Call for Papers: “Ethics of Digital Transformation in Tourism and Hospitality” | Journal of Information Technology & Tourism (SSCI, Q1)
June 21, 2026
The Journal of Information Technology & Tourism (SSCI, Q1) has announced a special collection titled “Ethics of Digital Transformation in Tourism and Hospitality,” guest-edited by Dr. Boyu Lin (Macao University of Tourism), Dr. Woojin Lee (Arizona State University), Dr. Lu Lu (Temple University), and Dr. Nao Li (Beijing Technology and Business University). Preliminary abstract submissions are due 15 August 2026; full paper submissions open 1 September 2026 and close 15 March 2027.
The collection responds to growing evidence that the rapid digital transformation of the tourism and hospitality industry generates profound ethical challenges alongside its operational benefits. These include algorithmic bias and discrimination, opacity in automated decision-making, privacy erosion, misinformation, labour displacement, and widening social and spatial inequalities. As digital platforms and intelligent systems become central intermediaries in tourism, ethical concerns are no longer peripheral to questions of governance and sustainable development but fundamental to them. The collection seeks rigorous conceptual and empirical research that critically examines these dimensions.
Research themes
The collection welcomes contributions that critically analyse the ethical dimensions of digital transformation in tourism and hospitality, spanning design, deployment, governance, and evaluation. Both conceptual and empirical approaches are invited.
Themes the collection addresses
The list below is indicative, not exhaustive. The full list of 14 suggested topics is available in the official call for papers at the Springer collection page.
- 1 Algorithmic bias, fairness, transparency, and explainability How automated systems in tourism produce discriminatory or opaque outcomes, and how these can be addressed.
- 2 Privacy, surveillance, and data ethics Ethics of data collection, storage, and use in digitally mediated tourism environments.
- 3 Trust, legitimacy, and user acceptance How consumers and organisations negotiate trust in digital transformation, and how ethical risks affect adoption intentions.
- 4 Digital labour, automation, and the ethics of job displacement Workforce implications of automation in hospitality and tourism, including reskilling obligations and labour rights.
- 5 Ethical risks of generative AI and synthetic content Responsibilities of organisations deploying generative AI and synthetic media in tourism marketing and operations.
- 6 Platform power, data ownership, and value asymmetries The ethics of platform intermediation, data ownership in tourism value chains, and distributional inequalities.
- 7 Responsible innovation and ethics-by-design Approaches to embedding ethical considerations into the design and governance of tourism technologies from the outset.
- 8 Digital inequality, accessibility, and inclusion How digital transformation reshapes access to tourism for different populations and the policy implications of digital exclusion.
Submission and timeline
Authors are encouraged, though not required, to submit a preliminary abstract of 300 to 500 words to the lead guest editor, Dr. Boyu Lin, at boyulin@utm.edu.mo before the 15 August 2026 deadline. Feedback will be provided by 1 September 2026. This step is intended to help assess fit with the collection’s scope, but it does not guarantee acceptance and does not replace the full double-blind peer review process.
Full papers are to be submitted through the journal’s standard submission system and will undergo double-blind peer review in accordance with the review process guidelines of Information Technology & Tourism.
Submission timeline
Authors are encouraged to submit a preliminary abstract before the August deadline to receive early feedback on fit, though this step is optional.
- 1 Abstract submissions due (optional) 15 Aug 2026 300 to 500 words, submitted to Dr. Boyu Lin at boyulin@utm.edu.mo. Intended to assess collection fit only.
- 2 Feedback to authors 1 Sep 2026 Authors who submitted an abstract will receive a response on scope fit by this date.
- 3 Full paper submission window opens 1 Sep 2026 Submissions made through the journal’s online system and subject to double-blind peer review.
- 4 Full paper submission deadline 15 Mar 2027 All full paper submissions must be received by this date to be considered for the special collection.
- 5 Anticipated publication Early 2028 Publication of the special collection is anticipated for the beginning of 2028.
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