We are pleased to present the latest issue of „Turyzm / Tourism” – the longest-running scientific journal in Poland dedicated to research on tourism, hospitality, and recreation. Published continuously since 1991, the journal serves as an important platform for knowledge exchange between researchers from Poland and abroad.
The journal „Turyzm / Tourism” is indexed in renowned academic databases and is a valuable source of knowledge for researchers, students, tourism professionals, and anyone interested in contemporary challenges and trends in tourism.
The current issue (2025, No. 1) features 14 peer-reviewed articles in English, addressing diverse and timely topics related to the development of tourism in social, technological, cultural, and environmental contexts. The authors represent academic institutions from around the world, and their research offers both theoretical insights and practical applications.
The journal contains 14 articles:
The role of city parks in creating ‘wellbeing societies’: A case study of Piłsudski Park in Łódź, Poland – Melanie Kay Smith, Joanna Kowalczyk-Anioł, Jakub Janiszewski, Karolina Grabarczyk:
This article examines the role of urban green spaces (UGSs) and city parks in fostering wellbeing among urban residents. UGSs are increasingly being recognized for their contribution to public health, mental wellbeing and social cohesion, and this research fills a gap in the understanding of these benefits in the context of Central and Eastern European cities. The current study presents research on the motivations, patterns of use, chosen activities and wellbeing benefits of visiting the largest city park in Łódź: Marshal Józef Piłsudski Park. The research utilizes a questionnaire-based survey of 238 park users to explore patterns of park use, motivations for visiting and perceived wellbeing benefits. Findings reveal that physical activities, such as walking, are the primary motivation for park visits, while mental benefits like relaxation and stress reduction arehighly valued outcomes. Although social interactions are rated lower overall, theyare particularly significant for younger and older users, as well as marginalized groups such as unemployed individuals. The study also highlights the role of proximity and the frequency of visits in amplifying wellbeing benefits. Despite the park’s evolving infrastructure, aligning with modern trends, passive recreational activities dominate usage patterns. The research underscores the potential of urban parks to address health and social challenges, advocating inclusive and participatory urban planning. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on sustainable urban development and the creation of ‘wellbeing societies’ through urban green spaces.
Designing and delivering inclusive heritage tours: Good practices for engaging socially excluded audiences – Lynn Minnaert:
People who experience social exclusion often face barriers to participation in recreation and tourism and tend to have limited engagement with culture and heritage. Yet, both sets of activities have been linked to a range of positive outcomes. This study focuses on heritage tours, a tourism product at the crossroads of culture, tourism and recreation. It examines how heritage tours can be designed and delivered in a way that promotes inclusion: removing barriers, creating a judgement-free environment, fostering inclusive oral communication, and providing an equitable experience for all participants. Addressing a gap in the tourism literature, the paper draws on audience development strategies that have been used in culture and the arts, including product-led and market-led approaches. It analyzes a case study initiative in Edinburgh, Scotland, to explore the effectiveness of its approach and evaluate whether it offers any good practices that can be replicated in other destinations or contexts.
Post-COVID-19 pandemic: Examining the moderating role of event image on visitors’ intention to revisit major events – May Chiun Lo, Abang Azlan Mohamad, Jun Zhou Thong, Fung Yee Law:
Grasping the perspectives of consumers is a fundamental focus for those managing events and festivals. This study investigated the impacts of aspects of awareness and eventexperience, namely perceived value, service quality and event image on satisfaction,along with revisit intentions to major events. The study used a quantitative analysis based on 1265 valid responses collected from a survey conducted during several major events that were held in Sarawak, Malaysia. Via partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the findings revealed service quality as a crucial motivatortowards the attendees’ satisfaction levels, and this led to their revisit intentions. The event image was found to enhance the association, while the impacts of awareness and perceived value on satisfaction were not significant. The study provides event organizerswith valuable insights regarding attendees’ perceived aspects of an event, enabling the effective planning and implementation of future major events post-COVID-19.
