Vacation Planning Index (UPI)
What will short-term vacation demand among Germans look like over the next three months? In collaboration with the German Tourism Association (DTV), this research project is examining how the vacation travel intentions of the German-speaking resident population are likely to evolve.
VIMACONA: Visitor Management in Cotubanamá National Park (Dominican Republic)
Cotubanamá is the most visited national park in the Dominican Republic. The revenue generated from ticket sales is of great importance for financing the country’s protected areas system. However, the large number of visitors and the uneven spatial and temporal distribution of visitors place significant strain on the ecosystem at the local level. As part […]
Planning Vacation Trips in Times of Global Political Crises
In collaboration with the German Tourism Association (Deutscher Tourismusverband), this research project examines how the current global political situation is affecting short-term vacation travel planning (3 months) among the German-speaking resident population. The focus is on the question of how global political uncertainties and crises influence travel intentions, booking behavior, and perceptions of safety.
International Tourism Acceptance
Since 2019, the German Institute for Tourism Research (FH Westküste University of Applied Sciences) has been measuring tourism acceptance in Germany using a standardized approach that captures both the perception of impacts on the place of residence (TAS-W) and on the personal level (TAS-P), and allows for comparisons over time. Following successful validation in over […]
Digital Sustainability Guide for Destinations (NaWeDe)
Through the NaWeDe research project (Digital Sustainability Guide for Destinations), the German Institute for Tourism Research at FH Westküste University of Applied Sciences, in close collaboration with the Deutscher Tourismusverband (DTV) and the Schleswig-Holstein Tourism Association (TVSH), an AI-powered knowledge hub to support sustainable tourism development in the DACH region. The project’s goal is to […]
Childhood Experiences with Nature and Adult Connection to Nature
This research project examines how childhood experiences of nature shape the connection between people and nature, nature-based tourism, and environmentally friendly behavior among the German population. Building on the IUCN’s “Nature for All” initiative, the study will conduct an online panel survey among Germany’s adult population. Through a retrospective assessment of childhood experiences with nature, […]
Hiking and Winemaking
As part of this research project, wine tourism activities were examined in the context of vacation and day trips related to hiking. The central research question is how the German wine industry can benefit from hikers. In addition to general attitudes and interests regarding viticulture, the study also examined hikers’ specific interest in wine tourism […]
The Importance of Nature Tourism for Germans Traveling to South Africa
The project examines the influence of nature tourism on German vacationers’ decision to travel to South Africa. Qualitative and quantitative research methods are used for this purpose. The project is being conducted in collaboration with Peet Van Der Merwe from the South African research institute Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) at North […]
EMMA
Digital technologies are increasingly shaping our consumer behavior. With the introduction of virtual influencers, new areas of research are opening up regarding the impact of AI-driven personas on the travel behavior of international tourists. The project examines how virtual influencers—as anthropomorphic, computer-generated characters—affect the perceptions, attitudes, and decision-making of potential tourists. The focus is on […]
PUNK
As a medium of cultural expression, music serves not only an aesthetic function but also a discursive one. Song lyrics, in particular, offer a revealing lens through which to examine social trends, collective notions, and individual perspectives. Against the backdrop of tourist mobility, song lyrics can be interpreted as elements of the tourism discourse that […]