Includes bibliographical references.

Social issues and emerging debates in tourism and hospitality -- Lighting up! The socio-economic opportunities and pitfalls of cannabis decriminalisation for South African tourism -- Decoding the hummus trail of India: regaining the lost prudence -- The private sector against human trafficking in tourism - Employee perspectives on sex trafficking in Swedish chain hotels -- “Hotel backyard”: hoteliers’ perspectives on hotel suicides -- Where does physician-assisted suicide tourism fit in the tourism discipline? -- Sustainable human resource management and social harm of deviant tourism employees -- Impacts of tourism on residents: an analysis of the integrated threat theory -- Managing off-trail walking behaviour in national parks -- 2nd tourism and hospitality networking conference | RESNET’22 -- A historic moment: commemorating the 28th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism.

[Article Title: Social issues and emerging debates in tourism and hospitality/ Jun Wen,Fang Meng and Tianyu Ying, p. 1-4]

Abstract: The tourism and hospitality industry has earned global recognition thanks to its unprecedented growth prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. As tourism comes to play an increasingly important role in people’s daily lives and modern society, motivations for travel are no longer limited to pleasure and relaxation. Instead, tourism reflects diverse travel motivations including health and wellbeing (e.g. yoga tourism) (Dillette et al., Citation2019), human rights (e.g. social tourism) (McCabe & Qiao, Citation2020), business development (Tichaawa, Citation2017), education (Fu et al., Citation2018), and dark tourism (Sun & Lv, Citation2021). Darbellay and Stock (Citation2012) accordingly described tourism as a complex interdisciplinary topic. The maturing field of tourism research has also birthed affiliated research streams such as tourism geographies, tourism economics, and tourism and medical interventions (e.g. Wen et al., Citation2022).

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2127733

[Article Title: Lighting up! The socio-economic opportunities and pitfalls of cannabis decriminalisation for South African tourism/ Tafadzwa Matiza and Peet van der Merwe, p. 5-17]

Abstract: Progressive attitudes towards cannabis consumption have resulted in many countries decriminalizing its use. South Africa is only the third African country to liberalize the recreational consumption of cannabis, potentially raising both societal concerns and economic opportunities for the country, including the development of cannabis tourism. This paper synthesizes the contemporary literature – drawing on experiences and best practices associated with cannabis decriminalization and its moral regulation within tourism. With reference to effectively balancing the economic benefits of cannabis decriminalization versus its contentious social ramifications, the paper is a concerted effort to identify actionable and socially grounded solutions to sustainably managing the cannabis decriminalization-tourism nexus for the government and tourism practitioners in African tourism destinations such as South Africa.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129650

[Article Title: Decoding the hummus trail of India: regaining the lost prudence/ Rohan Bhalla and Nimit Chowdhary, p. 18-29]

Abstract: The paper explores the menace of drug tourism on the hummus trail of India. The study unfolds Israeli tourists’ socio-psychological background, motivations for escape and transformation, and drug use behaviour in India. A qualitative research design was applied to understand travel experiences. The finding highlights three significant themes supported by textual descriptions of narratives produced as evidence. Schmoll’s tourism consumer choice model was used to understand the travel decision-making process. The study proposes curating spiritual experiences through tourism for people’s mental health and well-being by replacing drug abuse on the hummus trail of India.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129664

[Article Title: The private sector against human trafficking in tourism/ Tenia Kyriazi, p. 30-44]

Abstract: Tourism, travel and hospitality report a high prevalence of human trafficking, predominantly for sexual exploitation. With human trafficking recognized as a form of international organized crime and a serious human rights violation, states are bound to address it comprehensively. In parallel, the private sector in tourism, travel and hospitality has demonstrated engagement in the fight against human trafficking through a wide range of initiatives and ethical commitments that have been adopted locally, regionally and internationally. The current debate on the need for a business and human rights legally binding instrument serves as a backdrop for this concept paper to argue that the existing regulatory anti-trafficking framework is adequate to effectively address human trafficking in tourism.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129675

[Article Title: Employee perspectives on sex trafficking in Swedish chain hotels/ Eleonora Rossi, Maria Thulemark and Tara Duncan, p. 45-58]

Abstract: This paper investigates chain hotel employees in Sweden and their ability to work against sex trafficking. Using ten semi-structured interviews, the research asks questions about employee’s relationships with external stakeholders (the police, booking channels, non-profit organizations, and competitors) and macroenvironmental factors (political and legal factors, economic, socio-cultural and health). The findings highlight that lack of communication, cooperation and autonomy hinder chain hotel employee’s ability to recognize and prevent sex trafficking. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for better interdisciplinary engagement to help eliminate sex trafficking within the tourism and hospitality industries and reiterates the call for actionable outcomes that empower chain hotel employees to work with external stakeholders to find viable solutions to help stop sex trafficking.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129723

