Methodological and theoretical advancements in social impacts of tourism research

This lead article introduces the double special issue dedicated to methodological and theoretical advancements in social impacts of tourism research. We begin by providing an overview of five key developmental stages of research within this area: Definitions, typologies, and conceptual model development;the advent of case study-based, atheoretical empirical inquiry;scale design, development, and testing;further scale development/refinement and theoretical application;and theoretical model development and testing. Brief evolutionary histories of the methodological and theoretical advancements of research dedicated to social impacts of tourism are then discussed. This includes a review of the most pertinent predictor variables (along with a visual display of each and key studies) in explaining residents' perceptions of social impacts of tourism and a thorough review of most frequently used theoretical frameworks. Following this, brief synopses of the articles are provided along with key themes (e.g. resident-tourist relationships, social impacts and residents' attitudes, residents' empowerment, overtourism, and methodologies) and salient points of each work. In closing, we suggest numerous lines of inquiry that will continue to advance research into social impacts of tourism. Though these studies were undertaken prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, we emphasize that future work should be designed with the pandemic in mind.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2046011

The Influence of Place Attachment on Social Distance: Examining Mediating Effects of Emotional Solidarity and the Moderating Role of Interaction

Building on common identity theory and intergroup contact theory, this study sought to further understanding of people–place relationships by developing a holistic theoretical model to scrutinize place attachment as an antecedent of social distance, mediated by emotional solidarity and moderated by frequency of contact between tourists and residents. Visitor data analyzed with SEM revealed that place dependence is a significant predictor of social distance given it affects affinity positively and avoidance negatively, both of which are mediated by the three dimensions of emotional solidarity. Furthermore, the mediated relationships (via emotional solidarity) between place attachment and social distance vary by level of visitors' frequency of interaction with residents. This study expands current theorization by examining the merits of emotional solidarity as an affective link in a tourist cognitive-behavioral model. From a practical standpoint, DMOs need to understand these construct linkages and include residents in their marketing strategies to increase repeat visitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Travel Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Customer Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles in Travel and Tourism

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the use of personal vehicles in travel, adoption of self-driving autonomous vehicles can radically transform the travel industry. Thus, this study develops and tests a conceptual autonomous vehicle acceptance model that identifies hedonic motivation, trust in autonomous vehicles and social influence as critical determinants of performance expectancy, perceived risk and emotions, which determine travelers? intentions to use autonomous vehicles (AVs) utilizing the Cognitive Appraisal Theory and the Artificially Intelligent Device Use Acceptance model as conceptual frameworks. Findings indicate that trust is the most powerful determinant of performance expectancy and essential to decrease risk perceptions. Furthermore, performance expectancy and hedonic motivation are critical determinants of travelers? positive emotions, which in turn determines the acceptance of AVs. Contribution to theoretical knowledge and implications for practice are provided, and limitations and recommendations for future studies are discussed.