Call for Papers: 2025 Global Marketing Conference (GMC) Track on Envisioning the Future of Hospitality and Tourism Research: Innovative Theorization, Advanced Data, and New Insights.
Sponsored by Tourism Management (2-year IF: 10.9, ABCD: A*) and
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (2-year IF: 9.10, ABDC: A)
Track Chairs:
Xingyu Huang, Ph.D., Department of Marketing, School of Business and Management, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, xingyu.huang@rhul.ac.uk.
Hyunsu Kim, Ph.D., Department of Management, College of Business and Economics, California State University, Fullerton, USA, hyunsukim@fullerton.edu.
Kevin Kam Fung So, Ph.D., White Lodging-J.W., Jr. Marriott School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University, USA, kevinso@purdue.edu.
Xiang (Robert) Li, Ph.D., School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Temple University, USA, robertli@temple.edu.
Extended abstracts or full papers for conference submissions must be received by January 31, 2025
The 2025 Global Marketing Conference (GMC) (https://2025gmc.imweb.me/index) will be held in Hong Kong, China on July 24 – 27, 2025. The theme of this year’s conference is “Marketing & Management Transformation in the Age of Digital Challenges.” We warmly welcome submissions for consideration for the “Envisioning the Future of Hospitality and Tourism Research: Innovative Theorization, Advanced Data, and New Insights” track of the 2025 GMC (https://2025gmc.imweb.me/20), sponsored by Tourism Management (2-year IF: 10.9, ABDC: A*) and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (2-year IF: 9.10, ABDC: A).
The unprecedented technological advancements have introduced a transformative era in the hospitality and tourism sectors, redefining how companies are managed and operated, how service is produced and delivered, and how data are gathered and utilized (Lv et al., 2022; Xiang, 2018). Fueled by the increasing adoption of digital platforms, richer data, and AI-driven strategies, the business landscape is becoming more dynamic. This widespread and multifaceted transformation places hospitality and tourism research at a pivotal moment, undergoing significant shifts that necessitate a re-evaluation of existing theories, methodologies, and a deeper understanding of industry dynamics.
Against this backdrop, significant concerns have been raised in the literature. For example, from a theoretical development perspective, Jafari and McCabe (2024) indicate that we seem no closer to developing a coherent theory of hospitality and tourism than we were 50 years ago. Similarly, Cai and
McKenna (2021) critique the current state of information technology and tourism research, urging a broader and more critical reexamination of its paradigmatic boundaries through reflective theorization within a wider social context. McCabe (2024) argues that the constant evolution of hospitality and tourism practices presents significant opportunities for theorizing, calling for future research to not only develop new theories but also refine existing ones to better reflect contemporary industry dynamics.
The transformation is further accelerated by innovative methodological advances. The nature and forms of data, for instance, have become increasingly rich and vastly complex, driving significant progress in analytical techniques including, but not limited to, textual analysis (H. Li et al., 2023; Zheng et al., 2023), image analysis (He et al., 2022; M. Zhou et al., 2023), video analysis (Guo et al., 2024; Zhu & Cheng, 2024), eye-tracking (P. Li et al., 2023; Wang & Sparks, 2016), voice mining (Wang et al., 2024), large language modeling (Liu et al., 2023), machine learning (Viverit et al., 2023), neural network (Binesh, 2024), and neuroscience (S. Li et al., 2023). In a similar vein, data from sources like user-generated content and physiological indicators, when processed and analyzed using innovative techniques, can open new research avenues and challenge the conventional wisdom that relies on traditional methods (Q. Zhou et al., 2023). However, despite the availability of new data collection methods, the field seems to remain heavily dependent on consumer-generated, self-reported surveys and online experimental data (Dolnicar et al., 2024). Thus, there is a growing need to effectively utilize and integrate multifaceted data sources (e.g., non-consumer data, unstructured data, time-spatial data), fostering more comprehensive, valid, and generalizable insights into hospitality and tourism.
To generate new research insights, scholars have highlighted specific areas where advanced methodologies and next-generation theorizing can be effectively applied, such as digital transformation, big data analytics, and the evolving landscape of AI and its applications. For example, digital transformation necessitates that organizations reconstruct game-changing efficiencies, achieve breakthroughs in customer experience and value, ensure scalability, and optimize strategic agility (Busulwa et al., 2022). Additionally, given that AI is significantly transforming businesses, researchers in hospitality and tourism are increasingly interested in exploring how AI will shape the future of the industry, including its impact on business management and customer interactions (Kim et al., 2024; Liu & Xu, 2023; Yin et al., 2024). Other emerging technologies such as automation (Tussyadiah, 2020), service robots (McCartney & McCartney, 2020; So et al., 2024), AR/VR (Bird et al., 2023; Fan et al., 2022) and blockchain (Filimonau & Naumova, 2020; Önder & Gunter, 2022), combined with their roles in service innovation, will continue to transform service operations and influence how people live and engage in hospitality and tourism consumption, thus presenting new directions for research that shapes the future of the hospitality and tourism management discipline.
