Call for Papers
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research (JHTR)
Special Issue: The Impact of the Political Environment on Tourism and Hospitality
Guest editors
Craig Webster, Miller College of Business, Ball State University: [email protected]
Nathan Line, Dedman College of Hospitality, Florida State University: [email protected]
Background and rationale for this special issue
The Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research (JHTR) invites submissions for a special issue focused on the political environment’s influence on tourism and hospitality. Public policy, political decisions, and regulatory interventions are increasingly shaping the global tourism and hospitality landscape, impacting market stability, travel flows, supply chains, sustainability practices, and the long-term competitiveness of destinations and organizations around the world. For example, tariff policies have impacted supply chains and reshaped international travel and investment patterns. Political tensions in East Asia, such as the dispute between China and Japan, have resulted in travel bans, airline restrictions, and sharp fluctuations in tourism demand. Meanwhile, growing concerns about sustainability have led governments in Europe and Japan to introduce overtourism taxes, congestion charges, and short-term rental restrictions aimed at balancing visitor growth with local well-being. In addition, global initiatives such as carbon taxes, mandatory ESG reporting, and emerging digital technology/data- and AI-related regulations (e.g., EU’s GDPR Compliance, UN’s Personal Data Protection and Privacy Principles, HFTP’s Corporate Digital Responsibility Guidelines) are redefining how hospitality and tourism organizations operate, innovate, and compete.
This special issue seeks to advance theory and practice by exploring how public policy and political factors influence traveler behavior, industry performance, organizational strategy, destination competitiveness, and stakeholder well-being. We welcome papers that examine policy interventions at the local, national, or international level and encourage interdisciplinary perspectives spanning marketing, tourism, management, public administration, international business, economics, sustainability, and related fields.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
• Trade and economic policies (tariffs, trade disputes, protectionism) and their impacts on tourism demand, hospitality performance, and global competitiveness.
• Travelers’ responses to international economic policies, including effects on travel intentions, destination image, and spending patterns.
• Political tensions, diplomatic relations, and geopolitical events shaping cross-border mobility and international travel flows.
• AI governance, data privacy regulations, and digital policy frameworks influencing tourism and hospitality operations.
• Policy-driven implications of AI adoption for guest experiences, privacy perceptions, service quality, and trust.
• Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) and its effects on business performance, brand reputation, and stakeholder well-being.
• Overtourism management and regulatory interventions, including taxes, congestion charges, and visitor distribution tools.
• Environmental and sustainability policies (carbon taxes, climate regulation, ESG reporting) and their influence on firms, destinations, and industry resilience.
• Labor, immigration, and workforce policies affecting mobility, protections, and working conditions in hospitality.
• Regulation and governance of short-term rentals and their implications for housing markets and community well-being.
• Comparative policy and governance studies examining divergent tourism policy outcomes across countries or political systems.
• Methodological and theoretical advancements that strengthen the study of political and policy issues in tourism and hospitality.
• Geopolitical conflicts, wars, and security crises and their effects on destination image, traveler risk perceptions, and recovery trajectories.
• Visa policies (liberalization, visa-free agreements, restrictions) and their impact on traveler choices and destination competitiveness.
• Political communication, misinformation, and censorship and their influence on destination reputation and tourist behavior.
• Political sanctions, trade embargoes, and supply restrictions and their consequences for hospitality supply chains.
• Human rights and ethical policy issues, including migrant worker protections, labor rights, and ethical sourcing standards.
• Political transitions, election cycles, and regime changes driving tourism volatility, investment patterns, and industry uncertainty.
• Travelers’ political identities and ideological orientations, including participation in political boycotts affecting destination and brand preferences.
Abstract guidelines
To have your paper considered for this special issue, please send a one-page abstract (about 300 words) to the guest editors by February 28th, 2026. The abstract should indicate the topic, methods, and literature gap that the submission intends to fill, and should emphasize the contribution that the article will make to hospitality and tourism research.
We encourage rigorous conceptual, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research that advances understanding of how public and political policies shape the global hospitality and tourism industries.
Please send the abstract as an attachment to both guest editors with the subject line “JHTR Special Issue Proposal,” to ensure that the submitted abstract will be considered. The emails for the guest editors are: [email protected] and [email protected].
Submission guidelines
Full manuscripts for accepted abstracts should be submitted by September 1st, 2026. Manuscripts must make a meaningful contribution to hospitality and tourism research, even if grounded in broader disciplines such as economics, political science, public policy, or international business. Submissions will undergo JHTR’s standard double-anonymous review process. Manuscripts should be submitted via SAGE’s Manuscript Central at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jhtr. Please submit the paper under “Special Issue: Political Environment.” Detailed submission instructions and formatting guidelines can be found here and on our SAGE homepage.
JHTR will accelerate publishing for this critical and timely special issue. Accepted papers will immediately be published through OnlineFirst where they will be assigned a date and permanent DOI. They can be accessed and cited before the full special issue is finalized. Once all papers for the special issue are published, the special issue collection will be added to the table of contents (as a featured section) of the next regular issue.
Timeline
28 February 2026: One page abstract due by email to the guest editors
28 March 2026: Result from the abstract review
28 September 2026: Submission of full papers to Sage’s manuscript central
28 November 2026: First review decision
28 January 2027: Revision re-submission
28 March 2027: Final decision
May 2027: Expected publication of the special issue
Please feel free to contact the guest editors if you have any questions or concerns.
