Search Results (473)

As global sustainable development increasingly intersects with rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), understanding how emerging technologies reshape corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) behavior has become essential. This study investigates the role of artificial intelligence adoption in shaping firms’ ESG performance and analyzes the channels through which such effects are realized. Panel data on Chinese A-share listed tourism enterprises for the period 2013–2023 were used in the analysis. Grounded in corporate social responsibility theory and stakeholder theory, the empirical analysis indicates that the adoption of artificial intelligence is positively associated with improved ESG performance among tourism enterprises. Further analysis suggests that AI adoption positively affects ESG performance mainly through two channels: customer base diversification and improvements in corporate reputation. Moderating effect tests reveal that climate risk strengthens the promoting effect of AI on ESG performance, while media attention weakens this effect. The heterogeneity results indicate that the positive impact of AI adoption on ESG performance is stronger among firms facing less government environmental scrutiny and those operating outside the culture, sports, and entertainment sectors. These findings deepen the understanding of how emerging technologies support sustainable corporate development in the tourism industry and provide evidence that may assist policymakers in promoting the coordinated advancement of AI applications and green governance. Full article

Creativity has been frequently explored in artists’ work. However, this concept has also been studied in the economic context of business and management. The concept of creativity has also recently become a subject of tourism research, as tourism is considered an important industry. Tourism classifications that include experiences are becoming more widespread. Alternative and special-interest tourism encompasses a range of tourism types presenting unique experiences. Within the classifications of sport, adventure, and experiential tourism, commercial tandem paragliding can be examined through a creative tourism lens in terms of perceived learning, interaction, and unique involvement. Hence, this research was conducted in Babadağ, Fethiye, a renowned paragliding destination. A total of 360 visitors were included as the participants. PLS-SEM was used to estimate a structural equation model. The results clearly demonstrate the centrality of the creative tourist experience. Firstly, the direct effect of the creative tourist experience on behavioral intentions was found to be quite strong and significant. The results show that the creative tourist experience is strongly and positively associated with behavioral intentions (revisit, recommendation, and positive word of mouth). The effect of the creative tourist experience on memories indicates that creative experiences leave a strong impression on visitors’ memories. Similarly, the creative tourist experience had a significant and positive effect on satisfaction. Considering these three results together, it can be said that creative experiences strengthen cognitive/affective memories, increase overall evaluative satisfaction, and directly affect behavioral intentions. This finding is consistent with the experiential and creative tourism literature on the determinative role of experience quality in memory value and satisfaction. These findings reveal that creative tourist experiences strengthen both memories and satisfaction; that memories are positively related to satisfaction and behavioral intentions; and that satisfaction is positively related to behavioral intentions, thereby extending fundamental assumptions in the experience economy and creative tourism literature to the specific context of commercial tandem paragliding as a guided air-based adventure activity. The study’s unique contribution to the literature is that it not only examines creative tourism through cultural/workshop-based experiences, but also conceptualizes creative tourism through adventure activities involving high involvement and high arousal, and empirically demonstrates the importance of creative-experience quality in explaining behavioral intentions through “memorability” and “satisfaction”. Full article

In the era of digital intelligence, cultural heritage is undergoing a profound transformation. This study investigates how digital technologies facilitate the inheritance and innovation of traditional culture in China, focusing on the case of Huangyan’s Song Rhyme Culture in Zhejiang Province. Drawing on the framework of “glocalized intelligent heritage,” the research explores how global technological systems interact with local cultural practices to produce new forms of cultural continuity. Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative case study approach supported by empirical data. It combines policy analysis, semi-structured interviews with twenty-six stakeholders, field observations, and quantitative indicators such as visitor statistics, online engagement, and project investment. This mixed design provides both contextual depth and measurable evidence of digital transformation. The findings show that digital intelligence has reshaped cultural representation, platform-based public engagement, and local sustainability. In Huangyan, technologies such as AI-based monitoring, 3D modeling, and VR exhibitions have transformed heritage display into an interactive and educational experience. Digital media have enhanced public engagement, with more than 1.2 million virtual visits and over 20 million online interactions recorded in 2024. At the same time, the project has stimulated cultural tourism and creative industries, contributing to a 28.6% increase in cultural revenue between 2020 and 2024. The study concludes that digital intelligence can function as a cultural bridge by strengthening heritage mediation, widening access, and enabling platform- and institution-based participation, while noting that embodied intergenerational cultural transmission lies beyond the direct measurement of this research design. Full article