The evolving dynamics highlighted above have called for a rigorous academic inquiry to develop a comprehensive understanding of how the future of hospitality and tourism will likely unfold in the coming years. Therefore, this conference track seeks path-setting studies that enrich existing scholarship with creative and impactful contributions to the fast-changing hospitality and tourism academia and industry. Accordingly, we aim to collectively envision the future of hospitality and tourism research through innovative theorization, advanced data, and new insights. Potential topics in hospitality and tourism include, but are not limited to, the following:
• How do theories interact with rapidly evolving technological developments and practices?
• How are existing theories reexamined, challenged, and reshaped to better reflect the shifting dynamics of academia and industry?
• What are the emerging theories, models, frameworks, and concepts for understanding and addressing academia and industry challenges?
• What are the types of diverse data sources (e.g., non-consumer data, unstructured data, time-spatial data) being leveraged to gain insights into the rapidly evolving hospitality and tourism industry?
• How can advanced analytic techniques be effectively applied to enhance and refine existing knowledge or enable the discovery of new insights?
• How can the development of data and analytical methods challenge and refine traditional measurements and metrics?
• How do innovative data sources and analytical techniques pave the way for emerging research opportunities (e.g., AI, digital transformation, sustainability, wellness, resilience)?
• How do evolving technologies drive the re-evaluation of existing business models and strategies?
• How do technological advancements and industry transformations influence ethical concerns such as social responsibility, privacy, fairness, and security?
• What new research directions are enabled by the intersection of technological developments and the hospitality and tourism industry?
• What opportunities and challenges could arise for the hospitality and tourism academia and industry during and after this transformative era?
Submission guidelines
Scholars should submit their extended abstracts or full conference papers by January 31, 2025. A Word or PDF document containing the manuscript should be submitted through the conference submission portal: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/22. Submission guidelines can be found at: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/35/?bmode=view&idx=19638135&back_url=&t=board&page= . An automatic e-mail response will be sent to the contact author once the manuscript has been received by the conference. If authors do not receive confirmation of their submission within 2 weeks, please send an email to 2025gmc.hospitalitytourism@gmail.com.
This conference track is sponsored by two prestigious journals: Tourism Management and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Selected papers from the track will be recommended for publication consideration by Tourism Management and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. All selected papers submitted in full will be subject to the journals’ formal double-blind review process. A recommendation to submit a full paper does not guarantee conditional acceptance or publication.
Call for Papers: 2025 Global Marketing Conference (GMC) Track on Envisioning the Future of Hospitality and Tourism Research: Innovative Theorization, Advanced Data, and New Insights.
Sponsored by Tourism Management (2-year IF: 10.9, ABCD: A*) and
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (2-year IF: 9.10, ABDC: A)
Track Chairs:
Xingyu Huang, Ph.D., Department of Marketing, School of Business and Management, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, xingyu.huang@rhul.ac.uk.
Hyunsu Kim, Ph.D., Department of Management, College of Business and Economics, California State University, Fullerton, USA, hyunsukim@fullerton.edu.
Kevin Kam Fung So, Ph.D., White Lodging-J.W., Jr. Marriott School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University, USA, kevinso@purdue.edu.
Xiang (Robert) Li, Ph.D., School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Temple University, USA, robertli@temple.edu.
Extended abstracts or full papers for conference submissions must be received by January 31, 2025
The 2025 Global Marketing Conference (GMC) (https://2025gmc.imweb.me/index) will be held in Hong Kong, China on July 24 – 27, 2025. The theme of this year’s conference is “Marketing & Management Transformation in the Age of Digital Challenges.” We warmly welcome submissions for consideration for the “Envisioning the Future of Hospitality and Tourism Research: Innovative Theorization, Advanced Data, and New Insights” track of the 2025 GMC (https://2025gmc.imweb.me/20), sponsored by Tourism Management (2-year IF: 10.9, ABDC: A*) and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (2-year IF: 9.10, ABDC: A).
The unprecedented technological advancements have introduced a transformative era in the hospitality and tourism sectors, redefining how companies are managed and operated, how service is produced and delivered, and how data are gathered and utilized (Lv et al., 2022; Xiang, 2018). Fueled by the increasing adoption of digital platforms, richer data, and AI-driven strategies, the business landscape is becoming more dynamic. This widespread and multifaceted transformation places hospitality and tourism research at a pivotal moment, undergoing significant shifts that necessitate a re-evaluation of existing theories, methodologies, and a deeper understanding of industry dynamics.
Against this backdrop, significant concerns have been raised in the literature. For example, from a theoretical development perspective, Jafari and McCabe (2024) indicate that we seem no closer to developing a coherent theory of hospitality and tourism than we were 50 years ago. Similarly, Cai and
McKenna (2021) critique the current state of information technology and tourism research, urging a broader and more critical reexamination of its paradigmatic boundaries through reflective theorization within a wider social context. McCabe (2024) argues that the constant evolution of hospitality and tourism practices presents significant opportunities for theorizing, calling for future research to not only develop new theories but also refine existing ones to better reflect contemporary industry dynamics.