Communicating tourism destinations through travel writing: A case study on travel content research in tourism co-creation – Charles Mansfield, Zoë Roberts, Jasna Potočnik Topler:
This research explores the intersection of travel writing pedagogy and professional practice through the creation and analysis of a travel writing portfolio. One of the researchers compiled a portfolio of nine travel texts to test the efficacy of the aim, design, assessment (ADA) apparatus – a tool designed for planning and evaluating travel writing. The study utilised close reading techniques, drawing on established literary and semiotic theories, to analyse the portfolio and assess the role of pedagogic knowledge in professionalizing travel writing. The research highlights the importance of structured, reflective practices in producing travel texts that are both engaging and informative. Additionally, the study advances travel writing methodology by incorporating journaling into a Web 2.0 archive, offering new insights into the dialogic process between researchers and stakeholders. While the study’s limitations include a lack of comparative data, it lays the groundwork for further exploration of travel writing’s pedagogic and professional dimensions. The findings underscore the value of integrating pedagogic theory with practical application, providing a framework for future research and professionalisation of the genre.
The historical legacy of Norwegian mountain destinations: Current challenges and opportunities for development – Kelvin Owusu, Even Tjørve:
This study explores the historical legacy of mountain destinations in the southeastern region of Norway to understand the challenges they face and their opportunities for development. It identifies exogenic (external) and endogenic (internal) factors that have influenced the destinations’ development from historical accounts in order to understand the different levels of success among them. The literature study and the emerging discussion are based on locally-sourced documents in order to bridge the gap between academic literature and little known or less available sources of destination history and development. The findings are that exogenic factors such as transportation, climate change and commodifiable slopes, which may primarily affect all destinations for alpine skiing but are not sufficient to determine the variation in success between them. Endogenic drivers such as ownership, management and leadership qualities strongly explain the different levels of success in a destination’s development. This study demonstrates those with favourable exogenic conditions struggle without effective endogenic drivers. Conversely, some destinations have overcome challenges from historical development and these are largely influenced by endogenic drivers. This research contributes a historical perspective of development that uncovers a range of underlying drivers, providing a framework for understanding how exogenic and endogenic factors shape mountain destinations’ success, sustainability and capacity to innovate.
Social media and mountain visits – is this ‘friendship’ sustainable? – Siya Cholakova, Elka Dogramadjieva:
The role of social media in tourism has already been acknowledged in the academic literature but still little is known about its specific influence on mountain tourism in the context of the growing popularity of outdoor activities that threaten to harm fragile areas. The aim of this article is to find out the effect of social media on such visits, to outline patterns of tourist behaviour, as well as to reveal social media–induced effects, both negative and positive, regarding the sustainability of mountain tourism. Using an online survey among the members of a Bulgarian mountaineering Facebook group, we found out that it was information of practical use that was mostly searched for by its members, and which in turn can be easily converted into real visits to the area, and as such mainly attracting novice mountaineers. The study uncovered purely pragmatic perceptions in terms of sharing information and pictures about places in the mountains, with limited awareness about the possible negative environmental effects from the overpopularisation of these areas. This could be classified as a consumerist attitude towards the mountains that is nurtured by social media. On the positive side, such unawareness can be tackled by social media due to its mass informative power.
Possible impacts of Tren Maya: The residents of Chetumal’s perspective, Quintana Roo, Mexico – Omar I. Ramírez-Hernández, Karla Susana Barrón Arreola, Graciela Cruz Jiménez:
The aim is to analyze the possible impacts of the Tren Maya megaproject on the city of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, through the perceptions of its residents. The theoretical framework used is that of social representations, as this approach helps understand how people organize, interpret and give meaning to information in their environment. The methodology is qualitative, involving surveys and in-depth interviews with residents of the study area. The analysis of the results is based on trends and excerpts from interviews that illustrate and contrast the impacts perceived by the local community. The main findings indicate that Tren Maya is viewed as an opportunity for economic improvement and will invigorate the production and tourist activities of Chetumal, however negative impacts on the environment are acknowledged. It is concluded that social representations can assist in creating comprehensive strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts and enhance the benefits from the implementation of Tren Maya in Chetumal.