[Article Title: “Hotel backyard”: hoteliers’ perspectives on hotel suicides/ Burçin Kırlar-Can and Mehmet Ertaş, p. 59-70]

Abstract: This study investigates the perspectives of hotel employees and managers on hotel suicide based on the opportunity theory. Using an exploratory qualitative research design to gain insights into undesirable events in hotels, the study examines the opinions, attitudes, and management skills of hoteliers in preventing suicide and coping with the after-effects. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with sixteen hoteliers in Denizli, Türkiye. Data collection included scenarios consisting of newspaper articles about hotel suicide cases. The findings demonstrated that hotels mostly meet their legal obligations, such as taking registration, checking identity, and sending instant identity reports to the police station. However, they rarely take preventive measures against suicidal events.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129728

[Article Title: Where does physician-assisted suicide tourism fit in the tourism discipline?/ Shaohua Yang, Salmi Mohd Isab, T. Ramayah and Yi Zheng, p.71-75]

Abstract: The emerging phenomenon of suicide tourism has aroused intense debate among scholars, especially in terms of defining physician-assisted suicide (PAS). However, the conceptualization of suicide tourism remains unclear. Given relevant concerns, this opinion piece seeks to provide insight into whether PAS should be included in the tourism discipline. PAS tourism is characterized by severe illness, avoidance of pain, and a sense of depression. Ethical, moral, and legal concerns are incongruent with the present definition of tourism; therefore, PAS is argued to have no place in the tourism discipline. Further work is recommended to revise definitions of PAS tourism by employing various research methods and behavioural theories.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129737

[Article Title: Sustainable human resource management and social harm of deviant tourism employees/ Alex Anlesinyaa and Pattanee Susomrith, p. 76-88]

Abstract: Research on how sustainable human resource management (HRM) can alleviate the social harms of tourism employees is limited. Therefore, this study conceptually examines the influence of sustainable HRM on the social harms of deviant tourism employees by drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives. The findings suggest that social harms of tourism employees are the result of social learning. Additionally, they imitate deviant tourists’ behaviours, and generate social harms for the stakeholders both in and outside the tourism work environment. However, this can be counterbalanced by sustainable HRM practices that shape social learning forces, and directly reduce social harms. Accordingly, our study contributes by developing a multidisciplinary theoretical framework to guide practices and research on critical social issues within the tourism workplace.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129740

[Article Title: Impacts of tourism on residents: an analysis of the integrated threat theory/ John Ayo Olaghere, p. 89-103]

Abstract: This paper applies the Integrated Threat Theory as a framework for an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach to examine the impacts of tourism on Seychelles’ residents. In-depth interviews of 28 informants revealed residents’ perceptions of tourism’s negative impacts. Findings were combined with factors from previous studies in a quantitative survey of 281 respondents for a more comprehensive view. Results revealed that residents perceived restricted access to beaches near hotels, the strain on public infrastructure, economic leakages, and unfavourable employment prospects (vis-a-vis expatriate staffers) as unsavoury aspects of tourism. These impacts notwithstanding, Seychellois remain positively disposed to tourism and hold favourable attitudes towards tourists. Thus, while realistic and symbolic threats were confirmed, they did not translate into intergroup anxiety and negative stereotypes.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129742

[Article Title: Managing off-trail walking behaviour in national parks/ Edmund Goh, p. 104-107]

Abstract: The purpose of this viewpoint paper is to provide practical managerial strategies to address the problematic behaviour of visitor non-compliance at national parks. This paper provides a descriptive overview of current non-compliant behaviours in national parks and offer suggested practical solutions and directions. Although past studies have explored the underlying motivations behind visitor non-compliance in national parks, research on management tactics to curb this problematic behaviour remains limited. Therefore, more attention is needed to solve this perennial issue. While most national parks use a combination of both direct and indirect management tactics to manage off-trail walking behaviour, it is recommended park managers try using indirect management tools first before converting to rigid authoritative direct management approaches to manage non-compliant behaviours in national parks. This paper also advocates for future research to identify reasons behind non-compliant behaviour in national parks and examine the effectiveness of direct and indirect management tools across different visitor segments to address this problematic behaviour.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2129747

[Article Title: 2nd tourism and hospitality networking conference | RESNET’22/ Jaime Serra, p.108-109]

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2167327

[Article Title: A historic moment: commemorating the 28th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism/ Xiaoxiao Fu, p. 110-112]

https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2023.2167329