Despite its rich cultural heritage, the Yellow River Basin (YRB) faces challenges of ecological fragility and unbalanced development that constrain residents’ welfare improvement. Cultural–tourism integration (CTI)—aimed at creating employment, optimizing industrial structure, and improving public services—is increasingly promoted as a pathway to enhance people’s livelihood and well-being (PLW). Grounded in industrial integration theory and welfare economics, this study examined the impact effects, transmission mechanisms, and spatial spillovers of CTI on PLW. Panel data from 75 prefecture-level cities in the YRB, spanning 2011 to 2023, were utilized, and multi-dimensional indices were constructed for both CTI and PLW. Impact effects, mediating mechanisms, and spatial spillovers were examined through kernel density estimation, a dynamic system generalized-method-of-moments (SYS-GMM) model, mediation analysis, and a spatial Durbin model (SDM). The results showed that CTI and PLW both improved over time and displayed a spatial pattern of “midstream and downstream leading, upstream lagging”. CTI significantly promoted PLW, after controlling for dynamics and endogeneity (SYS-GMM coefficient = 0.130, p < 0.01). Industrial structure upgrading acted as a positive mediator, whereas digital infrastructure exhibited a short-term suppressing (negative mediating) effect, implying a phased mismatch between CTI investment priorities and digital input. Spatial estimates further indicated that CTI generated positive spillovers, improving PLW in neighboring cities, in addition to local gains. These findings suggest that basin-wide coordination and better alignment between CTI projects and digital infrastructure are essential for inclusive and sustainable well-being improvements, supporting regional progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

Digital technology is profoundly transforming the experiential landscape of tourism. However, its application does not necessarily produce cultural experiences, creating a critical bottleneck that constrains the sustainable development of the cultural tourism industry and broader societal culture. To address this gap, this study introduces psychological ownership theory as an overarching explanatory framework. It constructs and validates an integrated model that examines how digital technology characteristics (interactivity and innovativeness) influence cultural experience through three parallel mediating pathways: cognitive evaluation (perceived usefulness and ease of use), scenario construction, and flow experience. Based on 540 visitor questionnaires, structural equation modeling validated the theoretical model. Findings reveal that the interactivity and innovation of digital technology jointly stimulate visitors’ psychological ownership through three parallel pathways. Specifically, technological innovativeness exhibited the strongest effect on perceived ease of use (β = 0.387, p < 0.001), while the indirect effect via the flow experience path was also significant (effect size = 0.036). This process stimulates visitors’ psychological ownership, ultimately leading to cultural experiences. The study systematically reveals the pathways through which digital technology empowers cultural experiences across three dimensions: as a rational tool, an emotional narrative medium, and an intrinsic psychological catalyst. It highlights that strategically allocating technological resources to cultivate visitors’ psychological ownership is crucial for driving high-quality industrial development. Furthermore, the research offers significant implications for cultural sustainability, suggesting that such internally motivated identification provides a more effective foundation for the living transmission of culture and socio-cultural sustainability than external regulations or imposed norms. Full article

The present conceptual paper proposes a purpose-driven experiential marketing framework for film-induced destinations, integrating sustainability and emotional engagement into destination management. The model under discussion comprises five interconnected dimensions, namely integrated experience, branding, people, emotional touchpoints and processes. These are articulated through purpose-driven marketing principles and aligned with selected Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicators. This approach positions sustainability as an inherent component of value creation rather than an external policy layer. The framework under discussion was developed through an interdisciplinary literature review and is illustrated through insights from an exploratory case study of Monsanto, a rural Portuguese village recently featured in HBO’s House of the Dragon. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of local stakeholders, including tourists, residents, entrepreneurs and institutional representatives. These interviews were analysed thematically to provide indicative evidence of the framework’s relevance and potential applicability. The findings suggest that emotional engagement, co-creation and territorial authenticity play a central role in shaping memorable film-related tourism experiences that are consistent with destination purpose and stakeholder well-being. The study also emphasises the strategic importance of storytelling, audiovisual narratives and collaborative governance in the strengthening of place identity and the support of sustainable differentiation. Despite its exploratory nature, the framework provides practical guidance for destination management organisations (DMOs), cultural programmers and creative industry actors. The article concludes by identifying avenues for future research, including cross-regional application, digital experimentation and the quantitative assessment of experiential dimensions. Full article