Relevance for tourist visiting decisions – destination branding vs destination image: Case study from Lariti Beach, Bima Regency – Saida Zainurossalamia ZA, Irsan Tricahyadinata:
Today, there are disciplines that concentrate on tourism, some of which highlight a tourist’s visiting decision; this is not only associated with the brand or reputation of a destination but also its image. From this premise, this study aims to find the relationship between destination branding and destination image on tourists’ visiting decisions. With a focus on tourists visiting Lariti Beach, Bima Regency (Indonesia), data collection via interviews based on non-probability sampling techniques were made. Using the partial least squares (PLS) method, the results of the study reveal that both destination branding and destination image affect tourists’ visiting decisions systematically. When compared, destination branding is the more important instrument for increasing visiting decisions compared to image. Therefore, this research opens space and attention for further studies to consider destination image as a critical function in stimulating visiting decisions. Future implications include tourism policies that lead to optimal branding and image.
The influence of virtual reality tourism on travel intentions: Enhancing travel decisions with immersive experiences – Tanvir Ahmed, Md. Hasan Imam Rifat:
The tourism sector has evolved due to the incorporation of virtual reality (VR) into deeply immersive travel experiences, altering traditional tourism practices and offerings. The study examines how VR tourism affects visitors’ desires, brand truthfulness and travel ease. This study used qualitative methods by engaging fifteen participants in VR travel simulations and participating in semistructured interviews within a controlled environment. Research results indicate that users participating in VR tourism connect deeply with their minds while their dreams of exploration intensify along with reduced traditional travel barriers. The widespread adoption of VR faces significant obstacles due to the diverse preferences of users, high implementation costs, and the limited technological skills of potential travellers. The study demonstrates how virtual reality functions as an expansion pathway for conventional tourism activities, if industry actors can resolve the practical and sensory obstacles linked to its operational deployment.
Determinants of tourist attitudes toward local food and intentions to visit a destination: A case study from Iran – Sahar Hosseinikhah Choshaly:
This study examines the predictors of tourist attitudes towards local food along with intentions to visit a destination. This study is of great interest to research tourism in Iran. Specifically, it is the first to examine the impact of belief and familiarity as psychological factors on tourist attitudes towards local food and intentions to visit a destination. The sample consisted of 200 Iranian tourists visiting the city of Lahijan. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling and the findings recognized familiarity as the most influential factor affecting attitudes toward local food, followed by epistemic, emotional, health and prestige value as well as food neophobia. However, interaction value, price and taste are not associated with attitudes towards local food. The article offers practical marketing strategies for tourism marketeers regarding the important determinants of intentions to visit a destination. This research can help authorities in charge of business promotion as to what is more likely to attract tourists and their use of tourism resources.
Revisit intentions play a pivotal role in the tourist market, predicting both tourist revisits and the financial sustainability of tourism enterprises while also influencing effective destination management. This study aims to examine the impact of service quality (SQ) and memorable tourism experiences (MTE) on revisit intentions (RI), with tourist satisfaction (TS) as the mediator. Using quantitative research methods, including cross-sectional surveys through a questionnaire, this investigation has focused on the Old Town of Jakarta – a significant historical landmark – with 204 tourists participating as respondents. Through PLS-SEM analysis of the data, the findings highlight that only MTE and TS directly and significantly impact RI, with TS emerging as the most influential predictor. Furthermore, SQ positively contributes to both MTE and TS, with MTE serving as a determinant of TS. Indirectly, SQ and MTE influence RI mediated by TS. Therefore, enhancing SQ in managing the Old Town of Jakarta is crucial to providing a memorable and satisfying travel experience, thereby fostering positive future behavioral intentions.
