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The current academic system prioritizes a high number of publications over practical relevance, creating a growing gap between research and the tourism industry.
Different time horizons, high administrative hurdles and conflicting perspectives are currently preventing effective collaboration between scientists and industry experts.
Tourism research must increasingly focus on pressing global challenges such as sustainability, climate resilience and artificial intelligence in order to achieve a measurable social impact.
A fundamental reform of academic incentive systems and a simplification of bureaucratic processes are crucial in order to promote impact-oriented research and innovative partnerships.
Summary of this study
The current academic system places great emphasis on producing large volumes of publications, many of which offer only limited novelty. As a result, scientists lack the time and incentives to build meaningful connections with industry.
The study argues that closer and more effective collaboration with stakeholders is essential if academics want to have a tangible impact on future development. It focuses primarily on industry as a key stakeholder and provides an overview of research pathways that could contribute to the generation of relevant knowledge.
Overall, the study calls for a rethinking of the role of academia in shaping future developments, with a particular focus on the social sciences and tourism as a field of research.
Key findings of this study
- Growing gap due to publication pressure: The current academic system prioritizes an unsustainably high volume of publications over practical relevance, leaving academics without the time and incentives to engage in meaningful collaboration with the tourism industry.
- Structural and cultural barriers: Different time horizons (short-term solutions vs. long-term system changes), conflicting worldviews and high administrative hurdles currently prevent effective partnerships between research and practice.
- Central future topics as bridges: The study identifies sustainability (climate resilience) and artificial intelligence (digital transformation) as the crucial research fields to restore the relevance of science for the tourism industry.
- Need for systemic reforms: To achieve real societal impact, academic incentive systems need to be reformed, bureaucratic processes simplified and policy frameworks created that encourage collaborative innovation.