Rural areas are currently facing a deepening “social-ecological divide,” where the fragmentation of natural, economic, and cultural data—often trapped in “data silos”—hinders effective systemic governance. To bridge this gap, in this study, the Rural Landscape Information Model (RLIM), an integrative framework designed to reconfigure rural connections through data fusion, process coordination, and performance feedback, is proposed. We validate the framework’s effectiveness through a comparative analysis of two distinct rural archetypes in China: the innovation-driven Yu Village and the heritage-conservation-oriented Hani Terraces. Our results reveal that digital technologies drive distinct empowerment pathways moderated by regional contexts: (1) In the data domain, heterogeneous resources were successfully integrated into the framework in both cases (achieving a Monitoring Coverage > 80%), yet served divergent strategic ends—comprehensive territorial management in Yu Village versus precision heritage monitoring in the Hani Terraces. (2) In the process domain, digital platforms restructured social interactions differently. Yu Village achieved high individual participation (Participation Rate ≈ 0.85) via mobile governance apps, whereas the Hani Terraces relied on cooperative-mediated engagement to bridge the digital divide for elderly farmers. (3) In the performance domain, the interventions yielded contrasting but positive economic-ecological outcomes. Yu Village realized a 25% growth in tourism revenue through “industrial transformation” (Ecology+), while the Hani Terraces achieved a 12% value enhancement by stabilizing traditional agricultural ecosystems (Culture+). This study contributes a verifiable theoretical model and a set of operational tools, demonstrating that digital technologies are not merely instrumental add-ons but catalysts for fostering resilient, collaborative, and context-specific rural socio-ecological systems, ultimately offering scalable governance strategies for sustainable rural revitalization in the digital era. Full article

As a core sector of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and dual-circulation pattern, Xinjiang’s cultural tourism industry—its ninth-largest industrial cluster—plays a key role in enhancing industrial competitiveness and regional coordinated development. To fill the research gap of insufficient analysis on China’s western frontier regions in existing tourism cluster studies, this research focuses on 14 prefecture-level cities in Xinjiang (2009–2023) and innovatively adopts a spatiotemporal synergy and dual-dimensional correlation framework, addressing the limitations of previous single-dimensional research. Tourism Location Quotient (TLQ) quantified specialized agglomeration, Local Moran’s I identified spatial correlation patterns, gravity models analyzed horizontal inter-cluster interactions, and Gray Relational Model (GRM) measured vertical driving relationships between cluster development and related dimensions. This approach facilitates an in-depth analysis of the spatiotemporal evolution trajectory of Xinjiang’s tourism clusters and their horizontal-vertical linkage mechanisms. Findings show: (1) Xinjiang’s tourism clusters present a spatial pattern of “Northern Xinjiang as the core, Eastern Xinjiang with differentiated development, and Southern Xinjiang as lagging.” With narrowing regional gaps, their evolution transitions from a “fixed gradient” to “co-evolution.” (2) Agglomeration effects are significant: Urumqi propels Northern Xinjiang to form a “high-high agglomeration zone,” while Southern Xinjiang remains a “low-low agglomeration zone” led by Kashgar. (3) Horizontal linkages evolve from a Urumqi-centered single-core structure to a multi-axis cluster network, and vertical linkages are mainly driven by destination attractiveness and economic support capacity. This study clarifies the spatiotemporal evolution logic and associated driving mechanisms of tourism clusters in arid, multi-ethnic frontier regions, providing a scientific basis for optimizing regional tourism layouts and promoting high-quality development. Full article