Investigating the relationship between e-tourism ethics and e-revisit intentions: The mediating roles of e-satisfaction and e-web trust – Shakeel Basheer, Sheezan Farooq, Mudasir Ahmad Mir, Viana Hassan:
The emergence of e-tourism in the current digital era has completely changed how people plan their trips and enjoy their entire trip. The goal of the current study is to ascertain how e-tourism ethics and e-revisit intentions are related. Additionally, the current study examines how e-web trust and e-satisfaction mediate this association. Based on previous research, a pilot study was conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of a questionnaire that was created from the body of existing literature and given to the respondents. Using a descriptive strategy, the study employed an approach that involved analysing a sample of 420 questionnaires. Convenience sampling was used to collect data from respondents, and SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. AMOS software and the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach were used to assess the assumptions. The investigation’s findings indicated that e-tourism ethics and e-revisit intentions were positively correlated. Additionally, the results of the study demonstrated the mediating impacts of e-web trust and e-satisfaction by demonstrating a strong indirect influence. For those involved in e-tourism enterprises looking to build long-lasting relationships with their online travel clientele, the insights provide valuable information.
Tourism eco-efficiency: Progress and prospect – Muhammad Fikruzzaman Rahawarin, Kosuke Mizuno, Mahawan Karuniasa:
This study aims to analyse relevant literature on tourism eco-efficiency which has arrived since this terminology was proposed almost two decades ago. This study was conducted using bibliometric analysis based on literature findings from the Scopus database, filtered by the ROSES framework, which resulted in a collection of 99 articles between 2005 and 2023, further analysed using the Biblioshiny package in R. We conducted five analyses, including general and source-based – to explore the most relevant and impactful journals, author-based – to highlight the most frequently cited productive researchers, and country-based – to identify those with consistent research networks and an abundant output on related topics. Additionally, there was keyword-based – emphasizing the evolution of tourism eco-efficiency discourse over time. This keyword-based analysis is further divided into factorial – clustered keywords; and thematic – grouping keywords into quadrants offering retrospective insight and identifying unexplored topics for future research. The findings of this study propose valuable insights into the topic of tourism eco-efficiency and propose further research directions, including those on spatial analysis, tourism spillover effects, integration with environmental regulations and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Global trends in business tourism research – Víctor Hernández-Andrés, Pablo de Frutos Madrazo, Juan Carlos Frechoso Remiro, Antonio Martín-Cervantes:
Business tourism is a key economic driver in the regions where it is present. In recent decades, the remarkable growth of academic research both in quantity and diversity of articles, makes it necessary to structure and organize this segment of tourism to identify trends in the sector and facilitate the work of the community in the research process. Using Scopus as a bibliographic database, this article performs a systematic analysis of the academic research that has addressed business tourism in the period from 1970 to 2021. Through a robust methodological approach that includes the use of bibliometric tools, the study analyzes data to identify patterns, key actors and emerging trends in the field. It examines the main research trends and provides an analysis through strategic diagrams of the keywords found in business tourism which has not been done to date. The main findings confirm the consolidation of academic research in the meetings industry over the past two decades. We also identify the main trends, including the progressive integration of its activities in line with sustainable development criteria, the use and integration of new technologies, and the increasing need for professionalization in a growing sector.
AI-powered live chatbots and smart tour guide apps in tourism: A literature review and future research directions – Vahid Ghasemi, Parichehr Yarahmadi, Salar Kuhzady:
This study explores the critical intersection in the tourism sector combining artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with conventional methods. This research outlines three main goals: assessing the use of AI chatbots in the tourism industry, reviewing existing literature on intelligent tour guide apps, and pinpointing areas for further research. It focuses on incorporating AI into the tourism industry, highlighting the effectiveness of tools such as ChatGPT. The systematic literature review examines the use of ChatGPT in pre-trip, en route, and post-trip scenarios, analyzing its effects on customer engagement. Using technology acceptance model (TAM) and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) frameworks, the adoption of automated intelligent tour guides is explored. The research follows a systematic review methodology, adhering to PRISMA guidelines for methodological rigor and has uncovered several factors that impact the adoption of AI-based intelligent tour guides, offering valuable insights for academic scholars and industry experts.
The entire issue is available at the link: https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/tourism/issue/view/2130
