Special Issue
Coolcations, Climate Change and Service Transformation in the 21st Century
Aim and Scope
Climate change is increasingly influencing consumer behavior, mobility patterns, destination competitiveness, and service management practices worldwide. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and changing environmental conditions are accelerating the emergence of “coolcations” — travel and consumption patterns motivated by the search for cooler, safer, and more sustainable environments (Fernández-Villarán et al., 2025; Rivera-García et al., 2026).
This Special Issue seeks to advance understanding of how climate change is reshaping tourism, hospitality, and the broader service sector. The issue welcomes interdisciplinary research exploring strategic adaptation, sustainability, innovation, governance, and changing customer expectations in tourism and service industries.
Contributions may include conceptual, empirical, comparative, or case-study research addressing how organizations, destinations, and service providers respond to climate-related challenges and opportunities.
Suggested references:
Rivera-García, J., Fernández-Villarán, A., & Pastor-Ruiz, R. (2026). Rising global temperatures and tourism: Decoding the ‘coolcation’ trend in Nordic destinations. PASOS, Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 24(1), 121-133. https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2026.24.008
Fernández-Villarán, A., Rivera García, J., & Pastor-Ruiz, R. (2025). Tourism in a warming world: understanding the coolcation trend in Northern Europe. Competitiviness Review: An International Business Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/CR-03-2025-0078
Key Themes Include (but are not limited to):
-Coolcations and emerging tourism trends
-Climate change adaptation in tourism and services
-Sustainable destination management
-Hospitality resilience and environmental transformation
-Consumer behavior under climate-related conditions
-Territorial branding and destination competitiveness
-Service innovation and sustainability strategies
-Smart destinations and environmental management
-Wellness, regenerative and nature-based tourism
-Governance and public policy responses
-Socioeconomic impacts on local communities
-Climate-driven mobility and consumption patterns
-International and comparative case studies
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 November 2026
All manuscripts should be submitted through the Journal of Business and Tourism Management (JBTM) online system. Submissions must comply with the journal’s formatting and referencing guidelines and will undergo double-blind peer review.
For inquiries regarding this special issue, please contact the Special Issue Editors.
Special Issue Editors:
Dr Jorge Rivera-Garcia
International University of La Rioja, Spain.
[jorge.rivera@unir.net]
Dr Ricardo Pastor-Ruiz
International University of La Rioja, Spain.
[ricardo.pastor@unir.net]
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Human–AI Synergy in Service Industries: Rethinking HRM for Digital Transformation
Aim and Scope
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way service industries operate, challenging traditional human resource management (HRM) paradigms. This special issue seeks to advance understanding of how AI and HRM intersect to shape digital transformation, enhance service quality, and promote human–machine collaboration in tourism, hospitality, and business organizations.
The special issue welcomes interdisciplinary research that integrates perspectives from HRM, organizational behavior, technology management, service marketing, and sustainability. Contributions should explore how organizations can develop strategies to ensure that technological advancement complements, rather than replaces, human capabilities—creating synergistic systems where human intelligence and AI co-evolve to deliver exceptional service experiences.
Key Themes Include (but are not limited to):
- HRM strategies for AI integration and digital transformation
- Human–AI collaboration and hybrid service delivery
- AI literacy, employee empowerment, and digital skill development
- Ethical and sustainable HRM in AI-enabled environments
- Leadership and organizational culture for AI adoption
- AI service quality and customer experience enhancement
- Employee attitudes toward AI and technology readiness
- AI-driven HR analytics and data-informed decision-making
- Green HRM and sustainable digital practices
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 June 2026
All manuscripts should be submitted through the Journal of Business and Tourism Management (JBTM) online system. Submissions must comply with the journal’s formatting and referencing guidelines and will undergo double-blind peer review.
For inquiries regarding this special issue, please contact the Special Issue Editor.
Special Issue Editor:
Prof.Dr. Hazem Ahmed Khairy
Professor of Hotel Management, University of Sadat City, Egypt
Associate Editor, Journal of Business and Tourism Management (JBTM)
Email: [hazem.khaiery@fth.usc.edu.eg] [hazemkhiry2010@yahoo.com]
