Purpose The primary objective of this theme issue is to analyze global tourism trends reshaped in the post-COVID-19 era through a multidimensional perspective and to reveal the strategic impacts of these changes on the future of the tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach To gain a deep understanding of the complex and dynamic nature of global tourism trends, this theme issue predominantly employs qualitative research methods, including bibliometric analyses, semi-structured interviews focusing on participant experiences, content analyses of user-generated content on digital platforms and case study designs. A thematic synthesis approach was employed to identify recurring patterns, cross-cutting themes and strategic insights across the diverse case studies and bibliometric data in order to synthesize the findings of the 13 research papers. Findings The findings indicate that in a rapidly changing world, the tourism sector must adapt to these shifts by diversifying tourism types to achieve a competitive advantage. Specifically, stakeholders must account for evolving tourist preferences and demands, aligning the operations of destinations and tourism businesses with smart tourism technologies amidst increasing digitalization. Furthermore, there is a strategic necessity to rationally leverage social media, which offers superior marketing opportunities. Originality/value The originality of this work lies in its holistic future projection, which integrates concepts of technological innovation (AI, digitalization) and human-centered experiential tourism (spirituality, ethnic cuisine, solo travel) – elements that are typically treated independently in literature. It provides a chronological context that spans from the post-pandemic transformation of the tourism industry to the niche markets of the future. More importantly, it serves as a unique reference for tourism academics, policymakers and industry professionals on how to achieve competitive advantage in a digitalizing world while preserving human and cultural fabric.
Türker et al. (Tue,) studied this question.