study identifies specific areas where the promotion of certain attributes could be enhanced, suggesting opportunities for effective destination branding.</p>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jtr.70229","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking Destination Attractiveness: Sustainability's Unexpected Role in Generation Z's Preferences","authors":"Socrat Ghadban, Magali Trelohan, Mohamed Sellami","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.70237","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This research investigates the attractiveness of tourist destinations among Generation Z, focusing on three distinct French cities: Troyes, Metz, and Paris. In the context of an increasing emphasis on sustainability, with some studies highlighting Generation Z's heightened environmental awareness, while others question their true commitment to sustainability, the current study seeks to examine the role of environmental awareness in shaping the attractiveness of tourist destinations. To this end, the study engaged 768 respondents across three cities and explored the relationship between destination familiarity and attractiveness. Remarkably, the study reveals that sustainability does not rank as a priority for Generation Z in determining the attractiveness of a city and that familiarity with a destination significantly enhances its attractiveness. These findings have critical implications for the development of tourism strategies, suggesting a recalibration of marketing and policy initiatives to resonate with the preferences and priorities of Generation Z travelers.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Henrique Fátima Boyol Ngan, Fong Mei Hang, Cheang Choi Leng
{"title":"Is Smart Scary or Useful? Privacy Calculus in Smart Tourism Technology","authors":"Henrique Fátima Boyol Ngan, Fong Mei Hang, Cheang Choi Leng","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.70212","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Smart tourism technologies (STTs) have become a critical part of the travel journey, but it remains unclear how individuals decide to use them based on the risks (e.g., privacy concerns) and benefits associated with their use (e.g., perceived usefulness). Thus, the current study investigates the privacy calculus of STTs by integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) and protection motivation theory (PMT). It examines how tourists balance STT benefits against privacy risks. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), data was analyzed from 550 visitors to China who used STTs during their trip. Results show that perceived usefulness and ease of use influence positive attitudes toward STTs, enhancing tourist satisfaction and revisit intentions. However, privacy concerns, as posited by PMT, do not significantly affect satisfaction or revisit intentions, highlighting the privacy paradox. These findings extend TAM and PMT to smart tourism, offering insights for practitioners to prioritize user-friendly STT designs.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Henrique Fátima Boyol Ngan, Fong Mei Hang, Cheang Choi Leng
{"title":"Is Smart Scary or Useful? Privacy Calculus in Smart Tourism Technology","authors":"Henrique Fátima Boyol Ngan, Fong Mei Hang, Cheang Choi Leng","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70212","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jtr.70212","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Smart tourism technologies (STTs) have become a critical part of the travel journey, but it remains unclear how individuals decide to use them based on the risks (e.g., privacy concerns) and benefits associated with their use (e.g., perceived usefulness). Thus, the current study investigates the privacy calculus of STTs by integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) and protection motivation theory (PMT). It examines how tourists balance STT benefits against privacy risks. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), data was analyzed from 550 visitors to China who used STTs during their trip. Results show that perceived usefulness and ease of use influence positive attitudes toward STTs, enhancing tourist satisfaction and revisit intentions. However, privacy concerns, as posited by PMT, do not significantly affect satisfaction or revisit intentions, highlighting the privacy paradox. These findings extend TAM and PMT to smart tourism, offering insights for practitioners to prioritize user-friendly STT designs.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Would You Travel to a Vibrant Destination? A Mixed Methods Empirical Study","authors":"Yifan Zuo, Sirong Chen, Rob Law, Mu Zhang","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70239","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jtr.70239","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>With increasing competition among tourism destinations, more seek to attract tourists by enhancing “vibrancy.” This research examines how tourism destination vibrancy influences potential tourists' behavioral intentions and offers theoretical support for destination management and marketing. Using the stimulus–organism–response model and the escape–seeking dichotomy in tourism motivation, a mixed methods design is applied. The qualitative phase uses thematic analysis of online travelogue texts and in-depth interviews, followed by three experiments to test the proposed mechanisms. Results show that tourism destination vibrancy significantly boosts behavioral intentions, with anticipated affect mediating this effect. Motivation shapes preferences: escape-oriented individuals prefer low-vibrancy destinations, while seek-oriented individuals favor high-vibrancy destinations. These patterns are moderated by subjective vitality, with stronger effects under low vitality (escape—low vibrancy) and high vitality (seek—high vibrancy). These findings offer a new perspective on how destination vibrancy shapes tourist decision-making and provide theoretical guidance for cultivating a vibrant destination image.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Would You Travel to a Vibrant Destination? A Mixed Methods Empirical Study","authors":"Yifan Zuo, Sirong Chen, Rob Law, Mu Zhang","doi":"10.1002/jtr.70239","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.70239","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>With increasing competition among tourism destinations, more seek to attract tourists by enhancing “vibrancy.” This research examines how tourism destination vibrancy influences potential tourists' behavioral intentions and offers theoretical support for destination management and marketing. Using the stimulus–organism–response model and the escape–seeking dichotomy in tourism motivation, a mixed methods design is applied. The qualitative phase uses thematic analysis of online travelogue texts and in-depth interviews, followed by three experiments to test the proposed mechanisms. Results show that tourism destination vibrancy significantly boosts behavioral intentions, with anticipated affect mediating this effect. Motivation shapes preferences: escape-oriented individuals prefer low-vibrancy destinations, while seek-oriented individuals favor high-vibrancy destinations. These patterns are moderated by subjective vitality, with stronger effects under low vitality (escape—low vibrancy) and high vitality (seek—high vibrancy). These findings offer a new perspective on how destination vibrancy shapes tourist decision-making and provide theoretical guidance for cultivating a vibrant destination image.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":51375,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Tourism Research","volume":"28 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}