Purpose The purpose of this study is to discuss how consumers accept advanced artificial intelligence (AI) robots in hospitality and tourism and provide a typology and conceptual framework to support future research on advanced robot applicability. Design/methodology/approach This research reviews current cases of AI use and technology acceptance model (TAM) studies and proposes a framework, interactive technology acceptance model (iTAM), to identify key determinants that stimulate consumer perceptions of advanced robot technology acceptance. Findings The main constructs and types of advanced robots were identified by reviewing TAM studies and AI robots that are currently used in the tourism and hospitality industry. This research found that as technologies tested in TAM studies have been improved by highly interactive systems, increased capability and a more user-friendly interface, examining perceived interactivity of technology has become more important for advanced robot acceptance models. The examples of advanced robot uses indicate that each machine learning application changes the robots’ task performance and interaction with consumers. Conducting experimental studies and measuring the interactivity of advanced robots are vital for future research. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on how consumers accept AI robots with machine learning applications in the tourism and hospitality industry. The iTAM framework provides fundamental constructs for future studies of what influences consumer acceptance of AI robots as innovative technology, and iTAM can be applied to empirical experiments and research to generate long-term strategies and specific tips to implement and manage various advanced robots.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to define metaverse tourism and to provide a viewpoint and further research regarding metaverse tourism with respect to its potential for sustainable tourism. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated the potential of the metaverse for sustainable tourism based on United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports, Google Trends data and previous studies including human–computer interactions, virtual reality and cognitive studies. Findings This research found that metaverse products and experiences could aid in expanding the range of tourism resources and support sustainable tourism by providing alternative and profitable resources. Producing licensed and profitable metaverse tourism products and experiences could increase profitability for tourism destinations and should be developed in accordance with the UNWTO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Research limitations/implications Using metaverse tourism products and experiences is a new approach to attain the SDGs. Analysis of accumulated data from further empirical studies and case studies is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is an original attempt to define metaverse tourism in the tourism and hospitality context and to consider its potential, linked to UNWTO’s SDGs. Insights from this paper could be useful for initiating further research and discussions on future metaverse tourism and sustainable tourism.

Purpose This paper aims to track how ecotourism has been presented in a digital world over time using geotagged photographs and internet search data. Ecotourism photographs and Google Trends search data are used to evaluate tourist perceptions of ecotourism by developing a categorization of essential attributes, examining the relation of ecotourism and sustainable development, and measuring the popularity of the ecotourism sites. Design/methodology/approach The researchers collected geotagged photographs from Flickr.com and downloaded Google search data from Google Trends. An integrative approach of content, trend and spatial analysis was applied to develop ecotourism categories and investigate tourist perceptions of ecotourism. First, the authors investigate ecotourism geotagged photographs on a social media to comprehend tourist perceptions of ecotourism by developing a categorization of key ecotourism attributes and measuring the popularity of the ecotourism sites. Second, they examined how ecotourism has been related with sustainable development using internet search data and investigate the trends in search data. Third, spatial analysis using GIS maps was used to visualize the spatial-temporal changes of photographs and tourist views throughout the world. Findings This study identified three primary themes of ecotourism perceptions and 13 categories of ecotourism attributes. Interest over time about ecotourism was mostly presented as its definitions in Google Trends. The result indicates that tracked ecotourism locations and tourist footprints are not congruent with the popular regions of ecotourism Google search. Originality/value This research follows the changing trends in ecotourism over a decade using geotagged photographs and internet search data. The evaluation of the global ecotourism trend provides important insights for global sustainable tourism development and actual tourist perception. Analyzing the trend of ecotourism is a strategic approach to assess the achievement of UN sustainable development goals. Factual perspectives and insights into how tourists are likely to seek and perceive natural attractions are valuable for a range of audiences, such as tourism industries and governments.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to test if and how interactive thematic maps can encourage the formation of tourists' perceptual maps of attractions in a destination. Design/methodology/approach -Data were derived from 365 online trip planners generated by users of the Amish Country web site from 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008. Given the nature of the data set, network analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. Findings -Network analysis findings demonstrate that the things to do (TTD) included in the interactive Heritage Trail map were more frequently bundled together in the saved trip plans than TTDs included in other sections of the web site. Further analysis suggests that some additional non-Heritage TTDs could be included in the Heritage Trail map due to their perceptual proximity. Practical implications -The findings provide evidence that interactive maps on web sites can play an important role in tourists' planning behavior, which has significant implications for online tourism marketing. The findings also provide insights as to how online behavioral data can be used to derive marketing intelligence. Originality/value -This study contributes to the theoretical development of the role of interactive maps in travel planning and also illustrates the usefulness of network analysis for investigating tourism-related issues.

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