Cultural tourism has emerged as a key factor in destination development, but moving from growth-oriented expansion to sustainability necessitates a better comprehension of the psychological processes influencing visitor involvement. Existing studies insufficiently integrate destination-level diversification with tourist psychological identity, particularly within emerging economies. Drawing on a diversified development framework, this study constructs a theoretical model linking economic, cultural, social, and environmental dimensions with tourist psychological identity and sustainable destination development. Questionnaire data from 300 respondents were analyzed using regression analysis to examine direct and indirect effects across influencing factors. Economic development (β = 0.45), government policy support (β = 0.23), and investment orientation (β = 0.32) significantly strengthen sustainable cultural tourism development. Cultural resources (β = 0.51), cultural exchange (β = 0.27), and creative industries (β = 0.18) also exhibit strong positive effects. Tourist psychological identity is shaped by personal economic status (β = 0.42), cultural experience (β = 0.33), and social recommendations (β = 0.35). Moreover, psychological identity exerts a substantial influence on sustainable development (β = 0.56), indicating a reinforcing mechanism between destination diversification and long-term sustainability. Findings demonstrate that diversified development pathways enhance both destination sustainability and tourists’ psychological attachment, offering actionable implications for destination marketing and management. This study contributes to shifting tourism development from a growth paradigm toward a sustainability paradigm, supporting SDGs 8, 11, and 12. Full article

This article provides a comparative examination of two AI-assisted museums in Africa, the Dar Gnawa Museum (Marrakech) and the Grand Egyptian Museum (Cairo). It analyzes the AI functions and the strategies these institutions adopt to pursue techno-cultural empowerment in a field long shaped by power asymmetries in Africa. The literature review highlights how technological transfers in museum cooperation remain an overlooked vector of coloniality which the convergence of AI and heritage practices now brings sharply into view. This article develops the notion of clouded coloniality—a dual phenomenon in which heritage data is literally managed in the cloud, often from abroad, while diffracted layers of actors and processes obscure the identification of new imbalances in and around AI-assisted museums. This article designs a two-pronged analytical framework which first assesses AI functions within the Dar Gnawa Museum and the GEM, and then evaluates sustainable synergies between these institutions and their broader AI ecosystem. The results indicate that whereas the GEM prioritizes youth empowerment, the tourism industry, and partnerships with foreign stakeholders that could potentially expose Egypt’s cultural sovereignty, the Dar Gnawa Museum independently developed an AI tool, Kouyou, that could offer a transferable model for advancing Pan-African techno-cultural empowerment. Full article

With the deep integration of digital technology and the tourism industry, the transformation of the spatial form of smart tourism destinations and the research on their system structure have become the focus. This study adopts a mixed research approach, taking villages in the mountainous areas of southeastern China as examples, and collects empirical data through semi-structured interviews, participant observation and literature collection. This study draws on structuralist location theory to construct a four-dimensional spatial analysis model of natural environment, production economy, social norms and cultural values and incorporates a historical perspective to make up for the limitations of this theory in explaining regional dynamic changes caused by the lack of a time dimension. This study finds that digital tourism provides external resources such as the consumer market, tourism capital and information technology prompting the reconfiguration of the rural internal system. By absorbing external resources and upgrading traditional industries, rural areas have formed a more diversified, inclusive, and dynamically balanced spatial form. Furthermore, phenomena such as villagers’ relocation, e-commerce employment and local tea-growing knowledge indicate that certain predicaments still exist in the construction of digital tourism. This research can provide practical references for the development and spatial optimization of rural digital tourism. Full article

Folk festivals and other intangible cultural heritage have received widespread attention, and their socio-cultural value can be used to promote tourism, strengthen local identity, and build city brands. However, it remains unclear how these intangible cultural heritage festivals transform their multi-dimensional and multi-configuration material characteristics into economic benefits and image enhancement. This study proposes a practical decision-making framework aimed at understanding how different festival design and governance strategies can work synergistically under different cultural conditions. Based primarily on a literature review and expert questionnaire survey, this study identified six stable materialized practice modules: productization, spatialization, experientialization, digitalization, branding/communication, and co-creation governance. At the same time, this framework also incorporates two other conditional intervention properties: classicism and novelty. The interactions between these modules shape people’s understanding of intangible cultural heritage festivals. Subsequently, this study used a multimodal national dataset that included official statistics, industry reports, e-commerce and social media data, questionnaires, and expert ratings to construct module scores and cultural attributes for 167 festival case studies. Through rough set analysis (RSA), this study simplifies the attributes and extracts clear “if-then” rules, establishing a configurational causal relationship between module configuration and classic/novel conditions to form high economic benefits and enhance local image. The findings of this study reveal a robust core built around spatialization, digitalization, and co-creative governance, with brand promotion/communication yielding benefits depending on the specific context. This further confirms that classicism reinforces the legitimacy and effectiveness of rituals/spaces and governance pathways, while novelty amplifies the impact of digitalization and immersive interaction. In summary, this study constructs an integrated and easy-to-understand process that links indicators, weights, and rules, and provides operational support for screening schemes and resource allocation in festival event combinations and venue brand governance. Full article