The transformation is further accelerated by innovative methodological advances. The nature and forms of data, for instance, have become increasingly rich and vastly complex, driving significant progress in analytical techniques including, but not limited to, textual analysis (H. Li et al., 2023; Zheng et al., 2023), image analysis (He et al., 2022; M. Zhou et al., 2023), video analysis (Guo et al., 2024; Zhu & Cheng, 2024), eye-tracking (P. Li et al., 2023; Wang & Sparks, 2016), voice mining (Wang et al., 2024), large language modeling (Liu et al., 2023), machine learning (Viverit et al., 2023), neural network (Binesh, 2024), and neuroscience (S. Li et al., 2023). In a similar vein, data from sources like user-generated content and physiological indicators, when processed and analyzed using innovative techniques, can open new research avenues and challenge the conventional wisdom that relies on traditional methods (Q. Zhou et al., 2023). However, despite the availability of new data collection methods, the field seems to remain heavily dependent on consumer-generated, self-reported surveys and online experimental data (Dolnicar et al., 2024). Thus, there is a growing need to effectively utilize and integrate multifaceted data sources (e.g., non-consumer data, unstructured data, time-spatial data), fostering more comprehensive, valid, and generalizable insights into hospitality and tourism.
To generate new research insights, scholars have highlighted specific areas where advanced methodologies and next-generation theorizing can be effectively applied, such as digital transformation, big data analytics, and the evolving landscape of AI and its applications. For example, digital transformation necessitates that organizations reconstruct game-changing efficiencies, achieve breakthroughs in customer experience and value, ensure scalability, and optimize strategic agility (Busulwa et al., 2022). Additionally, given that AI is significantly transforming businesses, researchers in hospitality and tourism are increasingly interested in exploring how AI will shape the future of the industry, including its impact on business management and customer interactions (Kim et al., 2024; Liu & Xu, 2023; Yin et al., 2024). Other emerging technologies such as automation (Tussyadiah, 2020), service robots (McCartney & McCartney, 2020; So et al., 2024), AR/VR (Bird et al., 2023; Fan et al., 2022) and blockchain (Filimonau & Naumova, 2020; Önder & Gunter, 2022), combined with their roles in service innovation, will continue to transform service operations and influence how people live and engage in hospitality and tourism consumption, thus presenting new directions for research that shapes the future of the hospitality and tourism management discipline.
The evolving dynamics highlighted above have called for a rigorous academic inquiry to develop a comprehensive understanding of how the future of hospitality and tourism will likely unfold in the coming years. Therefore, this conference track seeks path-setting studies that enrich existing scholarship with creative and impactful contributions to the fast-changing hospitality and tourism academia and industry. Accordingly, we aim to collectively envision the future of hospitality and tourism research through innovative theorization, advanced data, and new insights. Potential topics in hospitality and tourism include, but are not limited to, the following:
• How do theories interact with rapidly evolving technological developments and practices?
• How are existing theories reexamined, challenged, and reshaped to better reflect the shifting dynamics of academia and industry?
• What are the emerging theories, models, frameworks, and concepts for understanding and addressing academia and industry challenges?
• What are the types of diverse data sources (e.g., non-consumer data, unstructured data, time-spatial data) being leveraged to gain insights into the rapidly evolving hospitality and tourism industry?
• How can advanced analytic techniques be effectively applied to enhance and refine existing knowledge or enable the discovery of new insights?
• How can the development of data and analytical methods challenge and refine traditional measurements and metrics?
• How do innovative data sources and analytical techniques pave the way for emerging research opportunities (e.g., AI, digital transformation, sustainability, wellness, resilience)?
• How do evolving technologies drive the re-evaluation of existing business models and strategies?
• How do technological advancements and industry transformations influence ethical concerns such as social responsibility, privacy, fairness, and security?
• What new research directions are enabled by the intersection of technological developments and the hospitality and tourism industry?
• What opportunities and challenges could arise for the hospitality and tourism academia and industry during and after this transformative era?
Submission guidelines
Scholars should submit their extended abstracts or full conference papers by January 31, 2025. A Word or PDF document containing the manuscript should be submitted through the conference submission portal: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/22. Submission guidelines can be found at: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/35/?bmode=view&idx=19638135&back_url=&t=board&page= . An automatic e-mail response will be sent to the contact author once the manuscript has been received by the conference. If authors do not receive confirmation of their submission within 2 weeks, please send an email to 2025gmc.hospitalitytourism@gmail.com.
This conference track is sponsored by two prestigious journals: Tourism Management and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Selected papers from the track will be recommended for publication consideration by Tourism Management and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. All selected papers submitted in full will be subject to the journals’ formal double-blind review process. A recommendation to submit a full paper does not guarantee conditional acceptance or publication.