2023/10/25 by Ian Yeoman, Una McMahon‐Beattie · 1 voice · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research #Sport and Mega-Event Impacts #Cruise Tourism Development and Management
paper · doi:10.1080/14616688.2023.2270937
openalex publication_date 2023/10/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Given the presence of societal scale risks such as pandemics, war, climate change and artificial technology, the future of tourism will operate increasingly in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. As such the present course of tourism research is unsustainable. In this paper, the authors draw upon the evolutionary paradigm in futures studies to identify a series of historical turning points in the development of tourism futures research. These include forecasting tourism demand using quantitative methods; the appointment of the world’s first tourism scenario planner; the establishment of the European Tourism Futures Institute; the creation of academic credibility through the Journal of Tourism Futures; the effect of COVID-19 on tourism research; and finally, the accelerator effect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on our consciousness and awareness of the future. In conclusion, the authors offer a series of futures turning points identifying the direction of tourism futures, scenario planning and foresight within the realm of tourism research.