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Introduction
‘Tourism Review’ (SSCI, Q1) invites submissions for a special issue on Transformational Digital Tourism Marketing in connection with the 2025 Global Marketing Conference (GMC) held in Hong Kong July 24-27, 2025. This special issue aims to gather cutting-edge research examining the opportunities and challenges related to marketing and management practices in the digital age within the tourism industry.
The tourism industry is experiencing a profound transformation driven by the rapid advancement of digital technologies. Innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, social media, and mobile applications are fundamentally altering how tourism businesses operate and engage with customers (e.g., Buhalis, 2019; Buhalis et al., 2023; Ivanov et al., 2024). These technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for enhancing customer experiences, optimizing operations, and creating new business models. However, they also present significant challenges that require tourism marketers and managers to adapt strategically (Sigala, 2018) and sustainably (Lee et al., 2021).
The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the adoption of digital solutions, compelling the tourism sector to rethink its strategies to remain competitive in an increasingly digital world (Gretzel et al., 2020). As travel restrictions and health concerns disrupted traditional tourism activities, digital platforms became essential for maintaining customer relationships, managing bookings, and providing virtual experiences. This shift has underscored the importance of digital resilience and innovation in the tourism industry (Sigala, 2020).
Digital marketing has become a cornerstone of tourism promotion, enabling destinations and businesses to reach global audiences with targeted and personalized messages (Mariani et al., 2018). Social media platforms, in particular, have emerged as powerful tools for influencing tourist behavior and preferences through user-generated content and influencer partnerships (Gretzel et al., 2020). Additionally, big data analytics allows tourism managers to gain deeper insights into customer preferences and trends, facilitating more informed decision-making and strategic planning (Li et al., 2018).
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also playing a crucial role in personalizing tourism services, from chatbots providing real-time customer support to recommendation engines suggesting tailored travel itineraries (Tussyadiah, 2020). Mobile technology, with its ubiquitous presence, has transformed how tourists plan, book, and experience their travels, making it imperative for tourism businesses to optimize their mobile presence (Koo et al., 2021).
Despite these advancements, the digital transformation of tourism is not without challenges. Issues such as data privacy, cybersecurity, and the digital divide pose significant hurdles that need to be addressed (Gretzel et al., 2020), where leadership could be one of the key factors (Lee et al., 2023). Moreover, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs) often struggle with the resources and expertise required to adopt innovation effectively (Lin et al., 2023).
This call for papers aims to explore the multifaceted impact of digital challenges on tourism marketing and management. We invite researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to contribute their insights and findings on how the tourism industry can navigate and thrive in the age of digital transformation.
List of topic areas
Tourism and Destination Marketing
- Tourism marketing strategies
- Destination and place marketing
- Promotion and advertising for destinations and services
- Branding and storytelling
- Destination banding
- Market segmentation and targeting specific segments
- Behavioral targeting
- Segmentation and target markets
- Customer relationships Marketing
- Customer reviews and testimonials
- Loyalty programs
- Personalized customer service and marketing automation
- Experiential marketing and memorable experiences
- Public relations and strategic communication
- Location-based service
Experiential Tourism and Marketing Strategy
- Tourist and guest experiences
- Ageing and silver market
- Family holidays marketing
- Cruise marketing
- Digital nomads
- Event and MICE Marketing
- Crisis management and marketing strategies
- Cross-cultural marketing
- Omni-channel marketing
- Video marketing
- Airline marketing and passenger services
- Marketing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Distribution strategies in tourism
- Service quality
- Personalized marketing
- Context marketing
- Travel influencers
Smart Tourism and Digital Innovation Marketing
- Smart tourism, hospitality, and transportation
- Digital transformation in tourism and hospitality
- Online travel agencies
- Digital platforms for booking and reviews
- Social media platforms and Influence
- Leveraging big data for personalized marketing
- Gamification in tourism marketing
- Digital leadership in tourism and transportation
- Artificial intelligence and digital apps
- Instagram influencers in tourism and hospitality
- Email marketing
- Mobile marketing
- Data analytics and customer feedback.
- Blockchain technology and tourist
- AI and Chatbots
- Metaverse/Virtual reality (VR)/ Augmented reality (AR)
- Streaming marketing
- User-Generated content
- Robots and service marketing in tourism and hospitality
- Geographic information for tourism and hospitality marketing
- Engaging tourists through interactive experiences
- Search engine optimization
- Cybersecurity issues and challenges in tourism and hospitality
Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Marketing
- Sustainable tourism and hospitality marketing
- Eco-friendly and environmentally conscious travellers marketing
- Diversity and inclusion marketing
- Ethical marketing and ESG
- Alternative tourism marketing
- Engaging customers with destinations and communities
- Greenwashing in tourism and hospitality
- Ethical justice in tourism and hospitality
- Cybersecurity and privacy and sustainability
Guest Editors
Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis (Bournemouth University), UK [email protected]
Prof. Yong-Ki Lee (Sejong University), South Korea [email protected]
Dr. Michael S. Lin (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Hong Kong SAR China [email protected]
Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Author guidelines must be strictly followed.
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to ““Please select the issue you are submitting to”.
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.
Key deadlines
Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 01/03/2025
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 15/08/2025
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