Abandoned mines, as emblematic heritage spaces in the process of deindustrialization, preserve collective production memory and serve as vital symbols of local identity. However, current redevelopment practices primarily emphasize physical restoration while overlooking the visual expression and interactive communication of regional culture. This study introduces an augmented reality (AR)–based visual narrative framework that integrates regional culture to bridge the gap between spatial renewal and cultural regeneration. Drawing on semiotics and spatial narrative theory, a multidimensional “space–symbol–memory” translation mechanism is constructed, and a coupling model linking tangible material elements with intangible cultural connotations is established. Supported by technologies such as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), semantic segmentation, and level of detail (LOD) rendering, a multilayer “position–perception–presentation” module system is designed to achieve stable anchoring of virtual and physical spaces and enable multilevel narrative interaction. Through task-oriented mechanisms and user co-creation, the system effectively enhances immersion, cultural identity, and learning outcomes. Experimental validation in a representative mine site confirms the feasibility of the proposed framework. While the study focuses on a single case, the modular and mechanism-based design indicates that the framework can be adapted to cultural tourism, educational communication, and community engagement applications. The key innovation lies in introducing an iterative “evidence–experience–co-creation” model, providing a new methodological reference for the digital reuse of abandoned mines and the sustainable preservation of industrial heritage. Full article

Industrial tourism serves as a medium for disseminating industrial culture and strengthening public awareness. Quantifying the discrepancies between official projections and public perceptions is essential for shaping the destination image and enhancing appeal and competitiveness. This study examines five industrial heritage creative industry parks using large language models (LLMs) and multimodal data to address this issue. The results indicate the following: (1) Multimodal data fusion improves feature representation. (2) A clear discrepancy exists between official projections and public perceptions. The official perspective emphasizes the Cultural value of heritage, in contrast to the public’s greater concern with the Service experience perception. Despite this divergence, there is alignment in the recognition of the Creative industry form dimension. (3) Public sentiment regarding the parks is predominantly positive. However, an analysis of negative sentiments reveals that insufficient supporting facilities and poor consumption experience are the primary sources of dissatisfaction. Through large language models and multimodal data, this study proposes a framework for quantifying the gaps between official projections and public perceptions. It also provides practical insights and empirical support for the management and planning of industrial heritage creative industry parks. Full article

Enhancing farmers’ livelihood resilience is a cornerstone of sustainable rural development and poverty alleviation consolidation in developing countries. While tourism has emerged as a prominent rural revitalization strategy, the mediating role of tourism-induced land use transitions in building resilience—and the underlying spatial mechanisms through which these transformations operate—remains inadequately understood. This study integrates Henri Lefebvre’s spatial production theory with land systems analysis to examine how tourism-driven land use transitions influence farmers’ livelihood resilience in rural China. Using provincial panel data and three waves (2018, 2020, 2022) of nationally representative household survey data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we construct a comprehensive tourism development index emphasizing land transformation dimensions and employ panel regression models with instrumental variables and threshold analysis. The findings reveal that tourism-induced land use transitions significantly enhance farmers’ livelihood resilience through three distinct spatial mechanisms: land-based rural infrastructure investment, industrial land structure rationalization, and cultural facility land development. Importantly, this relationship exhibits a double-threshold effect with diminishing marginal returns, and the positive impact is substantially stronger in heritage-rich regions with comparative policy advantages. By establishing land use transitions as a critical spatial production pathway linking tourism to sustainable livelihood outcomes, this study advances land systems science, offering a novel theoretical framework for integrating people–nature interactions in heritage-rich rural areas and practical guidance for strategic land use planning in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Full article